Inspiration Interlude: vintage nightgowns

MPA Photographics

While I’m hard at work preparing for some pretty cool blog posts to come, I wanted to fill the meantime with some outfit inspiration pictures that I took with Mac Moss of MPA Photographics. Usually on this blog, I post pictures of outfits that are more or less meant to be worn in a public sphere then follow with written advice and commentary on how I styled the look. But part of my focus is to incorporate aspirations of outfit goals and other things I could only dream of wearing. I believe that inspiration posts are absolutely necessary for helping create a certain vision or aesthetic. And hey, a girl can dream, right?

I have in my possession a secret drawer of gorgeous nightgowns I’ve accumulated, some vintage and new. I’m in love with the delicate details each gown has – the silky, fine fabric, the dainty lace, the soft colors. But like most things we hold in highest favor, I rarely ever use the gowns for fear of damaging them somehow. How is it that the more we love something, the less likely we are to wear it? My excuse for never wearing these nightgowns is the fact that when it comes to nightwear, all my pajamas are a minimum of five years old and are selected only for maximum coziness. Plus, I hardly feel like being fashionable when I’m drooling in my sleep.

If I could ever muster the talent to design fashion, I would totally take inspiration for daywear dresses from nightgowns. They are incredibly comfortable and to me, they are the epitome of sexy. When I came up with the name “Harlequin” for a fashion blog, I kind of had these kinds of images in mind. The name does seem to resonate with lingerie, but it also matched my ideal for Haute Couture/Runway wear.

I'm very excited to announce that I will be posting exclusive outtakes of my shoot with Mac on my Instagram - be sure to follow me there to check them out in the very near future!

I don’t want to tease too many details, but right now I am assembling my next blog series where I'll be incorporating a specific theme throughout - and there are some other things, other 'projects' that I can't wait to unveil. Stay tuned!

Happy Birthday Harlequin!

Anora Crescent Photography

So I’ve never made a birthday post, although I’ve had this blog for several years, I’ve never thought to publish a post exactly on May 7th. And I really don’t know what to say - but I did want to share these photos that Cyndi of Anora Crescent Photography took because they’re kind of special to me. And you know what’s different? This is one of the few times I’ve ever tried smiling in photos. Isn’t that weird? I realized I don’t smile often in photos. Like, never actually. Too busy trying to channel some sort of model fierceness, I guess. And then while I was compiling these pictures together, it kind of brought back memories as a kid when I never smiled with my teeth  in pictures because I was so embarrassed by them for so long – first, I had really crooked teeth, then I had braces for several years. I remember someone later on finally told me that you shouldn’t care about how your smile looks, so long as you’re smiling. And the encouragement helped. And then life happened, and I got to a point where I didn’t even remember those old feelings – old insecurities were replaced with new ones. Life is funny like that.

In lieu of birthday nostalgia, what I also find cool about these pictures is family jewelry I’m representing. I’ve worn some of these pieces before on this blog. One of my very first blog posts was one I modeled “family vintage” with a skirt, handbag and jewelry that all belonged to my mother, grandmother, or great-grandmother. The tagline was “four generations in one look.” I’m wearing the same necklace from that post: it’s my mom’s pendant with my grandmother’s pearls that I restrung back when I used to make jewelry. The bracelets and the rings are also thrifted vintage from flea markets and other consignment.

I bought the tartan I’m wearing while I was in Scotland – it’s touristy, but I’m so glad I have it. It’s so cute and warm. It makes me feel like an American Girl doll or something. Especially with this cute embroidered coat I bought from Forever 21. It’s so fancy!

I’m getting ready for my birthday weekend celebration! This is what happens when your birthday is on a Thursday. I’ve still got Friday to go through until it’s the weekend!

For The Right Occasion

Anora Crescent Photography

Where oh where do I wear this? That is the question I ask myself most when styling a look. It’s safe to say anything we choose to wear is informed by what circumstance or context we will be wearing the items in question. I don’t know about you, but I never assemble an outfit without thinking “is this too much for where I’m going?” 

Date night at a quaint martini bar in downtown Mebane? Let’s pick out a flirty, bright spring dress with beige heels. Rock concert at a cool club in Raleigh? Bring out the black leggings with mesh cut outs and a crop top with ankle boots. Low key night in hanging out with friends? High waist jeans with a t-shirt is fine by me. Imagine mixing up any of these outfits and places - how totally awkward would you feel!

Usually, my outfit-planning routine is this: Enter closet. Consider the evening’s events and destinations. Mix and match until I find the desired look. (Oh, if only is was that simple. Try on about ten different outfits, leave them scattered around your room. Yeah, that's more like it.)

