I wasn't a girly girl growing up. This isn't to say that I was a true blue tomboy either (I did join Little League, only to quit after one measly season). No, growing up I hovered somewhere in the middle; not really girly, not really boyish. I was more interested in books than combing my hair; more interested in being outdoors than how I looked. Think True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle meets American Revolution-era homemade costume, meets games of make-believe school in the backyard, and you have me nailed at age 10.
(Pretty sure I was awesome.)
Couple this with an extended awkward phase that lasted oh, up until my freshman year of college, and that my heaviest weight I've ever been was in high school, and you have a girl who took a little while to come into her own.
(That was less awesome.)
Now? Well... If you look at my bathroom shelf, you'll see these babies.
These are in addition the doughnut shaped netting piece that I bought to put in my hair and make my bun all big. What can I say, the drugstores here are crazy girl land and I can't say no to everything.
I also finally bit the bullet and got myself to the Japanese nail salon for a florescent-yellow-with-bling manicure, and I LOVE IT.
This girly girl interest. Hmm. It's been stirring for a couple years, I think. After graduation, faced with jobs that required dressing up, and paid me to do so, I began to be more interested in clothes. I was also growing into my body, into my style, into ma' self; what I wore just seemed a natural extension. Seattle has its own offbeat, NW fashion, and I dug it. Add this to an amazing second hand market, and the combination was irresistible. (Oh, how I miss secondhand shopping.)
In Japan, though? It's really taken root. Perhaps I'm the last person on the planet to recognize it, but Japanese fashion is amazing. Women (and men) here rock clothes and styles in ways that blow my mind. Let's just say that nothing matches, everything is tailored, and it totally works.
It took me a bit to find clothes here in this expensive land-o'-tiny-ladies, and there are still certain things that are hard to come by. Slowly, however, I'm finding out where to shop as someone who is literally-bigger-boned (hint: big chain stores, like Uniqlo, and international stores, like Zara, are the best bet). Pants that cover my booty are always tricky, and the sky high prices can be demoralizing, but I've emerged, if not a fashionista (ha!), more decently clothed then I've been in awhile.
More then shops however, I've been finding so much great stuff on the internet. Who knew, right? (Wait, everyone knew. I am so late to this party). In all the hubbub, there is one blog that I've come to really love. Now bear with me, because it's both awesome and a bit embarrassing...
It's a mom fashion blog.
I know! Wait! Before you go! It's really good. Promise. Think for a minute: I'm on my feet all the time here, constantly on the go via subway or bike, I don't have to dress up for the office but still would like to look chic and pulled together.
Yup, that's pretty close to a mom. Except for -- you know -- the baby part. That's a bit off, but hear they are available for purchase with your Manaca card (zing! Nagoya humor!) Perhaps it's a bit easier to wrap your head around it if you think of it as an updated-university-student look. Moving around, needing to look nice but not necessarily professional, and reeeeally needing to get out of your sweatpants into something with a fitted waist (... can you feel me?)
So stilletos? Out. I've got to be a' moving. Flat platform sandals? Totally workable. But this mom has a series on "shop your closet," where you make what you already own work for you. Add this to her tips on how to make unwashed hair passable for yet another day, and I am sold. It was just really refreshing, really real, in a online world that somethings makes you think that it's totally plausible for you to be start-up photographer/fashion intern/freelance writer and own a wardrobe of Kate Spade and Christian Lombardi. (How does that happen? Credit card debit? Rich parents/husbands/fairy godmothers? I am le confused.)
Through Ain't No Mom Jeans, I found this video, which is amazing. This girl named Wendy somehow she shows 25 ways to wear a scarf in 5 minutes in a really well done video. I'm in awe. Her fashion is a bit, well, fancy for me, but shoot, the girl can make a video.
I wore the waterfall scarf on Monday, and it felt pretty rad. I had to pin it though because it wasn't quite bike riding ready, but it worked (and I was extremely proud of myself for that one. Look at me! Solving fashion dilemmas!)
Now I'm on a roll. The closet has been cleaned out and organized. I've thrown out ratty gym shirts and updated myself to yoga pants without holes. I've tossed earrings and socks where the pair is long lost, and I even had my own 'shop your closet' session. I'm headed to a clothing exchange party tonight (such a good idea!), and I have a couple fall items I'm keeping my eye out for, though it's still much too hot here to really be thinking about layers of any kind, unless they involve sunscreen. But soon. Soon. I'm excited.
