june – Page 6 – L'ensemble du jour

June 15, 2017 – Tim Gunning It (OOTD#44)

Published on June 15, 2017June 15, 2017 by lensembledujour7 Comments

You know, “make it work.”

I got this absolutely lovely dress less than a month ago from Anthropologie (one of my favorite stores, by the way) on clearance for 60% off. I didn’t want to pass it up, but sadly, it was a size too big.

What to do?

In many cases, there’s nothing to be done. Sometimes a dress that’s too big is just too big. There’s always the tailor, of course, but, as I’m the type of person who can only afford Anthropologie when I shop in their clearance section, I’m definitely not the type of person who can afford a tailor for everything.

Regardless of the fact I knew it wasn’t likely to work, I decided to try it on and give it a chance anyway. Maybe it wasn’t quite as big as it looked on the hanger? I’m a hopeful person, especially when it comes to clothes.

So I tried it on, and things were exactly as I expected – it was simply too big to be worn as-is. The shoulders actually fit okay, and the sleeves looked appropriately flowy, but the rest of it was baggy and awkward. I was thinking I ought just to give up, regardless of how much I loved the complementary blue-orange color scheme and mixed textures, when I thought of an idea. What about a belt?

The end of this story is obvious enough – I bought the dress because I couldn’t resist the price, and when I brought it home, I simply threw a simple black waist belt around it to balance out the bagginess. The perfect solution? Maybe, maybe not. In general, I prefer to respect the will of designers and wear clothes the way they’re meant to be worn (except in the case of oversized vintage work shirts that can be worn as dresses…), but sometimes, you’ve got to do as Tim Gunn says, and make it work.

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

(And yes, Project Runway is a guilty pleasure of mine. I wonder when its next season will be on?)

Dress: Anthropologie

Belt: Forever21

June 14, 2017 – Nice to Meet You, My Name is Oscar (OOTD #43)

Published on June 14, 2017June 16, 2017 by lensembledujour8 Comments

At least, that’s what the shirt says.

I got a wonderful surprise the other day – a package in the mail from my Uncle Tim. If you read my post from about a week ago, when Tim visited my family in Bardstown KY, you’d have read that he has a little quirk where he likes to wear old work shirts with other people’s names on them. I guess my father mentioned to him that I thought that that style was both hilarious and actually quite interesting, because Tim saw it fit to send me my own misnamed work shirt: this one proclaiming that I am Oscar of SB Cox’s Demolition and Construction Services, out of Richmond, VA.

I say shirt – it’s more of a dress, really, on me. I have no idea what size Oscar was, but it’s suffice to say he was a bit larger than me. I don’t really care though; I ended up wearing the shirt more like a dress, or maybe a long tunic.

No worries, there are shorts underneath though. I like to stay mostly modest – and to keep my mother happy.

To accessorize, I wore a black tank top and a black choker underneath. I guess that’s not terribly exciting, but I really wanted the shirt to speak for itself. It’s already a bit of a risky move, a) wearing a shirt as a dress and b) wearing a shirt with some guy named Oscar’s name on it. No need to go overboard.

Anyway, I spent most of today at home in the kitchen, working on a cake for Father’s Day. I used this little recipe from The Cake Blog that I saw on Pinterest. I’m actually still working on it, but assuming it doesn’t turn out a horrific, ugly mess, I’ll post some pictures of it on tomorrow’s blog.

Spending the day at home, I also got to make myself a nice little lunch of a gorgonzola, walnut, and apple salad, a cup of tea, and some macarons. And what better thing to do when you make yourself a chic lunch than to take overly staged photos of it so you can post it on your blog?

(Also, Uncle Tim, if you happen to be reading this – thank you so much for the shirt! I love it!)

Shirt: SB Cox’s Demolition and Construction Services

Choker: Claire’s (cringey, I know. But it was cheap and no one has to know where it can from!)

June 12, 2017 – Boho Feels (OOTD #41)

Published on June 12, 2017June 13, 2017 by lensembledujour4 Comments

These Kentucky summers can get devilishly hot.

It’s presently 90 degrees out, and to be honest, I’m not a fan. As soon as I got this shot done, I rushed right back inside to air conditioning and some cold water! The heat is bad enough, but you add the Kentucky humidity on top of it, and you have a muggy, awful mess that is simply no fun.

But that doesn’t matter, because I’m a middle class suburban teenager in first world country and I have a climate controlled home that I can spend my whole day in! And that’s just what I did today. I didn’t work today, for the first time in what felt like ages (though it’s probably only been five days or so), so I got to wake up late, pour myself some coffee, and simply relax.

