6.23.2017

Midis are Back!!!

Wait, did they ever really leave?

Well in my closet, they did.

Remember approximately a week ago, when I said that I was solely purchasing items that have crotches? This is already changing! As my style always is.

I've spent 6/7 days of the past week wearing items that lack the legs and crotch you would typically find in a normal pair of pants. Once again, I have contradicted myself in terms of style. I can't help that fashion is constantly evolving. The reason I've always been more fond of dresses and skirts over those leg-constricting things we call pants is due to how they lack that leg-constricting nature--skirts and dresses are so liberating! Dresses more than skirts, actually. Skirts both require a top half, if you're down to follow societal norms and not stroll around in public topless, and also are usually constricting to the waist. Not as freeing as we expected, unfortunately.

But dresses! Especially those of the free-flowing midi type that do the opposite of clothing that exist to take away our freedoms. Definitely an exaggeration, but the argument that jeans (of the super-skinny type) and mini skirts and body-con dresses that hardly go past the thighs are, to an extent, of an oppressive nature. Don't get me wrong, I love to wear a mini every now and then and don a pair of jeans that shows off my curves (or lack of, to be more accurate). Showing off skin and wearing skin-tight pieces is great, if that's your style, and you do it for you, not to follow patriarchal gender roles. But sometimes my body just needs to ~breathe~. Especially in this heat!

Cue the introduction of the midi, or rather the reintroduction of the midi. I used to love these things! However, they were usually of the skirt type, especially this one pleated metallic midi that now seems so unadventurous. Then I took a practically year long break from them; you won't find a single one on the blog for the past 12 months, which is quite spooky if you think about it. I only seemed to wear pants and shorts and dresses/skirts of the short type. But then about a month or so ago, when I suddenly became obsessed with Reformation and their shin-grazing hemlines that were on almost half of their dresses, I realized it was time to go back. What's excellent about these things is that it's leg-freeing AND I don't have to shave. Well, I usually don't even shave when I'm wearing a mini skirt, but that's beside the point.

A Case for the Wrap Dress


Dress by Artizia. Shirt, bandana, and shoes by Madewell. 

Ah, the beloved wrap dress. I feel like I'm in 2001 again, but a cooler and fashion-forward version of her. I used to imagine these entities as DVF wrap dresses from the early 2000s that Lorelai Gilmore would wear constantly, but now these dresses have a makeover--swap long sleeves for spaghetti straps (flutter sleeves are also an option), and switch that stretchy cotton for linen or a crepe fabric. Also add in slits. Maybe even pockets! I went for this one by Aritzia that shows some skin with the plunging neck line and side slits, but also covers 3/4 of my legs. A perfect balance. I placed my favorite white tee by Madewell under it and tied a gingham bandana around my wrist because although I told myself I would stop with the bandanas six months ago, this art has become second nature to me. My loafer slides finished the look, and *voila*. I just made wrap midis cool again.

A Case for the Waistless Midi










































































































Dress by Madewell. Shoes by Adidas. Neck scarf is thrifted.

Waistless midi? More like paper sack. But paper sacks are fashionable now, no? This one from Madewell is even better than the aforementioned midi--no tie to hold your waist back. Eat all the pizza you like! I've usually only leaned towards waistless dresses when hemlines are above the knee, but this one goes far past them, making the shape (or lack of one) questionable. But the ruffles and super soft cotton/tencel combo pulled me in, and now I'm in love. I would lie and say the wrap dress is what made me love midis again, but this one definitely did the trick. It felt like I was wearing practically nothing, which is what summer should feel like! Just add sneakers and a neck scarf if you're going to work (where sneakers are allowed, of course), or add nothing if you're on the beach and shoes aren't a requirement. Either way, your legs and waist will thank you.

Have any midi skirt/dress recs? Leave them in the comments below!! 


6.13.2017

Summer in the City, Round II

Same season, different city.

If you didn't know, I'm not a D.C. or NYC native--I'm originally from Atlanta (well, north of Atlanta...). Just one year ago I was living there! Last summer, I spent my summer there right before my official move to D.C., and I did a fake version of this upcoming post, which is about summer in the city. My one-year-old post was the 2nd best (or maybe 5th best version; Atlanta really isn't that great), as Atlanta is not even close to being the city. Yes, a city, but I feel as if it doesn't deserve its own post now that I'm living in the best place in the world! So now, one year later, two cities later, I'm spending my summer in the city. How accomplishing does that sound!

