I knew it was happening....




I *knew* it was happening in a week or so...






... it happened...





Not to toot my own horn or anything but...look who has a playlist played in Revival Clothing Store, or otherwise known as the place where I spend most of my paycheck on.

Everyone who has been around me since Solstice knows that all I ever do is bitch about the weather, which defeats my reasoning for never bitching about cold weather. But I'm a polar bear! Me likes cold! So in the attempts of staying cool, I'm trying to wear modest thin layers in the two outfits I've documented.

Quite possibly the cutest shirt I have at the moment (badass award goes to my Nylon Magazine t-shirt) is a light Angel sleeve penguin shirt. You may not see it right away in the first picture but low and behold... tis tiny penguins in a tiny chorus line! (Yeah I said chorus line, what of it?)


The questionable part of this $10.50 top from Mimi Chica that I found at Revival is where it lands on the waist, making anything I wear with it for jeans or skirts would make me look a little bottom heavy. But, I can look past that fashion faux pas and absolutely love this thing. This wins over my Peace Generation pink sparkly penguins for sure!

And as we all know, given that my main love for polka dots never die -- so once more when I enter the "Holy Gates" of Revival I find a very adorable $10.50 loose white tank top with a tie ruffled collar full of navy blue polka dots from Old Navy, girl has to jump for any polka dots they can find. 

Since shapeless and thin is possibly the best option next to strategic apartment nudism, I was a little hesitant about how it makes me a little larger which is why I went for my red jeans -- and yeah, maybe I did wear this on the fourth, what of it? -- to give the whole outfit a little more density. Downside of this top exactly? having to wear a cami underneath, but this is the most known top from my closet in the past three weeks since I bought it.

And how cute is this $14 (but got it for $12 at a Revival 20 percent off sale) R Tease dress? The light cotton, although black and black is bad for summertime, itself is good for a moderate day, which today was but I think despite the double-breasted gold buttons (which I absolutely love) makes me look a little top heavy but in the long run, all you need is a belt but kudos to R. Tease for making my boobs look awesome!

Check out these bad boys...

7.5 (But rather narrow for my deformed feet) Clark's Bendables for 22.50 at Revival. 

Gorgeous.

Purple. (Burgundy-Purple, depending on what light they're in)

Adorable.

... But painful on my deformed feet.... 

....I think I have become a woman now buying shoes because these kind of shoes only come once in a lifetime. Especially THAT cheap. 

I have a different attitude on Spring Break than others -- I live in an ultimate Bohemian paradise, why would I ever leave even when I still was in college? So, I make two rules since graduating three years ago (three years? damn) on proper Iowa City Spring Break etiquette

1. Talk to EVERYONE you can on random silly comments. (Because people, whether behind the cash register or that cute girl in the sundress and motorcycle boots hanging out at the coffee house -- ahem, not talking from experience -- are just naturally nicer than any other week in the year.

2. Ladies, take advantage of the great weather and wear only skirts, dresses and leggings for the week, it'll amp up your attitude a little more.

So in light of these two rules, or more rule number 2, this is what I did my spring break, or rather the highlights, or the highlights surrounding spring break (and mind you, I have a love-hate relationship with spring because I get hot really easily so I either have to wear less layers or more layers depending on the weather and spring is a difficult little bastard like that.)

Saturday, March 10th

While a little nippy for this adorable dark blue and light purple polka dots (obscure colors for polka dots), I found this lovely little shirt-dress, or maybe a mini-night gown for $8.50 at Ragstock on the "Modern Dress" rack (my new God). While it's probably not spring material I did wear an awkward open long sleeve cardigan (the ones that are asymmetrical at the bottom) tucked it in and went around feeling the wind through my bra, but my cleavage never looked better than that night meeting a bunch of my guy friends's friends via Applebees and bowling all the while explaining Don Marquis's comics and poems collection "Archy and Mehitabel." (I am a geek, profoundly.)

