You wouldn't believe how warm fake fur is. One of the many many reasons why I love it so much.
When I met this coat I knew it was an absolute must-have piece and I don't regret taking it home for even a second. It's from Forever 21 and you can still get it (here). My only complaint is that it isn't white, but rather an off-white/cream color. This makes it so you can't wear the coat with anything stark white without it looking like the coat is dirty.
I paired it with one of my favorite tees. This simple grey tee is from H&M. It's a knockoff of the logo for the brand Supreme which is a high quality (and high priced) streetwear brand based in NYC. If I ever buy anything that is a knockoff I only do so if the product I'm buying is such a blatant knockoff that it could never be mistaken as the original. If you want to know how I feel about fakes and knockoff, let me know,I could easily do a whole post about it.
The reason I love this tee is not just because of the way it looks, or the fact that "PU$$ PU$$" can be offensive to those who are easily offended (puss is just a cat guys, jeez) but it's because of the way it fits. The fabric is so soft, and so thin, and the tee has a slight dolman sleeve, making it hang off one shoulder easily for a boyish look. You can expect to see me in this tee a lot.
I had planned on wearing a pair of very tall heels with this outfit but as it turned out we ended up walking a lot so it's probably better that I wore my plain black Chucks. Fun fact about those by the way: I got them in the kids section at Ross. If you're anything less than a women's size 8, you can look in the kids shoes too.
All images courtesy of the talented and creative Ivan Mrsic. Check out his Tumblr and Flickr for more from IM Productions. As always, he was a delight to work with.
It seems just yesterday I was watching my blog take its first steps. But here we are, an entire year later! I've covered a lot, and tried a lot of different things. Some have gotten good feedback, others none at all. I do feel like Inspired Xpression's direction is just beginning to become clear though. There are so many things I'm excited for in the future!
I want to take a second to personally thank everyone who reads the blog. I greatly appreciate it. It is wonderful to have a creative outlet for the fashion fire that burns inside me, and even better to have it be appreciated by you. I am fortunate to have a broad group of readers from young to almost young (you're never old), male to female, and even those of you who aren't particularly interested in fashion. I am so thankful for each and every reader. It is so wonderful to be able to keep doing this, and finding new ways to grow!
To mark the first anniversary I want to go back and look at a few of my favorite posts from the last year, and also to give you a glimpse of what's next, because that's the exciting part!
My Favorite Xpressions:
How to Make a Mohawk with Long Hair was one of my earliest DIY/Tutorial posts. To this day, it is the most popular blog I've posted and it still draws new viewers each week. This post taught me that my readers enjoy learning how to do things themselves, and that there's a need for ever look no matter how dramatic!
This was one of my very first photo shoots, and it was the first editorial I added to the blog. The positive reaction I got from this particular post was the reason I decided to continue looking for photographers to work with for the blog. Also, Kaylyn is an amazingly talented photographer and the results from our shoot were phenomenal.
This blog was so much fun because I got to style a friend. It was a great challenge styling someone who looks so different than I do and I was so happy she let me. Steph did a great job and looked absolutely lovely.
This wasn't one of my most popular posts, but it was one of my favorites because it took time to make, and it was a chance to really showcase how multi-faceted one person's style can be. Take a look and you'll see what I mean.
By far one of my favorite posts. The concept I had was hard to explain, but the photographer totally got it and brought it to life. I loved every image Steve created. This was truly a collaboration and it was so nice to work with a photographer who really trusted the vision I had for the look and turned it into something so much more.
I loved this post for two reasons. 1. I got to work with someone who is just as passionate about what they do as I am. 2. I got to make a video. I mean, how cool is that? Watching fashion come to life is what makes me tick at a cellular level, so it was wonderful to bring to to my blog. Thank you Ivan, for that.
I actually shot for nearly 8 hours with Sacha to get the images for this particular post. We shot 3 different looks on 3 different locations and by the end of it I was tired. This blog post in particular was actually the third part of that day, and if you look closely you'll notice that I am visibly irritable. However, I loved the way it came across in the photos. It just proves that sometimes a photo needs true emotion to give the feeling you want it to. That long day of shooting was well worth it.
This was another of the posts that I loved that didn't get much attention. I loved it because it is such a simple and inexpensive way to show off individual style. Also this particular project was special to me because it shows my interest in the urban streetstyle subculture that I am so fortunate to have gained a glimpse into.
This was another of my very favorites. I got to work with an amazing photographer; Bridgette. I also got to show off a unique way to style one piece multiple ways. Once again my vision went hand in hand with the photographers and everything just clicked. The best part was every image was shot within walking distance of my front door.
So, what's next?
More DIYs and tutorials. I know my readers love them.
More regular posts, especially of daily outfits.
New faces on the blog. I don't want to give too much away, but definitely stay tuned for some exciting changes.
Product reviews and hauls. When I buy things I like to know how others like them, so expect to see item reviews. Hopefully I can help someone out with a buying decision that way.
More men's fashion. I know I have male readers, and I want to cater to you too!
Just because it's cold doesn't mean your entire summer wardrobe is useless. If you have a summer dress with colors that lend themselves to the fall weather try it on with some tights and a sweater. Here's what I came up with!
Flower Sniffin Kitty Pettin Baby Kissin Corporate Rock Whores
This outfit was actually inspired by one thing: comfort. I put on a pair of old pants, some comfy boots, and a sweatshirt. My hair was dirty so I put on a hat and braided it into a fishtail braid. I added a gold chain and some earrings because I wanted to add a little bit of femininity back into the ensemble.
This Nirvana sweatshirt is a favorite of mine for a few reasons. I got it at Urban Outfitters on clearance for 5 dollars. It wasn't until I actually put it on and noticed how large it was for a small that I realized it is actually men's! Now I know to check the men's clearance in size small for amazing finds. I also love it because I actually enjoy Nirvana's music. But most of all, living in Washington my whole life, I gotta represent!
The pants are actually pretty special too. I bought them in New York when I was 16. They are a very fine corduroy, and they're Free People. I had no idea what that was when I bought them. They have almost ripped out between the two back pockets which is why I rarely wear them, but I will always love them.
If you read my last blog post you know one of the things I'm loving this fall is gloves, especially ones with no fingers. There's just something about cutting off the fingertips of a glove that makes me feel like more of a badass than usual. I work on a budget though people, and sometimes it is tighter than my pants. So how do I balance my craving for new and trendy things with my need to eat every day? Thrifting.
I love coming up with ideas of specific things to look for while I'm there, and I love it even more when I find them. For instance, I really wanted to find some leather gloves that I could make awesome. I was pleasantly surprised to find this pair for $2.99.
This is what I did with them:
$2.99 Gloves from Value Village
Acrylic lining
First I cut off just the very fingertips
You can always cut more, you can never cut less
Then I marked where I actually wanted them to be cut to.
I used one glove as a guide to cut the other.
Boom! Fingerless leather gloves!
And then I added some pyramid studs to make them more badass.
They are kitty approved.
So easy! And super cheap! You could try sewing beads or buttons on the back for decoration too if you want a different look.
"Mini Haul"
If you read my last post you also know I am loving super chunky knits this autumn. Every time I look for sweaters in a store though I've been finding poor quality or a giant price tag. When it comes to sweaters I try to avoid the acrylic ones. They are not as warm, and they pill up like nobody's business. So I search for wool or cotton. I totally scored this cotton GAP sweater for $6.99!
So chunky!!
I also found another pair of leather gloves for $2.99 but I intend to keep this pair in one piece. And last but not least a Mary Katrantzou for Topshop tee for $2.99! Originally this tee was sold for about $40. Not because it's an excellent quality shirt, but because Mary Katrantzou is an amazing designer. If you don't know who she is, look her up. I was so excited to find something of hers, and I can't wait to style it!
