a personal style blog by Lauren Pfieffer

Monday, August 29, 2016

Dark Summer Florals

dark summer florals | Someone Like You
Dark Floral Skirt | Someone Like You
Someone Like You Blog
Fall Florals | Someone Like You
Roses | Someone Like You

Silk Tank (identical from Free People) | Thrifted
Dark Summer Florals Skirt (very similar for under $20)| Thrifted
Necklace (similar)| Mom's
Sandals | c/o Boohoo  (old)
Hat | c/o OASAP (old)

Hi guys!

Every morning when I step outside my apartment to make the commute to work, I feel a little bit more change in the air: fall is coming! Near the end of the summer I always start to transition my wardrobe to darker colors (although it's hard to get darker than the constant black I wear here in NYC). Even floral prints can go darker for late summer/early fall. This flippy little mini skirt I thrifted a few years back has long been a transitional favorite of mine. Last time I wore it here on the blog the snow was melting and spring was emerging. I was also obsessed with lavender lattes at the time. Well, nothing has changed in 6 months! Although I am acquiring quite the  craving for a pumpkin flavored lil sumthing sumthing with all the buzz surrounding the return of fall drinks. Hoping my favorite local coffee shop does a mock up of one!

Really looking forward to experiencing my first fall here in the city. I'm actually getting ready to sign a lease soon for a year at the current place I'm living. Originally when I moved to NYC without a job I had only signed a sublease for three months. I didn't want to make a long term commitment if I was unsure I could afford to live here or would even want to stay. There's been no doubt in my mind I want to at least stay in NYC for another year. When I was amidst all my health issues, my parents wanted me to move back home to figure out what was wrong. Despite how difficult it was figuring out what was wrong and handling it all myself, I knew I just couldn't move back to Ohio. This is where I'm meant to be at this moment in my life and I love it here. Sometimes I don't know if I could ever go back to living anywhere else. There's no guarantee how I'll feel a year, five, or ten from now though. The city can burn you out. I can testify to that. I just hope the bulb that's burning in me has awhile to go before it's ready to shine somewhere else. x

With much love,

Lauren
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Sunday, August 28, 2016

Living in New York City with Anxiety.

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Denim Dress (identical/similar) | Thrifted
Silk Scarf (similar)| Thrifted
Denim Newsboy Cap (identical for $16!!)| Thrifted
Tan Loafers (identical & only $21!)| Thrifted
Brown Satchel (similar) | Thrifted


A few weeks back I wrote about some health issues since moving to NYC. The symptoms started slowly and then escalated, getting worse as I tried to figure it all out. Extreme dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, tingling in my limbs, feeling faint. The scariest of my symptoms was feeling like my mind was almost out of my body. I would be walking and not feel like anything was real or that I was living. I started having nightmares of a black mass taking over my brain and my thoughts. It wasn't depression: I knew what that felt like. It wasn't my OCD: I knew what that felt like, too. I saw a general doctor, a chiropractor, the optometrist over the course of weeks that turned into months with no getting better. I started to fear perhaps I had a tumor in my brain. My doctor told me to see a neurologist because my symptoms seemed to be related to that realm of medicine.

I went and he did a series of physical  tests on me and then started asking me questions. He told me to answer "yes I have this symptom" or "no I don't have this symptom." When he started listing them all off, I began saying yes to every one. My heart pounded because he was hitting everything on the head. Yes! Exactly! I felt that! When he described the feeling of detachment from the body that's when I really became excited. Finally...someone believed me I had something and I wasn't crazy.

He told me he knew exactly what I had. My palms grew sweaty. This was it. He was going to finally help me get back to my normal life.

"It might surprise you what you have," he told me. "It certainty surprised me, but I am certain that it's what you have."

"You have anxiety."

What the hell was the first thought that came to mind. Not what a relief. Or thank God it's nothing serious. What the hell.

I know what anxiety feels like. I've been dealing with mental illness since I was 12! I've become a master at recognizing when I'm having a panic attack related to my OCD. This illness I had was so tangible...so real unlike the obtrusive thoughts in my head. While my feelings swam around and around in circles, he continued on, oblivious, justifying why he thought it was anxiety.

