Outfit Post #1 work clothes

So, corporate jobs are supposed to be the great, repressive evil when it comes to alternative style. However, as I don't deal directly with customers, and have ample warning when they are coming to visit, I have a LOT of freedom at my current brokerage job. My new boss may even *gasp* let me have a nose ring, which does not violate company policy but was against the rules of my previous department manager. I've wanted one since the first time as a small child I read the 70's culture book Let's Travel in India and saw a picture of an AMAZING hoop-with-chain-to-ear nose ring on a traditionally attired lady celebrating Devali (aka Diwali). My Baptist parents were incredibly anti-piercing. After home I was in teacher training at college and then an actual teacher and a manager at several non-teaching jobs, all of which denied me said nose ring. Now I'm nearly 30 and fighting to have something many 16 year olds get without question these days. *sigh* Anyway....back to my work clothes. Here are two examples of outfits I've worn to work this week.

The first outfit is a classic example of my obsession with stretch pants... wait we call them leggings now. Since I gained about 50 pounds in the last four years they have become my new best friend. For this outfit - geisha style sweater top $3, teal shirt dress $4, black strappy boots $4, necklaces $2 each,all from Amvets thrift store. Leggings $5 at some teeny bopper store, argyle socks $3 at Target. Make-up - Hard Candy liquid eyeshadow in turquoise with Urban Decay liquid liner in Perversion, lipgloss from the weave store (yup, I heart the weave store in my somewhat ghetto 'hood - it has loads of cheap hair accessories, jewelry and the most fabulously shiny lipgloss - no I don't have extensions so don't try to pull my underlayer like a lady at work did). The gemstones are actually stick on scrapbook decals that were $1 for about 50. I've been using them like this for years with no signs of skin irritation and they are so sticky you can put them back on the plastic they came on and reuse them again and again. Total outfit cost, minus make up and underclothes, $24.

  

This is a common look for me. I think of it as anime punk schoolgirl I suppose. I just started noticing more of my outfits taking on this spin. Tie $1, dress $3, shirt (all one piece) $3, combat boots $4 - all Amvets. Tights $3 (mall store?), ring $4 in a Boston botique, vegan leather with stars bracelet $2, white bracelet a gift. Barrette is mine from childhood. Outfit total - $20

                                              

Also, I hate the picture capabilities of this site. My pictures all look smooshed and it's a b+tch to get them to format correctly with the text. If anyone has any suggestions on this please let me know.

Judge not, lest ye feel self-esteem?

As someone who has had an unusual dress style (how do I really term this -alternative? outside the norm? non-mainstream?) since I was a child, I've had a lot of personal experience from which to draw ideas about the concept of "judgment." I am particularly referencing judgments concerning areas that really have no bearing on what type of person you are, like skin color, dress, hair color, body type, etc. Experiencing others judging me and watching other people be judged has led me to a lot of contemplation.

"That's so UNNATURAL. She's be hotter
with a fake tan, bleach blond hair and
breast implants."

Why do people judge? Four simple words that branch off into so much complex thought...

Are we taught to judge, and can thus be untaught, or is it "normal" (i.e. human nature) to judge?

Is hating other people for being different as ingrained in our genetics as opposable thumbs?

What factors effect how we are judged and how we judge others?

How should we handle judging - i.e. is ignoring the "judgers" always the "judgee's" best option ?
Are there instances where it's acceptable or even necessary to speak up or physically react when yourself or someone else is being judged?

Are there instances where it's okay for even the most anti-judgmental person to, in fact, judge?

"Oh no, she's over 25 and dressing alt. Ban
her from the tv before
she steals our childrens' souls!"

In instances where a judgment is definitely taught where did that come from? I mean if you trace the judgmental person's pattern of learning to their parents and those before them and those before them and so on and so on what made that FIRST person with that judgmental opinion feel the need to develop it?

Frankly, I can't answer any of these questions with finality. My opinions?

For some it is nature, some nurture and some both. For some it's popular culture, others family atmosphere. For some it's an amalgamation of all those influences.

