27 January 2016

My Ideal Closet – Cath

I love how Lar’s ideal closet is full of inspiration from timeless style icons. Mine is not. Currently, my ideal wardrobe is all about comfort, simplicity, and masculinity – in a Katharine Hepburn kind of way.

I’ve always dreamed of a monochromatic wardrobe. Ever since I Konmari-ed my closet that desire has only gotten stronger – and more attainable now that I can see what I actually own. I’d love to have a handful of high-quality pieces that go with each other and don’t require a lot of maintenance (e. g. dry cleaning). If I had won the Powerball two weeks ago (still can’t believe I didn’t!), here are the building blocks that I would have bought for my closet:

Basics

Madewell turtleneck | Need Supply muscle tee and t-shirt

I don’t need a lot of basics, but a handful of black, white, gray and striped shirts for layering would be the perfect foundation.

Sporty

Everlane sweatpants | Need Supply dress | Commes des Garcon hoodie

I love a good pair of sweatpants – especially ones that can look a little dressy. I pretty much like anything that is stretchy and forgiving whether it’s in dress, pants or hoodie form.

Cozy Knits

Cos sweatshirt | Everlane cardigan | Madewell cardigan

Maybe because it’s the middle of winter and we just had a little dusting of snow in Atlanta. Or maybe because my current wardrobe is completely lacking in cozy knits, but I have a sudden urge to buy more chunky sweater and sweatshirts. They’re perfect for throwing over anything and something like the double-breasted Madewell cardigan has that perfect mix of comfort and pull-togetherness.

Quirky

Madewell T-shirt | Need Supply sweatshirt | Cos dress

Yes, that’s a  boob sweatshirt and I love it! I like gray and black pieces that are a little off – either with the pattern (e.g. Madewell t-shirt and boob sweatshirt) or the cut (e.g. the Cos trapeze dress). It shakes up a wardrobe and the look of an outfit a little bit without getting too colorful and trendy.

Accessories

Bag &Other Stories | Everlane slip-ons | Adidas Stan Smiths

Lar and I keep talking about how someday we want to be able to carry small purses like this one from And Other Stories #lifegoals. I’m sure I’m doing permanent damage to my back by trying to carry around my whole life in my in a giant-tote-bag-of-a-purse. A black pair of slip-ons would be my go-to shoe and I’ve had my eye on those black and white Stan Smiths for ages.

I know my ideal closet might be boring to most people, but I think it’s perfection. Also, most of these items do NOT fit my body type. I’m short/petite so flat shoes, big sweatshirts, white sneakers that cut off the leg line, and shapeless pieces aren’t items that a fashion magazine editor would recommend. The thing is, at the ripe old age of 32, I don’t care.

Lar mentioned that we’ll be digging deeper into the whole discussion about dressing – or not dressing – for your body type. The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it seems. Yes, heels would elongate my line and short skirts look more proportional on me than midi skirts, but I’m over it. I’m over the rules and those limitations. Bring on the sweatpants and boyfriend jeans!!!!

Category: Cath's Style, Simplifying Style
6 Comments
25 January 2016

My ideal closet

One of the reasons Cath and I changed the focus of the blog was to figure out how to dress better. That might sound silly coming from 32-year-old women who’ve spent the better part of nearly three decades dressing themselves, but I think your style evolves all your life.

And I don’t mean how to dress “on-trend” or be “fashionable”, but how to find your own style. That takes time and dedication. It also takes years of giving yourself the freedom to wear whatever you want, like this (holy-moly).

I’m not saying there aren’t some days where I still want to Gaga-it-up, but in general, I love the idea of being comfortable enough in my own skin to wear what I want — not because it looks cool but because it feels like me.

