What's the Point?

I sat down to work on this blog post full of outfits from 2 months ago and I found the whole process to be excruciating. I just didn't want to do it. The thought of lugging my laptop, keyboard and mouse (it's a whole embarrassing setup) down to the scanner in the basement made my stomach turn and the thought that I was going to post outfits from November when it's almost February made me feel like a huge slacker.

I ended up taking photos of the sketches with my phone and I'm posting them even though they're old because I like these outfits and I wanted to share them.

The moral of the story is that I don't care anymore, but I still care so much.

It's confusing being me.

When the Victoria Bekham for Target line came out last Spring, I nearly crapped my pants with excitement. How could I resist all of those bright candy colors, bold floral designs and boxy 60s silhouettes? After trying on everything I could get my hands on, I went home with one black dress. First of all, everything was huge. I normally wear a large and found I was swimming in a medium. It was exhausting trying everything on multiple times because I couldn't figure out what size I should be wearing. I also thought that most items were overpriced for what they were: novelty/showy items that I'll probably wear once. I'm glad that I only bought the one dress because I love it and have worn it several times, in multiple seasons and I even incorporated it into a Halloween costume. 

No, I am not wearing that dress in this drawing, but I am wearing one of those boxy 60s inspired blouses that I chose not to buy at full price from Target. I found it at Everyday People this Fall and was not surprised how quickly these items were showing up in thrift shops. It's a very spring/summer top, so to make it more appropriate for Fall I wore it with school pride. This is pretty much the look I was rocking this Fall. Bright school/team colors worn with preppy flair. Rah rah, sis boom bah!

Dottir

I wore this sweater a lot this fall. I love it's full-on 80s appeal and that bright green color really fit in with my Fall 2017 look.

Dottir

Olive on olive. Boy, do I love olive...with gold. Oh yeah...

Ah hah! Another thrifted Victoria Bekham for Target shirt! I didn't buy this one for full price because I'm not really into collarless shirts. I have worn it successfully collarless, as it is, but I'm also a professional when it comes to layering, so many times you'll see me rocking it with another collared shirt underneath, like so.

Catching Up 4/4

This post is the last of my old outfit drawings and I'm excited to post more drawings soon that showcase my current style.

Handmade by Kristina

Poppy

I love these earring that I'm wearing! My friend Kristina made them out of shrink film, but they look like sea glass. They're super elegant and go with everything, especially this outfit.

Lula Vintage

This dress is one of those garments that has never lived up to it's imagined potential but I continue to hold on to it and wear it anyway. My main problem with it is that it's too tight in the bust. Every time I put it on, I have to get my husband to zip me into it and then I spend the entire day with a limited ability to breath. When I take it off, I exclaim "I'm free" and I vow never to wear the dress again. 

It is cute though...

Poppy

This one is a sure fire winner. I've gotta get this skirt back into rotation immediately.

Poppy

I don't know what crack I was smoking when I wrote that these vintage earrings came from Urban Outfitters, because they most certainly did not.

Lula Vintage

This all beige outfit reminds me of my Grandmother and I'm pretty sure I kept saying that all day while I was wearing it.

Catching Up 3/4

For the entire year of 2017, I've been tired. It seemed that all of the energy that I used to have for anything in my life was completely zapped and anything I had left was used in an effort to stay afloat. So here I am posting outfit drawings from nearly a year ago. Hey, they're still relevant, right?

The following outfits show me embracing blue, a color that is under appreciated by me.

Dottir

Poppy

Half Pint

Hey! It's my Birthday! Happy Birthday to me (last year)!

I celebrated by going out for a nice civilized dinner with some friends and family and then turned the tables completely by forcing everyone into the Otter for some raucous karaoke. Good times.

Dottir

Poppy

Lalunette

necklace drawn, but not listed on drawing. (sorry Rose)

This dress is one of my favorites. It's very comfy. It's made of soft, stretchy fabric and the fact that it's a wrap makes it easy to wear. It's very pretty. I don't usually like floral prints or roses, but the color scheme on this dress is lovely enough to make up for it. It's versatile. I've worn it in every season. I've worn it casually and to fancy events. 

