Middle Ground

I quite like being able to shoot through spring blooms (or autumn leaves in fall); I like the sense of depth they add and it takes me back to my Elementary art classes when we started to learn about foreground, middle ground, and background. What a giant leap my paintings and drawings took that year--it was a totally new concept to break up the image and show the perspective. With outfit pictures your body is usually the foreground and middle ground and the "rule of thirds" isn't always applicable. There's also less to shoot through in summer or winter as all that flora wilts or completely dies away. It is hard to guess where your body will be behind the flowers when you're setting up a shot using your purse as the focus point though. I ended up with a couple of sets of images where my face was completely obscured by a white blur, which I found rather pretty on its own but not the best for a personal style blog. There's always this balance between more arty shots and what will properly display your outfit from head-to-toe.
I'll probably try to shoot another video showing my photo-taking process this summer as my old one is quite out of date and people usually seem curious about the whole thing. It's honestly comical to watch someone run back and forth for a tripod--which is why I usually shoot myself on dirt paths in the middle of the woods where no one can see me...

Outfit details:

vintage dress

UE necklace

Shop Ruche flats

Zara purse

Bloglovin | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram

Schoolgirl Chic

I never get tired of a school girl inspired look. I mean, you shouldn't be head-to-toe in your old uniform, but a prim blouse with a pleated skirt and oxfords never looks bad. This picture is a bit old (especially in Internet years), but I keep coming back to it for spring inspiration. The leather coat adds just the right amount of edge to the classic look--as if Sandy was able to channel her inner bad girl without completely losing herself in Danny Zuko...
via and via

Balanced and Beaming

I don't like to linger too much in the past or blog about past blogs or blogging in general, but just a general thank you for the positive response on Monday's afternoon post. While I wouldn't describe myself as overly self-conscious nowadays I still am quite shy (I don't see anything negative in being shy or introverted) so sometimes I err on the side of not sharing quite personal things. Anyway, it was nice that my post was appreciated and not misunderstood or something. It's quite ironic timing for that post since I've been feeling quite positive and optimistic lately--warm weather has that effect on my mood.

It's also interesting when I reflect on the nature of sharing, or rather my openness with a daily image of myself online when in day-to-day life I'm awkwardly shy meeting new people and I don't share much of myself until I feel quite close with someone, a process that usually takes months. Yet, here I am blogging away: talking about uncomfortable memories and posting pictures of myself like it's no big deal. It is probably a sense of control that makes me more open online--editing and choosing pictures, presenting myself in a very specific way, writing drafts and then editing them before publication. I have been trying to make an effort to be more open in my "real life" and I suppose it's beginning to extend to my virtual one as well...

Outfit details:

Cheap Monday sunglasses (sold out, similar here)

ASOS jacket

dress c/o Modcloth

shoes c/o Modcloth

Foley + Corinna purse
*pictures by Jon

Bloglovin | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram

Puloma Jewelry

Puloma is an online shop that features designs from French accessory and jewelry artists. Based in Paris the website brings local work to the global market. The pieces are lovely and each designer has a unique style. All that to say, I'm digging the shop and can't wait to get my hands on a couple of pieces. How great are these chic little figures by Parisian Sisters or this sweet little bell ring (ah, so petite but imagine how it sounds when you use your hands--obviously not to be worn when typing...)?

Neon Monday Remix

Neon Monday sent me their Himalayas landscape dress to remix and it really is a versatile piece. It will layer up nicely in fall and winter as well, but I kept these styles more suited for our current weather. I think I like it best tucked into a skirt because then it just looks like a cloud-print tee . Quick tip for layering dresses under skirts--you can temporarily shorten a hem using safety pins. Keep in mind not all dresses will layer under all skirts, there's no special trick that makes every dress work; a lightweight dress and a skirt cut from a sturdier fabric is the best combination. This one, although fully lined, is silky enough to not appear too bulky under my black denim skirt which already has a full shape.
Remixing a dress for me is all about choosing accessories which make it suitable for different occasions and in a print like this--bringing out different colors. I like how the tones look so different with black and so warm with brown pieces. Aside from everything this print is so too cool--it sort of reminds me of paper poster dresses from the 1960s; just one dominant print like a poster rather than an all over pattern.
If you like what you see at Neon Monday they're offering a special discount code--use "CLOTHESHORSE" to get 10% off and all orders come with a free handmade pouch.

