Is this real life?!

My apologies, everyone, for the extended hiatus.  Transitioning into a new job and new life post college has been a crazy journey and a million changes that I could never have foreseen all seemed to happen at once.  This is the first time my real life has been more interesting and exciting than any sort of fantasy escape I could imagine. I couldn't not indulge in living it to the fullest!

 

Life has settled down a bit so it's time to get back to writing and blogging! I'm happy to be back :) I'll be posting a few belated posts soon!

Still rocking the studded bracelets and dark eyebrows :)

Witchy Work Wear

Well this was from earlier this summer, but, but honestly my business attire won't change much with the seasons. Here's another version of my weird goth business casual attire. Naturally almost all my work clothes are black just like everything else in my wardrobe, and I love how sleek and edgy a black suit is. Paired with the skinny studded belt and my favorite skull necklace, it's just enough to push the boundaries. 

And let's talk about these shoes!

4th of July/A Pirate's Life for Me!

Fourth of July just so happens to be my favorite holiday of all time (well, maybe tied with Halloween since I obviously love to dress up!). I love fireworks and being outside, and I could not have asked for a more perfect day to spend with my beautiful friends! 

Unsurprisingly, I don't have a very patriotic outfit to share with you all. About the only thing in my wardrobe that isn't black was this red and white striped pirate bandana I got for a Halloween costume a few years back. It's kinda patriotic, right? But since I love pirates even more than fireworks, I thought it worked perfectly! It was also another excuse to wear my favorite lace-up little black dress, which also has a pirate vibe.

The highlight of my evening was running into a fellow pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow! Every year, he can be found wandering the Excelsior, MN commons area on the fourth, and I always look forward to running into him for a picture. :) He even stuck around to watch fireworks with me and my friends . Obviously we're a couple lucky wenches. A pirate's life for me!

Transitioning into "Real Life"

Well, I've officially survived my first two weeks at my corporate job, and it's been quite the transition. It's been a challenge learning to manage my new schedule and life. I'm glad I had the realization this year just how important it is to hang on to what I love and what makes me unique and not to throw any of these things away no matter where I am in life.

Here's how I've been able to do that lately, even now that I have to be a so-called real adult.

1. Fashion. The great thing about working for a company whose dress code is business casual is that I still have room for self-expression. Below is my outfit from casual Friday: I rocked a Hogwarts tee under my blazer and paired skinny black jeans with my studded combat boots (sorry no full outfit photos!). A blazer dresses anything up...right? I always have my skull or Slytherin jewelry on daily with my button-ups and pencil skirts, along with a (slightly) more subtle smokey eye than my usual gothed out eyeliner. I can enjoy my job so much more when I can express myself in these little ways.

2. Sword fighting. Nothing like a new hobby to spice up life a bit. I scored a Groupon for Medieval Combat lessons, and as it's been my ambition to become a pirate lately (and I'm writing a novel featuring pirates), I figured what better way to get into character than to learn some good old sword fighting. I'm completely addicted. My coworkers like to give me a hard time about this. I think they all thought I was kidding at first...

3. Developing my "personal brand." We've talked a lot about this at work, and while I've wanted to obviously present myself as competent, I think part of my, er, charm is that I'm kinda quirky. Everyone already knows me as the resident Harry Potter nerd (I showed up with the seventh book in my purse on the first day of training and admitted that I was in the process of my annual re-read of the series). When we had to go around and introduce ourselves and say a weird fact, I announced that -- though I used to be super embarrassed about admitting it -- I've been a Harry Potter fan fiction writer for ten years. I got a bit of playful teasing, but once again, I was hardly shunned because of it. I want to present myself as quirky, nerdy, and smart, a brand I feel like will let me be successful while still feeling like me. 

First Day of Work!

Don't worry, I didn't wear the following outfit to my first day at my corporate job! I had to have one last hurrah of un-classiness this weekend before being forced into business casual 5 days a week. And nothing says screams IDGAF like ripped up jeans, a cut-off Jack Daniels shirt, and old Converse. I had fun with the ensemble, and it was a great way to beat the rainy day blues (seriously, summer, where are you?!).

