One of the main reasons I think I have so many clothes and that they are my focus is: this nomadic lifestyle that uproots me to a new home every few years. Despite a love for books, I own very few (I enjoy libraries...I even dress like a librarian). I don't have "a collection," or rather my clothes are my collectibles. There are nearly no framed pictures on my bedroom walls; instead I like to hang pretty, vintage dresses on fabric hangers and nails. My shelves are cluttered with shoes, jewelry, hair accessories, and the occasional art supply.
While I have very little trouble justifying a reasonably priced dress, a long-winded and heated, mental debate takes place over every vintage bookend or crystal bottle I find that catches my eye. To me, my wardrobe gets used. My clothes are an active part of my life and even the pieces that only get worn once in a blue moon, do get worn. But what would that bronze horse figurine do? It would stoically stand on crowded dresser, mocking me with it's uselessness in my life. I can't take it with me to a party. It doesn't keep my legs warm in winter. And when I move (as I inevitably will), it's a cumbersome object to be packed away and pulled out to once again take up space.
Ultimately, I'd like to have a cluttered, eclectic home. I have this vague vision of a rose-tinted room somewhere between a vintage shop and a fun house. But even as I'm contemplating another move this summer, how can I justify a bronze horse figurine right now? When will I be settling down and amassing my collection?
Outfit details:
turtleneck- H&M
vest- borrowed from Market Publique
tights- gift
shoes- Bloch via Gilt Fuse
necklace- Modcloth
airplane ring The Quotation
filigree ring- Joanna Laura Constantine via Gilt
I feel the same way, I usually buy clothes over anything else because I feel like they will get the most use, and they are what I love most.
ReplyDeleteyou look so cute, I love that vest and those tights together!
lovelove, M.
http://marissaexplains.blogspot.com
your vest is so cute! as i have found a home where it appears i will be for some time...i resolve to this year spend less on clothing and more on decor!
ReplyDeleteWhen you said that you dressed like a librarian, I just noticed that ... it was true! But not one of those stuffy, creaky librarians who wouldn't let you check out books-- the smiley, quiet ones who would recommend which books to read.
ReplyDeleteI love red+black+white, and the gold accessories give it a nice pop!
I've had "Out of the Blue" stuck in my head all morning... and this outfit fits the theme perfectly! I especially love those tights-
ReplyDeletei have the same issues with home-decorating spending! i will gladly part with a couple hundred dollars over the course of a month for fashion-related things, but when it comes time to replace a broken chair, or get a coffee table, suddenly i don't want to part with a cent. my friends and i sometimes discuss the fact that people are either into dressing themselves, or their home- usually not both.
ReplyDeleteyour outfit is so cute today! i love that it is wintery but still really cheerful. the way that vest cinches in at the waist is great. ~joelle
I totally agree with you! my collection of clothes are used! they do much better than a collection of porcelain or anything else (apart from books because I like to reread them!)
ReplyDeleteand adore your two golden rings.
x
I don't move nearly as much as you but I have the same philosophy regarding clothes. Some of my favorite and most memorable items from trips have been clothes. And I do love that they can come with me instead of sitting alone in my house. It also helps that my husband is an amazing artist whose his artwork graces the walls of our home.
ReplyDeleteHow do you get your hair into such a perfect, neat little bun?
ReplyDeletexo Caitlin
books are hard to collect for nomadic types of peoples--i move alot myself, all over the country, and its hard lugging all that stuff around. clothes though--you know there's something to be said for arriving in a town "with nothing but the clothes on your back"
ReplyDeleteI understand this. I hang my favorite dresses and (faux fur) coats from the pipe in my dorm room. I wish I had your will power. I love to collect little things (from thrift stores, yard sales, things found on the ground); also, any singular tea cup--it makes me sad to see them abandoned. I haven't had to move (more than from dorm room back to my parents) but I feel like it will be a huge process. Maybe I just need to buy more clothing. Haha.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you move so much, if you don't mind me asking?
LOVE those rings!
ReplyDeletehttp://lolitasaysso.blogspot.com/
I love the red colour!
ReplyDeletei dig the nomad lifestyle and fantasize about being able to pack up everything into a small carry on.
ReplyDeleteon a different note, would you consider doing a post on reviews about all the places you have lived? i'd like to live vicariously through that.
