Festive Days

This was a weekend dominated by the glorious Inman Park Festival in one of the cutest neighborhoods in Atlanta. I didn't do much shopping, but I did do a lot of style-spying on the unwitting well-dressed locals. On saturday, I wore my 1950's gingham romper with some silly sunglasses with ants crawling on them. I got lots of compliments (well, I guess I'm taking them as compliments) that I looked like a picnic. 

Vintage romper: Found in Cincinnati.

Belt: Came with another dress.

Scarf: Antique.

Earrings: Blessing Tires parking lot.

Sandals: Given to me by my roomate. I WAS wearing super hot wedges, but they were not so comfortable for walking around in a crowded hot place with a tummy full of beer.

Sunglasses: Gift from my aunt.

Purse: Thrifted

Saturday I mostly drank expensive beers with my astronomer and watched the amazing musical stylings of Batata Doce. They played their jazz/latin/alternative tunes on the WonderRoot stage, and in fact, I hardly had to leave my chair to take my sneaky pictures of the fashionable characters and the just plain characters.

I think this girl looks super cute, I especially love the little heart painted on her cheek!

I noticed a lot of really long hems on women this weekend.

Plain old fashioned adorableness never goes out of style!

Batata Doce was so good, they attracted an elf all the way from the North Pole on this hot April day!

And even some of the band members themselves looked great! 

The lead singer Leticia ALWAYS looks adorable at their shows (even though she wears that dress a lot), and today was no exception. Justin the bass player didn't look too bad himself, and I quite approved of his socks with sneakers look. (Pssst, Atlanta locals! Give Batata Doce a listen on myspace, and if you like what you hear be sure to attend their show tonight at 529 in East Altanta! Come up and say Hi to me and I'll buy you a beer.) 

On the walk home, we ran into a yardsale where I picked up a few vintage goodies including a red lacy slip and this cute indian-print prairie style skirt that I wore to the festival on Sunday. I had to improvise Sunday's outfit somewhat because I didn't go home Saturday night, but I'm pretty satisfied with it for stylin' on the fly! 

Skirt: yardsale in Inman park.

T-shirt: borrowed from the astronomer.

Key pin: Antique from Louisville.

Gingham pins: Actually the earrings I wore the day before pinned to the scarf.

And that was my festive filled weekend. Next up? East Atlanta Beer Festival on May 30th! Anyone else hitting/loving the outdoor festival trail lately?

My Concrete Prairie

Living in Down Town Atlanta has a million things that I love about it, but after awhile, one begins to feel a little cooped up. Warm weather and feeling the sun on your skin is nice, but I'm sure any ATLien is familiar with the change that takes place in Down Town this time of year-- the scent of urine being baked on pavement wafting up to your nostrils, the congestion of tourists looking at Frauda handbags, the unfamiliar new homeless people attracted by said tourists and mistaking you for one of them, the extra crowded MARTA train rides... It's enough to make me pine for a simpler life, to fantasize about being the only human for miles with only the fresh smelling good for me countryside to walk in and the sounds of water or insects to lull me to sleep instead of sirens and the familiar cry of the lone crack head in the night. In short, sometimes I start to wish I were in these places and wearing these outfits:

The ladies in these photos are Sasha and Amber, the masterminds behind Violet Folklore, whose whimsical scenery (and dresses via etsy!) I look at and sigh with longing for on a regular basis. I am all revved up for a few countrified dresses this summer, and these ladies and their gorgeous blog are pretty much single-handedly responsible for my newfound appreciation of a Little House on the Prairie look. Not that I think churning butter, losing half my family to influenza, and having a life expectancy of about 50 years would be so wonderful, but I do think the dresses that harken to this particular rural past are quite wonderful, not to mention a much needed break from the here and now!

While I do love the silhouette of mini and micro-mini dresses and skirts and DO plan on rocking those quite a bit these coming months, I admire the way Amber and Sasha are not afraid of a long hem. Usually I tend to write off long cuts on garments as matronly or frumpy, but the Violet Folklore gals look anything but! The photographs themselves are beautiful (not to mention the subjects!), and they seem so calm and effortless in their Gunne Sax pieces above that it has caused me to reexamine one of my own dresses of the same brand (although I'll admit here that I ignorantly had no idea who or what Gunne Sax was or that I already owned a lovely Gunne Sax vintage dress myself until I became a fan of Amber and Sasha's photos on flickr and their blog). 

I acquired the dress several years ago when I was still going through my teenage hippy-ish stage and was all about the 70's, and since then have only worn it in a costume-y manner. But the end of semester crunch has left me with the need to channel some of the calmness and effortlessness I perceive in Violet Folklore's style, and since I can't escape the concrete jungle I'll just turn it into my paved prairie!

