I was enamored with this necklace the moment I saw it at LeThrift the boutique I work at. This necklace resembles an American flag and it’s in the shape of a gun. What represents Americana more than that? It’s a culmination of our over inflated pride of the U.S. and our violent history. It is the perfect necklace to wear along with a smirk on the 4th of July.
Americans love their guns. I love Michael Moore.
To introduce our new vintage online clothing store- Outside the Box Vintage– Maria and I decided to explore the vast urban jungle of my backyard. Using found objects as props we decided to play dress up on one of the hottest days of the year so far this summer. We were melting, sweating, and oh so shiny. Why didn’t we wait another day? We had finally shaken our procrastinating ways and were in determined work mode. This is our feminist take on Vogue fashion shoots.
Today is the day. Fashion Food Feminism is producing a fashion show in Chicago and it’s happening tonight. In January Maria and I brainstormed up the idea to put on a fashion show with vintage clothes and have it be a fundraiser for a new local theatre company, Sankofa, that we are both involved in. The show evolved and now the runway will feature not only vintage, but also clothing from local designers.
It has been a fun, but sometimes stressful production. There is so much work that goes into a fashion show, but at least I was aware going in. I’ve volunteered at many fashion shows, but this is my first time putting one together myself. The hardest task was finding a venue on a very limited budget of zero dollars. However, by reaching out to a few friends I was able to secure an awesome location in downtown Chicago on the roof of the building courtesy of friend and designer Gabrielle Zwick. The location is perfect for enjoying a Chicago summer night and looking out at the lake or the sparkling city.
Being a feminist produced fashion show we want to do things differently. We will be debuting our new vintage collection- Outside the Box Vintage. It is a reminder to ourselves and to others to remember to think outside the box, to challenge traditional thought, and to be free to express yourself. All the designers and vendors are women. The theme for the night is playful and not sexy. I kept hearing the word sexy so many times during the planning of this event and I constantly had to say no we are not selling sex, I want it to be fun and playful. It is important to us to use fashion as a tool to empower women and not cater to the idea of what is sexy.
Another challenge I encountered was finding a local plus size designer. There was only one in the area I was able to find and she was unavailable for the event. It just made it blatantly obvious to me the lack of options available to women who are plus size and want to dress their best.
There is going to be desserts and sangria. I’m excited to try the desserts and the sangria is delicious. It is not going to be the typical runway experience and there isn’t going to be your typical runway. I’m not going to reveal all the details, you’ll have to come and find out!
So I’m inviting you to come join us for a playful summer’s night mingling amongst Chicago’s skyline. Your exclusive view will include a fashion show with the best vintage and local designs Chicago has! Celebrate supporting local Chicago culture and promote diversity. In addition, since it’s Chicago’s Pride Weekend we will be celebrating supporting equality and gay rights. You know you wanna come. You can purchase tickets here.
I love looking at ridiculously over priced fashion items on Pinterest for inspiration. I stumbled upon this crocheted purse with a leather strap and anchor closure by Balenciaga. This bag retails for $1,125. Not only is that so not in my price range even if it was I wouldn’t spend that much on a bag that someone else has! I prefer items that are more unique and have that handmade touch or are vintage. This almost guarantees no one else will have your bag. My go to source for such fashion finds is Etsy! These are my favorites:
This wristlet comes with a sailboat mirror!
Which is your favorite? Or do you still prefer the $1,125 Balenciaga over these fab finds?!
Sorelle In Style is a lovely personal style blog created by two sisters, Jilly and Sally. This Sunday I was featured as their bare wrist fix. I wore a vintage turquoise statement bracelet paired with a vintage suede orange skirt. Check out the awesome turquoise bracelets Jilly and Sally picked out. It’s hard for me to decide on a favorite, but #9 wins!
Here are some more turquoise pieces that would make for an instant Bare Wrist Fix on their own!
1. Bauble Bar Sky Rope Cuff, 2. a.v. max Turquoise and Gold Cuff, 3. Lucky Turquoise Cuff, 4. House of Harlow Tribal Cuff, 5. Kenneth Jay Lane White and Gold Turquoise Cuff, 6. CC Skye Turquoise Cuff, 7. RAIN Bead Bracelet, 8. nOir Crystal Cord Cuff, 9. Rachel Leigh Cuff, 10. R.J. Graziano Bangle, 11. AK Anne Klein Stretch Bracelet, 12. Lisa Stewart Modern Myth Bracelet, 13. Ben-Amun Turquoise Bracelet), 14. 2028 Bracelet
Ever since I was a little girl I have loved playgrounds. The monkey bars and tire swing are personal favorites that I still enjoy. It’s important for me to embrace my inner child and remember that life shouldn’t be taken that seriously. Making time to play is mandatory not optional.
