June 29, 2017 – Like An Onion (OOTD #55)

Good layering is the key to any good outfit.

For real, I put so much value on being able to create interesting layers in my clothing that I sometimes ignore the fact that it’s too freaking hot to be wearing a jacket and just do it anyway. 

With layers, you create intrigue because there’s a hint of mystery as to what’s beneath the jacket/scarf/sweater/whatever. It’s must like choosing to make your subject in a picture go off the page – you can’t see everything, so you’re naturally drawn in look closer at what is there. 

Granted, you can still have a good outfit without layers – it simply requires that the pieces themselves be intelligent enough designs that they are fascinating to look at. And often, that costs more money. And, since I don’t have a lot of that, I usually prefer to rely upon layers to carry my outfits rather than the design of the clothes.

(That does also mean that when I do see a piece of clothing that has an interesting design – one that “speaks” to me, you could say – I’m eager to snatch it up, especially if it’s a good price).

Today’s outfit is probably my go-to for the fall. Or the winter. Or even the summer or spring, because let’s be honest – I almost never pay attention to the weather when I’m making up my outfits. A jacket, a flowy top, skinny pants, a necklace or scarf, and my favorite pair of boots – you can bet that on pretty much any day I’m too lazy to come up with a more unique outfit and/or shave, I’ll be wearing some variation of this.

Everyone needs their safety outfit, and this is mine. It’s particularly good for days when I want to wear leggings because it relies upon the contrast between the oversized clothes on the upper half of my body and the form-fitting clothes on my lower half.

Do you have a go-to outfit? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you wear when you feel like you have nothing to wear!

Jacket: Forever21

Pants: Abercrombie

Shirt: Altar’d State

June 28, 2017 – A Lazy Day At Home (OOTD #54)

Concerts are great, but they make you feel absolutely dead the next morning.


Believe me, I would know – I once was out until 2 for a Panic! at the Disco concert just to have to be up again at 6 to be back at school at 8. That was an interesting day – I think I crawled out of bed wearing pretty much the same clothes I had worn the night before and was too lazy to change, so I walked around at school all day in sweaty concert attire.

For this one though, I was smart, and I scheduled myself beforehand to be off of work the next day. I slept in, had a lazy breakfast, and basically did nothing but sit around in the kitchen and watch movie reviews on YouTube while eating PopChips.

Was it a fun day? I don’t know – fun isn’t really the word, but it felt good regardless. Work is emotionally exhausting, so any day I can spend where I’m not there is welcomed. 

Just because I sat around at home where basically no one saw me doesn’t mean I didn’t still feel the need to put together a semi-nice outfit for you guys! Running this fashion blog does have the slight downside that even on my lazy days, I have to put together a real outfit to wear for at least the 10 minutes it takes to get my photos done.

What can I say? I have a terribly difficult life and I deserve all of your pity.

Today’s outfit was low-key (and I mean very very low-key – like such a low-key your ears probably wouldn’t even be able to hear it) inspired by Taylor Swift in the “Blank Space” music video. I recently subscribed to Apple Music, which I transitioned to from Spotify, so I’m a little starstruck by the fact I can actually listen to Taylor Swift again.

Anyway, I was sitting there in the kitchen with my PopChips when “Blank Space” came on. I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge Taylor Swift fan – at least, I haven’t been for many years, probably since Fearless first came out – but “Blank Space” is definitely a good bop. Plus, the music video is so stylish.

There’s one scene in the first chorus where Taylor and her copain du jour are riding bikes around a parlor, and she’s wearing an outfit with plaid high-waisted pants and a short sleeve cropped maroon sweater. I drew inspiration from this scene for today’s outfit – I don’t have the plaid pants (actually…I do have plaid pants, but they’re purple and wouldn’t go well with the red sweater), but I do have high-waisted floral shorts, and I have a similar short sleeve maroon sweater. I put the two together, and, without any accessories at all really, I had a fairly chic lazy day outfit that didn’t require much thought.

No one’s going to be mistaking me for Taylor Swift any time soon, and no rich men are going to be taking me to their mansions where I can change outfits every 12 seconds for an elaborate music video, but you can’t have everything.