It was lovely.

As I was relaxing, I figured it was a good idea to do some work on this blog. In addition to creating a lovely new logo (which you can see at the top of this page!) and adding some sidebar widgets that link to my social media (which, if you’re on desktop, you should be able to see on the right!), I also did some photography.

I absolutely adore the work of lifestyle organization bloggers, such as Alexandra and Co, who create beautiful but minimalistic arrays of…basically just pretty objects. It’s kinda hard to explain what makes it so beautiful – there’s something just really visually pleasing about the bright colors on the stark white background. Thus, I decided to give it a shot. I gathered up all of my bright pens, cut some flowers, found some colorful candles, poured myself some tea, spread out a white bedsheet over the kitchen table, and tried my best to pretend I have an organized life.

What do you think? I’m planning on posting all of them on Instagram sometime in the future to give myself some variation to my feed, so be sure to follow me there to see them when they go up!

And as for today’s outfit – I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t actually spend a whole lot of time wearing it today! I spend a good deal of my time in just my pink Victoria’s Secret robe, and I probably would’ve spent my whole day like that if it hadn’t been for this fashion blog! I don’t mind; I love getting dressed up. With the heat today, I was feeling a summery boho vibe, so I went for these fun tribal-printed shorts with a lace-up sweater. For accessories, I loaded up on thin beaded bracelets, and topped it all off with a simple choker and a black sun hat.

Sweater: American Eagle

Shorts: Target

Bracelets: Altar’d State

Top 5 Pinterest Picks for the Week 6-11-17

Published on June 11, 2017June 11, 2017 by lensembledujourLeave a comment

For those of you who know me well, you probably know that Pinterest has been a huge obsession of mine for years. Huge obsession as in before I was even using Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat regularly, I was pinning away on Pinterest.

Before I got interested in blogging, before I even knew what “aesthetic” meant,” Pinterest was there. Like, I remember being a member of Pinterest’s beta phase, where I had to have a friend who already had an account send me an invite to even join!

Anyway, I figured this blog was a great excuse to share with you guys some of my favorite Pinterest finds for the week! Plus, I know all about having a small blog and trying to get some exposure, so anything I can do to help some other bloggers out, I’ll do. If you have a blog with original Pinterest content and you want to be featured on this series, hit me up with a comment below with a link to one of your pins and I’d be happy to give you a shoutout!

Oh, and if you’d like to check me out on Pinterest, please do! I’m constantly pinning – it’s like an addiction. I have boards on fashion, beauty, lifestyle, travel food – you name it! Also, it would mean a lot to me if you’d go repin some of my fashion content from this blog – you can find it all on this board – to help me get some more exposure.

Anyway, without further ado, here’s my top 5 Pinterest picks for the week!

1. Elie Saab – Spring 2017 Couture

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I’ve been a huge fan of Elie Saab since forever. If I had $100,000 to go out spending willy-nilly on evening gowns, you can bet I would own at least 10 of his spectacular evening gowns. His designs always manage to be so alluring without being to showy, and I think that subtlety is what makes him a great designer. Other designers, like Alexander McQueen or Marchesa, like to make their haute couture stand out by having outlandish silhouettes or embellishments (and trust me, I have absolutely no problem with that!), but Elie Saab takes a more understated route. These are the kind of dresses you could wear to a red carpet event or wedding and get comments like “how elegant” rather than “how unusual.” Again, nothing wrong with unusual, but sometimes, it’s better to go for the crowd-pleaser.

2. Srevolrof – Messy Braids

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By the looks of it, this girl has an absolutely fabulous blog; the only downside is – for me, at least – it’s all in German! Regardless, blogging is a rather visual medium, so language doesn’t also act as such a barrier as it does in other endeavors. Thankfully, there’s this little thing called the Internet, so, after hours of pouring over German dictionaries (or about 3 seconds on Google Translate), I found out that this blog post not only showed off a fabulous messy hairstyle, but it was also in support of a charity for Nepal! I do love a girl with good hair and a good heart ❤️ Definitely go check her out!

