Get That Style: PREPPY

Hello, all!

Today I'm going to give you guys some tips on how to achieve that good, old-fashioned "preppy" style. I channel inspiration from this style so often; it just seems natural for me to do a post about it.

For those of you that are unaware of what this style is, think of the generic, Catholic schoolgirl look mixed with a country club and a Shetland pony. I don't know how to make it any clearer than that.

Without further adieu, let's get started with necessities for the Preppy Girl style:

Plaid
One of the main, if not the most popular, prints associated with preppy style is plaid. You can't go wrong with the classic red, but feel free to add your own twist by using different colored, or even multi-colored plaid. Plaid is mostly seen in skirts and pants, but I also see it in shirts, dresses, accessories, and sometimes outerwear.

Theory oversized sweater

J Crew long rayon skirt

Mango shorts

Forever 21 hair clip accessory

Pleated Skirts
What's a preppy schoolgirl to do without her pleated skirt? These are seen in both plaid and solid colors (I happen to have both in my own wardrobe!). I love seeing them paired with knee-high socks and Mary Janes for that authentic school uniform look.

McQ by Alexander McQueen blue high waisted skirt

Topshop knee length pleated skirt

Floral knee length skirt

MANGO knee length pleated skirt

Zara faux leather midi skirt

Cable-Knit Sweater
If you live in an area where the temperature is usually hot, like god-forsaken Los Angeles, this staple may not be practical for you. However, some brands do make thin sweaters that still have a cable knit texture to them. Get your hands on those rarities while you can!

Forever 21 sweater

Balmain sweater

Long sleeve sweater (white)

Long sleeve sweater (lilac)

Collars
Perfect with your cable-knit sweater, an item with a nice collar is definitely a preppy necessity. Depending on what climate you live in, get yourself either a long or short-sleeved collared shirt. Collars also come commonly on dresses, like mine below. I can't get enough of collars; there are so many options to choose from, and they all just happen to look adorable!

Fit flare dress

Christopher Kane top (black)

Free People sheer blouse (white)

Zara blue top (blue polka dot)

H&M round collar blouse (pink)

Forever 21 peter pan top (model)

Oxfords and Mary Janes
The two essential shoe styles for preps are oxfords (which look like lace-up jazz shoes) and Mary Janes (flats with a strap). Every prep owns one of each. Every. Single. One. I happen to have two of each, no big deal.

Dolce Gabbana leather flat (black)

Marni galaxy shoes (leopard)

Jil Sander leather flat (yellow)

Mary jane (pink)

I remember when I went through my ~dark~ phase in middle school, I would always make fun of preps and what they stood for. This post is kind of in dedication to me evolving into a more tolerant, rational human being.

Fashion Pet Peeves

Today's post is going to be kind of a rant. There are a lot of things that annoy me within the fashion industry, so allow me to just dump all of my complaints on you.

1. Redundant brand names

I really, really hate when designers come out with brands named after themselves (e.g. Marc by Marc Jacobs or Michael by Michael Kors). I find it so annoying. Clearly, if your name comes right after the word "by," you don't need to re-state your name in the damn brand! Couldn't these designers think of anything any more creative? Come on, man.

2. Blatantly overpriced garments

To quote Macklemore, "I'm like 'Yo, that's $50 for a t-shirt.'" I understand that when I'm buying a designer brand, I'm going to pay more than I would if I were buying a regular retail brand. However, when designers charge over $100 for simple items like plain t-shirts or scarves, I can't help but cringe. When there's literally nothing special about a garment except for the designer's name, I call foul.

3. Knock-offs

As someone who plans to be a member of the fashion industry, knock-offs are a big annoyance to me. Buying and selling knock-off items really hurt the industry and take profits away from hard-working designers who deserve it. In addition, a large percentage of knock-offs don't even look like the actual items! The whole knock-off business really just needs to end.

4. Sweatshops

This is more of a pet peeve with capitalism in general, but I really detest sweatshops. No matter how cheap the cost of your garments end up to be, designers should never settle to oppressing underpaid men, women and children. More often than not, sweatshops workers have no choice but to work for these companies because they have little other opportunities. Sweatshops are a complete injustice and should be banned from the world economy.

5. Louis Vuitton

'Nuff said. Every Louis Vuitton product perpetually irritates me. Seeing the LV logo thrown all over a bag just makes me want to puke.

6. Body standards/fat shaming

This is an issue I have with the whole world, but it's really prominent in the fashion industry in particular. It seems as though some renowned names in fashion do not understand that people come in all shapes and sizes, and clothing should reflect that. I hate the idea that an hourglass woman with a big bust, tiny waist, and large hips is the ideal woman, and all other shapes are unacceptable. I can't stand seeing runway shows where all the models are all the same size (and often the same race). I also really hate advertisements that only feature thin models. Not everyone is a size two, and being any size larger than that is NOT a crime. All bodies are beautiful.

That's all I can think of for now! I might add on to these the more I think of them. Please comment down below and add your own!

Guide to Vintage/Thrift Shopping

I am a huge, huge fan of thrift shopping. In fact, I'd be content with shopping at vintage and thrift stores for clothes for the rest of my life. I'm in love with the idea of recycling clothes and expanding their shelf life. I feel like if more people shopped at thrift stores, we could increase product sustainability and help decrease the superfluous consumerism that characterizes today's society.