Long story short, this dress is amazing.

Ooh!! I love this one! Definitely gonna wear something like this again this Winter!

Dottir

Poppy

Handmade by Kristina

This post is just bursting with quality goods from two of my favorite stores. 

I know I've talked at length about how great I think Poppy is. They're a local boutique specializing in whimsical, wearable, on trend clothing and accessories. I can't go in there without buying something and I've never regretted a purchase that I've made.

Dottir is a jewelry maker and friend of mine who makes exquisitely unique jewelry made mainly out of brass, silver and leather. I wear her earrings often and always receive compliments. She does not have a physical store, but you can find her beautiful jewelry at the following places:

The Golden Rule

I Like You

Patina

Walker Shop

Dottir Shop (her website)

Catching Up 2/4

For the entire year of 2017, I've been tired. It seemed that all of the energy that I used to have for anything in my life was completely zapped and anything I had left was used in an effort to stay afloat. So here I am posting outfit drawings from nearly a year ago. Hey, they're still relevant, right?

The following outfits illustrate to me the feeling of hygge, which I try to embrace when all of the days are so damn cold and dark.

Poppy

Ooh, this sweater is lovely. It's very soft and warm and it's sweaters like these that make the winter months bearable.

Lula Vintage

Sorel boots and a gigantic sweater. Everything about this is bliss.

Blanket scarves...are those still a thing?

Liz Carlson Art & Illustration

I do believe that this day was crazy cold and that's why I wrapped my body in sweaters. All of the sweaters!

Lula Vintage

This outfit makes me wish I was at a ski lodge. I don't ski, but I do like to drink hot toddies by a fire.

Catching Up 1/4

For the entire year of 2017, I've been tired. It seemed that all of the energy that I used to have for anything in my life was completely zapped and anything I had left was used in an effort to stay afloat. So here I am posting outfit drawings from nearly a year ago. Hey, they're still relevant, right?

All of the outfits in this post are mainly colorless, which I find fitting, considering my state of mind.

This vest used to be a big shapeless tunic made out of flax or something. I had the sleeves removed and it's still big and shapeless, but I like it better this way.

Lalunette

One of my favorite winter outfits right here. I love everything about it. The layering, the black and tan color combo, the mixed materials, the proportions. 

10/10, would wear again.

Yes, yes yes! I want to wear this tomorrow!

Dottir

This is a very classic winter look for me. If I had a uniform, it'd look a lot like this.

This reminds me that this shirt has a rip in it that I need to mend. 

Thanks outfit drawing from my past! You're a real help!

Festive Holiday Style

Here's to layering! I love this white dress, but it's oh so summery and the neckline is a bit low for work-wear. To get around those two hurdles and wear this dress to work in December, I layered the dress with a sleeveless, mock-turtle neck swing dress that is the same length and voila! Instant coverage from the cold and the oglers. This is also a bold combination when it comes to pattern mixing. The red plaid combined with the star burst pattern is a lot to take in and my coworker said that I looked like Punky Brewster but I decided to take that as a compliment.

I wore this for a a performance with my choir at the Fitzgerald theater. This is the second time that I've worn this dress and the second time that the dress has ripped in the armpit. I was able to patch the tear up the first time, but it might be torn beyond repair at this point. I must have a larger upper body than the average 60s woman because this is where my close fitting vintage dresses always get torn. So sad.

I had been envisioning this outfit ever since I bought this skirt at My Sister's Closet last year. The skirt is made out of a heavyweight velvet fabric and the bottom half of the skirt is adorned with many embellishments. It's very lush and beautiful, but it's not entirely versatile. It's a winter party skirt and that's about all it is. This skirt reminds me how much I dislike ugly Christmas sweater parties because I don't want to wear ugly clothes to a party. Never have, never will. I want to wear this skirt, dammit! And I don't have many opportunities. While I still have not had the opportunity to wear this skirt to a Christmas party, I chose to wear it out to dinner with my in-laws and to see my husband perform with Nicholas David at the Pantages Theater and it was just lovely.

