i should tell you

..i'm a chronic outfit repeater at worst, and a major outfit tweaker at best. i'm well-aware of this trait of mine, and i often plan on changing it, but i'm afraid it's something that i simply can't help. sometimes it's because it's an outfit that i remember i really liked/felt really comfortable in and would like to wear again, or because my schedule is really odd sometimes, and i'll often get a half day's wear out of one outfit and will want to wear it for at least the first half of the next day. alot of times though, it's simply because the things i like to wear just look similar to one another, and i fall into a clothing rut.

or is it? i mean, unless i'm bored and complacent with what i choose to wear and struggling to make a change and failing, can it really be called a rut? for example, see exhibit a: lindsay lohan. i mean, sex, drugs, and more sex aside, the girl doesn't have any reason financially or otherwise to restrict her wardrobe choices (unless you conisder it a way of escaping the paparazzi, but let's be honest, clearly it's not working), but about eighty percent of the time, the girl's wearing some variation of black on black, with occasional splashes of cream or white. on the legs, it's something tight or nothing at all.. tights, leggings, jeans, scarves are common, long, loose hair (though the color sometimes changes), and big shades.

which is somewhat similar (i guess) to my own wardrobe. i don't quite end up looking like lindsay every day, but there is a lot of black and fitted legwear, at least..




on the left is my outfit from monday's post, and my outfit for the first half of tuesday. the only piece that's the same in both is the vest, but it's definitely a similar look. also shown are some of most-worn pieces.. the white aa tee, those black skinny pants of which i have several, those acid-wash type jeans from aa are also quickly becoming regulars.. i remember how badly i wanted them too, so i'm glad i'm getting my money's worth out of them.

i've mentioned that those boots i'm wearing on the far left are effed up, and here they are in their pre-beat glory on the bottom right. but when it's not those, it's usually some type of black flat or other shoe.

above the boots is the newest addition to my everyday accessory collection, my marc jacobs 'veritas inlustrat' leather bracelet. my roommate and i bought them on the day that we raced to the marc by marc on newbury street because i'd read on fashionista.com that all shoes were 90% off (it wasn't true, by the way). we thought its translation, 'truth enlightens' was cool, and also a cute play on our school's motto, 'veritas'. we bought one for my third roommate as well, and we all wear them, like a slightly more sophisticated version of friendship bracelets. we don't often do corny things like that.. just putting that out there. then there's my small tiffany's heart that i got for our first anniversary and a super thin gold chain, with a childhood ring that's now too small and an R charm on it.. each have sentimental meaning, and i wear them equally often. and then there's my glasses.. do those count? i mean, i kind of need them..

and then above the bracelet is the american apparel double u-neck dress. i have it in black, and though i'd never wear it as scandalously as the model above, it's really like my default piece. under other shorter skirts, over pants, with pencil skirts, it's so versatile i'm not sure what i did before i had it. which reminds me, i need to buy a new one. mine is all stretched and worn out. i've seen girls at school wear them in different colors on their own, with boots and tights and such, looking pretty skanky, but seeing the lovely selina of flying saucer gives me hope that the look can be pulled off beautifully.

so, rut or lifestyle choice? the world may never know.

lack of posts

because i'm here

with them

and him.


st. petersburg, my roommates, and grizzlie, the cutest puppy ever, to clarify. will try to post as soon as possible.

taking a greyhound on the hudson river line

*scarf: mom; vest: jasmine sola; shirt: from my old high school uniform; sweater: urban; pants: h&M; boots: cutesyshoes; purse: vintage dooney&bourke. i'm checking the soles of my boots because they're still falling apart. and i'm still wearing them.

i'll try to keep this brief: went to manhattan because taylor wanted to see the museum of modern art. brought jess along. fish tanks in the staten island ferry! new to me. museum of modern art: even better than i remembered it. the pop art really meant much more after having studied it last semester. almost bought vintage looking notebooks for this summer's classes in paris. decided it was a little too cheesy. intended to buy some clothes for florida. got myself into a responsible frame of mind to avoid overshopping. went overboard. purchased barely anything. see picture. also bought a mustard headband with a ribbon-y effect and an asymmetrical turban-y knot. very blair waldorf. met up with sophie. first time new yorker! ran her up and down 5th. more browsing. food. peaced. good times.

what i've learned:

-i wish more of my friends at home were into museums. it was a rare treat to share today's experience with both taylor and jess.

-andy warhol a toujours mon coeur. est-ce que c'est cliché?