Yes, I love Macklemore. Sue me. 

Anyway, here are some tips for those of you who frequent thrift stores!

1. Don't judge a store by its window display.

Some thrift stores seem really dirty/gross/messy/etc from the outside (some from the inside, too!). However, don't let that stop you from seeing what they have! Just tolerate the not-completely-par quality of these stores for the time that you're inside, and the gems that you find will be well worth it. Most thrift stores, in my opinion, are diamonds in the rough. All the thrift stores in my neighborhood are less-than-luxe, but the great deals I get on good-quality clothes are beyond worth it.

2. Be careful when trying on clothes.

Especially with vintage clothes, be careful with how you handle them. Much of these items are very old, so there's a higher chance of them ripping or tearing. Make sure to tug gently when pulling things off your head or over your hips. Also, be wary around things like buttons and zippers. The majority of thrifted clothes don't come with extras!

3. Leave no section of the store unexplored.

Just because you couldn't find anything in the women's section doesn't mean there isn't something ultra rad waiting for you in the men's or children's sections! I've bought a couple shirts and jackets from the men's section that I wear oversized over dresses and skirts. You can also try looking outside your size range. The opportunities are endless, I promise.

4. Give these clothes a chance!

One time, I bought a men's button-up shirt from Goodwill and wore it as a dress! You never know what you can make. As my sewing teacher puts it, see these clothes as fabric that you can transform into whatever you want. Even minor changes like adding new buttons or ironing on a patch can make a huge difference in the look of a garment.

5. Be flexible with sizing.

This really only does for vintage clothes, but just because something isn't exactly your size, doesn't mean it won't fit. Sizing charts from ages ago tend to run a lot smaller. Don't be freaked out when you find that something that's normally your size doesn't fit you! For instance, I'm usually a size 2 and I recently bought a size 14 dress that fits me perfectly. If it looks small/big/long enough to fit you, then by all means try it on!

6. Wash or dry clean your purchases before wearing them out.

This goes for any time you buy clothes, but for thrifted stuff especially. As a rule of thumb, I generally dry clean my thrifted clothes. If you don't know whether or not an item needs dry cleaning, and it doesn't have a tag, take it to your dry cleaners and ask. Also make sure to wash or sanitize your hands before and after thrift shopping. Always be wary of germs!

Well, that's all I have for now! I hope that was helpful for some of you. Stay tuned for my upcoming thrift haul.

Do you have any tips to share that I've left out?  Please share in the comments below!

Stay beautiful,

Patricia

VINTAGE vs. RETRO

One of my biggest pet peeves is when retailers market their products as being “vintage” when what they really mean is vintage-inspired, or retro. There’s nothing more annoying than someone saying they bought a vintage dress, when in reality, they bought it last week at Forever 21.

Indeed, Fossil. Indeed.

In essence, “vintage” means old. Merriam-Webster defines it as “dating from the past or “of old, recognized, and enduring interest, importance, or quality.” Vintage clothes, then, are clothes that were made decades ago. When people talk of vintage clothes, they are usually referring to clothes that are thirty years old and older. These are clothes that have been preserved, maybe passed down from generations, and most importantly, are no longer available in stores. So when someone says their brand-new outfit they just bought from the mall is vintage, it really puts a thorn in my side.

On the other hand, “retro” refers to an article of clothing that resembles an old or outdated fashion style. Think of the word retrospective, meaning to look back into the past. That’s chiefly what retro or vintage-inspired clothing is—a peek into the past. When old trends like shoulder pads or high-waisted skirts are brought back, they are often dubbed as retro. Many, if not most, of today’s popular trends are recreations of previous styles. As with all history, fashion history always repeats itself. When retailers like Forever 21 or Modcloth release dresses that look like 50s swing dresses or pants and shirts that reference the 70s hippie movement, these products are retro, not vintage. Your cute, 20s-inspired slip dress from Macy’s sure looks vintage, but unless it was actually made in the 1920s, it’s only vintage-inspired. It will be vintage, though—just thirty years from now.

To clarify, let’s take a look at a couple dresses. This first dress is Romwe’s “Retro Lapel Neck Black” dress, available here. It has some very evident 50s-esque details, such as the A-line skirt and the collar. However, because it was manufactured in 2013, it is retro, not vintage (its name is kind of a big hint).

Doesn't this look like what Wednesday Addams would've worn in the 50s?

This next dress is a Jay Herbert lace day dress from Posh Girl Vintage, available here. It dates back to the 1950s and is by a brand that is no longer around today, thus making it vintage. In addition, it's also adorable. Anyone have $255 they want to lend me?

No but seriously, someone buy me this.

Don’t get me wrong, I love vintage and vintage-inspired fashion. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with being retro; in fact, I’m excited to see what old trend will be brought back next. It just bothers me immensely when I hear clothes being sold as “vintage” to try to attract gullible consumers. As a rule of thumb, if you buy something from a common, modern retail store that is labelled vintage, the odds are that it probably isn’t.

What do you think? Are you easily fooled by the vintage name-drop scheme, or does it peck at you when is falsely labelled vintage? I’m sure some of you share this pet peeve of mine. Let me know in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day,

Patricia