just a lil' slip

I'm enjoying taking outfit photos again. I'm also really enjoying that most of this outfit is is thrifted for two reasons: it cost me very little and it means I am sticking to my "no fast fashion" policy. About this policy: I just feel like as a person who likes fashion and personal style, I can use my voice to speak out on how depressing it is to me to think about how wasteful the fashion industry can be. It's certainly hard to avoid buying cute lil' things at H&M and Zara (who I am boycotting for being thieves more than fast fashion culprits) but when the thrift stores in your tiny hometown have fun nighties like this one, it gets easier. I love this ditzy little print, especially with these earrings I got from a peddler's fair. I kind of feel like an 70s hooker in this, but maybe that's just me. 

Dress - Thrifted

Shoes - Old Navy 

Earrings - Thrifted

Necklace - Melrose Trading Post

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Details: Howard Two Way Top

I'm so excited to finally share this piece. I've had it for a while--I got it as a trade when I helped style the lookbook for a beautiful label called Howard(x). I've worn it quite a bit, but I hadn't gotten around to photographing it until now. So lemme tell you why it's amazing: it can be worn as a gorgeous, minimal long-sleeved top with a beautiful low back OR as a cool, drapey halter-neck tank top. It's seriously thrilling to have such a well-made piece that I can wear on the hottest days of summer and on brisk winter days. I am working on acquiring more pieces like this--I want to build a wardrobe of easy-but-interesting clothing and of course just weird amazing pieces I find or make along the way. Just developing personal style goals over here (that probably say something profound about my desires for my life but who cares to think about those things).

This top (especially with nothing under it) looks a little pirate-y to me, as usual. (That's a description I strive for with all my outfits). Hahahaha wait no I just figured out why, and bear with me: it's that part in Dead Man's Chest when Will Turner has his shirt split open to be whipped. You know, because this kind of looks like his sexy undershirts with a split-open back? Wow what a reference point. What I'm trying to say is that this top makes me feel like Orlando Bloom and that is important to me personally hahhaha. 

As a tank top, this piece is a little less 18th-century blacksmith and a little more structured-meets-drapery goddess halter. You can leave the sleeves undone for a cool deconstructed look, but I usually tie them behind my back. I just love it. (lol at how much less-polished my look gets as my hair gets wilder, as per usual.)

Top -- Howard (x)

Trousers -- Topshop 

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Magenta Magic

I have missed doing outfit posts. My blog feels scattered and I've said before that I want it to feel more curated so I think I will focus only on fashion for a while and see how that turns out. To kick off this sentiment, I wanted to post something that feels very me. Fashion is definitely resting on some trends right now and it's gotten a tad boring to see the same off-the-shoulder looks (not to say I don't love them, I just think we can challenge ourselves a little more than pairing a Bardot top with some shorts and calling it a day). Minimalism and "cool girl vibes" are "in", but I'm much more of a romantic and I like my look to reflect that sometimes.

That's also not to say that this outfit is anywhere near revolutionary, but it's something that feels personal. I'm a big advocate for wearing slips and nighties as dresses (they make me feel especially dreamy: like Wendy in Peter Pan or something) so I was very excited to find this little number at the thrift store so many years ago. It's an easy piece in a gorgeous color that makes me feel free and flowy. In this heat, I want nothing to do with trends--just make me feel like I won't die of heat exhaustion and I'm happy. 

Dress -- Thrifted

Shoes -- Moorea Seal

Bag -- Very vintage and not-well-taken-care-of Chanel

Handchain -- Kendra Scott via Rocksbox (use code "nibinquielxoxo" for a free month!)

Photos by Ian!

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Details: Red and Silver

Okay y'all I wanna be a good blogger now. I can do it. I am excited about many things like travel, photography, clothes, makin stuff, writing, etc. I don't want my posts to feel so random. I want this space to feel curated and edited. I think I'll start a new little section called "Details" because sometimes it's the little things that make an outfit (or sometimes I don't feel like getting out my damn tripod). This might be a reflection of how I feel lately...people keep asking me "Well what are your plans now that you've graduated?" To which I respond, "Pls stop, I have no plans." Because I don't really...I just want to focus on the little moments and details and maybe a big picture will come together. For instance, this red slip dress I bought from Express filled a void: I felt I didn't have a solid slip dress so I got one. I rarely wear silver so I wore some. Not big accomplishments, but as they say, "it's the little things." 

