Beyond "Basic"

Pretty Walks and My Intelligence

2011-07-19T09:53:00.002-04:00

Shirt: Old Navy, Shorts: Calvin Klein, Belt: Calvin Klein, Cardigan: Old Navy, Shoes: Tommy Hilfiger at TJ Maxx, Hat: Macy's, Necklace: American Eagle

Number of times I've put my shirt inside out this week: 3
The number of careers I've had my Simmies successfully complete: 5
Number of times I've spilled on myself this week: 24 and counting
Number of times I've tripped over an animal today: 2 and counting
Wondering if the Simmies possibly has contributed to the loss of IQ?: Priceless (Yeah, I know, they aren't prices, blah blah blah)

Btw, for those of you concerned by my addiction, I have ordered certain Arabs to take the computer with the Sims to his house to cut me off. It's not quite cold turkey, but its a step.

On a better note, these photos were taken on a lovely walk through Olgebay, all part of my master plan to do more active fun activities. Less watching Harry Potter on the couch, more going for pretty walks. And finding little baby ducks on the way!

Fashion Ramblings

2011-07-12T13:21:00.001-04:00

Let me tell you how much I just looooove my blurry photos on my blog. I promise you- the problem has been identified and better pictures are to come (its okay, you can breathe now).

Things I like about his outfit:

-My orange leather belt I got at the thrift store for about $1. I am a thrift store convert (thanks to Miss Jessica Whitehead of whom I now owe my life)

-The print on the mini-dress. I think the short the dress, the more it needs a cool print. Also, this is only a mini-dress because I had it tailored (courtesy of Spic and Span dry cleaners, to whom I also owe my life and my first born child)

-The gold "fashion experiment" watch from American Eagle. For those of you who don't know what a fashion experiment is, it is the the trends or styles you kind of want to try but you're not sure if you'll actually like it. Thus, you agree that you will only buy that trend for a good price. My limit is about $20, but Jessye's is $30. Whatever floats your boat. The watch was $15. Now I kinda want a white one.

I'm pretty much brain dead at this point

2011-07-10T00:06:00.000-04:00

Well, it's July and summer is halfway over and Sarah still has not accomplished anything huge (read: anything at all) since graduation EXCEPT an increased number of books read, one Kennywood trip (and lots of rollercoaster riding), and an increased amount of Simmies knowledge (seriously, the Sims is like my meth).

However, I have managed to have a abundant amount of interesting thoughts this summer such as:

1. How long can you get away with doing nothing before your parents start calling potential employers for you while you sit on the couch and boss your Simmies around? Hey, I'm gaining managerial skills!

2. Can a sunburn on a German/English hybrid girl eventually turn into a tan? (Note: No, not really.)

3. Will my father ever stop being fascinated with the idea of having goldfish in our pond despite the grim death rate of the Harmon pond fishies? (Again, no.)

4. How many outfits can I plan around one pair of red boat shoes? (Lots!)

Perhaps I'll start planning my careers moves tomorrow. You know, maybe.

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T14:47:00.000-04:00

To my wonderful father who never ceases to amaze me with his kindness and love. Love you Dad!

I'm on the edge of glory

2011-05-25T23:29:00.000-04:00

Sort of. At least my bangs are. They are bangalicious and kinda Zooey Deschanel-esque, don't you think? And kids, I looooove my hairdresser Bria. She is fabulous and does not blink an eye to whatever I suggest. She's super cool and I think I'm in love. If you live in Wheeling and wanna splurge, go to Bria at Fredericks Salon and she will hook you up with a mad hair-do.

New Tricks

2011-05-23T22:33:00.002-04:00

One of the things I'm doing to distract myself from the vast reality of my situation (aka 22, jobless and living at home) is making my room the perfect oasis to relax (hide) in. This bench was one of my more creative projects. My mom and dad found this bench somewhere years ago and gave it to me. I've been using it mostly as a bookshelf until I came home two weeks ago and went..."hm, I bet I can make this better."

