The Anthropologie Black Hole

The Anthropologie catalog came in the mail yesterday... I can usually flip through it pretty quickly and get on with my day, but their spring line up is pretty tight this year. I couldn't help myself, and spent a little a lot of time browsing their website this afternoon. Since I haven't done an Anthro round-up in a while, I thought I'd procrastinate today and show you a few things that caught my eye...

• This jacket is amazing. I could see it pairing well with most of my dresses. And everything else in my closet.
• A skirt that's also not-so-secretly pants? So ridiculous, I can't help but love it.
• Of course a striped sweater caught my eye. 80% of my shirts have dolman sleeves.
• Wide leg cropped trousers are so hot right now, and I can't help but wonder if I could pull them off...

• Red? Check. Stripes? Check. Asymmetrical? Check. This dress? Check.
• I'm on a jumpsuit kick right now. The colors in this one are on point.
• I want to do yoga in this. It looks so freaking comfortable!
• Want a jumpsuit that's both casual and fancy? I want a spring wedding to go to so I can wear it there.

Other honorable mentions: short-alls that remind me of an apron, a gingham dress, another striped sweater, the same dress as above but more colorful, and an embroidered peplum top.

Now that I've thoroughly wasted three hours of my day (and probably yours too), I'm going to attempt to go do something much more productive. You should probably do the same.

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Etsy Algorithms & Thoughts

I had an entirely different post planned for today, but then I went and had an incredibly satisfying lunch and when I sat down to write, the internet got the best of me. (Hey! I get distracted easily.) I was going to write a post about fitness, and ended up looking at fitness clothes instead. After entering the black hole that is the internet, I eventually found myself on Etsy, because I somehow always end up there. And while I was there, I noticed how double-sided their recommendations for me are. They border between free-spirit bohemian and vintage vixen, an interesting contradiction.

Perhaps this is not interesting to anyone else, but I found it to be incredibly thought-provoking. Their recommendations for me are almost always for clothes, and I love seeing how across the board I am when it comes to style. I find myself torn between embracing being a full on "hippie" and also having a distinct love for vintage silhouettes. Both looks are on entirely different ends of the style spectrum, but they can both be considered incredibly feminine. The bohemian look is all about embracing your wild woman self, and the freedom of the female body. On the other hand, the vintage silhouettes I admire embrace the beauty and curves of the female body in such a classy way.

I don't think I truly fit into either category. As much as I would love to have my dreadlocks again and rock loose fabrics in earthy tones 24/7, there's a part of me that also likes putting on a pretty dress, braiding my hair, and feeling put-together (whatever that means). I also think my curvy figure has something to do with my love of vintage silhouettes. I don't always feel beautiful in bohemian styles, because I feel like what visually makes me feel like a woman gets lost. It's a battle between looking good in the clothes you wear, and feeling good in the clothes you wear. I think very few of us fit into just one style category- the trick is finding how to incorporate all of the ones we're drawn to.

This post feels a little disjointed, but I hope I got my thoughts across. It's hard to find the right words sometimes, and I really suck at explaining things without going into far too much detail. Anyways, I just thought I'd share.

Clockwise, from top left: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
Feel free to check out my Etsy favorites if you want to take a peek at the silly things I have an affinity towards.

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Dresses (& Other Fashion Stuff)

1 | 2 | 3
Earlier this year, I mentioned my shopping goal (or lack there-of). I am very proud to say that I have been fairly successful so far! I've only been out physically shopping three times.... and I don't quite count the first time because it wasn't mindless shopping, I went with a specific goal in mind. I also went shopping with my sister a few weeks ago, but it wasn't so much for me as it was to help her find some new pieces. And today I went out to look for a sports bra, which I ended up finding, but I also came home with a poncho, and I was so tempted to come home with a dress.

I've been looking for a basic every-day kinda dress. Of course, I wouldn't actually wear the dress every day... but I think you know what I mean. Something that works with sneakers and a jacket to run errands, but also something that I could easily dress up with a nice necklace and flats. There are so many options out there! Today I tried on two of them. The Anthropologie dress looked cute on its own, but even better when the fitting room attendant gave me a belt to wear with it. I kinda fell in love! Then I went to Athleta (looking for sports bras) and tried on this dress in black, which, with my curves, was WOWZA. (Seriously though, I felt so sexy! In a casual, girl-next-door kinda way.) The models in these photos really don't do either of those dresses justice. But then there's also the skater dress I've been admiring on Etsy for a while.... though after today I'm partial to the ones I'm able to try on. All three are at different price points. I'm definitely going to buy one as part of my 7-pieces. But which one?! Any thoughts about this are appreciated!

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I've been talking a bit more often about fashion here this year because I'm really trying to pin down my style. The other day my sister and I were talking about it and she said "In high school you had a pretty good feel for it, and had a lot of good pieces, but you didn't have the knowledge to piece them all together in a way that made any sort of sense." I've been thinking about that... I've always been attracted to bold patterns, bright colors, and structured pieces, but as I've aged I have really learned to appreciate the quality that a good neutral piece brings to a wardrobe. Last year I focused on neutrals and now my closet is overrun with (mostly dark) solid colors, but pieces that have good structure to them. This year (basic dress aside...) I want to focus on bringing some color back in, and adding my personality back into my closet. I can't deny how good I feel wearing black skinny jeans and a white button-up, but I also know that I'm a little more fun than that, and I would like that to find the right pieces to highlight that but that still fit in with the rest of the wardrobe I've cultivated.

Cultivating a minimalist wardrobe that properly represents the person you are is tricky stuff, dude! How do I build a uniform that still has some personality to it? Have any of you been working towards that too?

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Nancybird Love

top / pants / scarf / bag / shoe
Seeing as this isn't a fashion blog, I don't usually spotlight brands or designers. But, since I do like to share things I love, I thought it only appropriate to share this brand that I'm really diggin' right now... it reminds me of Eileen Fisher (a brand I've always admired but have never been able to afford either); but more youthful, colorful, and playful.

Nancybird is based out of Melbourne, and unfortunately you can only find their products in Australia and New Zealand. I stumbled upon them last year though and have been admiring their style ever since! I love the patterns and silhouettes of their clothes... that's a silhouette I've always admired (it exudes comfort while still looking put together) and I'm working towards bringing some of my wardrobe closer to that look.

Here's a peek at their lookbook!


(All the images in this post are from the Nancybird website!)

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