 SLIP DRESS - Express 

NECKLACE - Vintage from my Gram

RING - Vintage from my Gram

HANDCHAIN - Kendra Scott via Rocksbox

KNOT CUFF - Jill Michael via Rocksbox 

(Try out Rocksbox free for a month with code "nibinquielxoxo"!)

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Dangerous Woman Looks

I haven't posted an outfit in a while and I'm not sure this is really an outfit either. It's more like a tunic...without pants. I love the low neck and the high slit on this sweater from Zara. It's actually really comfortable and I've been laying around in it all day. I paired it with a gorgeous druzy necklace from Robyn Rhodes, a designer I was introduced to through my yob at Rocksbox.

When I posted a while ago about my photos from Valentine's Day (in which I wore a bodysuit in the desert) I talked about how I had been feeling like I shouldn't post things that revealed my body too much. That's not really a belief I have in my real life, but for some reason I had been really scared about posting pictures of myself that are a little more *sensual* or however you want to put it. But I'm realizing more and more that like...I'm 23...if I'm not gonna be proud of my body now then I'm gonna be very disappointed when I'm older and don't have the body I have now. Also the other part about being 23: I'M A GROOOOOWN WOMAN. I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT. (Beyonce lyrics duh). It's my body and I can be excited about myself in clothes that make me feel good if I want. 

I think I was averse to posting "selfies" (and therefore outfit photos/etc. on my blog) because I was worried they didn't have enough substance. But I often forget that I don't just love fashion because I like to "look good". I love fashion because it gives me a chance to wear art. How amazing is that? I get to put beautiful things on my skin and prance around in them. What's more is that I rarely wear things just because they are trendy or "cute". I wear things because they evoke a strong emotion for me. And that's very important, I think. It takes clothes out of the superficial and into the personal. In the case of this sweater, I felt that it was the perfect piece to express how I have been feeling lately. It's a little dark and gloomy, but it has that element of "danger". About all I have been doing lately is write about dangerous women of the past--in my thesis and beyond. So I love these photos because they translate my work into my self. And that, my friends, is the power of clothing.

Tunic Sweater - ZARA // Necklace - Robyn Rhodes 

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put a ribbon on it

The choker trend has been killin' it lately and I am so happy I gave in. Instead of paying the ridiculous amount of money I've seen pieces of string going for around the internet, I just pulled some ribbon out of my sewing stuff because why wouldn't you??? This look makes me feel so good: like a Victorian prostitute or maybe Emily Browning in Series of Unfortunate Events. Looooovin' it. 

 Top - UO // Bralette - VS 

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jumpin

A while ago I made bold claims about "I never want to put Forever21 on my blog!!!" But here I am because I think this jumpsuit is freaking cute. I bought it online on a whim and didn't realize how big the pants would be but I am SO HAPPY they are so big. It's just such a fun piece to wear. It seems like people in Los Angeles feel the need to be "LA Cool" all the time and I haven't seen anything really fun in a while. So this is my attempt to add a little whimsy to my world through insane proportions and paisley. Please enjoy.

 Details: Jumpsuit-F21//Shoes-Tretorn//Necklace-Robyn Rhodes//Sunglasses-H&M

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Pre-Fall Inspiration: Mostly for the Embroidery

Hey man, you never know when I'm gonna decide to blog about fashion week. The last time I did it was FW15 and I STAND BY WHAT I SAID ABOUT YEEZY so don't think I'm changing my mind. But this season, I found that the designers I was most drawn to were those that used sheer fabric in their pieces and embroidered over it. I've been loving this look for a while now, and even tried my own hand at embroidering a while back. I have been working on a jacket for like a year now (whoops) but I never get tired of looking at the incredible designs these artists make with some string and fabric. 

Valentino

I mean????? What kind of blessed beings are we that we get to be alive in this era of Valentino. Every season lately is an absolute DREAM. Not to say that previous ones weren't, but you know. The sheer top with the strange almost tarot-y skirt? The sparkly waves???? I am quickly learning that this collection just makes me speechless so I should probably stop trying to write about it.

Alexander McQueen

Admittedly, this collection reminds us a lot of our good friends at Valentino, but that's fine with meeeee! These patterns are a little more dizzying than Valentino's, a little thicker and wilder. I love the cuts on these dresses, as well. They seem so medieval, and that is what kind of solidifies them as still being McQueen. 

Dennis Basso

Alright well, maybe this was just a collection of dresses that would make me feel like a fairytale princess. What can I say about this collection? The darker dresses are for my secret rendez-vous by the light of the moon, sneaking out of the castle walls. The white dresses are for my appearances in court floating across the room making policies to take from the rich and feed the poor. 

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