That’s it for today! I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com

Shorts: PacSun

Sweater: Ann Taylor LOFT

 

 

June 27, 2017 – Reggae and Calypso (OOTD #53)

…won’t you save me, San Francisco?

Had a great night last night with my friend Amanda at a Train concert in Cincinnati.

Admittedly, Train isn’t my favorite band on the planet. I like them well enough, and a couple of their songs – I’m thinking “50 Ways to Say Goodbye” and “Save Me San Francisco” – have been in rotation on my iTunes and Spotify playlists for years, but mostly, I wasn’t too familiar with their work. I actually had to create a playlist of their setlist the day before the concert so I could study up on their library more, since I wanted to be able to sing along at least to the courses of the songs I didn’t know.

But I love concerts, and I will happily drop all of my spending money to go see them, regardless of how much I know about the band. There’s something really spectacular about being in a room full of people connected by music, and whether I love the music or not, I love the vibe.

My first concert, Demi Lovato, was back when I was in fourth grade, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I even remember the outfit I wore to see Demi Lovato – black boots, denim skirt, green henley, denim vest, white jacket, green scarf, straw fedora-like hat. Tacky and awkward as it sounds, I remember feeling really fashionable for 2008, and I actually remember getting a lot of compliments.

Not wanting to be passed up by my fourth grade self, I had to put together an outfit worthy of a summer concert. I feel like Train has an almost country vibe to their music, and I wanted to reference that in my look. But I don’t really have any country-looking clothes, and regardless, I’m not really a country person, so I went for a boho summer festival look instead. Close enough…ish?

But for real, I do like my outfit today. I spent forever trying to find a bralette that layered nicely under the high neck of my tank top (as it turned out, a high neck bralette was perfect for the job), and I layered a sheer kimono on top for “warmth.” Or maybe just fashion. I don’t know, practicality and aesthetic run together in my head sometimes.

I topped it all off with a layered choker and a gold headband, and I felt like I was almost cool enough to stand in the parking lot of Coachella and direct traffic. Almost. Hey 

That’s it for today! I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com

Shirt and shorts: H&M

Kimono: Hollister

Bralette: Aerie

Headband: Altar’d State

 

 

 

June 26, 2017 – A Blog Is Never Late, Nor Is It Early (OOTD #52)

…it arrives precisely when it means to.


Welp, I suck, and I missed out on posting yesterday. I did still get the photos – don’t you worry – but I didn’t get a chance to sit down and actually type out the corresponding blog post.

Ah well, it happens.

In my defense, my reasoning for not getting around to posting a blog is fairly solid. I worked 2-6, and after I got off, I went out immediately to meet with a friend who was visiting from South Carolina. She was probably one of the first friends that I made when I first moved here in seventh grade – in fact, she was probably the first person to invite me, the “new kid,” to do anything with her. I still have the old diary entry where I wrote about how excited I was that someone from my new school had finally invited me to hang out – lol!


Anyway, Kirstie moved our sophomore year, but she still comes to Kentucky to visit us sometimes. So after work, I met up with her and two of her other old friends – Zach and Adrian – for pizza, and we chatted and did some catching up. It’s funny – the three of us who still live in Kentucky don’t necessarily belong to the same crowd while in school, but we always manage to get along really well when Kirstie invites us all to hang out.


Over pizza, Kirstie was discussing my hair (I dyed it blonde about a year after she moved, so she hadn’t seen it in person before!), and Adrian, who had been relatively quiet otherwise, suddenly interjected “So do you think I could go blonde?”


At first, we all think he’s joking – Adrian, this big mixed-race football player dude, wants to go blonde? But he’s serious. And he wants me to do it.


So, flashfoward two hours, and I’m standing in Adrian’s bathroom, rubber gloves on, mixing up a batch of L’Oreal Quick Blue bleach that we got from Sally Beauty Supply about 15 minutes before they closed while Kirstie and Zach cheer me on. It’s hot, the chemicals are burning my eyeballs, and I’m terrified I’ll mess up and ruin his beautiful caramel curls, but there’s no backing out now.


