thrift – Page 15 – L'ensemble du jour

October 5, 2018 – Elementary, My Dear (OOTD #388)

Published on November 8, 2018 by lensembledujourLeave a comment

I was honestly shocked that I’ve never used that blog title before.

I feel I’ve made most of the popular English culture references at this point, but as it turns out, I haven’t made this reference yet (though I came rather close here). I surprise myself a little everyday.

Today’s blog title is inspired by my roommate, who, upon seeing this outfit, declared that I looked like an elementary school teacher. Interestingly, this is the same roommate who said the other day that my outfit made me look like I was getting ready for Oktoberfest.

In both cases, I can’t really argue with her. While elementary school teacher wasn’t really my goal with this outfit, I’m not against the look either. I know for a fact that realistically, I would be a terrible elementary school teacher, so seeing as I will never be one, I’m happy to dress up like one.

I’m not sure how many elementary school teachers would match leopard print and plaid, but more power to those who do.

Actually, for a few years as a kid, I wanted to teach second or third grade. I don’t know why, though. I don’t remember being any good with younger kids when I was a kid, and I don’t remember being particularly interested in teaching people things either. Honestly, I think I just thought it would be an easy job that would still allow me to have summer vacations. I know now, of course, that teaching is actually quite difficult (and quite underpaid) — and hence, I will never teach, even for the summer vacation.

But maybe if I continue to impersonate an elementary school teacher with loafers, plaid, and tea-length skirts, I’ll get summer vacations anyway, even if I don’t go into education. Worth a shot, right?

That’s about it for today. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one with more updates on my life at home at Notre Dame. Don’t forget to check me out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Bloglovin, Twitter, and Tumblr! For business inquiries, shoot me an email at lensembledujour@gmail.com!

Jacket: Vintage (thrifted)

Top: Francesca’s

Skirt: Vintage (thrifted)

October 1, 2018 – Recipe for Style (OOTD #385)

Published on November 4, 2018 by lensembledujourLeave a comment

Shhh…I know it’s a corny title. Just hear me out.

I’ve mentioned before that I have a formula for fashion on days when I don’t want to be creative with my outfits. The days where I roll out of bed 10 minutes before class starts, the days where I feel sick, or the days I’m just too lazy to come up with anything better — I come back to this outfit formula.

Here’s what it is: pair one (1) pair of fitted pants or leggings with one (1) loose-fitting top, such as a sweater. Top with one (1) jacket and two (2) simple black booties.

The silhouette is flattering, I don’t have to worry about shaving my legs, and I always know I’ll look fashionable — even if not innovative. It’s basic, but classic, and it works.

With this particular outfit, I even added a belt. That’s the thing with the formula — it also lends itself well to accessorizing. Jewelry, scarves, belts all look good because the silhouette of the outfit itself is so simple.

I’d recommend come up with their own outfit formula for days when they don’t feel like getting dressed up. It doesn’t have to be my formula, but it’s got to be something you’re comfortable with throwing together on those days when you can’t be bothered to stand in front of your closet contemplating what to wear. The worst is when you’re on a time crunch, and none of the pieces you’re combing seem to look good together. That’s where a formula comes in.

When back when I was a middle schooler, I had a formula. Back then, it was a floral skirt, a lacy camisole, and a cardigan, preferably from Hollister or Abercrombie. Sometimes I’d also wear Uggs and put my hair in a Snooki bump. It was a look.

The point? Being formulaic isn’t always bad, as long as you do it in moderation.

Jacket: Thrifted

Top: Forever21

Pants: Banana Republic

September 29, 2018 – Washing Machine Queen (OOTD #384)

Published on November 3, 2018October 6, 2019 by lensembledujour3 Comments

This may be the most discordant collection of locations I’ve ever included in a blog.

First up, we’ve got some photos from the laundry room. That’s right: I posed with a washing machine for my fashion blog.

I’ve seen some Instagrammers get some really cool shots in laundromats, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Turns out, the laundry room in my dorm has some really flattering lighting. Who’d have thought?

Fun fact: the washing machine I’m sitting on here was actually running while I was doing these photos, meaning it was vibrating underneath me as I sat on it. That was a little weird. I’ve never had my fashion photograph backgrounds vibrate before.

After the washing machine photos, I have a few with this blue gate by the architecture building. How did I wind up at a blue gate by the architecture building? I saw it as I happened to go by, and I thought it’d make for a good background. I don’t know. Sometimes you just gotta jump on the good backgrounds, even if you’ve already gotten pictures for the day.

What’s next? Well, it was game day, so it was on to the game. I was a little concerned that I hadn’t gotten any game-related photos in my game outfit, so I decided to get even more photos outside of the stadium. Did I need them? No. Did I get them anyway?

Well…yes.

The moral of the story is that there was no point to me getting so many photos today because I wasn’t able to use them all, and I now I have a lot of photos on my phone that I don’t know what to do with. As much as I like getting varied backgrounds for my OOTD pics, sometimes, the varied backgrounds don’t connect. And that makes for a rather disjointed blog post.

