Portland's (non) Fashion

Can a picture tell a story?  YES.  #KeepPortlandPretty 

I was just as shocked as you when I googled Portland Fashion and Portland Fashion Week popped up. Let's just sit on that for awhile.....   

(Maybe Crocs sponsors the week?)   

Among the many things I miss about NYC....the fashion is what I seem to be craving lately. Now don't get me wrong, I love a plaid and sport moment....but at times you want to wear a heel, a red lip and a fresh blowout.  It's like you have landed from Mars....  I long for those days/nights of people watching to be inspired for my next outfit.  GOD the style in New York is so good.  Girls just get it and so do Men.  I will admit...I'm drawn to the men's fashion here more so then the women.  I can count on one hand the amount of women I have seen that have good style and the majority of those women are at work. 

For those of you that haven't made the trip out to Portland, let me walk you through the fashion here (or lack there of). Let's break this down:

Function vs Fashion: 

Portlanders have the function part figured out.  I have seen more Birkenstocks with socks, Crocs and Clogs then one can see in a lifetime.  It hurts my eyes.  Their staple coat always has a hood. Again....let's think about that.  Everyone has choices and they choose to go for the coat with a hood because functionally it makes sense.  It always rains here.  BUT there are things like umbrellas....one could choose to be fashionable AND bring an umbrella. Who would have thought? 

Exhibit A

New Yorkers are all about the fashion.  OV.  I've seen woman walking up and down the subway stairs in Louboutins like they are slippers.  Whether it's raining or -10 degrees, you will always find fashionably dressed people killing it.  Fashion week in the middle of winter is exceptional.  No one complains or shows weakness from the weather.  Now granted...multiple people have drivers....but these are all details. 

Weird vs Eclectic: 

I believe that Portlanders may think they are being stylish, but its just plain weird. Put a bird on it.  I find myself constantly saying "Huh...didn't realize that worked together" OR "Really?".  

There were numerous times I would walk down the streets of New York and wish I could pull off what some women can.  I'm just not that cool.  Some were friends of mine.  The confidence that these women have to put outfits together is admirable. 

Frumpy vs Chic: 

Now there may be some Portlanders that believe that frumpy is stylish because that seems to be the overall style of choice. I just have to question their thoughts as they are looking in the mirror in the AM... "I could be frumpier, lets put on another layer".  One could also ask...Is it even considered "style"? 

Portland Librarian?

Being a New Yorker you walk A LOT, so you have to take that into consideration as you plan out your outfits.  I was constantly struggling with comfort and fashion.  The ladies of Manhattan have this mastered. 

With all of the above said; Style is determined by the individual.  I just so happen to believe that there is no style here, but you may talk to someone else that believes there is. You can imagine who wins here from my perspective between Portlanders and New Yorkers...

Point for New York.  

After (Main Room)

My little home in Portland is coming together.  I wanted to share the first room that is almost done!  Minor things left to do, but my Mom keeps asking me to "send pictures" so she can see everything. (Even though we FaceTime daily and I can't make any decision without her. I think my Dad is over it) 

Since I know nothing about interior decorating and this was my first time taking a stab at it...no judgment.  I tried to stick to my Pinterest posts and stay focused....but LET ME TELL YOU...this stuff is hard.  I spent the majority of my weekends at Ikea, Target and Home Goods.  I'm super popular and have a ton of friends. (sarcasm)  I actually do have friends. Don't worry Mom.

For those who are interested in where I purchased things; I have listed them below.

• WEST ELM: Couch, coffee table, bar cart, floor lamp, marble side table, fur pillow, table lamp. 
• ONE KINGS LANE: Leather chairs.
• IKEA: TV stand/shelving unit, wall shelves, sisal rug, cowhide, succulents, frames. 
• HOME GOODS: Wood side table, knick knacks.
• The poufs I got in Morocco...deeply discounted...thanks to my little bro 'the negotiator'

Rooms left to show; Bedroom, Kitchen, Office area, Guest Bedroom, Bathroom, and Entryway.

Looking forward to sharing the rest of my home!  

Creating Your Space (Before)

When moving to a new city or into a new apt, it's a great time to purge and re-think your decor. Since I moved across country, I took the opportunity to start over with my apt.  (Let's be honest...I lived in a 400 sq ft apt for 6 years...I didn't have much) Below is my approach and some tips on revamping your apt life.  

BEFORE

Create an inspiration board: Pinterest is your friend. (I'm sure the majority of you already know this) I could "pin" for hours on end, which I actually accomplished. Yes, I have a life.  Make sure you are sticking to similar color themes and textures, so it's easy to focus when picking out furniture. Below are just a few examples of what I chose.   

Focus on big items first: Couch, accent chairs, media center and coffee table.  Once those pieces are chosen the details seem to fall into place.  I started cutting and pasting pieces to see how everything would sit together.  It's important to reference your inspiration boards while shopping.  It's extremely easy to loose focus, so the boards keep you on track! 

Mix and Match:  I have a bit of an eclectic taste, so I like to shop all over.  I stuck to sites like West Elm, One Kings Lane, Overstock, CB2 and Target.  And don't be afraid of IKEA.  It's easy to make pieces look expensive once they have been mixed in.  

I can't wait to show my AFTER pics!  The space is coming along, but will take some time.

Stay tuned.   

