blog rec: advanced style

For a little Friday pick-me-up, I want to recommend a blog I just stumbled across (isn't it amazing how a blog can be extremely popular, and you and no one you know has heard of it? I love that about the internet. There are so many secret pockets of awesome.) Advanced Style is a street fashion blog that features an underappreciated group of fashionistas: older people!



The ladies and gentlemen featured on Advanced Style display a wide variety of personal styles, from funky to classic. There are outfits featured that make me go "I want that!" and outfits that I could definitely see either of my grandmothers (who have very different styles!) wearing.

I think it's great to remember that the constant tirade of "new new new" that we get from the fashion industry isn't true. You can wear things past their "season," you can keep pieces in your closet that you'll be rocking years (or decades!) down the line. And when the media is busy telling you anyone over thirty (well, any woman over thirty) isn't worth squat, you can surf on over to Advanced Style and see ladies who keep rocking it into the 80s and 90s...there are even women who are still showing off their personal style at 100! Wow! Now there's a goal I can really aspire to.









I just picked a few of my favorite images through a quick perusal of Advanced Style; I heartily recommend you go and enjoy the uncoventional pretty! It's a great way to start your weekend. Have a happy/safe one!

friday fix: spooktacular edition

It's time for that most spooky of holidays! I love Halloween, even though it never quite lives up to what I imagine. This is probably because my favorite part is making my costume and getting all dressed up...once I'm in costume, the glory kind of fades. I'm not really into scary things (and have been carried out of two haunted houses in my lifetime), but I absolutely adore dressing up (for anything really, but on Halloween everyone else dresses up too!) I'm having a bit of a costume meltdown at the moment, but I have faith that I'll get everything squared away in time for epic photoshoots and dancing tomorrow night. Meanwhile, have a few fun things to get into the spooky spirit!


via ilikemakeup

A great dark glam look for Halloween or for any nighttime adventure when you feel a bit...vampy?


Halloween Bento Boxes via The Kitchn

How disgustingly cute is that? I have a huge (and random) fondness for bento boxes--I often get lost in communities dedicated to the delicious art, just scrolling through. I wonder if it things taste better when they're that adorable?


Winston as snail, via fourfour

Animals in costume will never not be funny. The more disgruntled they are, the better. We all get to look ridiculous on Halloween; why should our furry friends be left out? If you go to the bottom of the linked post, you'll get to see many of Winston's stylish outfits. He is an extremely malleable cat. (And fourfour is my very favorite site for ANTM recaps, in case any of you were not aware and/or needed a good resource for those. There are gifs aplenty!)


Via Gothic Charm School

Striped socks are amazing all year, but particularly so at Halloween! I've got pair of green-and-white and red-and-white myself, but I'm always looking to expand my collection.


Via i have a lot of feelings

Have a fun and safe Halloween, and stay fickle!

friday fix

Oh dear, is it Friday? Folks, I will tell you right now (though I'm sure you could tell), this week got away from me. The first week back to class is always runs one a bit ragged, but I really have no such excuse. I was just distracted by friends, my kitchen, figuring out when classes were canceled and what readings I was meant to attend. Let's put that in the past, because it is, and look to a stunning new future, starting with the weekend.

Perhaps we'll even look...Back to the Future!



Haha, yes, that was silly, but the 25th anniversary of Back to the Future is coming up! Some friends and I will be going to see a special one-night-only showing of BttF in a theater! I'm excited for some sweet 80s fashion mixed with some sweet 50s style. I have a huge amount of fondness for the 50s (style wise) and for the 80s (hilarity wise) and for proms (it's prom!), so what could be better than a 50s-as-done-by-the-80s prom? Nothing, that's what!


The Eloise 1960s Mod Scooter Dress, via Red Dress Shoppe

There is a reason this is called a "scooter" dress, and that reason is because I want desperately to wear it while riding on the Vespa I don't yet own. Someday, I'll have a Vespa and wear nothing but adorable dresses and kicky pumps and a sweet round mod helmet and tool around the city. Wouldn't that be adorable?


Via makeupftw@tumblr

Halloween makeup! So exciting, I can't wait to get my intense green on. I'm a big fan of crazy makeup, and my Poison Ivy look is going to have green out the wazoo. Tonight I'll be attending a Monsters Ball party and will finally have the chance to rock my purple lipstick. Depending on how the look turns out, I might have to share it with you!

That's the return of the Kitsch. Don't let me stay away so long dearies, I miss you when I'm away. Have a great weekend, and stay fickle!

friday fix

I almost forgot today was Friday! Being off for a week will do that to you--days don't matter so much when you're spending your time watching HGTV and Food Network. But all good things much come to an end, and I'll be heading back to school this weekend to resume the real world.


