check it, mate

Jeans: Articles of Society
Cropped Sweater: A'gaci (similar) (similar)
Flannel shirt: Ross (similar)


I'm excited that it's fall, I don't care if that makes me basic. ( haha JAY KAY) In all seriousness, I'm excited that I have an excuse to layer my clothes in anyway that I please and for it to be socially acceptable versus me looking like a vagabond. (at least I have a notion that I don't look like a vagabond between the months of september-feb, who actually knows!) When Articles of Society sent me these waxed coated Mya Jeans, I KNEW, I KNEEEEW what to layer them with. I snagged this short sleeve sweater number from Agaci, and layered it with a flannel shirt. For me this outfit screams classic Japanese Street Style, like something you would read in Soup or JILLE. Either way I'm totally digging the short sleeve over long sleeve though part of me never wants to recreate any style that I performed in the 90s. Plus these jeans make me feel like a cool girl (cooler than I am) like I should be hanging out with Devendra Banhart or something...

In the Jeans

As mentioned before I will always be a girl that loves the classic. I think because in my own head I believe I’m trotting around the Champs Elyse wearing the perfect gamine outfit of skinny jeans and a boyfriend shirt to meet some friends for coffee. Versus my IRL life of wanting to be comfortable and some what cool, as I go to the bodega for some ramen and sriracha (I’m so glamorous…)

Comfort will always be a priority with my clothing choices, not because I dream of looking like a soccer mom in yoga pants, but I between my active lifestyle of video gaming and biking on the lakeshore, to having some lower back issues - I need my pants to be COMFORTABLE, but cute! I refuse, REFUSE (regardless of how comfortable the lure of lululemon is) to look like I should be married to some yuppie pushing around his spawn in a Cadillac sized stroller. But some days I do dream of having some pants that don’t press SO HARD on my lower back and abdomen that I’m making bee lines for the restroom every hour on the hour. So when I discovered NYDJ I got excited about the possibility of a jean to be both cute and comfortable.

I know you’re like “how are jeans NOT comfortable”?! Well my friend, if you’re small in the waist, have no hips, BUT HAVE TONS OF JUNK IN THE TRUNK, jeans can be nothing but a nightmare. Gapping, too tight here, too loose here, it’s like jeans are better fit for tree trunks than an actual human body (sorry Groot).  So I flipped through the jeans for women at NYDJ and discovered their NYDJ Fit jeans. Claiming to make you one size smaller (I’m actually happy at my mysterious size of a 10-14) they promise to prevent those aggravating dressing room tear-causing issues of gapping, pulling, and WHY. Plus the color and styles have me already planning my next lunch date.

I like these Alina Leggings and Linda Leggings for my vampire weekends. The Ami super skinny are cute enough to sneak into work and pretend you’re wearing dress pants before you jet off to drink at your scuzziest dive bar. (Plus these bad boys are high in the mid waist! I hate low waist jeans, curses to you and your coin slot! I’m not a Pac-Man machine!!) I’m definitely going to have to give these guys a TRY! Which ones do you think I’d look super cute in? Which ones do you like? I will try them and report back, but so far ladies, so so good.

in the jeans

Boyfriend, Skinny, Flared, and cropped. Jeans by any other name would fit just as sweet. Well not really. For the longest time I didn’t really care to wear jeans. I nearly stopped for about two years. After college and the freshman 15 ( and the other 5 + years of colleges 15lbs) Then after getting sick and my surgery everything hurt! Wearing high waist loose pants were not just a fashion statement but a necessity. But now as I get back into postgrad shape and my health is better (for the most part!) I feel comfortable wearing jeans. It also only took a year of finding out what a thigh gap is and then turning around and forgetting what a thigh gap for me to feel confident in my jeans. When I was in high school, jeans were a necessity. I was so into 60s punk when everyone else was wearing their flares I was sewing the bottoms of my jeans to be extra skinny, adding zippers and safety pins, scribbling them with pens and paint to make them especially unique. Back then I wasn’t worried about sizing, I was all about customization. I simply bought whatever fit because I was taller than the average bear so having to buy something a little large was no issue to me.

 Now as an adult I’m trying to rekindle that same love for womens jeans. Now that people are starting to notice cheaply made clothing, and demanding better quality clothes, I’m understanding that the jean size at forever21 may not be true. I’m also learning that trying to fit my women’s body in prepubescent junior’s clothing may not be the smartest idea. Or the biggest confidence boost! I’ve recently been looking into true jean brands, like True Religion. In fact I kind of like their recent turn of branding. I remember them being cool, then very “Paris Hilton” and now they’ve seemed to rebranded into something I would be proud to hug my hips. Plus they have cute overalls and boyfriends! In fact I’m in love with the patchwork of the Erin Rolled Cropped Relaxed Overall. Those would totally look cute with a grey sweatshirt or a Breton stripe top. What are some of your jean tips or favorite brands?

The boyfriend

Jeans: vintage
Plaid shirt: brothers
Booties: vintage
Blazer: f21
belt: madewell

To be honest, I don't know what's going on with this weather. Yesterday it was 42, today 78, not really sure what to do except plant some Prozac trees, because this weather has been bipolar.

I guess that's why they say Chicago only has two seasons. Which is sad because I like to pretend to dress springy if the weather would release me from the death grip of my winter coat. Regardless I decided to give these jeans another try. They used to fit super snug, but with my new diet of clean eating they more recently fit like a boyfriend jean. Which makes me happy! I always wanted a pair of boyfriends, without looking like I'm wearing JNCOs.

So what do you think, are the JNCO-esque? Gosh I hope not.

Ps have you seen Lady Moriarty's new post? Inspired by me? Impossible! She's my inspiration!