So before I tackled my closet clear-out this past weekend (post to come) I sat down and had a think:
• What sorts of things do I feel the best in (I mentioned this in my Uniform post).
• What do I wear the most and why
• Does my current closet fit my lifestyle (for instance, I bought a pair of Adidas because I thought it would make me feel like a fashion editor if I wore them with a beanie and long, minimalist coat — turns out that “look” makes me feel like a bald hobbit — not the lifestyle or look I am for, though I robustly support elevensies).
• Who are my style icons and why (see photos above)

I then delved into Pinterest with a purpose (no aimless scrolling here, ahem) and made a collage of lovely ladies who fit what seems to be a style that I’ve slowly gravitated toward since the end of my 20s:
• 1960s lines
• Monochrome, clean cut outfits
• Black and bold colors (I look washed out in pastels)
• Very little pattern or accessories
• And a bit of eccentricity thrown in

And I don’t just like this look, it also fits with the way I get dressed. Most of my clothes are solid colors because I think my 5’2 stature can’t handle the busy-ness of a pattern.* I also forget to put accessories on anyhow — and when I do remember I spend all day fiddling with them and clanking my bangles awkwardly on my desk. My closet already has lots of mini-skirts (again, good on a petite frame) and clean silhouettes. I also own a basket that I sometimes use as a purse (thank you, Jane Birkin).

It doesn’t matter what age you are. Any time is a good time to really review your current style. In the past when I’ve looked for inspiration, I would go online and find beautiful images of very stylish women and try to emulate them in order to feel fashionable. But I never did. What works on very tall, skinny models with natural bedhead hair never works for me and will never work for me. But that doesn’t mean you have to eschew your inspiration board, just spend a little more time with your images and really delve into why you were attracted to them.

Find inspiration and then learn how to make that fit your lifestyle and yourself.* Your closet and style will always be evolving, but it will begin to be small shifts that always look like you and no one else (even if you are an identical twin).

*Speaking of which, Cath and I have been discussing this idea of “dressing for your body type.” And we’re not sure this should be rammed down our throats as much as it is. Stay tuned for future posts about “dressing for type.”

Category: Lar's Style, Outfits, Simplifying Style
6 Comments
20 January 2016

Lar’s Winter Uniform

Some days, like Cath, I toy with the idea of having a uniform: a faltering set of clothes that I can buy multiples of and wear the same thing day in, day out. I’ve never settled on one outfit that does it all: looks great, feels comfy (aka I can walk 10 city blocks without falling over and eat a delicious meal without having to discreetly unbutton my jeans) and, most importantly, feels like me.

You know what I mean? Those outfits you put on and you’re like “yeahhh….” Not just because you think you look good, but because you feel good. Boots always make me feel like that. So my uniform would definitely include boots.

In fact, the closest I’ve ever gotten to a uniform is this winter ensemble seen here: black turtleneck sweater, skinny jeans and ankle booties.

It’s not in the least bit exciting or fashion-forward, but I feel so good in it, I can forget what I’m wearing (nothing to yank down or pull up or wobble in) and enjoy what I’m doing. Maybe I should try wearing this all week and see if I can commit to a seasonal uniform. I’ll document it here if I do!

Regardless if I succeed in uniform dressing, there is one rule: I can’t buy all new clothes to create a uniform. I know I own things I already love, which is why I love this winter uniform-ish so much, and a big part of this new blog venturing is learning to love what you already have. I’ve owned all of these pieces for years.

The pic above was taken just this past weekend and the one below is from a visit to Munich three years ago — exact same clothes, just different hats. The turtleneck sweater is from H&M and at least six years old, the skinny jeans are from a charity shop in Edinburgh — a steal at £8 — and the boots are three-year old Cos booties I’ve literally worn to bits (poor sole, it has a hole in it!).

Lar-uniform-munich

Category: Outfits, Simplifying Style
13 Comments
18 January 2016

Cath’s Winter Uniform

Alright. I don’t really have a uniform. I just have a version of what I would wear every day if I didn’t have to go to work and could just bop around town eating at restaurants, visiting museums, going to see movies, and hanging out at bookstores.

Here’s my uniform math: skinny jeans + loose-ish top(s) + flat boots or oxfords.

cath-smiling

At some point, I would love to develop a work uniform like Matilda Kahl. If I ever find the perfect work blouse (looks like silk, but is machine washable, doesn’t bunch in weird places when sitting down, doesn’t wrinkle, is fitted but not tight, etc.), I’ll buy it in bulk. Same goes for black trousers that fit perfectly. These pants are close to perfect, but they get baggy around the knees throughout the day. If you have the perfect work uniform, leave me a commit. I need some inspiration!

