FBFF: Outfit Planning

For my post today linking up to Fashion Beauty Friend Friday (more like, Fashion Beauty Friend Sunday, but thus goes the weekend...) we're looking at outfit planning, discussing how we put together what we wear every day.

1. How do you go about picking your outfit for the day? (Do you lay stuff out the night before? Do you plan a whole week's worth of looks Sunday night? Do you wing it every morning?)

Generally I wing it, at least partway. Sometimes I'll have a dress or a skirt picked out to wear the night before, but first improvise with the shoes/accessories/layers in the morning. Other times, I'll completely change my mind when I try things on and see what works or doesn't work together.

2. Do you try stuff on and then take pics to see how it looks, like Cher in Clueless?

My mirror is fine for me when it comes to trying things on. Generally I don't care so much about what things look like in pictures -- if it works fine for me on my body as I'm looking at it, that's good enough for me. Though occasionally frustrating when I go to document an outfit and then find it doesn't photograph nearly as well as I'd like it to.

3. And are you consistent in your planning or lack thereof, or is your planning limited to special events?

I do step up the planning for special events, particularly in terms of thinking about what in my closet might give the sort of effect I want. I also plan more when I'm going to be traveling, not necessarily to the extent of planning out all my outfits but at least thinking about what sort of outfits I can make with different options.

4. Do you have a way of keeping track of which outfits you wore when?

If it's not something I documented on the blog, probably not. That's my best source so far. (which really makes me want to get back to posting more outfit photos...)

5. How do you come up with new clothing combinations? (An app? Computer program? Trial and error?)

Ah, don't phrase the question this way to a programmer. Now I am incredibly tempted to write a program to give me different clothing combinations. Hmm. Build a few simple rules of style into it (a shirt needs pants or a skirt), add options for weather-suitability...well, this would get complicated, even if we mostly leave out the aesthetic components. Though it might be interesting even to have an app that would just tell me something like, "The weather will be 50 and raining. Perhaps you should wear a top, skirt, tights, a sweater, and rain boots"...and then have me mix and match from those pieces. Or maybe randomly serving up combinations of colors, or images to inspire an outfit? What would you want in an outfit inspiration program?

To answer this question realistically: trial and error, mostly. Sometimes seeing things together when doing laundry or hanging them up in the closet. Serendipity. Instinct when the skirt I was originally intending to go with that top ends up really not working together and I have to grab something out of the closet in a hurry.

On a related note to outfit planning: I've taken the pledge for Zoe's Me-Made-May challenge.

I, Elly of Adventures in Refashioning, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '12. I endeavour to wear at least one handmade or refashioned garment (not just accessories) each day for the duration of May 2012.

Granted, when I signed up I didn't really think through the fact that I'm going to be traveling for work for about 2 1/2 weeks in May. So my fairly sparse me-made wardrobe is going to have to deal with living out of a suitcase, working in the theater (including at least some labor cable-running and such), probably variable temperatures as it is going to be May on the east coast, and not getting to do laundry. Hmm. I think I need some more tops that aren't intended for winter. It'll be a challenge, certainly!

FBFF: One-Time-Use Outfits?

I wear this dress basically...all the time since I got it last February. Works for every season, fits well, and I wear it as often as I think I can get away with it (which ends up being every couple of weeks, primarily because that's my laundry cycle).

I wanted to use last Friday's Fashion Beauty Friend Friday post to jump back in on this whole blogging thing...all is fine, I've just been very busy with work (a lot of projects taking off at full speed, a trip for a week to SXSW with others from my lab, diving into piles and piles of reading before my general exams in June) and home (visiting friends, spending time with family, attempting to maintain some semblance of order in the apartment, whatever it is I do to waste time on the internet). I also definitely intended to post this last week.

But so, FBFF! Today we're looking at something that's come up around magazines/the internet about fashion/style bloggers, the idea that many wear outfits or items of clothing only once. (See Arash's post on the Wear It Once Disease for one of the pieces that sparked this discussion). Since there's a photographic record of their outfits, they apparently can feel pressured not to repeat an outfit. This has certainly been an issue at times for celebrities, with the paparazzi ready to jump on someone for wearing the same thing to multiple events, but is it true of regular people who take and post their own pictures? Or, in the age of social, doesn't everyone have some pressure, when they know the pictures of them at their cousin's wedding will end up on Facebook next to the pictures of the two other events they wore the same outfit to that month? I don't have much knowledge about the "general" opinions of women or style bloggers, but I thought it'd be interesting to explore my own relationship with repeating outfits/single-use outfits.


Basically the same outfit except for the shoes, but from January 2012.

1. Are you a one-time wearer?
   I'd like to say "no," because I certainly don't buy anything intending to only wear it once. But the reality is that I do end up only wearing some things once (or have only worn them once so far, if I've worn them at all)...for the last couple of years, I'd been doing perhaps too much thrifting, going for a quantity of interesting things. So there are certainly clothing pieces that I've thrifted, worn, and then decided later that I don't really like enough to be worth the closet space. Every so often I try to push myself to wear things that are really languishing in my closet (like in my blazer challenge), and to be honest about getting rid of things I'm really not going to wear again.
   
   On the other hand, I don't think it's too bad for me to get a very cheap piece at the dollar-a-pound, wear it only once or twice, and then send it back to Goodwill. Almost like a clothing library. Speaking of a clothing library: does such a thing exist anywhere in the US? Because I think it'd be an awesome idea. I know there are rent-a-dress services, but personally I wouldn't pay $50-100 to borrow a dress for a weekend...
   