3. Gal Meets Glam – Charleston in January

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It was actually rather difficult trying to find a fashion pin that actually linked back to its original source. The Internet is a wonderful place that allows us content creators to share and promote ourselves to a wide variety of audiences, but it also means it’s very easy for others to steal content and repost it without crediting its owner. I’m not saying everything on Pinterest has been stolen, of course, but it’s definitely worth being aware of, and I’m usually more likely to pin something if I see it comes from its original owner’s website, rather than another source, like Tumblr or Instagram. Anyway, I thought this girl’s style was really cute – effortlessly chic and feminine – and something I might try to recreate here on L’ensemble du jour. A lot of my outfits are inspired by what I see on Pinterest, actually, and that’s part of why I love the website so much,

4. Sunrise on Kilimanjaro – Hudson Henry

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Doesn’t this photo just speak for itself? I follow a lot of travel bloggers and photographers, but this guy’s work really stands out above the rest. In addition to just being a really beautiful location, it’s also a really intelligently staged shot, with the tiny silhouettes of the adventurers peeking out from the bottom corner. It allows the beautiful scenery to shine, while also making commentary on how small we humans are in the grand scheme of things. I’m not trying to wax poetic here – it’s just a really pretty photo in the end, regardless of interpretations you can take from it.

5. Noel Badges Pugh Art

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Those of you who’ve seen some of my OOTD posts from art galleries know, I’m kinda into art. I mostly consider it a hobby because I know I’m not really talented enough to make a true career out of it, but that’s part of why I love seeing artists who have been able to make it their profession online. This guy does some really detailed and colorful ink work that mixes the human body and nature, creating a really interesting, psychedelic look. Have a look at his Tumblr and go show him some love!

And that’s all for today! I hope you liked the first in this Pinterest Picks series. If you do, there will be more to come! 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.

Saturday Musings + Coffee – Preparing for Work

Published on June 10, 2017June 11, 2017 by lensembledujour4 Comments

I thought I’d add a new series to my blog, in addition to my typical OOTD posts. These posts, which I’m titling Saturday Musings + Coffee, will simply be a way for me to let out some of the thoughts I have in the morning while I sit and sip some coffee. It’ll be more about lifestyle than anything else, but I might throw some fashion in there too. I don’t know, we’ll see!

Anyway, I woke up this morning with a pretty stiff neck after having slept on the couch.

I didn’t mean to, of course – I just happened to do it after falling asleep watching some television with my parents, and I apparently just stayed there all night. I woke up this morning wearing the same slightly sweaty t-shirt and shorts I walked the dog in last night. Gross.

The other problem with that is that I didn’t charge my phone at all, which I usually do overnight with a cord by my bed while I sleep. Thus, I woke up this morning to a completely dead phone, that I’m somehow hoping will charge itself to 100% in an hour and a half before I have to go into work.

I’m doing an eight-hour shift today, by the way, so wish me luck! My job involves being on my feet a lot, which is something I simultaneously love and hate. Love, because I hate sitting for so long, and hate, because it gets exhausting after about the three-hour mark. No idea what eight hours is going to do to me!

I did go running this morning, which I’m hoping will give me a little extra energy this morning. I like to go either in the morning, before I’ve eaten anything, or in the late evening, after all my food has settled. Otherwise, I often wind up cramping and not being able to run as far as fast, and I’m fairly confident it’s to do with the food I eat. I hadn’t been able to go for the last few days because I found myself so exhausted after work, but today, since I didn’t have to go in to the store until later, I had a chance to get my excercuse in beforehand.

Anyway, it’s about time I get going to shower and dress for my day. Again, please wish me luck on this long day of work! I hope I won’t need it, but, better safe than sorry. I really enjoyed doing this little blog in the morning to help organize my thoughts, and I hope you enjoyed reading it!

June 9, 2017 – Like a Scarf in the Wind (OOTD#40)

Published on June 9, 2017June 9, 2017 by lensembledujour7 Comments

…Never knowing who to cling to 🎶

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I love wearing big scarves on windy days. The way they fly around and billow in the air is so dramatic, like a super hero with a cape. Is it a little excessive and a touch theatric? Yes. But it looks cool, and when I look cool, I feel cool – even though I know it’s a generally accepted fact that I am not.

FullSizeRender 65.jpg — Don’t judge the smudge of lipstick in my teeth.

That’s actually the reason I started getting into fashion in the first place. As a kid in elementary school, I was definitely a bit on the dorky side, and for many years I had trouble interacting with the other students. That probably had to do with the fact I hissed at people and refused to smile in pictures and once got into an argument with my entire first grade class about how Santa Claus wasn’t real (I lost)…but when you’re 7, you don’t necessarily understand that the other kids don’t think crawling around pretending to be a cat is as cool as you think it is.

