Connect the Dots

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Victoria

When I was a kid, connect the dots was my favorite amongst all the games and puzzles in my Highlights magazines. There was something magical about transforming what looked to be a bunch of haphazard dots into a recognizable image with just the trace of my pencil. Although I have outgrown those puzzles, I still have an affinity for dots.

The dot design has been around since medieval times. It gained popularity in the mid 1800s when polka music was trendy. During this music and dance craze, everything and everyone and their mom was decked out in dots, and the name “polka dots” was coined. Anything with polka dots instantly conjures up a retro vibe, and reminds me of the 1950s, when it gained widespread popularity again.

I don’t think my outfit lives up to the polka, but rather should be more aptly called wallflower dots. It lacks the boldness of the polka dot and isn’t quite equally sized and spaced, but has a charm and daintiness about them none-the-less. Because of the relatively neutral nature of my patterns, I was able to mix and match them, and layered in different fabric textures as well. The dot theme is constant, but you will have to look closely to see. I threw in a cheetah print scarf to add an organic element to the otherwise structured graphic dots. The studded booties also make for an interesting 3-D take on the dot and are an edgy contrast to the overall feminine look, topped off with a retro cloche.

I promise to feature more polka dots in future posts, but don’t connect my dots please.

Goodwill Hunting: When Wooly Met Poly

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Victoria

Harry and Sally. Sonny and Cher. Wool coat, meet polyester blouse: one a natural fiber, the other a synthetic.

I have a nasty habit of donating to Goodwill, only to turn around and purchase something from their retail store. On a recent trip there, I ambled up and down the aisles until I found this wonderful bright blue polyester blouse in a petite size (such a rarity!). I should have stopped there, but, feeling a bit empty handed, I proceeded on to the coat racks. It must have been serendipity, for I discovered this wooly coat in excellent condition, minus the mystery wadded up tissue in the pocket.

Being a petite girl, I am not usually a fan of oversized shapes, as they overwhelm my figure. However, the cocoon-like silhouette of this jacket was an exception. The roomy shape actually allows me to pile on a chunky wool sweater underneath. No need to worry about weird bunching of layers, which often occurs when you try to cram too much under a fitted jacket with a defined waistline.

The speckles of charcoal, blue, brown, and red in the coat inspired the color palette for this outfit. The rough wooliness of the coat and the smooth sheen of the blouse combine to create a texture rich ensemble.

Talk about Goodwill hunting.

Wooly and Poly by chicvic featuring max c

Sprung Over Spring Trends

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Victoria

Before the frost has had a chance to melt, spring is already in the air. I guess global warming is a bigger problem than I thought. However, the New York trend reports are to blame for this short-lived dry winter, not our carbon footprints. Unless you’re wearing a pair of red soled Louboutins.

No time to comb through the runway shows? Fear not, for I have broken it down into digestible chunks for you. Some of these trends may not come as a surprise, as fashion tends to cycle through several seasons and repeats itself in history. For example, midriffs are back in style, and harks back to the I Dream of Jeannie days. My favorite trend so far is the peek-a-boo fishnet and web-like wovens, as if lace took a turn to the dark side.

Which trend are you dying to get your hands on this season?

cage lace: Louis Vuitton

chambray and denim: 3.1 Phillip Lim

far east movement: Prada

neon brights: Oscar de la Renta

petals and florals: Etro

global prints: Vera Wang

high contrast graphics: Marc Jacobs

homme femme: Ralph Lauren

leather clad: Jason Wu

midriff: Timo Welland

white slice: Alexander Wang

sheer: Missoni

frills: Balenciaga

You Can Toucan

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Victoria

Happy New Year! Nothing like ringing in the frosty weather by bringing in pops of color and showing a little leg in my first outfit post of 2013.

I would sum up my holiday vacation to Belize in one word: ADVENTUROUS. The sights I saw were simply unbelizable. The weather was gorgeous, the people were friendly, the seafood was plentiful, and the mosquitos weren’t really biting. What more could I ask for? Oh yes, much, much more: snorkeled with tropical fish, turtles, manta rays, and nurse sharks in the second longest barrier reef in the world; hiked through a muddy dense jungle in the pouring rain; found out what it was like to literally be stuck between a rock and a hard place as I shimmied my way through tight spaces and waded through waist deep water in dark caves; witnessed the spectacle of glistening stalagmites and stalactites; and climbed the steep ancient stairs of the Mayan ruins. There were many Kodak moments that weren’t captured on camera, so I’ll just have to rely on the snapshots in my memory.

Ready for the Amazing Race

I touched the nurse sharks

Pretty pastels

Warm clear water

Bright blue

Is that a banana in your hand or are you happy to see me?

Lamanai

Fan of the flora

Ice cold coconut

Toucan whistle souvenirs

Peppers

Tikal

Hearty lunch after Tikal

Share the road!

As for local fashion trends, there really wasn’t anything too exemplary. Even I looked a bit haggard during the trip and donned the stereotypical tourist look: hat, tank top, khaki cargo capris, and hiking shoes. Chic Vic I was not.

There was just one colorful trendsetter in Belize that was out of sight due to its fleeting nature: the toucan. The toucan is the national bird of Belize. Unless you’re an avid birdwatcher or an early bird, the sighing of this colorful beauty is rare and few to the average Joe.

The toucan is a great of example of color blocking at nature’s finest, second only to the panda bear. Color blocking is exactly what it sounds like: wearing “blocks” of color – solids only, no prints. Sorry leopard, zebra, and cheetah, you’re out of luck. I was inspired to use the colors from my souvenir toucan salt and pepper shakers to mimic a little color blocking myself. Pencil skirt, flared skirt, or skinny pants? I couldn’t decide on what black bottom to wear, when at the last moment, while digging through my dense closet, I had forgotten I owned this pair of silk shorts purchased from Express many seasons ago. And just like that, a faux romper look was created. I tied it all together with a silk scarf at my waist for a makeshift cummerbund. The blouse, silk scarf, shoes, and earrings are thrifted. Approximate cost of head to toe look including the toucans: under $50.

Unfortunately, shortly after this photo-shoot ended, both birds suffered trauma resulting from impact on concrete due to my clumsiness. Pepper survived with only minor cuts and bruises, while Salt had to undergo major reconstructive beak surgery by Dr. Superglue. Both birds are now resting and will never serve their purpose of being salt and pepper vessels.

Hey Mon, can’t wait to shake my tail feather once it gets warmer here.