7 December 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.
Sources:
- Blouse – Vintage, thrifted
- Belt – Gap Outlet
- Cream wool skirt – Isaac Hazan, vintage, thrifted
- Brown tights – Target
- Brown wedges – thrifted
- Vintage bead earrings – little shop in Wheaton, Illinois
End Notes:
First off, congratulations to the winners of our first give away and thank you all for your participation!
Except for the belt and tights, everything in this outfit is, as they say at rummage sales, “previously loved.” Through high school and most of college, my wardrobe was primarily gleaned from Goodwills around Oahu. It was a choice prompted more by my lean bank account than any defined clothing aesthetic. In fact, I prided myself on dressing in thrift store duds that didn’t look like they were thrifted. No well-worn t-shirts, no kooky skirts, no purple jeans. Instead, I was on the hunt for last season’s Gap jeans. And, though my memory of Hawaii thrift stores may be skewed, I don’t recall fabulous 1950s sun dresses or vintage pencil skirts being on offer there either.
Vintage Bead Earrings, originally uploaded by academichic.
All that to say, thrifting on the mainland — and in a large-ish Midwest city at that — has taught me two very important lessons. 1) Thrifting for colder weather clothes is way more fun than thrifting for 80 degree weather clothes. 2) I enjoy the low-cost freedom that thrifting gives me to try on a different look. I’ve started to dabble a little more in the vintage aesthetic that is among the dominant “looks” in the style blogging community. While I am far, far, far from being a vintage queen like Jess of What I Wore, Aya of Strawberry Koi, or Rhiannon of Liebemarlene Vintage, I’m loving my very old school combination of this plaid blouse and high waisted cream pencil skirt. I feel very early 1960s hostess-chic. Look for me in a Life magazine ad for holiday turkeys or something.
7 December 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.
So even though it does feel a wee bit “costumey” to me, I’m going to run with it. And isn’t that part of what makes getting dressed fun?
It’s interesting to see what different people view as dominant trends in the style blogging world. Vintage… yes, I suppose that is rather dominant, in a certain strain.
This is a really fun outfit. I like that you pushed yourself in a different direction than you would normally go.
I thrifted in HS, too, and was the same way … seeking out current or recent pieces for pennies instead of clothing with personality. Thrifting with a broader sense of style is much more fun, don’t you think?
i’m with you! sometimes thrifting is better in smaller towns, because the selection isn’t as picked over. i’m loving this plaid shirt with the skirt–what a fabulous pairing of something that could be casual with the elegance of the skirt and belt.
Love the colorful top with the cream skirt. Cute!
Love this new look on you – different from your usual aesthetic. Looks great!!
I think you look lovely and wonderful! And really, if, “All the world’s a stage,” don’t you deserve an amazing costume?
I love the plaid top with the simple bottom. So chic!
this is a really unexpected look for you, but I really like it.
(I’m assuming the belt is just resting on the waist ~ not anchored in belt loops ~ so how do you keep it from riding up? I feel like my wide belts always end up somewhere around the top of my rib cage no matter how tight I cinch them.)
I’m a big fan of this outfit. It seems kind of different from your usual style, but in a great way. I really love it!
Wow, you look completely different! Amazing.
I don’t think it looks costumey at all. I really like the plaid blouse.
I like it, too–it’s just a bit different from what you seem to normally put together but it looks great on you. If I could offer one suggestion, it would be that having this skirt taken in a bit (around the hips) would really make it look amazing. Using a tailor (or sometimes my own limited alterations skills) is something I’m trying to do more; especially when a lot of one’s clothes are secondhand, it can make the difference looking interesting and looking really well-dressed.
Love the belt and skirt. And the plaid blouse makes this look a lot more ‘casual’ than I’d normally expect with a skirt like that. Nice!