CoedUgly's blog

I get a lot of people asking me how I score so many things at thrift stores so I think it’s about time I made a post about this. Here are a few tips which I swear by when it comes to finding the perfect items:

1. Practice patience
This is definitely my number one tip which can be tedious at first but once you’re used to it it becomes second nature. If you’re really impatient, this definitely isn’t for you. I’d also suggest shopping alone unless the other person is willing to spend just as much time as you! I can literally spend hours at a single store shifting through all the racks thoroughly to find what I want. I actually found a vintage Sonia Rykiel military-esque jacket at a Goodwill once but it was hidden between a bunch of these other hideous black blazers. If you’re squeamish about touching all the clothes, bring some hand sanitizer along! Trust me, it will pay off. Don’t despair if you don’t find anything, though. There have been times when I’ve had to come home emptyhanded :(

2. Don’t feel compelled to buy everything
I know I’m definitely guilty of this. Sometimes I’ll pick something up thinking I would come up with a way to incorporate it into an outfit someday but it’ll just end up wasting closet space. If you can’t think of an outfit on the spot, don’t buy it! Buy only what you really like, even if you only end up purchasing one thing.

3. Try things on
This goes along with the previous tip. Make sure you try things on before you purchase them to make sure they fit! Vintage clothes size in particular are very unpredictable so your best bet would be to see what it looks like on your body. Again, if you’re not completely convinced by the fit, don’t feel like you have to purchase it. Or…

4. A little DIY wouldn’t hurt
If you’re skilled with your hands you can always try reconstructing vintage clothing a la Urban Renewal! Or if you’re like me and only have basic sewing skills, you can turn a frumpy long dress into a cute mini by chopping off a few inches and sewing the hem yourself like I did in this post. This way, you won’t feel limited when you’re browsing! Just make sure you know you actually have the time and patience to complete this or the project will just end up sitting in your closet without being worn.

5. Check every piece for imperfections
Make sure you inspect your clothes for any stains or rips they may have before you take it out of the store. Most of the time if vintage items have stains they’re most likely permanent since the previous owner probably couldn’t get rid of them. Or you can cross your fingers and hope you can fix it!

6. Check out the men’s and children’s clothing
Straying away from the women’s clothing aisles can also prove to be fruitful if you have the time to look thoroughly in these other sections. When you’re in the men’s section, keep an eye out for oversized plaid shirts or sweaters which are perfect with skinny jeans on lazy days. In the children’s section you’ll find things like little boy’s blazers which have a nice snug fit that adds to any outfit.

I hate ending this with a number that isn’t a multiple of 5 but I can’t think of anything else to write! If you guys have any more questions message me at my personal account and I’ll try to get back to you!

Part two of this will be posted tomorrow after I take a trip to my favorite Thrift Town and show you guys how to mix thrifted pieces with modern ones. Stay tuned!

xoxo,
annabel

Items in this photo

It’s rainy season again! While most of us would prefer to curl up at home with a good book and some hot cocoa, you have to go outside sometime, right? Here are a few tips for keeping warm and dry in the rain:

Finding the right coat:
My go to trench coat (in the third picture) is from H&M two seasons ago but I can guarantee that you’ll find a similar one if you go right now. Forever 21 actually has some nice ones this season so check them out! At the moment I’m actually looking for a nice khaki trench like Lulu’s but I haven’t had any luck. Anyone have anyadvice?

Another alternative is to try wearing a cape! H&M has this AMAZING black coat in stock that both Lulu and Linda have. I actually really lucked out with my Pendelton cape and found it in a local thrift store. If you’re looking for an online alternative, Ebay and Etsy are also two great places to find vintage capes. Ebay stores like Treasure Chest Vintage and Bleubird Vintage usually have some nice ones in stock so keep an eye out!

Finding the right shoes:
Although I usually wear my usual lace up booties on days like these, rainboots are definitely a must have. I actually have my eye on these ridiculously cheap red rainboots from Target! Check out the whole selection here.

