Proenza Schouler Fall 2011

Proenza Schouler Fall 2011 campaign

images via FashionGoneRogue

Professor

snakeskin envelope clutch - $3; vintage Coach leather loafers - $5; brown blazer - $2

On Friday I found myself with an entirely free afternoon and the urge to wander. I wanted to go somewhere, to just take a walk through a quiet neighborhood on a quiet afternoon. I've had the busiest two weeks, with midterm exams and assignment due dates trickling in, meetings with advisers, minors to apply for, store visits to document...I actually missed an appointment I had with my Art History professor to discuss the largest project of the term. Oops. In the midst of writing up several papers last week I also forgot to send out emails regarding photo passes for an upcoming concert, but luckily enough I found a way on one band's list. I've also been taken on as a photographer for my university's newspaper and really excited for the opportunity to build my photo resume! What I'm even more excited about is an amazing vintage buying internship opportunity that has come my way through a very kind classmate. I had never planned on taking the buyer route, mostly because it never interested me, but vintage buying sounds like it would be amazing! Like professional thrifting! 

My most recent thrift store finds are possible some of my all-time favorites. Just imagine my expression when I spotted the Coach label in these leather loafers. My jaw hit the ground. They're marked half a size smaller than I normally wear, but I tried them on and they fit! It's a vintage miracle! With a little bit of polish they'll look as good as new. I came across this blazer which kind of reminds of what professors are always shown wearing in film and on television (most of my professors wear polos or graphic t's, but maybe that's just because I'm in the design school). I put it on with the button-down shirt I was already wearing that day and I felt rather academic. Had the strap on my vintage leather satchel not broken I would have had a head-to-toe professor inspired look. 

I can't wait to enjoy this weekend and do absolutely nothing. 

DIY: Turn Shorts into a Skirt!

When I go shopping or thrifting I always make sure to keep an eye out for pieces with "potential." I figured out how to turn a pair of shorts into a skirt after mistaking several vintage rompers for dresses, and I've successfully converted quite a few into totally wearable pieces. Now I know not everyone is super-crafty and you may not have a sewing machine at your disposal, but I promise you this is easy!

You'll need:

- 1 pair of shorts

- scissors or fabric shears

- seam ripper

- sewing machine or needle & thread

- pins

FIRST, turn your shorts inside-out. Then locate the seam that runs across the crotch of your shorts from one pant leg to the other. This is the thread you're going to rip out. This is easiest to accomplish with a seam ripper, but if you don't have one you can use a pair of scissors. Just take your time and be careful not to cut any holes in the fabric.

SECOND, pin together the front two edges and the back edges of your skirt. You are basically extending the seam that runs front-to-back, so use the existing stitches as a guideline. I find it easiest to do so by pulling the new edges taught. Having a bit of extra fabric along the inside of the new seam is normal, you'll just trim it off after you're done sewing.

THIRDLY, sew the two front edges together. Remember that you're extending the existing front-to-back seam, so you should either start or end as closely as possible to that existing seam.

Do the same for the back, following the line of the existing seam to make sure your new stitches blend in. After you've sewn both the back and front edges together, you should see a garment that looks like a skirt! You're almost done!

LASTLY, finish the hem. This is easily accomplished by folding the raw bits of fabric under and aligning their folded edge with the existing hem. Make sure you sew along the thread line of the existing hem so that your new stitches blend in. If you'd like to be especially thorough, you can press these new seams (but they should fall into place after you wash your new garment).

That's it! This project shouldn't take more than half an hour to complete. I didn't think to showcase this DIY until someone asked me about it on tumblr, but it's one that I do rather frequently. Next time I turn a pair of shorts into a skirt I'll be sure to photograph each step. If anyone takes a swing at it post a photo and let me know!

The Free & Roaring '20's

Photos by David Bellemere via FashionGoneRogue

Free People has released a sneak peek at their "Through the Decades" catalog, a small portion of which is dedicated to the roaring 1920's. One word can sufficiently describe this shoot: perfect. If I was forced to delve deeper, I'd call it bohemian meets Midnight in Paris. Beyond its impeccable styling, the lighting and editing is absolutely inspiring. 

What Inspires: Tuesday, October 18

(via The Sartorialist)

(via Peach, Plum, Pear)

(via Danny Rose)

(via Hanneli Mustaparta)

(via)

Elbow patches. On everything.

