You may have noticed that I’ve been pretty absent for the past few weeks. I wanted to wait to see how I felt about this before I made it “official”, but I think I’m making the right decision.
I’ve decided to put the blog on a hiatus. My life is pretty turbulent and stressful right now, and it’s making me think and rethink a lot about my state of mind and the way I go about my life. I decided that taking a sort of “step back” from fashion would be good for me, letting me focus on my life and my friends. I think the idea that the more fashion I ingest (whether it be by buying clothes, blogging, shopping online, or even obsessing over fashion weeks), the happier and better I’d be, and I want to take some time to rethink that. I’m not about to go burning or throwing away all my clothes and slouching around in sweat pants, but I want to slow down and distance myself from fashion a bit.
I think I’ve become to acquisitive, and specifically, too attached to clothing and fashion. I’m not trying to rid myself of my love and appreciation of fashion, but I want to make sure that my happiness doesn’t hinge on fashion. Because it shouldn’t.
The other day, the fire alarm went off in my house, and although there was no actual risk of my house burning down, it made me think about what I would grab if I had to save my things from a fire. And my clothing (besides jackets so I didn’t freeze), was not one of the things I would save. But blogging tends to make me think about fashion as a little too much in the center of the universe, and I’ve decided to take some time to readjust that.

So sorry to do this to all of you, but this is just something I need to do for myself right now.

xx,
Lauren

“That’s the thing about fashion: You can use it to hide, but it’s only magic when you use it to express who you really are.” -Kate Lanphear.

At the top of my spring shoe wish list!! I have a great liking of beetles, and the shiny, metallic-y pumps, with their amazing metal heels, are just the shiny exoskeleton I need for my feet.

This is what I think. I think that just because I feel like crap, because I feel like I can’t function anywhere near properly, doesn’t mean I can’t put on clothes in the morning. Lots of people, including myself, have a tendency to reach for sweats when they feel bad, as if clothes only matter when you’re feeling happy or good. I admit, I have done that many times. But I’m trying to think of it like this: clothes can actually help you feel better, you can say, “hey, I feel like my life is ruined, but maybe if I put on some Proenza Schouler pre-fall inspired boyish clothes, the day will be just a little less bad.”

When things are tough, I want my clothes to be a small source of comfort, and as tempted as I am to think that clothes are so unimportant compared to what’s important in life, how can something so shallow as a pair of ankle boots make you feel any better, I’m going to avoid doing that, and say that maybe clothes are shallow, but anything that can make you feel better is worth trying.

Wearing: Oak shirt, H&M sweater, Harputs Own nylon swacket, Milly shorts, Proenza Schouler ankle boots

xx,
Lauren

I got my beautiful, beautiful Dries Van Noten sandals a couple days ago, they’re so different than any shoes I currently have. I’ve grown to like slip-on type shoes (these, clogs, etc.), there’s something about them I find appealing these days. I decided to be totally weather inappropriate and throw on this great vintage bed jacket. The intricately beaded sandals seem to call for restraint and beautiful details in my outfit, so I kept it simple.

My favorite detail is the slightly inwardly-curved heels, they’re hardly noticeable but make a huge difference.
It’s another argument for the subtle as opposed to dramatic take on fashion, one that I’m constantly pulled between. I can predict that for the rest of the week, I’ll probably be dressing somewhat inconspicuously, as my life is in a rather intense state of turmoil and stress right now, and I just can’t handle the emotional weight of wearing anything too crazy. Which is interesting, because before now, I’d never thought of clothes having emotional weight. Certainly, they affect and are influenced by your mood, but I can also see a potential for them to be almost oppressive, as if sometimes you need to really keep your attention focused on your life, and not on what you wear.

Soundtrack of the day: “Dream On” by Robyn (just the sort of reassurance I need now)
Wearing: vintage silk bed jacket, James Perse dress as top, Miu Miu skirt, Dries Van Noten sandals, vintage earrings

xx,
Lauren

This delicious Toga skirt may not be the frothy frills I’m yearning for, but I love me some pleats, and it would definitely fit perfectly into my closet.

For someone with dissociative wardrobe identity disorder, it is oddly difficult to break from old habits. It may be the convenience and satisfaction of finding clothing that would “go perfectly with so much in my closet”, because, frankly, who wants to buy a piece of clothing you can’t wear with anything you have? Versatility is key, but it can also be limiting. I’ll make it work somehow, though.

It figures that the day after I write about incorporating more frills and colors into my wardrobe that I’d be wearing only black and white, but I couldn’t help but think that my new Ann Demeulemeester deserved to be worn (at least once) with Mlle. Demeulemeester’s signature black and white combination, despite the fact that I probably don’t look good in black (I’m very ok with that).

There’s something just so great about a white button-down shirt. I don’t actually own a simple, regular button-down, just some stolen men’s shirts from my dad’s closet, but they’re just so fun to throw on by themselves or with other pieces. I’m not too into the idea of staples that “everyone should have”, because that assumes too much of a dictatorial, authoritarian rule for fashion, but white shirts are definitely useful and good.

Soundtrack of the day: “Poney Part 1″ by Vitalic (see what I did there? yeah, I only amuse myself)
Wearing: vintage Christian Dior white shirt, Alexander Wang tropical wool vest, boyfriend’s hat (it’s mine now!!), vintage and Hermes necklaces, Ann Demeulemeester pony hair boots

xx,
Lauren

My new pony hair Ann Demeulemeester boots came today! I was so excited when Alex gave me the box, I put them on immediately and wore them all day; I didn’t even change. But it was fine, because these boots go with everything! I’ve been craving pony hair, and these are gorgeous. They’re also super comfy, despite being really stiff, I’m excited to wear them with everything.

They continue my obsession with hoof-like shoes, seeing as they’re fairly heavy and vaguely reminiscent of a horse’s rounded hoof. All my friends can’t stop touching them.
I’m a little guilty, because they sort of beg to be styled beautifully, but I didn’t even bother. There’s something about wearing a pair of shoes for the first time that makes you want to put together the best possible outfit for the shoes, a feeling which was trumped today by my insatiable desire to take a spin around campus in these beauties. They may not be all that dramatic, but they’re beautifully solid, fun boots to wear.

Soundtrack of the day: Drumming Song by Florence and the Machine (Boy 8 Bit remix)
Wearing: Gar-de jacket, vintage skirt, Ann Demeulemeester pony hair boots

xx,
Lauren