I like how this turned out to be a thinly veiled way to talk about my obsession with capes, haha. Ahh well. Stay tuned for the Q&A video!

xoxo,
annabel

p.s.
Looking for an umbrella? The one in the pictures is from H&M but I really want a bubble umbrella which I hear is really good for keeping dry when it’s windy. I love these umbrellas from Target and Urban Outfitters!

Items in this photo
vintage pendleton cape red coat $30
BDG cigarette black jeans $54
thrifted lace up booties black shoes $5

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Once upon a time, before Chictopia ever existed, I posted an outfit consisting of a navy top with black jeans on some fashion community. Now, I’m the person least likely to be a bitch on the internet (in fact, I doubt I’ve ever even picked on anyone online) but a certain mantra came up in those comments that made me lose my cool.

You can’t wear navy blue and black together.

WHAT, are you serious?! I’m not even joking when I say that I went off on this person. Others joined in, either agreeing with him or standing by me, but I held true to what I believed in. These so-called “fashion rules” are ridiculous! I feel that anyone should be able to wear whatever he or she wants without being told that there is a need to adhere to made up standards.

Let’s see, so the main argument against navy blue and black being worn together is that the colors look too similar, right? Well, believe whatever you want to believe and practice it in your own outfits but don’t pass it off as a fact! If you say that, you might as well should say that wearing more than one black article of clothing is unacceptable because I highly doubt those shades of black will match 100%. What’s wrong with wanting to mix these two colors?

Look, I don’t have a problem with personal preferences. If someone doesn’t like what I wear, then I understand what he or she is feeling since I don’t exactly dig every trend that is out there. However, it is crucial to realize that there is an immense difference between expressing a personal opinion and passing something off as fact.

Oh no, is the Fashion Police going to come get me? Really? Ohhh, I’m so scared! (refer to first picture, hahaha)

Again, if you choose to believe in established fashion rules, then that’s your opinion. It just isn’t necessary to use that as a way to win an argument about what’s right when there isn’t even an actual argument to begin with. There’s no need to restrict yourself!!

xoxo,
annabel

p.s.

Anyone interested in another Q&A session? I’ve been in a really talkative mood lately since I got over my illness so I’d like to make a video post! Although I’m not sure how many people would appreciate hearing my squeaky drawl/valley girl accent. And my spazzy way of talking, ahahaha. Perhaps you guys will finally found out about why I always look so lame when I pose?

Items in this photo
BDG cigarette black jeans $54
f21 loose black vest $20
thrifted lace up booties black shoes $5
H&M loose cardigan blue sweater $35
H&M oversized black scarf $20

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I find it extremely annoying when I walk around campus and see students wearing clothing stamped with another university’s name.

If you wanted to show pride for that school then why didn’t you go there instead?!?

It’s especially annoying on community college campuses.
I took a class over the summer a couple years ago at a local community college and I don’t even remember how many people I saw with Yale, Harvard, and Cal t-shirts.

C’mon, who are you fooling?

Now, go show your true colors!
Whoot GO MUSTANGS!

p.s. I’m probably transferring to San Francisco State next fall so, in that case…GO GATORS!

p.p.s. OBAMA!!!!!!!! thank gawd!

Items in this photo
cal poly tee blue
paul and joe for target diy distressed and chained shorts black

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So I’m back at school and it’s already been a pain. No sleep, lots of studying and general good behavior plus having to be err responsible is draining me. Oh how I miss the long, reckless days of summer already :(
On a happier note, I moved to a MUCH bigger place. No more sharing a closet/room and putting up with my roommate talking explicitly on the phone to her boyfriend… right next to me. shudder For some of you this may be your reality. My heart goes out to ya.
Even with my own room and more space, I still like to stay super organized and neat with my clothes and other belongings. I find that when my room is nicely organized and put together I concentrate and study better! So I thought I’d share some tips in organizing your own dorm room or apartment!