-being too reckless when shopping is a bad thing. but being overly cautious isn't much better. here's to striking a healthy balance.

-new york is truly my home. this might seem obvious to some, but as i rode the train today, i noticed a sense of calm and serenity that i'm now realizing that i do not have when i ride the t. it's not that i'm uptight or nervous in boston, but there is a tension that disspates once i set foot in nyc territory, and it reassures me that i'm in a place where i know the smells, the people, the landmarks, the streets, and the general flow of things.. i'd be hard pressed to make my future home anywhere too far removed from this place. that's all.

cheers.

around the world in a shuffle

since i'm currently compiling my travel playlist for wednesday's flight, i figured i'd post about some of the artists i've recently begun listening to. from left to right, in order from fledgling to full-blown obsession:


gabriella cilmi i actually stumbled upon her myspace just today, and i'm having a hard time getting my hands on her music (her songs aren't available on the us itunes store), so i only have the songs on her myspace to go by, but i'm loving what i hear so far. apparently she's from australia and only sixteen years old.. impressive.

fall in love with: 'sweet about me', 'einstein'


the pierces moving from australia to the us, the pierces are originally from birmingham, alabama and are now new york-based. i first saw/heard them on the 'hi, society' episode of gossip girl performing 'secret' (by the way, am i the only one who thinks gossip girl's punny episode titles are hilarious?). my boyfriend's reaction was something along the lines of what kind of music is this? was it made for the show? this isn't real, right? but i was intrigued and hunted it down, and i love them. listening to songs from their previous albums compared to the new one, thirteen tales of love and revenge, i've noticed that they acquired a heaping portion of edge that makes them irresistible. there's something deliciously dark about their music that's just perfect. and i've swayed my boyfriend's opinion of them too! their unbelievably good looks helped, i'm sure. and lo and behold, taylor has just now im'ed me about the pierces.. odd:

tee :: i'm watching the video on your myspace. who is that? they're beautiful
me :: isn't it great? the pierces. they're sisters. i was just watching them on youtube! the same video.. i forgot it was on my profile. WEIRD
tee :: hah!! that is weird actually. where are they from?
me :: umm alabama, now new york? i'm obsessed with them
tee :: NOOOO alabama??
me :: i mean that's where they were born i think.. people that hot don't come from alabama?
tee :: not that hott
me :: hahahah
tee :: <3

duffy usually vogue fills me with desire for things that i could never afford, but the april 2007 issue left me with a great appreciation for duffy of wales. i know the amy winehouse comparisons will be forthcoming, but i really hope that she doesn't end up stumbling through the streets of london, cracked out with a monstrous beehive. that would really make me sad. that said, i do love her retro vibe. there's something very brigitte bardot about her, no? and her voice is to die for.

fall in love with: 'warwick avenue', 'mercy', 'distant dreamer'

also on heavy rotation for the trip: crystal castles, feist, elton john, rilo kiley, jason mraz, m.i.a., billy joel, midnight juggernauts, spoon, kid sister, the beatles, micky green, bob dylan, the cool kids, cat power, devendra banhart, the notorious b.i.g., kate nash.

happy easter!

last summer

loved the last, ready for the next.. are we there yet?

SENSORY OVERLOAD

well, i really didn't think i'd make it, but i'm finally back, home sweet home, new york! and how amazing it feels.. the first night back home is always a great one..when i don't immediately pass out from exhaustion, that is.

i pile up the magazines that i've brought from school and the ones that are waiting for me at home, open up my computer, grab my phone and just gorge myself on all the things that i have to put on hold during term time.. catching up with friends, feasting my eyes on all that's aesthetically pleasing, catching up on all my favorite fashion blogs, listening to new music, reflecting on what's been going on in my own life.. positively therapeutic it is.

as i've mentioned before, i'm heading to florida in a couple of days, and i've been accepted to the harvard summer school program in paris! now i just have to wait on financial aid for the program; i turned in the application today. i suppose because i'm constantly turning class discussions to the topic of la mode, my french teacher got the wrong idea and wrote in my recommendation letter that i would benefit from going to paris because i'm a fashion designer! oh well, there's nothing i can do about it now.. i applied for a super-competitive fashion-related internship which i have yet to hear back from, and was planning on applying to another, but now i figure i'll just wait to hear back from the first, to make my decision less complicated..

ugh, look at me.. going on about responsibilities, even on my precious few days off. happy thoughts! whether or not i end up shopping here or in florida, there is one item that i actually do need (well, not need, as in i'll die without it, but need, as in my trusty jansport is not cutting it anymore): an uber-functional handbag for academic purposes and beyond to replace my black granny satchel from urban outfitters (rip).



