in real life (and an outfit)

aha, rare candid shots of calivintage seen in her native bay area habitat with diane of darling darling and dyanna of thesfstyle as photographed by jt paradox, also of thesfstyle. and what’s this? possibly the first photos i have ever posted on my blog that reveals smiles and silly faces. i suppose it might come as a bit of a surprise that i’m actually quite camera shy (considering that i post pictures of myself almost every day). i wonder what we were chatting about here, anyway. i have such silly expressions on my face.

to explain, i met up with thesfstyle while they were photographing diane for a fun project on bay area style bloggers. i actually did my photo shoot with them earlier in the week in a cute little sf bookstore. i can’t wait to show you the outtakes and reveal the whole project!

and this is my casual weekend outfit, which i wore on both saturday and sunday to enjoy good times in sf with diane and friends, bar hopping in the mission and chatting away about blogging and our mutual love of tumblr and eating late night nachos. we even had a big feast of a breakfast, complete with mixed vegetable frittatas, chocolate chip pancakes, and plenty of mimosas. you know you’re doing what you love when it feels like you’re on permanent vacation. i know i have tons of obligations with a full load of college courses, my blog and etsy shop, but there’s definitely something very liberating about being your own boss. i really hope that calivintage continues to grow because it really is a wonderful life! and for that, i definitely thank my wonderful sponsors and readers!

wearing:
vintage fur, gift from mom
cashmere cardigan, j.crew
vintage california muscle tee, thrifted
vintage levi’s cut offs, thrifted
merino wool stockings, wolford
merino wool otk socks, courtesy of tabio
vintage huaraches, thrifted

london calling

it’s no secret: in addition to reading tons of style blogs, i spend a considerable amount of time pouring over street style blogs from all over the world. it’s easy to get into a routine of checking in on all of my favorites without doing searches for new blogs. such has been the case with my current reading list. but thanks to my tumblr addiction, i just discovered a new blog to add to my favorites: hoyfashion (which i discovered via the awesome tumblog, fuckyeahstreetstyle). i don’t know that i’ve ever taken the time to recognize how many incredibly well-dressed people there are in the uk. these snazzy outfits are just a taste of some of the cool styles i’ve found on that site, so i just had to share. nothing like some good inspiration on a monday morning!

images via hoyfashion.

hasbeen

well folks, i have finally jumped the bandwagon on this one and i have to say, i am head over heels for swedish hasbeens! especially after seeing recent posts about clogs over at leproust and liebemarlene. i actually remember reading about them this summer on siri’s wonderfully inspiring blog last spring, and feeling quite conflicted. i absolutely loved the clean lines, retro colors, and classic styling, but i wasn’t sure if they’d ever be something i could a) afford and b) integrate into my wardrobe. but honestly, i don’t know how i could have ever doubted them, especially after stumbling upon these two pairs of wood-heeled boots on the swedish hasbeens site! i think i’m having a moment.

i seriously think i need those tan lace up boots and the black ankle boots, in addition to the classic clog sandals. the best part is that you can tell just from looking at the pictures that they’re constructed from thick leather that only gets better with age. they’re the type of shoes that last a lifetime, which means that even though they’re expensive, it’s totally worth it. ditto on their beautiful selection of bags! i didn’t even know they made bags, but i have to say, they’re just as pretty as the shoes!

happy birthday to me!

weeee! nothing like being perfectly self-indulgent and writing a blog post for the sole purpose of announcing my birthday! i kinda can’t believe that i turn 27 today. anyway, here is a nice picture for you. it makes me super duper extra-specially happy, so i thought i might share. now i am off to enjoy chocolate cake and pink champagne.