So here is my Violet Folklore inspired outfit featuring my own Gunne Sax dress. 

   

   

   

   

Aaah, the fresh smell car exhaust and the lulling hum of helicopters lowering suffering people onto the roof of Grady Memorial Hospital! Nothing like it.

Dress: Vintage 1970's Gunne Sax. I got it at a little thrift-y type shop in Greensboro, N.C. for next to nothing!

Bow: Baby section at Target.

Argyle Socks: Hand me downs.

Boots: DSW-- rarely do I buy a new pair of shoes, but I bought these pirate boots last winter at DSW and they are crap and haven't lasted me half as long as any of my vintage or thrifted shoes! They developed a big crack across the sole so I can't wear them when it rains.

Skinny jeans: An old pair of Dollhouse brand jeans I have had for a long time, altered into skinnies.

If you're a fellow city girl and need a break from the sky scrapers and pan-handlers, visit Violet Folklore's etsy shop. It's the next best thing to hopping in your car and driving to the outskirts of town, only you don't have to use up any gas or abandon your best friend the internet... AND you might come away with a new dress, so really it's a win-win.

Nip your bad day in the bud...

...by dressing up for a WONDERFUL day! I think I've mentioned before the mood-enhancing properties I believe clothing to have.  I know my fellow students are with me in the end-of-semester mayhem when it feels like you barely have time to eat and breathe, let alone concoct the perfect outfit. In stressful times, it's so tempting to roll out of bed, pull a bra on under the t-shirt you slept in, and step into some sweat pants before trudging out the door. Waking up to the sound of rain and wind is even worse, and may lead one to practical tennis shoes and puffy shapeless coats. My advice: Don't do it!! You set the mood for your entire day as you get dressed, and if your outfit says "I'd rather be back in bed" chances are your mind will wander in this direction as well and make your bad day even longer and harder to bear. 

                       

My vintage polyester dress: Thrifted in Cincinnati.

Brown belt: Unearthed in a pile of stuff at my parent's house.

Black boots: Also unearthed at my parent's house. Thrifted in Charleston, SC.

Maroon socks: Pilfered from dad's sock drawer. Wow, I sure clean my parents out when I visit!

Velvet bow: Little Red Fox's etsy shop.

Hat and scarf: Yardsale.

Coat: Believe it or not, I got it really cheap in the middle of summer at a surf shop in Charleston. And it's the best coat I've ever owned, I wore it all over France and have had it for 3 years probably.

Gray gloves: The famed PRADA gloves found at a yardsale. See, I'm not afraid to wear them! 

Cold and rain sucks and with the schizophrenia in the weather here in Atlanta, I'm surprised we aren't all walking around with nose bleeds! On these kinds of days I am particularly tempted to throw on any ole layers for warmth and practicality. But instead, I decided to take advantage of the drop in temperature and wear a polyester dress that would have otherwise had to wait until next winter! Not only is this dress cozy warm, but it also makes me feel like a responsible accomplished go-get-em kind of prissy 70's/60's school girl. Which I love feeling like when I know I have a hectic day of running around and deadlines and so forth. 

I also shot these girls standing outside a building on Georgia State campus because I admire the way they are totally embracing the cold. You don't get to wear your thickest fuzziest boots very often in Hotlanta; I especially like the gray tights and yellow shoes on the girl in the middle.

If it's going to be cold, let that be an outfit inspiration, not a fashion drag!

                

Dress: Vintage from Ms. Jackson's Blessing Tires sale. (I was thinking of hemming it shorter, just above the knee, what do you think?)

Hat: Vintage from Ms. Jackson's Blessing Tires sale.

Scarf: Antique.

Belt: Came with another pair of thrifted pants.

Purse: Thrifted in Cincinnati

Socks: I've had them a long time. Just between us, they are secretly toe socks.

Nude pumps: Thrifted, Last Chance in Decatur.

I also find that running errands is made that much more enjoyable by a pretty outfit. With the previous day's snow flurries, I wasn't about to waste a chance to dress for some sun. Throwing on a dress and a hat is just as easy as a t-shirt and a ponytail, and feeling fabulous while visiting the post office and the bank and the pharmacy turns these tasks from a chore, into a stroll in the city. Comfortable heels make all the difference in my opinion! It's amazing the way simply adding a heel to an outfit instantly steps it up a notch. I was originally wearing some comfortable granny shoes with this dress, but once I changed into my nude pumps I suddenly couldn't wait to leave the house.

Rather than be bummed out about having to run errands and do chores, I try to let it be the reason for getting dressed. Dressing a certain way realigns my entire attitude, and while I'm sitting in a classroom taking an exam or stomping through disease-ridden puddles on Peachtree Street, I am at least comforted in knowing that I look the part in my fake nerd glasses or my silly goulashes. 

