Favorite Stores

Inspiration

New Clothes

And one obnoxious Christmas sweater...

All bought at Goodwill. Total: $28.56

Hell yes.

Day 30: The Final Outfit

Is it the end of the month already? Could I have actually completed a project?

Woah. Guys, this has been a good month. I challenged myself in writing and in wearing, and I'm so thankful for all the support I've had from the blogging/vlogging community!

I realize that there are 31 days in October, and somehow I only manage to have 30 outfits. Typical. Something would go wrong. I've decided that my last blog for this 31 Days of Fashion will be a post filled with my fashion idols--you'll see I take inspiration from a myriad of different people!

But wait--I still have one last outfit for you:

This one is similar to another you've seen this month, but with some big changes. First, I ditched the yellow hat. I love the hat, don't get me wrong. But I wasn't particularly in a hat mood today, so there you go. Instead of wearing a short-sleeved black T-shirt like last time, I wore my Talbots turtle neck, which you will remember from my Funny Face outfit. The skirt is a work of art in itself and really steals the outfit no matter what you pair it with, but I must admit, the heels give it some competition.

I have touched on my newly proclaimed love of heels, and so naturally I had to wear some classic black pumps. I wore these a couple of years ago when I was a Junior Marshall in high school and they killed my feet, but this time I around I wore them all day! I was so proud of myself. 

Really, what I hope anyone who reads this blog will take away from it is that fashion and style can be fun. They can be imaginative. They can make you feel confident in yourself while simultaneously motivating you to try a new look. 

Please, take risks! When I cut off all my hair a year ago, I didn't realize how much it would impact my life. It has made me far more bold, comfortable with myself, and willing to embrace change. It led me to in interest in fashion and developing a personal style. It gave me the confidence to start making youtube videos, without which I wouldn't have made new friends. Heck, I wouldn't have even written this blog!

See what style can do for you? See what difference picking out a unique outfit can make? 

I hope this month has been an eye-opener. It certainly was for me! 

Don't worry, I'm not just going to stop blogging. I actually have my regular blog, allystandsforawesome, that I plan to start updating more than I have been. Doing this project has made me realize how much fun it is to write posts and put them out there for the blogging community to see. 

Alright, I'll see you all tomorrow. 

Stay classy. Find your personal style. And smile. Never forget the smile.

-Ally

Day 29: The Last Sunday

By now, you all know that Sundays are usually not when I'm feeling my most fashionable. Most of the time, it's a quiet day filled with either work or leisure (or some combination of the two), and I don't typically put a lot of thought into what I wear when I'm writing a paper or watching an episode of The Big Bang Theory.

However, this month has challenged me to go against my instinct (and the old standard of Sweatpants Sundays), and try and keep Sunday fashionable, despite its rep as the Day of Rest.

So, here's the last Sunday of October for you. Comfortable, but still cute:

I have a mildly embarrassing confession to make: I've had this sweater since the sixth grade. For any of you who are bad at math, that's seven years. Seven years and I can still wear this sweater! I think that says something about my figure, eh? 

I always liked this sweater. It came from my American Eagle phase, which always seems to set in around middle school. You know, when the most trendy brands are Abercrombie and Fitch and Hollister. Today, I wouldn't be caught dead in a Hollister (not that anyone would be able to see me anyway. They never turn on the lights in that place.) Despite all that, this sweater still makes the cut. 

When I was younger (and even now, I'll admit), I used to think of it as being kind of Hogwartian (Yep. That's a word.) If the silver stripes had been gold, it would have screamed Gryffindor. Still, even though it doesn't quite fit the requisites, I still feel like Hermione Granger rushing off to the library in it. It really is the perfect Sunday-in-the-library top. 

I matched it with leggings, which I wore as pants. I'm still undecided as to whether I approve of wearing leggings as pants. Deep down, I know it just isn't right, but I can't help but admit that I like wearing them. What do you all think? Should leggings be allowed to be worn in lieu of pants? Society seems to have spoken, and the answer is yes.

