Meet Lo
-Artist/Writer
-Fashion Design Dabbler/Enthusiast
-Make Up Connoiseur
-Entrepreneur
-Explorer of the Universe
Sep
3
The Packrat’s Guide to Getting Simplified – The Great Closet Purge
September 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Before you even begin to think about lurking the webz for new attire to replace your old, worn out duds you simply must sit down and assess your current collection first. All those clothes you’d never dream of wearing again, but can’t bear to part with, are taking up ample space for delightfully new clothing. It is time to begin THE GREAT CLOSET PURGE, ladies and gents.
“Where do I begin in this crazy mess that I call my wardrobe?!” You may be wondering. Simple! Out with the old and in with the new! And to begin this tumultuous journey we start with sorting, sorting, sorting. Along your quest towards sartorial shangri-la, this step might just be the hardest to handle. At least, I know it was for me! Sometimes I feel like I’m teetering on the edge of hoarding insanity when it comes to my beloved clothing. It’s the memories in the damn stuff that keep me from freeing them into the world of Goodwill and Salvation Army. And that nagging little voice in my head whispering, “You might just need that someday, so don’t come crying to me when it’s looooong gone.” Yikes! It’s a terrible downfall, but fortunately I’ve been able to overcome it in recent years and I’ve ended up shedding almost 3/4 of my wardrobe. From mass amounts of trial and error – and with much guidance from the all powerful internet – I’ve devised a pretty rad method of parring down what you’ve got so you can get MOAR! Which may, indeed, seem contradicting, but if you try to re-assess your closet at least once a year it’s wonderfully liberating. Plus, the benefits of constantly cleaning and updating your wardrobe are numerous:
+ You’ll always look and feel fresh, never dated
+ Your wardrobe will always be consistent and refined
+ Your clothing will never look ratty or old
+ You’ll never be at a loss for what to wear ever again
Refreshing right? Let’s get started while you’ve still got that glowy, I’m-feeling-productive look on your face.
Take a moment and stare into the abyss that used to be your wardrobe and reminisce for a few seconds. Now, stop personifying your clothing and try to look at your stuff with a discerning eye. Your fond memories will always, always, always, get in the way of THE PURGE if you don’t leave them at the door. Don’t convince yourself that untouched garment is worth keeping just because of the nostalgia that swarms you when you find it. If, during this step, you find yourself keeping everything – defeating the purpose of your MISSION – please step back, take a deep breath and remind yourself that clothes are just clothes. And if it’s really difficult, remind yourself of all the great memories you’ll create in your new clothes.
The method to my sorting madness is quite simple, actually. Just decide upon how you want to sort your overflow of apparel. I like to separate mine into piles consisting of:
Keep – The best of the best of your clothing, the stuff that will start the foundation of your new wardrobe. Anything that needs altering, is visibly worn (and not in a good way) or isn’t an actively used item shouldn’t be here!
Replace/Alterations – There’s probably a lot of clothes you want to throw in the Keep Pile, but in following the strict guidelines of putting only the crème de la crème in there, you just don’t know what to do with them. Most of these clothes have a missing button here, a slight rip there, or maybe their colour is just… off. Anything that is a favourite but needs replacing or anything you’ve ever wanted to alter or plain ol’ revamp altogether should go right hurr.
Donate – Anything that isn’t in a good enough condition to sell can and should be donated! You can usually get a receipt of some sort from companies like Goodwill and Salvation Army that can be used for tax deductions! How fantastic is that?!
Sell – Anything that doesn’t fit you or you simply have lost taste for that is still in good to excellent condition can easily be sold for some dough. Places like Ebay and forums are great places to sell modern and vintage items alike, while places like Etsy and thrift stores are great for selling specifically vintage attire.
Maybe – This is the place for those clothes you simply can’t part with quite yet, but you know they rarely get worn. I like to call this pile the “Death Row” pile because the idea is that you’ll take these clothes, stick ‘em in a box and hide it from your sight for a month or more. Then after you forget all about it and find it again you’ll usually be able to part with most, if not all of the garments inside.