Monday, March 12th

This is the dress that's made famous by Trendy Spring Commandments # 1, there is nothing wrong with finding a dress and building a whole outfit on it just to wear the first day of Spring Break, and unleashing all your upperback tattoos. While the waist hits me at just the right spots, clearly this dress was made for a bustier girl (case in point, finding it at Ragstock on the "Modern Dress" rack as well for 8.50) then running into said bustier girl who was wearing the dress the same day as you!! (awkward). Needless with my super-round shoulders this dress is a mix of fail and win. The win? THE BOOTS! Oh Sweet Baby Buddha the BOOTS! These bad boys are from Lorenz 2.0 (a great local shoe store that always has great sales, great for off-season shoes) and at the cheapest of their fashion boots at 25 dollars. After having to break them in for a few days earning a really narly scratch on my heel it was sooo worth it. Now they don't hurt anymore and they look amazing with all these dresses on this post! 

Wednesday, March 14th

I wouldn't wear the polka dot "night shirt" without a belt because the pattern is so tiny it would otherwise look lifeless on me, but when you have colored jeans, it can be used to your advantage -- in pure 40s style. And that I did with this, my $12 red jeans, rolled up and slightly cuffed with black sandals to look so completely pin-up girl inspired, right along with bright-red lips, pig tails with my Juno "Puppy-Dog ears" layer of hair falling to the sides of my face and the most important part to this outfit -- the perfect cat eye. This may or may not have resulted in many Marilyn Monroe inspired pictures with her facial expressions -- like you've never done it in the privacy of your... vanity...

Ragstock has been very good to me over this past March, but skirts are so touch and go with me -- they say short girls with my height should wear long skirts, it helps us look taller but I still look like an oompa loompa and I have to find a "just right" skirt that hits right above my knees given a girl like me always has to wear leggings or a spanx like under every skirt and dress because the thighs are danger zones that stick to each other. So when I make the occasional scavenge in the 8 dollar hippie skirt rack, most often I won't be disappointed like when I look through the mini-skirts. Very rarely do I wear anything with bare legs, but unfortunately you cannot see my shoe choice for this outfit with my black sketcher tennis shoes and scrunched down argyle socks looking very 80s with the vest (which I am wearing right now actually) and mix and matching the patterns from the tie-dye effects on the skirt with the pin stripes. This is in right now, and while more bold prints are in vogue, some of us have to be very careful with what prints we put on our body (I'm looking at you, Glamour magazine!)

Friday, March 23rd

And of course, the "Obligatory Floral Print Dress" which every fashionister should have in her closet this spring/summer, and one that flatters her as well as doesn't overpower any of the curves, which is so important to look pattern placement. BE PICKY! And I was completely picky with this 16 dollar dress, pulling Trendy Spring Commandment # 1 again with the buying of a white cardigan to put over this when Spring has her period and gets a little nipply. But either way, even I cannot stop staring at the picture of this dress -- I could make a list of all it's magical attributes (and this wasn't the dress I was looking for!) 

• Blue and pink - I hardly ever wear either color! (Looks up at skirt, well, sometimes...) But my ideal pink always has a tint of brown in it because dirty pink looks so good with my skin tone Blue though? I have a strange relationship with the color blue, I used to love it in high school but now I reserve it for accessories in more green-tinted shades (the necklace in the above picture and the blue manicure I have right now) to really show off its blue-ness. I like my blues to pop out, and the blue flowers on this dress is no exception.
• The formation of the dress in general is too perfect for my body, there's just a little tightness in the outward seam in the shoulder that hangs over my tiny-as-hell arms but I forgive that BUT THE BEST PART is what you can barely see on the left portion of the dress, the oh-so tiny pleats that start from the idea waistline for me (right under the breast, if you're reading and attribute your body size to mine, this is your ideal dress shape) but after staring at the dress for awhile there is even tiny ruffled pleat around the waistline of this thing that helps lift up the boobs and accentuate the hips. 
• This is the dress I want to style my hair in pin curls into and go completely Mad Men inspired. But unfortunately some of us are blessed with very flat thin hair that hates all product if it isn't Got2B or anything for thin hair, yet a girl can dream...

Hey Revival Girls! 

While on the bus today I ran into a girl wearing thick wool Men's style socks over tights... street fashion for the win?

Yea or Nay? I vote Yea but I cannot wear that with my oompa loompa legs.