The dinosaur sweater is my favorite part of this outfit. The sweater actually belonged to my baby brother. I discovered it a few years ago when I was helping my mom sort through boxes because she was moving. When I came across the dinosaur sweater I thought it was so cute I just had to keep it for myself. The dress is a pale yellow with white embroidery I found at a Chicago thrift store. The satin mary janes were also a thrift score. This is outfit is proof that you can wear black and yellow together and not look like a bumblebee.
A dress and heels have never stopped me from playing on the playground. Even as a child I was never concerned with not getting dirty or the fear of other people seeing my underwear. If I want to play, a dress isn’t gonna hold me back.
The next time you feel worried or stressed I urge you to go to a park and swing. Once you sit on a swing and start flying through the air it’s impossible to not give in to the moment.
This is my beautiful city Chicago. At times it is overwhelming. Nonetheless the beauty can always be found, even on those awful bleak winter days, if you look hard enough. I spent the other day strolling around museum campus and visiting the Shedd Aquarium. My favorite creatures at the aquarium are:
The blue poison dart frog “wearing” my favorite color.
Did you know that the male seahorse is the one that becomes pregnant and gives birth?
Since I knew I would be doing a lot of walking I needed to dress comfortably, but of course without sacrificing style. Flats were a necessity. I chose a pair of vintage Nina flats in a bright teal. I wanted a pop of color since the rest of my outfit was neutral.
I wore a vintage navy leotard as a bodysuit. The only drawback to wearing an actual leotard and not a bodysuit is of course that whole having to get naked to use the bathroom. Besides that, the body hugging fit of the leotard balanced the loose, flowy skirt. I don’t normally wear longer skirts, but this vintage Chaus was hiding in my closet. Navy and white polka dots are one of my favorite combinations, a timeless classic.
To play off the polka dots I wore a pair of vintage silver heart earrings. And I had this vintage Bill Blass colored jean jacket to keep me from getting chilly. After all that walking it was nice to just sit down, lean back, and observe my Chicago.
I’ve been wanting a unique pair of hoop earrings for a while now. I’ve also been lusting for a pair of leather earrings. I decided to create a pair myself combining the two. I was able to do it without having to purchase anything new and using supplies I had on hand.
Hello Kitty as a pincushion.
Your only 2 required materials are leather/suede and a pair of hoops earrings. Since I collect leather skirts and bottoms I had left over baby blue suede material from a pair of pants I turned into shorts. I received the hoop earrings from a friend who was spring cleaning her closet. The only tools you will need are a sewing needle, scissors, and manicure scissors.
First cut up the leather into strips. Don’t cut the leather too thin. Remember it has to be able to fit on the hoop.
I prefer the unfinished, rough side of the leather on the left. This is the side I chose to have facing out.
Next you are going to create a hole in the leather strip with a sewing needle. Start the hole a little bit down from the top and pull the needle all the way through.
I then used the manicure scissors to slightly widen the hole. This all depends on the width of your hoops, adjust the size of the hole accordingly.
Then slide your leather fringe strip onto the earring hoop.
I added 12 strips of leather to each earring. You can add more or less. I think it would look great to do the whole hoop in leather fringe. Or mixing in different colors.
Super simple and took less than a hour from start to finish.
I recently discovered this great thrift store in the suburbs of Chicago. It’s so great that I’m not ready to share it yet, but maybe one day I’ll tell you which one it is. It was filled with great vintage goodies.
I’ve been on the look out for a spring coat that has some weight to it since it’s still chilly. I scored with this vintage find since it’s 100% wool. It’s from Avoca which is the oldest handweavers mill in Ireland.
They are known for their colorful knits. Since I love color this jacket is great because it’s a mix of purples and blues. Check out their online store which is filled with beautiful jewelry, clothing, and of course colorful wool blankets.
I love needlepoint, I collect it. Just check out my apartment. Before this dress I didn’t own any wearable needlepoint so I was overjoyed when I found this. It’s perfect for spring and has just the right amount of kitsch. This dress may even technically be a grandma sweater, but pairing it with my grungy black tights keeps it modern.
Who wouldn’t want a pair of suede fuschia heels?! I love pops of color in a fancy shoe. I think it’s the perfect way to brighten up an outfit. These are by Via Spiga and just my size. They were also less than $1! My whole thrift score, which also included a pink silk blazer not pictured, was less than $10 with tax! I love thrifting in Chicago. Wanna go shopping with me next time?
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