updates
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
I am posting to the new blog now. So far one outfit post, one "I want these" post, and one "I got these" post.
URL is : http://www.nerdclothes.tumblr.com
What I Wore Last Week-ish
8 hours ago
want what i can't have
Monday, July 5, 2010
Just an update to let you know that I put up my first post on the new blog. nerdclothes.tumblr.com
In other news, I've been after this dress from Old Navy for the longest time. When it was full price, of course they had my size. But at the time, I couldn't justify paying that much for it, so I waited for it to go on sale. When it finally did, it was sold out of my size. Then it disappeared all together. And then came back, and my size was in stock, but when I tried to add it to my cart, it told me it had just sold out. It now randomly keeps popping back up, but it's always in sizes way to big for me. Very aggravating. If anyone comes across this in a 16 or an 18, for the love of god, grab it up, and I will love you forever.
new blog
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Hello all. If there's anyone reading this thing with any regularity, I just wanted to give you a heads up that I am pseudo-switching over to a new blog. I say "pseudo" because I will still be kind of keeping up with this one. I'll break it down by explaining the two purposes of the two blogs:
Vintage Silhouette will now only be used for "inspiration". This is where I'll post clothes, shoes, and accessories that I like. I may throw a weekend outfit or two in sometimes as well.
Nerd Clothes is my new blog. Found at www.nerdclothes.tumblr.com. I'll be posting my daily wear there. I decided to start the new blog because I've graduated college and started a "real" job. My clothing needs have changed somewhat - now, every day, I have to consider whether what I'm going to wear is office appropriate. Yes, most of the time my outfits are still vintage inspired, but sometimes they're more corporate than what I use to wear. So, this new blog will chronicle my working wardrobe only. (I work in IT, so effectively, I am a nerd, wearing clothes, hence "Nerd Clothes".)
Enjoy the transition! The new site is completely unstyled so far, so look forward to it becoming all fancy and stuff.
cleaning house
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
I have not really lived at home for four years now. I moved back in after graduating college a few weeks ago, to live for the next year until I'm done with graduate school. Currently, I'm in the process of finding a place for all of the stuff I've accumulated over the past four years, and so far it's proved quite a challenge. In order to accommodate my things, I've had to donate a lot of items that were residing in my space, left over from high school. I've always found it quite difficult to "get rid" of things. I (or my parents) paid hard earned money for the things, and some of the stuff didn't get full use. To make it easier for me to let go of things, I follow a couple rules:
1. Always remember that donated items can be written off on your taxes. Takes some of the bite out of feeling like you're throwing away money.
2. Get rid of anything that you have not used or worn in six months. If you haven't touched it in that long, I'm pretty sure you won't suddenly start. Don't fool yourself - that too big, ugly sweater that you haven't worn since you were in high school will NOT suddenly become appealing. If it's spring, anything you didn't wear this past winter gets the boot. Anything that you didn't wear last spring as well. If you've gained or lost weight, don't save things because you want to fit in them again.
3. If you feel like you have to keep something because "I forgot I had this. I will wear this now, promise!", give yourself a cut off point after which you will REALLY donate it if you haven't worn it yet. Usually a month is my final cut off.
4. Try taking your stuff somewhere where you can sell it for credit and buy something you need in exchange. Who knows, those 5 pairs of tapered jeans might wind up buying you a nice, lightly used jacket for spring.
5. Clean when you're really mad. I find that cleaning out my closet is good therapy. When I'm angry I seem to be more inclined to get rid of things. (If anger isn't the feeling that makes you most willing to part with stuff, clean when your happy/sad/whatever.) Avoid cleaning when you feel nostalgic. You won't want to part with anything for fear of losing memories.
6. Once you're all done, don't feel compelled to fill up the space again with junk you really don't need. That's kind of like weeding your garden and then planting a bunch of dandelions when you're done.
7. Give yourself a time goal. Get everything out and organized in two weeks. Do a little bit each day. This makes the task more manageable, but gives you a point to look to end on so your space isn't in a constant state of upheaval and you never quite finish.
shorty in da club
Friday, May 28, 2010
FYI, any hip-hop or rap song references should be read in a dry, sarcastic tone.
This is one of those dresses that you order online, get it, try it on, and are all disappointed that it's inappropriately too short.
maxi dress lust
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Considering getting this:
And wearing a ribbed tank under it for some extra boobage coverage.
picture apathy
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
My outfit today does not seem to care how it looks in pictures. Trust that it looks good in person.
eat your heart out Seattle
Things like this are the reason that I say Syracuse could give Seattle a run for it's money.