Top off the outfit with some little black flats and you're ready for whatever Sunday may have in store, whether it's as simple as your favorite movie or as terrible as your mid-term. 

Cheers. 

Day 28: Unpredictable Race

Today I have TWO outfits for you. Before you get too excited, let me explain. Neither of these outfits are what one would consider "fashionable", but they each have a very logical reasoning. Let me begin.

So at my school, we have this crazy event called the Unpredictable Race. You and a partner dress up in a wild outfit of your choice and then you are forced to undergo the most ridiculous challenges possible. This year's included: rolling around in maple syrup and sand, wading through waist-deep muddy water, eating 30 frozen gummy bears, memorizing the words "vestibule" and "squirtle" whilst doing sit-ups, push ups, and dancing, and climbing up a hill made slick with melted butter. Oh, and we had to do it all while holding an orange. Because, you know, why not?

The result was that by the end of the race, we looked like this:

Note the enormous amounts of syrup, mud, and sand stuck to various parts of my body. And my hair. Oh God, my hair.

Now, this was SO MUCH FUN. Sometimes, we have to throw vanity aside and just let loose. I'm not saying you need to roll around in maple syrup, but remember that life is about more than putting together that perfect outfit.

Although, I must say for a broke college girl, my outfit was pretty good. Although the leg warmers were my roommate's. Don't worry! They were cleaned before I returned them!

So, after that happened, I had a couple of hours and then came Outfit #2 of the day, which I would honestly wear ALL THE TIME if society would allow me:

Why yes, I AM dressed up like a Hogwarts student. 

They had a double showing of Deathly Hallows Parts I and II on campus, and naturally I dressed up. It's the proper way to do these things. (What made me mad was that I was the only one to dress up. Come on, who goes to a double showing of Harry Potter and doesn't dress up at all?!) The robe is actually my graduation gown with a Gryffindor emblem sewn on. I got the sweater this past summer at LeakyCon from Whimsic Alley, and I love it dearly. It was far cheaper than buying a sweater from Wizarding World of Harry Potter, even if the sweater is a tad scratchy. Also, every self-respecting HP fan should have a tie from at least one of the four houses. Oh, and the wand. It's not a specific character's; just an Ollivander's original. It chose me. 

Halloween is one of my favorite times of year, and I'm safely assuming any fashion-wise person enjoys it as well. It's a chance to wear what every you want and be whoever you want to be and no one will judge you. Sure, I got a few strange stares from people when I was in my HP garb (they were probably just worried I would hex them), but if you love fashion and imagination, Halloween is the holiday for you. In past years I've gone as Glinda the Good Witch, Morticia (from The Addams Family), a witch (many times), my evil twin, the Grim Reaper, Tinker Bell, and Baby Bop (I was three and heavily in the Barney stage. No judging!). 

This year, don't hold back. Now that I think about it, October was probably the best month to do this blog, because it ended with the most fashionable day of the year! 

Go forth and eat candy!

Day 27: There's that chill in the air...

Brr. Today was cold. It definitely felt like Fall, but then again, the weather here is liable to change from day to day. It's like it can't decide if it wants to change seasons or not.

But today. Today it certainly felt like Fall. I love sweaters and coats and hats and scarves and mittens. I adore hot cider and pumpkin carving and scary movies. In fact, as I type this, I'm watching Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. I'm that girl that takes each holiday to its pinnacle.

Now, I know you're going to think this outfit is not particularly Fall-ish, but let me set the record straight: I wore a heavy purple coat with it all day, so I was warm when I went out and not too hot in my classes.

Here I have employed two of the Fall Essentials: the scarf and the hat. You guys know by now how much I love these articles of clothing. You've seen these two before, but before I incorporated them into more Summer outfits. I want to prove that clothes don't have to be labeled "Spring" and "Winter", you can wear clothes at anytime of year as long as you accessorize properly. True, you can't wear your heavy fur coat in the middle of August, and I would not suggest sporting a tube top in December, but you get what I mean. Utilize your wardrobe. Mix and match. Make it work.