Now, here's the real outfit from my first day at my big girl job! Though I'm forced to dress nicely, I refuse to abandon my personal style completely. I've called myself the Corporate Witch Pirate for a reason! I decided to rock the pirate look for day one. The red stripes and rolled up sleeves on the button-up have always seemed pirate-y to me (I may or may not have actually worn it for my Halloween costume this past year?). Even if I'm the only one who immediately makes the pirate association, it still makes me happy inside. I also tossed on a skull necklace and bracelet -- hey, it wouldn't be me without these signature accessories. 

The full ensemble.

Oh, and the HAIR. The weird black-brown-red mess that looked like a botched ombre job is no more. After years off bad black box dye, I finally wanted to do something different (and have a professional do it for me for once; I guess I am an adult now...). I wanted to stay dark, but decided to do something new and exciting. I feel like some weird Ginny Weasley/Lily Evans/Little Mermaid hybrid. And I'm pretty excited about it. :)

Struggling with my new identity as a redhead.

My favorite pirate-y skull necklace.

Pirate bracelets.

Sheer Skull Button-up and Maxi Skirt

This outfit includes some of my favorite pieces put together. I adore the sleeveless button-up trend that's going on right now, and this sheer version is extra flirty and edgy. And it's business in the front, party in the back...it features a giant skull. I love how versatile the top is; a nude camisole is sexy without showing too much skin, and it makes the skull pop on the back. When I'm going out on the weekends, I usually pair it with a simple black or white bandeau. 

This cotton maxi skirt from Kohl's is another great versatile piece I love. A black maxi can be casual or classy for summer, but it can also easily have a nice gothic edge to it when paired with the right top and accessories, which is why I particularly liked this outfit. Black on black, with my skull tank, skull necklace, and skull bracelets. Yes, this outfit made me very happy indeed. 

Three Casual Dresses for Three Personalities

I haven't posted in a while as the past week or so has been crazy! I was in Orlando all last week to visit Universal Studios and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter with my two best friends. They are two of the most gorgeous girls I know, and we all have such a distinct sense of style that reflects our individual personalities. And, conveniently, we're all huge Harry Potter fans who each pledge allegiance to a different House. I thought, what better way to celebrate this than with a blog post? 

First up is Quincy, my darling blonde Hufflepuff. We've also dubbed her the "bombshell" of our little trio. Her style centers around clothes that are colorful, flowy, and simple, and this outfit epitomizes both her style and bright personality. I love her color-blocking and how she coordinated the white belt with her white sandals to tie everything together. Perfect summer chic for a nice dinner night!

Color blocking perfection.

White accessories tie everything together.

Next up is sophisticated Stacia, the Ravenclaw. We've fittingly classified her as the "intellectual," and she almost always dresses the part. There's rarely a time where Stacia isn't looking polished. She keeps this outfit versatile with a blazer, so she can go from casual summer chic to polished in an instant. To go along with our Harry Potter-themed outfits, her dress is the dark blue of Ravenclaw, and she's accessorized with a replica of Hermione's Time-Turner necklace. And she too is right on trend with her high-low asymmetrical dress.

Polished and sophisticated with a blazer.

Casual, classy, summer chic without!

Time-Turner necklace and a subtle smoky eye.

Lastly, yours truly, Zoe the Slytherin "rebel." This dress was another one I picked up during my round of summer shopping a few weeks ago. (Once again epic fail on being work appropriate.) I love this dress because the cotton makes it casual and comfortable (all my other dresses are tiny black ones with faux leather, cut-outs, slits, etc....so not exactly wearable on a daily basis), and it's really easy to change the look by accessorizing. The best part? Only $12 at Forever21! I bought the corset for a pirate Halloween costume   a few years ago but have gotten a ton of wear out of it since. I would wear it every day if I could. It gives any outfit an edgy, goth feel, and helloooo defined waist! And of course, had to rock my Slytherin necklace for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

Flats and the long tail keep this dress from looking too scandalous.

Obsessed with this corset!

Slytherin <3

The spiked flats -- perfect for all the walking around Orlando!

High-waisted Jeans and Crop Top

It took me years to find a pair of high-waisted jeans like this that fit well and then to develop the confidence needed to wear them. I've had a weird obsessions with them for years, and it was even on my bucket list to buy and wear a pair of these things. I picked them up at Goodwill for like $2 a few summers ago, and have just now started wearing them. Besides the fact that moving and sitting are difficult (literally NO stretch) I love them. They go perfectly with the 90s inspired fashion kick I've been on lately.  

