Aida ~

As many of you know by now, I've been wanting to really step it up a notch and further refine my style. I've been slowly working my way there over the last few months, and last couple weeks especially, but I have three distinctive directions that I'm (still) working on mixing successfully: Euro-chic + punk/urban + vintage elements. It makes me feel a bit schizophrenic.

First: I adore ADORE Euro-chic looks. I find the intrinsic boldness and simplicity so appealing. But I feel that perhaps this type of look on its own is a bit of a sham for me, because I am not the naturally elegant person these looks often convey; I'm loud, forward, klutzy, goofy, rarely think before talking. Which brings me to the second direction.

Second: I am, and always will be, a punk at heart. Leather, distressing, hardware, black, military, androgynous looks, all that tough stuff (I wouldn't say I'm super tough or anything though). I also spent ages 14-24 in a punk/ska band. And that brings me to the third direction.

Third: I get some of my biggest fashion inspirations from the 40s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. These are by far my favorite fashion decades, but especially the 70s and 80s; I often had a lot of rockabilly or retro elements to my looks when I performed way back in my band days which I still enjoy.

So thinking about all this led me to question, do these styles fit ME as a person, and not just my fashion aesthetic? I found that, separate from the above brief thoughts on these styles, they ALL actually fit aspects of my personality fairly well:

- Euro-chic: I have been slowly converted to quality over quantity over the years (my husband is 500% team quality), I am equally happy with finer things or simple experiences, am easy going and uncomplicated, a fairly warm and patient person, well educated, and detail oriented.
- Punk/urban: I will always question everything, I am a firm believer that we should never stop learning, am creative and artistic, am interested in politics and economics, I'm a pretty strong person who is fairly opinionated, while warm I don't "put up with crap" (not sure how to phrase more eloquently?), and absolutely always prefer music that Rocks \m/ (some interesting, though abridged, info on punk ideologies).
- Retro/Vintage: I have a hard time letting go of things, prefer to wait and find things that fit their purpose perfectly rather than be "close enough", LOVE historical homes and decoration, and (don't laugh!) as equal-gender-rights as I am I only work part time because my husband can support us just fine on his own even though our income would dramatically increase if I worked full time AND not with the family business :)

Somewhat to my surprise, these were the same styles I was drawn to 2.5 years ago when I started revamping my wardrobe, but you'd never guess if it you saw what I was wearing! And even up until the last few months I was being too wussy about wearing styles I liked. Too much dipping, not enough diving; now my toes are wet enough :)

AAAAND that brings me to what I need to be doing NOW to get closer to where I want to BE (whew!). Step one: do above analysis (check). Step two: re-do my list (check, posted directly below). Step three: clean closet to remove items that are hindering this style refinement (in progress, I'm bad at letting go of items). Step four: replace removed items with items that are a- supportive of my style aspirations, b- high quality, c- perfectly fitting, d- less sloppy/casual (so.... more wovens, less t-shirts).

The last step is interesting. While I generally prefer quality to quantity, in terms of fashion I have been buying cheap (and in larger numbers of styles) because the whole thing has been experimentation to find what is "me". I've now got a pretty good idea for fall/winter stuff and will be making NEW purchases with a much more discerning eye, and of higher quality so the items last (don't worry, I'll still do plenty of experimenting!). But spring/summer is still confusing to me so I hope by next season I'll have a better idea of how to shop quality; for this season, I'm trying lots of stuff.

So that is what has been brewing in my brain for a couple years, and finally in a more articulate form since the start of this year. Thanks for reading; I hope some of you made it through and are willing to discuss! :D

EDIT: Here are some specific YLF links I found really helpful while sorting through all this!

I repinned the straight leg jeans to 1" and tried with two heel heights (my heel heights are all 3.25-4"). I have pinned only one leg for comparison. Things to note: 1) since they're still new the hem is still a bit stiff; 2) since these were taken on carpet the heels have an additional 1/4" or so hidden by the carpet.

1. 4" heel, front.
2. 4" heel, side.
3. 3.5" heel, front.
4. 3.5" heel, side.

Too long/short/fine? Will I have to pick one heel height to wear with these, or is a 3/4" range acceptable? Thank you!! :D
(Original thread)

I bought these GAP "Real Straight" jeans to replace a pair that's on its last legs, but I'm feeling a bit confused about the fit now. I feel they look more like a bootcut on me than straight (see #2) and break kind of funny from the front (see #1). So my question then: should I have them hemmed up like in #3 (which still looks a little too flared to me?), replace with a slightly skinnier pair at the height of #3, are they fine and I'm just being silly, or is it something else entirely? Thank you!!

EDIT: Adding a photo of my ankles in super-skinnies for reference (#4).

I know people usually look better in one or the other but is it possible that someone will look equally fine in both cream/ivory and stark white?

Some of you may remember I purchased two sheath dresses a while back for my sadly lacking dressy capsule. The lace one was far too large and not flattering enough to have work done. However, the houndstooth one I love but it definitely needs to be altered (I still haven't had anything altered *ducking* so it's new to me).

The whole dress is a bit loose, and will continue to loosen as I lose some weight. The length is good as it's petite. But since I'm not petite on top, the arm holes seem a bit small and high/wide; the top shape looks more top heavy than I'd like but it could just me me not used to seeing myself in this type of dress. There is definitely too much fabric in the back, and I need to have that taken in (darts solve this, right?).

1. Front view. Looks fine from the front, just a little loose. LOVE the pockets!
2. Back view. You can see the extra fabric. Should tighten the whole thing up to get that taken in/darted, right?
3. Side view. You can see the extra fabric due to my curvy lower back (left image is most accurate), and how snugly I'd like it to fit.
4. Arm holes. They seem a bit small and high to me, do they need to be larger?
5. Print/fabric. The fabric is actually knit but lined :)

Would love some feedback to see if I'm figuring this right. I'd like to get this to the tailor by the end of the week. Thanks everyone!

I'm constantly amazed at how changing a little thing can make such a huge difference in the way an outfit looks, and therefore the way you feel in that outfit.

At my husband's suggestion, I tried eyeliner the way my sis does it: halfway on top, halfway on bottom; I had only tried lining the top only though the entire lid instead of half, and even then rarely wear it sticking to just mascara usually. While not quite there (I still want something a little heavier I think), this is so much closer to the edge I want my eyes to give me, and today I feel great!

(Will post photos later, but I'm wearing gray/black striped tee, brown leather jacket with studs, and black skinnies tucked into my new brown buckled boots. And big silver hoops!)

So I just wanted to say thanks, YLF, for helping me gain insight to what I want from my style, what's missing, and how to go about getting it.

While I feel like I have a handle on clothing, I'm completely baffled by hair (and make up, but that's another topic for another day). Which I am a bit embarrassed to admit since I'm almost 30. I know we have some excellent hair on the forums and I'd love a little advice!

In the last year I've moved away from washing every day to every 3 days or so and have seen a dramatic improvement in the health of my hair. But I still don't really do anything with it, mainly because I don't really know how (really and truly). I do one of three things: leave it down with its natural curls, put it half up in a clip, or put it all up in a ponytail. That's about it. Generally I let it air dry, though I can kind of sort of use a blow dryer if I try really, really hard.

I'd love to hear suggestions/advice for how to style my fine, thin (sob), curly hair. Not really interested in anything sweet; I'm an 80s punk at heart, I love volume, teasing etc. but I just don't have enough hair for it (and my husband doesn't like that at all, boo). And I'm also a bit of a hippie when it comes to my hair and prefer light to no structure and making use of its natural attributes. So I guess I'm looking for more "rocker" type 'dos. Simpler preferred since my skill level is very low.

I also attempted to "style" it today (and wore light make up, rare!). First time ever trying this, semi-successful; the poof is bigger than it looks in the photo (or maybe that's just to me) and I feel very rockabilly in it! Not bad for first try? Seriously, all comments welcome.

EDIT: sorry for the rant, hair stresses me out -_-

After seeing MaryK's lovely turquoise patent heels I ordered a pair for myself but unfortunately they are a half size too large (and sold out in the half size down, boo). They fit my feet and do not slide off, but the back sticks out about a quarter inch (my heels always fit snugly against the back of my feet). And I am fairly sure they won't stretch beyond the size they are now as the patent is fairly stiff. I'm currently at work so I can't get any photos but if it's necessary I can do so at home.

Do you gals have any advice on how I can make these fit so the back is snug or should I just return them? *crossing fingers!*

On Wednesday my husband and I are off to Maui for a week for our 5 year anniversary. I wanted to run my packing list by you guys to see if you can spot any holes. I generally pack pretty light, but this list feels very large for me. The weather is supposed to be around 83F daytime and 65F nighttime, with a small chance of scattered showers for a couple days. The jeans and leather jacket are a must as we'll probably be renting a motorcycle for a day or two; the maxi is for a nice dinner on our actual anniversary. The rest is up for grabs though; I didn't include swimwear or accessories below, tips welcome.

Thoughts appreciated!

BOTTOMS:
1 jean, 2 skirts (white gauze, tan floral), 1 shorts (olive)

TOPS:
1 tank (gray or pink tissue), 2 camisoles (red polka dot, taupe), 1 tee (white/navy striped)

DRESSES:
1 dress (black floral maxi)

JACKETS:
1 leather (brown), 2 cardigans (brown, aqua)

SHOES:
2 sandals (white, bronze), 1 flat (silver sequin)

I know the general wisdom is to pair skinny bottoms with something with a bit more volume on top, but I feel I end up looking like how I did in middle school: stirrup stretch pants with super duper over-sized sweaters (not a good look). I recently got a couple pairs of skinny pants and am finding that I generally like to pair them with snugger tops instead of looser ones, but not skin tight or anything. I'm 29 and have an hourglass shape with a smaller bust and strong shoulders.

Examples:
http://www.weardrobe.com/pictu.....10-25-2010
http://www.weardrobe.com/pictu.....10-14-2010

What do you guys think on this? Does anyone else pair their skinnies with snug tops or should I stick with the style advice of more volume on top to create balance?