I wanted to give it a lighter more modern look so I picked out some fabric that I just wrapped around the cushion and stapled on. I sanded the bench, put a layer of spray paint primer and painted it bistro white (ooh la la). Doesn't it look real purty now? Watch out world, here comes a new furniture refinishing business like you've never seen before.

You are 22 and you live on Avenue Q

2011-05-18T01:50:00.003-04:00

You know the thing about turning 22 right after you graduate college? You start to realize what's really important in life. Like...good friends, plenty of vodka redbulls and your cat absolutely loving your friend who hates cats :) Some things you just can't write. Oh and do you like my crown? My lovely friend Caitlin bought it for me to wear to EVERY SINGLE bar we went to on a crazy Monday night in Wheeling. My other wonderful friend Tonya made me carry around the princess balloon all around Panera and the mall. Yes, I got plenty of stares. And free drinks. Thanks for the wonderful day to all those I love...you know who you are.

Being Garfield can Collide with Fashion

2011-02-03T22:32:00.000-05:00

Add caption


Boots, Chinese Laundry; Jeans, American Eagle; Jacket, American Eagle; Shirt, TJ Maxx; Belt, Thrifted; Necklace, American Eagle

Ok, I have to confess....

I didn't get dressed for my first class this morning.

This is not going along with my Beyond Basic goals to dress like, a fashionable person, everyday. But you know it's hard! I can pick out a whole outfit in my head the night before (yes, I actually do this), but then my alarm goes off in the morning and the game changes. At 7:30 am fashion doesn't seem as important. Even if I know it is.

So I cheated and got ready for my last class of the week (haha!) after my first class. Shame on me.

Red lips and feathers

2011-02-02T17:07:00.001-05:00

Soooooo....first day back to photo shoots didn't go so well, kids. We're having a little trouble getting back into the game here. HOWEVER, I am still able to use photobooth to show you at least what was going on with my head today, so yay!

XOXO -S

2010-12-09T17:19:00.003-05:00

Blouse, American Eagle; Sweater vest, American Eagle; Jacket, TJ Maxx; Jeans, American Eagle; Boots, Fashion by Marpaz

It's finals week, so what does that mean? Sarah's an art major and all her projects are pretty much done. Aaand what does that mean? Intense Gossip Girl marathons in my room and dinner ordered in.

I never said I wasn't lazy. Or obsessed.

Now, I have my roomate/little/best friend obsessed with it too, though I'm sure she'll probably deny it if you ask her.

And if you can ignore the sometimes mediocre acting and the shallow drama (that I um, ok, kinda like) at least take a look at the FASHION because its usually amazing!

Yeah, I watch Gossip Girl for the fashion.....hmmm

Embarassing moments in the library

2010-12-03T15:12:00.005-05:00

So, I'm, like, freezing cold in all these pictures, by the way. Like, freezing my little butt off. Can you sense the uncomfortableness? I still need to work on my poses too, so that probably adds to the awkwardness. Don't worry, I'll definitely practice the poses over break! America's Next Top Model Here I Come! Oh yeah, definitely winning that one ;)

And, just so you all are aware, this is Sarah's wishlist for Santa this year:

1. Photoshop and InDesign for my little Mac. The blog needs some oomph!

2. The Gossip Girl series......... (Commercial Interruption: So, I just really awkwardly sneezed in this super quiet library and it was REALLY REALLY loud! And then it just, like, echoed....some guy in his cubby hole even popped his head up like a lemur to check out the lame girl who just sneezed obnoxiously. Anyway...)

3. A car (hahahahahaha)

4. A new really cute winter hat. Any suggestions?

You know, this is actually pretty selfish, isn't it? Maybe on my next post I'll post things I wish for other people. Doesn't that sound loverly?

I still want Photoshop for Christmas though.

Also, I got my hair did

2010-12-02T14:10:00.002-05:00

What do you think kids?

Pretend I posted this yesterday...