Seriously, an entire week of clouds and rain? Yayyyy ... (can you taste the sarcasm?)
ridiculous
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Okay. So, I get the point of "fun" shoes, and the fact that most people have a work shoe wardrobe and a "play" shoe wardrobe. But seriously. When would a "normal" person (defined as someone who doesn't wear a lot of couture looks) ever need something like this:
In case any of you crazies are actually interested, here's the source info ...
Michael Antonio Karina Platform Bootie, $39.94 (There's probably a good reason they're on clearance.)
reverse casual friday
Friday, April 23, 2010
Get it? Because my shirt looks like a pair of jeans.
WANT (and actually got this time)
I got a pretty, chiffon, light-pink dress to wear this spring. The only thing is, I felt like I didn't really have any shoes to wear with it. (Isn't that how these things usually go?)
So I went to 6pm and poked around for some new heels. (Would like to note that I am totally a recent pump/heel convert. I use to only buy flats because I didn't think I could toddle around securely in tall shoes. I then discovered that if I stuck to less than 3 inches, I was just fine. I suppose having to wear more adult clothes to the office really pushed me to try new things.)
And then I found these:
Volatile "Kathy", $37.50
The pale green screamed "quirky", but I can see these going with so many other colors in my closet aside from the pink. So, in the cart they went.
After some more poking around, I decided that a cream snake print would go PERFECTLY with a pastel pink. It would toughen up the look a bit, which is something I always try to do when I wear pale colors. So, I got these as well:
Chinese Laundry Kasha Python, $48.30
Mostly I just posted this for a reason to look at the platforms again. Tee hee.
grumbles
Just so you all know, repairing a ripped hem in chiffon fabric is a pain in the ass. Managed to tear my new dress all within half an hour of putting it on. Argh.
Read more...plaid & coffee
My iced coffee (black - I feel like flavor shots are just cheating) matches my shirt. I seem to like brown a lot.
Dang. Coffee all gone.
like i'm headed to a uso dance
Thursday, April 8, 2010
I felt very vintage in this outfit. I think the red pumps really pushed it over.
Why hello there, pasty white legs.
corduroy in the spring
Thursday, April 1, 2010
dress: Old Navy
belt: from another shirt from Kohls
bangle: Ebay
shoes: Mudd, DSW
purple pumps & pencil skirts
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
shirt: H&M
tank: Sanoma, Kohls
skirt: NY & Co.
shoes: Madden Girl, DSW
Holy cow, I love these shoes!
chiffon & bright color
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
shirt, Target
sweater, Alloy
jeans, JeanStar at Macy's
brouges, Bass from Zappos
belt, H&M
fell 4 fashion giveaway
Monday, January 25, 2010
A fellow Blogger whom I follow, Danielle from Fell 4 Fashion, is hosting a giveaway from CSN Stores. Go to her post for the details, and to enter!
today's weather
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Is it sad that this constitutes a warm, beautiful day in Syracuse in mid-January? I am wearing shorts.
... Outside.
Woah.
wind-swept florals
Sunday, January 17, 2010
cascade cardigan, Kohls
brown floral top, H&M
jeans, Jeanstar for Macy's
shoes, Timberlands
belt, H&M
snow boots & a dress
Saturday, January 16, 2010
dress, Simply Vera by Vera Wang from Kohls
cascade cardigan, Alloy
tights, Hue
boots, Columbia from Zappos
belt, H&M
etsy finds
Thursday, January 14, 2010
My mom offered to take my sister and I shopping today, but I had to decline because it would be too tempting while on my shopping ban. So, I stayed home to work on my graduate application. And browse Etsy:
custom paper silhouette portrait
cowl scarf
metal robot man
orange studded bag
RueLaLa
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
I stumbled upon RueLaLa.com the other day, and was intrigued. From their website,
Rue La La is... an exclusive, invitation-only online destination where Members discover premier-brand, private sale Boutiques, each open for just a brief window of time.So, I submitted my email address, with little hope that a spot would actually open up. What do you know, the next day I was approved! I checked it out, and it's a pretty sweet setup. $200 designer boots selling for $40?!?! Yes, please.
