Lookin’ stern, peepin’ in ur windose

So, one of my favorite thrift finds OF ALL TIME is this blue Ralph Lauren boy’s oxford shirt, which I wear with pretty much any and everything. The color is neutral without being boring (it sort of looks like denim), the fit is perfect (apparently I’m built like a 12-year-old boy–but you already knew that, didn’t you?), and it responds well to collar-popping (I’m a child of the ’80s, sue me).

I like to wear it to tone down the girly-ness of pieces like this full skirt, but it works with menswear-inspired looks as well. I feel like I need at least three more of these shirts!

What about you? Do you have a favorite, wear-with-everything item?

Photos courtesy of the talented Ann Van Epps

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These old school Liz Claiborne trousers are so Miss Denecke (my second grade teacher), whose life goals must have included looking like an extra from the set of “Knots Landing” and teaching us to properly write cursive. I’m wearing teacher pants and a blazer. It’s (almost) like I’m a grown up!

Speaking of growing up*, have you ever thought about what it would be like to spend your childhood as an unpaid laborer or sex slave? Neither had I until I had the opportunity to sit down with Emily Hill of Stop Traffick Fashion, an online shop dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking through the sale of merchandise created by survivors, who are often sold/kidnapped as children.

Emily with Stop Traffick Fashion merchandise

My heart sank into my toes when she pointed out that much of the world’s supply of cacao–you know, used to make chocolate–was harvested by slave children. I almost cried when I went to ChainStoreReaction.com and saw that Haagen-Dazs…mmm, dulce de leche ice cream…wait, what was I saying again? Oh yeah, so the tears flowed when I noticed that Haagen-Dazs hadn’t yet responded to the Producer Pledge, and I promptly added my name to the letters to several companies on the site.

No one’s saying you have to be perfect, and it’s pretty much impossible to know the entire supply chain of every single item you use, but I figure the least I can do is try. Even if that means scaling back on the desserts and Forever21 binges.

Check out the full article on my Examiner page and try to think of ways you can make a difference.  If nothing else, you can get some holiday shopping done!

*Need to work on my segways, huh?

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Thrifted pants, shoes, and bracelets; Iceberg top; Gucci belt

Wearing my old lady pants procured on a thrifting adventure (the high-waisted carrot shape looks so friggin’ good to me right now) and sticking to the color palette:

Aren’t you proud?

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A former coworker convinced me to try on this blazer even though I was more than a little apprehensive about the bright color. It was on clearance, so I figured what the heck…

To my surprise, it fit perfectly and I wound up loving the color. I guess it never hurts to try new things, right?

Blazer, Donna Karan; dress, Forever21; bodystocking, Hustler; ankle boots, Sigerson Morrison

Have you ever picked up a pleasant surprise on clearance? What was it?

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I remember buying this top on a thrifting adventure a few years ago, but I don’t remember why. Most likely, I figured I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy what was basically a tee shirt made out of gold sequins. Really, what self-respecting thrift-loving fashionista could?

Only, I haven’t really worn it. A crazy halloween costume doesn’t count (I was Rick James, bitch). Neither does dress up around the house, which happens just as often as it did when I was five. So, inspired by the 3.1 Philip Lim fall show, I tried to figure out a way to make it work.

Shirt, blazer & belt, vintage; trousers, Luxe.

Have you ever figured out a way to wear the unworn items in the back of your closet? What did you do with them?

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Screenprinted tee, Urban Outfitters; skirt, Warehouse; cardigan, The Limited; boots, Century 21; feather earrings, Anthropologie; belt, vintage.

I’m not usually a floral print type of girl–give me blacks and grays any day–but I guess the combination of rainy April weather and warm temperatures is making me feel more princess than witch.

Has the impending spring season had an impact on your style?

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Sometimes I want to be like the boys. No, not in the smelly-feet-raggedy-drawers-don’t-clean-up-after-yourself way. I mean in the important way: wardrobe wise, of course. It’s not a new idea: women have been “borrowing” men’s clothing for years to great effect: Think of silver screen stars Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn draping themselves in men’s suiting, the iconic movie wardrobe of Diane Keaton in Annie Hall, and the laid-back glamour of Yves St. Laurent’s le smoking. Even the boys themselves provide inspiration (’bout time): at the top of my mind are the smooth operators of the Rat Pack and Wall Street‘s unabashedly power hungry Gordon Gekko. A dash of menswear-inspired tailoring (because tailoring is crucial) looks professional, adds contrast to more feminine pieces, and can be especially fun to wear when assuming a character. Key pieces include oxford shirts, tailored trousers, and men’s accessories:

1. Boy’s shirt, Old Navy 2. Silk tie, Krimson by Kwame 3. Trousers, Victoria’s Secret 4. Boy’s blazer, Ralph Lauren 5. Raffia fedora, Hats in the Belfry

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