I agree. For the past 2.5 years, I have had to pack up my life every few months. I try not to buy too many clothes, but when I find a gem, I have to get it. However, as far as trinkets are concerned, they are just not packable, and therefore, I leave them behind...
ReplyDeleteUr vest and oxfords are super cute! :-)
ReplyDeleteP.S.: ♥Please don't forget to join the Miss C. Alexandria giveaway!♥
Good luck!
X♥X♥
another smashing outfit. i adore the polka dot vest from Market Publique.
ReplyDeleteI agree with draft of vintage, your title reminds me of 'Out of the Blue.' your dream home sounds fantastic :] xxx
ReplyDeletei understand your mentality, but i have less willpower against fun little trinkets. i'm getting better though.
ReplyDeletei love your skirt! and the black/white/red combination is classic.
I agree. I've moved three times in three years and don't have the desire to pack useless things. I purged my apartment before my last move and really felt good about it.
ReplyDeleteyour posts almost always make me want to paint my nails! maybe the gold horse figurine needs to morph into an embellishment on one of your great outfits.
ReplyDeleteI really like your philosophy of clothing. I have a few special small items around my room, mostly things that have memories attached to them. But I agree that it makes so much more sense to focus money on clothes and other practical things rather than dust-catching collectibles.
ReplyDeleteahhhh I have a black turtleneck from H&M as well, and I'm willing to bet it's the same one. I agree with your clothes philosophy. I get angry when people buy me "stuff" for Christmas/my birthday that just takes up space. I ask for gift cards so I can buy clothing I like.
ReplyDeleteYour posts are always so entertaining, I really like your visions of a rose colored room. Your outfit looks so good, I love your vest and the red skirt with it!
ReplyDeletehttp://thedollhouse0101.blogspot.com/
i absolutely adore this look! well done siter!
ReplyDeletei wish i could say the same about knick knacks and "stuff". I tend to collect way too much. i am getting better though as the years go by. with each move i purge more and more. it's such a freeing experience :)
My thoughts exactly.
ReplyDeleteI agree with every word you wrote. I have a tendency, however, to rid myself of certain items every time I move. Usually its those items that remind me of the way things used to be and therefore I only want the things that feel fresh or new. Its a strange mental concept, but it works for me.
ReplyDeleteAmazing outfit. Love the red skirt! <3
ReplyDeletelove your rings! i agree too - clothing is USEFUL art =)
ReplyDeleteThank you for leaving me a comment!(esspecially as you get so many comments/followers)It's esspecially nice to here from someone whos blog I really love.I could almost say that your my idol,I just love your blog and photos so much^^.Love that skirt,I'm looking for a similiar one at the moment,but in velvet.Love the rings too!Nice to know you visited my blog....
ReplyDeleteSofie
onetoomanywishes.blogspot.com
I just started reading your blog this week, and I love it. I myself, however, find myself carefully contemplating a 5 dollar purse. Just the way I am. :)
ReplyDeleteI just settled in last month to an apartment, hopefully where I will be staying for the next two years. I see how "a nomadic lifestyle" can make buying things that will find their home on a shelf or just eventually "fit" in that part of the room. But everyone has their own home. It's what you feel "homey" in. Clothes may be just that for you. :)
- Mandy Lee
http://mandyleeanne.blogspot.com
Gorgeous rings.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting what you say about the things we buy having a functional purpose. But I guess if that was our way of shopping, we'd only wear the most sensible, practical clothes! Sometimes I buy clothes and think 'well, I'll hardly ever wear this but it's too pretty to pass by!'
I love buying homeware... that brass horse sounds amazing!!
the vest is my favorite part of the outfit! it's marvelous :)
ReplyDeletei love it!!!! this outfit screams vintage chicness!! and i totally get the librarian vibe going on! i adore that! :D gorgeous rings, btw!:)
ReplyDeleteI wish the librarians around here dressed more like you!
ReplyDeleteThe rings are so beautiful! I hope you can check out The Fashion Smoke and follow :)
ReplyDeletehttp://thefashionsmoke.com
I'm always attracted by the airplane ring ! It's so original !!
ReplyDeleteHmm I feel I have the opposite problem. I tend to collect things, like a bronze horse figurine, but I spend hours debating over a dress I adore. Perhaps its stems from that fact that despite my wanderlust tendencies, I have been in the same place since I was younger than three years old.
