Old Friends

Something that I think doesn't translate very well in pictures is height. So, probably many people don't know that I'm only 5'2'' tall. To be honest, I never had a problem with being so small - having really small feet that are practically impossible to fit from a regular store at the mall, that's an entirely different story - in fact, I've quite enjoyed it. One perk of my short height is that I've stopped growing out of my clothes a very long time ago, which means that even at only 24 years old, I have pieces in my closet that date back sometimes more than a decade.

Some good examples are the pieces in this outfit, which are all around that age. The pink shirt was knit by my mom for me, the sleeveless button-down layered underneath was a birthday present one year - though it is so old that I don't even remember exactly which year - and the Jordache jeans were a gift from my older cousin back when we were living continents apart (sometime around 1997, I think...), that I have kept for a few years hoping I would grow into them, only to have my mom shorten and tighten them once I realized that wouldn't happen - which was still quite a few years ago.

One of the reasons why I have kept these - and many other - clothes for so long is that I get attached to them. I don't shop very often and when I do, I try to make sure I buy something that I really love, and often that love doesn't go away, even many years later. In fact, I've never even thought of the idea of regularly combing through my closet and giving away things, the way I've learned most girls do; that is something that I've only heard of once I started reading blogs. With a few exceptions, my approach to my clothes is, once I really get tired of a piece or don't like the fit of it anymore, I get it altered so that it gets a new life. This is what I've done over the years and what I'd like to keep doing going forward, especially since I have become so passionate about green living and, consequently, having a green wardrobe.

2011 Look Back: Outfits

This year was filled with many new experiences; one of them was taking outfit pictures and sharing them here on the blog. It's been a great accomplishment for me, for many reasons: for one, it took me out of my comfort zone and pushed me to be more adventurous with my fashion choices; also, as a rather shy girl who becomes increasingly awkward in front of a camera - even when the photographer is a member of my family - building up the courage to share these pictures was a big step forward. Since these outfits are some of the ones I'm most proud of in 2011, I thought that with the year coming to an end pretty soon, it would be nice to take a look back at them.

You can read more about these outfits here:

• The First
• The Second
• The Third
• School Uniform
• Mild November

Mild November

This week started out with such a mild Monday morning that I couldn't resist dressing up in a skirt and heels - even though going to class was all I had on the agenda. There won't be many more such opportunities this year and I had to take advantage of it.

• Top via consignment store • Joe Fresh skirt • H&M belt • Payless high-heeled oxfords • Gap trench coat •

I purchased this top over a year ago from a consignment store and shamefully, this was the first time that I wore it. At the time, I couldn't resist the pretty colour, soft fabric and tunic length and I was envisioning pairing it with some skinny jeans or leggings. However, I've discovered that it doesn't go too well with jeans, and I have yet to find the perfect pair of leggings to wear out. So instead, I decided to tuck it into one of my favourite skirts, then add a nice belt, some high-heeled oxfords and a pair of tights and go about my day.

Such a rare occasion that in November a trench coat is all I need to stay warm!

School Uniform

I hate to admit this but on school days, my outfits are mainly of the "jeans-and-T-shirt" variety. As a person interested in fashion, this is very frustrating since I feel like I should come up with better, more fashion-savvy combinations. What holds me back are the rushed early mornings when I have to get ready knowing I won't be returning home before the evening, and so I have to account for all of the variations in weather throughout the day - a rather scary thought.

• hand-me-down Jordache jeans (from cousin-in-law) • blouse knitted by my mom • Hollister jacket • Azuri floral scarf (seen here) • Clarks shoes • 

This week while I was getting ready, I realized that the jeans I was wearing are one of the eco-friendly pieces I own - a hand-me-down (read: recycled) pair that is in constant rotation. Somehow, this thought made everything better and my lack of creativity didn't bother me as much anymore. After throwing a few bright colours and another eco-friendly item into the mix, I was ready to go. That is not to say that I will not keep trying to evolve my style though - that is something that I'm always striving for and hope to make small steps forward as I go along.

The Third

These days, summer is slowly fading away and generally I would spend my time complaining about all the reasons why I think that fall has arrived much too soon. This year - though I feel the same way - I decided to fight this bad habit and focus on the positive instead; of course, it helped that the newly cooler temperatures outside allowed me to wear this light, eco-friendly blouse for the first time during the Labour Day week-end - quite a few months after I received it as a gift, when the H&M Conscious Collection came out back in April!

• H&M Conscious Collection blouse • hand-me-down necklace (from cousin) • H&M jeans • Payless flats (kids' section) •

I decided to stick with the simple recipe of a mainly black-and-white outfit, livened up with my ever favourite touch of bright colour, and I think it turned out to be the perfect backdrop for the beautiful details in the blouse's design to truly shine through.

❤ On this day last year, I was reviewing one of my favourite green beauty books: I Am...Eco-Beautiful

The Second

Since I am limited to a non-working student budget, most of my eco-friendly clothing is recycled clothing. Throughout the years I have been lucky enough to receive plenty of beautiful pieces from older cousins who outgrew them, as well as some from my mom. I treasure all of them just as much as the pieces that I buy with my own money, and love the little bit of history that comes with each.

• (very old) hand-me-down blouse • Guess skirt • Cinderella of Boston wedges • leather bag from Italy •

I've had this blouse for more than 10 years now after it was passed on to me by my mom - she's had it herself since she was my age, meaning in her early 20s - and I have always loved its design and the subtle, same-colour embroidery. For quite a while though I didn't take it out of my closet because, being very sheer, I was having a hard time finding the right pieces to wear it with. Ironically enough, this outfit came together quickly as I was rushing to get out the door and felt like the perfect lightweight combination for a hot summer day of running errands.


PS: Thank you so much for your sweet and kind words about my first outfit post. They dispelled some of the fears I had had before hitting "publish" and convinced me to follow it up. That being said, I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures, I realize it's time to start saving up for a better, high-quality camera.

The First

• H&M Garden Collection dress • Zara cardigan • Cinderella of Boston sandals •

One of my favourite parts about my birthday was the outfit that I wore. Luckily, it was one of those outfits that came together effortlessly, in a matter of minutes and with no second changes. It was nothing very special, but it included my dress from H&M's eco-friendly Garden Collection - which came out last spring - one of my most treasured pieces from my closet. It also happens to be a little white dress that I think is a quintessential piece for summer, brightened up with a little bit of embroidery at the top. 

Granted, this look might not have been the wisest choice for a day of running around hardware stores buying things for the new house, but I was so proud of it that I wasn't going to let it keep me from wearing it. More so, in the spirit of taking chances, I decided to post a picture of it here and even though after a video, pictures seem much less daunting, it still took a little bit of internal back-and-forth to go through with it. That being said, I look forward to hearing any comments, ideas and helpful advice that you might have for me!