See more photos of this outfit here: pandaphilia.blogspot.com
Now that I’m beaten black and blue
I can finally come home to you
When the Forever 21 Twist Military Collection came out, I immediately eyed this jacket with the huge sleeves. When I saw it at the Escondido Mega-F21 (as I’m going to call it from now on) I had to nab the last Small I found. Of course I didn’t brave the mile-long waiting lines for the dressing room so I made a beeline for the checkout and there were another 20 or so people before me. Shopping is reserved for madmen – you find that out the hard way. For a $29.80 item, the material is quite good and sturdy. I absolutely love all the details – the brass buttons, the flaps, especially the badge. The fit of the jacket is extremely feminine for such a macho trend. The belt accentuates hip curves and has enough holes to be tight for petite waists. I already felt like I needed to be checked into an insane asylum with the stupid wind blowing my hair all over the place today and my camera teetering dangerously near the edge. A middle aged couple slowed, stared, and asked if I needed help. There are very accepting people who live in my neighborhood hahaha.
I grabbed my military skirt from spring and finally put it to good use. I realize that this outfit would have looked much better with my khaki pencil miniskirt but I have absolutely no idea where that is. The fanning out of the skirt accentuated the femininity of this military-inspired outfit, which I love. Girl power! The combat boots are from sword fighting in high school. The funny thing is when I went to Hot Topic to look for a sturdy pair without heels (it’s very hard to run and attack 200 lb guys when you’re sinking into mud, trust me), I couldn’t see much in the dimly lit store and managed to buy a pair in size 6 and 8. Embarrassed, I exchanged the 8 for a perfect match. These are really comfy to wear but they make my legs look really short and stunted. Curse you, disproportionate legs! The clutch I won from a blogger friend’s giveaway. I love how shiny it is and the flash it reflects at the camera boldly makes a statement against these neutral colours.
It’s very rare to find feminine pieces that work so well in the fall and incorporate many trends at once: military, bold shoulders, fading the lines between male and female. This is the best thing about fashion – it’s always transforming, always creating, taking small steps is fine and making huge BAM changes makes for a showstopper. Fashion allows you to be anyone and everyone. Fashion allows you to be you.
FOREVER 21 STANDOUT ENTRY
It’s so nice that there’s a Forever 21 contest for my affectionate obsession with the store. Where else can you grab two pieces for $38 and completely transform into another person? If I walk around campus, I’ll look even flashier than the students who are dressed in uniform. I’m most impressed with the craftsmanship of this jacket because of all the fine details, the little trinkets, the intricate stitching that lets my shoulders rise to the sky and empower my inner artist, channel my inner improv actress, feel a fraction of the courage our brave soldiers have. This post is dedicated to all the men and women fighting with honour, and a wish for them all to return home safely very soon.
Thank you for your support and love always <3,
* (^).(^) * ~ Panda