I can never decide if you are being the bigger person by ignoring judgment leveled against you or if you are taking the coward's way out by not reacting. I believe in many ways people who judge are insecure and side-step that by putting others down to boost themselves. In that regards they themselves should be pitied, not hated, for their douchebaggery. Non-judgmental people probably don't act like that because they've learned, for the most part, to love and accept themselves...and of course that judging others is mean (hello kindergarten). The sad judgmental soul hasn't figured those things out.



"OMG, that must be a weird-dressed-girl
gang sign! She's calling reinforcements!
Run back inside your ranch house!!!!"



That said, a recent study of teenagers found that bullies often had very high self-esteem, defying conventional thought. I've known many people who were BOTH - super insecure and incredibly arrogant. I'm not a psychologist but I can only assume that the outer egotistic shell was created subconsciously to help the person cope with their deep self-loathing. Think of it as someone who buys a house with a huge hole in the middle of the living room. They put plywood over it, a nice rug, some expensive furniture around the perimeter and they show it off to their friends with no one being the wiser. The hole is always there though, in the back of their mind, influencing how they maneuver around the room. *shrug* Then again a talking peanut could probably come up with something just as intelligent.

I've noticed, and decided to document for my own ridiculous amusement, certain trends in how I and others I've witnessed of alternative stylings are judged based on a variety of external factors.

Behold, The Alternative Style Judgement Graph. Dun dun dunnnnnnn!

How it works:
0 is a totally negative perception, with the maximum number of people disliking you based solely on appearance.
7 is the positive/indifferent perception, with the maximum number of people either complimenting/liking, or being completely not phased by your appearance.

"Don't you know you're too OLD
for all those necklaces?"

The blue line follows age. Notice that in the teens you are judged heavily by your alternative appearance. During college almost no one cares, other than a few elderly professors and some types who can't move past the high school popularity ladder mindset. I suppose a smaller college, particularly one with lots of people from your h.s., would be a breeding ground for lower levels of acceptance. The 20-30 range is the peak of acceptability - you are at the end of, or through, college but still young enough to be perceived as in a "transitional" or "wild" phase. As you move into your late 20's people start to judge you more and more, particularly on your maturity level - "Haven't you grown out of this?" "Are you pretending to be a teen?" "This is just a phase." The closer you get to 30 the more your ability to do a job well, be productive in society, and parent are all questioned, along with your mental health in some instances. Post 30 you return to near-teen levels of mockery and snide behavior from family, non-alternative friends and the general populace who feel view you as a miscreant incapable of carrying on a "normal" life and even a parasite to society (I have people accuse me of being a drug addict, slut, and/or just generally immoral simply because of how I dress; this is usually coupled with shock that I own a home, have two college degrees and work a stable job in customs brokerage).

"I'm told that's called a fro-hawk. It's so... URBAN."

The red line follows the income of the neighborhood you are in. I've found that the neighborhoods I frequent which are very low-income to working class could care less about how you dress. People are either indifferent, because they are desensitized, or they think it's cool you are expressing yourself. Many alternative fashions, particularly so-called urban styles, come out of low-income areas where people are more free to express themselves outside of the constructs of the "hot trends" of popular culture. Hang out in these areas and chances are you are going to see many people with unnatural colors of hair, extensions or "unusual" hairstyles as well as piercings and clothing considered "loud" or inappropriate in middle to upper middle class areas. As income level rises people start to stare, snicker and comment more and more. Some places people will even walk quickly/run away from you or call the police if you are walking around their 'hood because they assume you are a ne'er-do-well. Yah, I've had this happen, seriously. This gets worse as you get older, as alternative teens are more cliche to white middle class America than mom and apple pie and thus more accepted as a part of that income bracket's daily life. Once you aren't at the age to be "in a phase" people with money get uncomfortable, or at the least find you funny...not in a good way. It would take me another HUGE article to go into the effects of red-lining and racism on keeping people of color in low-income neighborhoods, and thus the disproprtionate effect African-American and Latino culture, along with the cultures of new immigrants from Africa, Asia and Latin America, have on fashion in low-income areas - these areas tend to be more diverse and open-minded than more pricey communities that tend to be homogenized and obsessed with fitting in.



"Those city folk...keep 'em
 away from my kids."



