Black & White

Happy spring, everyone!

In today's entry, I'm featuring the outfit I wore for Easter, which also happened to be my mom's birthday. This outfit focuses primarily around two items: a pleated horizontal stripe dress from Banana Republic and a graphic pair of white and black pumps by the brand Tildon, purchased at Nordstrom (both are still available for purchase at their respective websites).

        

Since my mom so very rightfully did not want to cook (and more importantly clean) on her birthday, we went out to brunch after church. Brunch reads chic. Granted, this isn't always true in practice (raise your hand if most Sundays you're only trying to get a Bloody Mary in order to stop shaking), but in theory? Chic. So while I'm normally all about the pastel Easter colors and soft chiffon, I wanted to mix it up and go for something a little less expected.

To accomplish this, I stuck to a bold color (or lack thereof) palette of black and white in a graphic print. The sharply defined stripes certainly diverged from your typical florals and lace. To make it a little more casual and playful, I added pops of color with the yellow belt and my bright red lipstick. Even my eye makeup was kept mostly black and white, with just a subtle light brown shadow in the crease for depth. I was initially going to do my hair in a slicked back ballerina bun, but my curls just wanted to do their own thing and I went with it. While the first option would have added a more high fashion edge to the look, the loose curls kept the overall effect from getting too cold and stiff and brought a laid back touch to an ensemble that had the potential to get harsh. The overall result was fresh and flirty.

The miracle dress at work

I adored this dress from the moment I saw it hanging on the rack. First off, the construction is excellent. The fabric is quite thick and it's lined, adding the structure a piece with bold pleats like this requires. Then there are the pleats themselves, which are the selling point on the dress for me. They make it girly and whimsical, create the perfect shape for your body, and add the blocks of solid color that are necessary if you don't want to go cross eyed from the print mixing. That said, since it is balanced by the pleats, the print mixing is another fantastic aspect of this number. The smart use of two different size stripes frame the central panel, giving a slimming effect (impressive to do with a horizontal stripe) that is much more subtle than the popular "miracle" dress that was all the rage a few years ago (see thumbnail). I like pairing it with my little yellow belt to make it playful and add some lightness in the color, but the great construction makes it cinch you in either way.

This dress makes me feel expensive, it makes me feel girly with the right amount of sexy, and it makes me feel different. This is a good dress.

Necessary sassy side angle

Exposed back zipper outlined in black adds contrast and emphasizes the symmetry of the dress

And then...the shoes.

Bow down to greatness

They're amazing. The graphic black and white in a shiny patent gives this shoe almost a menswear inspired vibe, but the sexy pointed toe and the heel (which is a nice tapered shape rather than a stiletto) make sure there is nothing manly about it. A great bonus is that they're comfortable! There is an elastic band that connects the two black flaps (it's hidden underneath the white material), making this shoe a slip on. Then the ankle strap secures the shoe in place and adds a delicate detail that introduces a little more femininity. The second I saw these I knew I had to have them, and they're surprisingly versatile. Easy to dress up and make pretty, dress down for more of a put together punk vibe (who knew that was a thing, right?), and they're work appropriate. Overall, great purchase.

And in case you were wondering, the birthday girl was quite fierce herself. She too rocked a black and white ensemble, which you'll see below (I promise you this was not coordinated, these things just happen when you share fashion genes), and please take a look at the heels she was wearing. Respect:

Everyone's mom needs to dress like this

Sunday was a great day, made even better by the boost that wearing an outfit you love can give you. The best part: spending the day with a very happy birthday momma. If anyone deserves to smile, she does!

~ Devin

Vintage Appreciation

Christmas of 2012, my father -- general all-around bad ass, rock musician and former flower child -- presented me with something really quite special: a vintage leather jacket. This gift was particularly meaningful for a number of reasons. My father was in full swing during the 60s era of revolution, so to have a piece of clothing that is so reminiscent of that time (although I do not know the actual dating on my piece) was like having a piece of my dad's personal history that I could touch, like he was able to actually bring me into his world. Also, my father hates shopping and couldn't care less about clothing, so for him to have gone out of his way not only to buy me something fashion-related, but something so unique and impressively awesome, made it clear how much effort and care really went into it. Lastly, the jacket itself is just mind blowing. Take a look:

Pairing an item like this can have its difficulties. It's bound to be a focal point, yet to pair it with something completely bland undermines its artistry. The day I wore this was the first warm day in weeks, and I wanted to walk around the city taking in the fresh air. I didn't want to look overdone, but wanted more of an effortless cool. You know, the whole 60s vibe. After a lot of poor wardrobe pairings, I ended with something that actually made me quite happy.

Leather jacket of awesomeness.

Pat Benatar crop top (totally 80s but the laid back band-T quality completely worked. Plus I actually got it at one of her concerts so like...does anyone care? No, because she's epic).

Distressed jeans.

Casual brown knee-high boots.

I paired those clothing items with a messy pony, dark yet unrefined makeup (smudged eyeliner), and spiked silver earrings that said "don't worry, I've still got some punk in me," and next thing I knew I had the perfect bohemian idgaf ensemble. Here's the result:

It made me feel in complete control as I walked around town, and that's exactly what I needed in that moment. Plus that brown bag in my hand was holding precious cargo from the best bagel place in the neighborhood, so who could have any complaints, right? NO ONE, that's who.

But now I really just want to appreciate this jacket for everything it is, which is total art. Look at these details:

Let's start with the collar. I like the exaggerated points of the tips, as well as the fact that it doesn't wrap all the way around to the zipper. Then there are the three strips of leather on each shoulder (harkening to an age when patchwork was commonplace), contrasting the downward points of the collar and strengthening the shoulder line.

Then there are the pockets. Oh how I adore the pockets on this jacket. First off, the seaming. Then the simple shape of the flap is completely not attention seeking yet still different from most anything you see present day. The vertical zipper is actually one of my favorite details. I'm not sure I can pinpoint why, but it reinforces the seaming nicely and just adds a certain earthiness in terms of color and texture. The whole jackets is very graphic while still giving off the overall appearance of softness. Plus the stone button is totally giving me 60s "I like to sleep on the ground sometimes" realness!

Just look at that button.

But no matter how amazing any of the details on this jacket are, nothing can compare to the hand painted birds that flank each side of the chest. There's just so much of that fantastic Americana "I wear an American flag patterned head scarf and denim cutoffs" vibe coupled with Native American inspiration finished with a dash of phoenix born from the ashes. They're beautiful.

You cannot buy hand crafted detail like this anymore unless you want to eat ramen for a solid 3 months.

So basically, it's stunning. I loved the laid back vibe I accomplished with this look, but I'd be super interested to see how it goes being paired with something a little more feminine. I have a tight leopard print maxi dress that paired with some dark wood platforms I own and over accessorized necklaces and rings may really just do the trick. Next time I'm at my parents' house I'll grab the dress so I can try it out and post the results :)

To sum:

Love your dad.

Buy vintage.

Eat bagels.

~ Devin

Welcome!

Starting this blog has been an aspiration of mine for a long time, so I finally stopped thinking and started doing. Here you'll be able to get inside my head and more importantly my closet, where we'll go on all kinds of adventures in shoes that make our feet hurt and our lips smile.

I intend to use this space to give you and myself creative outlet and inspiration. I'll discuss my own style ventures as well as share exciting ideas that I encounter from other sources.

This is a place to explore the world of self-expression through visual presentation. Welcome to my ginger jungle of a life.

~ Devin