Seeing spots

Sweater: Forever 21 (ages and ages ago)
Skirt: Gap
Belt: came with a blazer
Scarf: Turkey
Tights: Target
Earrings: Turkey
Boots: Noble Town Vintage

So... Hi. I'm Frances Joy and I used to blog around these parts. I guess I still do, seeing as one of my resolutions for 2012 is to blog more regularly; apparently, it takes me about a month to get on those resolutions. But I'm back! With lots of old pictures from before we went back to the States, some new clothes just begging to be shared, and some super successful sewing experiments I can't wait to show off.


In the meantime, I've got one of last year's looks. I have to say I'm still really proud of this all black, double leopard outfit, which I wore to church. Yes, I wore leopard print tights to church.


These tights are fantastic, though. I like to think they're subtle what with the dark grey/black color combo, and I love the way they played with my leopard print scarf. A successful pattern mix, if I do say so myself.

Obsession

Top: J Crew
Skirt: Self made
Shoes: Tom's (gift from my mom)
Earrings: Turkey

Y'all, I might be obsessed with this skirt. I'd wear it every day if I thought B wouldn't sit me down to have a serious conversation about how I need to separate myself from this skirt long enough to wash it.


I got the idea for this outfit from this image I pinned over at my favorite website ever. My take is considerably more casual since there was a possibility I'd be walking home from work (again).


And, yes, I did walk home in these shoes. Most. Comfortable. Heels. Ever. It's been proven by this girl who walked up the mountain in them; that's pretty much scientific. The look on my face in the above photo isn't about the shoes, though. That's me singing about how this skirt fits me so well and is so cute.

Friend Friday: So(ng) inspired

Tee: Gap
Shirt: Ralph Lauren (thrifted)
Skirt: thrifted and hemmed
Shoes: Steve Madden (gift from my mom)
Earrings: Turkey
Sunnies: Target

For this week's Friend Friday, we're wearing song inspired clothes. So it kind of looks like I was inspired by the Saved by the Bell theme song, but let me assure you that it wasn't. I mean, maybe I'm channeling Lisa Turtle, but that was not my intention.


Mostly, I woke up with two songs running through my head. The first was Cultura Profética's "Amante luz" and the second was Draco's "Obra de arte". I'm actually kind of impressed that the songs go together (yeah, amazing Puerto Rican artists!) because usually my iTunes mixes sound a little...ADD. But this morning I kept singing two lines to myself, one from each song: "Borinquen, amante luz, rayo de sol" (Puerto Rico, lover of light, ray of sun), and "De los cuarenta colores que yo sé pintar, eres ese color que no lo puedo ni soñar" (Of the forty colors I can paint, you're that color that I can't even imagine).


So I knew two things: I wanted to wear yellow and I wanted to wear something like forty colors. I wanted to look like I was wearing Puerto Rico. Or something. My recently hemmed thrift store skirt fit the bill. Pairing it with yellow stripes seemed natural. But then I was cold, so I reached for this shirt, tied it up, and called it a day.


I think my sunshiny, tropical inspiration served me well because it's nearly two and the clouds seem to be holding off. Amante luz, rayo de sol, indeed.


In other news, I've finally succumbed to wearing oxfords and I'm kind of in love.


AND I tied knots in my hair. Fanciness all around y'all.

Dreams

Jacket: Land's End Canvas (gift from my mom)
Tee: American Eagle (gift from my aunt)
Jeans: 7 for all Mankind - thrifted
Sandals: Simply Vera via Kohl's (gift from my mom)
Scarf: Target
Earrings: Target

So I totally built this look around this hair tutorial and my newly thrifted 7 for all Mankind jeans. It's a pretty simple look, but I kind of love it. Mostly because I found these jeans at the Americana for less than $4.


Let me repeat that: I got these jeans for less than $4. I did a little happy dance in the dressing room and told B that one of my dreams had come true: To find designer jeans in my size for some ridiculous price at the thrift store. I dream big, y'all.


I wore this outfit with the jacket for most of the day because it was so cold and rainy after eight in the morning. The sun was all, "I quit", and I shivered and cursed my bare toes and wished that our car would miraculously get fixed and come back to me because I miss him so.


