Tuesday, January 31, 2012

color block, floral, & pastels, oh my!


I absolutely cannot wait for spring! The warm weather lately is such a tease. 65 in January? Yes, please. I've even been taking the time to transition my wardrobe from winter to spring, and I am so excited to continuing some of my favorite trends into the next season. One trend that I'm super excited about is pastels! I don't typically go for such muted colors but I have been seeing such popping mint and coral on the runway, so I wanted to see what I could try. Of course, I searched Polyvore for some edgy (and affordable) ways to add some pastels to my closet.


Prints in pastels add a softer side
tillys.com
$20
Obsessed with sheer right now! Edgy but sweet.
needsupply.com
$48

I'm also totally obsessed with mixing prints right now. The options in my closet are limitless now! I know that lots of people have a hard time following and actually trying trends like this. Today at work, I started focusing on pieces that are already a mix of prints in one. Here are some pieces that are unique and on trend (with little effort involved):



floral + stripes
nastygal.com
$38
Multi floral prints!
freepeople.com
$48

mixed print infinity scarf
nordstrom.com
$38


I typically don't stray into the worlds of hair and make-up trends but since I work on my closet so much, I want to spend time perfecting my skills all around. Any new make-up trends happening right now? I never change my hair either (besides dye) and I'd love to see what I can do with it. I'm always open to suggestions!




Saturday, January 28, 2012

CLEATAS + LITAS

Yes yes, every girl should have a proper obsession with the shoe god that is Jeffrey Campbell. A few posts ago, I mentioned that I will be getting a pair of JC for my birthday. No, I have not made a final decision but I wanted to enter a new pair into the running. I mentioned that I was trying to steer away from the lita, but I can't deny myself.




The patchwork Lita has been calling my name over the past week. I can hear it every day in the back of my head "I'm beautiful, I'll match everything, I'm on sale" and I can't take it. I may just have to get then in addition to another pair. Oh my, this is bad.

On another JC shoe front, I saw the Cleata today. In pink + clear. I died. Seriously, how perfect is this shoe?

jeffreycampbellshoes.com


Jeffrey, you slay me....and my wallet.

I've only gotten a little bit of feedback on how these shoes fit, anyone else care to offer up some advice?


sentimental accessories

Compared to the obscene amount of clothing and shoes I have, my jewelry department is really lacking. I have enough of everything to get me by, I just never think to accessorize with jewelry after I get ready. Am I crazy?



Typically, every day I wear 5 rings. I have been wearing 5 rings since as far back as I can remember. Rings have always been my favorite accessory. I used to have a lucky necklace but in a series of unfortunate events and someone's sticky fingers, I no longer have it, but no one has ever been able to take my rings. I guess the biggest reason behind them is because they each have a meaning to me. All unique in their own way, and when someone compliments them, it is always a reminder of the story behind it.

My heart lock and key ring is worn on ring finger. I know it is kind of cheesy but I believe the day I stop wearing this ring will be the day I have an engagement ring to take it's place. 

The turquoise ring I bought from work so when I wear it I think about my job and how lucky I am to be where I'm at today.

The silver ring with the opal stone was a my high school graduation gift from my ex boyfriend. To me, is symbolizes my first love rather than high school graduation. 

The man and the star is a ring I bought when I was in 10th grade from a small shop in downtown called A Touch of the Earth. A friend of mine has a matching on, although it was so long ago, it's hard to say if she still has it.

The triangle ring is the newest addition to the bunch. I got it at an indoor flea market in Myrtle Beach over the summer. $10! I like remembering that vacation because I feel like it was a new beginning for me. I usually rotate the triangles from right-side up to upside down depending on my mood for that day. It's all in the details, and yes, I am that OCD.


What are your favorite accessories? Do you have any sentimental pieces that you wear every day? 

Also, now that you have seen the extent of my jewelry collection, I'm always up for suggestions on how to use my pieces in a different way!

Don't forget to get out my Twitter and Tumblr!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

DIY day off

I really had to reign in the urge to go thrifting today. Instead, I settled for some much needed craft supplies to spruce up the items I already have. My main goal was to transform a few pairs of my shoes. I have been seeing a lot on DIY blogs about glitter flats so I decided to pick two roughed up pairs of shoes from my closet to experiment on. I've picked a pair of grey flats and a pair of old black sneakers.