On this particular Sunday, my husband and I were invited to a number of Holiday parties. I know what you're thinking. "Why didn't you wear your damn skirt, Anna?" Well, I put the outfit with the skirt on and while I was still in my house, I couldn't stop shivering. It was so cold this weekend that the people of Minnesota were advised not to leave their homes. But we're hearty Minnesotans and we had plans, so I changed my outfit to what you see here and I think it's perfect. I've got on many layers of silk and wool and I even threw on a fur stole under my coat for extra warmth and glamour. In my opinion, this outfit was even better than my fantasy Christmas party outfit. It's still got the richness that the velvet skirt has, but it's warm and cozy and comfortable too.

This is what I wore on Christmas after spending the day cooking for my family. I thought it would be nice if we got dressed up and enjoyed the delicious beef tenderloin that I had prepared. My husband, however, had other ideas. I had to fight him tooth and nail to put pants on. This is my life, people.

I don't know why, but I always wear black on New Year's Eve. I also always wear a fur of some kind. And glitter! Lots and lots of sparkly glitter!

Boxy Silhouette

If you follow me on Instagram, you may already be familiar with some of these outfit drawings as well as drawings from blogs that I have yet to post. In an effort to get myself back into the swing of things, I made it a point to post something every day during the month of December and label it with the hashtag #31daysofstyle. So far I've managed to keep it up and I don't feel overwhelmed about it. This is a good thing and hopefully this exercise will be the thing that will change my habits and make blogging a more regular activity.

I've been highlighting a few silhouettes that I wear on the regular. This is what I call the boxy/mini or the boxy/slim. It's usually a boxy high collared top paired with a very short or slim fitting skirt. I like the juxtaposition between the legginess and volume that this silhouette creates.

My Sister's Closet

This look was a good idea in theory, but it just didn't turn out quite right. The material of the top and the skirt are rather heavy and kind of bulky and they did not play well together. While the colors looked stunning together, I was constantly adjusting my clothes because of the friction that these two fabrics created. I think that this top would work better with a lightweight pleated tennis skirt, but I don't have anything like that.

Poppy

I'm playing with a lot of layers here to achieve this casual and studious look. I feel like I should have drawn in a stack of books under one of my arms. Maybe it's the color scheme of bright red, mustard yellow and light denim that reminds me of school. Whatever it is, it make me want to go to the library.

Handmade by Kristina

This bodycon dress from LulaRoe is so much fun and pretty versatile. I can easily dress it up or down. I can wear it by itself, layer it with jackets or vests or wear it as a skirt like I'm doing here. I'm really happy that it matches this sweater that I wear all the time.

I Like You

Here's that sweater again. I wish I had more of them in different colors like black or white, but I'm glad that the one I have is yellow. Yellow goes with everything and I've worn this sweater in innumerable outfit combinations since I got it at a very good clothing exchange

I love this sweater just as much as the yellow one, but I don't wear it as often. This is an around the house or weekend low key hang sweater. It's incredibly warm and kind of delicate so I never wear it to work where I do a lot of physical activity and regularly catch myself on merchandising hooks or protruding corners. I would ruin this sweater in an instant at work. A lot of people don't see me wearing this sweater on the regular, but during the colder months, I'm almost always wearing it when I'm at home. I had a mostly event free weekend and I wore this sweater everyday on top of boxy mini dresses with tall wool socks or leg warmers and I knew the meaning of hygge.

Goodbye 2015, You Were the Worst.

I got this cute little sweater as a birthday present and instantly envisioned an outfit similar to this. I imagined a long white button up with wide leg pants and I developed this outfit from that. I'm not sure why I didn't immediately pair the sweater with a dress or skirt, as I'm sure that is how the sweater was intended to be worn. This may be a sign that I'm aging and stuck in a style time warp as this look is very representative of how I dressed in 2005. For sanity's sake I'd rather think of it as a throwback, than a relapse.

Now this is more representative of my 2015 style. Roomy on top, leggy on the bottom.

I forgot to write "hat hair from hat", because, look at it.

