Baby, We're the New Romantics

If ya haven't figured it out, I'm quoting Taylor here. She definitely has the bon mot for romance - don't believe me? Check out this awesome Buzzfeed "If Taylor Swift Lyrics Were About Henry VII". You're welcome. Her lyrics transpires centuries, hehe. 

I feel like this skirt empathizes romance: the deep russet red, the long flowy fabric, the pleats and gathers. 

And it certainly goes with new romantics - I don't think the 1st round of old romantics were going around in crop tops and beaded vests (but definitely the 2nd round in the 60's!) And while being romantic obviously goes with this week's theme of Valentine's Day, I think Taylor is more referring to the literary movement of the 19th century - a group of writers, artists and thinkers who believed in true expression of emotions, rebelling aspects of society, finding beauty in all things and going back to nature. To name a few: Lord Byron (free love), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (humanity v. industry),  John William Waterhouse (beautiful women in natural landscapes). 

Then fast forward and we get the hippies who were inspired by the romantics - which inspired the bohemian style and this specific outfit! Voila! See how I went full cycle there? 

Besides the skirt - which I lurrrve (also see here and here) - I'm obsessed with this sweet little vest - not only is the netting really funky and fun but it's got seed pearls woven into the pattern! With the vest, I'm trying out the "Third Piece Rule" of wearing a 3rd piece that really pulls your whole look together. I read this on Little J Style's blog and thought dangit! Why didn't I think of this? Or at least know about it? It really does make the difference - though it can be hard to do in the tropics. 

So what do you think? Of Taylor? Henry VII? Romanticism? Hippies? The 3rd Piece Rule? 

I bet Henry definitely followed the Third Piece Rule and was all about some free love! 

Everything Thrifted 

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//Colors\\

Shhhh… don't tell anyone but I originally bought this dress to wear as a night gown. On the rack it was a $3 unexciting baggy thing but it looked uber comfortable and I liked the color. But after wearing it around the house, I started liking how it hung so effortlessly on me and had great movement. So I put on some wedges, a killer statement necklace and bam! I'm ready for a summer day//night out. But shhh… I still wear it to bed, too. 

Dress: New2U | Shoes: Uptown Cheapskate | Bangle: Macy's | Necklace: Lovisa | Sunglasses: Little India
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In the Wild

My mom has a serious jewelry collection. Especially necklaces. It covers a wall of her rather large walk-in closet. It's a thing of beauty; one that I raid every time I'm home. We had so much fun pulling out ALL of the accessories that could possibly go with this Southwestern-styled poncho and photo shoot. 

Poncho: Nordstrom | Leggings: Jessica Simpson | Boots: DSW | Belts, Jewelry: Mom's | Sunglasses: H&M

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Bali, Khaleesi, and Me

I got this sarong in Ubud, Bali last month (posts from my trip here, here, and here if you are curious). I have a bunch touristy sarongs from Thailand but none of them compare to this one! The fabric is much higher quality and the gold print has much more detail - I especially love the border that goes around the entire cloth. And I think the best part about sarongs from Bali is that you can see Balinese women still wearing them; they tend to wear them with (usually lace) tunics that have a sash around them. The outfits are so beautiful, feminine and flattering to curves. 

When I got this sarong home, I was so pleased to see it matching some of my favorite gold jewelry. I made this body chain (oh so what would khaleesi wear?) a few years ago.  I used a dress dummy and a bunch of old gold chain necklaces I had hanging around my jewelry boxes and voila! I love how it reminds me of armor. Sadly, I don't wear it as much as I would like to. I am particularly pleased how the lines of the chains balances out the proportions of my hips in the sarong here. I also adore my bracelets; the one with the red gem and filigree-detail is vintage. The cuff - also very Khaleesi-inspired - is actually two butterflies put together.

So what do ya think; would you ever wear a sarong as more than just a beach cover-up?

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