Bloglovin | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram

I Feel Pretty

I've hinted before at my awkward stage(s) before the blog--telling how it took me awhile to wear skirts regularly because I was self-conscious about my legs. I haven't gone into depth over the myriad of reasons I felt this way or how my self-consciousness extended beyond my legs because despite my habit of blogging daily I'm a fairly private person and while personal journey stories can be inspiring they can also be triggering and what has been said cannot be unsaid...but I was recently doodling and the above idea came out and took me back to those more painful years.

There are a variety of reactions from well-meaning friends when they corner you in a conversation about looks and you manage to admit you aren't a fan of your own. Usually they're quick to reassure you that you are pretty in some times the most amusing way--like comparing you to an exotic fish or claiming some random acquaintance has the hots for you. All of those responses always just served to remind me that my looks were very important--it wouldn't be okay for me to not be pretty. Some part of me had to be pretty, or I was pretty in a different way, or pretty to someone. So my downward spiral of self-loathing would continue because I couldn't look in a mirror without wanting to cry and I needed to like what I saw in the mirror.

In fact, it wasn't until I just told myself "you aren't pretty and that doesn't matter" that I actively started to feel better about myself. I stopped waiting for my legs to get tanned and toned to wear the dresses I liked; stopped waiting for a lot of things to happen in order to wear clothes I liked and actively express myself through my hair style and make-up and so on. It wasn't that I thought about it as an effort to make myself pretty or make my outsides match my insides/interests a bit more, it was that when I stopped worrying about pretty and focused on my interests I felt so much better. You don't have to be pretty to be worthwhile. You're allowed to draw attention to yourself even if you're ugly. You don't have to feel "cute" to wear the clothes you like, or raise your hand in class and draw attention to yourself, or hit on some dude you see at a cafe, or whatever "not feeling pretty" stops you from doing. I decided to focus my sense of worth on something entirely outside of my looks and treat clothes/fashion as a hobby rather than an attempt to beautify. The more I managed to care less about my appearance, the better I felt. The more I shared my opinions or developed my hobbies the more worthwhile I felt.

Nowadays I'm reasonably comfortable with my looks--I have off-days where I feel ugly and in contrast moments of narcissism where I'm quite pleased with how a dress suits me (and could burst into song with "I feel pretty, oh so pretty and witty and bright..."). I wouldn't necessarily change my past and I don't think there is anything wrong with your friends assuring you that you are pretty, but I think it's nice every once in awhile for someone to say, "it's okay that you feel that way. You're awesome for so many reasons other than your looks."

A Splendid Artichoke of Anecdotes

These pictures were quite funny to shoot. Shortly after I had found this quiet spot in a park in town and set up my tripod, a couple shooting engagement photos (or something similar) came trooping along with their own photographer. They were pretty much taking pictures on the other side of my tripod which was a bit awkward for both of us as we tried to avoid eye contact and finish the thing quickly--or at least I tried to be quick (I was finished in about 15 minutes). Ah the joys of photography. It seems if you aren't surprising joggers in the woods, or being followed by suspicious cars (ie any car with darker windows) then you're awkwardly watching a blooming romance and listening to a couple explain how they met to their photographer who's saying "you don't normally kiss like that, do you? Show me the love." Yep, become a personal style blogger and in addition to gaining this weird, daily diary of your outfits you will acquire amusing anecdotes in spades...

Outfit details:

Clinique lipstick

ASOS trench coat (DIY here)

Pixie Market dress

Wolford tights

Ferragamo Vara flats

J Crew Edie purse

Bloglovin | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram