fair day

I love fairs. Ridiculous fried foods, rides that make your stomach go all topsy turvy, lights and color and retro graphics all over the place! They always have such a sense of romance and whimsy and childishness that I absolutely love. Add in cute animals, an absolutely gorgeous day, and some fun friends, and I'd say the day was a success. Especially when an Instax turns out this good. Do you see that color coordination between our outfits and drinks? Perfection.

dress - target, shoes - steve madden, purse - thrifted picnic basket w/ thrifted scarf, sunglasses - topshop (london)

I obviously was feeling the vintagey vibes of a state fair, while J went for the carnival clown craziness. It's weird but I definitely love both of our outfits, although for different reasons. I think my outfit is one of my core styles. I don't have a style, that's for sure, but this kind of simplified vintage is something I feel really comfortable in. And god, the color of that dress? LOVE. I get such a kick out of the wacky stuff J wears. I mean, girl has balls, right? Those pants are a disaster, but a disaster that she is totally making work. She is making me lust after some platform sneaks, that's for sure. Oh, and her hairclip? One of our friends from Japan made us each one! So kawaii!

tyrannosaurus style

wearing: thrifted dress, talonalia necklace, diy spike haircomb, red lippy, thrifted boots, & everyday glasses

I made this crazy cool haircomb ages ago after seeing the tutorial on the always amazing Honestly WTF. One of the spikes fell off before I ever had a chance to photograph it so it sat languishing in my jewelry box until I finally remembered to dig out my E6000 and glue it back on. I'm actually glad it sat around for ages because the shiny brass spikes tarnished a little and look SO MUCH COOLER. It's perfect with my Talonalia necklace both because of the tone and because the spikes remind me of dinosaurs (yes, I know tyrannosaurus rex is not one that has spikes, shut up, blog titles don't need to make sense) which are, you know, ancestors to birds. Yeah, I think about weird connections way more than I should!

braids!

shirt & tights - target, skirt & boots - thrifted, sweater - icelandica (reykjavik), crystal - diy

I think I discovered my new favorite hairstyle to keep my hair out of my face at work but not tie it up severely, and not surprisingly it involves braids! I love a good side braid, but whenever I wear my hair in one, all the hair on the opposite side falls out really quickly. But this! This is perfect. I simply divide my hair like usual for a braid, but I then braid one of those sections, before braiding all my hair, using the braid as one of my three sections. It keeps all the loose hair in and looks really neat. Unfortunately it's really hard to take a picture of your own braid, but it's super cute!

chambray & chiffon

skirt - target, shirt - thrifted, sweater - icelandica (reykjavik), necklace -diy

I think this might be the best manicure Ivve done yet! It was several weeks ago but gosh I loved this outfit. The skirt is mustard-y and chiffon, the shirt is chambray from the little boys section at the thrift store, and the necklace I made from stuff at work.

and the fog finally lifts

As I was walking across the parking lot on my lunch break to pick up my takeout, I glanced up and saw this. Sometimes you just have to stop and go "dang, life is pretty." That may not be the most poetic reaction, but I'm just glad I notice these things, you know? It's a stop and smell the roses kind of thing, you sort of have to put some effort into it. There's times where I try not to be constantly snapping pictures, but I think the urge to document helps me look around, and see what's really there. I get weird looks and comments sometimes from people passing me by while I take pictures in a parking lot, or of a puddle, or whatever. But I just feel kind of bad for them, because they're not seeing it.

  sweater - icelandica (reykjavik), chambray shirt - thrifted from the little boys section, chiffon skirt & belt & tights - target, boots - thrifted, crystal pendant - diy, nails - ulta bam-blue-zled & revlon fashionista w/ seche vite topcoat

I also managed to snap a few detail shots of what I wore today. I haven't been able to get full outfit pictures because I lost my damn camera. And my whole purse. Quite awhile ago, actually, but I thought maybe it was just hidden under all the junk in my car. I finally cleaned that out and no. Not there. I could kick myself. I checked a couple places, but seriously, it's been ages. So that sucks. But I do really like this outfit. It's very textural, with the fuzzy wool and light chiffon. Lastly, I finally perfected the triangle manicure, which I love and first saw on The Dainty Squid. Kaylah has some killer nail art! When I did my nails last night, I thought the base color was a mid grey but it turns out it's kind of a denim-y blue. The triangle color is a dark teal, which I loooove.

cozy cowl

dress - target, cardigan - thrifted, wool tights - mp, boots - thrifted

I'm trying to post a little more often and more immediately. This is actually what I wore today (well, yesterday technically). I love this dress!

