Day 2 in Atlanta. And I have come to one frightening conclusion. I searched far and wide, in every mall within the city and there is not one American Apparel. For some reason I’ve been on a summer kick and am currently obsessed with anything cropped/high-waisted/denim and there are a couple of AA items that fit the criteria that I have been eyeing. But alas my search was to no avail. On the bright side I went to the zoo, as you can probably tell (no there were not elephants and wild birds wandering Peachtree street). Also the rest of my day was filled with shopping and fancy food. I walked away from the trip with these eclectic items purchased with my birthday money~** Satchel of dried lavender for bubble baths from L’Occitane, a flower crown from Free People in purple roses, and three bottles of Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade. I don’t even know.

**~About this outfit~** I’m wearing this mint green, daisy print mesh crop top that my friend Liz got me for my birthday from Urban Outfitters. I love it. Like I said about five seconds ago, I’m in a crop-top craze. It’s really different from anything that I have because a couple of months ago I wouldn’t go near anything cropped or slightlyseethrough. But I think it’s important for people’s style to constantly evolve, especially during teenage years. I don’t know, that was my pebble of wisdom for the day. Also can we take a minute to talk about how in love I am with these shorts. I never thought I would say this about simple shorts but I can’t even. I have been coveting these denim dreams for like over a year and finally they’re in my closet (well not for very long… I would wear them everyday if I could).

Shirt: Pins and Needles

Shorts: American Apparel

Shoes: Vintage

Necklace: CC Skye

Woo. Family vacay to Atlanta for a Mother’s day/sixteenth birthday retreat. There’s just something about the energy of big cities that put me in eternally happy moods. Unfortunately a four-hour car ride clashes with spikes/anythingthatwrinkles/high-waisted pants so that ruled out about 90 percent of my closet for today’s outfit. I opted for this little sundress that was actually my mom’s from the 90s (fitting for mothers day?) that I wear religiously and on cue every week. I try my hardest not to be boring so I layered this sheer, beaded top over it that my bff Callie gave me as a birthday present. I kind of like the different textures, especially in contrast to all the camel leather.

I don’t know if flatforms are the most practical shoes to wear when you’re touring a new city but idc better stylish than sorry. I think that’s in the fash blogger 101 handbook somewhere. Also I’m totally on the hunt for some stores that aren’t in Charleston… Zara? H&M? Are you out there? I’ll probably blow all off my birthday money at American Apparel (have you seen their new Paradise Pink velvet crop top?!!) but I can dream that I’m creative.

Dress: Vintage

Shirt: idk gift

Shoes: Deena & Ozzy

Bag: Vintage

Headband: Zara

Oh how I’m yearning for Summer days… and we found the perfect spot to snap pictures that reminded me of that! There is always a little place to e discovered when we are searching for a venue downtown, and today was no exception. My sister and I were lucky enough to stumble into a long alley with a flowers galore- I felt like I was in my own little botanical garden paradise. Ironically, the outfit is anything but flower prints and summer dresses. I actually centered my outfit on these Hellz Bellz x Belle of the Brawl platform creepers that I got in the mail yesterday! I saw them on Dolls Kill and fell in love… I can never have too many spiky, black shoes.

 Luckily the new shoes matched perfectly with the DIY denim shirt I made in the last post- the studs were both the same gunmetal colour. Studs + studs can’t go wrong, right? Well to balance out all of the tough metal I paired it all with my go-to girly skirt and slouchy socks. Soon we’re going to have to put away the velvet and socks, but I’m clinging to them as long as I can! Summery shorts and sandals seem a little intimidating right now… what are your summer must-haves this year? I’m on the hunt for the perfect high-waisted shorts…

Shirt: Vintage/DIY

Skirt: American Apparel

Shoes: Hellz Bellz x Belle of the Brawl

Ah, I know I rarely do DIY’s, and for good reason. Almost every time I attempt to shorten a hem or add holes to old jeans I only end up with tattered cloth and feelings of disappointment and heartbreak. This is why I now leave the rugged, studded or ripped clothes to the pros, until today. I was looking for the perfect denim shirt for summer, and actually stumbled across one from American Apparel. The other day I found an  (very) oversized denim shirt at a vintage shop and decided to give it a go and make my own. So here we go. All you need is a denim shirt, some scissors, thread & a needle, a nail file and your studs of choice.

Step One: Cut the sleeves off! Since we’re working on a shirt for these upcoming hotter months, there’s no need for them. When cutting, make sure to leave at least a half an inch of fabric after the hem. You can leave up to an inch after the hem- it all depends on how rugged you want the shirt to look. This is essentially how much fraying you will have on the sleeves. Don’t throw the sleeves away after you’re done, we will need them later!

Step Two: Cut the bottom of your shirt if it is very oversized. If your shirt fits fine, or if you’re going for more of a tunic, skip this step. Make sure to get an even cut at the front of the shirt. You can also make the shirt slightly longer at the back by making a sort of curve at the end.

Step Three: This is definitely the most time consuming part. Grab your nail file and start fraying the edges of the sleeves. You can also use your scissors for this part if you left more than half an inch of fabric for the sleeves. Once the fabric is frayed thoroughly you will also be able to pick at the thread, which will make an even fray on the sleeve. Repeat the same for the bottom hem if you chose to cut it. You can also fray small sections of the shirt (I chose to make small frayings on the collar, front pocket, and near the button closures), but leave your scissors out of these or you will just end up with a large hole!

Step Four: Gather your thread and studs. Make sure that the studs you close have holes near the bottom, where you will be able to sew them on (not flat pyramid studs!). Also, get some inspiration and be sure of where you want to put the studs. Look to brands like UNIF  and Lip Service for punky and creative ideas for stud placement. I chose to go right along the shoulder hem, for a perfectly straight line to follow. Some other good placements would be the back hem, collar or a design on the back of the shirt.

Step Five: Since I sewed the studs in the straight line, I didn’t have to keep switching out the thread. Two loops per stud should be enough to keep them on sturdily.

Step Six: Time to do any final touch-ups! This is the time to do any extra fraying, studding or cutting. Make sure that the bottom hem is completely even, and fray it some more if it is not. Add any extra studs or tears where needed.

 With the extra fabric from the sleeves and bottom hem, make some cute hair bows! Just add a hair clip or bobby pin to the back and viola! And now you have the perfect, breezy denim shirt for summer. Pair it with black skinnies or circle skirt- I’m going to be wearing it over my favourite velvet skirt. I’m sure you guys will be seeing this in an outfit post soon enough!