This crop top was a total steal from Asos. I seriously wish I had, like, ten of them. It's the perfect length to pair with high-waisted bottoms; not too long or too short. And it's the best motivation to stay in shape! I've realized crop tops are the key to keeping high-waisted jeans from looking like "mom jeans."

While buying all of my work-inappropriate clothing last week, I also picked up these aviators from Forever21. I reckoned it's not a bad idea to own a backup pair of sunglasses -- especially when they're only $5!

Can't go anywhere without my Slytherin necklace and some black eyeshadow!

Floral Dress, Combat Boots and DIY Studded Jacket

Floral dress + combat boots. I have coveted this look all spring, but, alas did not own a floral dress and have been rather hesitant about buying one. When you've trained yourself to be drawn to all things black and studded and edgy with patterns of skulls and stripes, suddenly trying to look for something as feminine as floral becomes a foreign task. I also feel ridiculous in anything too girly, so I didn't think I could pull it off. But then, a miracle happened...

The complete look.

I've been on the hunt for a casual summer dress, and figured if I could find a floral one I might as well kill two birds with one stone. I discovered this dress at H&M last week when I tried (and epic failed) to buy a work-appropriate summer wardrobe. Check out this pattern! It's black, floral, AND it has skulls. And the flowy, lightweight material makes it the perfect summer dress! Even better? It was only $10. Score!

Close-up of the dress.

I'm still on my DIY kick, and decide this little cropped denim jacket needed an update. I love all the studded denim vests and jackets that are out right now (obviously, I have a denim obsession since I incorporate it into just about every outfit...), but I figured it was something I could do myself instead of spending the money on a new one. 

Before.

I used the same conical studs from Studsandspikes.com to stud the jacket as I did my boots a few weeks ago. I studded the front of the collar, a line down each shoulder, and around the top of the sleeve. It probably took me less than an hour, and it gave me something to do while I listened to the Harry Potter books on tape! Yes, like cassette tape. Not only am I in denial about growing up, but also that it is the 21st century, apparently...

The finished vest.

The last few items to complete the outfit: fishnet tights, a cuff bracelet, skinny black belt, and my trusty combat boots. I picked up the tights on sale at Hot Topic; I can never bring myself to pay full price for tights because I can rarely wear them more than once or twice without managing to get caught on something. I adore fishnets -- they're another accessory that adds instant edge to any outfit -- and I thought the little details on the back were super cute!

I've worn this skull cuff bracelet in a few other posts, but I've never done a close-up. It is my favorite accessory. I picked it up in Paris a year ago, despite my friend trying to talk me out of it because it was too extreme. Maybe I have this bracelet to blame for finally indulging in my love of edgy fashion. :)

Skull cuff bracelet and black nails.

 

Casual Crewneck and Jeans: Slytherin Style

It's raining. It's poring. But that doesn't mean my outfit has to be boring! Yikes, ok, I promise I'll never rhyme on this blog again. Anyway...

Crappy weather like today calls for comfortable chic. It's been my new year's resolution the past two years to never leave the house in sweats or anything I would wear for sleeping or working out. Obviously, I make the exception if I am going to/coming from the gym, but I am highly disapproving of the college uniform of t-shirt and yoga pants that I saw on campus day in and day out. I also was lucky enough to spend a week in Paris, France for spring break a year ago, and people always looked pulled together there. I never once saw someone wearing sweatpants or sloppy attire. It was inspiring! Also, skull scarves, 90s grunge, combat boots, and denim jackets were everywhere, so I was pretty much in fashion heaven. But I digress...

So, here is my alternative to the sweatpants look and my rules for days of wearing comfortable clothing while still maintaining a sense of personal style.

I think too many people confuse "comfortable" with "oversized" or "sloppy," but this doesn't have to be the case. I've chosen cozy pieces that fit for this outfit...my favorite crewneck sweater, nice jeggings (ones that are too thin should be BANNED), and Converse. I also like to play with my makeup and give new looks a test run when I'm dressing down, like the emerald and gray smoky eye I'm wearing today.