Work has been insane lately, with the holidays coming up and all. Today we had a really sketch looking dude in the store, testing pens and leaving creepy little skull drawings all over the place. He had face tattoos and seemed really suspicious so we were watching him really closely which always makes me so anxious. There was also a guy who must have had jaundice or something because his face was totally yellow. And a couple really needy customers. Bleh. Just glad to have two days off for Thanksgiving! I'll be posting a last minute Thanksgiving craft this afternoon, so check back for that!

spotty dots

 
sheer polka dot chiffon blouse - target, wool skirt - target, sheer polka dot stockings - target, oxfords - aldo, amethyst crystal necklace - diy, glasses - joseph marc

I am just loving polka dots lately. Big ones, small ones, even or random, they all look good to me. This blouse combines several things I love: polka dots, blush/nude pink, and sheer chiffon. I also love the way the soft chiffon contrasts the darker wool, in both texture and tone. It also rather delightfully reminds me of the work of the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Her dedication to a single, playful form has always intrigued me and I love how she plays off of a very defined style. 

Source: vogue.it via Rachel on Pinterest

"...a polka-dot has the form of the sun, which is a symbol of the energy of the whole world and our living life, and also the form of the moon, which is calm. Round, soft, colorful, senseless and unknowing. Polka-dots become movement... Polka dots are a way to infinity." -Yayoi Kusama

last bare legs

silk blouse - vintage, skirt - thrifted, shoes - borrowed, purse - dooney & burke

There's something quite sad about the last day of the year you are able to go bare-legged. Of course, you don't know it at the time, but the next time you put on a skirt, you'll roll some sheer tights on as well. And the next time, and the next, and then a bit later those sheer stockings are replaced with thick opaque ones, maybe even woolen ones. And then you might look back on that day, if you can remember it, and miss the ease and appeal of bare legs.

I didn't use to like bare legs as much as I do now. I used to wear tights in inappropriately hot weather and I still wear sheer or lace tights sometimes throughout the summer. After all, summers here in the PNW are not necessarily hot. (I believe today, a rainy day in November, was a pretty average summer temperature for us.) This past summer though, I was all about the bare legs. I discovered I could show skin with not only sundresses and shorts, but also with more demure pencil skirts and silk blouses. It just feels nice to let your legs out in the world, unfettered by nylon. All the same, I am enjoying my current tights wearing weather. Just feeling a touch nostalgic for a time when getting dressed in the morning could skip one or two pieces (I wasn't wearing a lot of cardigans then either).

orange sweater, polka tights

 

sweater - target, skirt - thrifted, tights - target, boots - thrifted, purse - thrifted dooney & burke, glasses - joseph marc

Like the idiot I am, I lost my damn purse, with my camera in it (still hoping it's hiding somewhere in my very messy car) so that's my excuse for the lack of blog content lately. I did, however, get a new phone that takes much nicer pictures than my old one (a little advice, don't tell a boy that unless you want to send him dirty pictures, because he will ask) so I might be able to make do if it doesn't turn up. In the meantime, I have some older pictures kicking around that I ought to post. These for example, were from early fall. I love that time of year that you can wear wool skirts but mix them with sheer tights and lighter tops. This bright short sleeve sweater I wore a lot over the summer because it's light weight and made of cotton, but it also worked nicely for this time of year. I kind of miss that part of the season now, with all the grey and rain now.

ann + chuck = 50 years

dress - target, tights- target, boots - modcloth, cardigan - uo, bag - thrifted dooney & burke, sunnies - target, necklaces - talonalia and handmade (a birthday gift)

Last weekend my mom's whole side of the family (minus my aunt from New York) ventured across the mountains to celebrate my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. We went to some wineries in Woodinville and then had a lovely dinner at the Grange in Duvall before heading back to my parents' house for brownies, more wine, and to look at old pictures. It was really wonderful to have everyone together and my grandma brought some old pictures I had never seen before. They were such a cute couple.

harv adams

letter sweater - vintage, polka dot pants - else, boots - modcloth, bag - thrifted dooney & burke, lippy - revlon really red