2. Do you feel the need to purchase something new for an evening out or a special event?
   Generally not...I suppose I don't have enough special events or evenings out. If anything, I'm looking for reasons to wear pieces that I thrifted "in case of a special event." On occasion I'll have to buy something new if I don't think my current outfits hold anything appropriate. One example from a couple of years ago: a black-tie gala after the opening night of my group's opera in Monaco. NOT exactly something my closet was prepared for...I had a couple of fancy dresses, but nothing that was going to squish in a suitcase with three weeks worth of clothes and come out alive. Fortunately, the dollar-a-pound came to the rescue with a lovely navy long gown...but would I have gone out and bought something at the department stores if I hadn't found that? Nah, I'd probably have just packed something I already owned that maybe wasn't quite formal enough.
   



3. Re-mixing is something a lot of bloggers are proud of being able to accomplish – are you a re-mixing pro or do you shy away from posting items frequently? Why?
   I wouldn't call myself a re-mixing "pro," though I definitely take advantage of my basics and favorite pieces. (Every winter I go through at least one pair of thrifted black boots, from wearing them over and over and over...) However, I don't post outfit shots often enough here that I would want to show too many outfits that look exactly the same. Most of the time I want to share some outfit that I found particularly exciting or fun. If I were a daily outfit blogger, you'd definitely see a bunch of the same things. And then not see a decent proportion of the rest of my closet.
   
   
   
   
   I've certainly worn this black wrap dress in many ways...
   


4. Do you have a clothing budget or are you an impulse buyer?
   As a grad student on a stipend, I keep an overall monthly budget with a pool for basically everything that isn't a fixed monthly bill (food, toiletries, entertainment, clothing, gifts, etc.). I don't subdivide this much more than that, but any clothing I'm buying has to stay within that budget. This definitely means that I consider many of my clothing/shoes/accessories purchases very carefully, especially as I'm comparing them against what else I could fit in my budget for the month with that money. On the other hand, I'm definitely somewhat of an impulse buyer when it comes to thrift stores...I'll go to thrift stores without any particular piece in mind, just to see what's interesting (and will buy something great if I find it and think it's worth the few dollars to me).
   


5. Do you find yourself bored when reading a blog in which clothing items are often remixed and appear frequently?

No, I enjoy seeing how someone can take the same piece of clothing and create a variety of different (either subtly different or extremely different) outfits with that. It gives me inspiration on what I can do with clothing items that I normally only wear in one way. Though I admit to have occasionally gotten bored at times when seemingly everyone in the blogosphere was doing some variation on wearing only 30 things for 30 days...less because of the remixing and more because people perhaps tend to choose more straightforward clothing items when they know they have to make a number of outfits out of them.

How about you all? Do you have a closet of tried-and-true workhorse pieces of clothing, things you've only worn once, or somewhere in between? What do you think about one-time-use clothing? If you're interested to see what others have to say, check out the FBFF Roundup!

Blazer Challenge #5 and FBFF on Trends

(Well, I was going to post this yesterday. And then I was out for dinner with family, and it got very late...so. How's everyone's weekend going?)

Fashion Beauty Friend Friday is the creation of Katy of ModlyChic, and currently takes the form of a monthly set of questions for bloggers to explore on a particular Friday. If you're interested in others' answers, Katy's linkup can be found here

1. With Fashion week just around the corner, we are all beginning to focus on the upcoming trends for fall. But what about the trends hitting stores now? What are you coveting?

Hmm, I suppose all the stores are already into spring clothing, aren't they? Spring currently feels far away from the cold rainy January we're having (if it still mostly feels like fall and not winter, spring must still be months and months from now, right?). Right, spring trends. I'm looking forward to experimenting more with bold color-blocking, get out of my one-color-plus-neutral-colors tendencies:

Colorblocking by elnajay

Bold graphical prints are also supposed to be "trendy" this spring, which is great for me because I have a handful of beautiful print dresses, including two Catherine Ogust dresses that I absolutely love (though am surprised they haven't made it on the blog, yet)!

My dresses, both thrifted at different times and different places, are like this one on Ebay:


2. How do you incorporate new trends into your wardrobe?

Generally I bring in new trends via thrift stores...realistically, there are very, very few "new trends" these days that haven't been trendy at some point in the past as well (whether in the last few years or decades ago). So it's usually possible for me to find things at the thrift stores cheaply to try out a new trend and see how it works with my personal style. Sometimes items need a little updating (the print is trendy but the long length too dated), but there's generally inspiration for a low price!

3. What trend are you seeing and not loving?

I know that pastel colors come back every spring, but I also know they're not going to be finding too much of a home in my closet. Pale colors never look as good on me as saturated shades and darker colors.

Also, crop tops/bra tops are exceedingly far away from my style. I'm not even sure where one could wear such an outfit, except to the beach or at home...

4. Do you feel the pressure to constantly update your closet with the latest trends?

Not really. As someone who follows a number of fashion/style blogs, I'm certainly much more aware of trends than I used to be. Sometimes I get drawn to styles and start becoming more aware of them when I browse the thrift store, but I don't feel like I need to.

5. Where do you find inspiration that takes the trend and makes it accessible to you and your personal taste?

Mostly from blogs, but also from people I see around the city...I love looking at what everyone wears on the subway!

