So sorry I’ve been absent this past week, I’ve been enjoying the start of summer far too much (or just enough, if you ask me), but I can barely bring myself to put on clothes, other than a swimsuit.

The warm weather makes me think of warm, out-of-focus pictures, floaty clothes, and beaches.

But I promise, outfit picture tonight, as soon as I take another nap ; )
Here’s a song I like a lot as a consolation prize. Duck Sauce is great. Just great.

I’m alive! I had quite a refreshing fashion sabbatical, full of meditation, wearing the same shirt two days in a row, barefootedness, beach trips, rave clothes (interesting, but not something I want to be blogging about), funny party costumes (turns out dressing like a vampire is incredibly easy for me), not buying a single item of clothing for 3 months, and my first pair of Nike Dunks.

But I’m glad to be back, and after a lot of contemplation, it doesn’t really seem like I feel any differently about fashion. It’s more of an innate personal reconsideration that I’m still unable to put into words, but I think it will actually be good for my blogging.

I’m feeling pretty enthusiastic about reworking my wardrobe a bit (always a confusing and daunting task, but more on that later), and I have some incredibly exciting news! I’m moving to Paris! I’m leaving in just a few short weeks, and I’m going to be there for an indefinite amount of time (but probably less than a year, hah). I’m SO excited to live in a new country, go to museums constantly, do a whole lot of shopping, and generally just shake up my environment and life a bit. And I’ll of course be chronicling it all on the blog, so stay tuned for exciting updates and changes. I’m hoping to spice up the blog a bit, I’m a bit tired of the daily outfit posts; I love so many different things other than fashion, just posting pictures of myself every day isn’t quite varied enough for me.

Also, if there’s anything you’d like to see or know in particular, shoot me an email at lauren@shoe-gazing.com

Wearing a F21 faux fur vest, T by Alexander Wang tank, H&M bustier, various feathers, and Ann Demeulemeester wedge boots (my new favorites!).

Soundtrack of the day: The Reward is Some Satisfying Chords – STEEP bootleg (Deadmau5 vs. Benny Benassi)

Bisous!
Lauren

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.