Melodramatic? Perhaps. I just miss my shoes is all. My booties and I are longing to be reunited and that won't happen until we get the car back because that hill? Y'all, that hill is no. Joke.


On the plus side, I love this hair.

Mixology

Top: Zara
Skirt: Target
Booties: Aldo
Sunnies: Puerto Rico
Earrings: Target

I know what you're thinking: That's not your magical white shirt, Frances Joy! But it's time for EBEW, so I decided to interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to do this. Besides, I only have pics of four white tee outfits; this works out perfectly!


I woke up feeling pretty this morning, though I couldn't tell you why. I just did. When I wake up feeling like that, I think I'm bolder in my clothing choices. I've been eyeing this stars and leopard combo for a while, but I didn't have the guts to actually put it on until today.


I had a back up outfit in mind, but once I put this on, I was in love. In. LOVE. I mean, how can you feel bad wearing stars AND leopard?! I feel like a rockstar. And besides, everyone here knows I dress like a crazy person and they don't even notice it anymore. Either that or I'm OWNING it. Probably the latter.


Also, you can't really tell, but my earrings have flowers on them. One more pattern, right? I mean, why not?

FFB: Class and all that's thrifty

Sweater: H&M
Dress: thrifted
Shoes: Crocs
Earrings: came with a pair of boots
Scarf: J Crew
Kitten: Pirata

Remember when this kitteh disappeared and I thought she was dead? That was sad. But she's back! I thought that warranted a photo op.
Anyway, it's time for another FFB post, this time about social class.


I'm not totally sure if my topic fits under that category, but it's one that's been on my mind since I first stumbled into a Tienda Americana here in Costa Rica. This little dress (which is probably actually a nightshirt, but let's keep that between us, shall we?) came from a tienda americana, which is the equivalent of a thrift store, except different.


See, the americanas here are THE place to get clothes. In my deep and thorough research of Costa Rican malls - and by that I mean the anecdotal evidence I've collected by visiting four malls in different cities at different times - they might as well call them "Centers where you can get stuff for $60 US or more". New clothes are prohibitively expensive here, and this is where the americana comes in.


They sell Goodwill and Salvation Army cast offs at reasonable prices. Sometimes, they're even downright cheap - I managed to snag a neon skirt for about 90 cents. The thing is that this is pretty much THE ONLY place where the average Costa Rican can afford to buy clothes. And there's nothing wrong with that, I mean, I like thrifting. A lot. Probably because I wasn't allowed to as a kid (class issues abound in that statement...). Also, I think thrift stores provide a necessary service.


That said, the fact that a single country can supply another country with clothes from its cast offs raises questions for me. I mean, seriously, the stuff that gets here has already trickled through the system: from the store (new), to the closet (worn), donated to a thrift store in the States, and then donated AGAIN to these stores in Costa Rica. Doesn't that say something about social and economic class at a global level? And in some ways, isn't that just perpetuating some neocolonialist attitudes? (Hi, my name is Frances, I majored in Latin American Studies and then went on to study International Development and I blog about what I wear....)


So here I am, in my tienda americana dress and my fast fashion sweater and my over-priced scarf and rubber shoes (I love you J Crew, but let's be real: your accessories are way over-priced). I'm part of the system, part of the consumption - on both ends, no less - and I don't quite know what to do about that. And I haven't even begun to deal with the can of worms that is the origin of most of these items - in many cases, other Central American countries... In some ways, it's coming full circle.


On a lighter note: I didn't know if I'd like knotting my shirt like it's 1992, but I think I'll do it again.

Sad story and upcoming vacation

Tee: Target
Skirt: I made it
Belt: Target
Sandals: Chinese Laundry
Earrings: Turkey
Scarf: J Crew
Kitteh: Elefante

True story: late on the evening of the fifth, Pirata, our other kitten disappeared. We live in the country and there are coyotes and big herding dogs that just kind of...roam. One of them must've roamed off with our other kitten.


So, I'm pretty sad about it, and now probably way overprotective of our remaining fur babies, Kiku and Elefante. The irony is that she disappeared on a day when we were all home all day long.


Anyway, we're on our short school vacation here in Costa Rica. We're off until the 18th, and then we leave for our real vacation on the 24th. I. Am. So. Excited! Development work requires even longer hours than teaching, and I'm doing both, so, long, busy days. But! Vacation is in sight.