The green line is the population size of where you live. In the small town I went to school in (62 people in my graduating class!) I was judged constantly, HARSHLY, by virtually everyone around me - classmates, teachers, parents, 99% of people you run into at the Wal-Mart (thanks for running everyone else out of business there, you rat bastards). People feel free to verbally, and sometimes physically, accost you no matter where you are because most of the people watching agree with them (or feel sorry for you but think you "brought it on yourself" by not conforming - got this A LOT). In large towns and small cities I have lived in the judgment was less extreme - it was more noted with snickering, milder comments ("you'd be such a pretty girl without all that eye makeup") and LOTS of staring. You get the occasional compliment, but even those have a hint of trepidatioin ("I like your hair color but I'm also scared of you"). In the mid-sized city I live in now (260,000 people) I would say I get a 75% positive/indifferent response. Most people just don't care what you look like unless it's super outside of the mainsteram - 3 foot dayglo orange mohawk for instance - because they have better things to worry about or they've just plain seen worse/better. Often they appreciate your expression - I've had 60 year old housewives tell me how cute my blue hair or heavy eye make-up is at the grocery store without a hint of sarcasm in their voice. Bigger cities I've visited (Boston, NYC, Toronto, San Fran) the indifference/positive response rating ramps up to closer to 90%. The mix of people in places like these, and the fact that larger cities tend to be on the forefront of new, more extreme trends, means the dayglo orange mohawk would probably go unnoticed by many people and those who did notice would want a picture for their blog (with caption "this is awesome").

These factors all interplay with each other as well - for instance, a high income neighborhood in a large city would be more accepting than a high-income neighborhood in a mid-sized town. Age is also less important in larger urban areas - i.e. 45 and alternative in a small town would have you persecuted like a Puritan-era witchcraft suspect, in a place like NYC you wouldn't get the bat of an eyelash.

Thoughts, folks? Personal experiences?

Can I hate Katy Perry?

     I’m a big fan of vintage, particularly 50s silhouettes, so of course I own one obligatory black-with-red-cherries-a-line dress with crinolines from the thrift store. I know it is cliché, but I heart it none the less. It’s a flattering style for my shape (short but very curvy) and it gives me an excuse to color-match one of my several pairs of red shoes. Imagine my horror when, upon donning a cute outfit centered around said dress, my friend who I rent a room to informs me I look “just like Katy Perry” with a happy smile on his big, gay face. He has a soft spot for what I find often unbearable pop divas and apparently Perry is high on his “girls I would date were I not disgusted by vagina” list. I desperately, with a tinge of alt-angst, tried to explain to him that I was channeling a 60-year-old style via modern rockabilly/goth/vintage-inspired sensibilities with my own individual label-free spin. I went into a litany of fashion references explaining the evolution of this look throughout decades of pop culture. His response, before he calmly swiveled back to his keyboard, was “Well, you’re still dressed like Katy Perry.”

I’ve always been a proponent of “wear it if you like it, even if it becomes popular.” Most likely someday it will be out of fashion again and you’ll STILL be rocking it. At the worst it will stay popular and you can snottily tell yourself “I did it first!” Just don’t tell other people – it makes you look like a douche. For instance, heavy eyeliner made a big come back a couple of years ago and I would never THINK of abandoning what I lovingly call my liquid crack (usually Urban Decay liquid liner in Perversion). That said, I couldn’t shake the idea from my head that a) my style (which I often think of as futuristic-vintage, juxtaposing more techy influences like sci-fi, anime, comic books, rave and cyber fashion with more traditional 50s-80s and trad goth/rock influences) has many similarities with Ms. Perry, b) a whole generation of teens and 20-some things are giving credit to KP for 50’s and pin-up inspired fashion with zero knowledge of where those influences come from. After doing a little research via the almighty Google I discovered that *extra gasp* she also seems to like East and South Asian-inspired fashions like myself as well (Chinese style cheongsam dresses, Indian style nose rings with a chain to the ear, parasols). Oh no!

