Summer in Style

Hey readers,

Well as I said in an earlier post, I've been doing some shopping here in the USA and before I began my summer I sat down and thought, "You know what Katrina? You are always going in places, grabbing random crap, trying it on and buying it- how cool would a THEME be?" and that's when I decided that I was going Vintage...

Well, It did take a little more thought than that before I finally decided on an old fashioned chic style. I considered just a full blown tomboy swag like Rihanna. Then it occurred to me- I'm not Rihanna and that look probably won't be pulled off by Katrina Lowell any time NOW or in the future... I guess what attracted me most were the shoes and snapbacks- I love both.

Rihanna in her "Tomboy Swag" at a Lakers Game- You go girl!

The shoes- Gosh, where do I begin? I love Vans and Converse and any type of shoe that fit like Toms; the ones that you can just slip on and just strut. They're just mega cool. Then there are THE SHOES- the sneaker/ high heel combination that just threw me into fits of fantasy INSTANTANEOUSLY... I just love the shoes...

These van's are studd-ing... That was a pun by the way :/

The paint splatters on this shoe are just so awesome looking- almost like a unicorn exploded :P

I love animal prints on ANYTHING, so the animal print and the rainbow color scheme is kinda cool...

I don't really know what this is and I like it because of that- it looks like something I would draw...

I like anything with a statement- How much you wanna bet Amber could write a poem instantly about this shoe? LOL

What girl doesn't like Wonder Woman?

YOU SEE THEM??? They're perf!

Once again, the animal print. Me gusta!

The Snap backs- Why am I slightly obsessed with these hats? I don't know; I just like to see them. They're just... I don't know. My mom hates them, especially on girls, but I mean, Look at Rihanna guys... She looks mega swag in her snap back- nuff said...

Just the basic snap back statement of swag- the usual...

I almost forgot about these guys- this would be my very first buy...

"YMCMB HOODIE HOODIE" LOL, comment if that rings a bell....

Ok, well that was the end of that idea and I moved onto my closet to see what I had that I really liked and that's when I saw my "Monteau" elephant dress... the dress that makes me feel like the cutest thing ever when I wear it. And that's when it hit me- what if I dressed like that everyday? I was dead set on the Vintage style from then and there.

This comes with a little white belt and its just sooo adorbz...

So with vintage there are a few basic components that I look for- button-up collars, lace, long- sleeves with cuffs, antique patterns, dresses with a "wide midriff", simple and somewhat vintage sneakers and finally the cool hairstyles. These all, to me, accentuate the things that make me beautiful and that's what matters the most to me. I also like to accessorize with big secretary glasses which make my nose look smaller (LOL) and bags with cartoon characters with an old fashioned theme. These things all make me me and that's why I chose vintage this year.

The collars- I like the button-up collars because they, for one, make my neck look a little longer. My beloved grandmother passed down her neck to me and, at times, it can make me look like I only have a head and shoulders :/, but that's my body and I'll work with it :). So these collars are just my solution. So far all of my shirts have tight collars and I love them- they also really bring in that 1900s chic style into light...

They call the swooping collar a "Peter Pan" collar. I think it's pretty cute :3

This one is simple yet unique.

The bright colors of this top are immediately attention grabbing... for me at least.

The Lace- Lace was a big part of the old fashioned  look- I like the more cottony lace rather than the thin lace like doilies. I especially like it at the back or the side of the dress or shirt... It just makes it look like a versatile article of clothing instead of the everyday one-fabric article,

The lace in some of these dresses immediately make them stand out against the ones without them. I especially like #4 with the white lace over that beautiful fuchsia color underneath.  

I like how both lace and the Peter Pan collar are incorporated in this top.

This one, although not my preferred type of lace, is really cute and dainty. It gives it an antique type of look.

The Long Sleeves- I'm not sure how popular these shirts were back then, but the look is modernly vintage and I like it- The long sleeves with the cuffs make me look a little more mature and add a little more chic to the look. No real other reason besides that.. I just love em'.