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Then, sometime in second grade, my parents bought me the first Hannah Montana CD. I loved that thing to death. Listening to the CD, of course, led to watching the show, and watching your first Disney Channel show is just a gateway drug into the world of preteen sitcoms. And what did I learn from watching shows like Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and Sonny with a Chance?

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That cool clothes make a cool person.

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So I devoted myself to mimicking the styles I saw on my favorite shows. I started shopping at Justice and Limited Too, got my ears pierced, and started styling my hair. It didn’t make a big difference in my social life, actually – there was no dramatic makeover that led to instant popularity – but I think people started thinking of me as less the weird girl who hissed at people and more the girl who always dressed nicely. I found I liked that label, and the label stuck.

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Sorry, I’ve gotten a bit distracted. Today’s outfit: I worked again today, so comfort and practicality took center stage. The white t-shirt and plain khakis (funnily, the same khakis I wore when I had my first job at Kroger two years ago) are so boring they could be worn for any job, but I accessorized them to make things a bit more interesting. The scarf, of course, was one of those accessories, but I also found a pair of bright Sperry’s, bright earrings, a bright bracelet, and some bright lipstick to – you guessed it – brighten myself up.

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If you’re also into fashion, what got you interested in it? Any interesting stories to tell? Leave me a comment below! And for good measure, here’s a super stylish and not at all embarrassing photo of me circa 2008 playing dress up.

Me - Zombie2.JPG — Mixing patterns since 2008

Pants: Celebrity Jeans

T-shirt: Target

Shoes: Sperry

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June 8, 2017 – Grey[pe?] (OOTD#39)

Published on June 8, 2017June 8, 2017 by lensembledujour19 Comments

Get it, like grape?

But it’s…it’s grey(pe). Because this outfit is has both grey and grape colors in it…

See, this is why I should never be allowed in front of a keyboard. I make terrible puns like this that have to be explained, and then probably aren’t even funny to begin with. Look, it’s hard coming up with even mildly clever blog post titles every day! I try 😅😂

Anyway, today’s outfit was built for comfort. I just started a new job at a local hardware store where I’m on my feet a lot, so I wanted to be my clothes were appropriate. Thankfully, I’m not doing any heavy lifting or hard labor, so I was still able to wear this comfy knit heather grey dress and a simple purple cardigan to keep things feminine, the colors from which, of course, I pulled the silly title for this blog. I remember the days two summers ago when I worked at a grocery store and I had to wear a uniform – I’m definitely not eager to go back to those ill-fitting khakis and that awful neon t-shirt!

Funny story about this little Coach scarf – I got it for my 12th birthday from my best friend from middle school. I have no idea if it’s really or not, though I have a suspicion it’s not, as I remember she went on a trip to New York (where, of course, the famed counterfeit heaven dubbed Chinatown exists) shortly before my party. I mean, what 12 year-old could actually afford a real Coach scarf? It means a lot to me regardless, as it reminds me of our friendship, and I haven’t seen her since I moved about a year after that birthday.

Haha, now that I think of it – this dress was a gift too. I got it from another middle school best friend (who, funnily enough, was actually introduced to me by the friend who gave me the Coach scarf!) when she got back from a trip to France. I guess the only part of my outfit that’s really my own is the sweater!

In the end, though, I’m very relieved to be back to working again. It’s not the most glamorous position in the world, but it’ll help pay my tuition, and that’s what really counts.

Oh, and if you have any clever-er blog title ideas for me, please leave a comment below! I love to hear feedback, especially from people who are funnier than me.

Dress: BKS Girl

Scarf: Coach (maybe?)

Sweater: Ann Taylor LOFT

June 7, 2017 – Taking Pictures in Public Is Kinda Awkward (OOTD #38)

Published on June 7, 2017June 8, 2017 by lensembledujour10 Comments

It’s not easy being a fashion blogger.

First off, you don’t get paid, really, unless you have a huge following. That’s really not a big deal to me, because I love blogging whether I’m paid or not! It’s just a hobby for me that helps me de-stress.

My second complaint, though, is that it’s just really awkward taking pictures of your outfits in public.

Seriously, if you want to be a fashion blogger, be prepared for a lot of judgmental glances when you’re in public. I’m not tall or glamrorous-looking enough to pass for a professional model, and my photographer is usually just a friend or family member with an iPhone, so it must be weird to people when I’m standing at the mall posing like I’m Gigi Hadid.

My advice? Wear sunglasses. If they can’t see your eyes, their judgmental stares can’t hurt you!