Once you have all of your piles arranged and sorted, take a deep breath and praise yourself for the huge accomplishment you just made. Now it’s time to figure out what to do with said piles!
Firstly, take the clothing you’re keeping and put it away and admire the lovely – albeit small – beginnings of your new, fanciful wardrobe. Then decide what you want to do with all the apparel you’d like to replace or alter. Some may be unwearable, so make a list of all the items you need to purchase in order to get rid of their worn out predecessors. Anything that needs altering should be placed in a box with a list of what needs fixing (don’t worry about what to do with this box, yet! I’ll be doing a post dedicated solely to this subject later on in the week). You already know what to do with your Maybe pile so toss those items in a box and hide that suckaaa somewhere for a while. Lastly, assess your Donate and Sell piles! Anything you’re donating should be cleaned, folded, listed on a sheet of paper (they’ll love you when you show up with a record of the items you have for them), and put into trash bags to bring to your local donation center of choice. Any items you want to sell should also be cleaned and sorted for easy access when it’s time to list those babies online. Some of you may already be Ebay experts or thrift store junkies, so go ahead and do your thang. But if any of you have questions, send ‘em my way! If I get enough interest I’ll dedicate an entire post to the topic.
With that said, get your booties in gear and go get sorting! Check back tomorrow for the next article in The Journey Towards Sartorial Shangri-La series, Space Solutions – Designing Your Dream Closet!
Love life,
Miss Lo
Aug
31
The Journey To Sartorial Shangri-La (Or Throwing Myself Under the Fashion Bus)
August 31, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Lackluster, bipolar and ill-fitting are some of the words that come to mind when I peek into the depths of my wardrobe. It’s not pretty, people. I’ve simply lost affection for the majority of the attire I possess – and that’s a whole damn lot of, well, useless stuff that resides in my room. Looking at it makes me cringe, thinking about replacing it makes my bank account cry and actually wearing it isn’t much better. Since graduating high school – and promptly losing the cash flow to dump into revamping one’s wardrobe – I’ve lost a lot of weight. I went from a size 12 at my biggest down to a lithe size 4, which has been nothing but a confidence booster for me but more of a disaster for my style. Nothing fits, everything is worn and old and, frankly, I can’t even stand the obese amount of clashing colours I’ve managed to rack up over the years. I’ve fallen into what I like to call “style distress” and this rut must end STAT.
And so begun the quest to revamp and reignite my love for my attire. When the thought of undertaking this task came about I knew I must chronicle it here. Rarely are you going to see a style blogger admit in gross detail their sartorial woes, so my kooky idea light bulb flicked on and I decided to throw myself under the bus for the sake of FASHION. So you never utter the words, “I have nothing to wear…” while surround by enough clothes to dress yourself for a year without doing laundry. Or if you’d like a better visual, it’s more like happening across moi in the Mines of Moria during a showdown with a tattered and stained dress I’ve owned since I was a FRESHMAN in high school bellowing, “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!” Think of me as the Wizard of Wardrobes, if you will. Thus begins the epic journey towards fashion solace. Featuring all sorts of style guide goodness for the month of September:
+ The Packrat’s Guide to Getting Simplified – Taking your style from scattered to streamlined and getting rid of the excess along the way
+ Space Solutions – Designing Your Dream Closet!
+ Discovering your Style ID – Lookbooks, Style Bibles and Fit Guides! Oh my! A lovely overview
+ Re-Style – DIY tips and tricks for the stylish crafter (or how to bring new life to old attire)
+ Disecting An Outfit (Or How To Dress Your Best Everyday)
+ Colour Palettes – Creating Colour Trees and Infusing Your Wardrobe with Luminosity
+ Wardrobe Basics and Beyond – Defining Your Sartorial Fingerprint
+ Smart Shopping – Wise Women Always Get the Good Deals
Stick around, ’cause later this week I’ll be dropping posts 1 & 2 to start off our sartorial journey! Plus a few suprises will be tucked in here and there to keep you on your toes…
Love Life,
Miss Lo
Jun
2
06.02.2010 The Quest For Self-Love
June 2, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Loving yourself is the most important thing in the world next to food on your plate and a roof over your head. At least that’s how it should be, though most people seem to put that at the veeeeeerrrrrryyy bottom of their list of priorities. NOT COOL PEOPLE! I used to be among those people as well and I was not a happier person for it; quite the opposite actually. Once I stopped doing things solely for other people and started living my life for me is when everything changed. Now I’m actually happy, healthy and enjoying the little things instead of fretting over everyone else and their problems and successes. To put it simply, I started living a life worth living!
