the floral print

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This look has a polished up top/party downstairs contrast that I like. The multiple anchors of solid white bring it all together for me.

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These shoes are quite fake. Les knockoffs.* I wanted to try out the studded look and find that I like it, but it’s not love. They are uncomfortable, too. I have too many other shoes I prefer to keep them but they have convinced me that I want to find a pair of white pumps. I’m totally on board with the trend of white pumps.

*I don’t generally have much interest in knockoffs—I don’t generally have much interest in their originals—but once in a while they are convenient for playing. I don’t feel a moral quandary about it when the original is something I would never consider purchasing anyway. Louboutin is not losing a potential sale here. Still, they are unsatisfying unless made well in their own right, and desired in their own right (there is a bag I want, of which I’m considering getting a (still pretty expensive, but comparably cheap) replica, because I find the silhouette so appealing and can find no wantable substitute) which they usually are not. I often later think my money could have been better spent…this is undeniably the case. It always serves as a lesson, however, and from such lessons one emerges an increasingly superior shopper.**

**Interesting thoughts on this in Garance Dore’s recent post about style bloggers being, in a way, people who are just really good at shopping for themselves. There is a lot of truth to this, I’d say.

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This is the Givenchy Fushcia Irresistable lipstick, the Japonesque blush, and a bit of playing around with the Kat Von D Monarch palette.

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Floral leggings (thrifted), Banana Republic trench (thrifted), Loslandifen pumps (eBay), Lands End turtleneck (thrifted), Mulberry Roxanne bag (thrifted), Pearls of Joy 10mm studs. On the nails: Essie polish in Naughty Nautical.

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the western buckle

“Once he gave her a ring with a sphinx engraved on its stone.

‘What is it?’ she asked. ‘A sphinx?’

‘Yes,’ he answered, ‘and that sphinx is you.’

‘Is it really me? she asked and slowly raised her enigmatic gaze towards him. ‘Do you know that’s very flattering?’ she added with a slight smile, but her eyes still had that strange look.”

                                                        —Fathers and Sons, Ivan Turgenev

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I picked up this belt buckle while browsing for cowboy boots at Helen’s Leather Shop in Beacon Hill. It’s embossed with a delicate floral pattern. I like the western atmosphere a large belt buckle bestows, and I often like to take turquoise with my oversized buckles. And when I wear turquoise I want to wear white…you see what’s happened here. Oh, here’s a pair of the cheap sunglasses I mentioned.

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Love the shape of this skirt, long and high-waisted with a gentle fishtail effect.

I don’t mind at all mixing brown and black.* I don’t mind mixing the varying shades of turquoise here, either. Blue nearly always seems to look good with blue, no matter which shades.

*Honestly, I don’t have a black bag. Nor is a black bag anywhere near the top of my wishlist. This is one of those wardrobe ‘staples’ I simply cannot care about, and do not remotely miss. I take this as more evidence that I should keep on doing what I want.

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details

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 Linen skirt from ASOS, Ariat tooled leather belt, J Crew tee, Mulberry bag, Steve Madden P-Heaven flats, Skagen watch, pearl shell drops (eBay). On the lips: Bite Beauty Matte Crème lip crayon in Blood Orange (this color is electric in person, have been hearing such good things about this brand and am impressed so far). On the nails: Wet n wild I Need A Refresh-Mint.

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