2010-12-02T13:58:00.003-05:00

So I'm sorry that I haven't done any outfit posts in like, a whole week, but I was hit by a double plague. I mean, upper respiratory infection AND pink eye??? I'm not sure what I did to deserve such ailments. Point is, I didn't really want to subject you to my evil red eye cause it was really pretty scary. It's cleared up, but bad new is I still can't wear make-up. So you get to see Sarah with a bare face...mmmm yummy! I'm also subjecting you to my Uggs. I thought about fooling all of you by changing into some more stylish boots, but laziness took over. It usually does.

In MORE news....
We had a our first snowfall today!
It finally feels like Christmas, kids! I can't wait for sleigh bells to ring and going for a sleigh ride with my carriage and horses and caroling and fighting off the Grinch...

Thanksgiving, you will be remembered

2010-11-29T00:04:00.006-05:00

Sighhhhhh...Mike's gone, finals are coming up, papers are due (I just got back, haven't even had class yet and my brain STILL feels like scrambled eggs) and I'm officially a leper (pink eye from suitemates is not fun, believe me). I had a plan too-this morning I was going to get up earlyyyy, and have a nice breakfasttttt and get some homework doneeee and spend some remaining hours with Mikeeee..........
And then

I wake up with a swollen, leaking eye.

Gross.

Instead I spent the morning at Urgent Care basically in my pajamas, being told I have conjuctivitis (on a sheet of paper, no one actually told me I have pink eye), trying to get a prescription at Kroger (why do they open so late???) and rushing to pack last minute. Fun fun fun!

Ah well, I got some loverly pictures of about a fraction of my break, but they were fun times, so not all is lost. We have pictures of the boyfriend, the puppies, monkey bread (soooo good) and some cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving dinner. Yum!

A soon, I'll be back home again.
Yessssss

Thanksgiving break is almost here!

2010-11-22T16:53:00.005-05:00

So there is something that I'm realizing:
I need to WAKE-UP! You know what I mean? Like have more energy, be more awake...just WAKE UP! Maybe it's my diet (I could use more vitamins) or my sleep schedule (why is that no amount of hours works?) or maybe it's just the in and out daily routine, but seriously people, I'm feeling the need to WAKE UP and SHAKE THINGS UP. There's no need to go sleeping through life. But what is there to do, hm?
I'll let you know when I find out.

Busy Sunday

2010-11-21T23:40:00.004-05:00

So I've been trying the tights with shorts thing with moderate success. I like the idea BUT I'm in desperate need of dress shorts! First on my Christmas list definitely. In fact here is Sarah's In Desperate Need It's A Live or Die Situation If I Don't Get These Things No Really It Is List:

1. Cute, comfy shirts with interesting details. Looking for long-sleeved, stripes, polka dots, accents like fabric flowers or whatever.
2. Dress shorts!
3. Skirts! I'm thinking knee length in bright colors or stripes.
4. A nice brown belt that'll go with almost anything.
5. Brown leather riding boots :)
6. New tights! Maybe in some exciting colors if I'm feeling frisky.
7. Scarf with a pretty pattern
8. Big earrings and a statement necklace

So hopefully Santa (ahem, Mom and Dad) will be feeling EXTRA generous this year.

Sniffle Sniffle Cough Cough!

2010-11-20T20:32:00.002-05:00

Soooo, yesterday, just my luck, I woke up with a sore throat (my absolutely least favorite thing!) and it was terrible. I also was running an awful fever (yuck) so there wasn't a lot of creative outfits going on yesterday or today. Sowwy! Creativity goes down the drain for me when I have the sickies. The fun part is the people who are sick in my house were sick with strep. AH! I just hope I feel better in time to see Mike, because his poor immune system probably can't handle my germies.
On a bright note, maybe I'll do some shopping online and show you guys some of my Wants! Love online window shopping!

"Sarah, you were like a little tornado..."

2010-11-18T17:23:00.006-05:00

So fall is playing tricks on me. No what I'm USED to is plenty of light and sunshine at 4:30 p.m.-that is the norm. However, when I was in class today I almost had a heart attack when I realized it was 4:30, getting dark outside and that I still needed to take my pictures for the day! Ahhh! So I rushed as fast as my little feet could take me, ran up the stairs and shrieked "CORIE! CORIE! WILL YOU TAKE MY PICTURE BEFORE IT GETS DARK!!!!" To which she replied,
"Um, sure."

