Monday, November 10, 2014

Sporty Spice takes El Escorial

You really don't know luxury until you've seen what the mix of old money and political power can bring you. This past Friday, I took a day trip with the other students to town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. While there is actually another town called "El Escorial," this royal site is also simply referred to as "El Escorial." The palace here is massive. Massive. The type of big that is just flat out unnecessary. Sometimes when I walk into these old palaces, churches, and other buildings, it just strikes me that, in this day and age, no one would even think to build something so large.


That's literally like 1/32 of the building. Insanity. El Escorial was about two hours from Toledo and we had to take off on a cold, rainy morning. If you know me, then you know I'm not one to usually wear leggings. Provided that they're comfy, they're also not that interesting and don't really add anything to a look. I bought my second pair of leggings ever from Zara a few weeks back and they came in handy when I was rushing to leave that morning.

Since my leggings were so boring, I slipped on my Dope Boy Magic windbreaker to stay dry in the rain/stunt. This windbreaker was one of those pieces that I absolutely had to have. I dragged my best guy friend up to Fat Tiger Workshop, the brick and mortar storefront for DBM, Vita, & other streetwear brands, the day after the summer line dropped and snagged this gem. All of my pieces from DBM deviate from my typical, preppy-ish style, so I always like wearing them to mix things up. I really appreciate the humor and intelligence that goes into making a great piece of streetwear and the guys behind DBM are pretty great at finding the right balance. Fun fact: I was the first woman to buy this windbreaker #trendsetter.


From wearing this a lot over the summer in Chicago when I was messenger (don't ask...) and had to deliver stuff no matter rain or shine, I learned that it is the easiest way to draw attention to yourself. And that actually applies to my other DBM pieces, too. So, just so y'all know, if you don't want randos talking to you, you probably shouldn't step out in your Dope Boy Magic joints.

I'm missing home like crazy, so I love wearing things that remind of Chicago. You can take the kid out of Chicago, but you can't take Chicago out of the kid. Also, I love doing things that remind me of Chicago, like compiling a video of my friend bopping in palaces in Europe. Shoutout to Natalia. 

This is technically a men's piece, but the cut isn't particularly masculine; I don't feel like I'm wearing my older brother's jacket. This jacket and my other stuff from DBM and Vita Morte (RIP), are all smalls and the fit is solid. If you have the chance, I'd totally recommend taking a trip up to Fat Tiger Workshop. As mentioned in previous posts, I really like talking to those who had a hand in the production of pieces I'm buying. On any given day, you're bound to find one of the guys behind the brands in the store, which is pretty cool. 


Just taking a break from showing all of the peasants around my palace.


Big ups to Natalia for the pics. Her guest post will be going up this week, so watch out for that.

Keep up with my shenanigans on Twitter and Instagram, @all_worn_out.
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Thursday, November 6, 2014

Happy Birthday, Patsy!

Today is the day: my cousin Patsy's 40th birthday! As mentioned a few weeks ago, Patsy came over to Europe with me and my mom before the start of my study abroad program. Though Patsy is technically my cousin, she's more like a big sister. She comes on our family vacations, checks in on me and my siblings, and is straight up one of the coolest women I know. Shoutout to Patsy for being the best.

Patsy had a list of 40 things to by 40 and having a blog post written about her was one of them. So, clearly, I was more than happy to oblige. As a young woman myself, I realize how lucky I am to have someone like Patsy in my life. No matter what, I know she has my best interest in mind. Looking at her and all she has accomplished, just makes me want to work harder. I'm in college now and people really act like this is the end all, be all in terms of life planning. I always tell people that my cousin Patsy is an engineer by trade, but went back to school to get her PhD in Environmental Sciences. and that she is living proof that if you work hard and go after what you want, it all works out in the end. Also, beware that Environmental Sciences is the vague, Stephanie-isn't-smart-enough-to-explain-the- subject way to describe Patsy's work; it's really impressive, trust me on that.

