A Girl Is Not So Easily Suede

 Shirt - Winners ❁ Skirt - H&M  ❁ Necklace - ModCloth  ❁ Belt - H&M  ❁ Shoes - Ardene  ❁ Sunglasses - Ardene

Tried to do a cutesy model pose for today's photo, but I look so awkward. Whatever. Work!

I'm glad I started blogging my outfits, because I'm realizing I have wardrobe habits (wear polka dots/floral with a waistline skirt and cheap flats) and I get my clothes from all the same places. What's a girl to do? H&M is cheap.

p.s. like the pun-ny post title? I'm all about this suede skirt today 😍

1 Simple Girl, 4 Simple Outfits

I consider myself to be good at creating outfits that, when not on me, somebody would go "yeah..I guess those go together?" and then when I put it on, my tacky personality just somehow sticks it together and it works. Somehow.

That being said, I thought I would share a few easy ways to turn a simple skater dress into 4 different looks, all with pretty easy to find clothing items! Let's look at our items, shall we?

Top to bottom, L to R: ❁ Dress - H&M ❁ Cardigan - H&M ❁ Dress - Suzy Shier ❁ Collared Shirt - Winners ❁ Jean Jacket - Winners (patch is from shopkategabrielle!) ❁ Half-slip - ModCloth ❁ Shoes - (pink) Bait Footwear, (mint) Converse, (white) Ardene ❁ Headband - Claire's ❁ Belt - Zara ❁ Sunglasses - (mint) Banggood, (black) Old Navy

The dress I own is from H&M, it's one of those $15 ones that are always on the racks in tons of patterns, so that makes it so easy to style in different ways! It's summer, so I didn't focus on leggings or tights, but rather shirts, shoes, various accessories, and jackets (my mom always told me to never leave home without one, guys!).

Look 1: Legally (Ash) Blonde 

I mean, Elle Woods would probably wear this, right? She's more sophisticated than me tbh. This is level 1 dressing, but I sometimes forget this: wearing a collared shirt under a dress is always so cute/school girl-y/librarian.

Look 2:  Summer Bows

A dress under a dress? How original! Never thought of that one before, Amina!

Nah, but this outfit is cute. I've had this Suzy Shier dress since 2011 and I barely wear it anymore, until I figured out I can layer it under dresses and wear it with skirts, so it's never leaving my closet.

Look 3: Flower Gal

Are you truly a young person unless you have a worn out, dirty pair of Converse? I feel like a hipstery flower girl going to an off-brand, half-the-price Coachella in this outfit. Jean jackets and flower crowns truly make a look.

And finally,

Look 4: Just Mina

Aaaand this is what I actually wore to work today, my most "me" outfit. PRO TIP: when your dresses are too short (because you're 5'11"), wear a half slip underneath! I got mine from ModCloth, but they're on Amazon for cheaper. It is SO USEFUL and one of the best things I've ever bought.

This is a very lengthy post and it makes me cringe, but whatever! I like making different outfits from the things in my closet all in one go, and I'm glad I blogged about it so I actually have a record of the outfits I made 😝

Couple more pictures, and then imma peace out...

I only have one smile

Sunday Snoozes & PJ Poses

Kimono - Winners ❁ Shirt - Forever 21 ❁ Shorts & Socks - Walmart

 I'm very aware this is the least attractive photo of me that exists, but I'm hella tired today so I dressed as cozy as possible.

I stole this fashion tip from both Schmidt from New Girl and my friend Danielle (who is maybe the only person who has even clicked on this blog? shoutouuut) - wear a kimono for lounging. Which is probably what everybody does? But I had never done it before til this summer. And I've never felt comfier.

Excuse me while I fall back asleep... 😴

Elvis Fest: Day 3

Shirt - idk ❁ Pants - Forever 21 ❁ Shoes - Bait Footwear ❁ Sunglasses - Ardene ❁ Button - old

 I find it funny that Elvis Fest used to be HUGE when I was a kid, and now that I'm older, I realize it isn't the biggest thing in the world. Then again, last night I could hear the music that was blasting downtown from my backyard, so it's pretty huge for this town.

Amidst the Elvis chaos, I was let off early from work today, and I was like "wow! I'm gonna get so much done at home!" ...For two hours I watched Conan and ate Pogos.

But ain't that the way it goes?

Hints of Lilac

Dress - ASOS ❤ Shirt - Forever 21 ❤ Shoes - BAIT Footwear ❤ Sunglasses - Ardene

I was having a crummy day, UNTIL I went to the post office to get my package AND THESE SHOES CAME IN THE MAIL.

I see lots of vintage and pastel fashion blogs I like wearing Bait shoes in their outfit posts and raving about them, and after 2 or 3 years of pining, I woman'd up and bought some. The U.S.-Canada border duty I had to pay was steep so I don't think I'll be buying any more until our dollar gets better - but look how perfect they are! They have small little heels that are a perfect height for me, they have a cute scallop design, they're in my absolute favourite colour, and best of all - they fit my size 11 wide feet. The Bait website actually has a "Size 11" section on it, just for big-footed people like me. I also got a pink pair too, so I'm all set for cute shoes!

I am truly blessed.

It was also a lovely coincidence that the dress I wore to work today matches my shoes exactly.

Elvis Fest: Day 1

Shirt - Forever 21 ❤ Skirt - ModCloth ❤ Sunglasses - Ardene ❤ Shoes - Ardene ❤ Button - Old

Today is the first day of the Elvis Festival, which is this 5 day festival my hometown has had every year for as long as I can remember. It's super fun; Elvis impersonators come and compete, and a giant stage is built right smack downtown.