Your task for the upcoming month is to do just this. Don't pack away all your summer clothes in boxes. Look through them all first and ask yourself which of them you could still wear somehow during the winter season. 

Alright dears. Until next time. 

Day 26: Back in Black

So remember how I went home last weekend? Well, in addition to good times and a few purchases, I also brought back with me a few clothes that I'd left behind. Including this shirt:

I'm usually not a fan of printed tees, but this one doesn't exactly fall under that category. It's more my style: loose, bohemian, and classy. The black vest is actually not a separate article of clothing: the shirt is made up of both the dancer's white shirt and the black vest.

Match it with my black jeggings and black flats and you've got yourself one amazing outfit.

I wish I had some sort of cool anecdote for this outfit, but I'm drawing a blank. 

Until the next day! When hopefully I'm feeling more self-motivated!

Day 25: High Heels

Until recently, I was not a high heels girl. I was strictly ballet flats, as authorized by Audrey Hepburn. I'm of average height, so it's not as though they would have made me monstrously tall or anything, I just wasn't  a huge fan of the form of the shoe.

My opinion has changed. Maybe I'm finally branching out or maybe I'm just getting older, but I really like high heels now. Even though I was never a fan before, I had still managed to acquire a few pairs for various reasons. And then, this weekend (the very same weekend of the purchasing of the suspenders), I saw these beige heels at Charlotte Russe. They were beautiful. Plastic and shiny, a not-too-high heel, and pointy toes. I was in love. And at $4.95 (on clearance from $24), I was allowed to be.

Even though I bought them on Saturday, I didn't get the opportunity to wear them until Wednesday, as you can see here:

The picture taken of me is not that great, but I had my friend do it and as I was saying "I think we should retake it...", she was scurrying off to her room because she had missed the first thirty seconds of The Middle, which is apparently a very funny show, although I have yet to see its appeal. (Sorry Kristin, I really do appreciate you taking the picture!)

Anyway, you can see that the blazer is getting its fair share of love this month, and this time I wore it with my flower camisole that I have also worn before (See? See how you can recycle articles of clothing into different outfits?) I wore the Gap jeans as well, and the finishing touch were those lovely heels.

Yes, it did take me a wee bit long to make to from Point A to Point B in these babies, but still. They were surprisingly comfortable, it is just that one needs to be careful to maintain balance in heels, especially on the slippery cafeteria floor where bad things are bound to happen. Luckily, I took no spills. I think that the more I wear heels, the better I will be at strutting along without toppling over. 

This may sound strange, but wearing heels actually makes me feel really confident and powerful. Maybe it has something to do with the way you sort of have to strut while wearing them. Or perhaps I'm just crazy. In my life, that is always a valid option. Still, if you usually don't opt for heels, you may want to brave them at least once and see how you feel. Yes, your feet will probably hurt, but what about your confidence? Up? Down? 

I'm curious to know if I really am crazy. 

Day 24: Suspenders Part II

I bought a new clothing item this weekend.

I love adding to my wardrobe. I don't do it too often, and I always make sure that the piece I'm buying is not a repeat or something that's already in my closet. Get the staples and a few crazy pieces and that's all you need. Oh, and you can never have enough hats. That's a fact.

This weekend's addition was technically a repeat, since I do own another pair, but different enough that I can still justify them. I'm talking about suspenders. I want to bring them back (If they were ever "in"). I love them so dearly, and the only other pair I had I could only wear with a certain pair of shorts because they weren't traditional suspenders, but suspenders that had come with this pair of shorts and therefore only attached to them. (did that make any sense? I hope so)

So, I needed some suspenders that I could wear with any pants I please, hence the buying of these beauties and the compilation of this outfit:

Purple suspenders. Hot Topic. $7. 

That's what they call a win, my friends.

I was going for a Christina Perri look here. You know, like how she looks on the cover of her  Lovestrong album? She looks awesome. 

So, I put on my jeans, strapped on my suspenders, and was off! Yes, a few strange looks did pass my way, but those people just don't understand the chic that is suspenders. Us fashion bloggers know their true potential. 

