Madewell styles clothing in such a cool, effortless way. Their catalogs are inspirational – you don’t need to buy expensive garments to pull off the Madewell look. It’s all about mixing trends and being confident.
madewell spring ’13
Tag: fashion
catalog favorites
Winter hasn’t quite hit Charlottesville, but I’m already excited for spring fashion. I know fall is the season for fashion, but I’ve always preferred the bright, floral, bare-legged styles of spring over the drab, monotone glamour of fall. Fall is too serious for my taste.
I’ve been flipping through old Google catalogs for inspiration. Here are some of my favorite looks (including some fall looks that easily transition into spring):
Clockwise from top:
- Anthropologie, March 2012
- Clarks, Fall 2012
- Fossil, Fall 2012
- Madewell, Spring 2012
- J. Crew, February 2012
- Madewell, Spring 2012
live/wear + week in review
After car repairs ruined my last full day off, I needed to pick myself up and get motivated this week. Surprisingly, it worked. I listed several items on etsy, went to the bank, paid my city taxes, revised an article (more on that soon), completed a poem, did three loads of laundry, finished The Autobiography of Malcolm X (all 466 pages!), and kept the house (very relatively) clean. Additionally, I read some good articles online:
- A New Theory of PTSD and Veterans by Tony Dokoupil
- This is Christ’s body, broken for you by Rachel Held Evans
- Why I Never Play Hard to Get by Rachael Kay
and discovered a few blogs:
Thanks for reading. What did you accomplish/take pride in this week?
images & inspiration
- I love the composition and timeliness of this photograph by Elizabeth Messina for The Huffington Post.
- Stripes and polka dots in fall colors appeal to me.
- Inspired by Downton Abbey’s Season 3 wardrobe.
- I’ve seen a few building projects that use unfinished crates from Michael’s, but this is one I might actually do.
- The setting of this image makes very little sense, but I like the outfit and the stacks of books.
- A photo by Paper Crowns, a Charlottesville blogger!
It’s almost time to write a four months in Charlottesville post. Isn’t it weird that it’s practically December?
november moodboard
This month, I intend to enjoy:
- taking Skyline Drive over to Luray Caverns for a day of exploring
- loved ones coming to visit
- Green Bean Casserole on Thanksgiving
- all the books Daniel recommended to me: The Autobiography of Malcolm X, House of the Spirits, and The Madonna of 115th Street
- wearing boots all the time
- getting started on Christmas shopping
- layered outfits
- my peacoat
- fun, cold weather accessories (I wish I had that fox scarf)
dorothy perkins
Dorothy Perkins is a UK based brand and women’s retailer. I suspect, unfortunately, that they’re a bit like the Forever 21 of England, but maybe their products are of higher quality. Their clothing appeals to my aesthetic to a greater degree than most American, mid-range designs do. That mixed print dress in the center would look great at a holiday party.
Sorry to bring you another set and no meaningful content, but I woke up with a cold and spent most of the day sleeping or clicking mindlessly through internet content. Since Frankenstorm is headed our way within hours, the sun hasn’t shone all day; it turned out to be the perfect day to relax and recover.
We attended a “Vintage Cocktail” themed Halloween party last night and I dressed up as a flapper. I prided myself in the historical accuracy of the overall look; unfortunately, I only have a headshot of my get-up. I wore vintage costume jewelry, a thrifted drop-waist dress, and richly hued makeup to complete the look. Daniel, on the other hand, was a Roadside Prophet; he wore a board with boldly etched, condemning verses on it around his neck. I was a symbol of debauchery and he was the radical, moral response to it.
wardrobe update
It’s tempting to go back-to-school shopping even though this is my second season out of school. I have purchased a handful of wardrobe builders lately, in part to add some interest to my wardrobe, and in part to prepare for the coming fall weather.
- Polka dot and floral tees, Urban Outfitters: great layering basics in fun yet understated prints.
- Taupe and black cardigan, Marshalls: I love over-sized cardigans (the one I purchased is drapey) and stripes.
- Zig-zag necklace, (of)matter on etsy: I purchased a store credit at a discount a couple of months ago and finally chose this necklace. I am a big fan of simple, brass jewelry.
- Gray boots, Target: these were on clearance. I had actually purchased the black version of these last season, but I bought a size too big and never found a replacement. These gray ones are casual and remind me a bit of Blowfish boots.
- BDG high-rise cigarette jeans, Urban Outfitters: I’ve been taking advantage of the proximity of Urban Outfitters to my workplace. These jeans are still on sale and they fit my pear-shape figure better than pretty much all other jeans.
- Cognac buckle boots, Target: I already had to replace the Madden Girl “Guesser” boots I wanted with a similar pair because the former are incredibly difficult to get over my heel. These were $10 less and allowed me to get the other boots without spending more money on boots.
- Worishofer sandals, Modcloth: these aren’t exactly a fall shoe, but they were on mega clearance on Modcloth and I could use some comfy, retro-inspired sandals.
It’s safe to say that my “back-to-school” shopping is complete. I’m sure once winter settles in, I’ll need to buy some layering pieces, but for now, I’m quite satisfied. I made a paper bag waist skirt out of stretch denim fabric yesterday, so I can add that to the list.
catalog: Madewell, Fall 2012
I am a sucker for simple garments layered in interesting and unexpected ways. Madewell does that particularly well.
