Haiti Part 2, Roughing with Pastels

 

I think it’s becoming too obvious, so I might as well out with it. When in the Caribbean, I have slyly drawn upon some colonial fashion. I know, I know it’s spitting in the eye of what I stand for, but there’s something about those fresh, cool billowy fabrics that seems so appealing when you’re standing in 98 degree heat. That being said, I left my pith helmet at home (along with my monocle), but today’s outfit definitely pays homage to a French lady standing on her veranda somewhere.

Marj (my roommate) and I sharing tea at Catholic Relief Services

We went to visit Catholic Relief Services, and went on-site to see the new Haitian hospital they are building. After the earthquake, the original was only left with two buildings of the entire complex standing. Again, it was really too bad no one knew anything about engineering. I had mixed feelings about the project. On the one hand, the design was really impressive. It allowed the hospital to expand and theoretically provide services that were inaccessible before the earthquake. On the other hand, expanding the hospital to the planned magnitude significantly increased costs. The representative from CRS admitted they didn’t know where they would get the money to keep it running. Hurricane money has trickled up significantly in the last 5 years, ever careening into the next natural disaster. While state-of-the-art facilities are a blessing, I wonder if perhaps the people wouldn’t be better off with something sustainable… Is that too practical? On the other hand, maybe “if you build it, they will come.” It’s a bit of an experiment which only time will solve.

On the whole, it was exciting to see all the programs CRS has going in Haiti. Little did I know when I chose Notre Dame, that within a year I would be posing as a poster child for any Catholic organization, much less a worldwide nonprofit!

 

Shirt: Vintage (estate sale)
Pants: Zara (bought off Poshmark for a song)
Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters
Scarf: Talbots
Earrings: Gift
Bag: Givenchy (by way of Ebay)
Watch: Target
Shoes: Bass

 

A quick ode to these shoes. I would recommend that any ardent traveller get an equivalent. These babies have gone with me from Amsterdam to the Azores, Ireland to India, and now Haiti. Because they are leather they are super comfortable. I prefer them to tennis shoes (which only serve to remind me how nauseously American I am). They are good for climbing rocks or hunting tigers (hunting as in trying to spot). In my opinion, they are a more fashionable, durable alternative to Keds with the added advantage that the dirtier they get, the better they look.

Midwestern Marvel

Finals are OVER. I couldn’t be happier. Even though I’m still technically not done, it’s been nice to relax a little and kick back. In the short time I have left I’ve been trying to figure out how to see and do all the things I put off with the excuse of finals. South Bend gets a terrible rap, but it (and the general area) has a lot of hidden gems. In my two weeks remaining here, I want to make it into a bit of an adventure, checking off the list (and documenting some of the finer points for you– if I can find an outfit worth showcasing). Today starts the tour (tomorrow will be a brief hiatus), and I thought I’d match my outfit with my perception of the Midwest. Not to say that all the women would wear hair nets, I just think I had an idea of Westward expansion in mind:

I think in my head (though I wouldn’t have admitted it) I imagined a place with log cabins, half pint, well, really just Laura Ingalls Wilder (notice the prairie-length skirt with oversize belt). I haven’t actually made it to Missouri for that childhood pilgrimage yet, but I have two more years to make it happen. In the meantime I’ll perfect the hippie / school teacher vibe I’ve got going here. Speaking of schools (of thought), they say that along with economic decline comes the lengthening of skirts, and this year has not proven contrary…

One thing I miss about England (my three months there) is seeing the fields full of rape — that is the name of the yellow flower, I kid you not. It’s actually quite beautiful, and you’ve probably seen it in movies, even if you didn’t realize (in one of those Gladiator wind in the grass sequences, no doubt)(also, Take Courage did a beautiful shoot in a field of it that you can see here). Well when I saw this field off on the side of the road, my heart just swelled! In addition, it epitomizes another fact about the Midwest. It. Is. Flat. With the exception of Cincinnati (don’t know what happened there Ohio), I have yet to find a hill. It is harder to bike around my neighborhood then this campus.