I also wanted to share my fifth blazer challenge outfit...this one paired together two of my favorite pieces, the dress and the velvet blazer. This is one blazer I didn't thrift recently...I got it at Forever 21 at least 6 or 7 years ago, and have worn it fairly regularly since. Velvet is definitely one of my favorite fabrics, especially this silky-soft one!



I'll post a linkup tomorrow for anyone who wants to share a favorite blazer outfit!

Visual FBFF: Refashioning!

In alternate weeks for Fashion Beauty Friend Friday, we're doing visually-based posts hosted by a variety of FBFF members. I'm thrilled to be the host of today's roundup of refashioning posts!

As I told the group, a refashioned item of clothing is a piece of clothing that you've transformed in some way... whether that's by changing the color, changing the fit, using the fabric to come up with something new, adding details, removing details, whatever you can think of.

I decided to do a new quick refashion for today, starting with this thrifted wrap dress. I do like wrap dresses, and liked the soft, stretchy fabric of this one. But the sleeves were way too long, the hem hit at mid-calf (not my favorite length), and there was just too much of that bold print.


So, with the help of a pair of scissors to chop the hem and the sleeves, hemming the raw edges, and <20 minutes, I had a new dress that worked much better for me. (I could have probably even gotten away without hemming, if I'd made the cutting line a little neater.)



The pink shoes are possibly a little over the top. But I felt like something fun (and they're plastic, so will be okay if it does end up raining today...) I've got work, and then am meeting up with the boyfriend for dinner and a show tonight. Then onto a busy weekend!

Take a look at everyone else's refashions! And thanks to Katy for letting me host today!

FBFF: Looking Forward to Fall

This week, Fashion Beauty Friend Friday is looking at our favorite trends for fall. It's about the right time to do that...there's a little bit of a chill in the air (it's only supposed to be around 70 degrees today!), the first few leaves are changing colors already, school's about to start back up for the semester... oh yes, it's September already, somehow... so I'd better start looking forward to fall, as that's what I'm about to get!

1) Velvet

I'm really glad that velvet seems to be back in for the fall, because it's always been one of my favorite fabrics! I love things with softness and richness and interesting textures, and velvet definitely fits those categories. Soon it'll be time to pull out my long velvet skirts, blazers, and dresses...

Velvet by elnajay

2) Ankle Boots

I haven't always been a fan of ankle boots on myself, though I like the way they look on others. Something about the line stopping at the ankle can make my proportions a bit too choppy. However, I actually just yesterday found a pair of awesome black studded ankle boots at the thrift store, and my friend convinced me to get them. I'll have to debut those later in the season!

Fall Ankle Boots by elnajay

3) Orange

This one surprises me, as I used to hate orange clothing. But it's been growing on me quite a lot...I have a ton of photos on Pinterest with orange accents, and I recently thrifted a lovely dark orange handbag that's going to get a lot of use this fall.

Orange for Fall by elnajay

Capes

There's something so cozy about a cape! This is one trend I want to be on the lookout for at the thrift stores.

Capes by elnajay

5) Leopard Print

I'm gradually getting used to wearing animal prints...they can definitely put some serious style into an outfit! But it's hard for me to work them in in a really sophisticated way. I've got a skirt that works, and a belt. The faux fur leopard-print coat...well, I've only worn that a couple of times, despite having seen a million beautiful pictures of bloggers in leopard-print coats.

Leopard Print by elnajay featuring a waist belt

I'm also interested to see how many "fall trends" are really things that we just saw for other seasons as well. (I had polka dots and lace on my spring trends list...apparently both are still quite big for fall!)

Hope everyone's got plans for a lovely, restful weekend...especially if you get a three-day one! I'll mostly be doing things with the boyfriend and various members of his family. Should be a nice time!

FBFF: Following Your Dreams

This week's Fashion Beauty Friend Friday questions are about our dream jobs...Katy at was inspired by some recent posts about bloggers who are quitting their day jobs to focus on what they love (including Sal at Already Pretty). I'd been thinking a lot about this myself after reading a recent New York Times article on how the recession has given many people the opportunity to pursue their "dream jobs," only to find that the reality is much tougher than the dream. If you're interested in seeing what others have to say (I know I am!), the linkup is here. (EDIT: sorry for the broken link! Fixed now.)

1. Fess up - if you could do anything professionally what would it be?

My dream job is to start my own theater production company, with a focus on creating advanced technology for the theater. This company would both consult for other theater companies' productions (doing things like designing and implementing the technological aspects of productions) and allow us to produce some of our own work. We'd likely also create some interactive installations, as well as performances. As part of this work, I'd be not only writing software and developing hardware for performance contexts, but also doing theatrical design, running a theater company, and even choreographing some of my own pieces.

2. What draws you to this?

• This sort of job would combine so many of the things I love to do, and challenge all of my abilities. (In a way, this is like the work I am doing right now.) I can be creative, scientific, analytical, intuitive, imaginative, logical...I solve problems in many different domains. I've always been a jack-of-many-trades, and would love to have work that challenges me on so many levels.


• In everything I do (both technical and artistic), one of my favorite aspects is progressing from the hint of an idea to something actualized, made into a reality. For an example, my process of costume design progresses from initial ideas (perhaps images that echo the desired tone of the costumes and characters), to sketches and plans, to actual, physical pieces that come into being onstage. The same is true for choreographing a dance, writing a piece of software, etc. You start with a vision, and then you get to make it into something that actually exists.