But on the plus side, I found two cool locations — the laundry room and the blue gate by the architecture building — that could potentially make for good backgrounds for future blog posts. So I suppose it wasn’t a total waste.

Jacket: Chaps (thrifted)

Top: Notre Dame bookstore

Pants: vinage (thrifted)

September 28, 2018 – Overdress (in a T-Shirt) [OOTD #383]

Published on November 2, 2018November 2, 2018 by lensembledujour4 Comments

I love this shirt.

It says “Overdress” in huge bold letters, but get this — it’s a t-shirt. T-shirts aren’t dressy. You can’t be overdressed in a t-shirt. In fact, you’re more likely to be underdressed.

But it’s the silly irony of a shirt that proclaims the importance of overdressing while simultaneously being an inherently casual piece that I so love. I don’t know if anyone else loves it. I don’t know if people who see me wearing it think that it’s funny that a t-shirt would say “Overdress” or if they just think it’s stupid. I like it though.

You know what else I like? (This transition, which I seem to use a lot on this blog?)

Fridays. Interestingly, this outfit from September 28 was also a Friday, the same day as the one that I’m publishing it on a month later on November 2. I don’t know if I like Fridays enough to screen print it it on a t-shirt (or write an 2011 annoying song about it), but maybe enough to name a restaurant after it with really good chicken wings.

On Fridays, I only have one class, which is only 50 minutes long and which meets late enough in the morning, allowing me to sleep in. Today, I had an exam, which was a little unfortunate, but after that, the rest of the day is free for relaxing and being a boring potato of a human being. Maybe I’ll do some work. No Friday night is complete without it.

Jacket: Lilly Pulitzer (thrifted)

Top: Forever21

Pants:

September 26, 2018 – Oktoberfest (OOTD #382)

Published on October 31, 2018 by lensembledujour4 Comments

I know close to nothing about Oktoberfest — I’ve never been to one in Germany, I’ve never been to one in the US, and I’ve never even done a basic Google search to figure out what it is.

But with all of the things I don’t know about Oktoberfest, I do know that women’s traditional dresses kinda look like this for it. Or at least, that’s what my roommate compared my outfit to when I came out that morning.

I was actually going for more of a vintage 60s look, but I guess traditional German villager works too.

I’m so far behind with these blogs, I’m afraid I don’t have any Halloween content to give you today, even though it’s Halloween the day I’m posting this. I hope a September Oktoberfest outfit will suffice. Don’t worry — the Halloween content is coming. It just might not being coming until like…Christmas.

If anyone has advice on how to make sure that festive content is posted at the appropriate time, I would love to hear it. I don’t like to force myself to write blogs the day I take pictures for them, so I couldn’t probably get the Halloween outfit blog out on Halloween day, but it does feel silly if it comes a month late. Should I post the Halloween content on Halloween even if it messes with the chronological order of the other blogs?

I mean, ideally I guess I’d just keep up with my daily blogs and not wind up a month behind…but…life happens, you know? Sometimes it’s Halloween and you’re writing about an unintentional Oktoberfest outfit you wore in September.

White blouse: The LOFT

Red top: Express (thrifted)

Skirt: Abercrombie

September 24, 2018 – Beginnings, Ends, and Instagram Posts (OOTD #381)

Published on October 30, 2018 by lensembledujourLeave a comment

I can’t believe it’s 2018 and I’m just now learning how to link an Instagram post to a blog.

I guess I’m just a little basic for a blogger. I write some words, I add some pictures, I throw in some links. In that sense, I’m not very advanced. It’s not like this is my full-time job — I can’t necessarily take the time to learn all the SEO and marketing strategies that would get me onto the coveted first page Google spot.

I’ve carved out my tiny corner of the Internet, my few bytes of space, and I guess there’s a small group of people who like to visit me here. Half of those views are probably my mom. The other half might be me viewing from mobile. In other words, I have a very loyal fanbase.

I don’t know if I’ll ever find fame or fortune on the Internet, but I suppose that’s what college is for. So I can not find fame or fortune in the real world, all while spending $70k a year for it.

It’s funny for me to think, but when I began this blog, I never imagined continuing it into college. I didn’t really imagine anything for it — I’d just heard suggestions for years that I should start a fashion blog, and eventually, I decided to go for it. Somehow, though, when I began this thing spring semester of my senior year of high school, I figured I’d get bored of it and give on it before my freshman year even began. Now, it seems all of my blog posts revolve around college life and my exciting adventures at Notre Dame (read: exploring weird buildings at night and complaining about the weather).

How much longer will it go? I don’t know. I remember back in middle school, there was this makeup blog I used to follow super closely, Nouveau Cheap. The blogger, Giana, had a pretty decent following. I’m not certain how big her blog was, but I know she would always have a ton of comments on her posts. One day, Giana just stopped posting, with very little indication why. She still hasn’t broken the silence — she just left.

I know everything comes to an end eventually, and I’ll quite possibly move on from this blog one day, but it’s hard to conceptualize. It’s a far cry from when I began here, when I could conceptualize the end, but not the continuation.

Anyway, I don’t know how I got to talking about this from Instagram posts. Hope everyone out there’s having a good day, and happy almost Halloween!