I'm going to keep this one short and simple, but if you have ever wondered about suspenders, give them a go. They are relatively cheap and come in tons of funky colors and patterns. 

Day 23: A Little Story

Today I have a small tale to accompany my outfit.

So I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before in my blog or in one of my youtube videos, but I am a pescetarian, which means I'm a vegetarian who eats fish. No, I'm not doing this for any ethical reason (although I'll admit the idea of eating another creature that was once living makes me a tad jumpy), but rather because I don't care for the taste of meat and decided to cut it from my life altogether, a decision I have been willing and happy to uphold since last April.

As you do know, I was home this past weekend visiting family and friends for the first time since August. There was much laughter and rejoicing, and on Sunday evening, before my parents drove me back to school, we had an early dinner together. Now my dad is not a world class chef, but he does have a few specialties. In particular, he makes this amazing split pea soup. It's one of those deals that takes all day to simmer and the house smells like vegetables and Fall. He only makes it once or twice a year, but I absolutely adore it and so I had requested that he make it for my homecoming. He complied, and I ate up the soup despite there being chopped up pieces of ham in it. Yes, yes, I know. I'm a pescetarian. But this was my Dad's special soup, and even though I don't love meat, I love this soup. Hence the eating a huge bowl of it.

So flash forward a few hours: I'm back at school, unpacked, dreading the coming school week, and getting ready for bed. And feeling a little nauseous. I shook it off and crawled into bed. Moving forward to 3 am and I'm awake, now significantly more nauseous. I sleep on the top bunk, so crawling down in my state was not fun. I ran down the hall to the bathroom, where I promptly threw up Dad's soup into the toilet, ham and all. It turns out if you haven't had meat in a long time and then you suddenly consume it, your body will not be too pleased with you. So there I was, green at the gills, not sure why I had thrown up. It's now 4 in the morning, and I was scared I might have the stomach flu, so instead of worrying about climbing back up to my bunk, I slunk into the lounge and crashed on the couch, where I was awoken at 7:30am by the cleaning lady.

So, to recap: Yummy soup. Had meat. Ally's stomach disapproved. Puke. Crash on couch. Woke up feeling like a zombie.

Needless to say, Monday was rough. Nausea loomed over me the entire day, and I slunk to my three classes in a sort of fog.

But...I managed to put together a somewhat fashionable outfit:

You've seen the top before, only last time it was paired with my purple pants and boots. (Side note on the boots: I have glued back on the heel, but have not attempted to wear them yet. I'm a bit scared I will have to admit defeat and get rid of them) On this day, I just threw on the shirt with my black jeggings, which are so gloriously comfortable that even in my weakened state I approved them. 

Sorry that this post was not really fashion-related. I haven't puked like that in years, and it was not an experience I care to repeat any time soon. However, it does make for a rather interesting blog post. Ally, the daring and courageous girl who overcame food poisoning for the good of her fashion blog! It has a nice ring to it, eh?

Day 22: The Return Trip

Today was bittersweet.

It was sweet because I woke up at Jessie's after staying the night there with Morgan and Jess. We made our own pizzas (which turned out good) and attempted to make sweet potato fries (which turned out not-so-good). We laughed, we indulged in much junk food, and we took a ridiculous number of pictures, most of which featured me looking very silly, to say the least. It was soooo much fun.

Which is why today was also bitter. Because today I came back to school. Yes, I love learning and I am ready to get back to classes and a schedule that does not include eating mass quantities of junk food and staying up till 2am. However, it means another month until Thanksgiving. Another month until I see my friends.

As you can imagine, I was in a rough state after sleeping in this morning. Since all I was doing today was eating dinner with my family and driving back to campus, my outfit was not as glorious as the previous days. Still, I'm pretty pleased with the result:

As noted before, I adore Audrey. Which explains the Andy Warhol-esq Audrey shirt I sported today, casually thrown together with black jeggings, a grey sweater, and cheetah print flats. Cozy and cute; perfect for riding back to Wake, listening to music with my dog laying in my lap (another great part about my weekend: seeing Daisy). 