animal instincts

this is the first time i’ve worn leopard print. ever. in my life. crazy, no? but there’s a first time for everything! i found them at the drug store a few months ago and decided that it would be the least expensive way for me to incorporate an animal print into my wardrobe. problem is, they just sat there in my wardrobe, staring at me. i have to tell you, i have this issue with half of the clothes in my closet! in fact, this vintage pendleton actually belongs to my boyfriend. granted, i bought it at the thrift store as a gift… but there i go again, raiding his closet. oh well, it makes for good entertainment: when i get dressed in one of his shirts, i usually parade out of the bedroom and introduce myself to him in a silly voice and try to do my best impression. today he was grumpy, so i crossed my arms in front of my chest and said, “hi, i’m brendan. i’m gruuumpy.” at least i got a chuckle.

wearing:
vintage pendleton shirt, thrifted
steven alan skirt, courtesy of gilt groupe (use my invite code to join)
leopard print tights, drug store
platform oxfords, courtesy of seychelles
vintage coach satchel purse, thrifted

it’s a celebration

as you may or may not know, my birthday is coming up very soon… on january 20th to be exact. and i had a little birthday party on saturday to celebrate, along with some other lovely bay area bloggers and friends, new and old. the celebration was tons of fun and while i didn’t bring my camera, several of my blogger friends did. we were all a bit of a hot mess, so it shall be interesting to see if any photos pop up on the internet!

and this here is the outfit i chose to wear for the event, knowing that it was going to be a cold and rainy night in san francisco. it’s basically the same as this outfit dressed up with this awesome vintage fur collar that my mom gave me for christmas and my new remix vintage shoes. i am in love with the selection at this site and i am beyond excited about this particular pair, which are a replica of a pair of shoes from the 1940s. what makes them so special is that the little bows are actually removable shoe clips, which means i get to have fun finding new and different clips of all sorts, like pom-poms and rhinestones and ribbons galore.

in other news, it is a rainy day today. i have stayed inside listening to the likes of bert jasch, nick drake, and cat stevens, which is absolutely perfect for a gloomy day such as this.

wearing:
vintage fur collar, gift from mom
vintage brooch, gift from mom
vintage blouse, static vintage
tulip skirt, american apparel
patterned cotton tights, courtesy of tabio
vintage repro 1940’s shoes, remix vintage shoes

off duty

well, it’s friday, folks! and i still have heaps of laundry all over the floors because i’m super lazy and still haven’t finished. so instead, it’s the easy as pie jeans and t-shirt look for today. but i do try to keep it a little interesting with high rise jeans, a vintage t-shirt, and red flats for a little bit of color. it’s one of those outfits that’s perfectly appropriate for many needs: laundry, grocery shopping, digging through musty old clothes at the thrift store, going to a friday night class, and then going out for beer and pizza. i wont get any, “hey, you’re dressed up.” or, “woah, fancy.” comments from any of my friends or passers-by and i’ll be able to casually go about my business without worrying about getting wrinkled or dirty. it’s that kind of a day.

wearing:
cashmere cardigan, j.crew
vintage california bud light muscle tee, thrifted
high rise skinny jeans, j brand
vintage anne klein flats, pineapple mint on etsy
vintage coach purse, thrifted

take a hike, pt. 2

after doing a post about my little day hike on saturday, i started thinking about how to dress for a hike while still being stylish. comfort is number one when dressing for more athletic adventures like hiking, cycling, swimming, or sports. whenever i’m getting ready to do anything of that sort, i usually find myself in outdoorsy shops like rei. they have really amazing gear and apparel made with all sorts of fancy trademarked fabrics like gore-tex® and conduitâ„¢ and infidryâ„¢. they all seem really practical, but i have to say, most of it is less than attractive. do i really have to look like some sort of super-hero/astronaut to go on a hike?

so after some heavy internet searching, i came up with this snazzy little guide loosely based on pictures of hikers i’ve seen in silly nature books from the 70’s.

union suit: ll bean
if it’s a particularly chilly day, i recommend wearing long johns underneath your outfit. i am in love with this bright red union suit from ll bean, though i understand that this might cause some logistical problems. you could also swap this out for a nice set of long underwear from smartwool.