And you know what? It turned out okay. Not perfect, mind you – I started running out of bleach towards the back of his head, so it’s definitely lighter in the front than in the back (call it ombré, maybe?), but I think I did okay for a person who has only ever bleached her own hair before. Plus, Adrian liked it (or at least he acted like he did!), so that’s all that really matters.


Summer 2017 has been an adventure to say the least.


In other news, one week, and I’ll be on the plane to London! I’m so excited to be going – and I’m positive at least half of my excitement can be attributed to not having to work for basically two weeks. The other half is probably because there are so many wonderful Instagram opportunities and beautiful backgrounds for my OOTD posts!

That’s it for today! I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com

Shirt: Forever21

Sweater: Altar’d State

Saturday Musings + Coffee – Planning for London

Hey there.

As some of you might know, I’m going on a trip to London in a little more than a week, and I’m beginning to get quite excited!


The whole thing was a little impromptu actually – my friend, Amanda, has a family friend in England, and she was talking to me in January maybe about how she was planning to visit over the summer. So me, being rather jealous, jokingly asked if I could come along, and to my surprise, she was cool with it. 

We’re getting to stay with this family friend for free, so no hotel to pay for, and Amanda’s mother used to be a flight attendant, so our airfare was greatly discounted. It’s all very lucky for me, because there’s no way I’d be able to pay for a trip like this otherwise. I’m still surprised it’s happening.

Anyway, Amanda and I met for lunch the other day (I actually wrote about it a little here) to discuss what we wanted to do while there. We’ve already got tickets to see Cage the Elephant (ironically, a Kentucky band) in their acoustic set at Union Chapel, but otherwise, our schedule is fairly free for whatever we want to do on any given day.

We decided we definitely want to do the Climb the O2 experience, as our means of getting a good view of the city from above, rather than doing something like the London Eye. We also want to hit Shoreditch for its beautiful Instagram opportunities,  St. Paul’s Cathedral (I’m a sucker for old, beautiful churches), Brick Lane Market, and probably way more things than we’ll actually be able to see. 


We’re going to meet again sometime before we leave to sort out our priorities, but, since I know many of you guys live in Europe, and some even in England, I thought I’d ask – what should I make sure to hit while in London? And honestly, even if you’re not English, but you’ve visited the country – or if you’re simply a person who likes giving their opinion – please leave me a comment below! I love hearing feedback, and I know I won’t be able to get to everything I want, so I’d appreciate any advice you can offer.

There’s so much still to do – pack, pick out clothes, order tickets, figure out how many bags I need and what needs to be checked and what can be carry-on – and so little time! I’m beginning to get rather excited though. This is my first time out of the country in years; the last time, I was in third grade and my parents took me to see China. That was such an amazing, memorable experience, so I hope England can compete!

Anyway, it looks like it’s going to be a short post today – my parents are calling me for dinner. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one!

June 23, 2017 – Schoolteacher Chic (OOTD #51)

Can you believe I’ve already made 51 of these silly little things?


I guess 51 is an odd number to celebrate – I probably should’ve done 50, but yesterday, when I was writing the blog post of the day, I thought I was at 49. I didn’t realize until after the blog had been posted that it was the “big 5-0,” and by then it was of course too late.


But better late than never, so here I am, happily recognizing that I’ve made it to 51 blog posts!


It’s only been a few months for me writing on L’ensemble du jour, but I can tell you, it’s already made a moderate impact on my life. First off, I can’t just have lazy days where I wear leggings and a t-shirt anymore, lol. Every day’s outfit has to be carefully planned out and organized to ensure that nothing looks too similar, and there’s always quality content and variety on this blog.


It’s a challenge, but I love it. Writing here is easily one of my favorite parts of the day. And it’s made all the better because I know you guys always have such kind words to say! Seriously, reading the comments that are left at the bottom of each blog always makes me smile, even after a long day at work.


Speaking of work, I had another job interview today. I figured since I was only working part time, I’d try and see if I could pick anything else up on the side. Fingers crossed! 