• For me, the performing arts have a strong sense of community and collaboration. I saw a piece last semester by the director Peter Brook. The three actors in the piece had been working with Brook for years -- one of them since the 1970's. I think it would be AMAZINGLY awesome to have creative collaborations for over 40 years with someone you enjoy working with!


• Along those lines, it'd be amazing to have a lot of freedom over the people I work with and the projects I work on.


• I can be a bit obsessive with work. I sometimes find the idea attractive of working at a "job" 9-5 and then having the rest of the day to drop that and do whatever else I want. But really, I'd rather work that I eat, sleep, breathe. The work that is consuming and compelling, that fills my head with visions as I'm going to bed and new ideas when I wake up. That periodically becomes my life for stretches of time. (Granted, I do want other things in my life along with work (family, friends, and whatnot), so there will have to be some kind of balance...)


• And frankly, I love the theater. I love the creation of worlds, the development of new realities and experiences. The telling of stories, the possibility to really affect people and make them see their world in a new way. I want to be part of the theater's magic-making.



3. When did you first start dreaming about this ideal?
I started having this particular vision fairly soon after I started grad school three years ago and realized that I really could combine a lot of the things that I'm interested in. I wouldn't have to choose between my more analytical/logical/"intellectual" interests and my creative passions. I'd done some work in undergrad that started heading in the direction of merging my technical and artistic interests, but when I was applying to grad school I though the theater part of things wasn't necessary, that maybe I could leave it behind. Fortunately, thanks to the research group I ended up joining, my research has been brought squarely back to the theater. I'm surprised that I ever thought I could have left it. Others in my research group have also talked about the possibility of developing a performance company together after we graduate, so I may have a team to do this with.


Me calibrating a giant musical instrument/set piece from my group's latest opera. I didn't design the set piece, but I did do the interaction design...

4. What's holding you back from going all in?

Well, something that's not quite "holding me back" but is certainly limiting me is that I'm still in grad school. While my studies are hopefully preparing me for, I'm not at the point yet where I am free to start my own company (literally, my research assistant contract includes lines about how I am not allowed to have any other jobs either paid or unpaid).

Additionally, I know I'm definitely going to work through my own fears about trying to make money in the arts. As Veshoevius says in her post today on why flamenco will never be her day job, there's certainly the "fear of starvation." I'm terrified of having to support myself one project at a time...that I won't be good enough to make a living, that one really can't make a living in the arts, that no matter how hard I work it won't be enough. I hope it will be easier because I'll be coming in as someone who is also very skilled technically, and therefore in a more rarefied field (I've seen how much our group has paid some of the companies like this that we've work with!)...but I don't know. Being responsible for my own company will be a huge risk, and I'm sure plenty of times I'll be tempted to just get a regular 9-5ish job that gives me a regular salary and benefits and a steady stream of work. Who knows, I may also want to have one of these for a while as I get my feet on the ground.

5. Sometimes the first step is the hardest... what's one step you can take now on the way to realizing your dream?

Realistically, I think I'm in a very good place right now in terms of progressing toward this dream. I need to make sure I take advantage of the next three years of my graduate program to do more fascinating, fun research that makes other people excited about what I can do and want to hire me for projects/work with me. I need to continue making contacts in various theater companies, getting my name and abilities out there. I should try to set up collaborations with choreographers/designers/performance-makers that I really admire, while I'm still in school and have the name of the school supporting me. I also need to progress on getting that Ph.D. Probably, that means I should finish up this post and get back to the book I'm reading about performance theory as I prepare for my general exams...


An installation that I'd done with a colleague: 400 vellum butterflies suspended above a hallway on campus.
What about you? What are your career dreams?

FBFF: Go-To

Today, for Fashion Beauty Friend Friday, we're talking about our "outfit formula," that personal set of pieces we put together frequently/easily. Basically, what do we wear as our personal uniforms. See what the other participants have to say over at Modly Chic's roundup.


1. What’s your go-to outfit formula? What I wore today unintentionally epitomizes my current summer outfit formula: a bold dress (sometimes with a wide belt at the waist, sometimes not), a cardigan for the Lab where it's still ridiculously cold, and a pair of wedges. Usually this pair of wedges, actually. And a pair of earrings, perhaps a necklace. In winter, I'd say my formula involves a top and skirt, a belt, two pairs of heavy tights, and boots. Something like this:


2. How did you come about this formula?
For me, a dress has become a really easy choice. It's one piece...no tricky matching tops and bottoms. In summer, I like to take the opportunity to wear bold prints and colors. And I've got a couple of pairs of comfortable wear-with-anything sandals that only get more popular as I wear them more without hurting my feet.

3. Do you have different formulas for different occasions in your
life?
You know, I don't know that I have enough different occasions that recur often enough to develop formulas. I have a set of regular dresses that swing a bit more "dressy," like the one I wore today (went out to dinner with the boyfriend after work tonight). I suppose weekends are a bit of a different occasion; I'll often end up in jeans (or capris) and a fitted knit shirt on the weekends.