A lot of this self-love talk started full-swing with Gala Darling’s The Playgirl’s Guide to Radical Self Love and she’s truly been inspiring to a LOT of girls out there, myself included! And she’s actually why I’m writing this post today. Over at Black Cigarette (a LiveJournal community that I am a part of) one of the wonderful members posted about her self-love quest (which mentions Gala) and it sparked quite a large amount of amazing comments! Not only do I think you should click that there link and read EVERY SINGLE ONE, but I’m going to post some of my favourites right here. And in case you’re curious I’m _pamplemousse in the comments, but I’ll be posting my response here as well.
Loving yourself is about confronting your deepest fears and most painful memories, about getting to know the true you, and the whys and hows of how you feel and react in and about daily life. No one and nothing outside your own mind can make you truly happy.
-technicolorpuff
As a soon-to-be-qualified midwife, I see beauty in my work. I don’t live a ‘magical’ life, I don’t have the money to buy pretty things, I don’t have the time to take half as many photos as I’d like and I can’t draw to save my life. And even though there are many negative aspects to what I do, I see so much love and so much beauty that being a part of that makes me happy.
I live by the quote: “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.” By Albert Pine. So I guess I find self-love in the love I put out into the world.
And I try to take a bubble bath in the morning of every day off I have. And I like to lie on the ground (grass or dirt) and think about the Earth moving in the universe and how attached to it I am when I’ve got so much me lying against it.
So basically, I think my happiness comes from the sense of being a very small part in something very big.
-halfofus
I find beauty in the ugly things, like dirty cities and old buildings and crummy apartments. It gives me something to write about. If you look at something ugly or cheap and then do something artistic with it – whether you write a poem or paint or whatever it may be – you’ll start to find beauty in everything, including yourself.
-linenmaps
Growing up in a household where much of my immediate family had intense mental instability i thought physical/emotional abuse was the norm,that it was okay because they had a reason. i got older and realized despite what i may have done or said (usually, nothing) i never deserved that treatment. loving myself came from realizing that we don’t deserve the awful things that happen to us and it isn’t a reflection of our character. shit happens. we can grow and better ourselves the best we can through it.
and happiness can be a choice.this quote always stuck with me:
Haley James Scott: You know that romantic notion that all the garbage and the pain is really healing and beautiful and sort of poetic? It’s not. It’s just garbage and it’s pain. You know what’s better? Love. The day that you start thinking that love is overrated is the day that you’re wrong. The only thing wrong with love and faith and belief is not having it.-my_loudest_pen
I only truly started loving myself when I was able to admit to what I didn’t like about myself so I could fix it. I think loving yourself requires a humble mind and an open heart because we tend to be much more scrutinizing of ourselves than others.
You have to choose to be happy and stick with it no matter the troubles you come across. And faking it when you need to be happy the most always works like a charm for me.
Loving yourself also requires putting yourself first and basically saying “fuck it” to the things that don’t benefit you no matter how hard it is. Part of my problem was that I was too selfless. I would let everyone else get what they wanted first and that usually meant I got nothing at all. It was the hardest thing to start standing up for myself, but that made a huge difference in my self-esteem.
None of this comes naturally for me either, if that makes you feel less alone in your quest. I have to constantly work hard to love myself, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. For the first 18 years of my life I wanted to be miserable and I didn’t know how to fight it. The way I was going I was basically killing myself bit by bit and to this day I am still shocked that I am alive and healed and happy. It took a LOT of painful realizations to see that I wasn’t the person I wanted to be. I lost the few friends I had and stopped myself from pursuing what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to look in the mirror and admit to myself that I had issues because I was scared of failing, but really doing that was failing. And I think happiness requires doing things you’re scared of every single day just to prove to yourself that you are a strong and amazing person.
