Well here's something super girly for ya. ;D Hehe. I really, really, really like this hot air balloon dress, though. I received it through my clothing swap group and apparently, it's an imitation of this $110 ModCloth dress. Some people are probably going to be miffed by this and understandably so. There's a big debate going on right now about whether designer knockoffs have a place in fashion. I personally don't mind going to Payless, for example, and buying cheap shoes that look like designer shoes. I don't pay too much attention to labels (so I have little interest in the, "oooh, who are you wearing?" thing).
On the other hand, there's a fine line between using another designer's work as an artistic springboard and doing a flat out copy without meaningful variation. I think this dress would fit the latter description and I think the original designer would and should be upset about that. I remember how pissed I got when some girl leaned over her desk to copy off of my math test in school. It's the same sort of thing with an original design. You need to do your own work. Don't use someone else's and call it your own.
That being said, I feel good that I didn't actually purchase this dress, but I do carry the knowledge that the original idea belonged to someone else and that sucks. It's right up there with thrifting a garment made out of animal products. The purchase doesn't subsidize an (in my opinion) abhorrent practice and it prevents an otherwise wearable garment from going to waste. So, that's what I think, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! I really did mean for this to be a happy post, though. Sorry about that!
Happy, happy, happy! Yay! OK. :DDD So, on the day these photos were taken, I was feeling musical, whimsical and quirky. To make the outfit a little bit more fun (and dress it down), I added my favorite ghetto blaster pendant, thrifted converse sneakers and obnoxious noise cancellation headphones. The oversized cat-eye glasses were a nice touch, too, I think. They're just so fun to wear! :D
This blue spiked zipper bag was an XMAS gift from my dear mum. :3 It's my only blue bag (I need more colorful bags, like woah). >_< I was thinking about wearing a bright yellow bag and I might try that eventually, but I think the dark blue was a better choice this time. It adds a burst of color without taking too much attention away from the dress. That balloon print is just so damn cute and cheery. Bah! >_<
I'm embarrassed by how much I adore this dress. I don't consider myself a girly girl at all, but I feel like the dress is right up there with baby animals. It doesn't matter where you're from or whether you're male or female or whether you're some hardened criminal or a ruthless dictator. You know those little critters make you instinctively happy! Haha. You just have to like this dress. Nature commands it! ;D
Thrifted - Hot Air Balloon Dress (Swap Group), Oversized Tortoise Cat
Eye Glasses (Swap Group), ModCloth Blue Bag (Gift), ModCloth
Stereo Pendant (Sale) & Converse Sneakers (Swap Group)
Chicwish - Gold Gilded Belt Bracelet in Cream