So now I am here, back in my dorm, for another 3 1/2 weeks until Thanksgiving break, feeling a tad homesick but knowing that I'll see my friends again soon and in the meantime I'll be kept busy with schoolwork and other things (like Halloween! and NaNoWriMo!)

Until tomorrow friends!

Day 21: Doctor Who?

Why yes, that is the MOST FUCKING AMAZING DOCTOR WHO SHIRT THAT EVER EXISTED. Thank you for noticing. My dear friend Peter got it for me for graduation last June, and I always enjoying wearing it, especially when visiting English pubs (which incidentally I did this past weekend).

So there's this English pub in a county near where my parents live. I had no knowledge of this wonderful place until recently, and naturally I begged my mother to take me when I came home. So, Jessie, my mother, and I piled into the car on Saturday and drove to this charming little English pub/restaurant and had lunch. I had the fish and chips with a pint, while Jessie went for the classic bangers and mash. Absolutely delicious!!! And afterwards, we went out front and took pictures in the telephone booth, which you can see above. I know that the TARDIS is a police box (and blue), but I can't help but be reminded of it whenever I see English telephone boxes. 

I made the DW shirt all the more fashionable by pairing it with a blazer, skinny jeans, and some bronze open-toed heels. I'm finding lately that I like heels more and more.

I once heard a quote that went something along the lines of "Dress every day like it's the day you'll travel with the Doctor." Regardless of if you watch Doctor Who (and you should) or not, this is great advice. Dress everyday like it's the day your life could change. Dress everyday like some time traveller in a blue box is going to pick you up and take you through time and space. 

After all, you don't want to end up like Amelia Pond and run off in your pajamas. 

Day 20: Going Back in Style

Like I said, Friday I spent at home because it was Fall Break.

My day was awesome: Got up, watched Gilmore Girls (I own all 7 seasons), went to lunch with a friend, went to Books-A-Million whilst simultaneously drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte, met up with Jessie and went shopping, went to a tailgate for my old high school, saw Three Musketeers (not even close to the genius that is the book), and ended the night staying over at Jessie's house and stuffing my face with food (I should point out that the amount of food I consumed this weekend was probably enough to feed an entire Third World country. For a month.)

So yeah. Great day. Awesome day. Magnificently wondiferous day (yes, that is a word).

And a great outfit to match:

The hat and scarf were seen on Day 1, and I believe you all have seen the tights before on the night of the Ball. This time, I paired them with this unbelievable skirt I got from Forever 21 a little while back. Love love love this skirt. Color is always a win. And this skirt has plenty of color.

This was the perfect outfit to match the perfect day. It reflected how I felt: light, fun, bright, and ecstatic! Remember, the way you dress reflects the way you'll feel. If you wear sweatpants and a T-shirt, you'll feel like sitting around and being a bum. However, if you dress like you want to go out and experience life, then life will be brighter. It will be more fulfilling. It will be more fun.

And everyone could use a little more fun. 

Day 19: Going Home

Right, so I haven't been good about updating. But, as always, I have an excuse. The difference is this time it is a valid excuse.

I went home, for the first time since August, this past weekend. Friday was our only day off for Fall Break, so my mother picked me up on Thursday evening and took me back to G-town (that's Gastonia, for those non-natives).

For me, this weekend meant friends and fun. Getting to see my two best friends, Jessie and Morgan, was the most fun I have had since this past summer. School's been okay. I like the academics, but as I discussed in one of my recent youtube videos, I'm not entirely sure about the environment of Wake. I don't think it can adapt for me, and I certainly don't want to change who I am just to fit in. That's not how I roll.

Speaking of being myself, here's Friday's outfit:

Sorry there's no shot of me actually wearing the clothes. I was really busy packing and then going home and before I knew it, I  had changed out of the outfit and was asleep in my parent's guest bedroom (my sister moved into my old room when I moved out.)