1. Bring only the bare essentials! This is something I learned last year after realizing that space is such a luxury in the dorms. Cramming your entire wardrobe into a tiny 3 foot closet is just not fun! Think to yourself, “do I really need that third raincoat or stack of old, collected magazines that I never look through, but can’t bear to throw away?” Leave it at home people! It’ll still be there when you go home.
2. Color code your closet This is kinda nerdy, but I swear it helps so much! Makes it so much easier for when you’re in a rush in the morning and you just need to wear that blue cardigan with your white tank. You just go to the corresponding color section in your closet and voila! Saves a lot of time and makes it super easy to find anything in your closet.
3. Organize by clothing type For things that I don’t need to hang up like jeans, skirts, shorts, and t-shirts I like to fold up and put in separate drawers. Instead of just cramming them all randomly together.
4. Utilized all space Do you have a windowsill you can lay out all your jewelery? Or a bare wall where you can mount shelves? Use up any space you can! For example, I use the top of my drawer as a place to put all my miscellaneous accessories like headbands, sunglasses and jewelery.
5. Storage savers Clear bins, stackable containers, over-the-door racks, and clothes and shoe organizers are great for keeping things tidy and neat while saving space. A trip to IKEA is a must!

Hope this helps you in making your own room as efficient and organized as possible!

Included with this post are some before and after shots of my room on the first day I moved in. From horrid mess to a clean, and organized oasis!

1st pic: my closet now
2nd pic: my closet before
3rd pic: my room before/after
4th pic: dresser in which I put(in this order) my jeans, then skirts, shorts, “comfy clothes”, and finally all my tights/socks.

xoxo
Lindarrr

Items in this photo

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Most of you may have already read the article in Nylon presenting both sides of the issue but I’m going to bring it up anyway. Some people call it a blessing, others an epidemic. College campuses are full of people exploring the compelling power of this phenomenon due to the undeniable comfort of lacking the constrictive forces of what we consider pants. However, is it really necessary to imply that an outfit is incomplete because of the replacement of pants with leggings? I’d like to argue otherwise, but with some restrictions.

Let us first explore the connotations involving the term pants. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary entry is as follows:

Main Entry: pant
Function: noun
Etymology: short for pantaloons
Date: 1840
1: an outer garment covering each leg separately and usually extending from the waist to the ankle —usually used in plural

Keeping this basic definition in mind, it can then be concluded that the typical “leggings are not pants” statement is incorrect since leggings essentially complete this function. So then, the question is, what makes leggings so offensive to those who oppose them?

It’s the camel toe.

Regardless of how comfortable you feel in your clothing, the people around you aren’t too excited about having to see the outlines of your, erm, cootchie area. I feel like a giggly little child when I write about this, but it’s true. It’s alright to want to look and feel sexy but there’s a fine line between that and trashy.

Personally, I like to consider leggings “super tight pants” and I try my best to hide the parts of my body that are affected negatively by the shape of the leggings. In my outfits, I like to balance out a baggy look above with a more fit silhouette below. Luckily, many local stores have been offering tops that are long enough cover the no-no area below which are perfect for leggings. In addition to this, I also prefer longer leggings to the ones that hit mid calf. Longer leggings not only resemble pants more but also elongate your legs when they hit the right spot as opposed to the shorter ones.

Other looks with leggings that I love:

1. I love this look by rodellee because she further elongates her legs with high heels. Instead of looking cheap (an argument that many anti-legging fashionistas employ time after time) the outfit looks formal and sophisticated paired with a romantic blouse and tailored blazer.

2. Here is another look by the ever fashionable caroline who takes leggings to another level with her shiny take. I actually have the American Apparel shiny leggings
in lamé matte black on my wishlist which I may purchase sometime soon with the Chictopia discount. I like these leggings because they resemble leather (without the heavy discomfort!) and add a different touch to your outfits.

3. I also like this look by Noir which is as comfortable as it is chic. Leggings also go well tucked into slouchy boots, as Noir does in her outfit which is perfect for your everyday wear. The oversized pullover is far from frumpy and (paired with the scarf) is instead part of a very chic look without compromising comfort.

In the end, it’s up to you to decide how you want to wear your leggings. If you feel you can pull them off without a longer shirt, go ahead! Your clothes, your choice. I’m just offering my opinions and justifications :)

xoxo,
annabel

Items in this photo
f21 long white top $10
H&M loose black sweater $34
H&M leggings black pants $12
Chinese Laundry wedges black shoes $80

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