Snug

Tee: Ann Taylor
Jeans: J Crew
Wedges: Nine West
Bangles: gift from my uncle and aunt
Earrings: Turkey
Sunnies: Puerto Rico

This is the kind of outfit I could only wear while coming off the high of Dress Your Best Week. I think I'll be celebrating my body in a slightly less intentional way this week because I'm feeling so confident and in love with the body I have. And it's weird to think that and type that because I'm not the kind of woman who likes to draw attention to herself (even though I share a lot of stuff with the Internet).


But yeah, I put this on expecting it NOT to work, but it did, and even though I was a little afraid of all the body-hugging pieces, I went with it. And then to top it off, I let my hair do the 1960s-meets-1980s thing it was doing all by itself. Because if I'm going for it, I'm going all out. Go big or go home, baby. That's how we roll in our house.


And these shoes? I love them. They're so old, y'all. I've had them for five or six years - maybe even longer. They remind me of some shoes that my mom wore in her engagement pictures with jeans a lot like these. Honestly, I kind of felt like I was channeling my mom circa 1981 in this outfit.


I wore this to go out on a date day with B. We went to the farmer's market down in the nearest city (15 plantains for $2? Yes, please), then off to the mall for a cheap lunch and some bookstore browsing. Then we wandered through the streets of Alajuela where we did a little thrifting (we scored some amazing pieces) and enjoyed ice cream cones. I love our date days.


Oh, and Happy Fourth, to all of you in the States (and my fellow expats). I'll be celebrating on the beach.

Dress Your Best Week - Day 5: To lean on

Tee: J Crew
Skirt: Target
Belt: Target
Booties: Aldo
Bracelet: gift from A
Earrings: Turkey
Sunnies: Puerto Rico
Hair: courtesy of this tutorial (though I couldn't quite get the video to load, so I improvised.)

I will admit that I had a hard time deciding on the fifth feature to highlight this week. I was torn between my wide hips or my equally wide shoulders, and in the end I decided there's a lot of similarity between hips and thighs, so I decided to go with the shoulders.


I've often said that I have linebacker shoulders. I don't really know what a linebacker does because I prefer my football spelled fútbol, but I've heard they have broad shoulders. I do, too, especially for a woman of my stature. My mother is so tiny up top, with delicate little shoulders. My shoulders, however, come from my dad's side of the family. There is nothing delicate about my shoulders - they're wide and strong.


And while I've often been self-conscious about most of the other features I've talked about this week, I'm strangely proud of these shoulders. So I decided to play them up with a scoop neck top that's just a little ill-fighting in precisely that area - no scarf to draw the eye down, no necklace to serve the same purpose, just me and my shoulders in a simple tee.


Everyone says I look like my dad - la misma cara (the same face) - but I just don't see it. I do see him in these shoulders, my calves, and my bellybutton, though. (Yes, I know the last one is especially weird, but it's totally true.)


And I love that, because I love my daddy. I see him in my penchant for travel, in my work ethic, in my perfectionism (though I've got that coming from both parents), in my love of music, and my need to dream big. I feel like I talk a lot about what I've learned from my mom here on the blog, and she's really taught me a lot - a whole lot - but so has my dad.


My dad taught me to fight for things, that good things are worth making a sacrifice, that sometimes peer pressure works for the best, that I should demand the best treatment in every situation and relationship, and that I should let myself be led while dancing.


So thanks, Daddy, for all those lessons and for these shoulders. Oh, and I didn't drop anything, I just don't like looking at the camera. ;)

Feminist Dress

Cardigan: J Crew
Skirt: Ann Taylor
Tee: Target (men's undershirt)
Scarf: gift from my uncles
Booties: Aldo
Belt: Banana Republic
Sunnies: Puerto Rico
Earrings: swapped

This is me being super late on this week's Feminist Fashion Blogger's post, but I've been thinking a lot about the way I express my beliefs, particularly my feminism in the way I dress, and I do want to talk about it.


I feel like the way I dress does say something about what I believe. I don't think it's obvious, and I don't intend for it to be, but I think that these things are a part of the way I make decisions about what I buy and how I wear what I wear. And now here is where my "Third World feminism"comes into play. One of the things that I believe is really important is the celebration, if you will, of those things that are traditionally feminine.