I think all of the pieces seen here have been seen before. Although I do have a little story about the choice of shoes. Originally, I was not wearing my Chucks, but my black boots. However, as I was making a mad dash for my work study on Friday, I suddenly felt the heel of my boot fly off my shoe. If anyone had walked by at that moment, they would have seen a girl standing open-mouthed just staring at the ground in disbelief. Then, they would have seen that same girl pick up the poor dislodged heel and hobble back to her dorm, where she threw on her converses and then sprinted to the Art Gallery so as not to be late for work study. 

The good news is I fixed the heel. But I'm telling you, I was feeling pretty blue on that Friday morning after my favorite shoes broke. 

Thank goodness for wood glue!

Day 18: Doing the Charleston

Tidings good people of the internet! If you've been keeping up with me since day one of this crazy blog, I thank you. And if you are just now joining me on this journey through my wardrobe, well...I suppose I can forgive you.

Today I want to talk about eras. Any fashion guru will know at least something about the major styles of the past decades. The 80s were known for Madonna-hair and bright spandex, the seventies for bell bottoms and straight hair, and so and so forth. 

Today we're drawing inspiration from the Roaring 20s, an era of flapper dresses, Prohibition, and of course, the Charleston. As a literary nerd, my affection for the 1920s naturally stems from F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic The Great Gatsby. Now, I have met people who moaned and groaned about how much they hate this novel, but they only say that because they fail to see the literary genius of the characters, setting, and that mysterious green light. Don't worry, this is not a book blog, so I'll leave the literary analysis for another day (or you could just go here) 

Moving on to the outfit:

Right then, let's start with the pants. Remember when I wore those black pants from the Talbots outlet? Remember when I mentioned I had also bought them in green? 

Yeah, $15, regularly $40. You may praise my shopping ability appropriately at this time.

The same shopping prowess is displayed in the story of the shirt. I was vacationing with my family, when I popped into this cute little boutique with clothes from all different eras. Everything was outrageously priced (as boutique items are apt to be), but then I caught sight of this little beauty on the clearance rack. $20, marked down from $60. 

I love this shirt dearly, not only because it makes me want to do the Charleston, but because it is such a unique item of clothing. Yes, I'll admit, it is the kind of thing that either you absolutely love or absolutely hate, but sometimes in style risks must be taken. Not everyone is going to appreciate your tasteful eye! (Or something to that effect)

In this post I am challenging you to embrace a past era's style and try to recreate it for yourself. I choose to go back to the 20s, what about you? Will it be 40s pin-up curls, a poodle skirt, or a brightly colored sweatshirt paired with leggings? 

The decision is yours. 

Until next time,

Ally

Day 17: Here Comes the Sun (Do do do do)

Hello my lovely friends,

This week may kill me. One word: Mid-terms. A Brit Lit essay, a FYS Essay, a History exam, a Library Science final, and a International Politics exam.

Just let it be over.

The good news is I will be retiring to the home for the first time since arriving here at grand ole university, so that is exciting. Fall Break starts Friday, so by this weekend the Mid-terms will be done and I will be laughing merrily with friends.

But until then, just let it be over!

Still, I found the time to dress myself properly, as any girl should:

I have quite an affection for the Beatles. I have three Beatles shirts, a poster on my wall of all of their album covers, and most of their records (because listening to them on my ipod just doesn't seem right). For your own personal record, my favorite Beatle is Ringo Starr. Now I find most people prefer John or Paul, so let me make my case for dear Ringo. Ringo is under-appreciated. Yes, he had a very large and ugly nose, but that was not Ringo's fault. And remember, without Ringo's percussion, the Beatles would have just been three guys holding guitars. Like the Jonas brothers. See?! See how important Ringo is? Would you really have The Beatles reduced to Jonas Brother status? I think not.

On with the outfit...

Gap Jeans, which you have beheld before. Grandad's fedora, which gets more and more classy every time I wear it. My delightful Mary Janes, always stealing the show and making that beautiful clacking sound whenever I walk. And then, of course, The Beatles.

It is 11:58pm, so I'm actually writing this blog and posting on the actual day I wore the outfit. 


That's impressive, people. Ringo would be proud.