ReplyDeletei can't justify buying decorative items for my house right now either - although i'm desperate to lay claim to an estate of my own - i know i'll be moving in the next few months. however, i don't buy new clothes because with vintage i can get so much more for my money and be carefree with my choices..
ReplyDeletewhere will you go next?
agree with you with the fact that clothes are wearable thus totally useful and worth it
ReplyDeletelove you outfit :) very nice assembly
I could totally see you living in a beautifully cluttered home... with cool, mismatched upholstered chairs with those claw feet, stacks of books, dim lights, lots of wood... I see it girl, I see it.
ReplyDeletelovely outfit! i adore the rings.
ReplyDeleteyour shoes are sooo cool - those oxford lace ups are supposed to be the next "it" shoe - and youre already ahead of the game :)
ReplyDeleteI love the polka-dotted vest and your oxfords!
ReplyDeleteclothedmuch.blogspot.com
what a cool location !
ReplyDeleteand your gold rings are stunning!
me too I'm like you and I've changed home (and country) quite a bit (14 times) and I have a thing with clothes too, I need to have them because they will be part of my story along the way. Isn't it fun when you look at old photos and you can immediately recall just by looking at the clothes you were wearing what exactly was your mood that day ?
ReplyDeleteLoved your ode to clothes :)
I love the big gold knuckle ring! Great post, the whole ensemble looks amazing.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.halcoholic.com
So in love with your beautiful rings. Yay for gold! x
ReplyDeletehttp://timefortwee.blogspot.com/
i love the color of ur skirt, very pretty!
ReplyDeletenatalieoffduty.blogspot.com
I totally agree - clothes seem to be the only think that I have quite a bit of! I'd really like to start a better 'library', but as a student its just not realistic for me.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand what you mean about clothes being your collectibles. Whenever I travel somewhere exciting, I would always rather purchase clothes or jewelry as souvenirs over silly little things that will sit on my dresser and, while reminding me fondly of my trip, be pretty much useless.
ReplyDeleteI think it's more a state of mind than a reality... When I was a teenager I wanted to be able to put all my belonings in one suitcase. Even though I can't do that anymore it's still my philosophy. Clothes are light and will fit everywhere you go. Sabine x
ReplyDeleteI love this outfit! :)
ReplyDeleteI hardly ever buy decor items or knick-knacks, because I tend to favor new clothes or accessories, but I'd love to start collections of cute vintage things to clutter my room! I'm thinking of redecorating my bedroom soon, so I think I'll start looking in thrift shops for pretty decorations. :)
http://playingdressupwithkellie.blogspot.com/
oof, are you moving again? hope it goes smoothly. I don't have too many clothes here at school because that's just typical me trying to live efficiently. :b I was almost going to bring just eight t-shirts, some jeans and one jacket to school but my mom said I should bring more haha.
ReplyDeleteJewelry tends to be cumbersome but that's why they're called accessories. You don't need them, but they're pretty and decorative!
Some things don't need to be justified! I move around a lot as well, and find that having objects I like to look at helps to feel more connected to where you live now. I can't tell you how many things (lamps, curtains, drawer pulls) I've bought, looked at for six months, a year, and walked away from. Don't save objects you love for when you feel "permanent", because even when you are, things break or get lost. Objects are just as fluid as time--- they come into your life, they flow out of it.
ReplyDeleteI just took 50 items to a thrift store and still have a very full closet. Now I will blame my clothes-horsiness on moving so many times as well :)
ReplyDeleteGreat skirt, by the way!
I think about the same stuff. For awhile I was trying not to have anything to carry around, but now I'm slowly collecting things again. It's like I NEED pretty things to look at that make me happy around where I live. But if your clothes are your art and that makes you happy, then all the better!!
ReplyDeleteI tend to spend all my money on clothes as well, instead of buying other things I probably should. I should buy more books.
ReplyDeleteThis was so wonderful to read! You have a very whimsical view on life. And I love the color of that skirt! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI'm a lot like you in that sense. I can justify buying clothes because I will use them. I have some clothes that I bought years ago and I never wore them, but now I'm wearing them again. And if you don't like them or they don't fit, you can alter them. You can make that dress into a skirt and so on. But like you said, that horse figurine will always be a horse figurine. And it will have no use apart from looking pretty on a shelf.
