collared shirt: c/o sugarlips // shirt: borrowed // belt/shoes: target // shorts: modcloth
(remind me to never do expansions on photos when I'm really tired ... ouch.)
Pretty sure that I'm the worst "personal style" blogger out there. It seems to me that most bloggers to one extent or another love fashion, follow the trends and upcoming collections, know about different fashion time periods, can distinguish different fits and flares and fabrics of pieces, and so on and so forth. But Lauren over here, I don't have a clue about anything in the fashion world. I couldn't tell you anything about 60's fashion or what collar is on a dress. It's probably worse that I don't particularly care about knowing it. Not saying that it's bad to know it, because I have good friends studying fashion and I know it's an important part of society, but it's just something I've never been particularly passionate about. I guess that's where I kind of get to cheat as a personal style blogger, because what I wear is my own personal style and not necessarily popular fashion from a different era. Since growing up in a constant strict dress code, I never really had a huge opportunity to explore different things. I do remember once in junior high, buying my very first blazer and really loving it, but being too embarrassed about "dressing up" to wear it to school, so that embarrassment of dressing differently didn't help matters either. It wasn't really until senior year, and mostly freshman year of college that I got to explore what I liked and what I didn't like. My friends in college are my biggest style influences, not only because I can see how fashionably they dress, but also because I can then borrow the pieces that they style and work them into my own wardrobe.
Just take this red and blue shirt, for example. It's my beautiful roommate's shirt (hey girl hey. I know you're creeping on me right now.), she totally rocks this shirt every time she wears it, and often wears it over dresses. So I took her guidance and did it as well in this outfit. This time around, I tried to do my own thing and be super matchy with my shorts, and it turned out being one of my favorite outfits to date! It's important to be inspired by other people's styles, but it's even more important to incorporate it into your own style. I love being able to wear my friends' clothes to see what works well with my body and what I feel confident in. Also I decided not to switch out my shoes just for outfit photos, because I basically wear these shoes all the time. Even though they don't really "go" with the outfit, it's what I wore all day and it's just a very "Lauren" thing of me to do. Always have your style be very you. It doesn't matter if it's the latest trend, or if it's a perfect representation of 60's or 70's styles, as long as you are confident in what you're wearing, then that's all that matters.
Have a beautiful day!
p.s. one of my style inspirations just posted an outfit similar to this, and it made me really excited that I achieved her level of awesomeness. (But for the record, I've had this post sitting in blogger for a couple days, so it was totally coincidence that we have similar outfits.)
sweater/button down: thrifted // shorts: forever 21 // boots: borrowed (target)
One of the pluses of living with five other girls is that we get to share each other's wardrobes. This is especially good when I have to leave my pink boots behind at home but one of my friends has the exact same pair as me. This outfit was inspired by this pin that's on my outfit inspiration pinterest board, which is basically filled with outfits I probably couldn't pull off in real life but wish I could. I've actually had this shirt since 2010, (that awkward moment when you actually still wear all of the things in that photo ...) but I put it away in a sack about a year ago (intending to get rid of it) only to rediscover it and consequently fall in love with it all over again. I certainly am fine with that as it's a really fun print, plus I'm constantly living in cold places so I can never have enough sweaters.
As for my classes, they are all going really well. I only wish I was allowed to take more (I'm only allowed 18 credits with my financial aid). Or I wish I could be a triple major. Because if I could, I would literally take every single Art and English class offered. The way the art program is, there is the studio art track or the graphic design track (which has its own particular courses), and each student has to choose three "studies" to complete, which is comprised of three classes each. You can basically pick and choose whatever "study" you want. My three studies are photography, ceramics, and the basic graphic design, which are probably the most unrelated things from each other in the art world as you can get. If I lived in a perfect world though, I would take painting and watercolor and printmaking and sculpture and typography and whatever other classes were offered. My only fear is missing out on a class and thus missing out on discovering that I'm really good at something, you know? All of my high schools' art programs were really small, so I never got to explore many different things. It's a little bit different with English, because I already know that I want to do creative writing, but I just don't know about the art portion.
When I was a little kid, I would paint all the time with acrylic paint. You know, that cheap Michael's paint that was less than a dollar a bottle? I spent all my extra money on that stuff. But I never was very good at painting with it, and I still have never taken an acrylic painting class. So we'll never know if I was gonna be the next Picasso or Gogh (I know I'm not, but do you get what I'm saying?).
But regardless, even when I was really little I knew I wanted to be an artist with my words and with print (photographic, drawing, design, whatever), and it's so cool to finally be able to study those things not in a general high school sense. And I love being able to read other girls' blogs who are studying at universities in the fields that they've always wanted to study. It's really inspiring to watch people fulfill their dreams. (Also on a side note, I'm not saying you have to go to college to fulfill your dream. I know plenty of people who never went to college who are doing awesome things. College certainly isn't for everyone, but it was the right decision for me.)
I just hope that as long as I live, I can live a creative life.
Have a great day everyone!
dress: borrowed from Ivy // belt: forever 21 // leggings: target // shoes: modcloth
Happy Saturday everyone! This outfit was from a couple days ago. The same day I wore this, I was attacked by a vicious beast, thankfully after these photos were taken (otherwise you probably would have never seen this outfit since I was in great pain for the duration of the day). Yep. I got stung by a bee. First time ever too, and let me just say that I don't wish that kind of pain upon even my worst enemies. My friends thought it was because I looked like a walking flower that I got stung, and I'll have to admit, with green shoes and bright pink leggings, I do look pretty flower-like, but then my friend Amy got stung in the exact same spot on her body (right on the back of our heels, SO painful) in the exact same location the next day. We think there's a hive or something under the stairs (where we both got stung), so I've been avoiding it like the plague and running away from any sort of flying object and freaking out when anything touches my feet or ankles, because I do not want to experience that kind of pain again.
But, I did feel pretty awesome looking down and seeing the bee stuck to me, and just yanking him out and throwing him on the ground. Of course, running away and freaking out wasn't all that brave, but I won't tell that part of the story to people. ;)
I hope you have a great weekend!
shirt: c/o sugarlips (old) // dress: thrifted // hat: forever 21 // tights: diy // rainboots: gift
Remember on instagram about a month ago when I was oogling over the most gorgeous rainboots ever? Well surprise surprise, Matt bought them for me as a two and a half year anniversary present! So of course at even the slightest hint of rain, the boots came out and they fit perfectly on my feet. (Some random guy even came up to me and said, "I love your boots! They are so adorable!" I don't think I've ever heard a guy say "adorable" without being sarcastic, so I found it really funny.) I have never found a pair of rainboots that I actually like. Some people can pull off the whole fishing-boot style thing that comprises 99% of the rainboot shape, but I cannot, and figured I would never find a pair. But low and behold, an ankle boot, pointed toe pair of boots with a bow, no less, is in existence! I'm so in love with these boots I can't even handle it.
Of course, right as these photos were taken, it started pouring down rain and thundering and lightning. I wasn't annoyed though, because I haven't heard thunder in real life in years and it's probably one of the most beautiful sounds, especially when you're falling asleep. With the rain pouring down and thunder rolling in the distance, you're just cuddled up in a nice warm blanket. Unfortunately, the heat is back now, and tomorrow it's supposed to be 98 degrees (uuuuugh kill me now), so I'm constantly doing homework in front of the fan with the minimal amount of clothing while the fan is on at full blast. Needless to say, I am more than ready for fall.
Hope you have a wonderful day!