Well I thought it was pretty dire.

I know you're probably hyperventilating right now but it's ok, calm down-I have some photos for you! I know, you are SO relieved.

Awwww!

2010-11-18T16:16:00.004-05:00

So I'm supposed to be looking around on the Internet (oh, glorious Internet) for inspiration for my final monprint project. But insteaadddd, I found these ADORABLE Shelter Stories comic strips. If anyone grew up reading Mutts like me, then you'll understand why I'm emotionally attached to these. Also, all of my pets are shelter pets so I know those critters need to feel the love! And the three legged kitty is just too cute! It's okay to cry...I'm tearing up over these during class, soooo

So about the last two days...

2010-11-17T20:08:00.006-05:00

Our internet has been down. It sucks. A lot. And by a lot, I mean, A LOT. I didn't realize until the past few days how chained to the Internet I am...and you know what? I'm totally okay with it. So give me my internet back now plz! And for those of you who are going (well if you don't have the Internet how are you typing this blah blah blah), I'm at the library. I think I'm just going to camp out here until our house is once again connected to the world. In the meantime...

I wish I had photos too, but unfortunately I am also low on photographers at the moment. So I'm going on photobooth to take a photo of the face I get when we don't have internet...

Pretty sad, huh?

If you're interested....

2010-11-16T12:47:00.003-05:00

Some pictures of my last installation/monoprint project...not bad eh? Eh?....... No? Okay.

Monday Monday...

2010-11-15T17:02:00.006-05:00

Thoughts of the day:

1. Blogging is tough work...I have to take a picture of myself EVERY DAY??? Um, sometimes, I'm not interested in being so aware of myself.
2. I wonder if people can tell that the song "Hide yo kids, hide yo wife" is just repeatedly going through my head as I walk down the mall. Sometimes I get an eerie feeling people can hear me...someone needs to take their crazy pills
3. Mike told me last night while we were video chatting that he hasn't seen me smile so much in a while :) It was nice to hear...might have something to do with blogging adventures as of late
4. Why is it that I'm hungry all day but whenever I take five bites I'm full?? Highly annoying. And the lady at the library cafe took one of my meals when I wanted my sandwich on declining....greaatttttt. Oh my god, I'm hungry right now too. FEED ME!
5. Corie is a champ for putting up with my photography/modeling adventures...still embarrassing for me though. Notice the looking down in these pictures cause I'm shyyy!

Also, lesson learned today. Take pictures of your outfits because what you think looks good on you is sooo not. Ah well.

Rainy Day

2010-11-14T15:40:00.013-05:00

Today I woke up in my nice warm bed to find it raining outside. Mmmm, nothing better than that...things that could've make it better:

-Waking up to some tea and one of my homemade egg sandwiches, yummmmm
-Having my kitty wake up with me
-Time to read a book (capstone gets in the way of everything)
-Something special to look forward to later on

But for now, a comfy bed was definitely a good start :)

Here are pictures of my dressed up outfit for tonight's ceremonies...

Can you tell how uncomfortable I am? And these are the best pictures! Modeling career, probably not in the works for me. But hey, maybe I'll get used to it...maybe. K, time to get dinner now and stop blogging! Ah!

First picture of me and soooo embarrasing!

2010-11-13T20:39:00.005-05:00

Hey all! So I've gotten a few comments from friends and they seemed disappointed that I never actually put pictures of myself or my outfits on this blog. So, sorry about that guys! I'm just kind of shy about my ACTUAL outfits that I try out, because, well, what if you don't like them or something! I thought I could get away with just showing what inspires me and you would never notice. So much for being sneaky.
But you're right, the only thing you should fear is fear itself, or whatever so here goes nothing...

