Hi! So I have a passion post of sorts for you today. I hardly ever do anything related to fashion aside from the bit I'll include in my seasonal inspiration posts every year, but since I'm short of products to review I thought it was a good time to try something new. I thought I'd do a little fashion lookbook, to 1-see if I could actually pull it off, and 2-give me something to do. I did eight different outfits, each one focusing on a trend I mentioned during the inspiration post, so I guess you could consider this a follow-up of sorts. I hope you like it!
I mixed the trends of mesh/ribbed tees and athleisure in what I think makes for a cute, sporty-looking outfit that you could wear to an outdoor show or to the mall. While I like how the white pops underneath the black tee here, I wanted to keep the look primarily black and have pops of white throughout the outfit instead. I was originally thinking of Yeezy Boost 350s for this outfit but when I saw these shoes, I thought they'd pair better with the feel I was going for.
In keeping with the '90s vibe I tried to put into some of these looks, you could pair this with a small white backpack, just to keep things in the simple color palette of white and black. You could wear a plain white hat with this if you choose to wear a hat at all, but this one completes the look for me. The little cactus detail on this one was just a little nod to where I live.
In keeping with the '90s vibe I tried to put into some of these looks, you could pair this with a small white backpack, just to keep things in the simple color palette of white and black. You could wear a plain white hat with this if you choose to wear a hat at all, but this one completes the look for me. The little cactus detail on this one was just a little nod to where I live.
When I was active on ATV and focusing on vintage fashion a lot of the time, I found playsuits. I think the modern interpretation of a playsuit would be a romper, but I'm hearing the former name come up a bit more, which I like. The primary color of this playsuit looks to be a pale pink, but I wanted to play with the color I saw in the floral detailing. I thought pairing the outfit with bright accessories would complement the muted color of the playsuit and keep the look appropriate for summer but still fun.
Enter the pom-pom sandals, which I'm surprised I like because as late as probably last fall, I still wasn't here for them. lol But I saw this playsuit/romper and knew immediately that I would want pom-pom sandals with it. They're playful, colorful, eye-catching and take gladiator sandals up a notch so I thought they'd be the perfect addition to a simple outfit like this. I kept the colorful theme going with the orange and pink tassel earrings to play off of the hints of orange and pink in the floral detail. I added a simple crossbody bag with a chain link strap and two-tone sunglasses so I could add a bit of yellow to the look. Overall, it has a vibrant look to it and I like it.
Enter the pom-pom sandals, which I'm surprised I like because as late as probably last fall, I still wasn't here for them. lol But I saw this playsuit/romper and knew immediately that I would want pom-pom sandals with it. They're playful, colorful, eye-catching and take gladiator sandals up a notch so I thought they'd be the perfect addition to a simple outfit like this. I kept the colorful theme going with the orange and pink tassel earrings to play off of the hints of orange and pink in the floral detail. I added a simple crossbody bag with a chain link strap and two-tone sunglasses so I could add a bit of yellow to the look. Overall, it has a vibrant look to it and I like it.
Outfit Details:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays. Whereas many people like Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter, I much prefer St. Patrick's Day, 4th of July and New Year's. This is the holiday where I usually go all out--in March it's warm but there's not much to do since I don't drink, and in December its way too cold to do anything but dress up and stay inside. lol The 4th of July is when I can put on my corny holiday headband, cookout, enjoy the weather, have a good time and wait for the fireworks show. I usually have some kind of party or big cookout scheduled for the day and I'll even try to find something new to wear for each year.
I love 4th of July at a level that probably isn't logical, but who gives a shit. To me, the day represents freedom (such as it is) and having said freedom to enjoy the simpler things in life--food, family/friends, fun and fireworks. OAN, I love that most of my favorite things in life start with an F. So does my favorite swear word. LOL As for the outfit, it's rather basic. It's something simple that I can move comfortably in, still look cute and show that, all things considered, most of the time I love my country. Speaking of which, bonus points to you if you recognize the reference I used with the name of the outfit. lol
I really like gauzy looks for this time of year. Our summers can be brutal so even when wearing form-fitting lightweight outfits like maxi dresses, it's still highly likely you'll sweat right through them. But wearing breezy everything isn't always the greatest idea either as it can make you look bulkier (and in the case of big tees, they hold in a lot of heat!) so I've found that balancing the two is a bit better.