*isa from bohemian musings, helen walsh tote, kate spade tarrytown quinn tote, mulberry roxanne tote, vintage dooney&bourke calvary handbag
camilla from glam&tonic has been singing the praises of the above mulberry tote for a bit, and when i followed the links to the website, i was surprised to find that we (meaning the roxanne tote and i) share a name. meant to be? well.. no. not at that price, but dreaming doesn't cost anything.. unfortunately, the only other bags that i could find that fit the bill are half the price of the mulberry, but still three times the price i can probably afford. despite my sometimes loud and quirky apparel choices, i'm super picky when it comes to bags, and aim for the most simplistic designs. i especially love kate spade for filling that niche.

moving to the other end of the bag size spectrum, when i don't have to fit a semester's worth of books and my laptop into a bag, these days, i like them compact, usually leather, with cross-shoulder straps. i've been using some of my mom's old ones in black and canary yellow leather. she even has one with primary color patches and piping. but what i've been dreaming of for the summer is something in tan or cream leather (see here for example). on a random ebay prowl, i came across a vintage dooney&bourke bag that fit the bill, and upon further research, i found that d&b bags were quite stylish back in the day. until then, the extent of my d&b contact had been disdainfully shaking my head at the tacky girls who carried around their obnxiously easter egg-pastel, logo-emblazoned d&b bags around my high school. but their older bags are great! the bag to the bottom right arrived in the mail today and it's just what i've been looking for!

but the search for the larger tote continues..

this was sunday.

*scarf: mom; coat: target; tee: aa; skirt: uo; tights: aa; boots: cutesyshoes. i dance before work to shake my sillies out.

all good americans should come here to die

i got in!

when in doubt

*tee: vintage, ebay; jeans: american apparel. forgive my mess. and severe lack of balance.

..rock the mouse. i don't think i've ever done a full outfit post, have i? it's nothing fantastic, but hey, this is my third day running on no sleep and i'm at the height of midterms season right now. i didn't think to post it initially, but i got a few random comments on it and figured hey, why not. it's a pretty good idea of what i wear when i'm slumming it and too caught up in studying to think about what to wear.

in other news, my life is accelerating at a ridiculous pace, and i'm scrambling madly to pick up the loose ends. spring break starts next friday, but before that i've got 2 more midterms + 2 papers + 45354 other things to get done. i'll be going home to new york for the first half of break, and visiting with my roommate in florida for the second half, which may lead to a day in... my personal happy place, and the happiest place on earth: disney world!

i think it's safe to say that i'm more obsessed than anyone else with any and all things disney. i've probably been to disney world well over ten times, my room at home looks more like a nursery than a teenage girl's with my memorabilia, i can recite entire movie scenes at will.. i'll spare you the rest, but i try to keep the mouse content off of the blog for the most part (at least i think i do.. do i?) to avoid repetition and falling into a rut. the temptation to compare endless runway looks to disney characters is all too enticing. hmm.. maybe i will.

anyway, now looking at my shirt, it seems like i pulled it on in an act of celebration this morning. maybe i did, subconsciously. where was i going with this? oh yeah. florida. warm weather! yes? hopefully? can't wait.

but now it's time for me to hit the showers and relax for a minute before i hit the ground running again.

*currently listening: britney spears, ..baby one more time

um.

dear sparknotes,



i'm pulling an all-nighter as it is, and i'm only accessing your site because i have to lead a seminar on heart of darkness, and i don't have time to read the whole thing tonight, considering that i read it in high school and remember most of the plot. so about those nine west ads.. the ones with the really cute heels, announcing free shipping..? yeah. that's a temptation that i really don't need right now.

thanks,
roxanne

p.s.:


no, really. stop.

some thoughts & a time warp

so this week is a tad hellish for me (surprise, surprise). this might be a little blasphemous for me to say, but i kind of hate school. i love learning, though, if that makes sense. as a kid, i was one of those quiet ones that was perfectly content to curl up with a good book and let my imagination run wild, and nowadays, i can hear a name or phrase that will randomly spark my interest, and i'll do quick bursts of intensive research on it for the sheer sake of knowing. but the whole institution of schooling more or less feels like a rat race and a demonstration that i'm putting on for other people. i have a million and one assignments and whatnot to prepare for, and while everyone says that the goal is to have learned something and truly assimilated some knowledge, what i'm doing in reality is showing to my professor or teaching fellow, on their terms, that i know what it is that they want me to know. and for that reason, i often feel that the past year and a half and the upcoming two and a half years are a series of a motions that I simply must go through. it all gets a little depressing from time to time, to be honest, and when it (it being schooling) starts to take away from interests and passions and relationships with other people is when i really, really start to feel down.