It's not an outfit (um, obviously) but it is a new hairstyle I'm trying that I got from my NEW favorite blog ever The Daybook (yeah, I'm totally giving you a link if you haven't seen it on my facebook already). Just don't stop reading my comparatively lame blog in favor of this cool one. Anyhoo, I love the girl on the Daybook because she has almost EXACTLY the kind of style I love and she's an artist too and we have similar hair. Win! She's kinda awkward like me too, so I like that. Her blog also has really inspired me to branch my blog out to what I actually do everyday stylewise and making blogging more of a casual everyday thing, instead of these essay-like entries I was doing.
Okay, anyhoo AGAIN. So this hairstyle is awesome because dirty hair makes it actually look better and this is the first hairstyle I've found for dirty hair that looks good. Cause a lot of magazines SAY dirty hair makes it better, but for fine haired people like me, dirty hair goes with practically nothing. Except this one! Also, in my humble opinion, this hairstyle is perfect for trying out large, bold dangly earrings. So I'm trying it out tomorrow and you should too...nonkey. It can be an obnoxiously high bun day! It'll take over the world!

My Lastest Fashion Guide

2010-10-28T14:29:00.006-04:00

If you are as fashion-obsessed as I am (and I am quite the addict) this is a perfect book for you to pick up. Everyday, we look through magazines, we shop in stores and we are overwhelmed by a plethora of style choices and often times, what we are surrounded by are mostly trends. How often do you step back from it all and truly evaluate the basics of your style? Sadly, with school and life in general, taking a long fresh look at my wardrobe/fashion sense is becoming a rarity. However, this guide by Harper's Bazarr has been the perfect guide to fall back on.
This book isn't going to show the costume-like, outlandish creations on the runways that Vogue and our other favorite magazines prefer to advertise. This book simply gives you the basics. The perfect suit, dress, accessories even, yes, your underwear (love it!) It presents the basic styles (minimalist, eclectic, classic, etc.) and what fashionable celebrity tends to wear it. All this is great, but the best, most useful part of this book is the rundown on EXACTLY what you should have in your closet by the number (um...finally!). It's the absolute basic must-have list of the pieces of clothing everyone should have in their closet and it is a life-saver! Personally, I don't have the funds to fill my wardrobe completely with all their suggestions, but believe me, I'm keeping it in mind for the future. Rome wasn't built in a day, right? Well, rather than keeping this all to myself, here is the master list:
4 Sweaters (2 for work, 2 for weekends)
7 Tees (short and long sleeves, tanks and turtlenecks)
4 Coats (1 elegant, 1 sporty outwear jacket, 1 classic trench, 1 day-to-night)
2 Tops for every skirt and pant
4 Pants, 4 Skirts (2 for office and formal, 2 informal)
1 Suit (for every season, that you can wear together and apart)
5 Dresses (2 for day, 1 short for cocktails, 1 long for formal, and 1 special one)
4 Jeans (1 slim cut, 1 relaxed fit for weekends, 1 ankle length for flats, 1 longer pair for heels)

Tah Dah! If you're interested, I would definitely recommend buying this book, because it's been wonderful to use. Otherwise, happy wardrobe building!

It's about time I wrote about Carrie...

2010-09-29T21:41:00.003-04:00

I know it's been a shamefully long time since I've written on this blog and I deeply apologize to both my followers and myself for this misdeed. Because, really, a fashion blog should be the last thing I neglect. Don't worry, since February I have been pushing my fashion limits in various ways and occasions, but perhaps I'll save that for a later post.

It's getting colder outside and the leaves are changing to yellow, orange and red in Marietta. So what if the first thing I do? Take my sweaters and knits out of storage of course! It's time for layering again and anyone who knows me knows how I love to layer. So, to give everyone a little inspiration for the new fall season, I want to use (who else?) Carrie Bradshaw as an example of adorable fall fashion and my personal muse. So I've picked this outfit from an outake of Sex and the City the movie and analyzed every last wonderful bit of it.

Reasons why I love this outfit:

1. I'm completely loving the over-the-knee socks. They're flattering, they make her legs look long and the go perfectly with short skirts and dresses. Luckily, they're a trend right now (thanks to Ms.Bradshaw, perhaps?) so soon as I found a nice grey pair I snatched them up. However, it might be too different a look to wear in Marietta. But hey, if I'm going to look like this, I'm willing to put up with the stares.