"But I love New York City. I'm not stressed at my job. I have nothing to be anxious about," I interrupted him. It didn't make sense. I couldn't have anxiety.

"But you do," he insisted to me. "Sometimes it's so subconscious that you don't actively realize the stress your mind and body is under."

I stepped away from the office that day contemplating everything he said. All the symptoms he had pointed out I had did match up exactly to anxiety. Although I was happy with my life in NYC, I thought about what I faced on the daily.

I'm living completely on my own away from home. Supporting myself. Being in charge of my finances. Living in one of the most chaotic cities on Earth. With no family or friend group.

I just finished up 16 years of my life in school and now am a working adult. With no in-between time of realizing this transition and the impact it would have on me.

I work 8 hours a day, five days a week in a very social environment when I am an extreme introvert. I ride a packed train into a packed city every morning and evening when I am an extreme introvert. I am an extreme introvert.

.............

I woke up the next day and felt fine. Good even. For the first time in over a month and a half I didn't wake up so dizzy feeling like I'd just stepped off a fair ride. I didn't feel faint, or nauseous, or my body numb. I felt like me again. I went about my day cautiously, fearing that the mysterious illness would creep its way back over me, but it didn't come. I went through that day feeling great and great the next day. Those days turned to weeks and this is where I find myself now. Feeling like the Lauren I was before I picked up my life and moved to New York City.

It took a doctor telling me "you have anxiety" for me to come to terms with it and realize that sometimes it's not obviously on the surface. He also started me on a small dosage of anti-anxiety medicine (lol on top of my OCD + depression medicine I'm pretty much a walking pharmacy). But I am me after feeling so "not" for so long. Sometimes it's hard to understand what your body is telling you until you stop and take the time to think about what you're putting your body and mind through.

It is possible to live in New York City with anxiety. Even though it is one of the most chaotic, stressful cities on earth, you can find peace in the most surprising places. It's in the quiet of your room surrounded by your plants. It's in the favorite coffee shop you go to Saturdays and Sundays that has the best flat white. And it's in the absolute amazement of looking up at the One Tower in Manhattan...the beauty and greatness of realizing although you are so small, you are in a city that makes you feel so big.

If you have anxiety as well, or really any mental illness (I have three!) don't let them hold you back from where you want to be and what you want to do. The only limits you have are the ones you put for yourself. x

With much love,

Lauren

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Monday, August 15, 2016

Mixing Prints for Work.

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how to make mixed prints work
outfit mixing prints
NYC fashion blogger outfit

Small Plaid Blouse (similar) | Thrifted
Pinstripe Flounce Skirt (similar quirky styles here here and here) | Thrifted
Black Sandals | c/o Boohoo (old).
Neck Scarf  (similar + love this one!)| Thrifted


Hi guys!


The dress code at my workplace is pretty go with the flow, but sometimes I like to wear more classically corporate looks. I  was thrifting at the Goodwill in Fort Greene a few weekends ago and happened upon this pinstripe skirt. Pinstripes to me are the ultimate workplace print. I love how retailers spice up the corporate staple in an array of fun, quirky shapes each season. This skirt was originally from J.Crew, and I love the little flounce at the bottom that makes it so fun and flirty. I wanted to keep that vibe going and steer this look from coming off too serious. So, I did some print mixing. Cats out of the bag, but I am not a master mixer. Some bloggers seem to effortlessly combine florals with stripes; polka dots with plaid. I'm over here usually looking less chic and more like I-closed-my-eyes-and-picked-this-outfit-out. Thought I might as well give it a go despite my track record. Luckily in NYC I'll never be the craziest dressed person on the subway.


The small, subtle checks on my shirt balance out the big and bold stripes on my skirt. It's important the pieces exist in harmony instead of competing. This entire spring and summer I've also been tying little scarves around my neck, even on the hottest of days. Nothing like polyester to choke the last bits of breathable air outta ya. x


With much love,


Lauren
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Sunday, August 14, 2016

Denim Overall Dress.

