joelle van dyne: the owl that calls upon the night

in case you couldn’t tell from the title of our blog, i have a thing about owls (well, and twin peaks). i’ve been collecting anything owl-related for as long as i can remember. my mom kindly added this owl-printed corey lynn calter skirt to the collection.

today i played a little game, thinking of as many outfits as i could that involve the skirt. i like to do this when i get something new, or when i’m debating getting rid of something but am not totally sure yet.

thinking up one or two outfits is usually easy- especially for me, not having any color in my wardrobe. but trying to do, say, 5 dissimilar looks sometimes forces you to be a little more creative. these photos are just a start.

for look 1 i paired the skirt with the birthday boots from fiorentini & baker that i’ve been wearing non-stop, plus an off-the-shoulder givenchy top i found in a consignment shop (where my friend may k described it as “unnerving”, immediately convincing me to buy it whether that’s what she intended or not).

this shirt poses several problems to me. for one, i don’t know what occasions are appropriate for an off-the-shoulder top. also, the name- i’m not quite sure how to pronounce ‘givenchy’ (i mean, my first instinct is give-EN-chee which i KNOW is wrong… ghee-vahhn-SHE? ghee-VAHN-she?).

and since it is a somewhat unusual top, with puffy sleeves filled will tulle so they stand out from my arms and make crunchy noises, i know that someone will ask me what kind of shirt it is. and i will reply “oh i found it in a second hand store”, hoping that will be the end of it. but i will not get off that easy- someone will say “but who MAKES it?”. shit! at which point i will without a doubt mispronounce the name. sort of like when i told the glamourai, in perfect ohio-an style, that my bag was made by “LAN-vin”.

since i don’t often change my earrings, i had to give a close up of this enormous pair from rachel leigh. they’re clip-ons, and they kind of hurt, but i feel very rachel-zoe-esque when i wear them so i’ll endure the pain.

on to look 2. i was excited to receive these bright yellow socks from ‘we love colors’-  yellow is one of the few colors i’m not afraid to wear. i’m not sure i’d wear them out just like this- it is a little too similar to what my high-school-aged self would wear. but i think they’ll be nice with ankle boots.

look 3- the accidental pirate blouse. and nude boots. need i say more?

okay i will say ONE more thing about this look- here is a close-up of the necklaces- 2 vintage owl pendants and a little talon from talonalia, which is a nice alternative to the pamela love claw necklace.

look 4- pretty much a yawn. but i wanted to point out these jcrew toothpick cordury pants. in my humble opinion they are the perfect amount of skinny and short. and if you’re looking for a pair, check in-store rather than online, because these were a lot less there than listed on the website.

let’s call this look 4a- it is pretty much a joke, but i couldn’t help trying the skirt on as a one-shoulder top. it seems that i’ve gone from bar wench to pirate to matador all in one post- yowza! so much can happen when you play the ‘how many ways can i wear this’ game.

look 1: givenchy shirt, corey lynn calter skirt, fiorentini & bakers boots, rachel leigh earrings

look 2: jcrew blouse, lux sweater vest, corey lynn calter skirt, we love color socks, loeffler randall shoes, antique lace and ric-rac in hair

look 3: vintage pirate blouse (no tags), corey lynn calter skirt, vintage michel perry boots

look 4: jcrew cardigan, corey lynn calter skirt worn as a shirt, jcrew toothpick cordury pants, c label shoes, antique lace in hair

joelle van dyne: boots on the ground

i don’t know about you, but when i find a piece of clothing that i’ve been thinking about for a long while, i wear it ALL THE TIME. this is probably obvious considering the number of times you’ve seen me in my furry vest. now, let me introduce you to my new BFF: nude boots.

here i am, jumping for joy because i adore them so.

i love ankle boots, but often find them unflattering on me because they cut off my lower legs at their widest point. with nude boots, i don’t think it’s as much of a problem- they’re a bit more slimming.

another benefit is that they go with EVERYTHING.. or at least, with all the many, many colors i wear: black, grey, white, cream, ivory, etc. etc.

obviously my la perla robe is another of my clothing BFFs lately. and DIY ruching. i tend to ignore this Gap dress (which is really a beach cover-up) because it’s a little too sack-like. a couple weeks ago i tried stitching some ruching into the dress to give it more shape- i like it a lot more now.

i also added a cloth flower that’s been sitting around my apartment waiting to adorn something. i was inspired by bygone philip lim rosette dresses that i have always lamented not possessing, assuming them impossible to find. but JUST WAIT till you see what i post later in the week!!!!

anyway, back to the magical boots: they even make me feel more excited about wearing jeans, which are one thing i very seldom like to wear. this pair is my current favorite- they are from Pac Sun, and were my DIY project at the Weardrobe conference.

i sewed on patches from other pairs i had cut off at various lengths, as well as some denim donations from the Glamourai.

right now the back pockets are mis-matched. i’m trying to decide which one i prefer.

and yeah, i fully realize this skin-tight see-through shirt is not appropriate to wear ANYWHERE, but for the past month it has been my weekend BFF shirt. someone should hide it from me so i can’t even be tempted anymore.

outfit 1: elizabeth & james shirt, h&m sequin skirt, rachel leigh fish necklace, vintage michel perry boots

outfit 2: reworked gap dress, la perla bathrobe worn as sweater, target blazer, vintage fur scarf, vintage michel perry boots, ysl bow bag

outfit 3: lace free people shirt, DIY pac sun jeans, catherine malandrino cardigan, vintage michel perry boots, miu miu camoscio tie dye bag