At the craft store, I picked up Mod Podge, glitter, glue-on crystals, and a bag of assorted buttons. I already had a few studs left over from some other projects.


Now, I can't say I'm entirely satisfied with the way the flats turned out. I think there is something missing from the overall look of them. However, I am OBSESSED with the way my black sneakers turned out. I decided to add some gold glitter to them, just to give some basic shoes a little more flare. I have so many pairs of regular shoes, I figured I could glam these up! Let's be honest, I really don't need more shoes, so this was a perfect alternative!



Any ideas for the grey flats? I'm open to suggestions plus I still have a ton of glitter and crystals left, any other DIY ideas? I was thinking about glitzing up a pair of heels? Let me know!

Don't forget to check out redheaddrive.tumblr.com
I've been in an especially 90s mood lately so prepare for some prime fashion photos and your favorite 90s movies!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

t-shirt upgrade

I got into an in depth discussion with my roommate the other day over some fashion pet peeves we have. Typically, I am all for anyone wearing anything they want, personal style is the greatest way to represent yourself to the world without using words. As we got deeper into the argument, I noticed that I started to have some very passionate feelings on a few certain faux pas (in my eyes); however one certain topic kept coming up:

Comfort.

I feel like a lot of people struggle with this because they perceive outfits in the media as the things they should be wearing. Yeah, those night walk heels look terribly uncomfortable, but they are also not meant for every day wear (unless you're totally fabulous). But let me just say, I am perfectly comfortable in a pair of jeans, flats, a cute tee, and a cardigan. Voila! That is a totally put together, easy outfit to put together. All of the pieces are so basic, adding your own flare to it is easy. This leads me to the people who wear any of the following: oversized/stained t-shirt, excessively worn, personalized, day or event commemorating t-shirts, pajamas, sweatpants, leggings as pants, or athletic/lounge in public. Of course, you are comfortable in your pajamas and lounge clothes, EVERYONE IS. That is why you sleep in them and lay around watching Project Runway marathons in them (or is that just me?) It does not mean that you can wear them in public. I understand that you really like this one event that occurred in your life, but I'd really rather talk to you and learn about that even instead of reading it on your shirt.

 
I have no problem with a jeans and t-shirt based wardrobe. So, I was to show some awesome way to spice up a wardrobe with interesting and affordable t-shirts. You can still wear the latest trends, be comfortable, and it doesn't cost a ton of money!



hm.com
$15

weekday.com
$13
(cute zipper detail in the back!)
houseoffraser.co.uk
$19
modcloth.com
$15

Tillys.com
$20


Friday, January 20, 2012

old polyvore

Since I am trying to stay on a very motivated and productive path this year, I decided to clean out some of the random stuff on my computer. For some reason, I have folders in folders in folders, and I happened to find some old Polyvore sets. I figured I would post them on here before I deleted them from my computer! 
    



It is really beyond me why I ever used a picture of Paris Hilton in the first one but hey, that dress is awesome! I made these so long ago, in the beginning of my exploration into the fashion world! I've come so far! 

free shoes and a good thrift day

I was 100% convinced the world was against me from the beginning yesterday. The first 2 hours of my day went as follows: Woke up late, get ready for work, run to car in freezing cold, no gas, freak out about not having enough gas to get to work, get stopped behind a dump-truck on a one way road, wait for 15 minutes, stop at Sheetz, late to work, lose 3 acrylic nails. Now by the time I did get to work, I was really flustered. At that point, my main goal was to drink my Starbucks Doubleshot Energy + Coffee and power through the day.


Suddenly, the clouds parted, the sun shone through and what was in front of me but a beautiful pair of camel colored Forever 21 chunky opened toe booties. I think I even squealed when I saw them. Unfortunately for me, they were broken in the front (the heel of the shoe and the platform in the front had come unglued creating a tiny gap). Since we have about a billion and a half shoes at work right now, we did have to pass on them. After finishing up a buy I had, I wanted to the back room to grab some coins and guess what happened to my surprise?! THE GIRL GAVE ME THOSE SHOES. SHE GAVE THEM TO ME, LIKE FOR FREE.