It Happened

The day has finally come where I have left the magical city of New York for a better life out west. I basically had to throw myself in my Uber and had several mental breakdowns as I made my way to the airport on February 21st.  Was I making the right decision?  Did it make sense to leave my support and the comforts of New York that I had grown accustomed to?  A mani/pedi on every corner, food at all times of the day, a beautifully merchandised boutique in every section of the city??  My Uber driver spoke zero english, which was extremely awkward trying to explain the tears but then comforting because I could just cry and not have to speak.  It's like that first cry on the subway when no one asks what's wrong and it's just you and 40 people pretending not to look at you while not caring enough to ask.... (Ahh New York)  As I approached the gate with swollen eyes, I instantly felt like Dorothy as I looked around at the people getting on the plane. Momma wasn't in Kansas anymore.  BUCKLE UP.  

I have now been in Portland for an official two weeks.  HOLY S.  In this very short time, I have managed to come up with my initial thoughts on Portland and Oregonians (who are the nicest people on earth).  **Please note; I'm new and have lived in manhattan for 12 years.  

Environmentalists. Let's go back to the airplane....I should have received the memo that (A) you wear backpacks in Portland and (B) you carry a canteen or some sort of "green" water bottle. I had never seen anything like it...they were asking the flight attendants (is that the politically correct name these days??) to fill their water bottles instead of accepting the mini size glass of water we get on planes.  I'm the idiot that buys a huge water bottle every flight because I feel like I got out of the sahara desert every time I land.  They definitely looked more refreshed when we landed and weren't struggling with all their carry-ons like myself.  Point for the Oregonians.

Friendliness. You know you are a New Yorker when you find it shocking that someone asks how your day is. AND is genuine.  Everywhere.  It's actually uncomfortable.  Is that bad?  I've managed to have multiple awkward conversations every day with absolute strangers.  It's going on 10 days. I always thought I was a nice person, but sometimes I just don't want to speak to people.  Was I like that before New York?  Or did New York make me that way?  I mean.  I would hide from people on the streets of New York or walk to another car on the subway if I saw someone I knew. Does everyone else do this?  Sometimes you just want to zone out and listen to music during your commute....no small talk before 8am or coffee. That universal sign of; I have ear plugs in please leave me alone. It's so easy to get lost and be left alone in New York.  Unsure how I feel about this one.  I'm going to have to give a point to New Yorkers because sometimes I just want to be left alone.

Weather.  Let's make this one CRYSTAL CLEAR.  It rains here.  A lot.  Don't let them fool you by saying New York get's more rainfall in inches/year. (What does that even mean?) It has rained everyday since I have been here.  Albeit, when the sun comes out it's pretty magical and everyone starts talking about how great the summers are here.  Um...we'll see.  New York summers are pretty incredible.  Point for New Yorkers. 

Homeless.  There are a ton of homeless people in Portland.  This surprised me.  You actually have to ask apartment buildings if they hire people to police the area because you don't want to walk outside your door into someone's home (i.e. tent).  I have also seen multiple "homeless" charging their iphone. (??)  I'll leave you with that.  Neither Portland or New York gets a point here.  

Fashion.  I'm sure this will be a main topic in the future, but wanted to share first observations. There are two types of people in Portland; People who wear beanies and people who wear rain jackets.  Hopefully that is a good point of reference on when I start talking about fashion. I have yet to see a Patagonia paired with a beanie, but I'm sure they exist.  We do live in the outdoor capital of the United States.  There is a beard on every corner, which just makes me so happy. Bearded Beanie or Rain Jacket...I'll take it.  Point for the Oregonians. 

There are so many more thoughts as I begin my west coast life, but wanted to get out a few and get this blog going!

Light Packing

There are two types of people in this world.  People who pack light and people who bring their whole wardrobe for a weekend trip.  My mother happens to be the latter. She has been my current challenge on how to create a light packer.  I have not been successful, but I'm hopeful with the tips below I can help you.

Choose a bag with compartments

This is the first step in your process of overcoming heavy packing.  Go out and buy a new travel bag.  Treat YO self.  I have found that it allows you to organize much easier when there are places for your things.  Now if you are a duffle bag person, which I know I am, there are amazing organizers out there that you can still keep everything neat.

Choose a theme

I have the most fun with this step.  It's an easy way to keep yourself in check when you find the need to want to bring everything.  If it doesn't fit into your theme, leave it at home. For example; an easy theme to get the point across is "Summer Whites". If this were my theme I would focus on linen pants/shirts, lace tops, subtle stripe knit tops/tanks, gauze coverups, white jean shorts, open weave sweaters for an added layer, etc.  When picking a color theme, you want to make sure you have texture in the assortment (now I sound like a merchandiser) for it's easy to get extremely flat and your outfits lack interest.  

Choose 3 pairs of shoes

This could be the hardest step.  There are always reasons to bring more footwear, but I have found that if you can narrow it down to 3 pairs you typically do not need anything more.  Whether you are going to a beach or a city follow these simple rules when choosing footwear; #1 COMFORTABLE SHOE. Whether it be a sneaker or a leisure sneaker. #2 FLAT.  Whether it be a sandal, flip flop, boot or ballet flat. #3 HEEL. Depending on who you are this could mean a hooker heel or a kitten heel. I would choose a heel or a shoe that you could wear day to night.  More versatile.  Obviously neutrals are important for all 3 pairs of footwear, so they can go with everything.

Choose 1 beauty device

Typically there are hair dryers wherever you go, but if your hair dryer is the most important thing in your beauty routine then by all means bring it. If your straightener is the most important, then bring that.  You get the point.

Buy travel size

It has become easier and easier to find the products that you use at home in travel size. If by chance you can not find your product in said size, then buying the travel containers is a good move.

HAPPY PACKING!