90s Flashback: Ladeez Knot Yo Shirts!

 (photo credit zimbio, tfs, fashion mogul)

Oh, knotted shirts! Where do I begin? You bring me back to Christina Ricci duck tapping her boobs in Now and Then and Kurt Cobain being a hot mess before hot mess was even a term. You're basically all sorts of edgy do-it-yourself fun and I don't even have to wait for retailers to stock up on you because you can be easily created with any button down and two hands. Actually you can even use any loose t-shirt for this look (take a looksie below). How rad can you get? I should have seen this one coming with all the cropped turtlenecks and plaid flocking the streets these days.

What I really like about this look is the updated high waisted take on it celebs like Annalynne McCord and Kiera Knightley are trying. It's some sort of mutt mix of 70s and 90s. Radness my friends. Radness.

 (photo credit Carolines Mode)

Blake Lively + Lorraine Schwartz = BFF?

Okay, so lately I have noticed Blake wearing a lot of jewelry, and I mean a lot. Even lil' Jon and rappers everywhere with their heaps of bling are like "damn gurl! wassup!?" that is if they could pronounce vowels.  Anyways, Blake. Bling. What be happenin'? Well it turns out the majority of the jewelery that has been lent out to Blake has come from CDFA member/designer Lorraine Schwartz.

Late last year Blake attended the designer's launch party for her 2BHAPPY collection, not to be outshone of course by her Diamond Monkey collection, and I suppose a mutually beneficial relationship was forged. No, Lorraine is not Blake's Sugar Mama, she just gives her sparkly stuff when she struts red, fuzzy ground.

I know what you're wondering. How much is one of those bracelets worth? Let me tell you:

More. Than. Your. Life. 

Okay, maybe your life is worth more than one of them, but NOT the entire arm party. No way man. Typically when jewelry designers loan out their goods it's only for 24 hours and a security officer is assigned to stalk them their entire evening accompany them to their event and after parties, after which they are collected the very same night. On occasion they are gifted to the celebrity if the jewelry designer is a generous type. I agree with this practice as it prevents people like Lindsay Lohan from committing felony grand theft. I mean, can you blame the girl? Everyone knows you don't inject yourself with heroin in front of a junkie. Why would you give a girl diamonds and then take them away? EVIL.

photo credit: TFS

What I wear on dates that don't happen.

 

 

 

Dress: Jacob

Sweater: Talulah Babaton (Aritzia)

Purse: Vera Pell

Flats: Aldo

Thursday evening I had planned on meeting a sophisticated kind of fellow at The Bacchus Lounge for a date, but had to cancel because I simply felt like shit. I'm not particularly charming when I have to blow my nose every 3 minutes and my voice sounds more frog than human. I had the best intentions though when I picked my Italy themed outfit in honor of our Roman God themed bar. My purse is from Florence and my dress reminds me of Italy's flag. 

Since I went to the trouble of showering and getting dolled up I figured I might as well make a blog post of it. Thanks Alex, my lovely new photographer, for humoring me once again :P

Juxtaposition

 

Boots: Canepa Aldo Boots

Dress: Omai (bought at a boutique in Rome)

Peacock Earrings: Charlotte Russe

Dress: "I'm girly and lady-like."

Boots: "I'm trampy and scandalous!"

Onlookers: "What does it all mean????"

Last night I met with the girls in my book club and ate some delicious French cuisine. For the occasion I wore a pretty elegant dress I found in Europe and some boots I had delivered that morning (there's actually a big bow in the front of the dress and a crinoline layer you can't make-out with this lighting unfortunately).

Although mixing soft and tough pieces has now become one of the oldest tricks in the book, I still enjoy advocating it. The key to it is contrast and balance. You want textures that will distinctly identify the individual pieces so they each stand out, and you also need to be proportionate so that it is brought together harmoniously. My dress was extra girly so the leather thigh-highs weren't too much to overwhelm the femininity. They were perfect character foils. So awesome. 

Guess who's back? Back again? Tracey's back. Tell some friends.

 

 

Dress: H&M

Nylons: American Apparel

Bag: The Gap

Jewelry: Icing by Claires (snagged 90% off at a closing sale booYAH)

Heels: Ralph Lauren (Yes...again, I will never retire these!!)

I like these nylons because they say "I'm elegant and classy yet slightly whorish" which is essentially the message I like to send people. Mixed signals. Keeps em' guessing.

Three things. First, I have amazingly grown 10 inches of hair since you last saw me (lies). Second, I have discovered (and to my utmost dismay) I am hideous in turbans. We were simply not meant to be. It hurts so I won't go into detail. Just know that it hurts...a lot. Third, and most importantly, I am using a new font. It's more reader friendly.

I look forward to regularly updating this blog again and hope to get traffic back up to what it previously was before I took my hiatus.

Happy Easter Y'all!

The Sophisticate

  The Sophisticate

Styling: Tracey Quo

Photography: White Cedar

Model: Rayna McKay

If I am anything in this world, I am a dreamer. I have been since I was a small child. I was never in tune with my surroundings because I was always lost in my own world. Anyone who knows me personally, knows I leave planet earth at least 10 times a day to contemplate the future. It is just what my mind gravitates towards whether I like it or not. I've read that people daydream 27% of their waking day, so I take some solace in that. This was the first photo shoot I styled and it came more naturally than pooping. True story.