I swear by jeggings (once again, they need to be good quality ones that could pass for real jeans!) for their fit and comfort. The stretch is ideal for curvy girls like me who have trouble finding pants that fit properly! This particular pair is from Vanity; I got them a few years ago and they have held up through almost weekly wear. 

Converse are another one of those items that will always be classically cool in my eyes. I've owned more pairs than I can count (this is my fourth pair of black high-tops, and let's not even talk about all the other colors I've gone through...). Converse are my favorite shoes for dressing down and adding a bit of spunk to any outfit. I even wore them with my floor-length prom dress in high school. 

Now, the sweatshirt. Sweatshirts are the epitome of comfort clothes, but for some reason, crewneck style ones have always screamed effortless chic to me (but maybe that's just me...). Without the baggy hood and pocket, they can actually look kind of nice. I am OBSESSED with this sweatshirt I got on Etsy. I can't find it anymore, but here is a similar one. I rarely go a day without wearing some sort of Slytherin item to proclaim my house pride (this is not including my phone skin or keychain on my car keys...), and this is by far my favorite. And as if I wasn't proclaiming my nerdy obsession enough, check out what I did to the back!

I've been on a DIY kick all year, and I couldn't resist this addition to my sweatshirt. I bought iron-on letters in what I thought to be a sporty print so it might look like something a Quidditch player would wear -- if they didn't wear robes, of course. The 06 isn't significant other than I felt like a clothing item for a, er, "sport" wouldn't be complete without a number.

And because I'm slightly delusional...I like to tell people I'm borrowing my boyfriend's sweatshirt, and he plays for the Slytherin Quidditch Team, no big deal or anything... (For all of you who are thinking Draco Malfoy: wrong! Lucius Malfoy is the one I love...and the one whose sweatshirt I am wearing, naturally.)

All in all, if I had to lay down my rules for comfortable chic:

1. Items that fit make all the difference! Comfortable doesn't have to mean sloppy.

2. Incorporate an item that epitomizes your personal style or obsessions, like my Slytherin sweatshirt.

3. Makeup can, er, make up for a less than exciting outfit. 

4. Converse are always a good choice.

Last minute outfit

So I really wanted to write a blog post today, but also had no excuse to leave the house. I spent the day in my pajamas doing my annual reread of Harry Potter. Luckily, I was saved from my solitude (ok, I was thoroughly enjoying it, but was ready for an excuse to get out) when a friend texted me and asked to meet up. Which meant getting ready in a hurry. And this is what I threw on.

I guess there's been a definite theme to my outfits lately: black on black + denim. Today was no different. I did my summer shopping this past weekend, and have been itching to wear these new shorts from Forever 21  ever since. (My goal was to buy work-appropriate clothes...I bought things like the shorts, a cut off t-shirt, skull headband, and skull dress...fail.) I love the high-waisted trend going on right now. I have a rather long torso proportionately, and the high waistline helps to lengthen my legs and shrink my torso. Plus, what's not to love with those spikes?!

The jacket is also from Forever 21 from a few years back, but I had grown bored with the plain denim. I sewed on these cute shoulder epaulettes from Hobby Lobby for a cheap wardrobe update. I absolutely love weather like today where shorts and a jacket are appropriate! And once again, the studded boots make a reappearance (told you  I'll wear boots all summer, even with shorts!).

My favorite article of clothing to wear when I'm getting dressed in a hurry and need something that's guaranteed to be cute and flattering is a black tee. I got this one at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame last summer. It's simple, but the slim fit and v-neck make it flattering, while the skull design gives it edge. (It's rare I go a day without wearing some sort of skull apparel, and there was no time to accessorize!) And paired with the black shorts and boots, this outfit goes from simple to statement.

What are your go-to items when you want to look cute in a hurry?

Rocker chic and slitted maxi skirt

Another of my favorite themes for my outfits is rock n roll. I love rocker chic: band shirts, denim, black. This is an outfit from a few days ago, but as I've been rather busy moving, I'm just now getting to it (so y'all get to enjoy two new posts today, yay!).

This outfit is a bit of a departure from my usual head-to-toe black (although, as my friends pointed out, gray isn't really a color either). But hey, I need to shake things up sometimes! This black slitted maxi from Lulu's adds sass to any outfit. The slits are sexy, but as they stop mid-thigh, they're not too scandalous.