Belted Wool Blend Coat by Miss Sixty, via Overstock.com

I'm still in the market for winter coats (you may remember my epic coat woe), especially now as it's getting chillier. Loving the collar and back-pleats on this one.


Supermask by columbina, via Etsy

So feeling the masks these days. I wish I could just wear one around (I hear they're terribly comfortable). I suspect it would make my life sassy times infinity. Part of it is definitely the Halloween fever, because the lead-up to Halloween is always much more exciting than the actual day. I have some Halloween posts in the works, so keep your eyes peeled for that!


#8483 by Justin Alexander, via Justin Alexander Bridal

Oh god, wedding dresses. Wedding dresses. You know that I loooove weddings in all ways (I even posted about working a bridal inspiration in your everyday life)! There is nothing I enjoy looking at more than wedding dresses! Except for this Pnina Tornai ones that keep popping up on Say Yes to the Dress. Call me a traditionalist, but I don't think your $11k gown should look like a bustier you bought on the clearance rack at Spencer's.

What are you folks thinking about this lovely fall Friday? Have a great weekend, and stay fickle!

friday fix

This Friday is a particularly fabulous one, because I'm at home! That's right, it's midterm break around these parts, and I've got the whole week to hang out with my family, make use of a fully stocked kitchen, and watch plenty of TV. So for today, I'm making my Friday fix a little bit more personal. Stylish things that are making me happy this Friday:

My superglam baby sister

Can't include a pic because...I haven't asked her, and that would be creepy. But how many teens decide to get a little black cocktail dress for Homecoming in order to build their future wardrobe? See, we're definitely related. And I can show you this:


Okay, so this is a picture Google gave me, but it looks just like it!

If there's ever a day that a girl deserves to win a Sephora box in a raffle, it's her 18th birthday! ♥ to the ultrafab j!



The previously mentioned j checked out two of Nina Garcia's books from the library, and I'm checking out The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Ever Stylish Woman Must Own. So far, I really like it! I'll probably post a little book review when I'm done.



The color I'm going to dye my hair! ...well, not exactly, but that's my inspiration color. I'm planning to do my usual red ("Paint the Town" from Herbal Essence's Color Me Vibrant line) and then add some Manic Panic (probably "Flaming") on top for Halloween. We'll see how it goes! Hopefully it'll be fab and not a mess. (I love that eye makeup too...note to self: experiment with glitter)


Awww yiss...oh noooo

Okay, so that's not really stylish, but the badge is pretty adorable, right? I am participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, or "November" for you non-insane folks) again this year! Maybe this will be the year I finally win! Feel free to friend me over there, and we'll push each other to the win! (I might make outfit posts for characters. Just saying.)

Have a great weekend, and stay fickle!

friday fix

It's that most wonderful of days again! I have some pretties for you again (if you want some pretty pictures all through the week, follow my tumblr.


BDG Varsity Cardigan from Urban Outfitters

This comes in a lot of great colors, but I'm a fan of the gray/green because I'm a Slytherin.


Coral Turquoise Fantasy Necklace by connorinspiresamy

I was in love with this necklace over the summer, and looking through her shop today, I'm even more crazy about her work. Keep your eyes out for an i heart etsy post featuring her work.


Madame Herringbone Heel from ModCloth

The schoolmarm shoe will always always always catch my eye. And this one has herringbone! And buckles! Be still my beating heart! The shoe section of ModCloth is a minefield for me...their clothes are adorable, of course, but tragically (or luckily) they carry very very few pieces in my size. Shoes on the other hand...oh, shoes. Always my weakness.

I have thrifting plans for the afternoon and a pint of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked. My weekend is ready, how about yours?

friday fix

It's a lovely Friday afternoon, and while I write a story about surrealist typewriters for my fiction workshop, I feel the urge to look at pretty things. Have a look, and then have a great weekend ♥


Photo thanks to projectrungay

I would so wear Mondo's entry from this week's PR. And am I the only one who can't help thinking of him as a young, especially flamboyant Gomez Addams?


Photo thanks to pretty space

Those pillows are so adorable, they're driving me bonkers. (I originally reblogged this picture over on my tumblr. Follow me there to see pretty pictures all week long!)


Available here

Pinup Girl Clothing has been one of my favorite "look and lust" websites for years now. If I could outfit myself entirely in their dresses, I would.

What pretty things are you looking at this fine Friday?