Glimmer of sunshine

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Morningside Market

My friends took me to Morningside Market, a farmer's market held on Saturday mornings at 8am across from Alon's in Virginia Highlands.  It's a cute size and everyone there was very friendly and enthusiastic about sustainability, organic living, etc.  The produce and meat turned out to be really delicious - you can taste the difference.  There are a lot of benefits of organic food such as retained nutrients, less pesticides, and better pay for the producers.

As you can imagine, the way everyone was dressed reminded me of home - randomly-bundled or hipster.  But I liked the unpretentiousness of it all.  You can get some pretty interesting ensembles, intentional or not.

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Army green parkas

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Green and gold colorblocking

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Dark leather, stormy weather

Still trying to figure out the camera on my new phone...

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Designers from Down Under

 

After discovering some really cool Australian fashion bloggers (Sara Donaldson of Harper and Harley and Margaret Zhang of Shine by Three), I've been longing to see these Australian clothes in person even though I probably couldn't afford them...  I didn't know that Australia had such an active, contemporary fashion scene!  However, most of them don't even ship to the US!  So sad, maybe one day...


Aje plays a lot with proportion and a lot of contrasting textures.  Very trendy.  What I would imagine is the equivalent of a "Cali girl" in Australia.

 

Lover, famous for their lace pieces and popular with Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr.  When I looked them up, I was happily surprised to see that their pieces had smart, interesting cuts as well.

Macgraw, cohesive color palettes and flattering cool girl silhouettes.  A lot of both office appropriate and girly outfits.

 The last I've come across is Manning Cartell, a brand that incorporates a lot of beautiful print art and avant-garde shapes into their clothing.

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Wing-ardium leviosa

Pudi has always been the quintessential cool kid.  He's a SERIOUS magician, and he has a really unique style of his own that I couldn't see anyone else quite pulling off in the same way.  And I love his angel wing shoes.

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Free People, an elusive brand

Now, I'm all for creating a certain brand identity and trying to reach a certain demographic.  It makes business sense and artistically, the creative directors and designers can hone in on their visions.  However, Free People has always been one of those brands I've never understood.  I know what they're theoretically trying to portray - clothes for a free spirited, bohemian, young, fit, somewhat rebellious girl.  When I look at the clothes in person, I appreciate the (most likely?) handmade beading and embroidery, and I admire how they can mix and match very clashing textures and prints.  I like the crafted, organic aesthetic and 70's inspiration.  It sticks true to its image, and you can often tell just by a glance that THAT is by Free People.

From the latest Jan. 2013 catalogue.  credit: Free People

However, if you take a step back and think... how do you actually wear this stuff (appropriately) if you aren't in LA or Dublin, or off to a music festival?  I can't decide if I'd look crazier with one eccentric piece mixed in with my normal clothes, or in a whole ensemble.  Despite the often loose fits, how could a curvier person pull most of these things off without looking frumpy?  And is the price really worth the vintage look of pre-dirtied shoes?  If those unauthentic rips tear any more and the fabric flaps around your money is kind of wasted, no?  But then again this stuff sells, so... maybe I'm just not the target audience.

That has always been my dilemma, and I always want to give it a chance.  I walk into the store, feel silly and walk back out.  But the other day, I actually found something I really liked!

A fit and flare, 3/4 sleeve, slightly dipped back dress in a fabric that's in between jersey and ponte.  It falls very nicely and fits - and isn't too short, as many Free People dresses seem to be (and I'm not even all that tall!)  At 60% off, it was worth it.  I suppose as with any collection - even though you might not think that the brand as a whole is your style or price point - you might be able to find a piece that suits you, which is reason enough to give any store a quick comb-through.

EDIT:  I found it online - it's called the Garden Sleeve Embroidered dress :)  I guess I was lucky because it was a little cheaper in stores.

I kid you not, the embroidery caught my eye through the window from the back sales rack while I was outside the store.  In my opinion, this type of floral seems kind of European (although the trend lately has been towards Latin and South American designs.)  It's intricate but subtle, and has a slight sheen to it; it's not something like a bow or a ribbon that you could just sew onto a normal dress.  This sort of unexpected detail is what I love.

They bagged my purchase in a big sling tote instead of a paper shopping bag, which no doubt is included in the ticket price, but hopefully people will end up reusing them.

I now consider Free People a tiny bit un-puzzled in my mind's shopping registry!

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