I liked pairing the long sexy skirt with something a little rougher up top. The Rolling Stones are one of my favorite bands, and I picked up this sweet t-shirt at H&M a few years back. I didn't love how it fit, so I chopped off the sleeves and neckline. I'm all about taking scissors to old clothes I love that don't fit quite right to update the look and make them fit better. This denim vest from Charlotte Russe (I also got it a few years back), is one of my favorite articles of clothing to instantly update any outfit. I adore vests because you can throw them on top of anything to completely change the look of an outfit. I usually like to wear this over an all-black outfit to add some dimension.

To complete the look: sunglasses, a cuff bracelet, and the spiked flats making a reappearance. I am in love with these Calvin Klein sunglasses I picked up at TJ Maxx this week. I am notoriously bad at picking out unflattering sunglasses, an no one bothered to inform me of this until recently. I've spent years wearing skinny, unflattering frames and thinking I looked hot. Fail. And then I found these (with help; I now always bring a friend when picking out sunglasses!). The cat-eye style and large frames look much more at place on me since my head and jaw are also large. I decided to once again keep the accessories for this outfit simple because of the statement vest.

And lastly...

Just thought I'd throw this last picture in for laughs because I look like I'm four feet tall with no legs...ha.

Ramblings of a Recent College Grad

It has now been a little over a week since I graduated college...and the realization finally hit me. It took moving out of my crooked little one bedroom apartment to realize that I'm about to begin a new stage of life. And it feels weird. But I have a month off before I start my full time job, so for now I'm just going to enjoy summer and being seventeen again twenty-two for now.

I wore my signature combat boots instead of heels like a normal person. But then again, I'm the girl who wore converse to prom...

I don't consider myself in any way qualified to give life advice. I mean, I'm twenty-two, I don't have my life figured out yet! In fact, I'm only twenty-two so I don't feel like I should have it figured out. However, I feel like I have learned my fair share of lessons in the past four years (one of which was realizing that I shouldn't have to have my life all planned out by graduation) and I thought it was in line with the goal of my blog to share the ways in which I've learned to embrace my weirdness and be myself.

It took me the better part of my college career (as in, until my graduating semester), to realize just how much more there is to life than school or a career. I've always had so many other passions and obsessions, but I completely set them aside in pursuit of the perfect GPA and résumé. And I wasn't happy. While it's in my nature to be a bit of an overachiever (I'm just an all around nerd), that can only go so far. While it's important to work hard, I finally realized that success in and of itself does not equal happiness, and no amount of it is worth sacrificing doing what I love. 

Along those lines, I learned to start living my life and not just my résumé, and discovered that I want to have a life and not just a career. I'm glad I worked hard, but I'm even happier that I finally realized that there is so much more to life than just having a successful career. After all, you only live once (I hate it when people shorten this to "YOLO"), and you should live doing what you love!

All right. End rant. Just had to share my discovery, because my outlook has completely changed for the better in the past few months. I hope you can take something away from my lessons as well. 

Black on Black: It's All in the Details

Who says monochromatic outfits have to be boring. Unsurprisingly, I often find myself in head-to-toe black on a regular basis (it's not like black is my favorite color or anything...), but I find the single color combo to be anything but lackluster. And, especially in the springtime, far from making you fade into the shadows, black is the best way to stand out in a crowd.

Today's outfit was all about the little details to keep an all black outfit exciting. I didn't want to overdo the accessories because I wanted the focus on the fun shoulder details (I learned that they are called "epaulettes" the other day) on my shirt. I broke up the rest of the look with a few more fun accessories: my studded belt that I wear almost daily, spiked flats, and a wristful of black bracelets.

The shirt I got at Goodwill (and now that I've graduated college and have to be a mature adult, I will no longer try to wear it as a dress). The jeggings are from Hot Topic. The spiked flats are from Target, and they were the best $20 I've ever spent. Here is a close-up of the flats from Target's website. I refuse to wear sandals in the summer, so these are my alternative, and I adore them. Also, this is the first and only pair of flats I've owned, because I've never found a pair that a) are comfortable or b) don't make my giant feet look like boats.

And lastly, a close-up of the bracelets, two of which are from Hot Topic (typical), the other from Sequin. I love mixing up which bracelets I pair together to create new looks

What are your thoughts on black on black outfits?