Ivy Green

Leopard scarf $4 - flea market; gray cardigan $16 Forever21; black knit maxi dress $20 - H&M; green satchel $20 - Urban Outfitters; gray suede dessert boots $20 - Target

Last weekend I had no plans. I predicted I would spend it on my couch, with my computer on my lap catching up on episodes of Park & Recreation. But one thing led to another and I decided to just go with the flow. To celebrate one of my suitemate's birthday, we all went down to an Indian buffet for a delicious (and ridiculously inexpensive) lunch. Later my friend and I used our retail class assignment as an excuse to shop the fall sales, which led us down to Chinatown where we picked up some fresh fruit, bubble tea, and sweet pork buns. We met up with a couple more friends for dinner at a noodle house later that night. It was a super low key day, but perhaps I enjoyed it so much because I thought I wouldn't be doing anything at all!

I was abnormally warm for mid-September, like Summer's last hurrah. It was too warm to even wear my cardigan in the sun and my friend thought I was nuts for wearing a long dress and a scarf. I had picked up this leopard print scarf at the flea market the weekend prior. I remember being a little obsessed with everything and anything leopard when I was in fourth grade and it tends to induce a bit of sweet nostalgia. I'm glad to see it popping up more often as the season goes on, especially in accessories. Though I feel like it's such a classic print. Will little leopard flats ever go out of style?

Frozen bubble tea, admittedly not the best, but still yummy

Kung-fu fighting with silly graffiti in Chinatown

Thanks for taking my outfit photos, Shannon!

I Follow Rivers

Striped tee $12 - Kmart; patterned skirt - DIY; jeweled necklace $4 - Kohl's; belt from dress; green satchel $20 - Urban Outfitters; wedge ankle boots $7 - eBay

I found this post saved in my drafts from about a month ago. I appeared to have forgotten about it, so here it is now!:

There is a stream running through my backyard, and that's not an exaggeration. A steady flow runs across my back porch, and down the driveway. The curb on the street where I park my car looks like a miniature Niagara falls. All of this had made it basically impossible to wear anything other than my trusty wedge ankle boots. I'm predicting they'll be a staple during fall, I'd love to wear them with a pair of brightly colored scrunched-up socks.

I've also noticed this skirt is in need of some further alteration. It was originally the bottom half of a vintage dress that had belonged to my grandmother. I chopped off the top right above the elastic waistline, thinking that it would save me having to re-sew the waist. But after several washes the raw edge started to fray and I had to replace the elastic anyway, and in the end I lost almost 2 inches. At least I know I'll have time to re-do it before I move back to school. I've never felt so bored. I always thought I had tons of hobbies, but with my brother having to car at either work or school all day, myself having no hours at work, and all of my friends away at school already, I feel like I have nothing to do! As much as I love reading I can only tolerate so much of it at once; several hours a day appears to be my limit. I can't get to the park to shoot photos with my camera without a car either. This constant rain has been keeping me inside all day anyway, and I've been banned from playing my ukulele during certain hours when everyone is home. I've also watched almost all five season of How I Met Your Mother so far this week. If that isn't a sign of my desperation, I don't know what is. 

I feel you, Sherlock, I really do.

Studious

We're three weeks into the term at this point and I'm trying my hardest to be a good student, a goal that is proving to be easier said than done. It's not that I have an extraneous workload, I just get so easily distracted! I'm still dedicating at least one day a week to my job and internship hunt as well. Since my suite can be rather crowded at times, with one person clanking around in the kitchen, another giggling on Skype, and a third sat in front of the television in the common area, I've begun to escape to my floor lounge. It's the perfect place to go when I'm in need of a quiet work space because, surprisingly, no one is ever in there! Benches line windows that extend across the entirety of one wall and that let in the most gorgeous light, especially in the late afternoon. 

This outfit looked better in my head that it did in actuality. I wish I had a larger sweater to layer over this denim button down because this one is rather fitted and made the shirt bunch up. I think the key to executing a preppy look is a crisp tailored vibe, and I don't know if this outfit made the mark. Either way, there were elements I liked. These cropped riding pants are new to my closet; I had been watching them in the store but my size sold out before they even went on sale! Luckily I was able to hunt them down at a store here at school. The riding pants I wore when I was younger when I was a bit of an aspiring equestrian I remember being quite fitted. Pants that fit well all around are always hard to find. I'm not the only one with that problem, right? One weekend when I'm home later this month I'll have to throw them under my sewing machine and see if I can make any adjustments.  