ReplyDeleteI do avoid clutter in my home and now in my closet too, though I used to have two rooms full of clothes when there was the space.
ReplyDeleteI'm like you...for example 4 years ago I got a lovely dress for Christmas, and in those 4 years only worn it a few times, but I know I'm going to keep it for a very long time and keep pulling it out of my wardrobe on those certain occasions.
ReplyDeleteI have a very little bedroom, and I'm very thankful that both my brothers are at uni as I have taken over their wardrobe as extra storage haha lovely outfit :-)
Jen xxx
if i have to choose between a horse figurine and clothes, of course i'd choose clothes..but that is, if i have to choose...because i love art in all its form..paintings, sculptures, music and fashion... and i think the only way i can justify why i have so many clothes is cuz i like wearing different clothes everday..it's a way of expressing myself..and i don't like to repeat them..haha!
ReplyDeletei love the whole outfit by the way..i adore polka dots..and i'm weak at the knees for ur rings..phew!
This was amazing to read & view.
ReplyDeleteYour writing and photos have come such a long way in 3 years.. :)
You look fantastic Rebecca. That aeroplane ring is my favourite.
gorgeous! i love your outfits and the backdrops for your photos are AMAZING!
ReplyDeleteLoving your rings! Gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteIf you would be interested in exchanging links please let me know (-:
oo does this mean you're moving for law school?
ReplyDeletelove love love your vest
These pictures are so so beautiful. Ah, how I love the scenery where you live. You make this outfit look amazing. Love the rings!
ReplyDeletei love your writing--it's always such a delight to read! i only have so many books and odd things because up until a few years ago, i was a major tom boy and hated shopping. yet now, i still love to read and buy books, but clothes are definitely what i collect nowadays. they are much more useful than statues or other nick-nacks, but someday when i settle down i do want to collect those uesless things just like you do (:
ReplyDeleteyou look lovely as always dear!
I am your opposite. I'd rather build my wardrobe from scratch in a new location than do without my books. After all, the weather's different and the style changes everyplace I go. And I have at LEAST 14 boxes of books that I consider essential. Mental? Yes. Somehow I've done the nomadic thing with books...
ReplyDeletelibrarian chic :]
ReplyDeleteas for me, I tend to have a collection of hobbies rather than a collection as a hobby, if that makes sense. Mostly, I collect clothes, cook books, and travel guides.
Great post!
What a lovely, lovely outfit!
ReplyDeletelove the vest! great color combo!
ReplyDeleteThat last picture is wonderful. the tights are amazing and I love the color of your skirt. Where are you thinking about moving?
ReplyDelete-indigo
lovely blog,
ReplyDeleteyour on top 100 on weardrobe
congrads!
love the rigns!
agreed 100%. except i don't have the willpower to resist pretty, useless clutter. i LOVE stuff, but then when it comes time to move again...i loathe stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of the same way. All my stuff is in Washington and I'm so transient since I left for college that it feel so silly to buy "things," whereas clothes are used on a daily basis. I like owning things that get used. I bought my classic car to drive it, not to have it sparkle in a showroom.
ReplyDeleteI never actually find myself 'buying art' or anything. No, it's just pretty much always clothes. And though my mom says it's useless: it is what I carry with me every day, what has more use than any other junk in my room.
ReplyDeleteLast year I moved interstate twice in the space of six months. My first move I packed my life into one large suitcase and a small moving box which I posted. Less than five months later that had turned into one large suitcase and five boxes. Most of it was clothes. I worked out this morning that I amassed over 40kg of stuff. Woops.
ReplyDeleteAlso, your hair always looks incredible. Any tips?
i love your rings.
ReplyDeletewww.whatdialike.com
your plane ring is to die for, i love it!!! and your shoes are gorgeous too...
ReplyDeleteThe plane ring is awesome - I also adore the vest :).
ReplyDeleteI agree with you; clothes are the best collectibles. I tell people all the time that I'm not a fashionista-- I'm a collector! Totally justifiable. :)
ReplyDeleteAren't red skirts the absolute greatest? They give the perfect amount of color to any outfit.
