Thursday, March 31, 2011

Day 5



Caroline's outfit:
Shirt- JC Penney (Gift from Mom)
Skirt- Goodwill
Wrap- Marshalls
Shoes- Rainbow
Necklace/Watch- Kohls


Alexandra's outfit
:
Shirt: Wal-Mart
Jeggings: Old Navy
Shoes: Crossroads
Hat: Target

Caroline: Yo soy hija de mi madre.

El ‘outfit’ de hoy me recuerda a mi madre. Ella me compró esta camisa en mi última visita a la isla, siempre preguntándome si era lo suficientemente ‘caliente’ para el invierno en Normal.

De cierto modo, este look también refleja mucho de su estilo: mi mamá es una mujer muy ‘hip’. Le gustan las faldas [igual que a mi], la ropa holgada, los aretes de argollas grandes, las bufandas, y siempre [SIEMPRE] lleva muchisímas pulseras... Es algo tan de ella: es su estilo, igual que su maquillaje de gitana. De ella he heredado mucha de la ropa y accesorios que tengo, y estoy casi segura que ella es la culpable de que yo ame tanto los zapatos y las carteras.

Pensaran que estoy nostalgica, pero me parece totalmente normal que hoy, más que nunca, la esté extrañando porque mañana es su cumpleaños. Por eso me vestí para traerla aquí conmigo... Porque ella también soy yo... Y yo también soy ella...

Alexandra: "It is always better to be slightly underdressed." - Coco Chanel

Today I decided to keep my outfit simple. I could lie and say that I had the overwhelming desire to go the more natural, clean route, but really I did it because I need to do my laundry!

As a woman, it requires a fair amount of self-confidence to go out in public with little makeup and accessories, which is probably why so many women refrain from doing so. Although at age 22 I have 97.395291% accepted myself for who I am, I still envy those naturally beautiful women. You know, those rare women who roll out of bed looking beautiful in the morning (I'm looking at you, Flavia).
There is something to be said for simplicity.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Day 4



Caroline's outfit:
Wrap/Scarf/Cardigan- Marshalls
Dress- Old Navy
Shoes- Payless
Bracelet- Gift from Marilí


Alexandra's outfit:
Shirt: Target
Jeggings: Old Navy
Cardigan: Hand-me-down from Mom
Shoes: Forever 21

Caroline: Roja de izquierda

Tengo demasiada ropa negra. ¡Pero no me culpen! El negro es perfecto: te hace ver delgada, es elegante, lo puedes combinar con todo....y la lista sigue y sigue. El rojo de mi scarf y de mis zapatos demuestra que no me he podido despegar el Caribe [tampoco quiero], así que cuando me veas con negro siempre habrá algo que diga BOOM, porque amo mezclarlo con colores super vivos. El balance, chicos... ¡el balance!

Alexandra: Team Jeggings!

I remember being introduced to jeggings when I worked at Anthropologie 2 years ago. My initial reaction being: "Wait...jeans that feel like leggings...? That. is. so. tacky. I really hope this doesn't become popular." Boy, have my sentiments changed. I LOVE BLACK JEGGINGS!

On the rare occasion that I'm not wearing a dress, you'll be sure to find me in my black jeggings. They are the most comfortable pair of pants that I have ever owned and they lend themselves to a variety of outfits. You can make them girly with a floral top and wedges or make them masculine with a pair of chucks, an SF Giants tee, and a faux leather jacket.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Day 3



Caroline's outfit:
Scarf/Wrap/Shirt- Marshall
Skirt- Goodwill
Shoes - Payless


Alexandra's outfit:
Dress: Forever 21
Jacket: LOFT
Boots: Target
Belt: Charlotte Russe
Tights: Kohl's
Hat: Urban Outfitters

Caroline: Las buenas obras de Goodwill.

Encontré esta falda en Goodwill (mi nueva tienda favorita para faldas). Se veía tan triste y sola, así que decidí adoptarla.