 I'm so excited, I can't even handle it. Now, even though they are just a tad bit broken (when I actually stand in them you can't even tell), and too small, I am going to wear them to my heart's content.

Later that day, I came home and finished the slideshow I posted a few days ago. I was feelin' so good toward the end of the day, I decided to take a celebratory trip to Goodwill. I had such good luck! Hopefully, I will be posting some of the awesome finds including a full length skirt, some red pants, and these awesome flats!


The last thing I really need is another pair of shoes, let alone two but look at them! Can you blame me? There is a huge snow storm going on outside right now so I'm sure I will be going Polyvore, Tumblr, Twitter, and blogging crazy tomorrow when I am snowed in.

Don't forget to check it out!


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

closet overload.


My intended idea had bee to count down my top 10 favorite thrifts finds before I started this blog so that people could get a good idea of my style. There are a few overall favorites that came to mind immediately:


vintage 1970s Polaroid w/ original case& detachable flash
$6.95

 vintage Italian glass decanter
$0.95. 
Trunk (I use as a coffee table)
$3.00


But once I got past those, I started to realize that just about EVERYTHING I own is thrifted. Clothing, shoes, paintings, knick knacks, glasses, silverware, ashtrays, you name it, I probably have it. Without realizing it, I've managed to find just about everything I need (I use "need" loosely because purchases are made based on my "want") at a thrift store.

*LIGHT BULB*

Instead of individually posting my favorites, I have decided to post a slideshow to give you a better idea of what I've found! Enjoy!


( PLEASE excuse the lighting/general roughness, it was my first attempt! I'll make sure to use my handheld camera from now on :) )
Enhanced by Zemanta

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

fashion blog love!

I'm still experimenting with my blog, but I wanted to share some of the amazing blogs that inspired me to start blogging! The very first fashion blog I fell in love with was This Time Tomorrow. The personal style that Krystal has been so versatile and always reflects her mood, weather, etc., all while keeping her wardrobe fun and lighthearted. Not to mention the photography is great and Krystal has A+ taste!

When I stumbled upon Advanced Style, I was instantly in love. This blog features some of the most bold and stylish women I have seen on ANY blog. Ari Cohen portrays these women in a beautiful light, and you can only understand once you visit this blog! To call any of them ''elderly" seems offensive and wrong! They seem to posses more youth than half the "dead behind the eyes" models I see in magazine spreads. Ari and these fabulous women prove that style only gets better with age and experience. If anything, take away from this blog the inspiration to always be whoever, whatever, and however you want to be!

Orchid Grey is everything I like in a fashion blog, plain and simple. She is a girl after my own heart with a ton of killer thrifted items in her wardrobe. Her photos make sure to show off every aspect of the outfit and I, unashamedly, have tried to replicate some of my favorite outfits she wears!

I surely hope that if you are new to the world of fashion blogs (reading or writing) that these blogs can inspire you as well! If you are more interested in street style photos/advice, these are a few of my favorite sites to check out!

LOOKBOOK.NU- street style posted from around the world!
HEL-LOOKS- european street style
STREET STYLE AESTHETIC- "it's not just the clothes, it's the people who wear them"
THE SARTORIALIST- high end street style/runway fashion
FASHISM-post your own photos and get feedback right away!
NOTCOUTURE-if tumblr and pinterest had a baby filled with fashion!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

JEFFREY CAMPBELL

There are very few things that I will actually pay FULL price for. Now typically, most of the clothes in my closet, at any given time, are secondhand or vintage....and I am very proud of that. And with that being said, I would like to get this off my chest:

I'M GETTING A PAIR OF JEFFREY CAMPBELL SHOES FOR MY BIRTHDAY NEXT MONTH. I'M SO EXCITED AND I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT.