This is my take on the gauzy trend for summer; I initially struggled with the shorts because they're so high cut and I don't want my ass hanging out, but I realized that's just the style. Anyway, this pair of shorts actually has a matching top (which I do like) but I wanted to break up the color a bit so I subbed the top for a white spaghetti strap camisuit, tan gladiators and gold jewelry.
Outfit Details:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
At the deepest part of my soul I think I will always be a '90s kid, and with that here is my favorite outfit of the bunch. I didn't watch all of the shows profiled on this tee but my all-time favorite show, Hey Arnold!, is on here so I had to represent. lol This is a slightly cropped tee, which I liked better for this shirt rather than fitted or oversized. Again, I kept the accessories simple--a distressed dad cap, white runners (that reminded me of the black Adidas back in the first look), a yellow fanny pack and a tri-level choker.
The last two accessories were where I decided to add color to tie both the theme and the look together because I made the shirt, which is pretty colorful, the focal point of the outfit. Except for adding maybe a smiley face backpack (which I am proud to admit I owned until last year lol) and a matching anklet, I think I captured a lot of '90s fashion, at least the parts I noticed the most. The older I get, the more I worry about age-appropriate clothing but at the end of the day, you're as young as you feel. And a part of me still feels 10 years old sometimes. So this outfit is both a nod to my childhood and a 'welcome back' of sorts now that '90s fashion is back in.
This is my take on the gauzy trend for summer; I initially struggled with the shorts because they're so high cut and I don't want my ass hanging out, but I realized that's just the style. Anyway, this pair of shorts actually has a matching top (which I do like) but I wanted to break up the color a bit so I subbed the top for a white spaghetti strap camisuit, tan gladiators and gold jewelry.
Outfit Details:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
At the deepest part of my soul I think I will always be a '90s kid, and with that here is my favorite outfit of the bunch. I didn't watch all of the shows profiled on this tee but my all-time favorite show, Hey Arnold!, is on here so I had to represent. lol This is a slightly cropped tee, which I liked better for this shirt rather than fitted or oversized. Again, I kept the accessories simple--a distressed dad cap, white runners (that reminded me of the black Adidas back in the first look), a yellow fanny pack and a tri-level choker.
The last two accessories were where I decided to add color to tie both the theme and the look together because I made the shirt, which is pretty colorful, the focal point of the outfit. Except for adding maybe a smiley face backpack (which I am proud to admit I owned until last year lol) and a matching anklet, I think I captured a lot of '90s fashion, at least the parts I noticed the most. The older I get, the more I worry about age-appropriate clothing but at the end of the day, you're as young as you feel. And a part of me still feels 10 years old sometimes. So this outfit is both a nod to my childhood and a 'welcome back' of sorts now that '90s fashion is back in.
Outfit Details:
(The links for #4 and 5 are to external shopping websites as both have since been removed from F21's website. I'm unsure of the reliability of purchasing from either site but wanted to include a link anyway so that you'd be able to see them)
This look answers a couple of trends I wanted to include in the lookbook in both the vintage tees and cuffed shorts. I initially wanted to pair this shirt with regular ripped cutoffs but I didn't like the way it looked so I went with these shorts instead. As I mentioned during the Inspo post, I've been into vintage wrestling tees so if I'm gonna kick it old school, I have to go with my all-time fave in HBK. It looks to be a dark gray shirt so I took that as my color inspo for the rest of the look. The rings and shoes are both gray and the ring set has a vintage, textured feel to it that I thought meshed better than the polished jewelry you'll see in some of the other outfits.
Outfit Details:
I had a whole scenario in my mind when I envisioned what I wanted this outfit to look like. lol I designed the outfit around the maxi skirt, which is the trend I wanted to tackle. After I couldn't find the top I was looking for, I went with this crop top instead. I wanted something basic, off-the-shoulder and form-fitting for the top so that the skirt could be the focal point of the outfit and since this skirt has a white underskirt, a white top made the most sense.
I wanted bits of nude and peach throughout the outfit so I kept the jewelry in the blush/rose gold family and went with tan gladiator sandals as I thought they'd look better with the outfit than peach or gold gladiators. I'm a bit obsessed with matching shades and didn't want the hassle of trying to match a colored shoe, so I kept it simple. I wanted this to look softer than some of the other looks, and I'm pleased with the end result.
