Freckled Fashion

I’ve been on the job hunt for a few months now, and not even one place has called me back. I don’t know what it is… My lack of experience? That’s the only thing I can think of right now, but let me tell you, it sucks. I feel like a failure.

So I’ve decided to do what any other person would do: open my own Etsy shop! I’ve loved Etsy forever, and it just occurred to me that I could make my own job. I can make things that I enjoy making and sell them as a job. It’s pretty ingenious if I do say so myself.

I’m just scared that I’ll lose interest with it, like I did with this blog. I am a seriously uncommitted person. Not that I am as a person, I guess, but just that I have so many interests and so many things that I want to do that I always flit from one project to the next, but I never stop to focus on one. No matter how hard I tell myself that I need to change this, I just can’t. It’s been a part of me forever.

In terms of thrifting and shopping and fashion, I made an entry for a YouTube competition where we needed to upcycle a piece of clothing. I didn’t win, unfortunately, but the experience was great. If you feel like it, check it out! I thought the finished product was pretty cool, and it’s a little different than just bleaching a jean jacket or turning a t-shirt into a tank top. 

I’ve been into fashion illustration lately, and it’s what I’ve decided I want to pursue. I love drawing, I always have, and I love fashion. So why not merge the two? I just have to develop a unique style and draw even more. Speaking of which, I should go do my art project.

Until the next time I decide to write on this blog, 

Happy thrifting!

Hello!

I cannot begin to explain to you how amazing it is outside today. It’s sunny and warm and there’s a slight breeze that cuts through the heavy feeling of the sunlight when you’ve been in it for too long. This morning I went to help my parents at our new house; I collected old branches and nails out of the backyard. Let me tell you, I am not one for physical labour… I’d much rather be working in a small boutique than bending over backwards to pick up tiny piece of aluminum. 

I’m sorry I haven’t been entirely faithful to the blog… It’s just hard to continue when I know that no one is reading this. I have a feeling that I have some sort of commitment problem, because I always lose interest in something when I’m deep in the middle of it. Like this paragraph, for example.

FASHION. I’ve been reading and searching and just pretty much absorbing everything I can. I was accepted into my program, Fashion Communication at Ryerson University, last week which is so horribly exciting I can’t wait. I keep imagining all the outfits I’m going to wear and envisioning my classes and trying to figure out who my friends are going to be and how I’m going to make it on my own in the big city. But I’m totally ready for it.

MY Betsey Johnson blazer is the one thing in my closet that I haven’t worn. I’m so scared that I’ll get it dirty, or I’ll pop off a button or something. But it’s SO pretty, and I love it. I got it from this awesome consignment shop in Downtown Guelph called Meow, which is one of my favourite places to shop, other than the Salvation Army and Goodwill. 

I should most definitely go back to researching my french project, which is on the Media’s effect on teenagers. It’s kinda fitting that I’m on Tumblr right now… Tumblr has this huge effect on us, and we don’t even realize it cause we’re too busy looking at all the pretty, funny, amazing pictures and GIFs and revolutionary text posts. 

So I’ll leave you with this terribly inspiring quote, brought to you by me:

“Happy thrifting!”

This is a term I coined myself. It’s like, shopping online for secondhand duds. Pretty cool, huh?

I’ve decided to be a bit different and post on a Tuesday. (I know, a Tuesday? Really?) But the thing is, school is a bit boring at the moment and I’d rather be on here than trying to summarize a French book.

So. Fashion. It’s a tricky business, but one that I am so ready to look right in the face and just go for. I’ve never ever been so sure about something in my entire life, so sure that this is what I want to do 100%. It’s exhilarating and exciting and just so gosh darn amazing. If only I could get my foot in the door somehow, and get a head start. 

I’m applying for jobs tomorrow at a few places Downtown so I can gain some retail experience and get a feel for being in the workplace. That, my dears, is really exciting too. 

But enough with the excitement, I want fashion!

I was perusing Fashionista.com this morning, because I feel like I need to know more about what’s happening in the industry, and I was overwhelmed by pretty much everything. There’s so much going on! Fashionista is a great site for this type of thing as it collects fashion news from around the globe, and is well organized into different sub-sections for easy searching. If I’m being honest, I had no idea that the fashion weeks had happened in London and New York and Milan and Paris until I saw the March Madness feature, which pitted designers against one another to find the ultimate runway show of the season.

(Just in case you were wondering, I loved The Row’s collection for fall 2013. I’m really into that forest green colour and their immaculate tailoring.) (Oh, and I also am in love with Erdem, he never fails to amaze me. His turn to the dark side reminded me of Darth Vader for some reason… It’s kind of a more sensuous collection than his previously feminine & bright looks, don’t you think?)