I have been browsing the internet trying to find the perfect ones and my options seem endless. I'm debating on whether to do a more basic shoe that I can wear with everything or an outrageous patterned pair that I will also wear with everything. Of course, I wanted the Lita's like a year ago and now that everyone and their sister has them, I believe I'll be getting something a little different. I do still have a soft spot in my heart for them, though. I have narrowed down the styles I am considering: 4 Evz, The Darian, The Wright, 99, and The Foxy.







Thoughts? Suggestions? Advice? For those familiar with Jeffrey Campbell shoes, what's the comfort level? That is irrelevant, because I will wear them regardless but I'd like to know if they run true to size, small, narrow, etc. I'll take anything I can get!

Hello Blogging World!

I vowed about a year ago that my next blog attempt was going to be a SUCCESS. Typically, I'd get a few weeks into a blog, and out of sheer boredom, lack of writing material, and no audience, it slowly fizzled out.

NOT THIS TIME!

For the past year and a half (almost 2 years actually, man time flies when you drop out of college), I have been on the search for my ultimate purpose. Don't worry, I don't think my purpose on this planet is to be a fashion blogger; however I do feel like my knowledge and passion for fashion is a gift and I might as well run with it.  I was originally pursuing a degree in Communication Studies, which proved to be a LOT too vague for me. Once I dropped out of college (I barely made it two years in the university of my hometown), my ultimate goal became finding my passion. 

After making a job change from my glamourous life as a go-kart track attendant into the world of retail, I started to get comfortable with the idea of working with/around clothing. Unfortunately, my first retail job was at Kohl's, and let's just say their corporate way of doing things didn't rub me the right way. I like the idea of a small business, a more intimate atmosphere, where you actually get to connect with the customer on their potential purchases. Here is the important part of the story where my ever-growing love for vintage, thrifted, and second-hand clothing comes into play. 

When I entered high school, I became obsessed with the idea of standing out. Looking around at the basic small town attire of my peers bored me, so I chose to stand out. Now, I am not saying by any means that my fashion choices were GOOD, but they were definitely BOLD and that's what I was going for. While everyone else was wearing the latest from American Eagle and Hollister, my friends and I were scouring the local Goodwill for little boys t-shirts and one-of-a-kind shoes and purses. I continued the rest of my high school career wearing mainly thrift store clothes and fine tuning my thrifting/searching skills, and making sure I left no rack unlooked. Somehow, I had managed to turn my awkward thrift finds into an actual style. 

Through the years, I managed to collect not only a HUGE variety of clothing and accessories, but also decor for my home. Soon enough, I began running out of space in my closet, the closet down the hall, under my bed, the trunk of my car, etc. and I started to curb my collection of items. I vowed to keep the items most important to me but most were treasures I loved but had no need for personally. This would eventually lead to me giving away trash bags full of clothes to my friends. Once, I realized I really had a talent (or patience) to find these thrifted diamonds in the rough, I could see I was on to something. I began personalizing my thrifting trips a little more. Instead of just going in looking for any and everything, I kept my friends in mind, buying for them and ultimately less for myself.  The possibility of vintage fashion/business being a career was becoming a real option

Now at 22 (on the verge of 23), I've finally gotten to the point where I'm ready to turn this passion into a career. I've been working at the second hand store Plato's Closet for about a year and a half now and have gained immense knowledge on owning a small business from the two best bosses I've ever had, hands down. My ultimate goal would be to own my own vintage and thrift store. While that dream is down the road in my future, I wanted to use this blog as a platform to share my finds, adventures, and love for fashion to those all over, rather than just my lucky, lucky friends *wink wink* 

It is very rare to have a job you absolutely love, and I admire the fashion world for that reason. Everyone involved has such respect and love for what is, in my opinion, the greatest form of self expression. None of my other blog efforts have felt as natural and effortless as this and even though I'm just beginning (and it's been A LOT of work), I can't wait to see what this brings for me. The name of my blog is inspired by a gift from a friend of mine, a street sign saying REDHEAD DRIVE. This blog is proof (thus far) of my drive and ambition to pursue my career. Feel free to stop by uninvited and as often as you'd like because everyone is welcome on Redhead Drive!



Don't forget to check out my Polyvore page, Tumblr (redheaddrive.tumblr.com) and my personal twitter page @GeminiJohnson!!