and to top it all off...
These days, we're all tweaking this or that with our clothes. You have your DIY renaissance and the 'anything goes' attitude. Keep in mind, then, that I'm not claiming any stroke of genius here. Pulling the elastic waistband of a skirt up over the chest is a popular trick these days, making for some fantastic, floaty tent dresses. A new lease on life for otherwise long, dumpy skirts. However, the skirt as a top or tunic gets less recognition. The technique is the same, but not so drastic a visual and functional change. Undoubtedly others are donning this look as I type, but hear me out when I say 'pencil skirts'. The great thing about these particular skirts is that they often come with belt loops. And what does that entail? An easy way of holding up and accessorizing the top! Simply weave a belt through the loops, and you've got a top sized just for you. I really like the unexpected hardware flash of a belt buckle right above the bust, but I'm also digging the use of a scarf. By now you probably have at least an inkling of how much I go ga-ga anything for that can be tied or dangled. Bows, laces, rope, sashes--you name it, I'm there (or interested, at least). Weaving a scarf through the belt loops of my new 'top' is such an easy way to add dimension to my look. I first tried looping the scarf so that it would trail in the back like a tail or wings. Lovely for that subtle entrance and grand exit. Hoping that I could make a bow, I then experimented with leaving the ends left in the front. My scarf wasn't long enough for a bow, but you get the drift. And, as usual, there are so many options! For instance, it just occurred to me that I can take the front ends and tie it around my neck like a halter! Not only would it be a different look, but I'd get more support as well. Ah, yes, how I love the possibilities....
(1) F21 green sweater, F21 purple corduroy pencil skirt, green cami as a mini (!) skirt, Birkenstock sandals, blue belt from Proenza Schouler for Target skirt, vintage grey leather bag from The Olive Shoppe on ebay. (2) Lux denim skirt, J Brand jeans, vintage Papagallo oxfords from The Olive Shoppe on ebay, Banana Republic black belt. (3) Lux white polka dot blouse, Proenza Schouler for Target blue cotton pencil skirt (turned sideways to make a side vent), Patrick Robinson for Target brown shorts, Jeffrey Campbell red wedge sneakers, Linea Pelle brown leather belt.
(4, 5) Express heather grey puff sleeve shirt, F21 charcoal grey pencil skirt, H&M high-waisted blue shorts, Dolce Vita silver jazz shoes, H&M purple/grey scarf. (6) Same as before, but with Lux black drapey skirt.
23 comments:
ooohh very very nice, especially Look #3 on top.
i've tried the skirt-as-top thing before, but it became very very uncomfortable by the end of the day, because it constricted my chest so much. i even used a skirt that was two sizes too big. do you have this problem? or, another (hopefully not ruder!) way to ask that question would be, do you think this is something that only small-breasted women can do?
hello love!
thank you for telling me about dreamachine... you have such a wonderful eye. i can't wait to sit down and really read what you have here, and yes definitely consider yourself linked!
: )
You are amazing!
I admire how you experiment in finding different uses for pieces. The 1st & 2nd looks are phenomenal! I especially love the lavender & green with the pop of the blue belt.
lc: good point. are you talking about the tight fit being at the waistband (at the top of the chest) or over the actual breast area itself? i can see how the boob-constriction thing could be a problem for some. some skirts were bordering on being too tight, but mostly this wasn't a major issue for me. both of my forever 21 skirts (the purple corduroy in #1 and the dark grey in #4) have a little stretch, so that helped a bit. i suppose that the pencil skirt thing would be limited to women of a certain proportion, who also have small to mid-sized breasts. you figure that without an elastic waistband, there isn't much give. therefore, the person's mid- to low-waist circumference would have to be about the same as the circumference right above the chest... and not everyone is built that way.
another issue i had was with the whole contraption being too heavy. skirts of heavyweight material plus weighty belt hardware can make for some uncomfortable fussiness, esp. in the summer heat.
wow, i don't know if my last two paragraphs were a whole lot of blabbing about nothing or if any of that actually helped you. did i even answer your question?
jennine: thanks for the reply! i am the same way about wanting to give certain blogs my full attention, but not always having the time to do that right away. do visit whenever you have that time, and i hope you enjoy the berlin fashion pieces!
anonymous, thx!
thanks, Candid Cool! i'm glad you noticed the tiny pop of the blue belt.
oh, yes, you answered my question quite well. the area that's most constrictive for me is the waistband, but i think the boobage exacerbates it. and when the skirt is of a stiffer material, it bunches up unflatteringly when i sit down. it's like samantha said in sex and the city - "this outfit only works standing up." (and i'm a little embarrassed that i can quote sex and the city so easily.)
btw, these "thinking outside the box" posts of yours are really terrific! when i see a skirt, i see a skirt, but you see a gazillion other things that i miss. i'm so envious!
i'm so glad you like these kinds of posts! truthfully, i also usually walk around with the mindset that a skirt is a skirt. when i give myself the chance to be free of the constraints, though, things like this happen! i think we all have the potential to be resourceful. :)
i actually found another odd use for one of my skirts while doing this 'experiment', so stay tuned! (probably not this week, but...um...eventually.)
as for the bunching up, i know what you mean. some skirts are just all wrong for this, but others actually look kinda cool all scrunched up.
The blue skirt turned sideways is great, the scarf along with the skirt looks really fun, i think I'm going to try the look, its so inspiring :)
chic looks, you better post pics of you trying out the look!
