#20 Dream Weaver

Long time, no outfit post! :) That's back-to-school life for me. And now that I'm no longer staying with my boyfriend, I rarely have an excellent photographer around. Thankfully, last weekend my friend Ellie and I shopped 'till we dropped, and luckily I was able to convince her to take a few shots of my outfit on top of the parking garage. Pardon the squinting... it was such a beautiful sunny day!

JACKET Rouched Sleeved Jacket, H&M | TOP Black Snakeskin Ballerina Tunic, Urban Outfitters | JEANS Black Skinny Jeans, Old Navy | SHOES Black Strappy Wedges, Target | NECKLACE Dream Catcher Necklace, Vintage | EARRINGS 7/16" Jade Plugs, Body Art Forms | PURSE Studded Metallic Clutch, Marc Jacobs

I love this necklace. It's such a huge statement piece and I think it really makes the outfit. I bought it at a vintage/thrift shop in New York City a few years ago. I rarely wear it, but ever since I've decided to try to wear more of what I own and buy less, it came back into my regular rotation. However, I always feel conflicted about "ethnic" pieces like these: is wearing them a celebration of a beautiful and rich culture, or simply exploiting an oppressed racial group? What do you think?

The wedges from Target are amazing, too. They are a blatant rip-off of Dolce Vita's wedges (which most likely are runway rip-offs), but they are so comfortable and only cost about $30. Sadly, as the weather seems to be getting cooler and cooler, this will probably be my last outfit post featuring open-toed shoes! On the other hand, I can't wait for fall fashion...

Finally, I really want to thank everyone who voted for me in the Talbots contest. Sadly, I didn't win, but I really appreciate everyone who took a few minutes out of their day to vote! Thank you so much!

#15 A Formal Affair

I love getting dressed up for formal galas and gatherings, though I rarely have the opportunity to do so. I always really look forward to putting on fancy dresses and gowns and the educator's gala I went to on Thursday evening was no exception. I love the vintage feel of my dress and was really trying to evoke Christina Hendricks in Mad Men. Did I succeed? :)

DRESS Green Ava Dress, Pin Up Girl Clothing | SHOES Black Patent Peep-Toe Pumps, Nine West | NECKLACE Garnet Heart & Gold, Vintage Jewelry | PURSE Studded Metallic Clutch, Marc Jacobs (not pictured)

I'm a bit frustrated that I forgot my Nikon D40, which takes much better quality photos than my regular point and shoot. The only problem is, a huge Nikon does not fit in a cute Marc Jacobs clutch. I'm not a huge fan of name brands or designers, although thanks to fashion blogs and to Gilt, I'm getting more and more interested in designer clothing. This Marc Jacobs bag was a gift from my dad's girlfriend and it's absolutely perfect. I love the gold and silver metallic combination, which means you can wear it with any jewelry. The studs add a rocker/bad girl flair that resembles my personality and it's the perfect size, not too big or small. It's one of my favorite accessories and I use it all the time.

I must admit that after a long week of professional development, I was pretty pooped and wasn't interested in grooming myself for several hours. I got ready for this event in about 30 minutes. Side pony tail, a few bobby pins for my bangs, slip on the dress, some quick makeup, slide my shoes on, and I was ready to go. I wish I would have hit the dress with an iron for a little bit after it was in my suitcase, but I'm still pretty pleased with how it turned out. If you like the dress or vintage/vintage reproductions as much as I do, I highly recommend you check out Pin Up Girl Clothing, with sizes up to 3x. However, buyer beware: prices can be high and quality of their garments is inconsistent.