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Denim Overall Dress (similar here here and here) | Thrifted DIY
Black T-Shirt with Rainbows (similar) | Thrifted
Tan Loafers (identical for $35!) | Thrifted
Brown Crossbody Purse (similar) | Thrifted
Black Hat | c/o OASAP (old)

Hi everyone! ♥

Happy Sunday to you all. It has been miserably hot here in NYC. I went exploring around Williamsburg yesterday and after about 3 hours in the 100+ heat I felt so sick. I spent the rest of the evening at home relaxing in the AC with my plants and watching Freaks and Geeks. How could only one season be made of this amazing show?! I'm absolutely obsessed with it. I relate to Lindsey so much on so many levels. And vintage James Franco...swoon.

My paycheck really goes towards three main things lately: rent, coffee, and plants. I've become obsessed with decorating my room with them. I want every species in every size. I never had a penchant for plants before in Ohio, but I think it was because I was constantly surrounded by nature and didn't feel the need. Since the city is lacking in greenery, it is so calming to be surrounded by it in your own little personal space. I picked up a little Mickey Mouse cactus this weekend and I might love it more than my cat lol.

These photos were taken on a sweltering day last week in a nearby neighborhood. I keep passing by this awesome carriage house and had to take photos in front of it and around the brownstones. Obsessed with this outfit, too! It's the eptitome of what most Brooklyn babes are wearing this summer. I keep seeing adorable denim overall dresses all over and had to get one for myself. I picked a long, dowdy one up at the thrift store and chopped it to a cuter mini length. Raw edge denim is super popular right now, so I didn't bother with a hem. I love it so much! Paired it with my sweet little rainbow t-shirt I thrifted back in Ohio. It's originally from Old Navy. I feel like it was something I definitely owned growing up as a kid.

Love you all so much! Have a lovely Sunday. x

With much love,

Lauren

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Thursday, August 11, 2016

Colorful Vintage in Clinton Hill.

colorful vintage top
plaid vintage
loly in the sky shoes
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brooklyn fashion blogger
bed-stuy, brooklyn

Outfit Details:

Colorful Vintage Plaid Crop Top (similar)| Thrifted
Denim High Waisted Shorts (similar) | Thrifted
Irina Flats (on sale!) | c/o Loly in the Sky
White Scarf | Thrifted
Quilted Crossbody Purse (very similar for under $25) | Thrifted

Hi guys ♥

Another Brooklyn outfit! I seriously do love living in Brooklyn. At first I was really unsure. Brooklyn is so different from the city itself. There's really no rhyme or reason to the streets and I was so unfamiliar with all the neighborhoods...now that I'm two months settled in though I find a great peace here coming back to my sunny little room in Bedford-Stuyvesant after work. To be honest...I don't live in a great neighborhood. But that's okay. I know I'm just starting out and it's what I can afford at this time. It's definitely not quintessentially cute Brooklyn. I walk around 10 minutes away to the near by Clinton Hill neighborhood to take photos. It's not safe to have a camera out on the sidewalk in bed-stuy, so it's just best if I walk a little ways out. Although though my street is a little rough, I love where I live nonetheless. It has a lot of character and is representational of how most working class people in Brooklyn live. (not yuppies on their parents trust fund, ya hear).

Anyway, this past weekend I went thrifting at the Goodwill in Fort Greene which is my go to place. I found this adorable little crop top for under $5 :') It's perfection. A bit tight on me, but I'll die before I give it up! I wore a longer denim skirt to be more appropriate for work, but for every day wear in this summer heat it's perfect paired with denim shorts.

Goodnight cuties! x

With much love,

Lauren
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Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Black Silk Slip Dress.

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Outfit Details:


Black Silk Slip Dress (very similar for $35!) | Thrifted
Choker (identical for $4) | DIY
Sandals (similar) | c/o Boohoo (old)

Hi everyone!
It has been so hot here in NYC. We get hit with heat wave after heat wave...a lot of smart ladies have tuned to the slip dress trend to beat the heat. I scoured the fast-fashion stores and every place was asking $30, $40, or $50+ for a little piece of fabric. I knew I could find something similar at the thrift store at a fraction of the price.