Pensé que debía escoger un día especial para mostrársela al mundo. Y ese día fue hoy: el día que volvió a nevar en Normal.

Fue tan triste mirar por la ventana y ver la nieve caer. Ya nos habíamos ilusionado con la llegada de la primavera y le habíamos dicho adiós a los guantes. Pero entendí que la madre naturaleza es juguetona y que no vale de nada la depresión postnieve, así que decidí seguirle el juego: alguien tenía que traer la alegría a Normal... dicen que las buenas obras son buenas pal’ corazón.

Alexandra: This is a story of boy meets girl

Growing up I was a tomboy. No, rather, I was a boy. I wore sweatpants and Pokemon t-shirts every day, sported a bowl cut, wore black tennis shoes, collected football cards, and was known only as "Alex". I got confused for a boy more often than I'd like to admit.

Perhaps my favorite style today is merely an evolution of my oh-so-stylish look from my earlier days, because I adore combining traditionally feminine styling elements (e.g. floral patterns, dresses, and tons of jewelry) with more masculine elements (e.g. leather and military jackets, fedoras). I suppose no one can really ever escape their past, no matter how terrifying.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Day 2



Alexandra's Outfit:
Dress: Old Navy
Blazer: H&M
Leggings: Simply Vera
Shoes: ShoeDazzle


Caroline's Outfit:
Headwrap: Gift from Amsterdam
Turtleneck: Target
Poncho: Forever 21
Skirt: Thrift store
Boots: Can’t remember!

Caroline: Los turtlenecks son un regalo de Dios.

La primavera se había asomado, pero se volvió a esconder...

¿Por qué le pasan estas cosas a la boricua?

Lo cierto es que los caribeños siempre le vemos el lado bueno a las cosas, así que pensé: “YES! Mis turtlenecks!”

Quizás todo forma parte de un deseo reprimido (por haber vivido toda mi vida en temperaturas de casi 100 grados), pero lo más que me ha gustado de vivir en la Alaska del Midwest son los turtlenecks, las bufandas y este poncho que compré en rebaja en Chicago, imaginando una vida normal aquí.


Alexandra: Odds & Ends
A dear colleague of mine made a comment about my outfit today that made me smile. She said something to the effect of: "You put these outfits together using things that I wouldn't think would go well together. Like the short leggings and the dress, but then they look so cool." It made me smile, because that is essentially my thought process when I put my outfits together. I'm all about finding pieces that don't seem like they would compliment each other (e.g. mixing random prints and colors) when you put them next to each other, but with the right styling it creates a pleasing effect.

Fall and Winter are my favorite seasons for fashion, because it's almost as if one's body is a blank canvas waiting to be painted, but instead of paint and pastels you can layer on many various colors, patterns, and accessories. I suppose since I was never the artistic child in the traditional sense, I found my niche in clothing and accessories.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Day 1

Totally Normal: Caroline and Alexandra start a fashion blog whose title is a play on words referencing where we go to school and displays how differently we dress. Caroline, a Puerto Rican rastafarian, and Alexandra, a Bay Area hipster, could not dress more differently. However, despite their different styles both are avid fashionistas stuck in Suburbia, IL. This blog will showcase both girls' daily clothing ensemble, deconstruct the look, and write about it. The point of the blog is to demonstrate that personal style is an integral part of one's identity, an expression of the self, that one need not spend hundreds of dollars to look chic, lastly and, perhaps most importantly, that fashion is a fluid term.

Enjoy

Alexandra

Day 1:


Caroline & Alexandra
Esteban makes a cameo in the shoot
Alexandra:
Dress & scarf - H&M
Faux leather jacket & boots - Forever 21
Cableknit tights - GAP



Caroline:
Shirt- Kohls
Skirt- American Eagle
Scarf and Wrap- Marshalls
Shoes- Rainbow (Puerto Rican brand)