Outfit Details:Shirt: French Connection (ebay)
Skirt: Anthropologie (Maeve last Fall)
Belt: off an old skirt from Macys
Shoes: Pour La Victoire (ebay again) The grass was so long and soft, they didn’t do their due diligence in these pictures, especially since I was running back and forth with the self timer.

Closeup on Accessories:

Beret: Target
Necklace: Girl with Umbrella (my newest love!) — estate sale last weekend $5
Earrings: Target
Watch: Disney

Sharing to The Pleated Poppy’s What I Wore Wednesday

Rompin’ ’round a Fiddler’s Hearth

After my first two finals, two of my friends from UGA came into town to save me from sure desperation and destruction. I had a lovely time showing them around Notre Dame, taking them to all my favorite places (we saw this cool Studebaker along the way).

But I have to say, I think my favorite place to go in South Bend (after a walk around the lakes to the grotto) is undoubtedly Fiddler’s Hearth. 

Notre Dame pretends to be Irish, but Fiddler’s is the only truly Irish thing in this town (sorry Mulligans and O’Rourke’s). A wonderful collection of ne’r-do-wells, locals, and misplaced college students., this is the closest Indiana gets to a real Irish pub. They serve their fish and chips in newspaper, their Shepherd’s pie is a dream, but personally I keep coming back for the Irish Stew (as the lamb is cooked to perfection). Not to mention they are one of the only places with good cider on tap. But better than the food, I really love the character of the establishment. Tables are first come, first serve wooden planks, and it isn’t at all amiss for two unaffiliated parties to group up to getting seating when the band starts playing (usually something folk).

Lately, because of finals, I’ve been perfecting the art of no-fuss ensembles. This translates to a one-piece number I can run around, eat dinner, lay on the floor, and sleep in. Thus, I’ve been vacillating between leotards (with a skater skirt) and rompers- both of which are great options, until you have to use the restroom. Still, throw on a pair of heels, and people will think you tried.

Romper: French Connection (ebay find for $12)
Watch: Target Men’s
Earrings: Thrifted
Belt: Zara
and……..

 Shoes: Mui Mui (ebay find FOR $30!!) I’m so in love, they got their own picture.

Here’s a few pictures from my instagram of the outside/ interior of Fiddler’s.

      

Hurray for good friends and good food!

Shared to: What I Wore Wednesday, Three-fer Thursday

I like yo’ face.

At this point, I’ve been running this blog for about 5 months. I’ve learned a lot of cool, basic computer skills (how to write on pictures, how to put links in documents, how to set a featured image), but I feel like now that I’ve gotten comfortable in my skin, it’s time to look for ways to broaden my horizons. Since finding Bloglovin‘ I’ve been perusing a ton of fashion blogs to see how I can do it better. From Sydney, Brighton, Georgia and Paris, here are my four favorites (keep in mind I am such a fan of the dramatically adorned, custom costumed, and anything vaguely reminiscent of bygone eras).

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

And in looking through these blogs, I’ve realized It’s time to move beyond tweaking formatting and into content expansion. So I’d love to hear your ideas on a few things:

• Twitter
  Am I the only person who still doesn’t have one of these? I’m mostly just tempted because then I would be able to enter more contests for free stuff, and well, free stuff. Do you find them useful?

evolution?

• Share-in Style Forum
  Post-exams I think I would like to start a share-in forum. It seems like it could be a good way to find new blogs and expand my community. I’m thinking of a theme like: “why is this in my closet?” where people could showcase funky, weird, or cool items that they can’t really live with or without.

I just can’t seem to part with it…

• Instagram
  It seems like at the end of the week, everyone does a mashup of their weekly instagrams. Is it because they’ve run out of blog posts or would you really be interested in my pictures of bacon and random Catholic imagery (#nd)?
  

  Failing law exams…

But is all this for naught? I could add have all this technology and more, but looking at all these cool fashion blogs, I noticed a trend.

All these it girls have a look.

Be it red hair, cat eyes, what have you— for Manrepeller’s Leandra Medine, I really think it’s her ever-present chokers. They just have signature faces.

