today was one of those days where my head was full of mixed bizness. as in, while i was uploading my photos, i got that beck song in my head… because i was wearing a leather skirt. anyway, this outfit was originally influenced by my love for marc jacobs spring 2009 and miu miu spring 2010 (see: blouse with birds and unicorns on it), but once i actually got it on, all i could think about was nicki grant from big love. perhaps that’s because i’m just as obsessed with that show as i am with miu miu and marc. seriously, did you see the latest episode? steamy! i also kinda think i slightly resemble a hot dog in this outfit. and now i am hungry. ah, the inner workings of my mind…

wearing:
vintage blouse with birds and unicorns, missfarfalia on etsy
yellow sash, american apparel
vintage brown leather skirt, thrifted
vintage woven flats, pineapple mint on etsy

one thing i’ve noticed about my style is that it isn’t clearly marked by the four seasons. i live in the temperate san francisco bay area. we don’t really have seasons, though we do have very interesting micro-climates. it can be warm and sunny and then turn cold and chilly within a few hours time or within a few blocks, so you can never really be certain just how to dress! today it was warm enough to go without a coat, and winter dressing has just gotten so boooring, so i decided to try out two of my “spring” items: a vintage boater hat and a vintage liberty of london print blouse, complete with little birds in a garden of flowers and berries. i felt like wearing them, spring or summer or not!

speaking of spring, i don’t think i’ll be so bold as to start forecasting the big trends, but i do know one thing i’m looking forward to: prints! i’ve already started collecting a number of button down blouses with interesting prints, especially if animals are included in said print. i think this influence is strongly stemming from the amazing miu miu cat, dog, and bird prints of spring 2010.

i also think this will be the year that i actually wear my boater hat. after falling in absolute love with the charles anastase spring 2009 collection last year (and of course marc jacobs and lover), i scoured ebay for weeks waiting for the perfect straw boater to pop up. low and behold i snagged this beauty for quite a good price. i wore it once or twice, and it soon became another decoration atop my dresser. i thought perhaps they would become passe and that apparently i wasn’t bold enough to take the plunge, but after seeing plenty of new spring collections featuring the boater, i think i’ll still have my chance to incorporate them into my wardrobe. what spring/summer trends do you see in your future?

aha, rare candid shots of calivintage seen in her native bay area habitat with diane of darling darling and dyanna of thesfstyle as photographed by jt paradox, also of thesfstyle. and what’s this? possibly the first photos i have ever posted on my blog that reveals smiles and silly faces. i suppose it might come as a bit of a surprise that i’m actually quite camera shy (considering that i post pictures of myself almost every day). i wonder what we were chatting about here, anyway. i have such silly expressions on my face.

to explain, i met up with thesfstyle while they were photographing diane for a fun project on bay area style bloggers. i actually did my photo shoot with them earlier in the week in a cute little sf bookstore. i can’t wait to show you the outtakes and reveal the whole project!

and this is my casual weekend outfit, which i wore on both saturday and sunday to enjoy good times in sf with diane and friends, bar hopping in the mission and chatting away about blogging and our mutual love of tumblr and eating late night nachos. we even had a big feast of a breakfast, complete with mixed vegetable frittatas, chocolate chip pancakes, and plenty of mimosas. you know you’re doing what you love when it feels like you’re on permanent vacation. i know i have tons of obligations with a full load of college courses, my blog and etsy shop, but there’s definitely something very liberating about being your own boss. i really hope that calivintage continues to grow because it really is a wonderful life! and for that, i definitely thank my wonderful sponsors and readers!

wearing:
vintage fur, gift from mom
cashmere cardigan, j.crew
vintage california muscle tee, thrifted
vintage levi’s cut offs, thrifted
merino wool stockings, wolford
merino wool otk socks, courtesy of tabio
vintage huaraches, thrifted

this is the first time i’ve worn leopard print. ever. in my life. crazy, no? but there’s a first time for everything! i found them at the drug store a few months ago and decided that it would be the least expensive way for me to incorporate an animal print into my wardrobe. problem is, they just sat there in my wardrobe, staring at me. i have to tell you, i have this issue with half of the clothes in my closet! in fact, this vintage pendleton actually belongs to my boyfriend. granted, i bought it at the thrift store as a gift… but there i go again, raiding his closet. oh well, it makes for good entertainment: when i get dressed in one of his shirts, i usually parade out of the bedroom and introduce myself to him in a silly voice and try to do my best impression. today he was grumpy, so i crossed my arms in front of my chest and said, “hi, i’m brendan. i’m gruuumpy.” at least i got a chuckle.

wearing:
vintage pendleton shirt, thrifted
steven alan skirt, courtesy of gilt groupe (use my invite code to join)
leopard print tights, drug store
platform oxfords, courtesy of seychelles
vintage coach satchel purse, thrifted

as you may or may not know, my birthday is coming up very soon… on january 20th to be exact. and i had a little birthday party on saturday to celebrate, along with some other lovely bay area bloggers and friends, new and old. the celebration was tons of fun and while i didn’t bring my camera, several of my blogger friends did. we were all a bit of a hot mess, so it shall be interesting to see if any photos pop up on the internet!

and this here is the outfit i chose to wear for the event, knowing that it was going to be a cold and rainy night in san francisco. it’s basically the same as this outfit dressed up with this awesome vintage fur collar that my mom gave me for christmas and my new remix vintage shoes. i am in love with the selection at this site and i am beyond excited about this particular pair, which are a replica of a pair of shoes from the 1940s. what makes them so special is that the little bows are actually removable shoe clips, which means i get to have fun finding new and different clips of all sorts, like pom-poms and rhinestones and ribbons galore.

in other news, it is a rainy day today. i have stayed inside listening to the likes of bert jasch, nick drake, and cat stevens, which is absolutely perfect for a gloomy day such as this.

wearing:
vintage fur collar, gift from mom
vintage brooch, gift from mom
vintage blouse, static vintage
tulip skirt, american apparel
patterned cotton tights, courtesy of tabio
vintage repro 1940’s shoes, remix vintage shoes