I realized today I've had this festival button for SIXTEEN YEARS. Which means I can talk to kids that are in high school and tell them "I've been going to Elvis fest since before you were born!" ...And even though I'm in my 20s, I officially feel old.

Anyway, I decided to dress a little vintage-y as part of a sort-of theme dressing for the festival this week. :)

Also a sidenote: I accidentally exactly matched my bag today.

Drab, with Colour

Shirt - H&M ❤ Skirt - ASOS ❤ Shoes - Ardene ❤ Sunglasses - Ardene

This is one of those outfits where you feel great all day, but when you take a photo of yourself, you realize how drab and frumpy you look. So I just pulled my best Amina pose, and I had fun anyway!

Also, I'm laughing because I left 2 bottles of bleach on my dresser and just desperately tried to photoshop the giant "30 volume" label out.

Cruisin'

Dress - ASOS ❤ Sunglasses - Banggood ❤ Sandals - Winners

I really like this dress, particularly because it has that really cute buttercup yellow on it, which is a colour I wish I had on an entire dress in real life. I literally just want Ellie's dress from Up. And I will find it. Mark my words.

Until then, I'll cruise by with this flowy number, and the most mod sunglasses in my closet (purchased exclusively for being almost exact to Gaby's in Man from UNCLE).

Non-Stop

Dress - ModCloth ❤ Shoes - Ardene ❤ Hair clip - Forever 21

I have been listening to Non-Stop (Act I finale of a little-known musical Hamilton)...non-stop. The thing about the Hamilton soundtrack is that there's so many good songs you will never get sick of listening to it everyday, all the time. Usually when I listen to albums I just put them on repeat for, like, 6 years...so far Hamilton's been on repeat for 7 months so I'm expecting this to stretch out a while.

And in case anyone was wondering (I'm sure no one was since I'm the only one who reads this blog), my favourite songs are Wait For It (duh), Satisfied, History Has Its Eyes on You, and One Last Time. Basically anything else Christopher Jackson sings.

All this to say I was listening to Non-Stop while taking these outfit photos today.

Astaireing Contest

Shirt - Winners ❤ Skirt - Forever 21 ❤ Shoes - Ardene ❤ Brooch - shopkategabrielle ❤ Sunglasses - Ardene

Today just felt like a good day? I think I have 2 good reasons why: 1) I felt crappy yesterday so usually all days after a bad day are good in comparison, 2) I'm wearing a lot of my favourite things, including this Fred Astaire brooch which combines 2 of the greatest things in the world: Fred Astaire and puns!

I didn't really realize who Fred Astaire was until I took a Sociology of Film course, which is maybe the most cliché thing any '90s kid could ever say, but I am not ashamed of it. While I have always been semi-into classic film, I never really actively watched it until that course. Now, I am completely in love. 

While I have only just dipped my toes into the history of film, it's already so interesting to me! When I watched my first Fred Astaire clip in class, something instantly clicked and I realized why I love movies. There's something that feels like magic in a good movie, and that sounds dumb and cheesy, but it's true. (And hey, it was a sociology course, so dumb and cheesy is expected.)

White Poppy

Shirt - H&M ❤ Skirt - Forever 21 ❤ Shoes - Forever 21

To get a tad melancholy here for a quick sec: today is a day of remembrance, as it marks 21 years since the genocide in Srebrenica, Bosnia. If you want to learn more about it, the Wikipedia page is very informative. 

The Yugoslavian War is not something I pretend to know a lot about or remember, but it is a major part of my family's history. My family escaped the war and got to live a safe and happy life. Every year, we wear a green and white poppy as a symbol of peace and remembrance. And why not incorporate it into my outfit today? 

Sorry - not to get too sad for a quirky fashion blog, but it's a Monday and I'm feeling 'meh' anyway. 

Also my shoes don't really match my outfit. 

She Has Skill, but Lacks Talent

Dress - ASOS ❤ Sandals - Winners ❤ Sunglasses - Black Market Vintage

Despite learning basic photography and film principles (and learning how to use professional, industry-grade camera equipment), when I am given a camera my photos and videos are subpar. I also can't even take a nice outfit photo, so I edit, like, 60 brightness filters on it to make it look like there's enough lighting in my room. It's not edited by me if it's not grainy and pixelated to all hell 👍🏼

Sidenote: I have work to do but all I really want to do is watch Roman Holiday. Does anyone else feel this way?

Go with the Flow

Shirt - Bluenotes ❤ Skirt - Winners ❤ Necklace - Forever 21 ❤ Shoes - Ardene ❤ Sunglasses - Ardene

Today my family celebrated Eid a day early, and directly after I took these photos, we went straight to Mandarin restaurant! mmmmm I had been waiting all Ramadan for an all-you-can-eat buffet of fake Chinese food.

I kind of realized today that there's a lot of things I want. And often I forget all the things I already have. Is that cliché? I just think I'm young and don't understand how good I've got it. Also, I've used 'I', like, 10 times in this post.

It's okay to want stuff, but it's also okay to just go with the flow.

Not So Fiery, Mostly Awkward

Shirt - H&M ❤ Cardigan - Bluenotes ❤ Skirt - Winners ❤ Shoes - Ardene ❤ Necklace - Forever 21

Not that I really believe in horoscopes, but last week, THREE separate horoscopes predicted that today would be a fiery day for romance in my life. Like, someone would stumble into my life or something. Well?? Where???

Because my job is a student position in Parks and Rec I assume I'm April Ludgate - so where is my Andy Dwyer, huh? I (im)patiently await, Universe.

I think those horoscopes were just trying to be clever with the whole 4th of July/fireworks/firey pun thing. Dang.