thermal henley: chloe sevigny for opening ceremony
i picked this one because it’s so stylish, but you can easily find a thermal shirt at a thrift shop or american apparel for a much better price.

flannel shirt: pendleton meets opening ceremony
ditto on the flannel shirt. if you keep your eye out, you can definitely score a vintage pendleton at a thrift shop for a really good price. and you just can’t beat those beautiful pendleton colors.

parka: fjallraven
this might be the one item you would want to splurge on for the winter months. when i saw the fjallraven crystal lite parka on the steven alan website, i died. it is hands down the perfect utilitarian parka that will last a lifetime. it’s pricey, but i seriously think it would be worth it. i’m saving my pennies right now!

skinny jeans: cheap monday
i’m one of those people who can’t stand extra bulk on my legs while hiking. i like the streamlined look and fit of skinny jeans, but they can sometimes be restricting. i own this pair of cheap mondays in the very stretch dark wash. they’re so incredibly stretchy and comfortable that they feel like leggings.

wool socks: smartwool
i know you’ve heard me talk about my love of smartwool socks before. if you don’t have a pair, get some! they’re more expensive than regular socks, but once you try them, you’ll never go back to cotton. they’re super warm but still breathable, so you’re feet never get sweaty. these outdoorsman socks are super thick, so they’re perfect to scrunch up a bit and tuck your jeans into.

wafflestompers: alico
i really love the look of the classic vintage “wafflestompers” with red laces. unfortunately, they’re very rare and hard to find (for obvious reasons) and i don’t know if i would want to wear someone’s old, used hiking boots anyway. alico has some really classic boots without all the silly pink and blue decorations you see on most women’s hiking boots. throw on some red laces and you’re good to go!

backpack: fjallraven
and of course, you’ll need to bring a few supplies and a light lunch on your hike. why not go for a colorful little fjallraven backpack? the mini comes in a million pretty colors. or you can try one of their larger, vintage packs. if you’re doing a hiking/camping trip, just switch out the day pack for a retro, external frame backpack. i got one from jansport (who knew?) that i absolutely love.

alright, now enjoy your hike!

calivintage on glamour.com

such excitement! one of my outfits managed to make it’s way onto the digital pages of glamour.com, this time in a feature about winter fashion: 11 ways to beat the winter-wardrobe blahs. not only that, by i am in a gallery of pictures alongside some of my favorite bloggers: rebecca of the clothes horse, joelle of the owls are not what they seem, kyla of blue collar catwalk, christine of my style pill, katy of kansas couture, lucrecia of fashion is poison, keiko of keiko lynn, and jessica of what i wore! how cool is that?

and because i absolutely loved that particular outfit so much, why not take the opportunity to post it again? in fact, i really should pull that jacket out and wear it again!

wearing:
vintage aztec jacket, gift from mom
vintage dress, also a gift from mom
little heart tights, tabio
platform ankle boots, payless

advanced

after weeks of neglect, i have finally decided to start on the massive, days-long project of doing my laundry. no joke. i have somehow amassed so many articles of clothing that my bedroom has been overtaken. i am afraid to look at the dry-cleaning bill. but the fun part about laundry day is that you always end up wearing some silly mess of things that happened to be clean at the time. for me, this turned out to be a very fun endeavor because i got to dress in my best rendition of advanced style. i.e. like an eccentric old lady, wearing this new faux fur stole that my mom gave me for christmas, and these killer leather gloves i got on etsy.

and guys, i totally pulled out a sash again. remember when i was the master of the sash during the late spring/early summer? i wore them as belts and as turbans almost every day, but they finally had to go back in the closet because i only had them in spring colors. but i am beginning to see the possibilities again, especially when it’s laundry day and i can’t be bothered to wash my hair. haha!

wearing:
mauve sash, american apparel
vintage faux fur stole, gift from mom
mini dress, courtesy of indie industries
patterned cotton tights, courtesy of tabio
platform sandals, steve madden