Skirt // Goodwill // Top // H & M // Necklace // Modcloth // Suspenders // Swedish Men's Shop //
I thought that since it's almost time for school I would do a literary themed week (s?) over here on Vintage Redheads. Reading is one of those things that I think we find harder and harder to do once we're out of school. Either full time jobs take over and we just don't have the time or we simply lose interest when it's not right in front of us. But I am one of those guilty hoarder with shelves and shelves of books piled up all around me and whenever I'm feeling a lack of inspiration or energy, I pluck one off the shelf, plop down on the couch and fall into into a world, far far away....I've chosen a few of my favorite books which inspire and influence my life, my design and my fashion both as lasting memories and current features.
I think for most of us, Harry Potter is a dear and faithful paperback friend. I remember ordering the first Harry Potter book from a Scholastic catalog we got in English class when I was twelve. As a child who was already enamored with the magical world, Harry Potter was a dream come true. I can remember our entire class ripping open the delivery box the next week to dive into our very own copy of the highly raved about book. Our teachers were so happy to see us reading that they always let us sneak off and read our own books during class even if it wasn't part of the curriculum.
Everyone has their favorite Harry Potter house and the fashion, color schemes and designs of the clothes from those houses were immediately something that sprung into the eyes of real world designers and imaginative children alike. Although, I have to say I always had a soft spot for the Slytherin house, with my red hair it was hard for anyone to see me as anything but a Weasley. And as the books went on and on and Ginny became one of my favorite characters, I was pretty proud to be a fellow Gryffindor, hence the theme of this post. I never went to private school, so for me the novelty of a plaid skirt with your house colors is certainly a treat to wear and I can never put one on without feeling slightly in "character". I really like pairing the simple, uniform-esque outfit with a snappy pair of suspenders, accentuating the nerdy, preppy, school style. But to offset the juvenile feeling that the outfit would otherwise have, I added on this wonderful necklace from Modcloth which brings a level of elegance and maturity to the rest of the uniform.
When reading a novel, I think everyone sees themselves as one of these characters, either identifying themselves with their personality, their drive or even their fashion sense. In imagining yourself as one of these characters you see yourself in their shoes and literally their fashion sense. It isn't too hard to see how this can transfer then into your daily style and influence how you put together an outfit or even which accessories you choose to add to one. And that's the fun in fashion as well, with even the slightest little thing you can feel as though you are becoming and embodying one of your favorite literary characters as well as showing off your passions and interests at the same time.
