For the Plebs: Boiler Suits

Goodness to gracious, I cannot begin to express how excited I am by an image I saw in my April British Vogue.

That's a lie, I totally can.

I am thrilled, giddy, elated, pleased and delighted that my favorite item of clothing is now du jour. 

I have always loved a good pair of overalls (or coveralls), going back to the purple corduroy Oshkosh B'gosh ones I wore in grade school. I updated that look in Jr. High School with a thrifted pair of washed-out overall shorts worn over a bikini top, or t-shirt if I was to leave the neighbourhood / go anywhere that required shoes. It was a sad day when, about two years ago, I spotted a pair of washed-out cut-off overalls in the tween section of H&M. I wasn't about to fool myself into thinking I could squeeze my decidedly not-tween hips into them. I decided to try the next best thing available - a jumpsuit. I have tried on every one I've come across in the last year or so (admittedly I didn't actually go shopping for some time as I was while in school) but have yet to find one that fits and looks good. I'm not overly into the 70's or 80's look, so I've been limited in designs that actually appeal.

This, however, appeals.

Balmain S/S 2014 - from InDigital, via Vogue.co.uk

It probably comes from the years I spent working at a greenhouse / tree farm where I adopted a pair for fall and winter wear. There was something subtly rebellious about wearing a boiler suit at work, only to change into my very feminine pea coat and nice boots when I left for the day. My style since then has shifted from almost hyper-femme to what I'd like to call "nu-punk", but it's a bit ambiguous. Regardless of what I call it, a boiler suit fits right in to that slightly-strange section of my closest that continues to grow.

Admittedly this look is very denim-friendly, which is a material I tend to avoid as black denim doesn't stay black as long as I want it to. And if it's not black, I'm not buying it. I've found a few potentials poking about other blogs, but I've yet to find "The One".

For the Plebs: Seoul Fashion Week

I spend a lot of time on tumblr. A lot. And while some of my feed is devoted to ballet, Japanese oddities and modern art, a large portion of it is taken up by runway shots. Picture after picture of the hottest, the newest and the best of the most current shows. These pictures pile up in my "liked" section (never to be looked at again) because for a few sweet seconds the clothes inspired me in some form, or more likely they made me briefly irrational with the desire that I was the kind of mixed-race 20-something stick-figure that could pull off "something like that". If you are that slim, gorgeous/exotic mixed-race young person, rock it sugar! If not, here's something for the rest of us:

From RE.D F/W 2014  - photo: Chung Sung-Jun (Getty)

Layers! I have found the easiest way to update my clothes in a figure-flattering way is to incorporate layers of different textures in a monochromatic scheme. The above outfit is from a recent show for Seoul Fashion Week, and I think it's a wonderful example of fashion done right. The designers certainly had their non-conventional pieces that I imagine will appear in music videos later this year, but there really was a lot of practical options. Regardless of your desire to buy hot-off-the-Korean-runway or not, adding some texture into your outfits (think leather cuffs on a blouse, felted slacks or sheer panels in a skirt) can be an easy way to update a wardrobe. 

For a fun comparison, here's my favorite kpop star, g-dragon, in a very... kpop outfit.

from kpopstarz.net

Yeah.

Refresh

Do you ever find yourself reflecting on previous versions of yourself and wishing they would just cease to ever have existed and disappear? 

We all have haircuts, fashion statements, and past-loves that we regret and want to crop out of photos ("un-tag" is the thing to do these modern days, I suppose). I challenge you to find me the person who looks back at themselves at 14 years-old and doesn't cringe a bit. Sometimes it's easy to just shrug your shoulders and sigh, dismiss it to youth and inexperience and let it go. Other times it sticks with you like a bad taste in your mouth.

Found on fuckyeahugly90sclothes.tumblr.com

Today I looked back through my old blog posts, things that 18 year-old Erin thought and felt, and had to try really hard not to be ashamed. I had to remind myself that I had written those things and felt comfortable sharing them in the evermore of the Internet. I still deleted all but one.

With a clean slate and a different frame of mind (I am by no means "mature" at 22, but I certainly not as image-obsessed negatively as some versions of myself), I decided to try my hand at writing a blog again. I've been dipping my toes in the waters of writing again but find my hand cramping as I struggle to journal out all my thoughts and feelings at the end of the day. Typing takes much less effort, and the muted tap of a MacBook keyboard is pleasing to the ear.

So here we are, again. Let's see what happens.

Qui a mangé ma soupe?

Just a quick soup recipe.

Gazpacho Soup

 1 lbs can of stewed tomatoes
 10 1/2 oz can of beef broth
 1 cup peeled, chopped cucumber
 1 cup chopped celery
 1 cup sliced onions
 1 clove of garlic
 2 tbsp of lemon juice
 dash of pepper

Now, as this is technically a gazpacho, all the ingredients should be blended together and served cold. I much prefer it hot though, so bring it all to a boil and then simmer until the onions are tender - about 6 to 8 minutes.

This is the original recipe my Mom's been eating since the 80's, so I update it with sodium-reduced and organic products and it tastes just as good. She usually serves with cornbread, but in the interest of my waist-line I'll refrain.

In Grade 7 French we "studied" plays. Basically we translated fairy tales and read them out-loud. The only one I remember is "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" or "Boucle d'Or et les Trois Ours" because I got into a fight with my teacher about how it should 
still say "Goldilocks" because "that's her freakin' name and shouldn't be translated!" and I spent 
the next 2 weeks running around saying in my Papa Bear voice "Qui a mangé ma soupe?"




I feel a bit silly today. Possibly because I started doing ballet this morning and ended up totally working out.
It's all those good endorphins.