Things I tell myself every day:
“Am I doing what’s best for me?”
“I’m a beautiful and amazing person.”
If something is irking me that shouldn’t be: “It’s not worth it so let it go.”And I swear by EFT (which I assume you know about through Gala Darling) it’s amazing! I had an intense fear of gory movies and images of self-mutilation (due to my past) that would send me into panic attacks so that was the first thing I tried EFT on and I was shocked when I sat down later that day with my boyfriend (a gory movie fanatic) and made it through a Saw movie and only needed to tap one more time. No attacks or dizziness (I usually would come close to passing out before if I saw something that disturbed me or triggered me) or anything! I was so relieved I started bawling, no joke.
The only way I can express how important it is to force yourself out of your comfort zone and start loving yourself is this: I, without a single doubt in my mind, would be dead if I didn’t start working towards loving myself when I did. Don’t ever let yourself get that low, ever. It’s not worth it. You don’t deserve anything, ANYTHING less than pure unadulterated love for yourself.
Oh and one last thought on the subject.
You mentioned feeling that everyone else had magical lives and I don’t think you should really look at it that way. I, by no means, would consider the situation I am in to be great or even okay in all reality. I live in a dead end town with not many friends, but I’m the happiest I’ve ever been because I try to find the beauty in the little things. Like taking long walks in the wilderness and photographing things I love and watching late night That 70’s Show with my love and making delicious food and wreaking havoc in Walmart and painting, etc. etc. I think magical lives only truly start when you accept your life as it is and then make it what you want it to be. : )
-_pamplemousse (aka moi!)
BEAUTIFUL, am I right?! People talking about how much they love themselves gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling not unlike when I get to cuddle with kittens, eat peanut butter and hersey syrup covered vanilla ice cream (it’s rather delicious mmmmhhhhmmm) and win wagers against my soon-to-be-hubs. *GASP* I haven’t told you yet?!?! Oh my… well, er, my bad! More on that in a few days.
Love Life,
Miss Lo
Apr
23
In Orbit 004 04.23.2010
April 23, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Welcome to another edition of In Orbit with your host Looooooo Zephyyyrrrrr!!!!! *crickets* Hmm… well…
Announcement : I’ve been dabbling with Tumblr. You should check it out!
+ I’m starting this off with something you DON’T want to hear, but you need to. NEED TO! Steve Pavlina tells us how it is when it comes to our past, present and future. Word up to Gala for this one!
+ Wait… I can see like Arnie does in Terminator? RAD!
+ I’m ashamed to admit this happened in the county I grew up in. We used to be proud of our liberal views, but not anymore apparently. I do hope this gets resolved quickly and fairly.
+ Parisian subway tickets + clever man = Star Wars origami WIN!
+ The Glue Society gets biblical. Check out some cool and controversial depictions of what stories from the bible could have looked like.
+ Could we be living in the Matrix? You’ll be surprised by what you learn!
Basically what this is saying is that we will either soon kill ourselves off with some technology that we can’t control (a possibility that isn’t pleasant to entertain, and sounds a bit like what happened in “The Matrix”), or that once we have the required technology, we won’t use it to create simulations of the universe. If neither of these scenarios turn out to be true, then we probably are actually in a simulation — right now.
+ So massive they call it “superheavy”! Now that’s what I like to hear!
+ More people need to be aware of what China has been doing to our planet. Factory worker turned photographer, Lu Guang does just that!
+ Everlasting storms, climbing goats and raining fish. Is it the end of the world? NO! Just natural phenomenons you’ll probably never see.
+ How video games hook and reel you in. My boyfriend showed me this after he cancelled his World of Warcraft account. Ridiculous!
+ Having a hard time finding employment in our crazy economy? Let these creative resumes inspire you!
