THE DAILY DOROTHY

Sunday, April 19, 2015

BLACKTOP BALLERINA

T.D.D. STYLE FILES | Inspired By The Ballerina Project

Sometimes being kidults (we are not quite ready to let go of being a kid, even though I suppose technically we are considered adults these days) can leave us feeling lackluster and gasping for inspiration while lost in the daily grind of grown-up life – work, eat, sleep, repeat. This is why we are so grateful for gems like the Ballerina Project, sources of creative stimulation, endless beauty, and motivation for the soul. If you are not familiar with this stunning photography project by photographer Dane Shitagi, take a look and fall in love with the incredible images just as we have over the years.

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LOOK No. 1 «« Blacktop Ballerina »»

This outfit and parking lot adventure was inspired by the Ballerina Project. While we are not ballerinas, our aim was to highlight a little bit of the grace and poise from ballet culture, mixed with an urban flare – Converse and sporty Under Armour jacket – and all set against a concrete city backdrop (in west Los Angeles this meant a parking structure). While we cannot match the exquisiteness of the professional dancers featured in the Ballerina Project, this is our homage to them and the beauty they share with the world.

So the next time you come across unexpected inspiration, take a look in your closet through a new lens and see what you can create. Here we found a new way to use old ribbons (saved from an old birthday gift packaging) and played with the ballerina bun hairstyle by adding piecey volume and crossover braids. The lightweight, flowy dress has the silhouette of a leotard and ballerina skirt and we layered it over a baby pink lace bralette. And while we fell in love with the image of crisscrossed ribbons paired with heels for the traditional ballerina reference, we couldn't suppress the tomboy completely and also had to indulge in a more casual take on the look with folded hi-top Converse.

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Sunday, March 8, 2015

COLLEGIATE COUNTRY

T.D.D. STYLE FILES | Old Favorites With A New Dress
We all have go-to favorite items in our closets that we have had for years and no matter how weathered or over-used they are you just can't go wrong adding them to your look for the day. Worn-in denim jacket, molded-to-your-feet leather boots, your grandma's fine jewelry... we can never get enough of these staples. The "Shop Your Closet' trend is popping up all around the Web, so we dove right in to pull our time-honored favorites. Here we combined the joy that is finding a darling new dress (because who doesn't love shopping for brand spankin' new clothes) with finishing a look by browsing our wardrobe and pulling unfailing items to layer on for a style that feels fresh and aged all at once.

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LOOK No. 1 «« Collegiate Country »»
As "part II" to our previous post (Collegiate Cool), we stayed in theme with a university setting and brought a little country chic to campus life. Denim jackets and leather boots boldly evoke country girl panache, which is always a comforting and naturally American style to fall into. We found this simple, white dress with distinctive beading detail that was a perfect complement to freshen up our well-worn go-to items – crisp and weathered, delicate and durable, elegant and modest, bohemian and all-American. You could be strolling from lab to lecture, on your way to hop in the car for a rural weekend getaway, or on your way to meet friends for lunch. Bringing a little country and boho-chic to your style never felt so familiar.

IN THIS LOOK
Dress | Kenji | Similar Item (*Original item no longer available)
Jacket | Vintage Abercrombie | Similar Denim Jacket (*Original item no longer available; vintage Abercrombie Kids denim jacket)
Boots | Frye | Similar Style (*Original style no longer available)
Bangles | Vintage | Similar Item (*Original item was hand-me-down from Dutch Grandma)
Watch | Vintage Certina | Similar Item (*Original item was hand-me-down from Dutch Grandma)
Belt | Vintage | Similar Item (*Original item unavailable, was a thrift store find)

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Don't forget to follow The Daily Dorothy (@TheDailyDorothy) on Instagram and Twitter!

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Saturday, February 21, 2015

COLLEGIATE COOL

T.D.D. STYLE FILES | Trend Watch: Shirts Under Dresses
Working girls are always looking for quick and fun ways to mix up their professional style without always pulling out the plastic for new outfits. One easy and unique style trend that has been catching our attention – as seen by trendsetters such as Victoria Beckham, Princess Kate, Pippa Middleton, Emma Stone, and many others, – is layering a collared blouse/button-up with a tailored dress, two basic wardrobe items that most women already have in their closets.

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LOOK No. 1 «« Collegiate Cool »»
To play around with the collared shirt under a dress trend we chose a structured, classic lines dress over a lightweight blouse using the contrast between the fabric weights to allow each to still stand out. We stuck with the white and black and neutrals color scheme to keep the overall look professional and classy. The nude pumps, light turquoise gem ring, and diamond stud earrings were selected to dress up the look and pull away from the uniform undertones. One of our favorite details is the stitching on the collar of the shirt – it adds nice definition to the layered collar trend being highlighted and nostalgically draws out thoughts of school uniform in the 1930s.

*Outfit details below.