All The Patterns

Posted: May 30, 2016 | Author: Salazar | Filed under: Clothes, Style Imitating Art | Tags: animal print flats, black, black polka dot pants, brooch, style imitating art, white, white striped slouchy tee | 4 Comments

I had a different outfit in mind for this week’s SIA, inspired by Charles Demuth’s “Spring“, but at the last moment I decided against it, because while it may copy some of the colors of the painting, it doesn’t capture the many patterns of the fabric samples. So I chose to a more casual outfit with all of the patterns instead – there are three patterns here (stripes, polka dots, and leopard print) – four if you count the floral print on my owl pin – and I keep the colors minimal to avoid being a walking fabric store. I’m happy with this – it captures the spirit of the painting, if not the exact colors and patterns.

Don’t forget to stop by Erin’s blog by Wednesday (a day late, since she has a pre-scheduled post on Tuesday) to see other interpretations of this painting!

Tee: Forever21, Pants: Old Navy, Flats: LA Fashion District, Pin: vintage

Manic Pixie Dream Pants

Posted: May 5, 2016 | Author: Salazar | Filed under: Clothes | Tags: black, black polka dot pants, brooch, brown, brown loafers, white, white lace tee | 2 Comments

In a previous post I’ve talked about how one of my skirts is awkward to style, since it’s only appropriate in a very specific kind of weather. Well, this pair of pants is kinda like that too. They fit me really well (one of the few pairs of pants/jeans I haven’t had to hem) and I like the polka dots that make them more fun than your average pair of black pants, but I don’t wear them as much as I want. For one, I can’t seem to pair them with anything else other than white (and the occasional chambray.) And there’s also the weather problem. The fabric is thin enough that they wouldn’t work for the colder months, but it’s also elastic and not very breathable, plus it’s black, so they don’t work in the summer either. So again, I could only wear them in these in-between months (actually, it’s been getting quite warm already, so I think I wouldn’t be able to wear them for very long.)

T-shirt: Banana Republic, Pants: Old Navy (they’re the Pixie pants, hence the cheesy title), Flats: Footglove, Brooch: local shop

Capsule Outfit #32

Posted: December 11, 2014 | Author: Salazar | Filed under: Capsule, Clothes | Tags: black, black polka dot pants, brown, brown suede ankle boots, capsule fall/winter 2014, red, red scarf, white, white cableknit sweater | 5 Comments

Apparently I’m losing my mind, because I thought that my capsule would end in January, not December, and that the turtleneck tunic I wore on Monday was part of this capsule (it wasn’t, although I don’t know if it matters or not, I’m constantly pulling stuff out and putting new stuff in anyway). At the same time, I also forgot that certain pieces, like these pants, are in the capsule from the beginning.

It just goes to show that this whole capsule wardrobe thing isn’t working out as well as I’d expected. I will stick it out until the end of December, but I’m not sure if I’ll keep doing it in the upcoming year. I like the idea of a wardrobe where everything goes together; it’s just that I need a better method to build it.

If my goal is to make the best of my closet and not shop so much, then I think I need to get rid of the idea of a “capsule” altogether. It’s useful for when you’re traveling, but in normal, everyday life, it doesn’t make sense to limit yourself to an arbitrary number of items. That will only bore you and make you want to shop even more. I need to stick to what I have and learn to work with those first.

So, I don’t know. A shopping ban? I tried it once and it didn’t work out so well for me either. Outfit planning? Like a weekly capsule, instead of one for the entire season? Maybe. Any suggestion?

Sweater: Atmosphere, Pants: Old Navy, Scarf: Icing, Boots: Topshop

The Outfit That Never Was

Posted: August 6, 2014 | Author: Salazar | Filed under: Clothes | Tags: black, black polka dot pants, blue, captoe flats, chambray shirt, necklace | 2 Comments

These are the items that I took with me to my Da Lat trip but never worn – you can see why. The flats were not practical for the walking and the biking and the rain, and the polka dot pants don’t go with my hiking boots, and the chambray shirt is too thin to be worn with my cardigan and too bulky to be layered underneath my sweatshirt. The funny thing is, these were the first three things on my packing list. I thought they’d make a good base for an outfit – basic top, fun pants, comfy shoes. It just goes to show no matter how carefully you plan, you can never plan for everything.

And yes, that’s a new chambray shirt. The material is thinner and more breathable, and it fits me a little better than my thrifted one. That totally justified me buying it, right? Right?

Shirt: Esprit, Pants: Old Navy, Flats: Zalora, Necklace: gift shop in Venice

K.I.S.S.

Posted: July 3, 2014 | Author: Salazar | Filed under: Clothes | Tags: black, black flats, black polka dot pants, white, white short sleeve shirt | 3 Comments

It’s been raining almost non-stop for the past two days, which is why I didn’t have any outfit photos. To be honest, even if it wasn’t raining, I probably wouldn’t take photos anyway because my outfits are just my summer schlub uniform (baggy t-shirt + pajama pants). The good news is that I’m all caught up on Ender’s Game and only have one and a half chapters left to translate. Gods, that book is depressing.

Anyway, for this outfit, I was really, really, really tempted to add a pop of color – I was thinking a brooch on the shirt’s collar, or red shoes. In the end, though, I reminded myself to “Keep It Simple, Stupid” (which is a thing I totally stole from Marissa.) Sometimes polka dot pants are all you need.