For example, today I went to work with my mother, and I decided to do my photos at an old twisty staircase at the side of her office building. This was all fine and good, until someone decided to come down the stairs! It was a nurse from one of the medical offices that was in the building. It was definitely a weird encounter, but I just remind myself that the person will probably forget about the weird narcissistic teenager posing for photos within a few seconds and then go on with their life, and that thought usually makes me feel better.

On to today’s outfit: it was a fairly simple one at heart. A denim chambray shirt, slacks, and plain black booties. The fun here was in the teardrop-shaped rhinestone bedazzlements on my shirt and the emerald green of my pants. Sometimes, outfits don’t have to be complex to be cute.

That’s all for today! I’d like to give a huge thanks to the 125ish of you who have followed this blog in the last month; it really means a lot to me! ❤️

Shirt: Ann Taylor LOFT

Pants: Banana Republic

June 6, 2017 – Wearing a Sundress Under a Heavy Jacket Makes This Outfit Seasonally Appropriate, Right? (OOTD #37)

Published on June 6, 2017June 6, 2017 by lensembledujour9 Comments

I’ve said this before, but the weather is really not the most important factor when I’m considering what to wear. FullSizeRender 54.jpg

So what it’s 80 degrees out and humid in Kentucky today? I live in an air conditioned building! We as humans have evolved beyond bowing to the will of Mother Nature!

FullSizeRender 52.jpg *Cue image of a hurricane blowing away a building*

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So the truth is, I picked out this outfit about two months ago, when I was still in school, and for one reason or another, I never actually got around to wearing it. Thus, it sat in my closet, lonely and unworn, until school ended and summer began and it was no longer seasonally appropriate. It’s not that warm, actually, like I mention in the title, I am wearing a thin sundress underneath. Then again, I did layer a knit hoodie and a thick black blazer over top, so it also wasn’t the most comfortable standing outside in the sun doing this shoot for today either.

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In short, once I was done taking these photos, I stripped down to just the sundress.

What do you think? Do you ever wear outfits for the sake of fashion, even if they’re not the most appropriate for the season? I’ve definitely worn my fair share of sweaters in the summer and shorts in the winter, and to me, the discomfort is worth it. I definitely get it if you don’t agree though!

Jacket: Banana Republic

Sweater: Altar’d State

Dress: American Eagle FullSizeRender 51.jpg FullSizeRender 55.jpg FullSizeRender 48.jpg

June 5, 2017 – Bardstown in Black (OOTD #36)

Published on June 5, 2017June 5, 2017 by lensembledujour14 Comments

Kentucky’s a pretty cool state.

I do still find it hard to consider myself a true Kentuckian, though I’ve spent almost all of my life here – all 18 years of it, actually, excluding the 8 months that I spent as a baby in China. My father’s a true New Jersey guy and my mother’s from Chicago, so none of us have ever truly fit in to the southern lifestyle. Still, while Kentucky’s a little on the boring side, it has its merits. It’s always been my dream to move to a big city like New York, but I do rather like the small town feel that Kentucky’s got.

While I live in one of Kentucky’s biggest cities (though I usually think of it as more of a really large college town rather than the small city it touts itself as), it is pretty cool to go in to visit one of small country towns. Today, my family and I headed into Bardstown, KY, at the request of my visiting uncle and cousin from New Jersey. They’re both super into vintage stuff, so we figured this was a pretty nice place to get lunch and do some antique shopping.

And it really was. We had lunch at this really cute burger place, and spend the rest of the afternoon wandering in and out of the little boutiques and consignment shops that lined Bardstown’s downtown Main St. area. I didn’t find anything I really wanted (except for a cute little Burberry sweater in a second-hand shop for $100; sadly, it had a tear that wasn’t going to be easy to fix), but I think my uncle and cousin enjoyed themselves.

Today’s outfit was actually inspired by my uncle’s style, funnily enough. I wish I had some pictures of him – he’s a really interesting dude. He’s into hot rods, skeletons, local bands, and likes to wear workers’ shirts with random people’s names on it. Though I don’t have any shirts that label me as a Jerry or an Andres, I do have these fun hair clips that look like skeleton hands. I paired them with a black sweater with detailing on the neckline, maroon pants with detailing down the legs, and, for extra detail, I added a black velvet choker.

(Look, writing is hard sometimes, especially trying to avoid sounding repetitive)

And apparently, my uncle liked it because he said I looked cool, in particular the skeleton hair clips.

Sweater: Francesca’s

Pants: Ann Taylor LOFT

Shoes: Converse

That’s it for today! 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