Hello, boys....I'm BACK!

I needed a break from blogging for a while because all of a sudden, it was stressing me out. I was stressed that I wasn't posting regularly, that my readership was down, that I wasn't being creative enough...and I realized that's not why I wanted to blog in the first place. I wanted to blog because sometimes I have ideas and find things that I want to share that won't fit in a Facebook status. Sometimes, I like to have an outlet. I don't need to be creative, but if it happens, then it's nice to have an outlet. 

Also, frankly, I missed it. 

So, to start with! I was perusing Forever 21 the other day (for bags, what else?) and found that they had a number of really decent looking designer dupes. Thought I'd share! Because that's what the internet is for! 

So the original is a Lucky Brand purse, which at the moment is retailing on Ebay for around $140. The dupe is $24.80. It's not an identical dupe, but it's pretty stinking close.  

This is the very popular Philip Lim 3.1 Pashli bag, which retails new at $895. He did a designer collaboration with Target last summer, which was wildly successful, and his Target bags sell on Ebay for anywhere between $130 to over $200. Which BLOWS MY MIND because the fact remains that IT'S A TARGET BAG. Or, for $24.90, you can get one at F21 in four different colors, and it's an almost identical dupe to the Target edition. WINNING. 

This last one is not the best dupe ever, but hear me out.

The original is the Dolce & Gabbana Sara bag, which sells for well over $1000. The dupe is $29.90 from F21 and comes in black or brown. This one is not a great match, but it would still be absolutely suitable for anyone trying to steal Taylor Swift's bag swag: 

Credit

On a related note, I realized that I like the way Taylor Swift dresses and had this moment: 

Good to be back! 

Latest and greatest treasure find...

I'm just so excited about what I found at Goodwill today that I had to share. It's...

...this adorable bag! I'm kind of on a vintage bag kick right now. I just love the classy, lady-like vibe they give off, and they're usually more structured, which is both practical and really "in" right now. They make me feel like I need to wear actual pantyhose (does anyone actually wear these anymore?), and red lipstick, and just be generally more like Rita Hayworth, Hedy Lamarr, and Katharine Hepburn.

Center closed.

Okay, so it has an outside pocket (sunglasses and cell phone), two open outer pockets, and then an inner pocket which closes with a kisslock clasp. SO CUTE. And it's pretty roomy for a vintage purse, which is nice because we generally carry a lot more crap with us now than they did then.

Center open!

Bonus pic with Bixby.

Plus, the color is a big departure for me. I usually tend to favor blacks and camel brown in handbags just because they go with everything. When I do color, it's usually like, purples, blues, or leopard print (which I consider to be a neutral, so sue me). But this color is so pretty in person! It's like Burgundy and Carnelian had a love-child. Perfect for fall/winter! 

Best part? THE PRICE! I got it for $4!!! 

I found similar ones on Etsy, but they run about $25 plus shipping. So I think I got a pretty good deal. Just wanted to share, because I love good finds like that! 

(Aforementioned Etsy bags here and here.)

Clothing in the year 2000

Let's examine this, shall we?

"One dress of the future will consist of transparent net. The net, probably, to catch the males."

"Apparently, in A.D. 2000, we will be having a hair-raising time."

"...shoes will have cantilever heels..."

"As for him, if he matters at all, there won't be any shaving..."

"...and he will be fitted with a telephone and a radio..."

My personal favorite is the "electric headlight to help her find an honest man." Why haven't they made THAT yet??

Overall, WELL DONE, trend predictors of the 1930's. 

Green is the colour

I've been really inspired by hunter/forest/dark green lately. It's such an enchanting color. It reminds me of mystery, magic, the woods, and Slytherin (of course). 

Also, I'm looking for a purse in this shade, so if any of my shopping minions come across one for under $40, let me know. ;)

Minion love for my minions, GET IT??

"Suddenly she was...drowsing asleep at dawn with the beads and chiffon of an evening dress tangled among dying orchids on the floor beside her bed."

The Great Gatsby by insidemypumpkin


I mean, the fashion was so decadent, how could I not?

It's awesome how much 20's-inspired stuff is out there right now, btw. I love when literature inspires fashion. And this movie's clothes (women's AND men's) were just so pretty to look at! Enjoy! 

Tim Burton would be so pleased.

Can I just take a moment to express how THRILLED I am that stripes (vertical, no less!) were smattered all over the Spring runways?