For this interview, I chose an outfit I had actually already had planned out for weeks – and one that I can only describe as “schoolteacher-esque.” A very stylish schoolteacher, who wears Evan Picone jackets and Ray-Bans, but a schoolteacher nonetheless. Actually, fun fact: two of the pieces today were vintage/thrifted – the jacket, which I got at Salvation Army, and the skirt, which I got along with a cute jacket at an antique mall.


A huge thank you to the 270-some of you who follow me here, the nearly 2,000 who follow me on IG, and basically anyone else who follows me on any social media channel or has ever checked out this blog. I’m hardly famous, but I’m growing, and your support means a lot.


Skirt: Vintage

Shirt: Hollister

Jacket: Evan Picone

Bag: Coach

That’s it for today! I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com

June 22, 2017 – It’s Raining, It’s Pouring (OOTD #50)

Well, it is.


Mother Nature sent us Kentuckians a respite from the miserable heat today in the form of some rain. Thank goodness – we needed it. 


Of course, rain also means cloudy, dreary skies, but I don’t mind. When it’s dark and brooding outside, I like to make my outfit match the mood – so in other words, I like to dress like I listen to My Chemical Romance and run an aesthetic Tumblr blog.


And actually, the former of those is true.


This t-shirt, in particular, I feel is rather integral to the whole look. When I first got it, my mother actually hated it – she thought it was baggy and sloppy looking. But that’s what I love about it; it’s my “starving artist” shirt that somehow manages to look chic and disheveled. There are no embellishments on it – no holes, no fringe, no acid stains – nothing that you would think would convey any aesthetic at all except for plain, and yet, it’s one of the most aesthetic pieces in my wardrobe.


Actually, it reminds me of Fabio from season 10 of Project Runway. Anyone remember him? He seemed like a pretty chill guy – definitely had the starving artist look.

The pants, on the other hand (I feel like there’s a pun I ought to be making here…), are full of embllishments. I searched for forever for these things on Poshmark. I was actually looking for a replacement for some motorcycle leggings that I’d gotten from Macy’s years ago with leather kneepad-looking details, but this was the closest I could find. I got them in a small, thinking it would be okay, but of course, when you’re barely 5 ft tall, things don’t always fit as you think they should. So, instead of motorcycle leggings, I wound up with more like motorcycle slacks, which is okay in my book.

And then what quasi-edgy look would be complete without a choker from Hot Topic? 

There wasn’t much color going on in my outfit today, but sometimes, it’s more fun that way. It allows for the designs of the pieces themselves to shine without the distraction of color. Speaking of color, I made this little layout today – some flowers, a coffee mug, and a silly little self portrait I drew while I was bored at work.

Who is the First American Home Buyers Protection Corperation ? I don’t know. But I should thank them for giving me something to doodle on.

Shirt: Abercrombie

Pants: Nasty Gal

June 21, 2017 – It’s the Summer Solstice, and I’m Dressed For Fall (OOTD #49)

I’d be lying if I told you I liked summer. 

Granted, I like certain aspects of summer – being off school, wearing shorts, eating ice cream – summer’s not a terrible season at all. Like any season, it has its merits and its faults. But for me, living in the hot and humid state of Kentucky, the faults outweigh the merits. 

I can stand heat. I don’t mind when it gets into the upper 80s (don’t mind, I say, as in can tolerate – not like),  but when it’s in the upper 80s and has a humidity of over about 40%, that’s when I draw the line. When the humidity hits in Kentucky, all those pleasant aspects of summer – the sunny skies, the warm air, the bright colors – melt into a hot, unpleasant, sticky mess that no one wants to out be in, especially me.


So naturally, today, being the summer solstice and the first day of summer, I decided to break out my fall jacket, scarf, turtleneck, jeans, and boots. Sensible, right?


Actually, my reasoning for dressing this way wasn’t purely vanity (though I’m sure that does play a part – as I’ve mentioned many times before, I don’t like to let the weather determine how I’m going to dress…mostly); I had work today, and it’s just easier to wear pants than a dress or skirt. Plus there’s the shaving…there are plenty of reasons where pants can be a good choice in summer.