When I first saw that picture of Patsy floating around Facebook, I literally said, "Okaaayy, truee!" Like, turn up. A girl can only hope that she's still out here stuntin' like Patsy when she's older. Let's be real, 40 has never looked that good. 

Also, throwback because Patsy's always been beautiful. 

Patsy, I'm sending my love and muchos besos from Spain! I hope today, and this year, bring you all you have wished for! 
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Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Sweater (Vest) Weather

Hey peeps! I’m back again to show you another sweater weather style, featuring two special items I purchased here in Spain.



Today was chilly and cloudy, so I snuggled into my new deep maroon Pull & Bear turtleneck vest. Pull & Bear is a Spanish retailer based in Galicia that sells very hip clothing and accessories worldwide (though they have not yet arrived in the States) and I love their knits. This vest is soft enough to sleep in with a wide and high turtle neck—the perfect outer layer for a crisp autumn day.  

I wanted the vest to remain the statement of the outfit, so I decided to go monochromatic beneath. I paired my Pull & Bear with a simple charcoal cotton sweater and a pair of steel Joe’s jeans. (Joe’s jeans run on the pricey side, but they are very worth it if you are willing to splurge or can find a good sale!) The side-slits in the vest revealed a smooth gray-on-gray transition from top to bottom, letting the vest stand alone as the star of the outfit. Vale!
 The Spanish tile drop earrings I’m wearing were bought for me by my dad (who has impeccable taste) at an incredible flea market in La Latina, a bustling neighborhood in Madrid. The flea market is poppin’ every Sunday morning, and it seems to go for miles… the entire main street becomes packed shoulder-to-shoulder with locals and tourists alike, and along either side vendors sell everything from handmade leather goods to wooden children’s toys. The prices are very fair and many of the goods are one-of-a-kind; to any of you heading to Madrid anytime soon, I definitely recommend this gem of a market.  
 
I am a faithful customer to so many American brands, but I vowed to get out of my box and make purchases here in Europe that I couldn’t make back home, like today’s Pull & Bear vest and one-of-a-kind tile earrings. We are spoiled in America with the amount of quality brands available to shoppers of all price-ranges; here in Spain, there are only a couple quality chains that are not designer stores. The silver lining of this is that I’ve been exploring boutiques and artisan shops… Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll share some of my favorite artisan purchases!

Stay warm.
--Natalie

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Monday, November 3, 2014

Sweater Weather

Editor's note: I don't know how I have been friends with Natalie for this long and not had her do a guest post for AWO. And a little birdy told me that a certain someone might be welcomed to the AWO team soon enough. Until then, enjoy!

Hey chicos! Natalie here, guest-posting on my main awesome blog. This is my first blog post ever….so bear with me as I take you through today’s look. 


It’s finally cooled down here in Castilla-La-Mancha; I’ve been counting down the days ‘til sweater weather and today, at last, I brought out my first fall sweater of the season… a bell-sleeved wool blend Free People cardigan, one of my favorite statement pieces in my closet. It’s super soft and cozy, with a stylish twist: a gorgeous blanket print and, hello, bell sleeves. I love collecting pieces like this one that are unique and chic while staying oh-so-soft… For me, good fashion should never compromise comfort.

I wanted the sweater to stay the focal point of today’s look, so I kept what was underneath pretty simple. Beneath I wore a dark olive long-sleeved tee and high-waisted black jeans, complete with wool socks and my favorite Steve Madden cognac leather lace-ups.
Lastly, accessories: the name of my game! Today I chose a western-style leather and ivory belt, and small silver chandelier earrings—both vintage pieces handed down from my beautiful mama! The southwest feel of the belt paired super well with the sweater’s blanket print, giving the entire outfit a Taos feel (side note: one of my favorite towns in the US), and the chandelier earrings were just big enough to notice without distracting from the overall fit.

Today’s look was all about statement pieces set off by a pretty simple base look; this is my favorite way to show off special wardrobe pieces, and an easy way to enter sweater weather with a vavavooom.  Until next time, ladies and gents!

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