(The answer to this highly rhetorical question is a resounding and emphatic "YES!" by the way.)

Top left: Les Copains; Bottom Left: Balmain; Center: Juicy Couture; Top and Bottom Right: Moschino

Marc Jacobs

Michael Kors

YAY YAY!!! I'm so excited. I hope the trickle-down effect takes place and cheap retail stores will be positively overflowing with striped things of all kinds! Maybe I'll even find an affordable version of my dream purse (STILL want this!). 

I made a Polyvore set with some wearable ways to incorporate the stripe trend without looking like a Tim Burton movie reject. And all the items are under $50 (except the yellow Jimmy Choo flats...sorry!)! Click to see the set item-by-item. 

Stripes Spring '13 by insidemypumpkin featuring a striped tee

AHH! Love it!!

PS: Can we also talk about how Betsey Johnson's show must be the ultimate dream for every runway model? Look how HAPPY they all look! 

 And what's with the random but totally awesome props?? Monkeys, glitter, kids in strollers wearing Grouch Marx glasses, LIVE PIGS?!? (sounds like a "Stefan" sketch from SNL)

If I ever become a model (hah!), remind me to only walk Betsey Johnson's shows.


(All photos taken from style.com)

Passion for plaid and fashion (plaishion?).

So this is a weird story. 

I got a subscription to Vogue a while back because...it's Vogue. If they said that wearing bat wings on your head was in fashion, bat wings would be everywhere. It's probably one of the most influential fashion establishments on the planet. And also, everytime someone is like, "I don't get fashion, why does it matter?" I just want to play this scene from The Devil Wears Prada:

 So, anyway, an ongoing advert in Vogue is membership to their archives, where you can see all the pages from every issue since the 1800's when it started. SO TEMPTING, but I'm pretty much "Chanel taste on a Target budget," so it's a no-go. Anyway, there are a couple archived images they use in these ads, and the following is one of them: 

I remember seeing this picture a couple of times, and it enchanted me. I liked looking at it, because it's such a great and vivacious moment to capture. Anyway, I gazed for a few minutes then flipped the page to the next bit of glossy luxuriousness I could only dream of affording. 

I was in the break room the other day where I've donated a pile of my old Vogue issues (after I collected 1 year's worth--for posterity, because I do actually think of things like that) to look through during lunch or whatever. And a co-worker of mine came across this image and sat and stared at it for a while, like I had done when I first saw it. And she's like, "I love this picture. She's just so full of life. She's like, 'f--k it!' and just being so vibrant and alive!" And she was absolutely right. I love the girl's attitude. It's one of those pictures where I want to caption it, "LIVE LIFE LIKE THIS CHICK!" Don't care about the rules, enjoy tradition but put your own spin on it, have fun. 

 It's one of those great images that was meant to just be part of a fashion editorial and ended up being AWESOME. It is full of life and vivacity and a flagrant disregard for stodginess. It takes something traditional and breathes new life into it, and I love this picture for that. 

The photo shoot is called "A Shot of Scotch." It was featured in Vogue's 1991 September issue and was shot by Arthur Elgort. The model is Linda Evangelista, and the rest of the shoot is equally as gorgeous. And, being of Scottish descent, I'm a bit partial to all the plaid. 

Image credit. You can see the rest of the shoot there, too! 

Glampiracy.

So, a while back a friend of mine (who has such a charming blog...you must go there NOW) coined the term "Glampirate" as a nickname/verb (we go "Glampirating," often to Steak'n'Shake and Goodwill and/or Plato's). I think this came about the time that everyone thought that a "Vampirate" (being a vampire-pirate) was the best thing ever, and she just made a clever play on words. Anyway, the other day I came across this editorial featuring Kirsty Hume in Elle, and it EPITOMIZES "Glampirate!"

Photo credit.

I love the whole aesthetic. I like the sparkly-girly-glam bit and the rough-and-tumble, just blown in from the high seas look. 

I also totally wish I could dress like this every day in real life and get away with it. Alas.

Just thought I'd share! I found it inspiring/cool, especially since I have a history with "glampirating." *_~

Celebrity mermaids.

I love looking at awards shows dresses. A lot of times, I don't even care who wins (especially with something like the Emmy's...I probably watch a grand total of 6 hours of TV a year), but I love seeing who wore what.

