.004 NINETIES WEDNESDAY PT.2

As a senior in college, it is hard to keep up with a blog, so I do apologize for the two week hiatus. With that being said, I want to address that I did mean to post, trust me! I've been mulling over what to talk about when it comes to the reoccurring "nineties wednesday" theme. After an impulse purchase last Sunday, I had my topic.*

Lumi Sherpa Coat - Anthropologie $168

Ah yes, Anthropologie. The mother store to Urban Outfitters. The goddess of expensive bohemia. A store I usually bypass for the sake of my wallet. Well, my self control was shattered and I made the purchase. All it took was putting the coat on and looking in the mirror. I could see it then. A black slip, sheer black tights, and black heels or booties. Possibly a floppy black hat and long gold chains. Oh wait, someone else did this. Ahh, Courtney Love. So I wasn't that original. Whatever.

Yeah. She pulled this off first.

She knows this.

This sort of street style celebrity chic isn't necessarily anything new, but hey, with a nineties twist it is a bit refreshing. And who doesn't want a bit of faux fur dressed down with some silk and lace? Classy and risque, who would have thought? (Plenty of people, but roll with me here.) 

Gotta love the strings for straps.

I'd like to argue that faux fur is timeless. Sure, it phases in and out, but it's always there somewhere. Whether it is rockstar couture or that old woman you talk to on the train, there is something to love about the overwhelming warmth of synthetic fur. 

*Pictures in the coat soon to come!

.003 START OF NINETIES WEDNESDAYS

Flannels, ripped jeans, Elaine Benes, Britney Spears, The Baby-Sitters Club - you get the point. Nineties fashion and culture has been on repeat for the last three years in both the fashion world and in underground fashion movements that more-or-less stemmed from the Internet. Crop tops and a late 1990s inspired minimalism are featured on the runway, still fresh and popular. The idea that the nineties is influencing fashion is apparent as trends trickle down into chain stores cough Forever 21. One look at the store window and you’re assaulted by a display of crop tops, plaid, and sportswear. This is not to say that this clothing is not “fashionable”, but the creativity is slowly lacking.

Starting around 2011, Internet-based movements like “sea punk” and “grunge” appropriated nineties icons with a certain flare of irony and nostalgia. Jeremy Scott’s Bart Simpson knitwear, worshipping Kurt Cobain, remembering the software designs of Windows ‘98, rewatching King of the Hill; reaching for inspiration in an era where most feel popular media icons are lacking. Nineties culture is idolized as a better time - a time when the millenium was the next big thing and when the Internet was a new world. But now that we’re here...now what? The trend has not faded and, in fact, companies such as Urban Outfitters and Nasty Gal have profited from the Internet phenomenon.  

image credit to weheartit.com

In the cyclical world that is fashion, there is already a tackiness assigned to these internet-based trends. The Internet, namely Tumblr and Instagram, has only accelerated these “oh-so-nineties” looks and after being recycled x-amount of times, the alien backpacks and the pastel on black becomes...tired. I will reluctantly admit to tapping into my inner-sea punk pastel goth phase. Summer 2011 was a dark time, my good friends. I realized quickly that investing my mind, body and soul into this trend was a waste of time and money (the little money I had, let’s be real). And in a way, it would have been a waste because it is a trend for a reason.

~*~pastel princess~*~

After exploring the dark path of edginess, I wanted to remain in the nineties for the nostalgia still was not ready to leave my closet. There was also that ever-present want to stay true to my personal style. To abandon myself for a trend seemed...wrong, so I decided to explore other nineties icons and fashion movements. The cast of Friends, Elaine Benes, and the pop stars of the late nineties - I’m looking at you and your cropped turtlenecks, Britney Spears. Platform mules, that shiny sheer nonsense, and Missy Elliott inspired quilted coats - I want to see more of this. Much to my pleasure, latest runway trends seem to be guiding towards the lesser known nineties fashions. Grunge is getting glammed up and holographic clothing is being recognized for its greatness, even if my friends aren’t ready for my backstreet's back purple shine.

tanks over tees are making a comeback

sometimes i run, sometimes i HiiiDe

.002 WEBCAM NO-NO

I am without a tripod for now. So, please enjoy webcam shoots. 

What a look of indifference.

My trusty velvet loafers from Urban Outfitters. Poor things are falling apart.

Sweater: Forever 21

Beanie: Urban Outfitters

Loafers: Urban Outfitters

Dress: Lauter 

Glasses I wear everyday: Versace

.001 GETTING STARTED

A friend approached me the other day and asked why I haven't started writing a fashion blog. There had been talk from me about being in favor of the idea, but never anything serious. To be fair, my friend knew I had an interest in fashion and an interest in social media. To her, the idea was worthwhile. The entire time I laughed it off. Said I didn't have time and gestured to my outfit. I was wearing a knit cap, an infinity scarf, and a large sweater, completely unassuming while I held my corporate five dollar coffee. I didn't have the designer labels or the expensive camera. Excuse after excuse, all the same from the other times I have considered the idea of starting a blog. She told me to sit on the idea. So I did, and here I am.

I start fresh. Not wanting to take on to much, yet, wanting to tell all. I draw fashion inspiration from everywhere. From characters in books to a scene in a movie. I hear songs and imagine the perfect outfit I would wear as I dance along. My mind is constantly grabbing up inspiration, whether it completely unique or pathetically dull. I never want to seem unoriginal, but I also keep in mind to adhere to "fashion rules" and it's hard not to consume the trends spewing from fashion week. Keeping up with trends has always been hard for me. I grew up working class, but there is no shame in this. Instead, I took time to craft a personal style and allowed trends to sparingly fall into my wardrobe. I like to blend the old with the new, the stylish with the trendy. Everyday I wake up and think, "what version of me will I be today?" Fashion to me is an expression of myself and all of my hidden personas that want their turn to shine. I am full of hideous clichés, but what else do I have?

If you're reading this and wondering why in the world I'm worth following, well, I can give you my mission statement that might be more or less convincing:

I hope to offer my personal style as well as my opinions on trends, designers, and other various forms of social media.