Take it from me. I look smart, right?

Nerd glasses: I bought them at a costume shop a while back to wear as a Woody Allen costume.

Blouse: Target.

Res striped bow tie: Sash or belt that came with another pair of shorts.

Patent leather belt: Antique.

Shorts: Vintage, from one of my numerous shopping excursions in Cincinnati.

Red pumps: Thrifted.

Ms. Match

Dumpy rainy cold weather days lately kind of make me feel like disappearing. What happened to the promise of Summer from last week, with the 80 degree weather and the shorts and sunglasses? Suddenly I am back to my Fall palette and those light girly colors I was so enthusiastic about have to wait. However, to counter the threat of vanishing completely in my winter wetness depression, I did manage to play around with one element I am anticipating for spring: the mismatching of different patterns into one outfit!

  

Floral skirt: Thrifted

Plaid stockings: 

Clown and children t-shirt: Gift from super sweet astronomer

Ankle boots: Vintage, thrifted.

I have been admiring a good clash in some of the posts to Wardrobe Remix, and decided to try it out myself! Here I have mixed the floral skirt, plaid stockings, bandana, and checkered earrings.

Even if the weather is boring, it's still always fun to play with your hair! I sat behind a friend in class who had two little bows to clasp her french braids and I absolutely had to copy it. I got my gray velvet bow barrettes from Little Red Fox's etsy shop, and I have been wearing them almost every day since then.

Plaid 50's dress: Vintage shop in Austin.

Tights: Gap?

Boots: Thrifted

Necklace: Thrifted.

Scarf: Kudzu Antiques

Belt: Thrifted

The next day I decided to mismatch patterns again. I combined a kind of plaid green vintage dress, lacy tights, polkadot belt and a polkadot scarf. As you can see from these pictures, being Ms. Match greatly improved my mood after my summer parade had literally been rained upon. Now I am going to Savannah to soak up some coastal rays! 

The Five Fashion Accessory MUST HAVES

1) BUTT ENHANCING PANTIES.

Because everyone knows that fat bottomed girls make the rockin world go 'round. Why give in to flat-bootie blues this season when you can invest in this wardrobe staple? Not only will you get way more of that much craved attention from boys, but your chances of scoring a job in this tough economy will be doubled. No butts about it, no girl's fashion accessory collection is complete without a little extra junk in the trunk.

2) VELOUR SWEAT SUITS.

Fashion Accessory #1 will aid you in looking extra curvy in your velour suits. Be sure to buy one in every obnoxious color; after all, there's nothing like the feel of cheap-looking furry fabric against your tanning bed skin. Wear them with a high pony-tail while carrying a Starbucks cup and a dog in a purse for optimum fashion forward fabulousness!

3) UGGS

Once you have your booty-licious bod and your shiny velour suit, you're going to need some Uggs to stuff the bottoms of your sweat pants in. 

These timeless boots come in all shades and shapes of unflattering blandness to suit your every mood! Despite the fur lining and similarity to snow-boots, Uggs can be worn in any climate and season. Heads will turn when you pair them with Fashion Accessory Must-Have #4, the short denim skirt-- 

not because people are thinking "why the F is that girl wearing ugly tan snow boots in 95 degree weather" but because they're thinking "wow that girl looks like lots of other pretty girls I've seen... I should run to the store and buy the exact same outfit." And what with the lovely privilidge of mass-production and daddy's credit card, they can do just that!

4) SHORT DENIM SKIRT

If you want to be a true fashionista, you're going to need a short denim skirt, preferably an expensive one from Abercrombie. Don't try to make your own out of an old pair of jeans, that's for craft-nerds, which, ew. It's much better to trust the adept little hands of underage Taiwanese factory workers who have years of experience pumping out hundreds of the same skirt per 18 hour work day. Go ahead and buy the skirt with the most wear and fading, although it might be a little more expensive to get one that looks like it's been run over by a truck a few times-- but hey, that's better than going to the thrift store for a used one! That's for poor people, which, gross. 

Once you have your denim skirt, you'll be able to pretty much wear the same outfit as everyone else every day! Just switch out your different colored Lacoste and Polo shirts, and if your feet are beginning to develop a strong odored fungus from sweating in Uggs for a few months, go ahead and switch to Rainbow brand flip-flops.  

5) TRAMP STAMP.

 With these looks, don't be afraid to show a little skin in the midriff section. A little lower back peeking out just screams "CLASS!" especially if you have an adorable lower back tattoo of a tribal design, a flower, or a butterfly. If you don't have one, don't fret. Many tattoo parlors are open 24 hours, and you and your girlfriends can hit the bars for some jello shots before stumbling into one and getting the matching tats you'll be sure to regret. I mean, remember.

P.S. 

APRIL FOOLS!!!!!!! :~)