Friends and such

Jody, a beautiful, smart, and fierce classmate, lays the smackdown on a half-page color ad in the Daily Iowan (the UI student rag):

http://128.255.92.80/display/0923/uihc.jpg.

Seriously, check out the link above and prepare to be appalled.  UI Health Care is targeting girls in their late teens for plastic surgery advertising.

We'll definitely see more of Jody if she allows it--she's perfected the art of elegant simplicity, and looking like a million dollars in Goodwill finds.

My roommate Alli, an adventurous fashionista, has a new haircut and a fun church outfit:

Alli's an expert at wearing neon-colored tights without looking outlandish--she lets just a little bit show, and it matches something else she's wearing--in this case, some of the butterflies in her scarf.

And, like the Cancer she is, she gets beer for the menfolk . . . looking every bit like St. Pauli girl.

Productive Friday!

I saw this lady on the bus, and I was glad she wasn't in too much of a rush to have her picture taken.

Zuri says she accumulates random articles of clothing, and throws on whatever strikes her fancy in the morning.  Organized chaos--it works!  There's a lot of color and texture contrast, but most of the colors are subdued, so the outfit as a whole isn't overwhelming.

Kaye, who works at The Wedge Pizzeria in the ped mall, goes for soft, comfortable clothes.  That just happen to be awesomely chic.

Kiera, meanwhile, likes to be "outta the box".  What caught my eye was the iteration of stripes, and the different shades of blue, both highlighted by solid, dark colors.

Her outfit reminds me that wearing even a couple small embellishments can really spice up your day.  It makes you feel like you're manifesting something more exciting than real life usually is. 

Starting to overcome my shyness . . .

At least enough to ask people's names.  (I asked the very first time if the ladies wanted their names associated with the pics, but they preferred not.)


It reached the high 70s today, perfect for in-between fashion.

Brittany, left, is going for comfort right now, but trying (successfully) to inject some cool.  Her little sister Mallory's byword is hippie chic.  Love the necklaces and brown leather footwear!  (A little blurry . . . maybe I need to buy a monopod.)

Rebecca, in the ped mall, prefers sensible clothing, with an injection of fun and culture.

Can always find someone well-dressed at the Tobbaco Bowl.

It was getting dark, so the outside pics didn't turn out.  At least you can see bit of the hip, yet unpretentious, interior of the Tobacco Bowl:

Adrianne is a budding photographer (check out her website), and recommended that I troll the interwebs for a variety of photo-editing programs.  I neglected to ask if any of them work for old Macs.

I love this outfit because it's casual and understated, yet the blocks of color are structured and pleasing.  The graphic on the tee, olive-green earrings, coarse-fabric hat, and fun rings (which you can't see in this photo) add just enough detail to make the outfit interesting, without being overwhelming.

These boots are made . . . you know.

I've been waiting for the right weather to try this outfit.  It never got above the low 60s, and my legs would be cold for the first few minutes every time I stepped outside.  With plenty of layers on top, though, you can get away with bare legs in the fall.

The shorts are almost too short for my taste--I'll have to apply Fray Guard to the rough edges to keep them from getting any shorter.

I started noticing this type of necklace--random tarnished pendants on a metal chain of generous length--in magazines a couple years ago, and I hastened to emulate it.  Pendants found at antique stores, gifted from friends, or revived from pre-teen jewelry boxes are far more pleasing than a contrivance at Express or Maurice's could ever be.  The bronze arrowehead is from a childhood friend in New Jersey that I've lost touch with, and the men's spinny ring was found on the ground by my best gentleman friend.

A couple friends of mine excel in this tomboyish, salt-of-the-earth style as well: one in Lawrence, Kansas wears a silver St. Christopher medallion almost every day, along with her punk/metal T-shirts; and another in Norman, Oklahoma wears Southwestern necklaces over T-shirts with the collars cut off.  These two women have far more claim to salt-of-the-earthness than I could ever hope for.

First Photo Expedition

The White Rabbit is an indie/vintage boutique in downtown Iowa City.  In addition to used clothing, shoes, and accessories, they have a wide array of craft items, many locally made: prints and notecards, artwork, clutches, hair accessories, jewelry, journals and notepads, and much more.  Many of the items are made locally.  Check out the website: http://www.whiterabbitgallery.com/index2.php.

The shop moved into a larger location across the street over the summer, and a new addition is a coffee bar.  The two ladies sitting at the bar (left and right below) and the server (middle) obliged me with a group photo.

The lady on the right has a business called Drainbowland, and the server has one called Candida Etc.

The lady at the register posed with her luscious tattoos:

She made the self-deprecating claim that she has no sense of style--"I just wear whatever's clean."  Even without the tattoos, I beg to differ: the understated neutral shirt helps ground a whimsical, bright-colored skirt and pair of tights.

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