Category: Cath's Style
13 Comments
14 January 2016

Favorite Item: Gray T-Shirt

I ran out and bought this gray t-shirt last August when I was visiting Lar in Scotland and my luggage was lost for two days. I was trying desperately not to spend too much on the trip, so I grabbed the cheapest t-shirt I could find at Primark – I think it was on sale for $5. I never thought I would love it so much. It’s not cut like a cheap shirt. The back piece is slightly longer than the front so I never have that annoying gap between my shirt and my jeans when I’m sitting down and the sleeves are the perfect length. Plus the folded sleeves make it feel more pulled together and the level of non-snugness is perfection.

I know it’s silly to love a t-shirt so much, but it’s rare to find a gem when you’re in a rush and just desperate not to wear dirty laundry for the second day in a row while traveling. If only I had known how much I would grow to love this shirt – I would have bought five more to replace my other t-shirts. Since Primark doesn’t have an online shop in the states, I don’t think I’ll be getting my hands on another beloved t-shirt anytime soon. Although, come to think of it, that’s probably for the best. Primark represents the whole fast fashion world that I’m trying to get away from. While they’re not the worst company as far as ethics go, they’re not anywhere close to the best either. So, I’ll love this shirt to bits while it lasts and then try to find a more ethical replacement for it down the road.

Category: Cath's Style
11 Comments
13 January 2016

Thank you, Ferragamos!

I think one reason we have so much stuff in our closets is because, well, there’s so much stuff in our closets! We can never find things and gems get buried and aren’t unearthed until we have a good clear-out. And after a wee while, we start buying things again and the cycle continues.

So Cath and I thought it would be a good idea to write about specific pieces in our closets that we love. It will be like a gratitude journal for our wardrobes — we’ll focus on what we already have and not feel like we constantly need more. As an added bonus, we thought we would sketch our favorite items — a small act of homage to the things we tend to take for granted in our closets.

So to start, here are my much-prized Ferragamos:

I’ve always loved Audrey Hepburn’s style, and what says ‘Audrey’ more than a classic ballet flat? And not just a flat, but a Ferragamo flat?

A few years ago, I had saved up enough money from our sponsorship with Shopbop that I could actually afford what would normally be way-too-expensive shoes for me. I also was thinking the whole time “I’m getting Audrey’s shoes!!!”

When I finally held them in my hands (and then put them on my feet), I felt ready to be whisked away by Fred Astaire or run through Paris at night with Cary Grant. After I bought the shoes, I learned that this particular style was not actually worn by Audrey (she preferred one of Ferragamo’s lower-heeled flats), but much loved by … Margaret Thatcher. Heyho. They are still a lovely pair of ballet flats that have just enough of a heel to give my already staggering height of 5’3 a bit of a boost.

On a more personal note, I first put these shoes on after I had been in the hospital for two weeks due to complications from Endometriosis. I still felt terrible and incredibly sad and vulnerable, but getting to shuffle around my flat in my Audrey/Thatcher shoes, I momentarily felt as light as air. 

So thank you so much, Thatcher Ferragamos. I look forward to many more years of floating through the air with you on my feet!

Category: Gratitude
7 Comments
12 January 2016

Cath’s Inventory

See Cath’s closet inventory here.

Sheesh! I thought after my ruthless KonMari-ing last summer that it’d be easy to take stock of all of my clothes (plus accessories). Writing everything down has been an eye-opener. I was being all smug thinking that I had a pared down closet, but I clearly have some work to do.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m much further along than I was a year ago. I pretty much wear everything that I own, and no longer have a summer/winter clothes box. Nevertheless, there’s still room for improvement and I’m going to use this online list to stay accountable.