Now, I’ve been told that I have a distinct style, but I think my look (like this blog) changes by the day (and let’s be honest my mood, what I had for lunch, the last movie I saw…). So here’s the real question. Do you think that people with a more distinct look are met with greater success fashion blogging? Or is diversity an enviable and noble pursuit? What do you look for in a fashion blog? Should I try to corner one market and wrack up a fan base (a la Wes Anderson)? How did you start building?

Barrister’s Ball

Barrister’s Ball was definitely an experience. It was both hilarious and surprising to see all my fellow law students transform from the squibbling (pretty sure I just invented this word) lumps of sparse hair and lumpy fabric into people with surprisingly toned bodies (for people who read all day) looking for action (outside the courtroom).

But I digress. To pictures!

My main qualm? WHY CAN’T MY SHOES BE IN EVERY PICTURE? Is that too much to ask? Anyway to the details. I decided (for once) that in an effort to save money, I would not buy a new dress. I need a new dress like I need a bad grade (although after I saw Leigha’s floor length French Connection number I had to bite my lip and remember that jealousy is a mean and vicious mistress). Of course, that meant I could splurge on accessories *ahem* expand my shoe and clutch collections.

Hi-lo dress: XOXO from Macys (holla! last year’s Christmas sale)
Clutch: Vince Camuto (eBay)
Shoes: Chloé (eBay)
Headband: Urban Outfitters

My writing partner and I really love Papa Johns. It doesn’t always bode well.

Feel free to submit a caption on the next one. I still don’t know what they were going for.

Now I have a new camera. If only I knew how to use it! I vow next year my prom-esque photos will not be washed out like so. The room was stunning. Looking down from the second floor was like looking over Gatsby’s balcony.

I’m still unsure how, but I managed to convince D. that he should wear red socks to match his tie and my dress. I fully expected noncompliance, thus I bought them. On the premise he would get the wrong thing, he conned me into going to the mall for him. I’m still trying to figure out how he managed it, although I have a feeling the conversation went something like this:

D: I won’t pick out the right one, you should get it.
R: I don’t have time. You’re a grown man. I’m not going.
D: There are clothes at the mall….
R: Okay.

Red Socks!

At the end of the night (before we finished with the Notre Dame fight song, they played “Piano Man” by Billy Joel (if you haven’t heard it, you best be clickin’ on that link). Everyone naturally formed this amoebic circle (as I ran for my camera). It was pretty cool, you know if you’re into that solidarity/communal-environment/one-family sort of thing. And just as naturally couples started breaking apart and dancing (pretending they could do something besides grind) in the middle. The next picture is hands down my favorite moment I captured.

All in all it was a very good night. Thanks for indulging me!

Going Postal: Street Style Sans Street

Notre Dame, Indiana- Home of the post office runway. Seriously, that should be the tagline as you enter our campus post office.

For a while now, I’ve been trying to find interesting ensembles that would work for a bumpin’ street style section. But as of yet, I’ve seen some of the coolest compilations at the campus post office. So instead of true street style, as I try to get up the nerve to ask people to take their picture (shammme on me), this has become more of an introductory human study. Why did you wear that to the post office…

 I particularly love that this outfit combines err Russia with some rather boho boots. When the world is covered in snow, you just have to go light and blend in. My only remaining question is, if this woman wears full fur to the post office, I wonder what she wears to the bank.

Say hello to grown up Ron Weasley, still wearing oversized knitted sweaters. Though it’s not very visible, his jacket looks very standard issue, and he’s coupled the homemade knitting with an obviously store bought scarf. I love the combination of neutral tones, and let’s be honest, I want that sweater. It slouches so nicely!

Red hair, don’t care. I enjoyed the glam rock look this girl has going on. Leather studded bag to match her boots. Did she roll out of bed or #justmadethisway? You be the judge.

Thanks for bearing with me. These pictures serve the dual purpose to shaming me. I guess I should add covert iphone pictures as belated lent offering. Henceforward, I will try to actually talk to these people so that I will be able to get more of their outfit than their backs.