Then a horrifying thought dawned on me – maybe Katy Perry IS alternatively styled, no pretenses, no fashion coordinator forcing it on her. Maybe it’s not a gimmick for attention or to capitalize on underground trends. Maybe she genuinely likes this stuff and it is just a happy accident that pop culture is embracing it. I looked through dozens of photos of her from events, award shows, and candid shots those irritating paparazzi snapped while she is getting out of her car or trying to buy some tampons. She ALWAYS seems to be sporting elements of alt style and many of her outfits, aside from things worn on stage to perform, don’t seem like costumes (a la Lady Gaga – but that’s a whole ‘nother article). Maybe I can’t blame her for popularizing a modern take on vintage looks anymore than I could blame Marilyn Manson for starting that AWFUL trend of mall Goths in the 90’s. Is it a musician/actors place to defend or explain their style anymore than average Josephine on the street? Should we judge their look as a publicity-stunt without knowing them, their background or personal habits? Is it their responsibility to teach others the history and influences leading up to their look? Or is it on the everyday people who watch, draw influence from or (sadly) mimic them to look into the meaning/background/socio-cultural ramifications of the style themselves instead of blindly judging or copying it? Katy Perry leading to deep, philosophical thought about alternative fashion. Who knew? Now if only her MUSIC could do that…

Raped by Paypal



Paypal took my dye and lipstick money!
 I want to throw this pony at its collective face.



So...two years ago I had someone hack my eBay account and post a bunch of expensive items. EBay immediately realized from my user history this was probably not me, froze the account and informed me of the issue. They cleared up all the fraud quickly and efficiently. Tell me why then, with Paypal being an eBay company, Paypal lacks any similar alert system? I logged into my email on 1/15/12 to find six emails from Paypal stating I had transferred 500 euros each to a European party via their service. This came to nearly $4000 US! I had never made or received a transaction of more than $50 and hadn't used the account in nearly a year - big flashing red lights that this wasn't me, Paypal. Not only did Paypal fail to stop the transfers from going through my bank account, even though they were informed immediately of the fraud, but after my bank rejected them for insufficient funds (the bank suggested I remove all my cash just in case the transfers went through...thank you bank lady!) they took them out THREE MORE TIMES! This is not only ridiculous when a fraud case has been opened but also goes against their own policy to try to obtain the cash twice. No one at Paypal could explain to me why they broke their own policy and pursued taking the money out more than twice. Each time my bank would reject the transactions and recall the money I would call Paypal AGAIN to figure out what was going on; I was told something different every single time. At one point I was told that filing a fraud claim with my bank meant that Paypal would no longer pursue the matter and would not refund me any money directly. This turned out to be wrong, like many, many other things Paypal employees told me. The bank AND Paypal refunded me the money. Now I have to go through the hassle of giving money BACK to Paypal! So, 22 days after this started it's STILL not cleared up. To top it off I can't deposit my paychecks in the new bank account I opened either, as some department at my bank doesn't seem to get the old account is overdrawn due to fraud and has taken money out of my new account to pay for some of the overdraft charges. My bank can't tell me why this is happening, and while they have pursued the issue and given me back the money they can't promise it won't happen again. So yah, try paying bills with cash in the 21st century. Most of my bills can't even be paid in person, including my mortgage, student loan, and internet bill. I had to give a friend cash and have them mail checks out to pay my own bills. Total nightmare. Even after procedures are started to close the old bank account any transaction on it for 30 days will reopen the account. Boo! This did not, however, stop me from getting all my bills paid on time and going thrifting recently to find some adorable shoes : ) So it's not all bad.

Budgeting for Fashion: The annual report

It's that time of year again, the time when Moonqueen writes herself up a new budget so she knows what she can afford to spend on thrift store clothes and liquid crack (eyeliner). Thanks to my built-in-1910-but-made-energy-efficient home (newer windows, mostly insulated walls, insulated under 1st floor, insulated attic floor, high efficiency furnace - thanks to previous owners) and my obsessive energy saving/recycling habits, I am living fairly cheaply. I thought it would be good to post this and give people an idea of how much being green can actually save you, as well as some ideas as to how I'm trying to plan ahead for expenses. To get some idea, my home is about 1350+, with a good size living room, medium dining room, large kitchen, 1 full bath, utility/laundry room, storage room (not heated - back porch built over by previous owners) and a tiiiiiiny third bedroom I use as my office downstairs. There is an open loft used as a second tv room, large master bedroom, and medium sized second bedroom upstairs (only part of my house is two stories).

***For anyone not familiar with the term, budget billing is where the utility company estimates your monthly cost by taking your 6 month or annual cost and dividing it up into equal payments - it is the BEST. If they overestimate it is credited to you, if they underestimate you may owe them a little (rare).