4. Has it morphed over the years?
My outfit formulas have definitely changed over the last few years. In college, my winter go-to outfit consisted of a long velvet skirt, a tank top, and some sort of open-front shirt. In summer, it was generally a tank top and jean shorts or a skirt. When I started at the Lab and moved to the city, I stopped wearing tank tops so much (seemed to be drawing too much creepy attention on the street), and basically retreated into a uniform of jeans, sneakers, and tops that were well-not-quite-t-shirts-but-still-fitted-knit-shirts. When I made the active decision to start paying much more attention to my personal style, I shifted toward dresses, heels, and hourglass silhouettes.

5. Which other blogger’s outfit formula would you like to swipe?
Keiko Lynn always wears such lovely outfits...delicate dresses, terrific accessories, and some bold color combinations like this one.

So glad it's finally Friday...really looking forward to this long weekend and the Boston fireworks spectacular on Monday night! (Also: since when is it July already?!?) Hope everyone has nice weekend plans...

FBFF: Fitness on Friday

Source.

This week's FBFF questions are all about fitness! How we keep fit, and how/if fashion comes into that.

1. Do you keep some kind of fitness routine? Why?
Generally, I go to the gym or run outside for 30-45 minutes before work on weekday mornings, with a longer run on the weekend. (though haven't been as regular about this for the past few weeks as still recovering from some knee and foot issues partially related to a race I ran in mid-March, partially from walking miles and miles around Chicago without enough padding in my shoes.) As far as "why" I do this...that's a good question. I think I have more energy when I exercise regularly. I like getting up earlier and feeling like I'm getting something done immediately. I tend to sleep more and eat more healthily when I'm working out, too...one step of caring for my body snowballing into others.

2. Has working out, maybe training for a marathon or something of that nature, helped with your own perception of body image?
You know, the workout routine that helped me the most with my body image was my informal parkour training from about two years ago to about a year ago. A few of us from my lab (myself and a couple of my male colleagues) had gotten together and decided that we wanted to do something to make working out more enjoyable and to give us some goals to reach. We decided to try to learn parkour, which basically involves traveling at great speeds through a city from point to point by the most direct route, even if that involves going over objects, jumping gaps, and climbing structures.

So most mornings for a year or so we'd meet at the gym and do things that we thought would help build parkour-related skills and strength and stamina. It was really gratifying to see myself improve along measurable lines, as I became able to do more repetitions of certain exercises, master particular moves, and simply do the same thing but be less sore the next day! I also discovered that I was able to push myself past particular limits that I'd set on my body beforehand and still be fine. I could be physically pushing myself and maintain that for a while and that would be fine. These sorts of results and seeing my body's capabilities were really inspiring. The focus wasn't on working out for weight loss/management or for some vague concept of "fitness," but for expanding what my body could do and preparing it to do some cool things. The day that we were first able to push ourselves to do 100 "Burpees" was a huge feeling of success. And believe me, it's a thrill to do crazy parkour things like running to the edge of a set of steps, leaping to the bottom, and landing into a forward roll in the grass below! Somewhere, there exist videos of me doing this...

3. When you are hitting the gym or just going out for a long walk what do you wear? Is it about functionality or fashion?
Normally I'm in a sports bra, t-shirt, workout pants/shorts, and running shoes. It's pretty completely about function, though I've been thrifting some more sports clothing under the idea that the more I dress like a serious gym-goer the more comfortable I'll continue to feel.

4. Do you feel there is a cultural perception of what you ‘should’ be doing for your own physical fitness?
I don't know that there's a particular cultural perception about what, specifically, I should be doing for fitness -- just that I should be particular levels of fit. And that I should be working out several times per week. Actually, there's a general cultural prevalence toward "going to the gym" or "running," I think. Things that one does "regularly." Does anyone else have this experience?

5. Dream big… what would be your ultimate fitness goal.
My major fitness goal in general is making sure to incorporate it as a part of my regular lifestyle long-term. My goals for this year are to run my first road races - a 5K (ran it in March) and a 10K. Though Katy has got me tempted by a half-marathon she's trying to get a group to run in October...it would be amazing to be capable of doing that! I try not to make weight-related fitness goals (though there's a weight about three-five pounds lower that it'd be nice to reach...), primarily focusing on increasing my capabilities.

Hope everyone has a great weekend planned! I'll mostly be spending it with my college best friend, who has her wedding shower this weekend. It's unreal that this girl is getting married! I remember when we first met moving into our dorm room freshman year...

And on another note, it looks like the performance piece I was working on for next weekend unfortunately won't be able to happen then after all. Another one of my cast members dropped out midweek, leaving only three of us, two of whom had some scheduling issues anyway. So I decided to just call it off, since we didn't have what I needed to make the piece I needed by next Saturday. I'm pretty glum about that, but hoping to continue working on the piece and develop it for another venue/time. We'll see what happens.

FBFF: Feeling Inspired

This week and last week, we're celebrating the 1-year anniversary of Fashion Beauty Friend Friday (Congratulations, Katy Rose!) As part of this, we're looking at the first set of FBFF questions, about what inspires us.

1. Which celebrity (celebrities) do you look to for fashion inspiration?
I don't really follow celebrities for fashion inspiration. There are celebrities whose views on fashion I find inspiring (like Sarah Jessica Parker, who basically wears what she finds wonderful/beautiful all the time), but I don't generally follow what celebrities wear or their general style. I'm more inspired by vintage movie stars like Audry Hepburn...and that perhaps less for their individual style, and more about the style of the era they come from.


Source

Say what you like about this dress on Sarah Jessica, it's definitely a bold and personal statement!