I know it's been too long with one of these posts and dammit, it took awhile to test drive all clothes bought over the Holiday Season. Thank God I survived. Or perhaps with the new camera, thank God for "coming back to modeling."

I didn't have too much faith in this sweater initially which was apart of the Great Maurices deal of 2011 (went to The Tanger Outlet outside of Iowa City, and saved almost 89 dollars on my gift card, including a few 15 dollar off coupons AND the punch card, I'm still dazed) but I knew it had to be worn with something graphic and badass underneath. The thing about shopping at Maurices is you have to mentally go through your own closet and figure out what would look good with the tough-girly continuum. This works. Plus, the rose Union Jack was a total steal at Ragstock for 10 dollars.

Fun with textures, the sweater which was also apart of the Great Maurices deal of 2011 (I talk about this like I talk about natural disasters...) It has fantastic detailing on the sleeves in being sheer. Good for just being a shirt I picked up for my new ushering gear. Pairing it with a snake-skin like vest that my brother actually picked up for a Christmas present works perfectly than with the other shirt he chose to go with it. I keep saying if you have something girly on, you have to balance it with a little tough. It was all girly, it made me vomit. So pairing the lace with the snake skin was perfect and even my pre-Christmas present to myself, the carpet designed green scarf, rounds it all out on how to pair textures obscurely but oddly look good.. Take that, little brother, for telling me my fashion sucks and that I'm too fat for the clothes I wear. 

 I have at last achieved one fashionable trend in the past year, colored jeans. And done in a fashion that it worked perfectly with my Thrift shopping self. Hello 22 dollar red jeans from Revival, you're pretty, you're my new best friend! And paired with the impossible sweater and a black shirt I had to tuck in and then pull out to a probable length (as red jeans, they will shorten you so you have to pull every lengthening trick in the book: pin-stripes, up and down buttons, suit shirts etc) but I compensated in breaking that rule a little with my favorite motorcycle boots, it doesn't look too horrible. With red jeans, you also want to get a little boring with accessories, so bitch boots and '60s inspired earrings will do.

I really love the wintery texture of this vest but wearing it is a bit of a problem. It was also apart of the Maurices day, which is another hard thing. See, without the belt, it'll completely hang and I don't have short enough shirts to oppose it's length. So while this belt is probably not the best because it is deteriorating, a much wider belt would work for this. And the jeans which probably also don't help given its dimensional shade, but give me a few more blog posts and maybe I'll find something redeemable to wear this shirt as. And yes, it matches my comforter.

This shirt will be the death of me. Normally you don't know phrases at their fullest extent, well I do now. The vertical stripes are almost invisible under the vintage wall paper like effect which is a perk, but my relationships with button down shirts is indefinitely nil. When you have a fear of looking like your old body type you wear everything close to skin -- button down shirts don't do that. Button down shirts have excess fabric on the front around the stomach area which means it can either fatter or flatter you (headpalm to the pun). But I think with the elongation of of the boots and the thinner jeans help the shirt. This took awhile to come up with a good outfit for this shirt so I am relieved this worked. And let's call it for these jeans, at last jeans I can wear boots over and doesn't wrinkle at all! The only downside to this skinny flare (I'm looking at you Maurices) is that it's a low-cut and no clingy shirt is safe with low-waist jeans. Dammit.

I love clothes. And that's rather apparent - especially the way I shop. So I intend to give away a few of my "tricks of the trade," not in the way of taste as I have in previous posts, but in the technique of shopping. It's generally pretty simple and easy but some people really do blindly shop and think that something is perfectly proportionate to their body type. Which leads to the first bullet point, know your body, as stereotypical as that sounds in terms of self love - but you spend the most time in your body whether knowing your measurements or weight, or just knowing what you look good in without advice from Cosmo or Glamour.

Example? Only I can relate to personal experience - sometimes I "binge" on 2 AM google searches about current fashion trends I know what works or what doesn't work for me. This leads to the biggest rant about current trends I really dislike.

1. Tunic tops with heavy hip areas in shape of diagonal sides. I am lucky that I have a pure hour glass shape that I don't need that added weight but if I see a top I really like and I don't see the bottom shape right away, I get so amped up for nothing and end up disappointed. I hate that. You can always tell if a store is catered to certain body sizes by these kind of tunic tops.