And the turtleneck? It’s actually very lightweight and thin – if I’m not careful, you might even see my bra through it. So for modesty (and yes, fashion) I threw a light blazer on top. And what outfit could be complete without a scarf to tie it together – literally and figuratively?


So at first glance, this may seem like a fall outfit, totally impractical for summer heat, but it was actually quite comfortable. I stayed modest, stylish, and best of all, kept the blazing sun off my skin.


…or maybe I’m lying to myself and every time I stepped outside today, I felt like I was cooking in an oven, but I’m too stubborn to change. You can take your pick of explanations 😉

That’s it for today! I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com

Pants: J. Crew

Shirt: Forever21

Jacket: Kohl’s

Shoes: Steve Madden


June 20, 2017 – All The Trends! (OOTD #48)

I like to think of myself as someone who doesn’t feel the need to follow trends.

 

Like I said, like to think of myself – I’m not necessarily always that way. Case in point – today’s outfit, which covers three trends all in one – an off-the-shoulder top, loose shorts, and a choker. Clearly, I belong in an issue of Seventeen, or perhaps an ad for Forever21.

 

(Actually, unlike a lot of days, today’s outfit features nothing from Forever21!)

 

There’s really nothing wrong with being trendy: it’s just that following trends means there’s less room for original thought and creativity. And that’s something I value quite a lot in fashion – I would much rather wear something that makes people go “that’s different” than “that’s boring.”

 

But being original takes effort, and being trendy does not (though it does take a lot more money…), and today, I was rather lacking in the effort department. I woke up a bit late, and I had to rush to get ready for a lunch date with a friend, so trendy it was.

 

One of the nice things about trends is that they come in all varieties, and these varieties are very easily mixed and matched. Today, for example, I mixed the off-the-shoulder trend with the loose, boho-ish shorts trend with the choker trend. It made for a very simple, stylish outfit that required very little thought on my part and still looked very good in the end. That is something you risk when going with more unusual outfits – you may put all this thought and effort into creating interesting layers or silhouettes, and you can still just wind up looking weird.

 

Also, about today’s lunch date – my friend and I used it to discuss things we wanted to do in London, when we visit in early July. So I figured I would ask you guys, anyone who’s visited London or lives there or just feels like offering an opinion, what should we make sure we do while we’re there? We don’t necessarily feel the need to do the super-touristy things and would actually really love to go for something a little more off the beaten path, so if you have any suggestions, please leave a comment below!

That’s it for today! I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com

Shirt: Hollister

Pants: Francesca’s

Band-aid with little fish on it: UK Hospital

June 19, 2017 – Cheap Clothes=Best Clothes (OOTD #47)

If I remember correctly, I got this shirt for like $3 at the LOFT.

 

I don’t even recall exactly how it happened – I think it was like 50% off on clearance already, and then my mother had an extra 40% off on top of that for her birthday, and it might’ve an additional discount for having snag in the front. Anyway, it ended up being a really great steal, and I bought it without even trying it on.

 

I’ve got a bit of a problem with buying clothes on discount like that – purchasing things I don’t necessarily need simply because it’s on a really good sale. Never follow me into a Goodwill; we’ll be there for hours, and I’ll be down $50 and up 20 pieces of unnecessary clothes in the end. My father can certainly attest to that.

 

Actually, I often look through the sale section when I’m shopping before I even look at the new, full-priced things. The middle school version of myself would’ve been completely embarrassed to have said that – there was once a time when I was a status-obsessed egotist poser child who wouldn’t want to be caught dead doing anything to save money.

 

That’s changed…mostly….I think?

 

Anyway, today’s outfit – in addition to my plain white shirt (which isn’t so plain when you look at it a bit more closely; it’s got a nice architectural silhouette that makes it rather interesting), I wore a bandana-printed neck scarf, which I bought for the pure intention of looking trendy and green skinny jeans that make my legs feel just a tad like they’re being suffocated.

 

But sometimes, that’s the price you pay for looking nice, right?

That’s it for today! I’ll see you in the next one. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com

Shirt: The LOFT

Pants: American Eagle

Scarf: American Eagle