lor-baby

lauren, at the tea party, somehow makes sportiness and bohemian-ethnic details work together. i really like the luminous jewel colors here, too--everything matches, but it's not overpowering.

stunning earrings. what a crazy shape! they mirror the scarf perfectly.

backpacker

ah, tourism.

this was from the lovely champagne-colored elevator in my shanghai hotel...who says that i can't wear a nice big ring and a good scarf at the same time i am toting a giant backpack?

shanghaied

, some shots from a trip to shanghai this fall...

it's surreal that i took this with my own camera:

at yuyuan bazaar. i'm wearing a scarf from suzhou. my cloisonne bracelet provides that essential little orientalist touch.

everyone's favorite japanese-h+m-type-thing on nanjing road, shanghai's actually charming hypercapitalist pedestrian street, which is similar to the more soulless wangfujing in beijing.

taking in the afternoon:

bar rouge, on the bund. some bits of shanghai were a little too shanghai for me, and the clubs fell into this category: compared to beijing, things were often too shiny, too westernized, too populated by expats--not beijing-y expats (NGO people, students, diplomats, artists), but really stereotypical expats (english-only, business, finance, real estate).

schoolday

this exemplifies my average roll-out-of-bed-and-sprint-to-classroom outfit in beijing, at least before it got cold. i was spoiled this fall because our classes and dorm rooms were in the same giant building.

secondhand sweater and flats. dad's t-shirt. h&m mirror necklace and lace shawl.

that excellent little scar on my leg? from doing a cartwheel in my living room last spring and landing on an armchair...doesn't matter how many rocks i climb, caves i crawl through, or parties i dance at; it's always the weird small things that get me.

purple bamboo

i visited the big local park with friends last week. it is only ten or fifteen minutes away on foot and is gorgeous and large--we were there all afternoon and i could probably spend several full days there getting lost and taking boat rides on a number of little lakes. it was hot and clear outside (clear probably due to the the fact that it was near national day--things were still pretty shut down).

american apparel t-shirt (it fits perfectly--how cliche!), chinese scarf from silk street, vintage skirt, trusty black rocket dog flats. glass earrings from my parents.

english brights

minni wearing a long dress that she pinned up herself. this is a novel but gentle combination of colors--bright pink and pale yellow. minni always looked great this summer, even at work, when we were outside sweating and getting covered in mud and dirt. i also love her accessories: the belt is great, and she made her necklace out of plastic and wooden beads and a bear paw bottle opener from our neighborhood gas station. ah yes...and she is from england.

experimenting back at work...

and the feeling is easy

summertime. a few last shots to commemorate the end of the season.

luigi swimming in a river during weekend break at my job. hooray, my camera is waterproof!

this, to me, pretty much exemplifies what summer should look like: love, dirt, rocks, water, and "jewelry" that can stand up to it all.

dancing dancing dancing, and wearing crazy prints.

smoothie in a metro station, en route to a club on u street in dc. i've basically spent the last month, since work ended, doing nothing except hanging around the city and seeing people, going out day and night and just exploring. u street is especially incredible at night--you can walk up and down u or 14th at 11 pm on a weekend night and people are spilling out of every doorway, dressed excellently, eating or listening to jazz or going dancing. my friends and i found this crazy caribbean hole-in-the-wall cafe on u where there is always loud soca music playing, and they sell pizza slices as long as your forearm, and THEY HAVE MULTIPLE DISCO BALLS. in a cafe. it is insanity.

professorial

one of my favorite things about university is dressing like i'm an old-school academic type: blazers, scarves, and dorky shoes are the way to go.

i'm wearing my mom's blazer and shoes, a shirt a friend left behind when she graduated, miss sixty jeans, a ripoff burberry scarf, and a seconhand cardigan.


red & orange. fabulous blazer lining and forever 21 junk ring.

pink rainy day

dressed for a rainy day, from february or maybe early march:

two pairs of tights to brave the cold, of course.


here are my earrings...they are little wolves. every female science teacher i've ever had wore things like this. good stuff.

recessionista

the student fashion show this term was called recessionista. i've been involved with most of the shows since i've been at university so it was nice to just watch. i got front-row tickets. here's the view of attendees from my seat:


i went with glynis. my shirt is my mom's from a while ago. glynis is wearing beads that my friend got in bhutan.

tea party 7

here are some more photos i found from my tea party back in january.

this is me. i'm wearing a skirt that used to be my mom's. about fifty or sixty percent of the clothing i wear regularly used to belong to either my mom, my dad, or one of my grandmothers. the shirt is from target; i have it in size XL in three colors (usually i never ever do that with clothing) and it is the comfiest, baggiest, nicest thing ever. i have stolen nicole's shoes--at the party, about 6 different people were wearing them at some point. the necklace is a charm from a vintage rope belt strung on an old chain.

tea party 2

lauren, 17.
she's wearing someone else's shoes here. but also i love her skirt (it has pockets!) and the brown and purple together.


note the seashell hair clip.

tea party 1

i hosted a tea party which will be featured in the next few posts:


saraellen, 19.
i dig the gold accessories, the leather jacket, and the general quiet colors of it all. plus her boots unroll to go up past the knees--not visible in the picture, but still excellent.

black and flowers, soft brown, striped flats

today's outfits are simple but hip.

i'm headed down to grant park now to the massive obama party to get into the presidential election swing of things. it's great living in chicago.

maria, 19, previously featured, at university.
all the black works together. sadly the picture is a bit blurry but her earrings and necklace are great.


victoria, 20, at university.
i love brown and her dress has a few shades of it. i am also into the high-tops and socks combination, and her gold pendant.
it's difficult to pull off this hair but she is successful and i think it's really part of who she is.


glynis, 18, at university.
it is really all about pendant necklaces, apparently. glynis's is a buddha. i just love the proportions and gentle colors of this outfit and how she wears it. the flats are an excellent touch.

birthday partiers

ann, 21, and norma, 20, before a party.
these outfits are simple, pulled-together, and mature. ann keeps her tunic sweet by adding black undershorts and tights. norma's heels and hair are spot-on.


lizzie, 19, and ann. lizzie's look is casual, so her tan heels are a pleasant surprise. also, we get a great view of ann's jewelry, and it's all about elegant proportions with her outfit, from necklace to tunic to boots.