dressed up dressed down

As you all know, my affinity for textured textiles has progressed into somewhat of an obsession with animal skins this season. Leather and leopard print have slowly sneaked into nearly every outfit I have concocted these past few months, be it a shoe, bag, collar or skirt. Today is no exception. I have been dying to style my mom's calf-length leather pencil skirt, and while many may be intimidated by the sometimes awkward calf length hem, the conservatively contrived proportions can often add drama to any ensemble.

I relish the fleeting moments of fashion inspiration that aggregate whilst laying in bed. Instead of sugar plums, I had visions of leather midi skirts dancing in my head. I think clothes should not be contained to what magazines deem their appropriate occasion. Daywear can be nightwear sans tights and nightwear with a sweater can most certainly daywear. What's the fun in having a lengthy leather skirt if you only wear it once for a holiday party? I have relinquished this leather gem from the confines of its proverbial nature and allowed it to be free to roam amongst my wardrobe regulars

Leather skirt for day:

[skirt-anne klein, jacket-forever21, shoes- h&m]

...and night

[shirt-h&m, vest-forever-21, leotard-h&m, necklace-h&m, belt-banana republic, shoes-dsw]

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pleated skirts and dream-etched shirts

You see, it's finals week here at The University of Alabama, so this mediocre instagram picture will have to do for my weekly-ish post. I didn't feel like begging someone to take pictures of me, for such a task is burdensome to one who spends the majority of the week cooped up in the library, only reaching for sunlight to pay a pizza man or to test their persistant study-tactics.

I have somehow managed to catch the flu this weekend, but today I lured my achey body from my now diseased flannel sheets to try my game at Christmas shopping. I wanted to appease my sickly state and sport the sweat-shirt/legging combination that has become my movie-watching/bed-lounging/soup-eating uniform. But, that just isn't the kind of outfit that can keep me in the Christmas spirit. There is something about a pleated mini that can pull any defeated, homesick and flu-ridden student from the depths of finals week to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season. Yes, I do get the anime schoolgirl vibe you all are feeling from this outfit. But, what can you do? Happy almost holidays!

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dot mixing

What can I say? I'm a fan of anything which falls into the polka-dot printed variety. The classic print can be paired with virtually anything to add that touch of spunk, because an outfit sans spunk is a tragedy, you know. Today, I bore my true affinity for polka-dots by pairing my dotted sweater with my favorite speckled tights. The daintily printed tights serve as a light dessert to the main course, the bold circle-emblazoned sweater. Truth be told, this outfit is kind of a mash  ed potatoes of a few of my go-to favorite pieces. Like Jelly Bellys, you can pick out all of your favorite flavors, but that may not mean they will taste good if you eat them together...juicy pear, sizzling cinnamon and blueberry. Ew. I'll let you decide.

note to self: comparing clothes to food doesn't usually work as well in words as it does in my head. These are the things that flow from my brain at 11:48 p.m.

[sweater-old navy, vest-river island, shorts-target, tights-gap, shoes-target]

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a girl and her cape, a love story

This evening I will share how I stumbled upon the winter must-have that I never knew I needed. A couple of weeks ago my mom, sisters and I met in Birmingham to look for  Christmas ideas and the possible obligatory seasonal shopping trip allowance, but mostly Christmas ideas. It's a bad habit to have, but it is almost impossible for me to window shop, especially when the weather is just beginning to drop to temperatures appropriate for the layered look I so often crave.

After bobbing in and out of boutiques and make-up stores, quickly racking up a substantial mental Christmas list, we made it to our favorite department store. Shoes...check, sale section....check. We made the rounds, and then...the Calvin Klein cape that changed my life. The camel color, the leather piping, who in their right mind wouldn't at least try it on? I admired my exaggerated silhouette -dramatic enough to sport on Commes des Garcons  runway and I cringed as I turned over the price tag. I expected a price that would mirror the way this cape made me feel: extravagant. But, no. This bad boy was almost 70% off. I guess no one else could see the potential contained in a Calvin Klein knee-length camel cape. Needless to say, I simply could not wait until Christmas and without hesitation bought my treasure and have been eating Ramen Noodles for dinner ever since. 

Some may say a cape is a little "over-the-top" for everyday wear, and here is where I will prove "some" wrong. Be prepared, because this girl is going get some serious wear-time out of her most favorite piece of clothing ever purchased. I will now document all of the ways I can wear my cape and maybe convince you that you need one.

Day one: casual
I started with an all black and white outfit. (I'm not usually a fan of monochromatic/neutral ensembles, but have been drawn to it for some reason this season.) I was so excited to break out my knock-off Isabel Marant sneakers from Target and paired them with feux leather leggings, white studded collar button-down and my favorite black T-shirt. I felt that the tennis shoes and all black managed to keep the outfit casual without detracting from the greatness that is my Calvin Klein cape.

Without the cape, I am just a sad looking boyish 13-year-old showing off her wanna-be-trendy sneaks.

Boom. Sophistication.

We are a nice pair, I'd say. 

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