I forgot to mention I went home to Ohio very briefly a few weekends ago before my birthday, and the first thing I wanted to do when I got off that plane was go thrifting. Okay, maybe I wanted to hug my family first, but going thrifting was a close second. Thrifting is all I've known for the past 8 years that I've developed my personal style. I rarely purchase clothing new in stores, so it is difficult to find clothing here in NYC. I've tried thrifting, but it's easier said then done. The prices are way jacked up, and instead of vintage there's a lot of mainstream brands. I have been getting better at finding things here (you really gotta look), but I'll just never have the luck I do in Ohio.


Snatched this slip dress up real quick in the thrift store in Ohio. It's been exactly what I've looked for! It's definitely a Victoria's Secret nightgown, but w/e. I'm too hot most days to care, and New Yorkers teach me that anything goes style wise here. I think I maybe paid $1.50 for it which makes my heart sing. My family definitely looked at me with quizzical faces chock full of judgment, but ya gotta go with what you know (and what you won't sweat through in 2 minutes tops).

Wanted to style this simple black slip dress well...simply. Minimal, no-fuss accessories. The choker is when I was into DIYing back in Kent this spring. I simply bought some suede cord at Hobby Lobby along with some beads and bada bing bada boom I had a choker. Another fashion piece you can create so easily at home without paying retailer's ridiculous mark up prices. $15 for a piece of string? Come on Urban...

Anyways, hope ya'll like this outfit! It's a bit out of my comfort zone, but the city has really been influencing my style lately. I've also fallen in love with Lua of Le Happy's style. She's a fellow NYC gal and always looks so effortlessly cool. I can dream!

With much love,

Lauren

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Tuesday, August 9, 2016

An Education.

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Outfit Details:

Peter Pan Collar Blouse (similar) | Forever21
Black Circle Skirt (similar) from Modcloth) | Thrifted
Black Patent J. Crew Flats (very similar for $15!) | Thrifted
Silk Scarf  (similar)| Thrifted

I live not too far from The Pratt Institute--a pretty prestigious art school located here in Brooklyn. I wandered onto the campus a few weeks back through the open gates, and my breath was shockingly taken away. Not quite sure what I was expecting a college in NYC to be like, but certainly not how Pratt is. It was like I stepped back onto my campus at Kent State. Everything was so lush green and canopied by towering trees. Students milled around and sat peacefully in groups on the grass. I envied them so much. It's no secret that since starting my career I've missed school dearly. It's all I've ever known. I'm the type of person who does really well in a school setting. I like having check points that I can go off of to track my progress and feel as though I'm working towards something. In the corporate world...it's not quite so methodical. You kind of just float around and there are no bench marks for growing. You go to work and that's it. You don't pass papers, tests, classes, or grades. You just work. It's an odd concept for me and one I've had to adapt to.

Being on Pratt's campus flooded back fond memories of school through the 16 years I attended. It was an odd feeling, but I felt like I fit in there at Pratt. I wanted to pretend I was a student, just for an evening, and be back at that point of my life again. Of course  that's mega creepy and I didn't do it. But a part of me wished I could just be them...

The weird thing is I can. Graduate school never crossed my mind before recently. I thought it was a waste of time because in the fashion industry, having anything higher than a bachelors is mostly just for the individual's desires. Acquiring a Masters or PHD in fashion (aside from becoming a professor) won't get you much further: it's all about experience in fashion. Just because getting a masters won't get me a better job, however, doesn't mean I can't consider it. I love to learn. I love to grow. I want to know everything there is to know about my industry and the related fields around it.

It's definitely too soon to decide whether I want to go back to school or not. I want to feel REALLY ready. For now I'm content building up experience in my field of work and getting to know the ropes of fulltime employment. It's just nice to know that my dreams don't have to stop: they can always continue to evolve and grow where they please. x

With much love,

Lauren


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