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.

a western peace

xi'an 西安 means "western peace." i went twice this past fall/winter. i really love it, especially the part of the city within the stone walls. the muslim quarter and its bazaar are brilliant, packed with history and food and shiny things...i'll post more photos of the night bazaar later, from my second trip to xi'an.


i fell in love with this moon door while exploring an old courtyard house complex in the muslim quarter. while it's impossible for me to blend in as a local in china, it's fun for me to try not to dress like an american tourist. that means linen pants instead of jeans or short-shorts, neutral colors, and puma sneakers. people usually presumed that i was french or russian.

costumes were available for tourist photos on the drum tower at the heart of town.

the forbidden city

photos from a day, long ago, this fall...when my class went to take in the forbidden city, beijing's old imperial palace. today the palace is still at the physical and political center of the city. tiananmen square takes its name from the outer southernmost gate of the palace.

in my autumn tourist's uniform: korean cardigan from the wholesale market near the beijing zoo and my university; vintage blazer (over my arm) that i got for free from a church basement sale in chicago, and puma sneakers from another similar charity sale...to me, the forbidden city is less about the spectacular architecture (my chinese art prof would call it "monumental") and more about the contrasts between the weird, super-flat, wide-open plazas between all the central buildings and the narrow, high-walled alleys in the imperial court quarters along the sides of the area.

the maze of red-walled side alleys. one of the best parts was the accidental plants growing on the gold roofs.

getting crazy in one of the museum rooms...blazer plus zoo market scarf.

we went to a charming alley/hutong near the lama temple for dinner. it is apparently the "next nanluoguxiang," but fortunately it's still got a bit of grit and funk to it. the alleys around it are not yet tourist-ified at all. if i move back to beijing (which i hope to), this is one of the neighborhoods i would like to live in:

we ate at the superb western-food vineyard cafe for dinner, in a gorgeous old courtyard house.

outs and abouts

here are just a few random shots that i love from the past few months of friends and they way they dress.

i think she made this dress herself.


dancing is grand.


sneaker androgyny.


sweet sweet patterns.

february thaw

i am so jealous of my dc friends: apparently a week or two ago it was warm enough that they could go outside and take photos in the sun. here in chicago it is, as usual, too cold--although we had a "heat wave" a few weeks ago that extended up into the 60s fahrenheit.

g. and katherine, both previously featured. love the carefree, springtimey clothes in these, and the way the photos look overall. taken of course by lionfro.

sharp with kicks

erin, 19, previously featured, near dupont circle.
erin keeps it simple. it's still weirdly warm here in dc, so she's taking advantage of her coatlessness with a hoodie and velvet blazer. her shoes are excellently multicolored.

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.

pink & black

can't get more solid than guys' black nikes with pink details.

bike machine

first ave, minneapolis.
i don't know this guy's name, but not only does he have a passable outfit and flawless shoes, he is piloting a massive multi-person bicycle-powered moving contraption and if that isn't rad then nothing is.