Erratic hems like this can either shrink you to an oompa loompa or overemphasize the round of your lower stomach.

2. Shirts with butterfly sleeves. Please, just don't! I have put on these kind of shirts because I like the pattern or how it looks on the hanger. That's another good thing to remember when shopping without a dressing room. It won't hang on you like it does on the hanger. The sleeve starts about an inch under the armpit leaving it for women with smaller breasts to compensate to look more hour-glass with their wide hips. But with wide hips also comes over emphasizing the mid-section and curve, how thin do you need to look? I don't need it but when there's an amazing black t-shirt with a kitschy design of an animated owl... dammit Ragstock!

Only worthy if you have larger breasts and smaller hips. 

If you do end up finding a top that seems interesting, is right for your body but you are still not one-hundred percent sure, the second thing to do after falling in love with a top is what I call "the tug rule" which involves discovering the proportion of the desired top to your body.

For beginners, put the shirt up to you, holding both ends (purse between feet of course) under the arm pit, tug slightly to the contour of your chest area making sure you will look boobalicious.

Yes?

Then check waist by the same way. The more you do this the more you are able to do it even without putting the shirt up to you, merely leaving it on the hanger and tugging, and you will know immediately if its the correct size for you. Sometimes you don't have to look at the size tag, especially if you go to secondhand stores where, if you look hard enough, you can shop for anything if its of interest. If it doesn't one-hundred percent fit even after waist size, if its half an inch bigger, bobby pins; if its half an inch smaller, buy a seam ripper or fabric scissors.

I live for this rule and have been able to buy many awesome tops and fixing them myself. You can even go further like a friend of mine and actively find similar fabric and seam rip then sewing it back up according to your body size. In fact, I would love to do this - Home Ec. teacher in high school said I had a good steady hand for sewing.

I mentioned a paragraph ago, "if you go to secondhand stores where, if you look hard enough you can shop for anything if its of interest." My favorite local secondhand store, Revival, I can get so much as a small to fit and I try never to question or analyze it, not even for this blog. I'm superstitious like that. You can tell what kind of stores are to your personality - which comes to the third - know the store - what is their size chart? If you're not able to know that definitely try one of every size on and relate it to your body. Never let the system that is the "every woman must be a size 12" get to you, because not every store is alike, especially alt-indie stores. So really, it's good to be a hipster about these things.

Dear Zooey Deschanel Dress I just Bought Today,

I have looked at you on the rack at Revival over many many months - I thought you looked over-sized for my new figure, the color a little off for my skin tone, and too thin looking being just an overlay. But I have honored the detailing of your retro button trim and bow tie which I do promise I will learn how to tie more effectively without looking lop-sided. On the upside, I'm happy I brought you home with me like a good puppy and that the girl at the register was happy it was finally getting sold - in a good way. I knew you were worth it although I could have bought an accessory building t-shirt dress but as a primary rule of shopping at Revival, one should focus on statement pieces. So really, you were the better option. wizard. You will be the first outfit I publicly hula hoop in. I shall wear you to work on Monday, I don't care of the dress code. 

I'm yours.

Dear Amazing Biker Boots from Lorenz's

You were the most unexpected surprise, the only shoes that were close to good enough for my horribly disformed feet. I have always wanted biker boots... I have watched "Daria" far too much to know that you can do multiple things with biker boots, especially transforming everything somewhere between masculine and feminine. I have been waiting forever for you. But your "sister" the tan ankle boots are still waiting for me, your supervisor still has them on hold so hopefully you will see her very soon. 

I'm yours.

Dear Neck-Tie earrings from Ragstock,

I have no words. NO. WORDS. Oh my Blog.

I'm yours.

One of the most common pieces in campus fashion around Iowa City and beyond is the screen tee, but to me the biggest problem about screen tees is that a lot of the slogans are downright stupid. Even my mother showed me the light (admitting is the first step...) after a few years of resisting this rule: a lot tees have the most immature phrases ranging from allusions to beer and boyfriends. I admit to being a little rigid about that sort of topic anyway. But de-revolutionizing proves one thing: will you be saving these t-shirts for the next five years? will you still be loving them?