2.The opposing patterns of the flowers and the stripes is just beautiful. I know for a lot of people, putting different patterns together seems like a bad mistake, but I just love how it takes dressing to a new creative level. What can I say, I'm an artist. I usually don't like things to match perfectly. Plus, I think successfuly matching patterns is a testament to your good fashion sense. How can it be pulled off at college? Subtler prints with bolder prints, like Carrie's delicate stripes with her bold floral skirt.

3.The boots. I'm not sure if it's necessary for me to continue on that one. They are adorable and I love the brown leather with the grey.

4. The cardigan! It fits perfectly with the outfit because it has a long sillouette but it does not hide the patterns of the shirt and skirt. Also, the off-greige color that doesn't quite match the grey in the shirt and socks is a stroke of genius. It works without making the outfit overwhelmingly grey.

Sigh...I'm in love. Don't be surprised if you see me in over-the-knee socks walking down the mall next week. By the way, you should too.

Leggings + Me = Forever (Or at least while I still have the butt for it)

2010-03-24T20:54:00.005-04:00

I had my doubts, my concerns, my prejudices…but all that has changed, because, finally, I have let leggings into my life and into my wardrobe. No longer do I taunt girls at Gilman wearing nothing on their bottom half but leggings, because I, too, now do these things. Yes, I let myself fall into this relationship at last. Leggings and I are basically Facebook offish.

Reasons why I love leggings:

1. There are so damn comfy.

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been away from my blog for a few weeks, but that is because I was in SPAIN for Spring Break (insert jealousy). For my journey involving car rides, connection flights and looong international flights, I wore my leggings and they are simply perfect for traveling. They cover you up, they move with your body when you’re rushing to your terminal or perhaps attractively sleeping with your forehead on a serving tray, all the while managing to still look more adorable then sweatpants.

2. Speaking of sweatpants…

Leggings are such a sweet alternative to sweatpants. Just as comfy, but definitely more fashionable. And they still look cute with a sweatshirt on top as long as you wear some flats too. I’m not saying completely abandon your sweatpants (I’m not insane, don’t worry), but I personally have started to switch sweatpants out for leggings as of late.

3.Leggings are cheap!

I think I paid $5 for my very versatile black pair. This means that it’s a trend you won’t have to invest in. Why not pay $5 to experiment? It’s worth a chance!

4. Leggings and tunics are basically the Bomb.com

I think leggings and tunics were probably specifically designed with the other in mind. They’re especially cute with a belt around the waist. It’s a short-person friendly trend too! Tunics are next on my shopping list.

Ok so, I have officially tested this trend and I approve. I would say start with basic black. To minimize the possible body issues that may arise from wearing leggings, I would say wear them first with butt-covering tops and dresses and then gradually work your way to other styles. It’s a good lesson in accepting your body, definitely!
Comfortable, cheap and stylish trends are a rarity, so embrace this one. I know my leggings and I are very happy together.

Inspirations!

2010-03-02T22:57:00.005-05:00

Instead of doing my collage for the past half hour, I've been involving myself in one of my favorite pastimes: Checking out fashion sites! I just thought this was the cutest little outfit. Here's the best part: Everything on this girl is from H&M and Forever 21! It's inspiring me to wear my turtleneck dress tomorrow (or Thursday depending on how late my art project keeps me up!). Just wanted to share the adorableness. Also note the scarf tied up in a bow. Genius, I tell you.