My general expenses for the house are as follows:

electric: $60 a month budget billing
heat: $74 a month budget billing
water & sewer: $100 for every three months (I put 1/3 of this a month into my savings)
trash & recycling (user fee): $36 every three months (I put $12 a month into my savings for this - having the smallest can saves me $80 to $150 a year versus the larger sizes - recycling everything that can be helps make this possible)
house payment (mortgage, homeowner's insurance, PMI, and taxes): $438 a month (plus $30 extra towards principal - this will pay my loan off 5 or 6 years faster); I live in the city of Buffalo and my taxes are VERY low to encourage people to move there. Once I get the STAR program this will further decrease.
internet: $38
____________________
Monthly bill: $685.34 (versus estimated double for urban homeowners with no energy updates/energy saving strategies and up to triple this for most of the suburban homeowners I know who also don't pay attention to energy saving techniques - I'm talking same size house, obviously a bigger house = even more utilities and a higher house payment; part of smart buying is considering how much space you REALLY need, and what's economical to heat, clean, and furnish, versus what the bank says you can afford).
 
My car, a still mostly-free-of-rust 1994 Pontiac Bonneville, gets a sad 17-20 mpg versus the 25-30mpg when I first got it in November of 2005. Older cars run poorly on 10% ethanol gas (the norm at 99% of gas stations now) and I live so close to work my car does not warm up before it is shut off (my farmer but also mechanic father claims this has multiple effects on the system which reduce mpg). I'm hoping a good overhaul of the filters, a new oxygen sensor (which can reduce mpg by 15% if bad) and a tire balance will help with some of this, but I doubt I'll see more than a mile or two a gallon increase. I haven't given much thought to a new car as I currently live 5 miles from work within 2 miles of my gym, 6 grocery stores, a Target, good priced gas station and several dozen mom and pop stores & restaurants. It cost a whopping $1900 and came from down south so the body is in great shape. I've never had a car payment so I don't mind it nickel and diming me on repairs (lord knows I've changed many things). I am hoping by the time I need a new car I have a few grand saved up to buy a used compact, although I love huge boat GM cars. I may even suck it up and take the bus a few months to save cash when the time comes, but mass transit is AWFUL in Buffalo, so we will see. I estimate my expenses for it as follows:

$60 a month gas
$78 a month insurance (I have full everything on this too, even though it's old, because I can pay insurance much cheaper than I can make major repairs to the car)
$85 in maintenance/repairs a month (this is hard to gauge - I can go six months with no repairs, then need $300 worth of work done out of the blue - I guesstimate about $1000 a year, which sounds high until you consider what a $300 a month car payment will run annually; it's easier to set some aside every month in anticipation)
_________________
Monthly bill: $223 (versus estimated $400 to make payments and insurance on a new/leased car with better mpg)

Other expenses:

Student loan: $280 a month (DEAR SWEET LORD!! I can't BELIEVE how much this is and the sad thing is I am on a special plan to lower it or it would be $440 - that's right, more than my house payment). One of my biggest goals for this year is to pay more on principal for this. My interest rate is only 6.8% but as student loans can consolidate interest (thus charging you interest on interest) it seems a never-ending task to pay it down.

Cell phone:$61 a month with discount from my job, versus $75 without discount and $100 *gag* with a data plan - I tried having a Cricket phone ($45 a month) but I found it got poor to no reception in most of the places I've lived in Buffalo.

Groceries: I spend $100 to $150 a month. This is also hard to gauge as I don't go regularly. I tend to do one large shopping trip every month to month and a half then occasionally do a run on my way home for emergencies or milk. This versus $225 a month (food stamps estimation of what one person receives with no children).

Cats: $24 a month in food (I have to buy food to prevent UTI's or my male cat is constantly sick) and $7 a month in litter.

Home Depot bill: $100 - I'm paying off my washer in 6 months before interest is due, so this is a temporary bill.
______

Monthly Bill: $522

Total Monthly Bills: 1550.34 (with paying $20 extra on my student loan)
Monthly income after taxes, health insurance and 401k - $2314

This, theoretically, should leave me with a surplus of $763.66 for entertainment and savings.