Striped sweater $15 - H&M; chambray button down $20, riding pants $30 - Gap; jeweled necklace $6 - Kohl's; gray perforated suede oxfords $13 - Old Navy

Also, I'm currently watching last week's episode of Project Runway and I am in love with Olivia Palermo's hair, apparently dubbed the "lob" (long bob?). I'm in the mood for a change hair-wise, so perhaps it will happen soon!

It's Cool to Look Awkward

Illustrations and sassy commentary by Natalie Perkins

Gimme Some!

Peter Bjorn & John's Gimme Some tour brought them to the Trocadero back on Saturday, September 10. At least three shows in the two weeks prior to the one here in Philadelphia had been cancelled due to John the drummer's injured shoulder. When I first heard the news of the slew of cancelled shows my heart dropped, mostly because I had missed my chance to see the band back in May and so my chances of catching them again in the near future would be slim to none. But I followed the band's updates closely on Twitter all weekend, and much to my relief (and excitement!) they ensured everyone that the show would go on, albeit with some minor improvisations. 

The Trocadero is only several blocks away from both the Market East train station and the 11th Street subway stop, which makes getting there from anywhere in the city a breeze. Had I only been scheduled to move into my dorm one week earlier I could have just hopped on the subway. But as it was, I was still home on summer break when the date of the concert rolled around. Though I did pick up a helpful tip: if you ever end up driving to the Troc like I did, park over at the Hilton Garden Inn. It's literally half a block away, and if you get your parking ticket validated at the venue it costs only $6 for the entire night!

Unlike PB&J's last show in Philadelphia, which was at the TLA on South Street, this show had not sold out. I always feel a bit disappointed in this city when it fails to recognize some of my favorite bands, but perhaps it's just something I take too personally. Getting through the door was a breeze; I've read a lot of disgruntled reviews concerning this venues security, but my own experience has never been anything less than pleasant. I arrived at the doors half an hour after they opened and so I successfully avoided waiting in line. After a quick bag search and ID check, I had my photo pass in hand and was making my way towards the floor.

Work Drugs, who humorously grant themselves the title of "Philadelphia's premier Bat Mitzvah and Quinceanera party band," opened the show with undeniably catchy chillwave vibes. The band says they make music specifically for pleasurable outings of the nautical sorts, a perpetual summertime theme that, as someone who prefers summer over all other seasons, I'm totally willing to embrace. I especially appreciated their tongue-in-cheek outfits, which were thematically consistent down to each members pair of sunglasses. Even though I had only heard a single or two on a local radio station, the band appeared to already have a loyal following, which included the possibly drunk but wholeheartedly emphatic boys that were just to my left. 

Next to grace the stage was Memoryhouse, a duo which hails from Ontario, Canada, and whose talents extend beyond music and further into the visual arts. I did not realize it at first, but I had actually stumbled upon Denise Nouvion's photography via her flickr photostream several months ago (doesn't the internet make the world seem so small?).  As their title suggests, each track enveloped the audience with intricately composed waves of rippling sound that induced a sensation of inescapable nostalgia. I couldn't help but fear that most of the subtle, fuzzy textures present on the LP recordings would be lost in even the smallest of live venues, but their sound remained just as ethereal.

After one of the quickest sound checks I've every had the pleasure of waiting through, Peter Morén, Björn Yttling, and John Eriksson came bounding out onto the stage accompanied by the most epic entrance music I've ever heard. Their energy was infectious as they moved back and forth across the stage. It's always captivating to watch musicians who clearly love what they do. Sometimes, I can't help but notice that some bands act as though it is a complete chore to perform, but Peter Bjorn and John were most definitely not one of those bands. My heart leaped especially each time Peter danced across the stage and sang straight into my camera. Perhaps it was all in my head, but I had spotted only one other person with a camera who disappeared soon after the first opener, so that's my story and I'm sticking to it. The band sounded superb live, and my favorite tracks performed included (but were not limited to) Tomorrow Has To Wait, their ever-popular Young Folks, and Objects of My Affection. 


I left the venue brimming with that after-concert excitement, the kind that masks all feelings of exhaustion and makes the pain in one's feet disappear. That, along with one of the most clever concert t-shirts I've ever seen: