Summer stripes

Dress - Asos, cuff - antique, ring - made by me, shoes - Madewell via eBay

This is probably as close to manic-pixie-dream-girl as my style ever gets. Not that I'm really any sort of "dream girl," but wearing vintage inspired clothing makes me feel like I should be the (most likely) standoffish love interest of an alternative guy in some indie movie. Not that it's a bad thing. I love this dress!

If you read many style blogs, you probably read Annebeth's, so you might know she has this dress. I'd been stalking this dress on Asos for a while, but seeing her wear it made me take the plunge! So this outfit is partially inspired by Annebeth.




I really wanted a spinning photo, just because I've never worn anything so swingy. Unfortunately, the photos were not appropriate. Note to self: do not try spinning in this dress out of joy or excitement. Embarrassment will ensue.

Regardless, I like most of the photos from this set. I never thought to set up my tripod on a sidewalk, since it's rather public, but it was hot and I figured not many people would be outside. However, that didn't mean I didn't receive some funny glances and a "hey kiddo!" from a neighbor's friend. Oh, the daunting life of being a suburbanite. Kidding.




I really need to get on top of things - prepare for the big trip, leave my house during the day, deep clean my room, fix up the blog layout... but I've sort of become nocturnal. It's bad.

xox Catherine

PS I'm having a bit of a predicament over a pair of beautiful Rachel Comey booties. I normally don't buy any new leather goods, but apparently her wares are free trade/ethically made in South America. They'd last longer than a cheap pair of boots made in a sweatshop from Forever 21 or so, but I'm still conflicted. My whole materialism thing needs to stop...

New shirt, new haircut.

Shirt - Asos, necklace - thrifted, skirt - vintage, shoes - Aldo

I wore this yesterday, during somewhat of a busy day - going to the mall with my sister, eating dinner with my family for my dad's birthday, catching up with a friend, then going out. The forecast didn't call for rain like the previous day, so I dressed up... first time wearing this shirt/millionth time wearing everything else. Balance.

I'm awaiting the arrival of another eBay score - Madewell sandals. I've determined I have too many sandals and not enough shoes/boots, and proportionately less summer clothing. But it's too late in the season, and in 33 days I leave for England, where I hear it's a tad chillier.




I've not yet started to pack or even think about it, for that matter. I've yet to purchase a suitcase large enough for everything I need to bring. Yeah.




Today will probably be busy too - I have to work on an article for Chictopia and then go to dinner with my aunt!

I hope all is well.

xox Catherine

Weekly Favorites, v. 21: 7/17 to 7/23

Clockwise from top left: Stylesight, variacje., District of Chic, Song of Style

Summer whites...


Clockwise from top left: The Styling Dutchman, Stylesight, OnTheRacks, Natalie Off Duty

...and punchy shades.

Which do you prefer?

xox Catherine

Once Upon A Time

Once Upon A Time
Lula Magazine #12
Photography and styling: Yelena Yemchuk
Model: Ali Michael

I always love Lula editorials, if only for the magical photography. I used to love Ali Michael back when she was a Teen Vogue regular (and when Teen Vogue was my main fashion magazine), so I'm glad to see her in this!

xox Catherine

PS I leave for London in a little over a month, and I'm nervous but incredibly excited. In addition to obvious preparations such as packing, I've been thinking about how I can incorporate the city into Silhouette Girl. I hope to start a street style segment. Of course, I'll be busy with classes, but either location I'd stay in, from what I understand, is a great area for this type of thing.

Back to school vibes

Necklace - Etsy, dress - Asos, sandals - Urban Outfitters

Kept it simple for a walk to the park with my beloved, (somewhat) patient dog, Sadie. This is probably one of my favorite sets of photos posted on Silhouette Girl. I tend to find broken, rusty things aesthetically pleasing, especially in photographs. I used to spend nearly every evening here as a child... now the graffiti has expanded past the wall and onto the playground. It's not very often I actually see people here, unless it's young teenagers walking to the wall to spray paint. I'm not saying that "graffiti" is all bad, but when it's out of suburban teenage angst it's a little annoying. I tend to prefer the more artistic approach, but then again, I'm a sucker for bright colors.




The location of these photos reminds me of Tumblr tag "back to school vibes," as used by Tavi. And then I remember I won't be in this area for back to school vibes. Bittersweet, bittersweet.

I think it's time for a haircut. It's become slightly unruly, and I'm far too lazy to do anything to my hair, especially during summer. I'm low maintenance, for the most part.




I'll probably switch these shoes when I go out for dinner... whenever that will be! I'm rambling.

Also, I discovered the hilarious website Found Footage Festival, and I suppose all of my friends have too since I've posted it on an obscene amount of Facebook walls. I'd particularly like to recommend "I'm A Spoon" to all you fashion lovers. Seriously, watch it. I'm normally not one to eradicate boredom with funny viral videos, but apparently I have a penchant for cheesy 80's/90's informational videos.

xox Catherine

Weekly Favorites, v. 20: 7/10 to 7/16

Clockwise from top left: blushing ambition, calivintage, Late Afternoon, La Catrina


Clockwise from top left: blooming leopold, Trini, Postcards From, flying a kite

xox Catherine

SHOP Silhouette Girl

Tie-Dye Nebula

Necklace - thrifted, dress - W118 by Walter Baker, bracelet - gift, shoes - See by Chloe

New dress and new shoes. I've become slightly addicted to online shopping, especially when the shop is eBay. It's mostly just browsing, but it's time consuming. I like these sandals, but I can't tell if they're trying to be brown or gray. In real life, they look brown, but in these photos, they seem gray. And this dress... in photos, it looks like a cosmic nebula galaxy sort of print, but it's just tie dye on a material that's normally reserved for athletics. Regardless, I'm quite fond, and it's quite comfy. The elastic waist doesn't seem like it'll cause too much sweating, which can be a problem during hot days.





This outfit is simple. I know simple suits me - effortless at best, boring at worst - but I do wish to break out of my comfort shell a little. I have a few more new garments, including a slightly absurd but seriously cool retro-inspired dress from Asos. I just need to get dressed more, is what it comes down to.

Oh, and it's entirely obligatory to mention the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part II) since I've been a HP nerd since I can remember. Second grade? Third grade? It all blurs together, but Harry Potter is a symbol of my childhood. So many nights spent staying up too late reading... and rereading and rereading. I even read the seventh book twice in the two weeks since its release, mostly because I was in denial that the paper part was over. And now the film portion's here - for some reason I'm getting all emotional about it, even though we all know the books are so much better. This is the end of the saga.

I expect to be hysterically crying by the time I leave the theater.

xox Catherine

SHOP Silhouette Girl

It's here...

Finally set up a blog shop, SHOP Silhouette Girl.

Clever title, I know.

So far, there's: 5 pairs of shoes, 2 tops, 1 skirt, 3 dresses, and 1 accessory.

xox Catherine

Thoughts for Tuesday, v.14: Investment Pieces

I've quit Forever 21 for some time now. I don't bother to go in when I'm at any mall, and their website is no longer one of my must-look shops. If I do ever make my way into the store, I usually see a few cute pieces, even classic pieces, but I never bother to try anything on, much less actually buy anything.

Almost nothing at Forever 21 is made to last, and that's a quality that has begun to irk me. Granted, I'm broke, and moving to London in a few months so I really don't have any money to spare on new clothes. However, a few new things have entered my closet recently that possessed price tags higher than I'm accustomed to. True, I've gotten good deals (See by Chloe and Stella McCartney sandals, a beautiful tie-dye dress I have yet to wear...) but the value simply seems better, in the long run.

I've never really been one to buy anything and everything - most of my purchases are well thought out, and impulse buys end up serving me well. I'd just rather a pair of shoes, albeit more expensive, that will last a few seasons opposed to something that falls apart by the end of summer.

I'm not swearing off "cheap" clothing entirely - ASOS and H&M items are still high on a few wishlists. But it seems I'm in a transitioning period, in more than one way. It's occurred to me that I have a month and a half left to do a closet clean-out before I leave the country - including many items I initially anticipated to sell through a blog shop.

My current favorites will remain just that until they've worn out, but my standards for replacements will be higher. My ideal wardrobe will probably take years to build, but I'm in absolutely no hurry.

xox Catherine

PS I know I'm not obliged to apologize, but it's been irritating me that I haven't been posting as much. I've been lazy. Very, very lazy. I need to leave my house more.

Weekly Favorites, v. 19: 7/3 to 7/9

Clockwise from top left: YeYe! Style Blog, Inside the Mind of Alex, The Style Voyager, De Lune


Clockwise from top left: Flashes of Style, Easy Fashion, Another Day to Dress Up, STYLECLICKER

...I suppose by postponed, I intended to post this Monday morning, not a little past 12am on Sunday (though I would do that, being the smartass I am). But I came home sooner than I earlier anticipated (10pm instead of, say, 2am) so I had a little time to round this up! I had a great time at the beach with my friends. This trip, I didn't end up with sunburn! Score.

xox Catherine

What I've Been Up To: eBay Shoe Shopping Spree, Summer Cooking, and Nokia N8

Well, as this post title implies, I've been up to everything except blogging. Kidding. I've actually been lounging around way too much, sleeping non-stop, etc. But of course I squeezed in some time for shoe shopping and cooking.

Stella McCartney has been one of my favorite designers for quite some time, and I've been dying to get my hands, er, feet, on a pair of her shoes since then. She doesn't use fur or leather, and I'm uncomfortable buying leather unless it's pre-worn or sustainably made. And shall I mention her stellar designs? My go-to flat sandal are falling apart, so I decided it was time for a new pair. At $50, I'd say I did well!





And then there's the See by Chloe's, which is slightly ironic since McCartney used to design for Chloe. Must say something about my tastes! There's a chip on one of the sandals, and they were going for $100 but I made an offer for $50. And voila. My first pair of wedge sandals, which is weird since I have so many damn shoes, it seems.




And now for... a recent summery food concoction! Yellow squash and zucchini with angel hair pasta - I based this off a recipe from People, of all publications, but it's super easy that it barely needs a recipe. But since it's so delicious, I'll share!





Ingredients:
1 small/medium yellow squash
1 small/medium zucchini
1/5 box of spaghetti, angel hair, or whatever type of pasta
olive oil
1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
bread crumbs, optional

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, and put vegetables on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and use salt and pepper. Bake for 7 minutes, stir, then another 6 minutes. Remove from oven.

In a saute pan, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil on medium-low heat, then add garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add the vegetables and mint, cook for a few minutes. Set to low heat.

Cook the pasta using directions on box, and when ready, drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the water. Add pasta to the pan, and add water. Cook until it begins to simmer.

Add bread crumbs if desired, and eat!

It's easy and perfect for summer - I used a zucchini from my neighbor, and mint from my parent's garden! Hopefully once our zucchinis come up I can make this more often!

And coming up soon on the blog...




A review of the Nokia N8! I've still yet to take a few more photos, but expect it soon!

xox Catherine

PS A spontaneous beach trip for the evening = probably postponed Weekly Favorites. Whoops.