I found this all black outfit very difficult to illustrate. In the flesh, I thought the layering of an allover sequined dress and a sheer flocked tunic was quite dynamic. Hopefully, you can imagine how that looked from this drawing. Trust me, it was dope.

My Style

I tend to wear many different styles and I like to dress differently based on my mood or circumstances. However, I would say that when it comes down to it, I have a distinctive personal style. The next two outfits are very representative of this style.

Black with a punch of color (puce), vintage mini skirt, friend-made earrings, sassy boots, a touch of comfort and warmth with a Henley and sweater tights. This is perfect.

Black and camel, my signature jacket, something from Poppy, big friend-made earrings, badass boots and a hat. This is me.

A New Year is Glittering with Possibilities

Monday

Dress

Shirt - My Sister's Closet

Leggings

Boots

Earrings

Similar hat - Savers

I'm not sure how I feel about pairing this dress with black, but I was so excited when I got it that I couldn't wait to wear it.  The minute it came in the mail, the dress I was wearing was on the floor and this baby was on my body.  Also, it matches my boots perfectly!!  It's actually a summer dress and I'm excited to wear the shit out of it when I don't have to have a mini mouse under layer.  

Tuesday

Dress - Heartbreaker

Similar leggings - Forever 21

Boots

Similar earrings - BNOX

Similar necklace

This New Year's Eve I went for shiny and I was probably the fanciest lady at the Cabooze.  At least I didn't wear a fur like I normally do on this holiday.  I didn't think the hippies would care for it much.

Wednesday

Similar dress - Forever 21

Similar leggings - Forever 21

Similar jacket - Wilson Leather

Boots

Similar earrings - Everyday People

Normally on New Year's Day, you can find me laying on the couch with my dog in my pajamas.  However, Sample Night Live landed on January 1st this year, so I got all dressed up to play a couple of songs with my band and try to sell some art.

Thursday

Similar sweater - Savers

Similar dress - Target

Cords

Boots

Earrings

Not much to say about this outfit except it was really comfortable and I'm in love with these boots.

December Shenanigans

Monday

Similar top - Hunt & Gather

Same pants, but for kids
Boots
Similar earrings

Three years ago, I got a gift certificate to a little place called Hunt & Gather.  Because it's not in my neighborhood, I didn't make it out there until just recently.  Now that I've been there, I can't believe it took me so long.  According to me, it's the best place on earth.  I am the type of person to get excited about barrels of doll parts, glass dishes filled with buttons, fur coats for miles and whatnot.  This is what they have.  A lot of random, weird vintage shit and this is where I bought the top I wore on Monday.  It came with matching pants.

Tuesday

Similar dress

Similar top - Forever 21

Similar skirt - Target

Similar tights - Poppy

Boots

Similar earrings - Up 6 Vintage

I feel like this is my uniform in the winter.  Mini dress/jumper, long sleeve t-shirt, opaque tights/leggings and boots.  Easy, cute, warm.

Wednesday

Soulcrate T-shirt

Similar cardigan - Target

Similar cords - Delia's

Similar boots - DSW

Similar scarf - Savers

Similar necklace - I Like You

Similar earrings

I got this anchor necklace for my birthday and decided to get all nautical on your ass.

Thursday

Similar dress

Shirt - My Sister's Closet

Leggings

Boots

Similar earrings - Claire's

I bought this dress for a dance when I was a freshman in high school.  For some reason, I could never get rid of it.  I had another dress just like this, but purple and floor length and it's long gone.  I guess I thought that some day I would want to wear it again.  This is that day.

 Christmas Eve

Similar dress - Savers

Similar sweater - Delia's

Tights

Similar necklace - BNOX

Similar earrings

So maybe I was a little fancy for oyster stew at Earl & Syl's, but I just can't help myself from dressing up on Holidays.  At least I'm not wearing red and green as I've been known to do.  I've fully embraced the concept of winter white.  It's quite refreshing.

Sunday

Similar dress - Target
Similar cardigan
Tights
Leg warmers - Grand Jete'
Boots
Earrings

Today was cold.  So cold that I wore a coat like this.