Jacket: Thrifted

Top: The LOFT (thrifted)

Pants: Thrifted

September 19, 2018 – Sock Feet (OOTD #379)

Published on October 28, 2018October 28, 2018 by lensembledujour3 Comments

It is no secret at this point that I am a sock person.

Not only did I once write a whole blog post about how I thought a pair of socks made an entire outfit work, but I am also one of those weird people who wears socks to bed. And at just about all times of the day. Basically, unless it’s summer and I have sandals on, I probably have socks on too.

I usually don’t go for thigh high socks and shorts because I think it looks a little too stripper-ish, but like…I had a jacket on here? So it was more conservative?

How does that work anyway? I technically have more clothes on with the socks than I would have without the socks, but the socks make the whole outfit look more sexual. Whoever decided socks were sexy is dumb. I just want to wear my socks without being judged.

All the more reason to wear the socks, though, right? It’s time to #FreeTheSocks from their reputation.

At any rate, I think the world needs more people who wear socks. I’ve seen the feet of kids in the library who think they can take their shoes off without anyone noticing. They are wrong — people notice, and no one thinks your bare feet are cool.

Plus, in socks, you can slide around the house on the hardwood! What else could you want from your fashion choices?

Jacket: Hollister

Shorts: Hollister

Socks: Target

Top: Thrifted

September 18, 2018 – Hawaiian Vacation Witch (OOTD #378)

Published on October 26, 2018November 26, 2018 by lensembledujourLeave a comment

Get ready, because this is my spookiest Halloween costume!

What? You’re telling me this isn’t in any way spooky or costume-like?

Yeah, I guess you’re probably right. This is just me in a Hawaiian shirt and a black sunhat. Not spooky. But maybe 21st century witches just aren’t spooky like we think of them. That’s probably how they disguise themselves.

You know what is spooky, though?

Asking people to take pictures for my blog. In fact, it’s so spooky, I didn’t even ask anyone to do them for me for this outfit, I just did them myself.

I didn’t buy my Apple Watch so that I could take pictures — in fact, I didn’t even know that it could do that until spring of this year– but I am so glad that it does. Seriously, the remote feature on my watch that connects to my phone has been one of the single most useful features.

Maybe that’s the kind of witchcraft I do — I can take pictures on my phone without actually touching my phone. Break out the pitchforks and the Puritan Bibles and put me on trial already.

Top: thrifted

Skirt: Zara

Hat: Forever21

September 14, 2018 – May I Take Your Order? (OOTD #375)

Published on October 22, 2018March 24, 2019 by lensembledujour1 Comment

Sometimes, an outfit just clicks.

And this is one of those outfits — even if I do look a little like a Hogwarts student or a waitress.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned my interest in ties before on this blog, but if I haven’t, take it from me now: I love ties. I’m 100% here for making ties for women a thing, and not just women at British boarding schools or women who work at Applebee’s.

This outfit combines a lot of my favorite outfit tropes — a short skirt, an oversized jacket, visible socks, and of course, a tie. I don’t normally like to brag on myself, but I think I really hit it out of the park with this one.

I’d been planning this outfit for a month by the time I actually got around to wearing it. I put it together before school even started, and I knew I wanted to wait for a special occasion to wear it.

Well, there aren’t very many special occasions when you’re a boring college student, so instead, I decided to wait for an occasion when I knew that I could at least get good pictures. And who takes the best pictures by my old man himself?

That’s right, my parents decided to pay a visit in mid-September for the Vanderbilt game, and what did I do when I first saw them but insist that they give me a ride, feed me dinner, and take pictures for my blog?

But really, look at these photos — my dad’s the best photographer. I’d have him come visit me every weekend if it meant getting him to take pictures for me. And that he and my mom would take me to dinner. And drive me around places.

Basically, being an independent adult is overrated, and I’ve got my heart set on moving into my parents’ basement and being a leach after I graduate. I’ll be a leach with good photos, at least.

Jacket: Thrifted

Top: Banana Republic

Skirt: Zara

September 13, 2018 – The Secret Garden (OOTD #374)

Published on October 21, 2018October 21, 2018 by lensembledujour3 Comments

It still counts as secret if most people knew it existed, but I didn’t know about it for a whole year, right?

This little spot (which I’ve actually included in a blog before!) is the courtyard garden in the Hayes-Healey building. It’s really cute — and it’s only accessible from within the building, which adds to the mysterious quality. Seriously, like I said, I didn’t even know it existed for 99% of my freshman year. I’d heard whispers of a garden in the mathematics building, but since I had no math classes (shout-out to my AP Calculus teachers in high school, who allowed me to get a 5 and not take any math in college), I never had a reason to go and look.

Finally, at the end of my freshman year, some friends and I were trying to get some cute group pictures before summer break, and someone suggested the Hayes-Healey garden. It was actually all locked up when we tried to go, but we ended up getting some pictures with the giant globe in the building — another feature I never knew Notre Dame had.

I like how Notre Dame — a school that is notably not a part of the Ivy Leagues — has a hidden ivy garden. As the guy from the Incredibles would say, “Coincidence? I think not!”