+ 12 Common and Very Wrong Myths About the Human Brain – and you thought you only used 10% of your brain!
An octopus steals a divers camera and a highspeed chase ensues! Cephalopods are smart little buggers.
Love Life,
Miss Lo
Apr
22
Epoch Of Style 004 – 04.22.10 Helmut Lang F2010 RTW Draped & Drafted
April 22, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Helmut Lang did a damn good job at making me consider mass credit card debt this year. Just look at the rad moonscape patterned tees or the eye-catching black and white panelled suits or those jeans and their seams or or or… *faints* It’s never ending, I tell you! Each garment has it’s rightful place in my wardrobe and the silhouette of those big ol’ boots worked like magic. What’s fantastic about the collection is that it’s full of interesting basics. They didn’t skimp on their tailoring, either. I really get an awesome sense for the type of woman who would wear these clothes. Totally relaxed yet chic with a beautiful muted colour palette. I am reminded of the barren, pot-holed moon and the Milky Way hanging over concrete jungles of skyscrapers and cars when I look at the structure of the clothes and the prints, of course. Overall it’s an extremely cohesive collection with detail overload, my favourite! Deliciously modern. Plus, anyone who can make me lust after a pair of jeans gets an A+ in my book.
I love abstract prints on clothes. Well, really I just love non-objective art in general so wearing it is even better! What kind of prints do you like to see designers use? I was always a big fan of Alexander McQueen’s textile choices. Bless that man, RIP!
Love Life,
Miss Lo
Apr
21
The Regimentals 005 – 04.21.10 Colourfest
April 21, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Tooootalllllly had this post all typed up and ready to post then POOf! Gone… just like that… So yeah, short on words right now : /
It’s been pouring rain the past two days and these photos are from the small window of sunshine we had yesterday. Today it’s not so much about the rain as it is the insane on the verge of tornado WIND. Always, man… always. The wind never stops here in central California. NEVER! I’ll escape it someday, but until that point I will always be incorrectly dressed for the weather as skirts and dresses are never appropriate here. Cheers to stubborn fashionable girls everywhere! *knocks one back*
Ingredients
+ black PU jacket – Forever21
+ black sweater – Forever21
+ teal cropped sweater – Target
+ metallic gray tank top – Old Navy (and yes, it really is metallic… well, more shimmery perhaps)
+ creamsicle tiered skirt – American Apparel (Pssst, AA I need MOAR colours!)
+ black thigh highs – DIY cut from old pantyhose
+ cowboy boots – thrifted (these puppies are FAR too large for my puppies, but they stay nonetheless)
+ white necklace – BAHAHA stolen from a friend a very long time ago
+ key necklace – Cabo
+ peace earrings – Nordstroms
+ sunglasses – Chloe (A lovely, lovely girl from MUD gave these to me. Walked up to me in class one day, handed me a case and said, “These are the perfect sunglasses for you, darling!”)
What kind of stylista are you? Practical or impractical? Me? I am without a doubt highly impractical at all times.
Love Life,
Miss Lo
Apr
20
Epoch of Style 003 – 04.20.10 Haider Ackermann F2010 RTW Scuplted Delicacies
April 20, 2010 | Leave a Comment
As I sat here and calculated the ways I might possibly acquire a piece from Haider Ackermann’s Fall 2010 RTW collection I realized I am probably far from alone in my desperate desires for flagrant fashions and figured we could all wallow together in our collective lack of funds. Therefore I present to you a few drool-worthy and impeccable creations:
From the sumptuous detail of the stitching to the exquisite lazer-cut leather, Ackermann was the highlight of my F2010 RTW discoveries for good reason. His designs invoke images of dishwater gray futuristic cityscapes speckled with silhouettes of barren urbanite trees. My favourite part about the collection? The vests and jackets, hands down. With removable peplums and endlessly malleable collars there are a delectable amount of ways to recreate each piece, which is great for a chameleon like me. Now if only I could afford such fanciful attire!
What has caught your eye from the F2010 RTW collections so far? You’ll get to see a few more of mine soon!