Now of course, this does not include non-monthly expenses - xmas & birthday presents, doctor and medication co-pays, and the occasional travel outside of my area (boosting gas for my car prices significantly).

I HAVE to form a stricter mind set about saving and stick to my guns about putting money in my savings account every month (for actual savings and to use towards my non-montly bills). I used to be absurdly stingy, but the more you make the more you spend and I've definitely gotten lax.

Moonqueen's Top 10 Fashion Gifts/Deals of the Holiday Season

 

Alright. I'm bored at work. I like fashion. I have a computer handy. Therefore I'm compiling a list of my top ten fashion gifts (received) or deals of the holiday season. Shameless consumerism, go!

10. electric blue cable knit hat w brim (similar to left) 60% off at Old Navy  

9. electric blue metallic pyramid ring, received as a gift from my best friend, similar to these at the right (want...one...in...every...color...)

8.Purple faux suede faux-fur lined boots (all sorts of fake animal parts in there), 75% off at Old Navy, a dustier purple than shown below. I have one pair of purple boots already I really enjoy using to liven up a more black/neutral based outfit so...why not two? These are also toastier than my non-faux fur lined ones.

7. Skully feety pajamas (exactly as shown above and sadly, as they are childrens ones these don't quite fit, but fingers crossed they will shortly - if not, fabric for a hoody); present from my friend Chris. These are super soft fleece with grippy circles on the feet. Slumber party!

6. EcoTools eye make up brush set - after a serious amount of research I was seconds away from buying these with an amazon gift card I got for my birthday, then decided to be practical and use the gift card towards xmas presents. Made of largely recycled or sustainable materials with cruelty free (non-animal) bristles these are not only space saving and come in a convenient hemp pouch but are also labelled for their intended purpose (shade, blend, etc). A friend who had ran out of xmas ideas asked me to throw a few things out there and not only did he get me the set....he got me two.  

5. Gray and silver sweater boots, 75% off at Old Navy - gray with silver accents, black buttons and trim. I have an addiction for knit, shiny stuff and boots. hese are PERFECT. Comfortable, warm, casual and funky...I spotted a similar pair on a friend's niece and was shocked to learn they came from Old Navy. I wound up picking up several other cute items (as seen above) while I ran in to get these as they had an amazing sale on winter accessories. I try to avoid buying much new, as I find it wasteful and expensive versus thrifting/yardsale-ing/etc, but I've wanted a pair of these for a LONG time and never spied any at local thrift stores. I paid a measly $23 for two pairs of boots and a heavy knit hat, with tax included.

Vegan Palette - 100% vegan make-up

4. Urban Decay make up sale -I <3 the above palette. The shadows are smooth and richly pigmented. The packaging is ADORABLE. The same can be said of the awesome, but not vegan, Book of Shadows IV. Purchased together on sale for $60 with free shipping, compared to the $100 plus they cost originally.  

Book of Shadows IV - shadow, mascara, primer, liner and a speaker,holder and scan cards for your smart phone to watch make up tip videos online.

 3. Tokidoki Makeup Bag (I got the cylindrical one, shown sticking out farthest on the left). My boyfriend, who is an AWESOME present buyer, scored me one of these. I love the attention to detail in the design, from the pattern itself to the charm adorning the zipper pull and stitched on vinyl heart and crossbones logo. It is also a very heavy duty fabric and a great size to take all the basics - shadow palette, brushes, eyeliner, mascara, lipgloss, small perfume and deoderant - in your overnight bag.

2. H & M gift card - Thank you boyfriend's parents! $40 got me two pairs of knit mittens (navy blue and gray fleece lined), two large, gaudy rings, fingerless knit gauntlets in dark orange with threads of brown and black, heavy knit grey/white/black variegated socks, and a distressed look black racer back tank top with snap accents. That's right, I'm even thrifty with other people's money.

1. Multi colored houndstoothed vintage 60's coat

Mid-calf, full sleeved double breasted overcoat in oversized houndstooth with red fading to orange on black. I scored this for $25 (talked the seller down from $45) at a local vintage and artisans xmas market. Nothing beats the fit and quality of a vintage overcoat and the colors and pattern are very unique. It was in excellent condition, aside from a small section of the lining that had come unstitched at the neckline. This is the closest coat I could find to the style. Pictures WILL be posted!!!