Let's just say that screen tees are not the best "in the moment" buys think very slowly but maybe for the aging 20something looking for good taste, I hope I can shed a little subjective light to this subject.

On Sayings/Phrases

If you want to go with phrases, I think it's best to go with simple phrases if not pictures that delve slightly in with politicalness, a necessity in a liberal college town, or really, anywhere. But the trick is, for any tee shirt, is to go into the kitschy and slightly obscure. Especially decorated in images since images leave a larger impression on a t-shirt than just words. If there's a lighter shade of politicalness available, I would go with nature or charity themes. More contemporary styling such as "To Write on Her Arms" or "American Cancer Society" are a lesser evil compared to "My boyfriend is better than your boyfriend" with a diagonal lip stain. You won't be wearing that t-shirt when you're thirty.

Pout: Victoria's Secret, Revival $6

It wasn't until right now I realized the tank top of reference for this point is from Victoria's Secret of all places! Never been able to fit into a single thing there. But by the power of Revival, I found "Pout" 's "Do the Green Thing" simple, powerful, and yet feminine and quirky.

Most often it can be awkward in the warmer weather to not use the power of layering, but any image that brings across a punkish attitude with the right accessories (with this tank top I immediately think, studded cuff, a floral feminine slightly above the knee skirt and maybe a light solid color scarf). That's another great thing about screen tees is that you can take the smallest color from the shirt and embellish it in other areas.

On Image

Peace Generation Glittery Penguin T-Shirt Ragstock $12.98

I have this kind of love for my Penguin t-shirt from "Peace Generation" a brand that is common within the narrow walls known as Ragstock. I don't see myself ever tossing it out because this is the t-shirt that makes me, what people expect. And maybe it was also the only one and the medium fits me (the shock never dulls). Lately the animal craze is out anyways, from the thin light t-shirts of tigers and pandas (ooo... I want a panda t-shirt!) and while some people can do the actual animal print, this is definitely the lesser of the two evils. 

Maurice's Clearance $12.00

Emerge World Wear from Gordman's $8.00

While still on the subject of the thin lighter tunic t-shirts, which land perfectly mid to low thigh, these more collage-styled images bring out a more vintage look, and this is what I see the most especially on a day like today either tied up slightly with those tiny denim shorts *shudders* or hung loose with half or full length leggings and the T-shaped sandals. With images that are in a blurry Monet design, this is a perfect chance to delve into the obscure, primarily I count on the key print above for this point. It goes into my slight fascination with a girly steam punk as well as green looks great with my chameleonic multiple shades of red hair. And what's quirky about this wonderful t-shirt from Gordman's is the fact that texture is also involved. While most often this type of tee shirts are built up really fine thin fabric, texture seems to add both a dimension and something almost better than an image. It's not showed in the picture (again I hope to have a camera soon to take better pictures so I apologize for the quality) but along the scoop neck there is a lace overlay from shoulder to shoulder and to layer above that, a darker shade of brown decorates the right side that punctuates another layer of image and texture.

Color

Zooey Greene's "Love" Revival $ 6.00

This is a singular rule, NEVER be afraid of color. especially the feel-good's: yellow in itself is known to be a therapeutic experience to wear, chemical balances both in yourself and others who see yellow are immediately relieved. I don't know why, I just read it once. So it would be sensical to have at least one tee shirt that is both flattering to your skin tone yet fluorescent enough to feel those happy rays of sunshine. I have a friend who is obsessed with orange and her attitude changes from crazy to... well... crazy by way of color alone. It wouldn't matter the content of the colorful t-shirt, but they should be simple, at best, and with large scale image or fonts to exude that feel good energy. (Why God, oh why, am I starting to sound like Richard Simmons?)

I'm relating to my Zooey Green's "Love" t-shirt, found proudly at Revival. Simple, with an interesting minimal font but with a little punctuation of a butterfly, I would pair this right away with a polka dot skirt, my bumble bee necklace and maybe a studded cuff. The t-shirt is always the focal point for designing a cohesive outfit. Go crazy! It's fun. It's good for the soul.