So as you can probably guess, I've been sitting on these photos for a while. A last minute post-brunch decision, from before the world went to hell. And then as things got worse - and worse - and somehow worse again, it became really hard for me to imagine a time when I'd be back to regularly posting. Which is not what this is (I'm sorry, think you'll have to find someone else for your at home/quarantine content), but I decided I wanted to remember this day, and this friend, and the lovely weather and brunch we had at Unconventional Diner.

The end.

So it turns out that that rule about not buying a piece that requires you to buy other pieces works pretty well. Each of these were separate purchases over a decent span of time, and none of them were bought with this outfit in mind. But I think together it results in an obviously historically inspired but contemporary outfit, that brings me a lot of joy.

I'm not going to lie - one of the reasons I don't do buying guides or wishlists is that I rarely have a very specific piece in mind when clothes shopping, and even when I do, it's rare that what I'm eyeing fits the way I like. I am a person who buys a lot and keeps very little - it's a gift and a curse, because I'll try on almost anything and sometimes that works in my favor even when I don't want it to. I think that's the hardest thing to explain to people about my wardrobe. I try on, and even temporarily buy, a LOT because the percentage of what I actually like and keep is negligible. Ok, well may not negligible, but it's certainly not HIGH. I like clothing and admire how other people look in them, which influences what I decide to try, but it doesn't change what I decide to keep because if it doesn't look good it doesn't look good.

Which is all well and good as a philosophy until I find myself in the dressing room at a Christy Dawn pop-up and all of the seemingly large and oversized "one size fits all" pieces look like sh*t. Like all things in life it's a work in progress.

I know that it's August and people are ready to start winding down on the whole "summer" thing, but DC DOES NOT STAND FOR THIS BLASPHEMY.

If there is a chance for it to be hot as hell and humid it will take it, and for moments like that I glad I splurged a bit over the winter on this LACAUSA (care of Anthropologie) dress. I did a little surgery and brought the neckline up a little, for obvious reasons, and I have to say I can see this is staying with me for years as a rooftop/vacation/hot-as-balls dress.

Plus, it looks perfect with flats.

In case you're as obsessive about my wardrobe as I am (doubtful), you may have noticed a distinct lack of skirts on the blog over the last year or two. Slowly but surely I got rid of almost every one I owned, with the most simple of reasons - I just didn't want to wear them anymore. It took a lot of online mental convincing to even get me to the point of trying any on this season, but Reformation got me over the finish line.

I got exclamations of shock from some of the associates when I said this in store, but I do actually find Reformation to fit true to size. It might not fit well, and it might not look great, but it does fit, and so I wasn't totally shocked that the size 12 did here. What did shock me was how well it flowed over the parts of myself I'm most self-conscious about, and how fun the bright green was. I considered the investment in one skirt I truly loved worth it, though after wearing it a couple times in real life I've also decided that for my own comfort I'm going to be sewing down the slit an inch or two hahaha.

And in an effort to be totally transparent, this lovely cross-body bag did a number on the weave of the skirt, causing some picks over my hip that did destroy my life a little. BUT. I am buying clothes to wear and you know what happens? Picks, runs, stains, LIFE. I refuse to invest in a skirt that makes me happy and never wear it because I'm scared of messing it up. I'm woosahing about the whole thing, because if you don't wear your favorite pieces, what's the point?

With these boots I've officially decided I'm not going to keep trying black ankle booties. I like them on everyone else, which in theory would imply I'd like them on myself, but alas. On me all I see are boots that make my legs look short and wide, which is not really what I'm going for. And it doesn't matter what I've worn with them, the color or length of the jeans, or the top. It is what it is. But does that mean I don't enjoy these relatively recent Free People purchase? Hell no, because they're comfortable and have a slightly longer base to protect the pointed tip of the boot which, by the way, is GENIUS. What this new information does do is let me know that there will be no Acne Jensen or other boots in my future, because the style doesn't make me happy enough for a real investment.

In another tale of "Dana over analyzes past purchases", we have this Eileen Fisher top. I bought it during a phase of admiration for true minimalist bloggers, in an attempt to emulate the particular type of neutral/clean lines/etc characteristics that they look for in pieces. In the end I'm not sure I was spectacularly successful. This top is comfortable, but the for the price I can't help but feel delicate with it, and I'm just waiting for the day when the armpits take on that dreaded yellow tone. And I feel like the neckline isn't as flattering as it could be, since I really only wear this top when I'm able to wear my hair down, the help frame things better. All in all I'm mostly glad that I bought it so I could experiment with the look, but the more I follow ethical/minimalist bloggers, the more I become convinced that I'm too attached to more a culturally mandated sense of "flattering" for it to actually become part of my look long term.

Sometimes a print or a shape alone is enough to get me to walk into a new-to-me store, and that's exactly what happened with Me Two Designs. I had never seen the storefront before in Tyson's, but I loved the combination of more modern shapes with the traditional African print. The sizing is a little strange - this large fit perfectly, but others weren't going over my hips or boobs without divine intervention - but it's definitely a label I'd like to explore more in the future.

Oh, and if you're taller than me this dress would probably be perfect for you to wear with flat sandals, I had to hem about 3" off the bottom.

I've thought about this, and apparently I have very little to say about this outfit other than -

1) I love maxi dresses
2) I'm sorry this one is old so there's no current links to buy it new
3) The correct maxi dress length is always nearly skimming the ground while wearing your shoes of choice, thus guaranteeing the longest leg line possible.

A big part of my trip to NY this past weekend was going to see in person a lot of the brands I'd only been able to interact with online: Sezane, Christy Dawn, The Frankie Shop, etc. You know, those big, usually more ethically minded darlings, that spoke to me aesthetically but who's size charts I was dubious of (to say the least). And in the end, while I'm glad I got to try things on, damn if it wasn't a bit of a blow to the ego.


