I attended my first Comic Con back in 2011 with a friend. While my friend burst into the Con scene in full Star Wars Imperial Officer regalia, I, on the other hand went with a Sailor Moon t-shirt I purchased the week before, worn under a black quarter-sleeved, knee length hoodie. (This was back in the day when I was still uncomfortable being in heavily populated social situations and always wanted to be covered.) Prior to this I had known about cosplay*, having seen examples on Tumblr but it was a whole other thing seeing it in person. I was in awe at the things people had managed to recreate and I was jealous of my friend for not only did he have the means to own such a detailed cosplay, but the ability to wear it as well. Continue reading
Category: OOTD
Commanding Attention
While it took me a while to actually enjoy fashion, I will admit that I always had a thing for historical costume, particularly those of the 18th century and the regency. Its no secret that I love history. It’s been my favorite subject since the first grade when I first learned about Elizabeth I and today I am a proud historian who does research via study of symbols/iconography and material culture. Part of that love has also lead to me incorporating a couple of history inspired pieces into my wardrobe with things like velvet ribbons, cameo brooches, lace gloves, parasols and my most prized possession – a military zip jacket. To date this is one of those pieces in my wardrobe that rarely makes an appearance save for special occasions like the start of fall. With its gold-crested button front, mandarin collar and curved seams, it turned out to be one of the best accompaniments for my new retro dress. Continue reading
Falling For Something Old Made New
Fall weather has finally made it to New York City and what better way is there to enjoy the cooler weather than in a vintage cape. The cape is actually a gift from my great aunt who moved back to Panama in July and I have been waiting anxiously for a chance to wear it ever since. It is such a great “old world” piece, reminiscent of military fashion with its high textured velvet collar, double breasted buttons and braided frog closures. The wool fabric makes it perfect for this unpredictable transitional weather, yet I figure with the right gloves I may actually be able to wear it during the much expected freezing winter. Continuing within the vein of the cape’s classic style, I curated a vintage-inspired look by remixing both old and new pieces from my closet. Continue reading
My Bare Arms Summer
Ever since I was a tween, my biggest insecurity were the appearance of my arms. They are big, covered with stretch marks, and scars– things that I believed absolutely had to be covered. This insecurity would effect me most once it started to get warmer. For me this usually meant that sleeves (not short sleeves, mind you) and sweaters made up most of my daily summer wardrobe, even in 100 degree NYC humidity. While other girls and young women would wear their tanks and spaghetti-strapped summer dresses, I wore thick hoodies (sometimes over long sleeves).
This continued on as I have entered adulthood. Even with the scorching sun outside, I would stay covered, replacing my adolescent hoodies for shrugs, cardigans and blazers.(It should come as no surprise that I usually spend the summer indoors.) I truly believed that as big as I was, I had no right to show off my arms. Nevermind that the various types of cover-ups didn’t make my arms disappear from existence or give them a slimmer appearance. This all changed mid- May in a Target fitting room. As I stood there looking at my reflection in the mirror, I just could not figure out how to wear the Lilly Pulitzer Sea-Urchin-for -You Satin Florence dress with a shrug and retain the overall silhouette of the dress. That’s when it hit me, why did I have to? It was then that I decided to stop hiding my arms and embrace them as they are. Continue reading
Summer Lights
There is nothing better than unplanned and spontaneous time with friends, especially in the summer. This week the weather in NYC has been very forgiving, so a friend and I took advantage by taking a nice stroll through Astoria, Queens. It felt great to spend some time catching up after spending so much time away from each other with our hectic work schedules. It was doubly special because the casual outing gave me an excuse to wear a piece I got from the first Fashion to Figure sample sale I attended back in February.
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Big City, Curvy Girl, Thin Wallet 