2. When it comes to your own personal style, what inspires you?
I have to say that these days my primary source of style inspiration is other fashion bloggers! Before I got into the fashion/style blogging world, I mostly viewed fashion/style as something that required buying the "trendy new items" that magazines demanded you wear. As I wasn't doing that, my personal style primarily was influenced by what I found comfortable. Fashion/style bloggers showed me that style can be the art of combining the clothing I already own, finding amazing pieces at thrift stores, incorporating vintage clothes with their own history, and creating a look that works for me, personally. Enjoying trends, perhaps, but fitting them into a real person's life. Treating clothing as fun, self-expression, a joyful statement. Seeing clothing as something to make or alter to suit my own taste and interests, to fit to my own body (as it is, not an idealized version). Engaging thoughtfully and playfully with clothing. Wearing a world's worth of clothing in hundreds of different, individual ways.

Occasionally I still look to fashion magazines for some inspiration, even more rarely to the runways. I'll also sometimes get an idea from people I see on the street or riding on subway. But my primary source of inspiration from other people is definitely style bloggers!


Image from Dear Golden Vintage

Besides that, textures and patterns and beautiful fabrics inspire me to wear them (or at least have them in my closet). I love lace and velvet and silk and beading and ruffles and clothing with elegant lines. I really like unique patterns. In general, clothing that is aesthetically and tactilely pleasing to me is a huge inspiration.

For some more things that are currently inspiring me, check out my Fashion Inspiration board on Pinterest

3. How do you hope to inspire your readers?
I hope I can give my readers some examples of wearing what I love and having fun with personal style even in an environment that doesn't require attention to style. I would like to inspire my readers to be creative with thrifting and refashioning clothing, and realize that refashioning doesn't have to require a lot of sewing skill. I also hope to get people thinking about some topics or points about style in ways they might not have otherwise.

4. Outside the realm of fashion who/what inspires you?
Goodness, a lot of things. As a performing artist, I am often quite inspired by dance and theater and music. A powerful performance is incredibly inspiring to me, as are the people who create them (the Punchdrunk theater company, Pina Bausch, Bill T. Jones, many others...). The other people at my lab are also doing amazing, fascinating, creative things and inspire me every day!


Pina Bausch's "Nelken." Source

The members of the Feminist Fashion Bloggers inspire me that fashion can be thoughtful and empowering. Bloggers who deal with positive body image like Sal have been huge influences on me. (okay, these are kind of fashion-related, but I felt they fit better in the general inspiration category...)

5. Which songs inspire you?
I've been on a big Imogen Heap kick for quite a while now. Also always love the orchestral works of Karl Jenkins (especially "Passacaglia"). The soundtrack to the film Once. Lots of musical theater stuff. I've got some fairly eclectic taste in music...

Hope everyone's having a good Friday evening and some nice plans for the weekend! I'm mostly going to be relaxing and continuing to get things in order from my crazy last month or so. Then I have the first rehearsal Sunday for a piece that I'm choreographing and hope to have performed in just two weeks. That's going to be a bit of an intense rehearsal period, I suspect...choreographic mind, don't fail me now!

FBFF: Spring Trends

This week's Fashion Beauty Friend Friday post is all about my favorite season to dress for -- spring! I am so, so glad that spring is finally getting closer. (Perhaps it's even here? Trees are starting to bud, the first flowers are starting to bloom...and I'm in Chicago right now with the opera, which is even colder than Boston.)

(Also, I just started playing around with Polyvore to make some inspiration boards for this post...very useful!)

What are the top 5 spring trends that you are looking forward to seeing/sporting this season?

1) Floral prints. Because really, what better way to say "It's spring!" then to wear your own flower garden around? Spring's really the only time of year when half of my patterned skirts are appropriate.

Spring Florals by elnajay

2) Wedge sandals. I'm very glad these are still in style this year...much easier for me to wear around all day than heels.

Wedge Sandals by elnajay featuring leather wedge sandals

3) Layered neutrals. I've never owned a lot of neutral-colored pieces (besides gray and black with the occasional white skirt), but would like to try this look out. I keep seeing it being done quite well. It's sometimes difficult for me to find neutrals that work well with my skin tone (can't figure out if I need pink undertones in the neutrals or yellow undertones), but I'd love to work out how to do that. Perhaps this should be the focus of my next dollar-a-pound thrifting trip!

Neutrals by elnajay featuring a one shoulder ruffle dress

4) Polka dots. Perpetually in style, I think. And I'm getting more and more attached to the look, which I'd found too bold for me a couple of years ago.

Polka Dots by elnajay featuring high heel shoes

5) Lace. I perpetually love lace details and delicate looks, though sometimes find lace tricky for me to wear without it coming off as too sensual.

Lace by elnajay featuring lace earrings

For other people's spring trend favorites, check out the list on Modly Chic!

On a somewhat-unrelated note, posting has been quite infrequent due to traveling with the opera to Chicago! We've had two performances so far...another one tonight, and then the last on Sunday. Things have been going relatively smoothly, which is good, and it seems to be well-received, here. I'd never spent much time in the city (realistically, most of my prior experience with Chicago involved sprinting from one side of O'Hare International Airport to another), so I've been enjoying finding my way around the city, getting to know what's here. The architecture is terrific, and I keep being amazed at the scale of everything here. I'm from Denver originally, so I should be used to big Midwestern/Western cities, but Chicago keeps surprising me with just how large everything is. I've been walking all over the place, which did result in a sore foot and my being limited to tennis shoes most of the trip. Here are a couple of pictures from my trip so far...




