cruel to be KIND

everything: vintage
glasses c/o: david kind

So I'm walking, walking again! For those of you who are new (or missed the announcement) I was in an accident that prevented me from walking for a while. Which is why I haven't been in my last posts. I've gotten a few "when's your next outfit post" messages, and rest assured kiddos, I'm not leaving I just couldn't stand. Ha.

Anyway I decided to venture out to the beach on my first walking occasion this weekend. Yeah great idea in below 0 weather. ITS COLD Y'ALL. LIKE REAL COLD. But I tried to layer up. Wearing all vintage of course, except for these new glasses from David Kind. They sent me these back before my accident and I haven't had the chance to test drive them until now. Normally I like round lenses, because my face is pretty square, but I like the vintage feel of these guys. Plus since they are clear they go with nearly everything! I thought about giving them a little bit of an industrial 80s dark feel, versus going with their natural 70s nature. But I'm looking forward to styling these guys in the future!

Plus a little extra note about these guys, they styled these pair just for me. One thing about David Kind is you get to work with a personal stylist. We skyped, we chatted, talked about horror movies and then they sent me a kit of 6 glasses for me to try out! Even though they had tortoise glasses I normally pick, I fell for they guys after you all helped me pick them out on my instagram! I think it's really cool these guys are adding such a personal touch to the glasses picking process! You can learn more about them on their blog, instagram, facebook, or twitter!

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...

It must've been love

everything: thrifted vintage
shoes: c/o TBA

I must be in love, why else would I keep tossing my pants aside for cute little dresses, and what's that..EYE MAKEUP, I think I've lost my mind!

Truly I just wanted to try something different. All my favorite blogger gals like Calivintage or Kitsune-Kun are all wearing cute denim frocks and I was like "hey I wan one!" Being the thrift SOB I am I went to my local thrift and snagged this guy for 70 cents. Not so bad for all in a days work?

I also wanted to edge it up, I hate being too sweet, its finally mild enough to start wearing boots again and I still love these shoes TBA sent me. I you probably can't tell but I was singing while Dave snapped these. I was overall in a jolly mood. I don't know why, but hey do we always need a reason to be happy?

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!

follow me on instagram, twitter, tumblr

call me corduroy

70s corduroy jacket: vintage (bought it somewhere in NOHO)
pants, belt, shoes: thrifted
plaid shirt: brother's

My brother has been home this week for the holidays (explains the absence...sort of) Its been nice to spend time with him, playing games, going out, good times. As for me, I think I'm starting to realize how much of a tomboy I am. Well I really noticed when I was in NYC for fashion week, and being surrounded by women. I didn't notice being the youngest of boys, because I was the girliest of them (haha duh) but as they get married and I'm put into situations with women I'm just like "uh...whut" It's probably why I have more male friends than I can count, but two female friends? HA!

I don't mind being a tomboy, I think I'm just unconventionally one. I like girly things, but after a while I lose interest. I couldn't talk about nail art for hours, because I would fall asleep. But I almost never drag my female friends to the comic book store, maybe for a quick jaunt, but never for the 3 hours I'm normally there. To be honest, its funny that I'm just discovering this now...but looking back I see I haven't really changed much. Oh well, to being in our 20s and having "self discoveries" how contrived!

BBL, going to an arcade....


follow me on instagram, twitter, tumblr