My Fashion Staples

I don't know if I've mentioned it somewhere, but after Spain, one of the things that helped push me into enjoying fashion was Style by Lauren Conrad. I'd never even heard of her before I found the book at Barnes & Noble, but it definitely gave me ideas, and also the courage to actually start trying on clothes I'd been secretly going "Oh, that looks kinda cool" about for years, but had never dared to do more than glance at because my parents run close to the ultra-fundy side of religion. As in, for years, I lived in jeans during our hundred-degree summers because I figured my mom wouldn't let me get shorts. As I've discovered lately, as long as I'm the one buying, she doesn't care too much what I wear. I just wish I could tell my younger self that...I'd be saved a lot of truly awful photos.

Anyhow, as I was flipping through my copy of Style, boredly, a few days ago, I had an idea. I could write a blog about things I consider to be my fashion staples. If you're unfamiliar with the book, there's a section fairly early on where Conrad writes about her fashion staples - black and white tops, skinny jeans, and the like. Mine are rather more specific, as I'm afraid my taste is entirely eclectic, and most of the things I own and wear have very little in common.

These are my class rings for high school. I know, in time, I'll probably also have college class rings - which, trust me, I'm going to make them match this set - to wear. But I wear these everywhere. Late night trip to Braums, they're on. School, they're on. Going to the pool, they're on. Don't worry though - I do take them off plenty. They're also the first jewelry pieces I've succeeded in wearing and not taking off every two seconds.

When I want confidence, I pull these things off my shoe rack. Four inch heels, hilariously plaid sole, and epic studded straps make these look a little weird, but to me, they're the best shoes ever made. They're insanely comfortable and they make me taller. Of course I love them to death! They're also from Payless, which I find amusing, considering that my one pair of designer heels are the most uncomfortable shoes to "grace" the earth.

Belts make outfits better, at least for me. When you've got forty-something inch hips and bust and a twenty-five inch waist...let's just say that defining the waist becomes extra-necessary. Nothing except tank tops and certain dresses ever fit right without a belt. This belt is my absolute favorite because it does this better than any of my other belts, and is more comfortable. It doesn't hurt that it's got the cool design on the front! I acquired it on sale from Forever 21.

First off - don't you love the dictionary in the background? XD These are three of my camis. I love layering, because it makes life so easy, especially if you're visiting Albuquerque, New Mexico and the day starts off at twenty degrees Fahrenheit and suddenly it's seventy degrees higher. You can just peel off the longer layers and be comfortable, and when it gets cooler, put them back on. (Ah, the taste of experience...) These lovelies are from DEB, I think.

From Forever 21.

Okay, I don't actually own this specific pair of shorts, but I do own a few that are fairly similar, several denim skirts, and far too many beat up pairs of jeans. I'm hard on my clothes! But my wardrobe would be so different sans denim that it would definitely not be my wardrobe.

From White House | Black Market and my school's lost and found, I bring you this epically shiny cardigan. It had been in there over a year when I finally convinced our receptionist to let me have it. It's way more expensive than I could ever afford, I'm sure, but it's super comfortable and really pretty. There are a few places where it's got problems, but I'm going to be fixing them soon enough. It's already been worn quite a bit.



What do you consider to be your fashion staples? (Or, alternatively, why do you think they're called "staples"?)