Girls With Glasses.

Shirley Kurata is a worthy of a post herself, but may I direct your attention to her immaculately styled shoot for Paper Magazine? I'm currently shopping for new frames, and this spread adds many pairs to my wish list. I want to be just as quirky as these lovely heroines.

My Good Fortune.

Working at a consignment store has its perks; namely, getting a revamped wardrobe at a deeply discounted price. This goofy ring from my workplace was a nice addition to my growing collection of mildly ridiculous costume jewelery. I longed for this coat the 2 months it was in our store, and fate would have it that it's owner donated it to me when we were returning it! I generally shy away from bright outerwear (and footwear as well); I feel the need to anchor crazy prints and bright colors with demure accents. But there was no way I was resisting this cozy, ganado print coat.

Thrifted peter pan blouse, Brown's Mary Janes, silk bolero, mini straw hat | H&M dress | Gap leather belt
Gifted coat | Nevada tights | Betsey Johnson ring

You Know You Like It.

Some days outfits come together all by themselves. These strawberry socks were an adorable birthday souvenir from Emily, brought back from her summer trip to Portland. I liked how the little pops of red brought a little more excitement to the grey, black and cream of the other articles. I'm always a little bit intimidated by red, it always seems too bold a color to just...wear. This is a little foray into attempting to make my wardrobe a tiny bit more crimson.

the title of this post is from a little ditty I can't get out of my head.

Thrifted cardigan, bow blouse, belt, skirt | H&M sunglasses

ASOS boots | Sock Dreams strawberry socks C/O Emily

It's A Wonder.

Back in the beginnings of my exploration of the great depths of the internet, and the creative types it contains, I was introduced one way or another to Caitlin Shearer. A woman of immense talents, I was immediately taken with her ability to make paintings and illustrations that were filled with detail and realism, and yet encapsulated a nostalgic fantasy world which I yearned for. Not to be pigeonholed as simple a saccharine, cutesy artist, the scope of her vision involves both the sweet and the sensual. Pinups, heroines, novelty prints and fairy tales are a few of the subjects which Ms. Shearer has beautifully captured. I was lucky enough to send her a few questions about what drives her to make art, her future plans and candy, of course.

When did you start making art?
I'd always been encouraged to create as a child (doing things like pottery classes, making beaded bracelets for friends, drawing in crayon on the walls, whoops...) but became obsessed with drawing and painting when i was about 15. I started painting as a job when i was about 19-20.

Have you always wanted to be an artist, or was it something that became more of a career due to natural progression?
It was something i was absolutely fixated on so it wasn't actually a decision i had to think about making - it happened naturally, which was very lucky. Now I've altered my path and am studying a diploma of fashion design in order to combine these skills more in the future.

It's clear that you have a nostalgic feeling to your paintings and drawings; where do you draw your inspiration from?
I love the golden age of Hollywood, vintage clothing, relics from the past - I appreciate fine craftsmanship and an utter devotion to beauty so anything that holds onto those traits tends to get me excited. It's not really about wanting to belong to another era - it's more like appreciating things that have survived into the modern age and then seeing them through modern eyes.

How do you stay motivated and inspired?
It can be incredibly tough - to be honest I'm completely burnt out at the moment and have no inclination to paint. Studying full-time saps all my energy so I'm waiting for a while, mulling things over and then would like to attempt something entirely different - maybe ceramics or large scale abstract pieces.

Many of your illustrations depict women who are heavier than the "Hollywood" norm we see in mainstream media; you lean towards hourglass, fuller figured women. Is that a conscious choice in your art work, or is it coincidental?
I don't find today's beauty standards particularly encouraging or capable of making women feel worthwhile - voluptuousness and abundance reflects a full and valid life in my opinion. I've always had a fondness for rounded bodies - must have been because I grew up looking at my mothers old classical art textbooks. I just draw what I love and also what I know - so, what I see in the mirror and the people I see around me is what I ultimately put into my work.

You've begun making dresses and apparel with original prints, and I know you are currently in fashion school. Would you consider yourself more of a clothing designer, or a fine artist? What is your favorite media to create in?
I have no idea how to answer that - just a girl who wants to make beautiful and meaningful things. This is a funny time for me - very transitional - trying to decide how to mash all my passions together and learning to sacrifice one thing to take time to learn another.
I don't even have a favorite medium right now - a good black pen for writing in my diary - now things are more about tactility and life - cultivating love and cutting up food and painting walls and lying in the ocean.

I noticed several adorable candy and sweet themed prints in your creations; what is your favorite candy?
licorice allsorts!

A big thanks to Caitlin.
You can find her several places on the web: her blog, shop, and tumblr.

Stripes On Stripes On Stripes.

I know it sounds like promotional BS, but I genuinely love this dress. It's so easy to wear, and I love pretending it's a skirt and layering tops over and under it. Lately I have been shamelessly pattern mixing, almost to the point of obnoxiousness. Who doesn't love 3x the stripes?

Thrifted coat, sweater, shoes | C/O ModCloth Style Is Style dress

AA tights | Community Thrift + Vintage wool toque | Gifted sunglasses from Allie

Sweet Something.

Sushi + one of my favorite people, a perfectly delightful afternoon spent with Mitzi. We also said hello to a strange little dog dressed in pseudo-Gucci, so very odd.

I ran into Mc'Kenneth that afternoon as well, and was lucky enough to be featured on The Kit magazine. Thanks for the mention!

Thrifted jacket, dress, belt | C/O Modcloth Cambridge Satchel Co. bag
Miss Mooz heels from Front & Company | Joe Fresh tights

Friday Five.

Happy International Women's Day! In honor of this day, I want to start a new feature here at Style Is Style. Okay, it's more or less just because the idea struck me this AM, and not just because of International Women's Day.

Even when I write/post less, I am consistently reading many, many blogs. So now, I want to start featuring posts that I really enjoyed from the week(s). I love the community aspects of blogging, and sharing some of my favorite bloggers feels like a natural way to discuss and appreciate the many wonderful women (and men) of the Web.

I read Celia's article about personal style for The Regis this week, and it deeply resonated with me. Style should always mean falling more in love with oneself.

Christina's blog is a wealth of unconventional style and witty commentary, and this post about Viva Vena's "Fashion Film" was a perfect example of why. Hilarious, on point, and highlighting a wonderful design house as well.

I'm lucky to be working in a creative environment with a lax dress code (read: no dress code!). But my job requires some means of function from my wardrobe, which means that these days I am always on the lookout for clothes that allow for ease and comfort, without sacrificing personal style and expression. I can see several pieces from Calivintage's feature on Dusen Dusen's Fall 2013 which could seamlessly make their way into my wardrobe.

This isn't a new post, but The Closet Feminist's post about why fashion bloggers are revolutionary in my opinion, is a must read.

This outfit post is further proof that Bianca is the master of boyish vintage charm. She makes a pant-hater consider wearing trousers every day.

BONUS: An article for those of us who have been feeling discouraged lately (I definitely have) : Refinery29 touches on how to make your dreams come true, without being corny or cheesy.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, let me know what you guys think of this feature, and if you enjoy the articles!

You Can Pin This On Me.

Despite my lack of posts, you can still find steady updates on my Tumblr, Instagram and especially Pinterest. I suppose it's the instant gratification and simplicity of each platform that allows me to "blog" on the go. Many a blearly bus ride is filled with that oh-so-familiar pin button. Here is a little sampling of what my mouse has been inclined to pin of late.