Over the next year, I’m hoping to make the following adjustments:

• Purge some of the tops I don’t wear often or don’t fit well
• Replace my worn t-shirts slowly with a few Everlane t-shirts
• Save up for better quality blouses for work, get rid of cheap ones that aren’t holding up in the wash
• Purchase some more bottoms: long pants for work, another pair of black jeans, gray skirt
• Cull through purses and necklaces again
• Purchase two more t-shirt bras (nude and black)
• Purchase camel or gray cardigan
• Find replacements for Feiyue sneakers (they’re falling apart)
• Purchase a winter wool coat (wait until winter sales)

Apart from the winter coat, pants, skirt, and cardigan, I won’t be adding anything else to my wardrobe – just refining it. I should be able to get rid of a few shirts without replacing them with something else.  And if I add any other item, I’ll get rid of an item – one in, one out. I love the idea of having a more monochromatic wardrobe than I currently do because I think I’ll save money in the long run by being able to mix and match more. My biggest downfall is that I always gravitate towards black when I’m shopping. Soon I’ll just be one giant black blob. So I need to work on adding some other neutrals to the mix.

Category: Home
14 Comments
12 January 2016

Lar’s Inventory

Cath and I are both making long lists of what we currently have in our closets. It’s a way for us to see how much we already have and to evaluate if there is anything else we might need.

As we’ve mentioned in this post, our goal is to learn to live with less and switch out quantity with quality.

We know that looking at itemized list of what is in someone’s closet isn’t the most thrilling read, so we aren’t including the lists in our posts, but we do have them on a separate page on the site. We’ll be updating the inventory page as we subtract and add (a wee bit) to our closets.

There are many areas of our lives that could use pruning, but we thought it would be easiest to concentrate on our closets first.

A heads-up on my list, over the past five years, I have gotten rid of most of my wardrobe. I had roughly three times as many clothes in my closet in my 20s than I do now. And this process didn’t happen overnight. I’m a pack-rat at heart and sentimentalize everything — even a pair of socks. But once you start, I promise that it really does get easier.

One thing that did surprise me, was how long it took me to write an inventory of every piece of clothing I own — stuff really does add up and the process makes you realize how much you already have. If you are joining Cath and I on this journey, let us know how your inventory goes and if it’s an eye-openner for you. I think it works as a great cure any time you get itchy shopping fingers. Just look back at your inventory list or start one, and your credit cards will let out a sigh of relief.

I plan to go through my closet this weekend and see if I can whittle any more bits out of it as well as figure out what I need (if anything). I’ll be posting updates in the following weeks, so stay tuned if you’d like to know my closet-clearing process.

Cath already has a plan of action for her closet — check back this afternoon to see her post.

closet

Category: Home, Organizing, Simplifying Style
7 Comments
11 January 2016

Welcome to the new AsianCajuns!

Cath and I wanted to start a new journey with the site to help us learn how to live with less. This is why:

  1. We wanted to be more thoughtful consumers: buying quality over quantity
  2. Now in our 30s, we really want to develop our style and not be as easily swayed by the siren song of trends and fast fashion
  3. The world deserves better than us constantly buying stuff and then throwing it into landfills (so we are oh-so-humbly trying to save the world — in a teeny tiny way)
  4. Spend less money on stuff and more time on experiences
  5. Discover and share sustainable and ethical brands and practices
  6. Inspire you to join us in this process

And let me emphasize the word “process.” Cath and I don’t consider ourselves minimalist and we aren’t aiming to create perfect Pin-able capsule wardrobes. We consider AsianCajuns as a workbook and journal of our evolution to live with less. It doesn’t have to look a certain way, it just has to feel good to us and work for us.

Over the past five years, I’ve whittled down my belongings quite a bit. It all started in 2011 when I moved to Scotland with Matt with just two suitcases each. After four years abroad, I’m back in the states and currently have way more than what two suitcases can hold, but still not much when compared to the average American household. I live in a 700 sq ft apartment and don’t have a car. I only live with my husband and we have no kids or pets. We live in an urban area in a large city that allows us to walk everywhere or take public transportation. We’ve prioritised this lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only way to live with less or has to fit within these parameters.

