4.27.2017

Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor

...Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief, etc etc etc...

Wait, what?

It's a Radiohead song, duh.

An alternative title was going to be Something to Get You Through the Month Before Summer but that felt so overused, so unoriginal, so I decided to be the epitome of original and use Radiohead's most complex song title ever! The reasoning for this reference doesn't carry much depth; the outfit I wore today just reminds me of this song and its unconventionally long title.

Pants by Madewell. Shirt is Arcade Fire merchandise. Mules by & Other Stories. Sunglasses also by Madewell, and scarf used as wrist accessory by J. Crew.

Do you see the correlation now?

If it makes you feel any better, the sole reason I chose this song was because the word sailor is one of the 11 words included in the song title. The only reason. 

I do look ready to get on a sail boat, no? 



The day the new Madewell collection came out (I have early access, remember?), I saw these striped, lace up pants, realized how good I would look wearing them on a boat over a one-piece bathing suit (this new Reformation one would work wonderfully) and espadrille slides, maybe with these sunglasses used to protect my eyes from the sun (and wind from the boat!) and also to be worn on top of my head as a fun accessory. I immediately put my size on hold and bought them the next day at work, and felt my transition into a cool, Reformation-esque girl who knows how to sail occur in seconds. I wanted to find that one-piece and wear it in a non-beach/ocean setting but realized this wasn't practical--it's not even 70 degrees in D.C. at the moment. I feel like at least the sun had to be out to be full on L.A. beach girl, yet the clouds stopped the sun from being a summer day. Time to ~compromise~. 


I instead threw in aspects of what I want summer to be like that doesn't involve boats and sand stuck between my toes. My summer looks more like two jobs and summer classes stuck in the swamp that is Washington, D.C., so I had to embody something that is more practical for my schedule, which will definitely not see a body of water (besides, maybe, the Potomac River). Instead I paired the Anything Goes pants with my favorite shirt that works with both everyday wear and something I can sleep in--my Arcade Fire band tee. Who doesn't love repping their favorite band in the form of clothing, especially when Rodin's work is featured on it? Remember when I wore this exact shirt inside the Rodin Museum in Paris? Also something important to take note of: graphic tees are such an important staple for the summer, when all we want to do is slip on a T-shirt and be done with our outfits (pants optional). I, once again, slipped on my & Other Stories mules, which definitely would sink into sand but clack perfectly on the pavement of D.C. and still carry that effortless, summer look. So instead of becoming that girl who practically lives on her boat, I was that American vacationing in Greece, or even better, Antibes (aka the town in between Cannes and Nice of Southern France), who was about to hop on a boat for a quick ride, but had to go shopping through the local market right before. For fresh produce, hand-crafted jewelry, and maybe even homemade lavender soap. Clothing can be so transformative! You can be someone you're not, which is so necessary when that last month before summer begins is killing your mood, in fashion and in life. Maybe don't completely disguise your personality, but become your best self. 

It's almost summer! You deserve it.

Photos shot by Maddie.




4.11.2017

A Case for Denim Shorts: Part I

Suns out, legs out??

I know it's supposed to be suns out, guns out, or even buns out (correct?), but this one seems more appropriate, even if it lacks that fun rhyme.

D.C. has finally been blessed, or cursed, with the heat! This is partially bad news for many reasons: a) my sweat glands hate me b) society wants me to shave and c) turtlenecks are banned from my wardrobe for the next seven months. But there are also many good outcomes of this sunny paradise!! Like a) a surplus of vitamin D b) spending more time outside will scientifically increase my mood and c) I technically don't have to shave because societal norms are silly. And the fashion perks to this weather are even greater! Dresses that resemble Reformation's or & Other Stories' aesthetic (like this one or this one) can finally be worn, sunglasses can be used as both an eye-protector and a hair accessory, and thigh grazing shorts are acceptable!! Well, not at professional work environments and your grandmother's house, but I digress.

Denim cutoffs carry these confidence-boosting qualities that transform them into magical entities. Like how killer heels make you feel so much better, but minus the foot pain. So show off what you've got! And if you're afraid to show that much leg, go on and try it, because spring is about ~trying new things~. Right?

Because the denim shorts thing can be really hard to pull off in a ~fashionable~ manner, I'm doing yet another fashion experiment! How fun! This time, I'm trying a few looks with the same pair of cutoffs--a vintage pair of Levi's I thrifted and cut about four inches shorter to the very top of my thighs. Here's my first take:

When you can't afford to travel to the West Coast and attend Coachella (that lineup!!!) so you just dress like you're going:






















































Shorts by Levi's (thrifted and DIYed). Top and mules by & Other Stories. Tassel cuff by Madewell. Sunglasses by Urban Outfitters. Lipstick by NARS.

I visited the & Other Stories store in its new Georgetown location a few days ago, and my L.A. cool girl dreams came true (and for half the price of Reformation!!). This weather makes me want to immediately fly out to California to pretend to be a surfer even though I'm hopelessly terrible at it and to attend Coachella to see Radiohead for the third time. Unfortunately, my limited funds and time make this an impossible dream (at least I'll be attending Shaky Knees for the fourth time in May!). So why not dress the part! The sun practically forced me to. I decided to purchase this tie-front crop top that reminds me of something Shay Mitchell would wear at the festival; she always has the best style at Coachella (just look at her!!):


Because I wanted to emulate this similar ~care free~ attitude, I decided to pair the top with my DIY Levi's and these suede + heeled mules I also bought at & Other Stories. Definitely not a pair of shoes I would wear to a music festival (I'd immediately swap them for sneakers), but definitely a pair of shoes I'd wear to look like I was ~famous~ at a music festival. Or to look like THE L.A. Cool GirlCourtney Trop, as seen below:



A post shared by Courtney Trop (@alwaysjudging) on


I continued this look by smearing NARS matte lipstick over my lips, something I haven't done in a while but would like to start doing every day this summer. I also dabbed on some Glossier Cloud Paint (in Haze, if you were wondering) to get that classic summer flush that matches my lipstick and my festival ready 'fit. And I already feel like it's June 21st, even though spring just started! It's all in the magic of denim cutoffs, I tell you. Try it for yourself.

Check back on the blog in the next few days for part II of this post.

Photos shot by Maddie.