Miley Cyrus/Max Azria Vest

Ah, Labor Day Weekend! Time to bid adieu to wonderful Summer and begin welcoming crisp Fall. While I love a day of no class, sales are the real reason why I keep track this minor holiday.

I was in desperate need for new bras but we all know how pricey that can be. I patiently waited the entire summer for this weekend to replenish my collection, keeping my eyes out for a good sale. Last weekend though, I could not take the stabbing any longer! I splurged on new bralettes online at American Eagle’s Aerie. I knew AE always had a huge Labor Day sale, but all bras were just 15 bucks each! With free shipping, I figured it could not get better than that… Until I went to their site to write reviews (yes, I just have ample free time) and saw the promotions. Everything 40% off, plus free shipping! The obsessive side of me needed to know what the difference would have been-about 15 dollars less than what I had spent and I would have received a free polka dot tote. Oh well, I am still pleased with my purchase. (They have the softest lace bralettes in a myriad of colors in case you are wondering.)

When I went to throw out my abused bras I saw the bandeau I bought years ago as my first purchase from Aerie. It is a floral print bandeau that I’ve publicly worn for more than an hour once. It was to the 2011 Honda Civic Tour, which my friend Jaime generously took me too after she scored free tickets. I rocked my floral bandeau with a black Miley Cyrus/Max Azria cotton vest from Walmart and espadrille Keds. I know. Walmart? Miley Cyrus? What is wrong with you Claudia?! 

I promise you this vest was as cute as it was versatile. Just picture pre-twerk Miley. I risked the dangerous parking lot of Walmart with my mom to find black jeans for work and I wondered into the Miley section. I adored the simplicity of the piece and since I rarely stepped foot into a Wally World I just had to get it. And it was $3.88. 

The vest was lost during the tiny window of packing for school and leaving for school. It was pretty faded, like had become an off navy blue, so I wasn’t too sad about losing it. However, I will never forget the awesome time I had, jumping around to Blink-182, My Chemical Romance and Matt & Kim, in my cute vest and denim shorts. 

Megan, the vest, and Jaime. 

Have a safe and relaxing Labor Day! 

Olsenboye Messenger (Back to School)

With previews for new fall programs playing every commercial break it is obvious a new semester is upon us. Perhaps even a few of you already started (suckers). A new semester brings Red Bull, fresh notepads, and those burdensome things we hope to not have to drag around called textbooks. 

Picture this in blue. And without front pockets. 

One thing I like adding to my supply list is a new bag, rather it be simple Jansport or a trendy messenger. My absolute favorite back-to-school bag was a tartan Olsenboye messenger I got on sale at JC Penny in high school. 

I consider myself a fashion nerd in that I love learning about labels and how the inspiration for a line came about. Olsenboye, as you may have already guessed, is designed by the famous Olsen twins. Let me just say that the Olsen twins have some talent. I was instantly swooned by the Olsen brand after my excessive research (google searching) lead me to discover their many enterprises. I officially established my favorite of the two after seeing Mark-Kate's performance in The Wackness.

And she looked amazing in this Marie Claire spread.

Anyway, the Mary Poppins quality of the bag is really what made me fall head-over-heels for it. I could easily stuff my jacket and gym clothes, a water bottle and some snacks, textbooks and spirals, more and still be able to zip it up if it happened to rain on the walk home. Also, the plaid design made it the trendiest bag for the fall season. I left it behind in Rome, of course, and now I have to settle for a lame-o backpack to haul my crap around in tomorrow. 

I hope this semester doesn’t keep me too busy so I can keep up with this blog. On that note, it’s been a while since my last post because I have been enjoying cable before my face becomes permanently buried in a 10 pound Art History book. Though, I am sure your lives did not suffer from my lack of motivation to put out (that's what she said). 

Best of luck with classes! 

Fringe Cardigan

Do you guys remember that scene in The Princess Diaries when Anne Hathaway’s character is changing in the back of the limo and her driver tells her they asked if he wanted the black pumps he bought her wrapped or if he wanted to wear them out the store? (Then he says one of my favorite lines: “I’ve never put on pantyhose, but it sounds dangerous.” This is true, even if you aren’t putting them on in the back seat of a car in hilly San Francisco.) I had never heard the phrase “wear them out the store” but after that, I was obsessed with wanting to purchase a pair of fancy shoes and walk out with them on, leaving my old shoes there, like a badass. That is hard to accomplish when you buy most of your shoes online or at Target. I finally got to experience my perfect wear-it-out-the-store moment when I bought a pink, fringe cardigan at H&M.

One summer day, I decided to wear a pink ribbed tank with a pair of denim shorts. I hate these kinds of tops, which are famously called wife beaters. They remind me of scenes from movies of extremely sweaty people, and not Hugh Jackman-cute sweaty. For some reason, that is what I wore. Later that day I went to the mall with my awesome friend Ana. Has anyone else noticed that people turn into zombies at the mall? It is seriously weird how slow and awkward people get. Anyway, I felt really uncomfortable and cold in my trashy outfit and needed something to cover up with. When I saw the cardigan at H&M I immediately knew I would buy it. I had it on while we continued to scan the racks then took it off to pay for it and wore it out the store. No bags, no tags, just my dream coming true. This was the only picture I could find of it online. 

Photo credit: Ahslee V from Lookbook.nu

I love anything fringe (expect the show Fringe). It is my dream to find a white leather jacket with fringe so I can dress up like Sloane Peterson from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for Halloween or a themed movie watching party. So, naturally, I adored every aspect of the H&M cardigan—the long, delicate fringe, the kimono sleeves, and the subtle shimmer it produced when you danced around in it.

I would have worn it every day except most of my friends advised against it. They said it was best left for Coachella, which I had never heard of at the time so I wasn’t sure if it was an insult or a compliment to my free-spirited taste in clothing. Either way it sat in my wardrobe never seeing the Roman sun. 

I packed it with the rest of my belongings that were left there and no longer have it. I like to believe that a young Gypsy woman found it and was able to use its charming powers to get a job at Zara, allowing her to leave the panhandling lifestyle.