I like to think about who may have owned my vintage clothing before it came into my hands. Usually it's pure conjecture, but with this vintage letter sweater, I have a name. Harv Adams. He played basketball. Or baseball. I'm not not a sporty sort and can't tell what the ball on the big letter "A" is supposed to represent. He was either tiny or maybe...not in high school? Because this sweater is small. Other than that, I know either he was in the class of '60 or he was number 60 on whatever team he played on and he went to A-something school. Then, we get to start guessing. I think he played basketball and he was really tall and skinny. He was kind of shy and although he wasn't the star player, he was good. He liked academics and hoped to study at a good school. What do you think Harv Adams was like? And do you make up stories about your clothes' previous owners?

pretty dots and flowers

 

Is it incredibly vain to say that that right there is one of my favorite pictures of me ever? I love the way I look with shorter bangs way more than I ever thought I would. I've been cutting them shorter and letting them grow out quite a bit before trimming them again for quite some time now and I always am happiest when they're really short. Occasionally I think about growing them out again because I think I would have more options for hairstyles but I think bangs are just right for me. That's not saying I won't try something else, but it's pretty great to find something that suits your style and face. Which is also what I think about winged liner. I've been liking myself a lot lately, ok?

 

blouse - target, shorts - target, shoes - gift

heidi braids and orange lippy

Oh my goodness you guys, Fall is here for real. Thank god I have cozy sweaters and crazy patterns to mix otherwise I would be mourning the loss of bare legs and little sundresses. And I got the best new lipstick EVER, making my life fulfilled. Just kidding. But I have been obsessed for ages with that great orange/red they use in the J.Crew catalog. I realized awhile back that they sell the color, but it was online only and shipping was a little ridiculous for such a small item. But then they had a free shipping promo and I snapped it up! I actually bought both colors they had available, but Chili Flake is the one you want. French Martini is a really weird light pink that looks AWFUL on me.

This was one of those days that I thought I looked awesome, but my coworkers all looked at me like I was crazy. I guess I can't blame them, I count 4 different patterns on my body in these pictures (can't forget the plaid socks!) and maybe that gives some people headaches. But I like having fun with what I wear. I like getting dressed to be a little bit like playing dress-up.

shirt - thrifted, sweater - icelandica (reykjavik), pants - else, socks - sockdreams, shoes - steve madden, purse - thrifted dooney & burke, glasses - joseph marc, lippy - face stockholm for j.crew in chili flake

rough and tough summer

 

tshirt - weekdays (copenhagen), skirt - thrifted, boots - thrifted

 

Sometimes I just want to dress like a badass and pose with propane tanks and lawn mowers. What? You don't do this? The shed at my parents' house is always an interesting place to take pictures because of all the construction type shit my stepdad keeps back there. I kind of love poking around back there. And sometimes chipped polish looks best.

shirt skirt

tshirt - gap, skirt - thrifted flannel shirt, boots - thrifted

I think flannel shirts might be the most useful item of clothing ever. I learned this trick to wearing them as a skirt from a blog (I've forgotten which one) and I love it for lazy coolness. Perfect for getting waffles with my roommates. I'll try to show you better next time how to do this, but it's basically buttoning the thing as high as you can and tying the sleeves around your waist. Too easy to not try it.

green suede shoes

 

I told you you'd be seeing a lot of these boots! I just can't wear them enough, you know? They're so great. I like wearing them with stuff that kind of clashes best, or lots of bright colors. The pink lace tights are kind of perfect too.

 

dress - target, tights - target, cardigan - uo, boots - modcloth, sunnies - topshop (london), necklace - vintage

 

I love love love this necklace. My dad gave it to my mom back when they were dating. It's bone, handcarved, and has the cleverest little handcarved clasp. I think it's supposed to be a dragon or something.

polka pants

shirt - target, pants - macy's, boots - modcloth

I'm sorry guys, but these pants and boots are a sign things are about to get really boring around here on the What Rachel Wore side of things. I know, I know, it doesn't seem like polka dot pants and bright green suede boots could possibly be boring, but they are when you wear them nearly every day as I have for the last two weeks. It's awful but I just can't take them off. They make me too happy and it's too easy to make an interesting outfit when two major pieces are already totally cray-cray. I can put literally anything on my top half and it will look cool. I promise you.

I obviously really dig the pattern mixing possibilities with these pants, as this is the very first way I wore them. No easing into crazy patterned pants for me, thank you very much. I went shopping with J because while I was housesitting I discovered that my last pair of work appropriate pants had developed an unfortunate hole on the inner thigh, rendering them...less appropriate. I picked up a pair of very sensible black Levi's that fit rather well but had an itchy tag that had to be taken out with a seam ripper but these were my prize. I am so completely loving them, especially with these crazy boots from Modcloth. I'm still thinking about getting them in red...