And vacations make me do the happy dance. Oh, yeah! Even if it's a little tempered by the loss of our sweet kitten.



ETA: Pirata came back on the morning of the 8th. I walked out to feed Elefante, and there she was, meowing away as if I'd run away.

FFB: Women in Media

Tee: J Crew
Blazer: New York & Co.
Skirt: Gap
Belt: Ann Taylor
Scarf: Target
Flats: Naturalizer
Earrings: Target?

This entire look was based on a picture of this hair.

source

That is a true story. I pinned that image I don't even know how long ago and now that my hair is so terribly grown out that I can't wear it down, I've been trying to find a look other than my traditional high bun.


But, enough about my crazy hair. I've been slacking on my Feminist Fashion Bloggers posts for the past few months, but I've been thinking a lot about this month's topic: Women in the Media and Popular Culture.


I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and, of course, I'm thinking of this from the perspective of a Latina who grew up primarily in the States. So, there's my bias. I've been thinking a lot about the representation of women of color in the media quite often these days and thinking about how that plays into my own sense of identity and self expression. Too heavy for a style blog? Perhaps, but let's take it there today, shall we?


I've been thinking about this as I (finally) got caught up on Glee. I think Glee has one of the more diverse casts on television, but one of the issues I have with the show is its reliance on stereotypes for so many of the characters (Mercedes, for example). I think they try. I think there are some characters that are actually complex. As a Latina, I have to mention Santana. While that's one of those names that non-Latinos think are legitimately Latino and I am kind of weird about having believable names, I do like that they've developed her character a bit. The thing that bugs me, though? She's so spicy, that Santana, with all that attitude.


Because, you know, that's what we Latinas are: spicy. And all of us "ethnic" girls are angry, or at least attitude-y. (Either that or subservient women oppressed by machismo - but that's a different post. Also another post: the label "ethnic" for people who are not white.) I grew up seeing these images - not often, of course, because for the first twenty years of my life, I didn't see many Latinas on tv or in movies - and I've fought so hard against being the stereotype.


Because, really? When all you see is that woman with the attitude, who gets mad and spouts off in Spanish for everyone's amusement, it does get to you. Is that how you want to be represented all the time? I'm lucky that I had a family that held up other images, but what about kids that don't have that? You get a little angry that you're constantly portrayed as a one dimensional angry woman. Self fulfilling prophecy....


I often tell B that what I want to see is Latinos on tv just living. And I guess there are some shows like that (Ugly Betty), I just don't watch enough tv to really know. Ditto for the movies. Even more for books. When I write a book, I'm not explaining any of my Latinas. Does that make sense? They're just going to live and be. Maybe they'll be angry, maybe they'll be pushy, but they'll be a whole lot more besides. You know, like me and all the other Latinas I know.

Awkward pictures day

Top: Zara
Skirt: Ann Taylor
Belt: Banana Republic
Booties: Aldo
Earrings: Target

Today was apparently awkward pictures day around here. I blame the pouring rain. True story: if I don't get pictures at seven in the morning, by the time I finish the school day, sit through a meeting, and eat, it will be raining - not just raining, pouring.


Also, it'll be so cold that I'll just stand around awkwardly and shiver. (I can just hear Tyra telling me that I need to pose through my cold - no one should know how cold I am! A model's job is to suffer for beauty! - Good thing I'm a teacher, then.)


BUT! I"m wearing a star shirt. And, if you didn't know, star shirts are second only to yellow shoes in the happiness factor. I got this shirt for my birthday at Zara, which in Costa Rica should be called the $60 store because EVERYTHING is $60. I was (a) depressed and (b) feeling guilty for how expensive the two items I wanted for my birthday were. B consoled me, though (it didn't take much) and I got this top and one other thing that will be revealed in due time.


Thanks for the birthday wishes, too, y'all. I won't lie - the past few months have been tough for me, both personally and professionally, and I am counting the days till I can have a vacation and see my family again. On the plus side, my birthday was good: time with my sweet husband, a movie date (complete with popcorn, because it's the little things), pizza, and a little shopping. It was a little taste of relaxation, and it was so nice.

And, because I promised more awkwardness:

That's me saying "It's so cold!"