Cardigans: The New Sweatshirt

2010-02-26T23:35:00.011-05:00

So, it’s been an incredibly busy week. My professors seem to have misremembered when midterm week actually is and I have had three exams, one paper and one presentation all due early. Needless to say, it resulted in a not so fashion innovative week. Between studying, getting together with my study partner, late night phone calls (not with my study partner) and lack of sleep (perhaps due to my late night phone calls), my fashion creativity kind of went on the back burner. Instead of thinking of all this as a fail, I like to think it has been a learning experience. What exactly do you wear when you have no time to think about it? How about when there’s no time, it’s early and it’s a freaking blizzard outside?
Never fear, my poor, tired, frazzled self has managed shockingly to keep all my fashion rules, despite how tempted I was to wear my AXD sweatshirt to my 9:30 a.m. exam. My fashion saviors have been pretty basic:

1. Cardigans- Simple, cute, can be worn over dresses, blouses…they even make T-shirts look cute. Talk about a lifesaver.
2. Long necklaces- My silver and gold heart necklaces have been making my otherwise grungy outfits look cute. It takes a second to put one on and they especially look stylish with a cardigan. I’m telling you, these things are too easy.
3. Scarves- Sort of the same concept as the long necklaces. I tried to switch up which color I wore everyday though. Also good for the cold.
4. Jeans with flats/boots- Enough said. Staples we all probably knew about anyway.

All these things have been done before, I know, and I’m sure my fellow fashion-forward friends already know about these basics. However, what I’m proposing is that these cute fashion add-ons should be our lazy replacements for sweatpants and sweatshirts. I mean, how much harder is it to put on a sweater than a sweatshirt anyway? Actually, in my experience sweatshirts are actually harder to put on, not to mention they mess up your hair. Lesson learned: Some fashion basics can too easily replace our PINK sweatpants. And stressful weeks are no excuse to look bad, as I have learned. I swear it’s possible.

Next week we’re tackling the leggings. Wish me luck!

Okay, I’m going back to watching Sex and the City now.

Realizing My Style Potential

2010-02-20T17:31:00.000-05:00

Style is an evolution. Personal style is a personal evolution directly affected by our changing selves. Since we are constantly evolving as, you know, people, I cannot help to believe that the two are closely linked.
Yesterday, I was reading an article in my favorite site, Collegefashion.net, about the basic pieces of clothing a girl starting college needs. Honestly, I wish I had known about this blog the summer before my freshman year. Though I had always been interested in fashion, my style was still way under construction. My wardrobe was stuck in this limbo between teenybopper and respectable college student. I had some nice, timeless things like a cute black dress, pretty heels and good earrings, but I also possessed offensive atrocities like denim skirts (eek!), T-shirts with things like the word “STAR” and butterflies on the front and very old and very cheap Claire’s jewelery. Scary, I know. I shiver at the thought, too, don’t worry.
In some ways I’m relieved that that era is over, but I also know that my style is still evolving today just as much as it was in 2007. So how do I become my own version of Carrie Bradshaw (who went through her own style evolution in “Sex and the City” after all)? I suppose I just have to make concrete, deliberate steps everyday. If I force myself to take premeditated steps, then maybe I’ll see a change in my style that much sooner.
So I hereby vow to work toward evolving my personal style with very few resources and my so-called creativity. I will be working with almost no budget, mostly working with what I already have in my closet, inspiration from the numerous fashion magazines I’m addicted to, and of course Collegefashion.net.

My plan thus far:

1. I will attempt to dress nicely EVERY DAY as long as I am leaving the house.

2. No more sweatpants and sweatshirts outside of the house. However, midnight trips to McDonald’s and Timmy Ho's do not count. I am a human after all.

3. I will embrace the power of accessories. I must have at least ONE cute/original accessory with every outfit.

4. I rip out the outfits I see in magazines that inspire me and tape them around my closet.

5. I am no longer allowed to have the mindset of “I can’t pull that off”. I will try any style once.

6. I will dress nicely no matter how tired/hungry/hung-over I am. Violent illnesses will not count. I don’t think the flu really goes with anything anyway.

7. I will wear my befuddling, hard-to-pull off leggings at least once a week. This is perhaps the biggest challenge of all.

So that’s that. I’m sure there will be new rules to come if I manage to keep to the first ones. I’ll also update my findings, experiences and inspirations as I go along on my little fashion journey. Also, if you find me in a sweatshirt and UGGs at a 10:00 a.m. class, please don’t berate me too harshly.