Fly Like an Eagle

Brown cardigan: Apt. 9 - Kohl's
Blue violet top: Target
Dark skinnies: Elle - Kohl's
Brown flip flops: Rainbow
Massive belt buckle: Aeropostale - thrifted
Green chandelier earrings: street market in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Turquoise bracelet: gift from my uncle via my cousin

I have been searching high and low for a massive belt buckle for quite a while. During my spring break, I scored the perfect belt for said belt buckle for $1 at a thrift shop. It was a bright brown with some lacing, and even though it was dangerously creased (bonded cowhide will do that), I bought it. Then that weekend, in VA, B. found the fabulous belt buckle attached to a crappy looking belt.

Problem solved. I had the belt and the buckle to create the look I wanted. Yesterday, I put the buckle on the woefully creased belt, and went out to see some friends. Sadly, the belt finished falling apart last night, snapping in half at the worst of the creases. Good thing I had the fall-back belt for these pictures. Basically, I'm looking for a belt, again. *sigh*


I really loved this shirt with the buckle, because this top has ruffly sleeves, a square neckline, and a blousy shape in contrast to the Western vibe going on with the belt. I loved the juxtaposition of the two pieces, especially combined with the open cardigan.

Also, I washed my hair yesterday, and was letting it air dry as I got dressed, so I twisted some sections, pinned it back haphazardly, and then ended up leaving it alone after finally settling on an outfit. Some days, I love my curls just because it's so easy to fake having put effort into my hair. Curls are supposed to be just a little wild, right?

From 2010-04-10

Oh, and B. took my pictures again. Which means I have roughly a gazillion of this outfit, which you can see if you click on the picture above. He's quite a perfectionist and kept trying to get everything just right with our basic little camera.

From 2010-04-10

I went a little nuts with my accessories yesterday, choosing green earrings and a turquoise bracelet. I'm not sure why I did it, but I like the pieces together. My uncle gave my baby cousin that bracelet, and when I was in PR, I told my cousin I liked it; he took it right off and gave it me. Such a sweet kid. Anyway, my uncle is the source for amazing jewelry, I kid you not, and I'm sure you'll see a lot of his treasures in the weeks to come.
Those earrings were way outside my comfort zone when I bought them as an undergrad in Buenos Aires, but I wear them all the time now. I stocked up on hoop earrings when I was down there, but don't wear hoops much at all these days; it's these crazy earrings that have stood the test of time. I also remember being tempted by a pair of red cowboy boots at a market, but they were just a half size too small.
I was there in 2002, during their economic crisis, when people couldn't access more than 20 pesos at a time from their bank accounts and all business was done in cash. I was particularly struck by the markets because it seemed that everyone had cleaned out their house or found a lucrative hobby and had set up shop in the various parks and plazas. Those red boots that I often think about were that woman's treasure, a souvenir from a trip to Texas during better times, and they were going to help make ends meet. I think about that a lot as we're going through our own economic crisis here in the States. In my particular neighborhood, I see a lot of informal economy type jobs: selling water bottles on street corners, setting up "shoe shops" on a bridge, guys who drag their grills to the park to sell pinchos (shish kebabs), etc. Anyway, the similarities between that and the street markets in BA strike me. I guess it's not so different from selling your own treasures on eBay, but I'm surprised I haven't seen more of it.