Jackie's Stylings: Anna Sui

Showing posts with label Anna Sui. Show all posts

Sunday, August 10, 2014

My Love of 'The Find'

I feel like Pollyanna

Love this place: Beacon's Closet

Where else could you find pieces like this? Can someone please buy and wear that pink silk elephant blouse?!

My (treasure) finds. The best part is I was able to get rid of some pants and shirts that I haven't worn in years and receive a store credit....so basically sometimes at a thrift store you can shop for free!

I love exploring, not knowing what I might find and feeling like I've stumbled upon something unique. I love a good story. And I love a good deal. It's no wonder then that consignment stores, thrift shops, flea markets and sample sales are magical places for me. These are havens from a culture of shopping malls and department stores...where everything looks and feels the same and the only stories are those that refer to rude customer service and outrageous price tags. Sifting through the racks and boxes is like going on a journey through time and people's lives. Memories are stirred when I come across pieces that remind me of times in my own past. Style is cultivated in places like this, personalities shine through. There is no one look or one trend in these places. When you come with an open mind and are willing to play you never know what you might find when thrift shopping....but I guaranteed you'll find some pretty great stuff. Now if we all approached life the same way, playfully and with open minds, what a great world this be! See what a little thrift shopping can teach all of us?!

Outfit Details:
Photo 1:
Dress: Beacon's Closet
Heart sunglasses: Urban Outfitters
Boots: XoXo, Macy's
Floral socks: Lord and Taylor
Purse necklace: My mom's
Rose earrings: H&M
Unicorn tote: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Photo 2 (Apologies for the goofy selfie):
Dress: Anna Sui via Beacon's Closet
T-shirt: Airism at Uniqlo
Tri-color pennant necklace: Tatty Devine via Beacon's Closet
Long yellow necklace: Beacon's Closet
Belt: Anthropologie
Hat: Lord and Taylor
Watermelon earrings: MoMA staff sale
Shoes: Suprega

Friday, September 6, 2013

Topsy Turvy Miniatures

When I first saw this dress appear on Anthropologie's website a few years again, I was immediately smitten. It never end up making an appearance in the Yorkville location and soon enough it sold out online, but later on I did find it for sale on eBay and I snapped it up. It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland with its miniature chair print, oversized collar and ruffled sleeves. This is what I'd wear to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. It's a bit of a shapeless dress but that gives it a 1920s feel. From far away, the dress appears fairly refined but closer inspection reveals all it's quirky loveliness. Every time I wear it I find new ways to draw out its storybook details, like adding ballet pink tights, a floral hair accent, bow trimmed shoes or a charm adorned necklace (never all of those things at once though). I'm so glad this dress ended up making its way into my closet.

P.S. Here's I wore the dress to a Grad School Exhibition Celebration (incidentally, I'm hoping to grow my hair out to this length....but it seems to be taking a long time). Pardon the red eye.

Outfit details:

Dress: Parlor Games Dress by Anna Sui, Anthropologie

Cardigan: Cable and Gauge, Lord and Taylor

Tights: Hue Supersoft Lightweight tights in color "flirt"

Shoes (the ones I actually wore at work, not the ones I'm wearing): Dolce Vita Orina oxfords, sold out in most places but a few sizes available here

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Old School Maps and Globes as Fashion Inspiration

I love maps of every kind, whether street maps, subway maps, world globes, star charts, treasure maps, nautical charts, topographical maps…you get the picture. I especially enjoy looking at maps that are a little quirky, the ones with interesting landmarks, notations and figurative elements. Even with Google Streetview and GPS maps, I still prefer the paper variety even if they are the ‘impossible to fold back up again’ type. Of course, aside from how useful maps are, there’s also the fact that they are incredibly beautiful. It’s fascinating all of the detail and information maps hold, all the careful research that goes into each one. Sometimes it’s the contours of the landscape that mesmerize me, and other times I get absorbed in the place names. And the historical perspective a particular map represents…you can trace the changes a place has undergone through a look at the maps drawn for it….amazing!

When map prints show up in clothing form, I get a little starry eyed. There’s something old fashioned and vintage but also ‘of the time’ about clothing featuring map prints. I’ve also seen a lot of unique dresses made from actual maps, such as these gorgeous ones. For more wearable maps, below is a collection of some of my favorite examples of maps as fashion that I’ve seen in recent years. (Note: Some of the items shown are still available but there are also several that are almost impossible to track down like the Ana Sui Map of the World skirt that continues to evade me).