Love Life,
Miss Lo
Apr
19
Through The Lens 002 – 04.19.10 Dabbling With The D5000
April 19, 2010 | Leave a Comment
When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.
- Ansel Adams
I’ve always had a deep appreciation of photography. From a very young age I dreamed of being behind the lens, but the chance never quite arose as young me never understood words like “dedication” and “commitment”. I smack my self in the head for this now, although there is nothing to do but pick up where I left off all those years ago and put forth the effort I could never muster before.
Alas! Even a basic DSLR has been far out of my price range since entering the world of grown up people and stupid things like bills and food. And I am the first to admit I have terrible saving habits. Well, my utterly amazing boy had faith in me and promised to go halves on a DSLR kit of my choice if I could save up the money and lo, over a year – and many unforeseen financial affairs – later here we are! I could have never afforded to pursue my neglected passion without his endless support.
Enter the D5000, my newest inanimate love. She’s a great starter camera and a perfect investment since she comes in handy when I have new items to list on my Etsy. I’ve been so giddy since the fateful sales transaction at Costco I haven’t really put her down much since. So really, let’s get on with the pictures already!!!
Apr
14
The Regimentals 004 – 04.14.10 I’ve Got a Case of Jungle Fever (And a puffy lip like Bubba Blue)
April 14, 2010 | Leave a Comment
When I woke up I was feeling restless, puffy lipped and not quite prepared to further draw attention to my face. I was recently pierced, you see, and four open wounds on my lips just ain’t sexy people. The answer? Bling, a harness and BIG ASS hair. It helped. A LOT. Instead of fretting over not being able to move my face (iiiiiiirrrrooonnnnyyyy) I emerged from my lair feeling fresh, feisty and ready to face my camera. And despite the fact that I only actually make ONE face in these photos, I like ‘em. RAWR.
Ingredients
+ bronze PU jacket – People’s Liberation at Charlotte Russe
+ jade felted harness – DIY by moi! You like? Get one here.
+ peach teddy – thrifted
+ red tribal print dress – Forever21
+ black fringe boots – Minnetonka Moccasins
+ woven thread earring – Target
+ necklaces – DIY & Costa Rica
What do you wear when you’re feeling less than stellar and want to distract from your (beautiful) face? As you can see, I usually go for the force-their-eyes-somewhere-else-NAOW approach.
Love Life,
Miss Lo
Apr
1
Epoch Of Style 002 – 04.01.10 Style Guide: Menswear
April 1, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Ah yes, Menswear for women… not always the easiest to pull off, but when you do it looks FABULOUS! Menswear on a woman is sexy and androgynous, refined yet funky. There are a plethora of ways you can take your look to new heights with a few key menswear pieces thrown in the mix. BUT there’s a fine line between slouchy and frumpy and it’s easy to go from channeling Kate Lanphear to Groucho Marx (minus the mustache). In my fashion travels I’ve discovered that the key to the menswear trend is fit and of course your endless supply of confidence (I know it’s in there!).
I’ve compiled a list of how I like to style menswear, just for you! Take it or leave it; love it or loathe it! Just remember that there are NO RULES in fashion, take what you want and make it your own.
Kate Lanphear via Stylesightings
The Guidelines:
1. The Fit – Too long in the leg, too baggy in the arms, and sometimes just plain disastrous from every angle; Most – if not all – menswear is quite ill-fitting on a woman. Don’t be discouraged if that shirt or those slacks don’t fit exactly right, that’s what your tailor is for! Wait… what? You say you don’t have a tailor? Girl, get on that! Very few women are lucky enough to throw on absolutely anything straight off the rack and look stunning, so go lock yourself down the best tailor in town for all of your alteration needs.
2. Quantity – Limit yourself to one or two menswear pieces at first, there is such a thing as too much; though I do love when a girl pulls off a cheeky satire of the trend by piling on an assortment of menswear-inspired pieces.
3. Have Fun – Self-explanatory, but nonetheless go for it and be confident! If you feel amazing you’ll look amazing, I promise.