If you're interested, shoot me an email at vint4gesilhou3tte@gmail.com, and I'll invite you. Members get store credit when an invitee makes their first purchase. Read more...
email subscription savings
Monday, January 11, 2010
Most major retail shops have their own websites, and many are, if they're not already, starting to offer email subscription newsletters full of savings, coupons, and online discount codes. If you haven't already signed up at your favorite stores, I highly suggest you do so. These are the ones that I'm currently subscribed to (I've also provided links to their sign up pages, if you're interested):
DSW
They send online discount codes, alerts about sales, and through snail-mail they send those "buy $XX.XX worth of stuff and get this great bag for free!" post cards. Also, if you're part of their member rewards program, you accumulate points when you buy things (and sometimes they send you notifications about double points) and when you get a certain amount of points they send you a $10 off any purchase coupon. I get a few emails every week.
Old Navy (scroll down to the bottom to the "sign up & save" form)
Usually their newsletters contain alerts about special savings. Occasionally you'll get a discount code. The real savings, though, are in their Weekly Special website, where you can try and find coupons for in store purchases. I usually get something in the mail from them at the beginning of the week every week. By signing up for Old Navy, you also get alerts about their other brands (Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, and Piper Lime).
Alloy
If you sign up for their newletter, you'll be the first to know about their 80% off end of season clearance and get online discount codes. I'll usually get some kind of savings alert every week from them.
Kohls
First of all, for signing up you get a $5 coupon that you can use in store or online. They send savings alerts, and occasionally free shipping or discount codes. I don't get very many emails from them.
JC Penneys
Typically it's free shipping or a savings alert. Since they're a big retail chain, you're better off looking in your Sunday paper for in store coupons. I got a $10 coupon for signing up, and I get maybe two or three emails a month from them.
Target (scroll down to the bottom and find the "email exclusives" sign up box)
All I get from these guys are savings alerts, and some style tips. When I first signed up a few months ago, I use to get an email at least every Friday with "Frugalista" shopping tips, but now I don't get anything. Their online marketing campaign must have dropped off recently.
H&M
I actually just signed up today, so I can't really comment on these guys.
New York and Company
Through email they send savings alerts and discount codes for online purchases. The big savings here is the snail-mail coupons they send if you're a rewards member. I get emails maybe a few times a month, and coupons for "$25 off $75, $50 off $150, etc." every couple months.
Forever 21
I signed up for these guys because I heard a rumor that occasionally they send coupons, but so far all I've gotten are savings alerts maybe once a week. Now that they have a bunch of other "brands" like Heritage, Faith21, etc. I get alerts for those too.
Sometimes it's a hassle to clean up your inbox Monday morning (which is usually when they send out emails) after being inundated with newsletters, but the savings you find is totally worth it. Read more...
sharp dress man
I was on the way home from a doctor's appointment today, and ZZ Top's "Sharp Dress Man" came on the radio.
So true. So very true. VERY.
Christian Bale, Clive Owen
Eric Dane, Gerard Butler
winter solids
Thursday, January 7, 2010
dress, Old Navy (Plus Sizes)
tank top, Land's End
cardigan, H&M
tights, Hue
colorful wool coats
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
We in CNY are now in the throes of mid-winter. It's windy, blowing lake effect snow, and slushy outside. Usually in a few weeks I'll have started to miss sun and the grass, and long for bright spring days. In order to help myself fight off the winter woes, I purchased a bright kelly green, pleated, swing, wool coat from Old Navy a few weeks ago. I really love it, mostly because while everyone else trudges around in dreary black, camel, or gray wool coats, the unexpected color looks happy and fresh. Here are some suggestions to keep you cozy and bright until spring:
classic long pea coat with thinsulate, $77.90-$82.90, Alloy
plaid short hooded pea coat with thinsulate, $59.90-$64.90, Alloy
bell sleeve wool-blend coat, $58.99, Alloy
tab waist wool-blend coat, $49.99, Old Navy
pretty lounge wear
Monday, January 4, 2010
As a college student, I spend a decent portion of my night in lounge wear. After being dressed up from 8am to 8pm, I look forward to coming back to my dorm and changing into something comfortable while I'm doing homework and relaxing before bed time. I got to thinking, though, that my current outfit is pretty drab and unstylish (jersey gym shorts and an oversize t-shirt). There is absolutely no excuse or good reason to look like a disaster just because you're not "out" - especially in dorms where everyone may see you walking down the hall to the lounge or the restroom.
Where do you find pretty things to wear while you're relaxing? The first place I thought of was Old Navy. They usually have lots of colorful things, and are usually much less expensive than things you'd find at places like Victoria's Secret (another good place for lounge wear, although, as I just mentioned, usually out of my budget). After all, you want to look decent, but if you're going to have to spend an arm and a leg to relax, you may as well buy a new daytime outfit instead.
