holiday – Blissful Style

Happy Fourth of July everybody! I was in Noho when I spotted the above American Apparel, because it’s hard to miss. One doesn’t have to so much as enter to see camis, bustiers, tank tops, crop tops, tees, leggings, baseball caps, swimwear, and towels emblazoned with the American flag. I think it’s pretty boring to observe a holiday without dressing for it — I personally dress up for Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, the Fourth of July, Halloween, and Christmas — so I appreciate this store’s spirit. That said, I think there is a more creative way to dress for the Fourth, and that is the Three-Color Rule: wear red, white, and blue, to the exclusion of other colors.

Bustier, XOXO; jeans, Boom Boom; sunglasses, St. Mark’s Place; belt, Apt. 9

Vintage cropped jacket; Pier 1 ring

The difference between wearing red, white, and blue versus wearing the American flag is like the difference between showing and telling. The flag motif means THE FOURTH OF JULY; whoever buys that merchandise at American Apparel might only want to wear it once a year, perhaps pulling it out of the closet on an election day. With the Three-Color Rule, you can wear items that would each make sense any other day of the year, while still effectively communicating “Fourth of July” with their particular combination. You can stand apart. Your favored juxtaposition might not be blue on the left, red on the right, and white in between. Your print of choice might not be stars, or even stripes. Your shirt will look different from the next person’s. It’s the perfect way to make the holiday your own!

Dress, Gap; headband, Forever 21; belt, Charter Club; lips purse, Far Nine

Necklace, Macy’s private label; chunky sandals, Paolo

Sophie watch; Claire’s ring

And the best part is, you don’t have to buy anything new…and even if you don’t have a single bright red or dark blue item in your closet, whatever you buy, you can wear again and again.

Lux cami; Forever 21 skirt and sash

Forever 21 bow pumps; Forever 21 bracelet

Vintage handbag

Abercrombie & Fitch cropped sweater; Lauren Ralph Lauren blazer; H&M jeans; Nine West newsboy cap

Vintage brooch; Forever 21 ring

Top, Forever 21; skirt, American Apparel (see, they’re not all bad!); headband, Anna Belen; handbag, Gucci

Watch, Betty Boop

Apt. 9

Aqua Blues top. Divided by H&M skirt. Apt. 9 scarf. Stupa purse.

Today is the day my parents and younger sister said farewell to their Christmas tree. My parents work all day and my sister is a full-time student, so naturally the tree was decorated on December 24. That’s why, though Christmas came and went, my family wanted to hold on to this tree for as long as they could. Today I post to commemorate its beauty and spirit.

The Christmas colors are red and green, and between the two I prefer red. Red velvet makes me think of bows, gifts, wreaths, and holiday parties; in deep burgundy, a velvet top errs on the more sophisticated party side. This top, which was my mother’s, can be tricky to wear. At first it comes across as formal, but its dramatic wrap shape exposes the midriff. My solution is to wear it with a high-waisted skirt, short or long. This flouncy floral skirt continues where the shirt’s volume left off, creating a bell shape.

Tarina Tarantino

Brette Connolly hat. Tarina Tarantino ring.

My favorite part of the outfit is the hat because I made it myself. When I was 15 I saw a chic selection of newsboy hats for the winter at Nordstrom, and instead of buying one I decided to sew one. Herringbone tends to have a serious look to it, especially on a traditionally masculine shape. To counter this effect, I chose a pink fabric. I have always loved Barbie dolls, but these days I play with Barbie jewelry. I think of Barbie as a renaissance woman who got everything done and bought everything she wanted, and always looked put together doing it.

Claire's

Claire’s earrings

I don’t think one can ever be too old to wear snowman earrings. I bought these last year for Ugly Sweater Day at Nordstrom. Of course the plan was to buy a Christmas sweater, but I couldn’t seem to find any. Instead, I opted for accessories: snowman earrings, a reindeer antlers headband, a bracelet watch with Christmas charms, festive brooches, and crazy Santa Claus glasses. The headband and glasses are long gone, but these earrings are cute enough to wear annually.

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