The first two are really cool! good find
i really like this look, thanks for giving me this great idea, i need to look in my good will bag to give my old items a new look!
lily
thanks, eli!
lily, i'm the same way; just when i think i'm ready to donate/sell something, i realize i can find another purpose for it.
hi! just wanted to let you know that i'm going to boston this weekend, and i'd much appreciate it if you could give me any suggestions. the last time i went to beantown, i went with a friend who lived there for six years or so, yet she only took me to newbury street. sooo yeah, i wasn't too keen on that. if you know of any thrift/cheap vintagey stores, that would be best! THANKS!!!
Hmmmm....as a relatively recent transplant to Boston/Cambridge, I'm still navigating the shopping landscape here. Knowing you and your tendencies to research, I'll bet you've already found out about these places. But just in case, here's a list of stores I've gone to or WANT to go to. If you haven't already done so, read up more about all these places on yelp.com. Certainly there are deals to be found everywhere, but you should know that there are way more designer/consignment/vintage stores around here, as opposed to real cheapie/thrift stores.
1. The Garment District and Dollar-a-Pound (Cambridge): I know you know about this place but wanted to elaborate a little. GD has a big and nice selection, plus a great sixties/seventies section (think: crazy awesome prints) in the back, but the prices are not dirt cheap. For instance, I think a nice top might cost $12-$30. The Dollar-A-Pound, on the other hand, is exactly that. You pay based on weight. The catch, as you probably know, is that you have to wade through a huge pile of clothes on the floor.
2. Goodwill (Davis Square, Somerville): This is supposed to be the best Goodwill in the Boston/Cambridge area. Goodwill prices, obviously. :)
3. Poor Little Rich Girl (Davis Square, Somerville): Consignment store nearby Goodwill. Similarly not-cheap prices as The Garment District. Lots of blah blah basic clothes, but w/ a fair vintage section where you *might* get your sequin fix.
4. Magpie (Davis Square, Somerville): Actually, this isn't a vintage or thrift store, but if you're hitting up the Goodwill and Poor Little Rich Girl in Davis Square, you should also check out this store. It sells crafts designed by local artists. The people behind Magpie are also behind the Bizarre Bazaar craft fairs and crafster.org.
5. Urban Renewals (Allston): This seems to be THE thrift store around here, with real thrift store prices.
6. History (Cambridge): High-end vintage boutique. Not necessarily for shopping if you're trying to stick to a small budget, but worth seeing for the concept. Each piece comes w/ its own written 'story' about a person from that era. Owner was a history teacher; store has historical books for browsing pleasure.
Here are few more stores you might want to look into. Some are consignment, some are of the more expensive vintage variety, and some are mixed trinkets/furniture/housewares/clothing stores.
- Oona's
- Boutique Fabulous
- Karma
- Second Time Around
- Honeyspot
- Buckaroo's Mercantile
- Boomerangs
Here are a few other things I like about Boston and Cambridge:
1. Ice cream. If you like ice cream, you NEED to get ice cream while you're here. It's just divine. I like JP Licks (various locations), Harrell's (Harvard Square) and Lizzy's (Harvard Square).
2. Used-books and locally-owned bookstores.
3. Museums. History and art museums abound, but the Museum of Science is freakin awesome to run around in and be a kid again.
Hope this helps! All this writing is making me look forward to this weekend....so I can go exploring!
Here's one more I forgot to add: Bobby from Boston.
is the "Bobby" you refer to the Kennedy?
and thank you so much for the thoughtful list. i'm super excited. i've been to boston a few times, but mostly when i was younger (i remember the curious george store and newbury comics fondly). i dont even know where i'm going to begin. although i would really like to go to urban renewals, i have some bad memories associated with allston (i went to a berklee college party there once, hosted by emo kids drunk on whiskey).
and thank you for addressing my sequin addiction! i'm still keeping that habit alive.
i'm actually lactose intolerant, so i tend not to eat too much dairy, but i may have to try some of what boston has to offer. i heard that there are a lot fewer bookstores in boston than there used to be, which is a pity.
and who knows, maybe i'll see you in one of these shops! i'll keep my eyes peeled for red shoes :)
no, not the kennedy. it's mostly men's stuff w/ a small women's section. i suggested it, though, since i know you can work your magic with men's stuff.
i just found out today that the garment district is 50% off everything in store this friday-sunday! lucky trip timing. i may head over there myself this weekend... maybe i'll try to wear my red shoes. :)
sorry to hear allston's stigma transcends the confines of the greater boston area. it's good that you're visiting in the summer, because that means that most of the college students are out of town. seriously, everything from the streets, to the sidewalks, to the subways, seems so much more peaceful and less busy.
(cont'd)
i wasn't just addressing your sequin addiction, i was also addressing my own. ;) the last time i went to poor little rich girl, i contemplated getting a black and silver sequin top. i think it was $30-40 (to give you an idea of the prices) but ultimately i ended up deciding against it. although it was a very nice top, it definitely wasn't priced like the sequin scores of your last trip.
you're very welcome...just be sure to post your boston haul when you get home!
oh boy, i think i will definitely be going to the garment district, then. and thank you for letting me know about the college student situation; while it hasn't been too long since i was in school, there's something about throngs of girls in Jasmine Sola that puts me in a bad mood.
shopping isn't the main focus of this trip (seafood is!), but i'll let you know if i fall in love with anything! good luck to both of us this weekend!
oh wow. i m inspired. =D
glad i could be of inspiration. :)
wow!!! I found a skirt at a thrift store that looks alot like the second one (with the belt loops as well) and I use it the same way!!! except I usually layer it over a tee or diff top. And except you pull it off way better.
Post a Comment