Late bloomin, you guys. It's kind of fun.
(Pretty sure I was awesome.)
Couple this with an extended awkward phase that lasted oh, up until my freshman year of college, and that my heaviest weight I've ever been was in high school, and you have a girl who took a little while to come into her own.
(That was less awesome.)
Now? Well... If you look at my bathroom shelf, you'll see these babies.
These are in addition the doughnut shaped netting piece that I bought to put in my hair and make my bun all big. What can I say, the drugstores here are crazy girl land and I can't say no to everything.
I also finally bit the bullet and got myself to the Japanese nail salon for a florescent-yellow-with-bling manicure, and I LOVE IT.
This girly girl interest. Hmm. It's been stirring for a couple years, I think. After graduation, faced with jobs that required dressing up, and paid me to do so, I began to be more interested in clothes. I was also growing into my body, into my style, into ma' self; what I wore just seemed a natural extension. Seattle has its own offbeat, NW fashion, and I dug it. Add this to an amazing second hand market, and the combination was irresistible. (Oh, how I miss secondhand shopping.)
In Japan, though? It's really taken root. Perhaps I'm the last person on the planet to recognize it, but Japanese fashion is amazing. Women (and men) here rock clothes and styles in ways that blow my mind. Let's just say that nothing matches, everything is tailored, and it totally works.
It took me a bit to find clothes here in this expensive land-o'-tiny-ladies, and there are still certain things that are hard to come by. Slowly, however, I'm finding out where to shop as someone who is literally-bigger-boned (hint: big chain stores, like Uniqlo, and international stores, like Zara, are the best bet). Pants that cover my booty are always tricky, and the sky high prices can be demoralizing, but I've emerged, if not a fashionista (ha!), more decently clothed then I've been in awhile.
More then shops however, I've been finding so much great stuff on the internet. Who knew, right? (Wait, everyone knew. I am so late to this party). In all the hubbub, there is one blog that I've come to really love. Now bear with me, because it's both awesome and a bit embarrassing...
It's a mom fashion blog.
I know! Wait! Before you go! It's really good. Promise. Think for a minute: I'm on my feet all the time here, constantly on the go via subway or bike, I don't have to dress up for the office but still would like to look chic and pulled together.
Yup, that's pretty close to a mom. Except for -- you know -- the baby part. That's a bit off, but hear they are available for purchase with your Manaca card (zing! Nagoya humor!) Perhaps it's a bit easier to wrap your head around it if you think of it as an updated-university-student look. Moving around, needing to look nice but not necessarily professional, and reeeeally needing to get out of your sweatpants into something with a fitted waist (... can you feel me?)
So stilletos? Out. I've got to be a' moving. Flat platform sandals? Totally workable. But this mom has a series on "shop your closet," where you make what you already own work for you. Add this to her tips on how to make unwashed hair passable for yet another day, and I am sold. It was just really refreshing, really real, in a online world that somethings makes you think that it's totally plausible for you to be start-up photographer/fashion intern/freelance writer and own a wardrobe of Kate Spade and Christian Lombardi. (How does that happen? Credit card debit? Rich parents/husbands/fairy godmothers? I am le confused.)
Through Ain't No Mom Jeans, I found this video, which is amazing. This girl named Wendy somehow she shows 25 ways to wear a scarf in 5 minutes in a really well done video. I'm in awe. Her fashion is a bit, well, fancy for me, but shoot, the girl can make a video.
I wore the waterfall scarf on Monday, and it felt pretty rad. I had to pin it though because it wasn't quite bike riding ready, but it worked (and I was extremely proud of myself for that one. Look at me! Solving fashion dilemmas!)
Now I'm on a roll. The closet has been cleaned out and organized. I've thrown out ratty gym shirts and updated myself to yoga pants without holes. I've tossed earrings and socks where the pair is long lost, and I even had my own 'shop your closet' session. I'm headed to a clothing exchange party tonight (such a good idea!), and I have a couple fall items I'm keeping my eye out for, though it's still much too hot here to really be thinking about layers of any kind, unless they involve sunscreen. But soon. Soon. I'm excited.
Late bloomin, you guys. It's kind of fun.
Ditto ALL OF THIS. and now I'm going to subscribe to this mom blog of which you speak.
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