Here are my suggestions to the dowdy alternatives:
T-Shirts:
Instead of wearing an oversized, boxy tshirt from the bookstore that you sweat in at the gym, try one of these cute tops. Just because they're a little more detailed than a plain tshirt doesn't mean you can't wear them to lounge around in. Remember to separate your lounge tops from your daily wear tops - you don't HAVE to wear these out in public just because they're marketed as normal wear tops. (Although these sure beat wearing workout wear to class if you had to get ready in 0.374 seconds.)
pink pleated top, $17.50
purple drop waist top, $17.50
yellow boat neck top, $10.00
blue striped henley, $8.99
gray and pink striped scoopneck, $14.50
green ruffled scoopneck, $12.50
Hoodies/Sweatshirts
Is that baggy, ratty old sweatshirt really doing good things for your figure? I doubt it. Aim for something with feminine details, or waist defining abilities. Stay away from solid, big kangaroo pouches that will add bulk (if you do get a sweatshirt with a pouch, aim for a slim one, or one that is split up by a zipper), or high crew necks without zippers that will give you a uni-boob. Try these for a change:
ruffled hoodie, $19.99
faux-fur collar hoodie, $19.99
shawl collared cardigan, $13.99
Sweatpants/Yoga Pants
I swear, the lounge uniform of college women is the black yoga pant, or black leggings. They are NOT cut to flatter everyone, and should NOT be worn as day to day pants. Why not try a colorful alternative, or a different color neutral? The trick with colorful pants is to avoid ones that look like PJ's. Also, try and avoid shrink-wrap leggings, or super baggy cuts. I'd also try and avoid fleece, unless you vacuum regularly, as it will act as a lint roller to whatever dust/fuzz is lying around your dorm. You could also try some super-casual twill pants, or light weight cords if you're looking for something a bit less relaxed.
green drawstring fleece pants, $10.99
purple striped foldover pants, $16.50
pink cotton drawstring pants, $7.99-$16.50
gray lightweight cord cargos, $12.99
navy jersey lined cargos, $19.99
I just love that for under $50.00, you can go into Old Navy and get a complete (and reasonably fashionable) lounge wear set!
army/navy stores
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Greetings, and Happy (belated) New Year!
While I haven't been posting daily photos, I have been doing some serious brainstorming on how to remix my wardrobe come January 16th when I'm off vacation and have a reason to wear something other than sweatpants. So, look forward to that.
In the mean time, I thought I'd help you all find some super savings, in a pretty unexpected place - Army/Navy surplus stores. For those of you who have never heard of these, they sell items that were intended for the military, but are unable to be used, or were originally purchased in excess by the military. Usually, they sell jackets, boots, hats (basically a lot of outerwear), bags, and sometimes camping equipment. Oftentimes, the stuff they sell is incredibly reduced in price, compared to what it would be sold for at a sporting good store. Essentially, it's like a thrift store with a military/outdoors-y theme.
To be frank, usually the stuff there isn't going to be the most fashionable. However, if you're in need of cheap but quality gloves, hats, boots, and even jackets and jeans, there's really no better place to go. Sometimes you'll get unisex stuff, sometimes you'll buy guy's sizes, and sometimes they even offer selections for women.
So, where do you start? My first suggestion would be to start online, and hit Google up and search for "army/navy surplus store". These would be your online vendors. My new favourite is Silberman's Army & Navy. I've found news boy hats, fingerless gloves, bathing suits, jeans, and more. I just purchased these today:
Sorel Women's Caribou Boot (in buff), $90.00
On Zappos, these run for $130.00 - that's a $40.00 savings! Additionally, they are offering free shipping on orders over $100.00, and they have plenty of accessories (I got a white news boy hat for $4.00, and got my boyfriend a new belt and wallet for $7.00 total) that you can use to bump up your total if needed. (The boots alone would have been $10.00 shipping, so it was completely worth it to spend an extra $10.00 in this case.)
There are a lot of other great stores online - you just have to take the time to wade through the stock to see if there's anything you can use. I've also found cute messenger bags. Remember when military inspired stuff was all the rage? Well, this stuff is REALLY military crafted.
I loved this hat from Army Navy Shop:
Plaid and Faux Fur Military Flyer Hat, $15.00
I bought a hat like this once at JC Penneys several years ago, and paid twice this - if only I'd known about Army/Navy stores then!
You can also do Google searches for storefront locations of stores near you - search for "army/navy surplus store near (zipcode)". This gives you the opportunity to try things on, and sometimes sign up for rewards programs to give you store credit after a spending a certain amount. Read more...
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