but i'm taking baby steps towards reconciling some of these issues. instead of casting disapproving glances at the outfits of my classmates as i go to class and lamenting the lack of a fashion presence on campus, i've decided to first of all, stop being a bitch (pardon my french), and second of all, open my eyes to groups and organizations on campus that do address fashion. instead of throwing on crappy clothes in the morning and feeling blah all day, i figure it won't kill me to wake up slightly earlier and dress myself well enough to boost my mood a bit. being in college drains my budget in general, but i should pounce on the opportunities that this gives me to scour local vintage and thrift shops, and by extension the cities of cambridge and boston. and lastly, i plan to dedicate some more time and effort to this blog. i think february 22's "can we talk?" was sort of the cutoff point, where i decided to revamp a little, start maintaining posts and tags, put up a banner, and start making collages and focused posts, etc. etc. since then i've been really scouring the blogosphere, really trying to get a feel for what it is that i want to tackle with this blog, and i think the general verdict is that i don't want to limit myself. i'm pretty positive that most of the things i write about will be fashion-related, but i don't want to promise that they won't be rambling, overtly opinionated, super long, or downright nonsensical (though i'll try my best to keep it coherent). inspirational designers, collection, pieces, people, magazines, pictures, my own outfits (that is, when me and my camera cooperate), my quest for fashion on campus, snippets of or full conversations that i have with others, interesting articles, and gushing over fun public or blogger figures are all fair game. yes? yes.

and now on to the good stuff.




so i got an e-mail today announcing, "urban outfitters is coming to brooklyn!" my initial reaction was surprise. seriously? brooklyn? of all places.. doesn't have an urban? how did that happen? i mean we don't have one in staten island (where i'm from), which is no surprise, but brooklyn? the borough competing with manhattan itself for trendy street cred? odd.

the pictures they used in the e-mail poster were a lot of fun and realized that i have a lot of mental associations with the borough (aside from the fact that a lot of my family resides there): coney island, the site of so many summer memories and my first real date with cameron, the notorious b.i.g. (god i can't wait to wear that shirt), a tree grows in brooklyn, still one of my favorite books, cliche or not, the l train, welcome back, mr. kotter, which i watched all the time back when nickatnite actually showed classic (or at least relatively old) tv, jay-z (i went through a big jay-z phase), and mike tyson, who i have no personal connection with, but the pixelated likeness of him does take me back to the days of playing (and losing) mike tyson's punch-out.

there was also a huxtable family photo on the poster. i love the cosby show, and even though i used to watch it alot, i couldn't escape the nagging notion that, well, it was a little boring. but looking at it now, what a stylish family those huxtables were! the picture above is one of the most toned-down ones that i could find, but still you can't suppress all of that 1980's finery. shoulder pads and big hair galore! love it. i love vanessa's jacket and i actually own that shirt, and i think rudy might be wearing lederhosen, but whatever. denise looks like a pioneer wife, but bohemian and unattainably cool as always. which brings me to my next point..



*giuseppe zanotti sandals, urbanoutfitters hat & bag

well, heathcliff had his coogi sweaters, and claire had all that attitude and poise.. theo had his high-top fade, and olivia had a cute face, but no one could come close to the effortless cool that was denise huxtable, also known as lisa bonet. while i was looking for pictures i found a whowhatwear daily post also paying homage to her, but to be honest, if i channel lisa bonet, i most likely will not do it in hammer pants. so for the sake of not wanting to look like i'm going to an costume party as lisa bonet, i've opted for a few earth-toned accessories to add a touch of bohemian without taking it to that terrible boho chic phase the world suffered through a couple of years back. i'm really into the purse. only $34, but as i'm currently broke, i'm leaving it up to someone who loves me to buy it for me.. early birthday gift? belated half-birthday gift?

also, could zoe kravitz possibly have gotten a better deal from the genetic pool?