So I was looking at pictures of the Emmy's, and there were a lot of trends (crimson and saffron were pretty popular), but the one thing I noticed was gorgeous splashes of blue. The only thing I thought was, "OMG, look at all the mermaids!"

From Left to Right: Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum, Hayden Panettiere, Zooey Deschanel, Nicole Kidman, and Julianne Hough. All pictures from People.com. 

Look at it! Isn't it marvelous?! I love all the blues, teals, and seafoam greens in floaty, ethereal fabrics and cuts! Sofia Vergara and Julianne Hough's are the most mermaidy...I love the silhouettes of both dresses, and I'm pretty sure Sofia Vergara is the only person in the world who doesn't look cheap and tawdry whilst plastered in sequins. Heidi Klum's dress looks like lingerie and I don't really like it, but it fits in with the trend. I love Zooey's take on it, because, per usual her, she did it her way and it WORKS. I really like the Grecian feel of Hayden's dress. She looks like a siren or water goddess! And Nicole Kidman's dress is just odd, and I'm not sure what she was going for.

I would never wear any of these (except Zooey's...I would totally wear that), but I LOVED them! I love seeing these pretty aquatic dresses all in one glamorous place. They make me want to jump in the pool and sing "Under the Sea."

If you're bored and/or want to translate the mermaid look into real life, I highly suggest browsing Polyvore. I love seeing how other people interpret trends, and it's always a great place to look for inspiration!

What do you think of the oceanic trend on the red carpet? Love it? Hate it? Couldn't care less about it?

This happened to me at work tonight.

HOW DARE YOU?? Betsey Johnson is 69 years old and CARTWHEELS down her own mothereffing runways. She is a goddess among fashion designers and women in general. She is also one of my spirit animals. No lie.


*sigh*

"I can show you that when it starts to rain, everything's the same."

Once again, a conflict has arisen between myself and my mother, today regarding my outfit of choice.

This morning, Mom and I decided to go garage sale-ing, and it was wet and rainy, so I decided to wear my rain boots (practical, right?). And the only way to wear rain boots is either with pants or leggings/skirt/dress. Well, part of the downside of being only slightly over 5 feet tall is the fact that your pants ALWAYS drag on the floor. It being wet outside, I didn't want sopping, muddy hems, so I opted for a skirt and leggings. Then I added my raincoat, and a hat because I didn't feel like bothering with my hair.

Also: GARAGE SALES. Who am I dressing up for anyway??

My clothes:


Well, about halfway through our expedition my mom goes, "Well, that's a colorful little suit you have on today, Mary." And then it's like she couldn't let it go.

Things My Mom Said To Describe My Outfit:
-that it looked like I had a dish rag/pillow case on my head
-I went into my closet and wore ALL THE THINGS (my mom DOES read Hyperbole and a Half. WINNING)

-it's no wonder old people think I'm cute, because it looks like I raided their wardrobes
-this face:


What My Dad Said To Describe My Outfit:
"The top half looks like eastern, Russian orthodox, and the bottom half looks very British mod."

What Bixby Said To Describe My Outfit:
"Snuffle snuffle snort lick." Which means, "Oh Mary! You look beautiful!"

The opinions of my dog and dad aren't really important because they're kind of neutral (Bixby ALWAYS takes my side, so it's not fair to take his thoughts into account). So here's the question:

With whom do you agree: me or my mom?

Yay! So I haven't done an outfit post in FOREVER (actually, I think I've only done like, two. Ever. Hooray for not having proper photography equipment!), but I really like this blazer and thought I'd share!


(Blazer and necklace: F21; Striped shirt: H&M; Shorts: Lucky Brand via Plato's; Shoes: Target; Ring: Plato's)

I really love blazers for fall. Even though they look quasi-I'm-trying-to-be-a-preppy-professional-slash-prep-school-student. I just think they pull everything together nicely and when paired with denim can be casual enough. I mostly love the color of this one. It's like a soft lavendar-gray. FTW.

Accessory details:

That is the craziest effing ring. But it was $2 and I was like, "maybe I need some bling in my life." Also, the pegasus is cool. Partly because it's kind of my school's mascot but mostly because flying horses are THE SHIZZ.

Thanks for indulging my attention-whoring vanity!
(Honestly, that's the reason I do so few of these. Because who the eff actually cares what I wear on a day to day basis. I just don't like being so needy for attention...in public.)