I bought this paisley blue dress at the Goodwill for $7.99. The bottom hem has beaded tassels which gives my outfit a playful, girly touch.
This dress makes me feel like myself which is one of my greatest achievements when I style an outfit. Picking pieces that you truly love and have a calling towards is a wonderful thing. I sometimes wear really bright statement pieces when I meet with friends, or wear dresses to casual establishments. I do this because I love to! It presents myself as, ‘What’s up, I’m Karen, and this is who I am.’ If I want to wear a powerful graphic dress to the coffee shop, I do so because that makes me feel good.
So many women wear the same combination of jeans, a loose blouse, flats, and a satchel. Don’t get me wrong because I have plenty of casual-jean and blouse combinations in my closet. And sometimes, when it’s one of those days, it’s nice to fall within the blur of the masses. It’s comforting, literally and figuratively.
However, I think that stepping out of the mold and presenting yourself differently is a courageous thing. It’s, bold, rebellious and adds a layer of interestingness to who you are.
That’s what I aim for in fashion; to let my truest, inner self radiate from my actions, words, and choice of dress. How great does it feel to look beautiful while being vulnerable? I am a peaceful, loving, colorful person and my $8 Goodwill dress represents that. Score.
I picked up this silver belt at a vintage secondhand shop. Since moving towards my mid-twenties, I want to buy high quality pieces that look grown up. To do this, I use thrift stores as an outlet to scout one-of-a-kind accessories on a low budget.
This belt has an engraved design along thin pads of metal which are connected through small silver loops. I like that it lays in a gentle manner, slightly below my waist. I usually cinch belts up tightly at my waist, so the effortless curve of the belt and no-fuss hooked fastener is a carefree touch to my outfit.
These pictures are from Salvation Mountain in Niland, CA where I explored a couple weekends ago. I couldn’t help but take advantage of the beautiful folk art and stand in front of the whirly cartoon-esk river that pops similar blues nestled within my dress.
The sleeveless simple shift body paired really nicely with my Urban Outfitters hat, a great combination to hike the hipster hill. If you haven’t heard, I was pleasantly surprised to learn about Urban Outfitters’ attempt to attain more sustainable habits. I have always loved Urban Outfitters but noticed that many of their fabrics are thin and fray from washes over the years.
I like to find pieces that are long-lasting and stylish so it’s great to hear that head honchos in the UO offices are aware of sustainable fashion practices, like using vegan fabrics, and are willing to take a step towards recycled fashion. It’s pretty cool that top retailers are providing their customers with more eco-friendly fashion choices!
How cute!! That’s awesome where are you in these pictures? It’s beautiful! <3
Xoxo
Thanks so much! You’re sweet. I’m at Salvation Mountain in Niland, CA xx
LOVE your quirky and fun outfit girly and the background is certainly captivating and ridiculously beautiful.
Xo. http://www.sonamnaiducreative.com
Thanks Sonam! I really appreciate it! The mountain I’m in front of was so fun to explore. 🙂
I love how you explained your relationship to your fashion choices. I was just thinking about this today and how people should feel like they can express themselves through their choices and we should all embrace that ❤️
Thanks Megan! I ponder about it a lot. Sometimes when I sit down and really think about why I choose to dress certain ways it stems from who I am, how I’m feeling, or who I want to be. Your clothes can speak to you, andI think it’s so awesome when people are brave enough to follow their true intuition when it comes to fashion. Have a beautiful weekend!
Wow…the pics are simply awesome! Lovely n a pretty dress, must say!
❤ Ruchi
Thanks so much Ruchi. I had a lot of fun taking these pictures! xx
I love the length of that dress! You pull it off so well. Your outfit posts honestly really inspire me, they always look so beautiful – just goes to show the value of second hand clothes! Amazing.
Thank you so much Aimee. I really like your website and admire what you do too!! You are really kind and I’m happy that I can offer some inspiration. You inspire me too 🙂
You’re so adorable! Love this outfit!
Thanks Ashley!! So sweet 🙂
LOVE that necklace! And that belt was an amazing find! Well done!
Thanks so much! I’m happy I found a few silver accessories…plus they’re sustainable/secondhand. Have a great weekend! x
Loving the dress and belt, so pretty!
Thanks so much! I really like this combination 🙂
Wow pretty 😍 lovely background too ..
Thanks so much Melina! ❤
🙂 <3
Love the dress and idea of scouting local thrift shops. Don’t know why I never thought of it but tempted now 🙂 http://stylewithsubstance.net
Totally! I would definitely encourage you to give it a try. It’s a fun way to spend an afternoon, and more times than not you can find something really useful or cute that’s secondhand.
Ahh I love your style! It’s so unique, colorful, and describes your personality, very outgoing. I admire your blog so much and want to do more OOTD posts in cool places like you hehe!
Hi Riley, thank you so much! For some reason I just caught your comment now :). Thanks for the kinds words, you’re so sweet!
I love your thrift store finds and yes, I also find Urban outfitters clothes questionable as their prices are super expensive yet the fabric does not last as long? Love your blog!
Thank you so much! Yeah, however it’s great that they’re starting to take steps to more sustainable fashion practices, I respect that! Hope you’re having a great day ✿
You look gorgeous in that dress 🙂
I love the background of your pictures the place looks stunning!
Thank you so much! It’s at Salvation Mountain, a really fun place to explore and take pictures 🙂
Hello love!
I just wanted to let you know that I’ve tagged you in an Autumn Tag!
http://hayleolson.com/2015/09/23/autumn-tag/
Cheers,
Hayle xoxo
Thank you so much Hayle!! So kind! 🙂 xx
Reblogged this on Textile recycling – Old is New.
I had no idea H&M is a leader in sustainability. Thanks for the information!
Totally! There’s always some controversy on what company is truly adopting sustainable practices, but I definitely think H&M is heading in the right direction. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!