I already knew that ethical brands didn't really welcome the inbetweenie/plus size customer. Outside of Universal Standard, I'm not even sure I could name another one focused on that demographic (Elizabeth Suzann kind of does, but their "Plus One Size" doesn't feel nearly descriptive enough to justify the price tag). Ultimately what I found myself faced with were pieces that either didn't fit, or fit so badly as to be comical, because the brand themselves didn't create clothing with curves - let alone big boobs - in mind. This usually isn't enough to get me down, but after the same experience in store after store, I'm not going to lie to you and say that it didn't.

When living in the interesting mindf*ck of a time where body positivity is being used to usher in a new wave of personal insecurities, being faced yet again with brands that didn't want or care about my body was annoying. And hurtful. The mental work I go through on the regular to try and reprogram the things my brain sees as "good" and "desirable" is exhausting enough, and when these brands that purport to disrupt the maintstream still act to enforce the extremely narrow definitions of beauty that are already all over the media, it's just another kick when I'm down.

Being a lover of fashion and a consumer/creator of content in the community means my personal style is a journey of discovery just as much as the rest of my life. I fall in love with people and places and feelings and hope that I can replicate them, but rarely do I feel like the inspiration stays true to the vision. For good or ill, once it's on me - curvy, average height me - it's not going to be what it looks like on anyone else.

I think the new hard mental work will be me getting to the place that NOT looking like it does on everyone else is ok. Great event. I'm not sure I'll be getting to the "love my body" place any time soon (if ever, if I'm being honest - I still can't see my FUPA as anything but a problem (which I'm also embarrassed to admit)) but I'm trying.


So please excuse my word vomit, in and among pictures of myself I was viscerally uncomfortable in, both because I felt like it highlighted features of my self I don't show often (tummy and legs) and also because I don't like male attention and I felt like this rode the line of making me a target (which I recognize is their problem and I shouln't make it mine, but here we are).

I know, I know - another floral dress. I'm not claiming to be the progenitor of unique personal style, but dang if I don't love a good dress. And this one is 100% cotton, which is an incredible win in DC's humid summers.

Now to be honest, I haven't been impressed with Anthropologie's offerings in a while, but I think they're having a very strong Spring/Summer. The last time I was in my local store I tried on a bunch of different dresses and tops, and while this was the only one that made it home with me, that doesn't mean some other piece wouldn't be perfect for you.

After 7 straight days of humidity, rain, and generally gross weather, this past Sunday things once again felt like summer. Now whether that was an improvement is up for debate, but I am just sadder as a person when I can't feel the sun on my face or get some fresh air. Plus I was super happy to finally get the chance to share with you the pieces I bought from Reformation, cool girl brand extraordinaire.

Now I want to preface this post by saying this brand is not affordable in my opinion. It's up to you to decide if their ethical stance and fabric choices make the prices a bit more palatable, but what finally tipped me over the edge was the fact that I'd be trying so many similar styles, but could never find the right fit. Also, I hate when my ads are full of a brand I've never tried, that I've only seen on people skinnier than me, that I liked but wasn't even sure if it would fit me at all (see their only very recent introduction of plus sizes).

But with free shipping and returns I threw caution to the wind and bought two pieces, which (shockingly) ended up not only fitting, but fitting incredibly well. First up is the Thelma Dress, in a size 12.

According to fit notes and size chart on the website, the predicted 32.5" waist for the size combined with a slim fitting bodice had me about 70% positive it wouldn't fit (I'm narrow under the bust but my true waist is a bit closer to 35"). But not only did it zip all the way up on the first try, the slim fit and adjustable straps allowed me to get away without wearing a bra at all. Plus - and I have no idea why this isn't emphasized on the website - the buttons are only functional from the waist down. Which means there is NO BUTTON GAPING along the bust, and for someone's who tried on most of the button front dresses that are so popular this season, it was a freaking revelation.

I'm sharing pictures after wearing the dress and hand-washing it in cold water, and while the bottom is indeed slightly sheer (which is why you can kind of see the outline of the pockets) I don't find it a problem as long as I wear nude undies. Also, even after steaming you can see that there are wrinkles, which is a result of the dress being 100% linen and DC being a humid swamp of (sometimes) death. I knew what I was getting into buying a linen dress, and after being out all day I think it just gives the overall affect of looking "lived in" but your mileage may vary. Me? I'm looking forward to wearing the CRAP out of this dress for the next forever.

Since this dress is sold out, here are some other floral maxi dresses - on sale! - that I also like: from Lord & Taylor (30% off for F& F) - one, two, three;  ASOS - one; Neiman Marcus - one (love this one in theory!), two.

While it's probably a little torturous to showcase a dress you can't get anymore, I still can't stop myself from sharing the other pictures from the Botanic Gardens. I'm actually really happy I got the chance to re-shoot this dress here, because it was always my dream location (just one of those dreams that's a bit harder to achieve without another person, lol). I've pretty much always worn this kind of fancy maxi dress to casual occasions, probably because I one day hope of being as absolutely give no f*cks as Dita Von Teese.

If you're lucky, and you time it just right, in DC you can experience some of the most beautiful scenery ever. I don't care how touristy it's considered, getting outside and to the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms in all their glory is always worth it.

I've been extraordinary lucky that my friends are willing to make the trek with me, and this year Ali, of Heliantha Photography, and I met up to create what I think might be some of my favorite blog content ever. I don't have enough reasons to pull this Ashley Graham x Dress Barn maxi out, but I may need to work on it because it's so easy to wear and I still feel incredibly beautiful in it.