And on another unrelated note...this is my 100th post on Adventures in Refashioning! Pretty exciting for me...hadn't necessarily expected where I'd go with this little blog. I've been doing some thinking in the last couple of weeks about how I want to develop and continue in a variety of directions, which I think may end up with a regular posting schedule...particular topics on particular days, for example. There are so many kinds of things I want to fit in here that I could use some more structure!

Hope everyone is having a terrific Friday!

FBFF: Balancing the world on our shoulders

Today's Fashion Beauty Friend Friday questions are all about balance...how do we make time for our blogs in our busy lives?

1. When it comes to prioritizing your life, in what place does blogging fall?
It's a fun hobby, and it's increasing in priority as I feel like I'm becoming a bit more of a part of some blogging communities. However, my priorities are that blogging comes (should come) after my work; after taking time for my family, friends, and relationship; after getting enough sleep and exercise (or at least as much sleep as I can). When I started style blogging, I also tried to be a part of many other sites like Chictopia and Weardrobe, but decided that the extra time needed to also keep those sites updated was spreading myself too thin. I'd rather focus on reading other great blogs and writing my own.

2. We all wish we had more free time to dedicate to blogging and all it entails. What are your tricks for taking advantage of the time you do have to be as productive as possible?
I'm not sure I have any great tricks. Mostly starting to write posts when I have a few minutes of free time. When I can plan posts ahead, that helps a bit...particularly posts that are not primarily about an outfit of the day. I don't necessarily schedule posts for automatic publication later, but will begin a post one day that I intend to finish and put up the next.


3. Have you discovered any short-cuts that makes blogging easier or more time efficient?
I've been practicing with GIMP (open-source photo editing software) so that I can quickly crop my photos and color balance as necessary. If I can, having someone else take my outfit photos...always much quicker and the photos often come out better than when I do self-photography!

4. Do you have an editorial calendar or something similar that helps you plan ahead?
Not yet, but I think that's a really great idea. Now that I've been incorporating posts like FBFF questions on some Fridays and Feminist Fashion Blogger posts on Wednesdays this month, I'm starting to see the benefits of having regularly scheduled features.



5. If time wasn’t an issue what you would be doing on your blog/for your blog that you aren’t doing now?
I'd establish a more regular posting schedule, maybe 3-4 times per week. I'd also spend a lot more time reading and commenting on others' blogs. I have so many great things in my Google Reader, and some weeks many of those go unread...I'd love to have more time to comment and get to know other bloggers better. I'd also love to regularly do thoughtful posts on fashion-related topics other than my personal style. I've been really enjoying the feminism posts, but they take me a lot more time to put together! It'd also be great to regularly post outfits that I photograph within a day or two of wearing them. (The photos in this post are another outfit from two weeks ago...)

Outfit details: Cardigan, skirt, belt, and ankle boots, thrifted. Camisole, Express. Necklace, handmade. I wore this outfit a couple of weeks ago to work, as it's still pretty cold out here...I really loved the soft layers.

Hope everyone has some nice weekend plans! I will be in the theater basically all weekend. Load-in finishes today, and we begin our rehearsals with the cast tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully between now and then we're able to pull together the rest of the technical details...does this show really open in a week?

I'm looking through you...

I'm a little late to last Friday's FBFF questions about body image and blogging, but they're good ones so I wanted to make sure I had time to think everything through! And this weekend was remarkably busy, working on an art installation that is being put in tomorrow morning. A coworker and I designed a piece that requires hundreds of suspended, illuminated, vellum butterflies...they're going to be beautiful, I hope. This does mean I've spent most of the last week constructing butterflies and wiring them up in preparation. The laser cutter at the lab is my new best friend (along with my old best friend, the hot glue gun).

So, the questions! (I was going to include some pictures with this post, but I keep leaving my camera cord at the lab. Soon!)

1. Since you started blogging has your image of yourself changed?

Yes, I would say that is true... though I'm not sure what part is due to blogging myself, what part is due to reading terrific fashion/style blogs and seeing a wide range of people looking fabulous, and what part is due to other influences. I do think that my body image has improved over the last year since I started being more conscious of/playful with my clothing choices. During my first year in grad school, I had slipped into just wearing jeans/sneakers/a fitted tee. Now, I get inspiration from amazing people all over the internet, and am inspired to have fun with my own fashion choices. I do think I feel better when I am pulled together and have put some thought into what I'm wearing. (A related secret: I often make sure to dress up if I'm sick to compensate!) So, blogging here about my personal style has encouraged me to make the effort to wear things I feel great in, as I know that at least a few people will notice.

The first image of myself I posted on this blog, and a picture from an outfit post a couple of weeks ago. I think there's been progress both in the style and the presentation...

2. Are you self-conscious about any aspect of yourself? If so, do you go out of your way to avoid it or do you post it/talk about it anyway?
Now that I think about it, there's fairly few things I'm self-conscious about physically, these days. I suppose I'm mostly uncomfortable with presenting myself in a possibly over-sexualized way...which sometimes results in discomfort with low-cut tops or too-high hemlines. Because I have a somewhat curvy body, I find that certain clothing choices can have much more sensual/sexual overtones than they would on a slender figure. Maybe that's just my imagination, but I'm definitely self-conscious of it.