ReplyDeleteI loved your commentary in this post as well. It's hard for some people to understand fashion as an art form and I think that you did such an exquisite job at justifying this. Thank you for putting things in a nice perspective.
As I am going to college next year, somewhere as far as across the country or just a state away, I fear how I will take things with me. How much clothing can I shoves into a suitcase so as to properly express my blooming sense of style? How many books and figurines and stuffed animals should I take with me? I name inanimate objects, and there are stories behind every book on my three cases.
ReplyDeleteI would like to lead a nomadic life, but I fear I have too much of a collection tying me down to who I am now.
I adore your tights. For the longest time I have tried mastering buns, but they don't seem to work in my curly hair.
Love this! That red skirt is darling on you.. and I love the rings!
ReplyDeleteI lived in one place for 18 years. Then I moved 3 times in a year. That really opened my eyes and made me start a crusade to get rid of clutter. Clothes keep piling though.
ReplyDeleteI definitely like to collect objects, but almost all of the ones I collect are functional and even if I can't really use them now, I gravitate toward objects that once had a use. But, you're right; I can't take my ceramic collection to a party...
ReplyDeleteYou speak like a real clothes lover. ;]
ReplyDeleteI love these shots, and your look!! Gorgeous! I'll be back for inspiration, no doubt. I actually just started a fashion-y blog of my own and just stumbled upon yours looking for blogs of a similar type.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff! ;)
Concerning clothes, I see them as souvenirs when I'm travelling! It's bad but also nice to know that some of my things have little stories to tell. I've got far too many clothes though, you've reminded me that I need to sort them all out soon!
ReplyDeleteluv the outfit, the colors are perfect and i like that you have your hair in a bun. you look totally warm and stylish.
ReplyDeleteWhere do you find the wonderful settings you shoot in??!!! Your style is totally amazing!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness....I love this. Beautiful setting, great color schemes (can never go wrong with red, black, and white), and brogues. Gotta love the brogues.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who is quite often verging on obsessive collecting behaviour, I find that thought very interesting. Moreover, sometimes I find myself not wearing clothes I love for fear of destroying them. I see them more as something I'd like to "collect" and not so much "wear". Not sure what I should do with that observation, though...
ReplyDeleteI really love your little aeroplane ring, it's the cutest
ReplyDeletething. Your shoes are great.
Carmen.xx.
somewhwer alog the way
ReplyDeletemy hopefulness turned to sadness
Somewhere along the way
my sadness turned to bitterness
Somewhere along the way
my bitterness turned to anger
Somewhere along the way
my anger turned to vengence
And the ones that I made pay were never the ones who deserved it
And the ones who deserved it, they'll never understand it.
Yes, I know I'm going to Hell in a Leather jacket
'Least I'll be in another world while you're pissing on my casket
out of the blue-JUlian Casablancas
ReplyDeletewise words!
ReplyDeleteI love your photographs - such lovely colours and the waistcoat, a very stylish outfit.
ReplyDeleteI totally resonate with this. I spend my money on my clothes because it's what I interact with the most. I love all beautiful things but my clothes are part of my daily life and therefore more worthy somehow. Glad to know I'm not the only one!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love love love those rings!
I kind of know what you mean...I will talk about this on my blog very soon but I was supposed to move this January - and I won't any more. Anyway, I also stopped buying books and basically everything besides clothes. I am actually already looking forward to the day when I can have an awesome cluttered house.
ReplyDeleteI also have lots of dresses hanging on my walls :)
Even though my "home" at college and my actual home are not incredibly far from one another, I totally understand what you mean. My clothes serve as a great (ever-expanding) collection and feeling of some consistency.
ReplyDeleteI also must say that your rings are adorable.
Bluebird Notes
Ssshh... don't let Nasha read this. Don't want the little rabbit to think she doesn't have her place in the style world! ;) True, I like that a wardrobe can be like a multitasking performance art, and its display isn't constrained by the walls of a museum or showroom floor.
ReplyDeleteYour style is incredible. You're one of my main fashion inspirations right now :) It'd be so cool if you could follow me too??
ReplyDeletehttp://mypeachprincess.blogspot.com/
Love,
xx. Peach Princess
oh myy, your gold birdy ring looks so grandeur, i love it. youre making me want tomorrow to come faster so that i can buy that gold ring!
ReplyDelete