she's so grandma

heels: c/o Steve Madden
Everything else: probably spent a collective of $7 on all this vintage!
haha, socks are new tho kids, always buy new clean underwear you guys!

I had the absolute pleasure of doing this collaboration post with Steve Madden for Steve Madden Magazine. I'm truly so humbled and proud! It was so hard to keep this from you guys!!  They sent me these killer heels, made me feel all adult, so I put sock in them to make them more like a child! Haha!

So happy its FALL, which means I can finally wear all my favorite vampy colors and no one can judge me for being dark and moody. Well people are going to judge me anyway, like where I got the title from this post from. I've actually spent the afternoon LOL-ing, because Steve Madden posted this picture of me on their instagram to promote our collab (yay!), and even though now I have a helluva new gang of friends (hi friends!) people were still H8-N'! I actually never recieved a wealth of bad comments, maybe a few but not a choir. But I'm really surprised how I'm Kanye shrugging through this brigade of hate mail. If I dressed to impress everyone else, well I would dress like...everyone else. I've even stopped following trends because I just like to make myself happy. Blogger's like Elodie or Yin always inspire, but I'm not going to shut my eyes an emulate Rihanna. HASHTAG SORRY NOT SORRY.

I think this means I'm growing up, my mom says she's proud, she said if this were to happen last year I would've been in the corner crying, running over to necessary clothing and grabbing some jeffrey campbell knock offs and bondage dresses. Perhaps I would start wearing my hair straight or at least run a comb through it....but that's why my instagram (and twitter) slogan is:

non, je ne regrette rien ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

So I did this whole rant to tell you, DON'T CHANGE WHO YOU ARE TO MAKE OTHERS HAPPY (especially boys, changing for boys is DUMB don't do that you're fabulous) people will celebrate you for being you, trust me! I got beat up for dressing different by girls and boys! People would rip off my clothes in the hallways of my high school because the fact that I had THE AUDACITY to dress different really enraged them. But good things will come from you loving yourself aka why Steve Madden called and said "hey your cool wanna help us style a look for the fall?" And like me, you will say YES

5 Days of AOS

Oxblood pants: c/o Articles of Society
Everything else: VINTAGE BABY, EVEN THESE SWEET SHOES AND RAY BAN, I KNO RITE?!!!

I don't know what came over me when I put together this look (for AOS 5 days of AOS collaboration) when I was home last weekend. Perhaps its because I'm ready to get spooktacular for Halloween! As a kid I wasn't allowed to celebrate, but as an adult, I take in the festivities as a casual celebrator. I think its fun to have a day to act like a child, eat candy, and dress like cartoons. Its like a free day to give our mind a rest

I was CLEARLY feelin lost boys this day. Maybe because moving to NYC has made me feel a little lost? I had such a clear plan of what I wanted and now that I've come here, that all seems so unsure. I don't really feel like going back to Chicago, but I don't know if I want to stay here either. In fact the only thing that sounds alluring these days is packing my bags and leaving for Paris...

I guess all these things just take time, right? Patience is a virtue...

Bleu Jazz

Plaid shirt: brother's
high waist pants: Uniqlo
Blazer: vintage
Shoes: Cole Haan

Wore this outfit on my way to see Blue Jasmine, and my friend told me I looked very Woody Allen esque, which is fantastic in my book. I even kinda look like this Woody Allen post I did a while back.

I really enjoyed this movie, and surprising connected with Jasmine. It kind of reminded me of who I was as a kid, and during the chat room days I could pretend to be whoever I wanted to be than the person I was. The person I was lived on the south side of chicago and got bullied constantly, but the person online could be a kid from Egypt or Italy, no one really cared to back check, because we were all pretending. The escape felt good for a while, but as I got older I learned I can't hide from who I am, I can only direct the person I will become. Whenever I have a great change I always try to "reinvent" myself. Whether it was the fresh start of a school year, starting a new job, or like now moving to a new city. But after living in New York for a month now, I realized I don't want to change the person that I am. I like myself, I like my family, I like where I come from. Why lie?