So do I talk about these things? I guess I do on occasion. I'm still exploring how much I want to reveal in what contexts for this blog (especially about my work-related life, as I would prefer this blog not be easy for professional colleagues to find). I know I also select pictures for based on the ones where I think I "look good," but I'm not sure I have much of a mental model of how those images differ from the ones where I think I look less good. (Okay, except for photos from a side view. There, my photo selection is definitely influenced how much my stomach is sticking out. I guess I'm uncomfortable about that, too.)

3. Based on how you are feeling now, what do you think the future holds in the evolution of your body image?
I think (hope!) I'm going to continue getting more comfortable with myself and my body image. I'm taking steps to make sure I'm keeping my body healthy, like my morning workouts. I'm also having fun experimenting with my self-presentation through clothing and style, finding more things that make me feel good and look good to myself. I'd be interested to check back with myself in a year, or two, or five, and see how my feelings compare.

4. Do you photograph yourself for your blog? If so, how do you feel about the experience when you're having your picture taken? If you choose not to post pictures of yourself, what prompted that decision?
At this point, most of my entries involve photos of myself. Sometimes these are taken by the boyfriend or by one of my coworkers, but most of the time by myself with a tripod. I'm not sure I like the experience of self-photography, though I'm pretty comfortable being photographed by others, which may have something to do with the albums full of photos my mother's taken over the years. I feel much more contrived and uncomfortable posing for myself, especially if I'm outdoors where I might be observed.

Additionally, it's been interesting to see how outfits look different when photographed...there have been things that I've felt great in and thought I looked really nice in that are much less flattering in the photograph. (And as I still have a lingering belief in the truth of photography, this can make me change my mind on my original outfit.)

5. What would you want every person who struggles with body image to
take to heart?
You are beautiful right now. You don't have to look like a model or the girls you see in magazines or that pretty girl next to you on the train to be beautiful. You don't have to be a certain weight or shape or height or size or gender. You don't have to wear certain clothes or shoes or fix your hair a certain way. You are yourself, and I hope you will learn to accept and appreciate that gorgeous self.

Also, you should read Already Pretty if you don't yet...

True Colors

This week's Fashion Beauty Friend Friday questions were all about color...something pretty relevant to today's bright outfit! (Don't ask me why I have plastic monkeys sewn onto my skirt. It's actually work-related, I swear! (and ended up being quite worth it.)) Basically, the outfit started with my needing to wear the skirt. And if I was wearing bright monkeys on the skirt, I needed to color-coordinate --thus the red sweater and blue necklace. I was thinking about wearing red flats too, but that just felt like too much.


Details: black skirt, thrifted and DIY'd by me. Red sweater, thrifted. Red camisole, Express. Tights, HUE. Black oxford heels, Nine West. Necklace, gift.


FBFF Questions for 2.11 - Color War.
1. What color dominates your closet?
I've got a pretty balanced closet (actually, I organize it by color, so I can tell what colors I have very easily), though it's starting to lean more and more to black/gray/white/neutrals. However, I think the more interesting question for me is what colors dominate the things I actually WEAR on a regular basis. My regular outfits really become heavily dominated by black/white/brown, with some deep reds and blues, occasionally purple. I tend to go for more saturated shades; I'm not big on wearing pastel colors. I used to wear a lot more color... maybe that should be a goal for the spring, to get some of my bright-colored clothing out of the closet and into some outfits!

2. If money weren't an issue how would you change the color emphasis in your closet?
I'd add more accessories in bright colors...I won't necessarily wear a bright pink or yellow shirt, but I'd definitely do so in a belt, shoes, or a necklace!

3. What is your mantra about mixing colors?
I don't have many hard-and-fast rules, here. Black goes with everything. White also goes with everything. I prefer to stick with colors in similar tones - several shades of purple, for instance. I'm not so much a fan of mixing bright colors (though when I was a little kid, that was my primary style rule: wear really bright colors that "clashed" with one another.)

4. For you, how do you incorporate color into your outfits?
I mostly stick to one or two bold-colored pieces at a time, and tend to tone things down a bit with black, white, or gray. I have many more colorful skirts and sleeveless dresses than I do tops at this point -- a secret fear of mine is sweating (which is not an infrequent occurrence) and making dark sweaty underarm stains. So I'm really careful about what color shirts I wear, which I'm finding seriously limits the amount of color I wear.

5. Which blogger(s) do you think do a good job of incorporating color into their wardrobe?
Franca from Oranges and Apples always has amazing, bright color combinations! (If you don't believe me, check out the images on her FBFF post today...)
I really love Sal's color mixing. Bold, but chic and not over-the-top. Seeing her outfits inspires me to wear more color, especially in accessories.
Lyddie from Chic on the Cheap can really rock bold colors and fun combinations.
And Marie from The Joy of Fashion wears colors that just make me happy!



Interesting stuff to think about, and makes me want to try some more color mixing in the next couple of weeks - get out some of my less-worn clothing and experiment! This outfit's a start, with the blue and red in the same outfit...though paired with black. I also find intriguing how much in my answers I assume that "color" refers to bright colors in rainbow shades. Really, black and gray and white and brown are all colors too, so skilled use of colors could include outfits that mix shades of these, or even an all-black outfit with many different textures and layers. I would also include these in "colors," though that's not my intuitive definition.

Hope everyone's having a good Friday!