Well, it’s almost lunch time, and I can feel my stomach growling, but whether it’s hungry for food or new clothes is a mystery to me.

Until next time!

Happy thrifting! (and internet perusing…)

April showers bring May flowers, but when it’s snowing… what do you get?

A lot of winter coats, that’s what.

It’s a good thing I stocked up on a variety of jackets this winter season. I have a parka, much like the one pictured here, only with a fur-trimmed hood. I also have a purple peacoat, which I so lovingly adopted from my local Goodwill for a solid $15.00. The fact that it’s made in Canada, is not moth-eaten, and is PURPLE totally makes it worth that luxury thrift-shop price. I’ll post a picture of it later, it’s absolutely lovely. My third jacket of choice was a brown, quilted number that I got as a gift from my Polish grandmother when I was eleven. Who knew it would still be in fashion today?! It has toggle buttons and is 3/4 length, and my twin sister has one in a coordinating green. We were pretty fashionable children…

For the past two years, I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to wear my penultimate jacket of ALL TIME. Here’s the thing: I begged and begged and begged my mom to buy it for me, and after three or four months of literal on-my-knees pleading, I gave up. My mom is a stingy, frugal being (which I guess has influenced my love for a good bargain) and goodness knows why she would ever buy me a $100-something jacket. But to my surprise, that very Christmas, what was under my tree? THE JACKET.

Another day, another dollar.

That is, another day, another dollar spent on beautiful clothes!

Because this weekend is dedicated to Easter and all of that religious holiday shindig, sadly all of the thrift stores are closed. Which is a bummer for me, because I was really looking forward to finding a new piece or two to join my already large collection.

To make myself feel better about this, I decided to take pictures of my clothes. 125 photos later, and I conquered about 1/3 of my wardrobe. I had just cleaned my room, something that I actually enjoy doing, but now my bed is covered in sparkly, woolen & silky things, which doesn’t sound very cool but it actually looks quite nice. All the colours go together. 

Which brings me to this idea: Whenever I go shopping, I always come home with things that match. One day it’ll be pinky or rosey things, the next I’ll come home with a lot of beige and brown. Consequently, I own a lot of stuff that’s the same colour. This past season, burgundy and oxblood was all the rage so I now have a lotof burgundy (it’s a good thing I love it). Do you find that you always buy things in the same colour family? What’s your favourite colour this spring?

I’m looking forward to wearing a lot of florals when April comes around. Take this dress for example. Although it’s not your technical springy floral, the deep hue and interesting nature pattern are a lot more captivating. It’s from H&M, my favourite place to shop when I was in Europe this past summer. H&M has a lovely Conscious collection that focuses on green practices, and uses organic fabrics and such. I love the deep V on both the front and back necklines, and the maxi length that is perfect for the chillier spring air. It’s a great dress! I would pair it with my 80’s windbreaker and some great leather flats for a springy/sporty look.

Have a lovely end-of-March! Happy thrifting!

So.

I apologize for the quality of this first post, but I just can’t stand looking at an empty blog. I just can’t do it! To kick things off, I have a very cruddy image of me and my favourite accessory in all the entire world: my leather backpack.

As you can see from the cropped side shot, this bag is lovely. (I’m being sarcastic just in case you didn’t catch that…) But seriously, it’s awesome. The browned leather, thick straps and convenient amount of pockets combine to create the best thrift store purchase I’ve ever made. And guess what?

IT WAS $2.50.

For real.

When I wear it, I feel like I’m a 70s school girl, riding a big yellow bus in my high-waisted bellbottoms and Pucci-printed shirt. Not that I own any of those things, but boy would I like to.

This bag is slightly ironic, although entirely not funny, because I’m a vegetarian. My friends always tease me about how I’m wearing a dead cow on my back. What they don’t know is I am wearing one on my feet, too. And on my wrist. BUT there’s a but. I think that if the leather is purchased second-hand, you’re really doing no harm to the worlds cows. Leather is created because of the demand for leather, so if you buy leather from a thrift store you are not directly feeding that demand you are just continuing the use of an item that would otherwise go unused, or thrown into a trash heap. And no one wants that.

Especially not this cute little cow.

As a side note, the cardigan I’m wearing in the photo was thrifted as well. Italian-made, thick & cozy, with a charming zig-zag print that I wear when I feel like being colourful. I usually style it with camel coloured jeans and burgundy Docs.

Now, for the challenge. Each week I will peruse the thrift-store market and, *gasp*, only buy ONE THING which I will then post, along with all the jibber jabber that will spew out in my vintage gushings. From this, I hope that my, albeit small, audience will inherit my love for thrifting, and have the courage and confidence to wear anything, no matter the price tag.

Until then, happy thrifting!!!