The Basics:
1. The Blazer – Pair it with jeans, skirts, dresses, literally anything as long as you watch your silhouette. I love wearing mine with a minimalistic approach; sleek leggings, a form fitting mini dress or maybe a tunic, my Frye 12R harness boots & a pashmina. What a perfect uniform when you don’t feel like trying, right?!
2. The Tie – The beauty of a tie is in it’s simplicity and using one in it’s intended matter seems like such a waste! Ties come in all shapes and colours and honestly they’re a piece of cake to make, too, so why not live it up and experiment? Use yours as a hairband, belt, a funky garter, or simply switch up how you tie it around your neck (bows, nautical knots, macramé, don’t stop me now!). The possibilities are endless, what kind of ideas do you have?
3. The Slack – It’s important that these are tailored, tailored, tailored! I can’t stress it enough! You want to look fly not actually like a guy (hehe it rhymes!). Anyway! I like wearing my slacks with a well-fitted T-shirt and a scarf or a flirty blouse with lots of chunky necklaces and big ol’ earrings.
4. The Button Up – Crisp, collected and utterly stylish when pulled off correctly. Pair this with skinny jeans, a pencil skirt or slacks if you’re going all out with the trend. I love that button ups are so versatile (like the rest of menswear, really) and easily DIY-able. HINT HINT!
5. The Vest – Vests are great, come in a vast amount of styles and once you throw one on you never want to take it back off! They look rad with jeans and a bulky scarf, or a flowing skirt for that boho chic vibe. I love finding vintage vests and adding my own personal flair with appliques, beading and anything else I can dream up.
Unknown, please contact me if this is you and credit will be given!
The Fun Stuff:
1. The Ruffled Button Up – Ruffled button ups are SO. DAMN. CUTE. But that’s coming from a ruffle addict so I’m very, very biased. They definitely have a masculine edge (I mean, men actually do wear them) but the frills make it much more interesting to style than it’s plain old cousin. I love wearing mine with a high-waisted pant or skirt and cute flats while keeping the accessories minimal and maybe a few flowers in my hair or I’ll go all out and clown around in one paired with bright printed tights, colourful cowboy boots and high-waisted shorts.
2. The Cummerbund – Cummerbunds are another versatile menswear pieces that every one should own. Sure they look a little funny on our male counterparts but look at it like the cousin of a wide belt, pair with a pouffy skirt or your old homecoming dress from high school to cinch in that waist and you’ll look chic.
3. The Bow Tie – Very ironic, very cute. A bowtie is the perfect choker to accent your next party outfit. Looking for other ways to style it? Use yours as a headband or leave it undone and let it hang. What creative ways have you found to style it?
4. The Bowler Hat – Easily one of my favourite styles of hats, these come in an abundance of colours and are a striking addition to your hat collection. The bowler looks great with a white button up, suspenders and black pants à la A Clockwork Orange or simply with a sundress and lots of bangles.
5. The Brogues – Brogues are statement pieces, if I do say so myself. They’re very easy to wear as most are super comfy and they still are incredibly stylish without the pain of heels. Get a pair in a shocking colour and keep the rest of your outfit monotone so they stand out in all their glory.
6. The Sock Garters – Function and fashion wrapped all into one. I’m a sucker for these little guys, they’re totally adorable and always remind me a little of my grandpa but in a much more fashionable way! Sock garters are super sexy when worn up on your thighs and equally as adorable with a pair of argyle knee highs.
Zoetica Ebb does it right.
Remember: At the end of the day, you are the one that decides what looks best on you. Go crazy, experiment and be fearless! Now get that bum out on the town for some much needed menswear-inspired shopping!
What are your favourite ways to wear menswear, my honey-honeys?
Love Life,
Miss Lo
P.S. All of my lovely little stars, please let me know if you like the format of my Style Guide posts as I want to make sure that everything is cohesive to YOU! If you ever find anything you don’t like in any of my articles please, please, please contact me via email (misslo@lozephyr.com which is also located on my left side bar and in my Bio) as I love to hear the voice of the people.