Outfit Details:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
This look is right up my alley. I love the other seven looks and would wear all of them, but to be truthful I'd be more prone to wearing this one. I remember mentioning some time ago that my personal style was more 'slouch chic' than anything else because it primarily revolves around my comfort level rather than style or aesthetics. West Texas is unbearably hot and dry during the summer and I'd much rather have on thinner, looser fabrics than something thick and/or too tight. With so much gray and white the look initially ran the line of monochromatic, so I made the color addition more subtle in the earrings and sunglasses. I wouldn't bother with extra jewelry if I was wearing this outfit, nor would I want this huge purse or backpack to worry about.
The velvet mini backpack was both a nod to '90s fashion and my incessant need to take my entire house with me when I leave. I first started using larger purses and including a lot of things in them as a coping strategy for my agoraphobia (which I'm going to cover in full when I finally put out my post on anxiety) but even though I no longer need the same amount of items most times when I leave, I'm still dragging extra shit along. It's too hot to be out here dragging a 5lb. purse everywhere I go. This little bag is only 8" x 7" x 3" so I won't be able to fit much but my tablet and essentials in here, which I don't mind as I need to relearn how to only take the basics. But I would love to wear this outfit for a day of lounging or running errands. It has thinner fabrics, lighter colors, it's basic and it's comfy, and that's all I need.
The velvet mini backpack was both a nod to '90s fashion and my incessant need to take my entire house with me when I leave. I first started using larger purses and including a lot of things in them as a coping strategy for my agoraphobia (which I'm going to cover in full when I finally put out my post on anxiety) but even though I no longer need the same amount of items most times when I leave, I'm still dragging extra shit along. It's too hot to be out here dragging a 5lb. purse everywhere I go. This little bag is only 8" x 7" x 3" so I won't be able to fit much but my tablet and essentials in here, which I don't mind as I need to relearn how to only take the basics. But I would love to wear this outfit for a day of lounging or running errands. It has thinner fabrics, lighter colors, it's basic and it's comfy, and that's all I need.
The fashion community definitely isn't missing anything by not having me in the ranks, right? lol Looking back over it, I guess I didn't include the most innovative or YT-worthy looks in the world, but oh well. Objectively speaking, is my style boring? Yeah, a little. Do I care though? Nope. 💁 I did at one time, and I was worried about not being more fashion adventurous, which is the main reason you don't see OOTD's from me. But now, ehh. I like what I like and I'm good with that.
I've been experimenting with different kinds of posts I could do while I'm waiting for my finances to rebound so that I'll have things to review, so this was a perfect time for me to try something I've been looking into for awhile. I've actually been wanting to do a real, YT-styled lookbook for quite some time, but my Empty Pockets contract told me to sit my ass down. lol Because I couldn't do one in quite the way I wanted to, I had to tailor the concept to fit me a little better and I think I had a bit more freedom this way to create the looks I wanted. This was way out of my comfort zone, but it was fun nonetheless.
This, other than the rest of the summer posts I have planned, is probably the most fun I had creating something all year. It's been a really difficult year for me personally and financially, and as a result I feel like I've lost my way a little bit. This wasn't a review, which I would have preferred if we're being honest, but it was the first time in awhile that I felt excited to build and publish a post. I'm sorry if it was boring or read like an unpaid advert for Forever 21. lol Now that it's out of my system, I'm good. It's nice to experiment every now and again, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't chomping at the bit to get back to my reviews. Maybe sometime soon. With all that being said, I've blabbed for far too long as it is so I'm gonna go. See you soon!
I've been experimenting with different kinds of posts I could do while I'm waiting for my finances to rebound so that I'll have things to review, so this was a perfect time for me to try something I've been looking into for awhile. I've actually been wanting to do a real, YT-styled lookbook for quite some time, but my Empty Pockets contract told me to sit my ass down. lol Because I couldn't do one in quite the way I wanted to, I had to tailor the concept to fit me a little better and I think I had a bit more freedom this way to create the looks I wanted. This was way out of my comfort zone, but it was fun nonetheless.
This, other than the rest of the summer posts I have planned, is probably the most fun I had creating something all year. It's been a really difficult year for me personally and financially, and as a result I feel like I've lost my way a little bit. This wasn't a review, which I would have preferred if we're being honest, but it was the first time in awhile that I felt excited to build and publish a post. I'm sorry if it was boring or read like an unpaid advert for Forever 21. lol Now that it's out of my system, I'm good. It's nice to experiment every now and again, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't chomping at the bit to get back to my reviews. Maybe sometime soon. With all that being said, I've blabbed for far too long as it is so I'm gonna go. See you soon!