One of my issues with "traditional" Western feminism is the way that we've been asked to embrace all things that are traditionally masculine and almost disparaging those things that have long been "women's work". As if those things hadn't been the kinds of things on which society was built. And I think that ignoring those things - picking up more of that "men's work" without expecting reciprocal respect and sharing of "women's work" is not the kind of feminism I want to be part of.


And so, when I dress, I like to celebrate that femininity, a shout out to the women of the past. Strong women like my grandmother and my great grandmother. Women who worked outside of the home out of economic necessity, not by choice. Women who raised children who have become productive, intelligent citizens. Women who may not have had the opportunities that I've had, who made choices that I might never make, but who should be celebrated for their strength and their weaknesses, for the lessons they passed on. Women like my mother who stayed home to rear children. And though I may have seen it as a weakness when I was a child, I see it as nothing but strength now.


The thought of being a mother scares me. At twenty-eight, I don't feel my biological clock ticking and pushing me towards that kind of miracle, but I do revel in claiming a lot of traditional roles: wearing skirts, walking in heels, cooking dinner and showing the strength in those things. Seriously, more men should know the comfort of a skirt.

Nearly wordless

Shirt: Sonoma via Kohl's
Tank: Target
Skirt: Ann Taylor
Belt: Banana Republic
Booties: Aldo
Necklace: gift
Earrings: Target
Sunnies: Puerto Rico
Adorable puppy: Kiku

It's late as I'm typing this, and I'm tired, so this will be pretty much pictures. Enjoy!







And this is me after B told me I was being "demanding" with my photos. I told him I was a diva. We were both joking, of course.

Respectfully dressed

Top: New York & Co.
Cami: Target
Skirt: Gap
Belt: Target
Shoes: Target
Earrings: Turkey
Bracelet: gift from my mom
Sunnies: Puerto Rico

I wore this to teach yesterday, and while we were discussing rules and consequences with the students in order to finalize our school rules (you can do this when you've got eighteen students) the issue of uniforms came up. They've got a polo that they have to wear and the plan was to have them wear blue pants with the polo. The students wanted to negotiate some jeans into the deal and then the conversation turned to holey jeans.


And then I had to be all like, "I don't wear everything I own to work. I want to demonstrate respect for you, myself, and my profession by dressing appropriately, and we expect you to do the same." Because that's the kind of teacher I am: the kind that thinks that students should dress respectfully to come to school. Also, you should bring at least a pencil and a notebook. Just sayin'.


Is it weird to say that my style choices are a way of conveying my respect for myself and the people around me? Does anyone else feel that way? I say this to B often because I do feel that it's part of Latino culture in general (and Puerto Rican culture in particular): dressing well is a symbol of respect.


Anyway, they seemed to understand what I was saying even though they were a little bummed to be limited in their sartorial choices. I don't feel too bad about it, though because most schools here demand a particular shirt, blue dress-ish pants, and black shoes. Besides, I loved my uniform when I was in Catholic school (even though I wasn't about to admit it to anyone) - it made my life so. much. easier.

Fabulous Inspiration

Sunnies: Puerto Rico
Skirt: Old Navy
Tee: Target (men's undershirt)
Cardigan: J Crew
Booties: Aldo
Earrings: gift
Bangles: Banana Republic

This outfit was inspired in part by Kimmie from Blue Paper Lanterns. The other part was inspired by the glorious weather we've had here the past couple days. Of course, now it's all cloudy, and I'm sure the rains will soon be back, but in the meantime, bare legs, sunnies, and heels it is.


I got these sunnies in Puerto Rico because the pair I'd gotten here in Costa Rica broke the third time I wore them. When I say "broke", I mean the actual frames cracked. It was so lame. I ended up getting two pairs, these orange ones (I love orange) and a tortoise shell pair. I hope they last me a good long time because I'm in love with them.


Oh, and I'm being fabulous in February, so, my three positive things:
1. I love my hips. They are round and wide and they're excellent for closing doors, balancing heavy objects, and Latin dancing.
2. I read like, whoa. I started reading real books (not picture books) when I was five and have always been a fast reader. I can go through two or three books a week on the Kindle. The best book I've read this month is Imaginary Jesus (free on Kindle!).


3. I'm a decent writer. Alright, I'll go ahead and throw modesty out the window and say I'm a strong writer. I discovered writing when I started reading, and I'm pretty certain I learned to write by reading. Someday I'll write a book, but in the meantime, there's this blog, our Costa Rica blog, and a chapter in a book.