*related music: kanye west, can't tell me nothing

hahahahah

amazing.

it's a hairflip.

it's definitely not the freja cut i asked for, but it's growing on me..

getting used to it.

i give myself very good advice

this has been a longgg week. next week and the week after will be just as bad, i think. and i'm trying to save up to visit my roommate in florida over spring break. so i decided to practice retail therapy in moderation after class let out for the weekend. the good news? i think i succeeded. the bad news? i'm going to newbury street in a few hours with friends. female ones. i'm screwed.

from left to right:
black flats from urban. very necessary. they're practically part of my daily uniform. all of my pairs are on their last leg (hah!.. sorry). satin, funnn.

one thing that i wanted but couldn't find at urban was a pair of earrings that i liked. after this, i'm planning on hitting up the nearest vintage shop while i head towards my lunch destination.

teen vogue i keep promising myself that i'm gonna stop buying teen vogues when i turn 20 and officially leave.. teenhood. i've got a few months left, but i'm starting to think that i won't be able to stop. but camilla belle? again? i don't have any problem with her, but, ehh..

french vogue i never ever buy foreign vogues. they're simply too expensive for my meager student budget. but i'd be lying if i said i'd never wished that i lived in england or france, so that american vogues would be foreign (and monotonous to boot) and i could buy my own country's version at a more comfortable price. but, i rationalized that i'm learning french, and what would be a more fun learning exercise for me than to read vogue in french? and it came with a cd! perfectly reasonable! right?

une vrai francophile,

they'll go ga-ga at the go-go

so after much deliberation and scouring the internet for pictures, i've finally decided to go with..drumroll, please.. the cut on the right! i keep forgetting to call up the salon and make an appointment, but i'm totally committed to it.. it will happen. i'll now move on to looking for some bright statement earrings and cultivating the kicky spunk and aplomb i believe is necessary to carry off such a cut. god, i hope this turns out well.








also, compare the freja picture above to this one. still great features and all, but such a beauty when smiling, no?

p.s.: i remembered the above freja beha picture from both vogue and teen vogue, and searched relentlessly for it to no avail, until i finally thought to go to teenvogue.com where i promptly found it.. sigh. always in the last place you look, right?

hoping for the best,

of course

a little repetitive of me maybe, but whatevs. my girl crushes aren't fleeting, what can i say..

and again with self-referential pieces! the beret from the lastnightsparty pics (urban outfitters, i think), and the bangles from those pictures and the show.. she makes me hopeful about bringing new life to what i think are old pieces from my own wardrobe.

hopelessly devoted,

AAAAAAAOWW!

holy shit. stella mccartney just took it there.

needless to say, at my age there's a level of put-togetherness that i aspire to achieve one day, but stella's upped the bar and now i have to readjust my goals.

the rest of the collection is great too, but for reasons previously mentioned, this look captured my attention immediately over the other beautiful dresses.

one fine day, i will look this refined. just you wait, 'enry 'iggins.

determined,

no, the disorder to the left..

so i'm taking an elective from the studies of women, gender and sexuality department named food, culture and gender, partly because the topics were really interesting, and partly because i'm considering pursuing a secondary concentration in that field.

we've been reading an array of writing addressing anorexia, bulimia, fat discrimination, and currently eating disorders in men. for one assignment, we had to visit some pro-anorexia and/or pro-bulimia sites and document our reactions and thoughts. the sites were pretty intense, with tips for maintaining multi-day fasts, avoiding concerned friends and family, and throwing up discreetly. but what caught my eye in particular was the sites' thinspiration pages, chock full of the runway pictures that i pore over on a daily basis.

i'm well aware of the skinniness of some models, and last year, even for a brief period, it seemed that the the industry noticed as well. but knowing now how thousands of psychologically afflicted women are triggered by these very images, i find it hard to ignore. i've found that while photos can capture the body in a way that disguises the thinness (sometimes), motion pictures conceal none of it, and i cringe while watching them at the prospect of those tiny bodies snapping in two.

it could be argued that the eating disorders of those that are already predisposed to them are only marginally encouraged by cultural influences, but now there's wannarexia, which is explicitly encouraged by those very influences. and paris, je t'aime, but sending ali michael home over five pounds isn't helping.

and just for good measure, you can take your pick from orthorexia or drunkorexia, if the above disorders don't strike your fancy.

sorry for my cynicism, but sometimes when all of these factors fall into place within my field of vision, it's a little frustrating and scary. i've hardly been living in a cultural bubble, and knowing more about these disorders makes me worry about my own susceptibility. i'll have to make a mental exercise of separating the clothes from the unhealthy frames that they sometimes hang on, yes?

irritated,