Atlanta is like New York's distant second-cousin that always gets forgotten (no offense, home town). A hotter, less-cultured version. So doing a fashion post is so much more rewarding here, as my style hardly fits into ATL's signature style (or lack of style, for that matter). My sartorial calling is in NYC, and what an amazing season to dress in the city!

That was sarcasm up there, btw.

It's surprisingly really hard to dress for the weather here, as it's either 96 degrees at 9 am (this morning) or 50 degrees and raining (last week). I'm used to this, as the east coast is always erratic; however, NYC demands a rigorous style that hardly works with the unexpected weather. Yay, fashion challenges!


Top by Nasty Gal (or try this one, also by Nasty Gal). Jeans by Madewell. Shoes by & Other Stories.

If you haven't skimmed my original "Summer in the City" post, there are similarities! Well, just the cold-shoulder top. I kept this a constant as it feels like the perfect summer shirt--it shows some skin (shoulders and a bit of chest) while still being ~interesting~ and not typical of the usual cold-shoulder tops that are seen literally everywhere the past few seasons. But then I changed some things! I've hardly seen anyone wearing shorts in this city, even when it feels like hell (literally, not figuratively). Which was strange at first, but then I realized that hardly any shorts actually fit the high fashion mold of NYC, and I realized that pants replaced these thigh-grazing garments. Proof lies below.

A post shared by alyssa coscarelli (@alyssainthecity) on

If that doesn't look like a perfect summer 'fit to you, then you're (probably) alone in your beliefs. This one is really fitting, too.

Jeans, culottes, trousers, even jumpsuits. This is perfect, as I've spent the last 6 months only purchasing these items. Something about items that don't carry a crotch just aren't appealing to me, mostly because I really like sitting on the ground of parks with my legs sprawled out (aka what I'm doing right now in Washington Square as I write this post). So my summer jeans replaced those old shorts that I don't even own anymore, and that half cool/half anxious mood, something that all New Yorker's feel 24/7 (no?), flew into me just with that switch. 




The shoes are really important, too. 

Heels are a must, which hardly makes any sense to me. Walking + heels = pain. It's a simple equation that city gals don't seem to understand. To follow this NYC demand but also follow my own style and comfort, I slipped on my two-inch peep-toe mules instead. Two inches counts, right? This feels even more right, as tiny kitten/block heels are taking over the long lost stiletto. Finally a trend that makes sense! And just like that, my transformation was complete. Maybe it was the fact that I did things a lot differently than usual--heels with jeans? Heels with uncuffed jeans? Now that's a sign that I'm willing to change. Style evolution, I'm ready for you.



Photos shot by Zoe.





6.07.2017

Summer 'Fit Inspo

Aka the hardest season to get dressed.

It's summer!!!!!!

Well, in 20(ish) days, exactly. But my move to NYC is the symbolic transition to summer, at least for me, as long days writing papers in D.C. has transformed to long days working (two jobs!) in NYC.

Before my move to the city, I was in Atlanta (aka home) for a few weeks, and it was HOT. Insert sun emoji, fire emoji, sweat emoji, even the SOS emoji. As Atlanta always is.

Heat can mean a gross amount of sweating, OR it can mean picnics! You could be like most people, and simply bring a picnic blanket to celebrate the occasion, or you could be like me, and decide to impersonate said picnic blanket. Wake up people, gingham is in!

It's important to note that I did not wear any of the below outfits to an actual picnic. Proof that you don't have to attend a picnic to look like one!







































Dress by Urban Outfitters. Sandals by Madewell

In exhibit A of my Summer 'Fit Inspo, I decided to take the metaphor a bit too seriously and put only two items on my body--a mini dress that exactly mimics a picnic and lace-up sandals that scream summer. Isn't there a saying that goes something like "if you can't be the part, dress like it"? Well, this is me doing just that. Who doesn't want to feel like a warm summer day filled with snacks?


T-shirt by Monogram. Lace slip by Urban Outfitters. Pants are thrifted.

Now if you're into something more subtle, choose smaller checks with less contrast (black and brown, for example), and add more prints than just gingham. Exhibit B does just this--I paired understated gingham with lots (well, more than one) layers, including my favorite "fashionable" t-shirt and a black lace slip that is supposed to be a dress but looks way cooler as a top. I added the same lace-up sandals because they seem so fit for a picnic. Still haven't figured out why. Now all I need is a picnic basket!


Happy summer, folks!