I look back through these wonderful pictures taken by the awesome Anora Crescent Photography of Greensboro, NC and am reminded of those last days of winter. What strikes me most about these pictures is how perfect this outfit blends in with the environment. When modeling, it’s hard to imagine the perfect location to shoot some of these outfits. I have to think to myself, does this look read grungy, urban, industrial setting? Does it look like something that needs a nature background? And of course finding these places are a challenge. But Cyndi, the photographer, suggested taking these pictures at a lake, and now I can’t think of a better place to wear this outfit. Or maybe I’m just recalling how serene this place was. As I was looking out over the lake, there was this perfect moment where I watched birds fly across the lake and it was really beautiful and poignant.

I talked a little bit in my last series about “committing to the look” and wearing all items that connect in some way to each other to create a cohesive look. I’m really glad I got shots of this jewelry set, because I’m really excited about its authenticity and origins: it was given to me by my sister who bought it in Blowing Rock, NC, many years ago. The sweater jacket that I’m wearing from Forever 21 has a pattern that reminds me somewhat of Native American art - (so I wrote an entire rough draft on the topic of cultural appropriation vs. appreciation because I really hated the idea of calling this look “Native American” themed. Too much ink has already been spilled over this topic in the fashion blogging community already; there’s not much more I can say other than I hate using this kind of terminology to describe an outfit, and as conscious consumers, we should be respectful when borrowing themes from other cultures and ask ourselves important questions like what our relationship to a certain culture is, what do we hope to gain by borrowing a type of attire, and so on.) The Minnetonka moccasin fringe boots were the perfect choice in piecing together the perfect winter look.

Sometimes I feel like my style is all over the place. But what I think I’m really attracted to is that feeling of taking on the personality of what I wear. The girl in these pictures is enjoying the view, embracing the lively fringe boots that seemed to move even when she didn’t, and is comforted by a warm winter sweater that closely resembles a bathrobe. 

I guess the places we go and the experiences we gather are perfect homes for our style and outlook on fashion.

best find a surgeon, can't cut me open

 

 

 

 

Sequined tank top - Forever21 (old), velvet leggings - JCPenny, cardigan - Forever21, accessories - vintage, gifted, bag - hand-me-down, shoes - nine west

Don't mind me, naming my photoshoots after strange lyrics. Random fact: more than I choose the titles of these posts by lyrics, I choose the song for it's melody because it was something I listened to and channeled creative energy from for this look. I get inspiration from sounds for visual aesthetics.Yep. True facts.

I just really enjoy the color scheme of this look - we've got coffee browns, brownish grays, black, dark green, gold, bronze and all sorts of funky mediums like feathers, sequins, velvet and glitter. I'm a sucker for crazy fabrics and additions.

Ok ok so you can't really see the glitter as well as I had desired, but trust me, it's there. It's a very subtle glitter that isn't readily picked up, being a light color, but it's enough to make you look twice in person.

I've been giving more attention to my makeup and styling - underrated facets that can make or break a look in my opinion- and yeah, I would focus on this because, well, I used to be a makeup artist (mostly recreational) and I'm still one at heart. When I imagine a look in my head with the pieces I already own (most involved fantasy driven DESIRED pieces, I will admit) I think of styling that would compliment it, spice it up - and these days, I have some pretty wild ideas. What's presented in the pictures isn't nearly my cosmetic forte. I'm anticipating in the next few looks I'll really show off some of the makeup ideas I have in mind that hopefully you'll all enjoy.


Have a lovely week xx

-h.

Morning comes in paradise, morning comes in light

It's been a busy two weeks and my usual photographer was out busy. But luckily a friend offered to shoot me on a nice day in the park! Thanks to Heather Ferguson for these pictures, they're amazing! She has some amazing photography and it was so nice of her to do this for me. Her flickr is here, so check it out! Also, that squirrel picture is adorable, he was our little audience the whole time (I think I'm turning into Snow White.) There's a few more pictures over at her flickr as well, I didn't want to overload, but it's nice to have options for which picture to use, because they all turned out stunning.

Dress - Urban Outfitters, Socks - Urban Outfitters, Shoes - nine west (borrowed), Jewelry - vintage/family, hat - target
Photos copyright Heather Ferguson - http://www.flickr.com/photos/heatherferguson/

Well, it seems I don't ever go without a piece of family jewelry - I actually made this necklace a long time ago. It was my great grandmother's beads and I didn't have enough so I strung the few I had and made the clasp the pendant.

The dress was actually my graduation dress in 2010. I lovelovelove the back though, and me + floral anything = best friends.

The shoes are actually borrowed and a size too big, thus why socks were involved to help keep them on my feet.

~

In other news, I just finished "Diary" - and um, wow. Not my favorite of his, but certainly a quick and fascinating read. Just started on "Brave New World" for my next summer reading! Anyone want to join me?

-H.