Anna's Creative Rule of Thumb: "If you can think of it, chances are, it has already been done. So, take that juicy little thought and improve upon it. Take it as far as you possibly can, so that you can feel just slightly more comfortable with the belief that you are doing something uniquely different."
Welp. This is me taking my own advice, I guess? For once..Hehe. I'm just trying to listen to that voice.
It's a feeling that takes the form of an open mouth with no words coming out of it. It lives near that barely noticeable sensation that tells you that your dear old mum is about to ring you and then the phone rings. Yeah, you know, that thing. It warns you of danger, gives you clues about things that may happen in the distant future and if you're really in tune with it, you can actually use it like a tool. It's not just some postman ringing your doorbell and handing you a cryptic note (as per usual).
It's a force of energy you can actually wield. It's called "synchronicity." ;P
I also believe that, well, wherever it is in my mind that synchronicity resides, lies my beautiful muse. It's a wellhead of creativity. She's the reason I hear a song in my head and soon after I'm furiously writing lines of poetry on a napkin. She annoyingly wades in my inspiration. She's a part of the inner soundless voice that lets me know whether I look like a freak or très chic before I take to the streets in my garb.
My teachings in philosophy, especially Eastern Philosophy and metaphysics, has ruined me. You must be thinking, what in the world is this girl going on about? I'd love to spend hours sipping whiskey (after whiskey) and talking about it in greater detail, but this is a fashion blog. Fuck! I almost forgot. Haha.
So..anyway..fashion. Right! Good Style Shop had an all-day event over the weekend. Basically, they invited one and all to peruse their freshly stocked Spring wares during the day and then held a party at the store later in the night. I found this to be quite exciting, so I snuck in that afternoon to take a look around and then I dragged my partner along for the party later that night. I dressed up, as you can see.
Yes, I called upon my aforementioned muse. I rudely disturbed her playful wading in my mental pool and asked, 'Hey, man..so wtf should I wear to this thing?' She talked so fast, I could barely catch it all.
I got the distinct impression that she may have been angry with me. I dunno. Anyway, I got some good tips and I put together the outfit that you see before you. There's a bit going on. I will explain. :D
I decided to use some Spring colors and patterns to celebrate its arrival. :D I actually wore two dresses. Yes, you read that right. I wore a sheer black dress and underneath that I wore a striped high low cap-sleeve dress. In so doing, I created the illusion of a striped top, but if you were to look more closely, you'd see some stripes at the tail end of the garment also. I love this kind of subtle layering.
I topped everything off with a bright and cheery pleated, floral high-low skirt. I think stripes and florals are going to make a come back this Spring and I'm already seeing a black/white trend cropping up for Spring wear, so I combined the best of all three. :D Daring, but fashion is all about taking risks, right?
Yes, it was still chilly and the snow really wanted to melt, I'm sure of it. Hehe. It tried so hard! There were only a few bouts of sunshine that day, but that didn't stop people from coming out to browse the shop's amazing wares. If you look closely in the second picture, you'll see that I had to chain my bike to a little rack that was still half covered in a mound of snow. Haha. I didn't give a fuck. Snow Shmow.
I got some stares while I was in the shop. I wasn't sure if it was because I was the only brown soul in there (this occurs often, I can't help that the demographics of my region are not on my side haha) or if it was because I was taking a bunch of photos with my phone. I'm leaning toward the latter. ;P
Last October, this space was used primarily for local bands to set up shop every now and then to rock out with their cocks out. The place shut down, though, and the Good Style Shop moved in. They haven't been around for even a year, yet, but they've already got quite the following. I was really happy to see so many people crammed into the shop. I think it's hard to start a new business, especially one that is centered on used clothing, but Good Style Shop seems to have really hit its stride.
I think part of the reason for their success is that they have employees with a great eye for interesting and unique vintage clothing. I felt like a kid in a candy store. The first thing I gravitated towards was this group of men's shoes. I'm tall with big feet, so I know none of the vintage women's shoes will fit, but there's a chance I could squeeze into some men's sneakers, at least. Hehe. So yeah, I took a gander and I really like the red and blue Keds. Later that night, my partner also gravitated to this section of the store and he fell in love with the black and chestnut wingtips. I was a little jealous. Hehe.
I checked out the men's rack of collared shirts, also. In my experience, the men's section has a better selection of patterns. Sure enough, I found three shirts that I probably would have bought except that they were just too big. I thought I must have looked strange rummaging through the "men's" section, but quite frankly, I'll wear anything as long as it's the right size. I give no fucks about gender lines.
This is one of the first few dresses I looked at and I just couldn't get over the patterns and colors. I put it back and browsed the rest of the store, but then eventually I had to pick it up and try it on. As you can imagine, I ended up buying it. :D I'm not even that much of a dress person, as you may know by now. However, you should also know that I will probably wear this in such a way that it will not be obvious that it is a dress. It's my favorite thing to do. ;P So, stay tuned for that! I can't wait to style this.
I also bought this floral vest. I just couldn't walk away from it. It reminds me of my grandma's couch. Haha! I haven't a clue as to how I will style it. It's basically just an aesthetic trophy right now. :D
I don't have a single red skirt. I know. Lame. So, I was really hoping I could buy this one, but it was an inch too tight in the waist (which is never my problem, so I was shocked). I have a disgustingly tiny waist, and the skirt's 25 inch waist was too snug. I measure a 28, but I find I can wear as low as a 26.5.
Same issue with the floral skirt. I'm so sad. It would look great with cobalt blue or deep yellow. I left these skirts behind, so if you like them (and you're incredibly skinny hehe), you should get them!
Oh and I should mention that the shop music is wicked. I heard lots of old reggae from my childhood. My parents are Jamaican. Whoever is in charge of the music has impeccable taste. I was definitely movin' and groovin'. Good music always gets me in the mood to spend money. Haha. :D
All in all, I had a wonderful time visiting. It was my first time there and I'm sure it will not be the last. <3
Oh and all that stuff I said up there about synchronicity and mental wading pools..yeah. Just..uh..forget I said all that. I'm just a small town girl living in a big, scary world. I'm just trying to find my way. Yep. ;P
I hope your day kicks ass! Here's some French disco house to send you on your way. (^_^)v <3
TIL Darling - Gold Filigree Collar Necklace & Gold Bracelets
Thrifted - Sheer Black ModCloth Dress (Swap Group) &
Floral Pleated High-Low Skirt (Swap Group)
WantedShoes.com - Wing-tip Ankle Boots
ModCloth - Striped High-Low Dress