Oh, New York

pants: ragstock vintage
shirt: vintage CK
shoes: elizabeth & james

 NEWS FLASH: I love men's clothes. You know what kind of news this is, non american news that really isn't news at all, because I think we all knew that I loved pants and or men's clothing, but who doesn't love a good old fashioned fluff piece??

This is what I wore on NYFW day one. And by that I mean, moving to New York and spending day one of NYFW unpacking ALL MY FASHION! Haha I missed the first show I was supposed to go to, because I'm learning all the trains, so I treated myself to new shoes! Grown up shoes no less! Yes these Elizabeth & James shoes are my "welcome to nyc" present to myself. Now I have two pairs of heels! Almost a woman! My mom told me that if I got these pants I had to balance them with heels, which I think she's right for now, but I know my loafers will come a creepin' real soon. Need not worry friends, I'm still me! Another mom story, she did not want me to buy this shirt, it's vintage Calvin Klein, but the person selling it wanted an arm full for it. Usually I'm like "eh I could find this cheaper else where" but when it's a vintage piece YOU KNOW YOULL JUST LOVE, flippin get it, as long as you can afford it. I wear this shirt to death, it's boxy, drapey, kinda like a suit jacket. Ugh, I love it. So lesson # two, mama ain't always right.

Hope mom doesn't read my blog today >_>;;;;;;;

desperately seeking suuuz

hully-gully skirt: c/o shabby apple
dotted crop: AA
jersey leather style jacket: stolen from my mother (hahah!)
creepers: F21

Gonna be honest, I've never seen that move all the way through, but I do know that it definitely "iconosizes" that 80s cool girl look trademarked by the 80s power houses like Madonna and Cyndi Lauper. I'm not sure what came over me when I was getting dressed this day, but I was definitely feeling a little 80s punk. Big hair, polka dots, but with a little bit of edge with the jacket and creepers.

What a better look to throw rocks down the alley, pop gum, and get into some trouble?

755-5070

jacket: vintage
blouse: vintage
shoes: vintage
shorts: american apparel

There was this one time a few days ago, it was so warm, I couldn't even wear pants. That doesn't happen often so far this summer, but hey I'm not really complaining. So far the weather has been fairly European, and me gusta.

Clearly I was channeling my inner cub scout. With a touch of Anna Karina with the makeup (which you can't really see) I was going on a biking excursion, and when I do I try to be comfortable without losing my personal style. Biking seems to be my number one pastime lately. Remember when it used to be watching TV? So glad I got out the house, put on my gear, and went on an adventure!

PLUS! I'm becoming really fond of this workers jacket I scored at the thrift store from the 60s! I wanted something army-ish, not certain what it was once used for, but I'm happy to give it a home.

say anything

Vintage Trench: c/o La Poule Noir
stripey sweater: Madewell
trousers: vintage
creepers: gifted ;)

It should come as no surprise to any of my readers that I loves me some 80s! Films, clothes, music, hair, boy I love it all! When I got contacted by National Geographic to create a post centered around 80s fashion's influence on my personal style..., they really didn't need to ask me twice before I ran out with my camera on this rainy day.

I wanted to recreate a look that could have easily been worn back then as it could be worn today. And since I'm all about cross dressing, I was feelin a little John Cusack via Say Anything, a movie I actually did not love. (I love moments of the film, but not my favorite 80s flick, sorry Johnny) I love John's casual earnest in the climatic and iconic scene of him holding the boombox outside the window, playing a little Peter Gabriel (total swoon points), but I felt like the basics of this look, trench, slouchy shirt, slouchy green pants, felt perfect for these misty spring days. I also got to finally rock this trench that I got for La Poule Noir as a gift along with that blue 70s jacket I wore earlier!

So maybe I'm missing an 80 pound boombox to really set this look off, but overall I felt whisked away into a time of young love, using my old high school as the background for this look.

Well now I'm ready to get out this rain and marathon some 80s flicks, but in the meantime, take time to check out The ‘80s: The Decade That Made Us, a three-night event! It premieres Sunday, April 14th at 8 PM ET/PT on National Geographic Channel. I CAN'T WAIT!

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