Twenty-Three

Dress, DVF.  Shoes, Zara.  Jewelry, Alexis Bittar.  Headband, Skylark.

I recently celebrated my 23rd birthday, and it just might have been the best birthday I ever had- thanks to the wonderful people in my life and the FABULOUS gifts I was given :)

Example of how lucky I am:  I found this DVF wrap dress at Wasteland a few days ago, and debated getting it.  I loved it, but thought it was too long and too loud and passed it up.  Of course I regretted that decision the second I got home and figured I'd swing by Wasteland later in the week to finally purchase it for myself.  I lamented my poor judgement to my friend Annika (http://annikadotbenitz.blogspot.com/) and she told me that I should definitely go back to get it.  

Well, I went back on my birthday and the dress was gone!  I was pretty bummed out and was kicking myself for not buying it right away.  Later that night, Annika handed me my birthday gift- the DVF dress I'd been talking about non-stop!!  

 Example 2:  My man and I had been exploring the shops on Abbot Kinney a few weeks ago when this amazing kitty carry-all stopped me in my tracks.  I knew it was perfect for me, but I'd been on a bit of a spending spree and had to leave it.  I was excited beyond words when my guy surprised me with it on my birthday-- 23 may be too old to carry around a bag like this but I don't care!!  I feel incredibly blessed to have people in my life who know me so well :)

Of course I had to wear both gifts as soon as possible, and I felt amazing all day.   The wrap dress is, as always, the most flattering article of clothing in the world, and my cat purse added some playfulness to the look.  A spiked headband, Alexis Bittar jewels, and black Mary Jane pumps all gave the outfit a little more pizzazz. 

Is this not the most amazing cuff you've ever seen??  The dragonfly is so quirky and fun- a must-have! It's from my favorite jewelry designer, Alexis Bittar (of course).  

These pieces will always feel a little bit more special to me because of the thoughtfulness and love behind them.  Thank you to everyone who made my birthday a day to remember!!

Back in Black

Hello, readers!  I'm so excited to be blogging again.  The past couple months have been extremely busy...full of really high highs and really low lows, and so many of those experiences and changes in my life have influenced my style lately.  I'm starting to live my life differently, and so of course my wardrobe had to be revamped to accommodate my new lease on life!

I can't deny that I've been feeling pretty aggressive as of late :) I think I'm letting out my aggression in the way I'm dressing- black, leather, studs, skulls...all good ass-kicking clothes that say "You don't want to mess with me."

Today I wore jeans that I just picked up at Forever 21 (their fall collection is actually amazingly cool), a Zara men's belt and Zara suede wedge booties (affectionately called my "witch boots" by a friend), a vintage Dior lingerie tank, and a vintage vest and fedora.   All topped off with some amazing Alexis Bittar jewels!!

These earrings kick started my style switch.  The second I saw them I knew that they belonged on my earlobes, and hardly a day has gone by that I haven't worn them.  The long fringe feels very 'bohemian rocker' and when I wear these I feel like a slightly-more-glamorous Janis Joplin.  

Here's a detail view of the look:

The beyond-gorgeous necklace I'm wearing is on my wish list at Alexis Bittar- so stunning and I can't wait to own it one day!!

I wanted to throw a bit of ladylike contrast into the outfit, so I paired my jeans with a lacy vintage Dior camisole I've had for years.  It's actually lingerie, so I threw a menswear vest over top of it to tone down the sexy vibe.  I even went way out of my comfort zone and tried out a fedora, and guess what?  I love it!  

I've always felt that when you look the part, you act the part, and you can become whoever you want.  Changing up my style helps me evolve as a person.  It might sound silly, but the right outfit can be downright empowering- and who couldn't use a little extra empowerment once in a while?  Give it a try!