Stylized.

Weheartit

""Style" is an expression of individualism mixed with charisma. Fashion is something that comes after style."
(John Fairchild)

Dear Mr. Fairchild,

If only it were that simple.

love,
Marlee

I've been sitting on this post for about a week. Writing it out, adding pictures, deciding I actually hate it, getting rid of everything.  . . . So it's actually been remarkably like my usual style conundrum.

I'd love to look like this image found on weheartit. Cleanly messy.

You see, here is my issue. I'm gonna try to get it into a little nutshell. I don't really follow celebrity fashion (in an "apply it to myself" sort of way) because I can't really think of a situation where I will have to be as dolled up as they are. They look gorgeous (usually) but I'm not in that universe and it's not required of my life. Following their day-to-day fashion choices requires looking at pictures taken by the paparazzi. I do not like the paparazzi. I get that it is their jobs at premieres, etc, but I find following people and hounding them (the people that want to be left alone, not the celebutantes . . . they're fair game) and creating dangerous situations to be pretty awful. 

Point being: no inspiration from the Hollywood quarter.

I also have a sort of odd body shape (larger on top, but straight skinny hips)
 

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 This brings us to vintage photography and style bloggers. As I've tried to determine how I want to present myself, I've started pulling photos, links (as everyone does, this isn't rocket science), and creating a list with sort of associative words for how I want to look, and what I want the clothes to be.

Deborah Kaplan, from Jeana Sohn's blog series, Closet Visit.

Natural fibers (cotton. cotton. cotton cotton cotton), fitted, classic lines, slightly off-beat, bold colors, denim, leather. Right now I'm working on blending what seems like the two aesthetics that have stuck with me the longest: clean and classic with a sort of bohemian twist. 

photo of Janis Joplin by Jim Marshall, simple top with awesome necklaces and badass attitude.

Lauren Moffatt, from Refinery29

Image from the Sartorialist

The two blogs that seem to help me with this the most is of course, the amazing street style blog The Sartorialist and Joanna Goddard's A Cup of Jo. I also, of course, rip out pages and spreads from magazines and keep them in a binder that I cull through every couple of months . . . I feel like that in particular helps me discover visually what I consistantly love and am drawn to. 

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I'm still not sure if I'm totally happy with this post, but what can you do? Just get on with it, I guess.