Forget the cuffs in this one- You see the gold border on her collar! Beautiful :)

On this model the shirt has kind of lost its femininity, but the top is pretty nice.

I love this ensemble- Vintage? probably not but Glam? Most definitely!

Patterns- This usually applies to my pants. I know back then, the MEN wore the pants in the relationship, but my addiction to skinny jeans is gonna prevent that from happening. Luckily for me, a few years back, patterned skinnies came out for the fall and I'm in love with them. I also like kooky patterns in my shirts and dresses, like my elephant dress :) just to make it a little more fun...

These washed-out jeans are unique and attention grabbing- me gusta!

I wish these were longer and not the cut offs, but  I like the pattern and so I'd probably try these on...

I AM SEARCHING FOR A PAIR OF THESE SO BADLY! I found some but I want THESE!

This outfit is very cute and vintage teacher-y. I like the shirt the most...

This. Shirt. Is. BEAST!

This whole picture is just right on point. The shirt is really different and eccentric. I dig it.

 

Dresses- I have understood and embraced my body shape from an early age- I have quite a bit at the top and quite bit at the bottom with a significant curve in my waist. I like to wear dresses that emphasize my waistline and hips without drawing too much attention to the top. I don't have any qualms with that area of my body, but I do admire how vintage clothes were modest enough to hide the cleavage white still highlighting a feminine shape. That's why I like the "wide waistine" shaped dresses where it comes in at the waist but goes out at the hip. It's just another thing about vintage that I have grown to love...

Although the term is "wide waistline," I like them like this, where it curves in at the waist just slightly and drops down  a little wider. It's just really nice looking...

Once again a Peter Pan Collar- I love this dress for the layers though and the floral print. The color is nice as well- a great fall dress.

Most of these dresses are ones that I would wear, although these offer some  cleavage, but hey as Amber would tell you, cleavage isn't always bad.

Shoes- I prefer sneakers, like Toms, Converse and Vans, so I told myself that I'd just incorporate simple black and white ones, or even ones with vintage patterns and themes in them. It works perfectly :)

I love the black at the front and the vintage floral at the back- I'll be hunting these down.

My new bag has these guys on them and I think the vintage Minnie and Mickey are just the cutest things ever.

At first I was like "ummmm- that looks like weed,' but upon a closer look, I saw that it was just a bunch of leaves. Personally, because of my first impression, I wouldn't wear them but... hey, why not...

THESE SHOES!

I like these type of slip on shoes. I have some jeans ones that are falling apart and I need a replacement pair FAST!

I really like these ones- the color scheme is pretty...

I actually have these exact shoes in a lavender/grayish color  but they're pretty dirty becuase I wore them to a concert and it rained and I got mud on them :/ I wore them today with a vintage dress and it kinda ruined the look...

Are these unique? Yes. Would I know how to wear these? Probably not.

Hairstyles- The sign of class; I'll let it speak for itself...

It was all about the curl back then...

First of all this picture is gold- second of all, I love how the curls at the front look like a bow at this angle- cute!

I'm dying to get a bandanna just to try out this style...

Here she is again- this time with a vintage low bun of which I would like to try out soon...

Lana Del Ray- forget the hair; have you ever seen anyone with more perfect lips? Like seriously, how was she born with those? People PAY for those....

I've never had like a "favorite brand" or anything, but I must say that when I'm shopping, I look on every tag for "Monteau." That brand is just perfect when it comes to retro mod vintage and their styles are not only old fashioned, but unique and I just love it. Here are a few of their clothes-

Well that's my summer style- I must say that I've very pleased with it. I'm excited when I go shopping and I'm constantly getting new ideas. I encourage you guys to establish your summer styles and try something new; it can be nerve wreaking at first, but then you get into a groove and wearing the clothes becomes a fun thing to do. Trust me ;)

Well, I've spent all night on this post, it is now almost 12:00 a.m. and so I'm gonna go ahead and get some beauty sleep...Goodnight (or rather good morning) readers!

Love Always <3,

Katrina Lowell