Starting the New Year right...with THRIFTING!

Like a moth to the flame, I am drawn to Amvets.

I had to go to work two hours later than usual today, due to holiday hours, so I decided to spend that time doing some much-deserved thrifting at one of my favorite thrift stores, Amvets on Elmwood Avenue in the city of Buffalo. Check out Amvets website for the 411 (oh, dating myself there) on their mission to help veterans and provide quality, low-cost goods to the community. I just completed a MASSIVE OVERHAUL of my clothes, shoes, makeup and accessories (as well as 95% of all my earthly possessions) during December. I completely looked through and sorted (donate, sell, keep, recycle or *gulp* throw out) everything and reorganized the "keepers," with the exception of my daunting book collection and a few odds'n'ends in out of the way places. 

Since becoming a cubicle cowgirl four years ago I've gained about 40 pounds (putting me between a 9 and 12 depending on the brand) and I would like to start a stricter regiment of better eating and exercise for the sake of my health. My plans do not include getting back down to the absurdly small size I was in my early 20's that prompted my father to inquire worriedly of my mother if I was dying from a secret illness. In my clean-out I found quite a few clothes that looked small enough to fit a baby doll, and frankly were I to be rail thin again I just don't dress as whoreish as I used to (sad, but true). There were MANY things I could never realistically see myself even wanting to fit into again, or that were "desperation" purchases - i.e. what I could find in a short time on a limited budget when I had a far lower paying job, weaker standards and less reliable transportation. Skirts were particularly hard hit - always a fan of skin-tight, barely-cover-my-booty mini's paired with fishnets and stompy boots in my late teens, I had many items that were better sized to fit my slender 8 year old niece. My style has also significantly evolved. I tend to appreciate tailoring, attention to detail and combining a wider variety of textures/patterns/cuts than when I was younger.

I often avoid the skirts at thrift stores, as I've consistently had too many for years, but both my weight gain and increasing love of layering (this all goes back to the tights addiction...) has led me to wear them more and more.  I focused my attention at the thrift store on this area and I was RICHLY rewarded. (Sadly, I don't have photos as my home computer is persona non grata at this juncture and I am editing this blog in my free time from other sources. Hopefully they will be coming shortly as blogs seem rather pointless without pretty pictures - "there's too many word in 'em!!") The sheer amount of quality plaid was incredible and there was a style for every occasion - from a heavy cotton school-girl style A-line mini in a bold hot pink, black and grey plaid that I picked up to a pleated, ankle length Alfred Dunner in a grey wool plaid with red and blue accents that I sadly ultimately decided to leave behind (as I tend to only wear long, flowy skirts during warmer weather).

Some of my greatest skirt purchases included:
- a heavy chocolate velvet pleated, knee-length style with a flat front (beautiful tailoring on this and great quality fabric)
- a grey mid-weight wool knee-length style with an almost Victorian school girl appeal - flat, fitted top, long row of buttons down the front, gathered A-line bottom starting lower thigh
- mid calf A line twill plaid in browns, greys and oranges
-  and to appease my love of Asian clothing a floor length blue, white and bright green flowy cotton skirt from India (great for windy summer walks in my water-bordering 'hood and sure to match one of my future hair colors)

I tried to steer clear of other clothes for the time being - skirts are often more forgiving to weight gain and loss than many other pieces and I don't need to augment my already huge collection of pants and tops when I may be 25 pounds thinner (or ten pounds heavier - why not be a little pessimistic?) in a year. I did pick up a mid-thigh length, short sleeved turtleneck sweater tunic top in a fuzzy grey with purple argyle pattern across the chest (it was on the end of a rack, beckoning me). I also skipped through accessories and managed an adorable open-weave tan vintage or vintage knock off hat with velvet ribbon/bow detailing (needs further inspection as this was tossed in the cart lickety-split), two pairs of unused-looking crocheted over the knee socks in a fun diamond pattern (one black, one brown), two thin scarves for the spring (one about 10" wide in a variegating pink cotton fabric, the other a throw back to Jem and the Holograms in an intense metallic dark pink), a heavy knit scarf in chocolate brown with variegated accents of blue, orange and red and, just to be practical, a plastic chain with clips attached to hang laundry (as I refuse to buy a dryer).