Cath lives in a 1200 sq ft house in greater Atlanta (i.e. a car is an absolute necessity) with her partner and two large dogs. She didn’t have to downsize to move across the ocean, but during 2015, she has slowly gotten rid of more and more things. Living with less will look different for both of us, but our goals are the same.

We both realized that we wanted to continue to live with less because it made us feel so good. Less overwhelmed by things, our tidied and decluttered rooms make us feel lighter and more free to think beyond stuff. I definitely wouldn’t have had the headspace, luggage space or budget to travel as much as I have if I hadn’t gotten rid of so much stuff.

Once in awhile I’ll remember a necklace or chair that I’ve given away that I miss, but overwhelmingly it’s the experiences I’ve been able to have that give me so much more. Swimming naked in the Mediterranean, eating fasulye on a rooftop in Istanbul, and drinking whisky by a roaring fire in Edinburgh, make the necklace and chair seem unremarkable and forgetable.

So we hope you join us in this process and let us know what you think. We’ll be sharing with you what we get rid of and you can hopefully watch us in our process to live with less. That doesn’t mean we’ll be anti-consumers though! We’ll just be much more thoughtful consumers. And we want to be honest and show you what we buy as well and explain why we thought a purchase was necessary.

We can’t wait to hear from you! We’ve been blogging together since 2007 and AsianCajuns has evolved throughout the years, but this is by far our most comprehensive change. We’d love to know what you think and if you’re interested in living with less too!

Category: General AsianCajuns Info
29 Comments
20 December 2015

Time for A Change

asiancajunsnotebook_web

For the past few years, Lar and I have been struggling with AsianCajuns.com for a while. We started this blog eight years ago as a kind of lifestyle/fashion/all-things-we-like blog. Then it became almost exclusively about fashion. And then when Lar moved abroad it became about staying in touch and sharing our separate lives and the focus was a mix of fashion, travel and food.

Now that Lar is back in the states (best thing ever, btw) we no longer feel a need to share our lives with each other through blogging because we can actually talk to each other every single day. Plus, fashion just really isn’t our thing anymore. Let me rephrase. Fast, trendy fashion isn’t our thing anymore. At the ripe old age of 32, we’re no longer excited by trips to Zara, H&M (et. al.). Staying on trend is no longer thrilling. In fact, it now feels a little depressing.

This change has come about slowly and for a number of reasons. We’re getting older and wiser – or at least we are getting older. And that means things like travel, owning a home, saving up for furniture and other adult things have taken priority over clothes.

Growing up I was always the more practical twin and in college Lar was the one who was always buying tons of cute clothes. When she moved abroad, I became the twin with all of the clothes and billions of accessories while Lar while was the poster child for minimalism. Then Lar got the KonMari bug. Then I did. And now we’re much more conscious of the clothes we buy. I still probably have more clothes than Lar, but significantly less than I had even a few months ago. On top of all of this, the whole capsule wardrobe, zero waste home, ethical consumerism, and minimalism movements have totally got us excited – as excited as we used to get about trendy fashions.

So with all that being said, Lar and I are moving AsianCajuns in a more focused direction. We want it to become our experiment space where we can share our journey of living more simply. That doesn’t mean we’ll turn into monotone minimalists that live in perfectly edited Scandinavian-inspired homes – not even close! We’re human after all. Humans that are on relatively tight budgets and are fans of a lived-in look that’s not perfect.

The first category we’ll be focusing on will be clothes because we still love clothes. And even though we’ve both cleaned out our closets, there’s still a lot more to explore. We’re both intrigued by the idea of a capsule wardrobe. So we’ll be blogging about what we have, how we make it work, and why we decide to buy certain items if and when that happens.

I hope you can join us on our journey and find it interesting. Even though we’ve been mulling over the future of our a blog for a while now, one of the things that we’ve consistently loved about it is our readers. The blogging world is an amazing (albeit shrinking) community that means so much to us. So stay in touch and let us know what you think!

P.S.: As Lar has mentioned in previous posts, we’ll have a new design up soon to reflect our changing direction. Plus, we’ll start posting regularly once we’ve worked out all of the backend kinks.

Category: General AsianCajuns Info
15 Comments