Dapper Day Fall 2019

Oh yes, it's that time - another Dapper Day recap! This the fifth Dapper Day I've attended, and while I don't necessarily have a ton to share about this one, I really like that I can look back through my blog and see every one of my Dapper Days (both the experience and the outfit) documented. 

First, let's talk about the outfit for this one. As with every Dapper Day, it was a STRUGGLE. First, I ordered a dress from a vintage seller and it was an ordeal. Long story short, the dress was both damaged and didn't fit, so that was a no-go. Then, I ordered a dress off of Unique Vintage. I absolutely love it, but it didn't fit quite right and was a little baggy. I had every intention of just making it work, but after I put it on in the morning, I just didn't feel good in it. Dapper Day can be a lot of pressure on people, but it was less about impressing anyone and more about just feeling my best. I own a lot of vintage that I don't wear often, so I dug through my closet to see if I could find anything better, and I honestly put this outfit together maybe 20 minutes before my friends got to my apartment. It worked out because I used most of the accessories I had planned for my original outfit so it wasn't TOO last-minute. Both this top and skirt are really special vintage pieces to me, and I ended up being happier that I could break them out for this. 

Dapper Day Spring 2019 Recap

Looking through my recent posts, it kind of feels like I only blog about Dapper Day now. Well, Dapper Day and weddings. I'm still only blogging when inspiration hits, which isn't too often these days. So when a big event happens that makes me want to share, it's one of the few times I actually decide to dust off the old blog.

I also don't think I'll ever be tired of talking about Dapper Day. It's such a special event, and I always feel a natural high coming out of it. It's amazing to be surrounded by so many old friends I don't get to see often, Internet friends I've never gotten to meet in person, brands I love all in one place, and overall just a ton of like-minded people with similar interests all dressed to the nines.

Fall Dapper Day Recap

Hello from a Dapper Day Weekend survivor! It's been some time since I've really had the motivation to blog, but I had such a great weekend and loved how my outfits turned that I decided I put together a little recap. If you're unfamiliar, Dapper Day is an event that happens at Disneyland (in my case. It also happens at Disney World) where people visit the parks in their best vintage and vintage-inspired looks. It's a great excuse to dress to the nines with no questions asked and be surrounded by people doing the same. This was only my third Dapper Day, and it was my first time doing both days of the weekend. 

While I went to the Expo last year and just want to the parks one day this spring, I decided to do both this weekend. I went to the Expo at the Disneyland Hotel with my friend Whitney on Saturday, and while it was a struggle to get there after she got a flat tire (she and her car are fine luckily!), we managed to have an amazing time visiting the vendors and running into Internet friends. My favorite part of the Disney community is getting to meet likeminded people, and Dapper Day is the perfect storm of getting to see a bunch of people I love all in one place. As someone very introverted, I get pretty nervous showing up to these things (What if I go up to someone and they don't recognize me? What if I don't know someone's name? How can I not act as awkward as humanly possible?), I love these events because I feel really in my element. The nerves go away once I remember how truly kind the people I've met are, and it's great to bond over a shared love of Disney, vintage styles, and brands.

Keep reading for the rundown of my looks!

Dapper Day Recap

My feet are still sore, I'm a little sunburned, and I still have a Disney hangover, but I survived Dapper Day! I spent Sunday in Disneyland with my fellow Dapper Day newbie, Erica, and it was a blast. Somehow, this was actually only my second Dapper Day and my first in the park (last year we just went to the Expo). I've always wanted to go, but as I didn't get my pass until this past year, I just never had a chance. Needless to say, I'm making up for it.

Erica bought a ticket since she doesn't have a pass so we just went to one park for the day. We decided to skip the expo for a few reasons, mainly because they started charging to attend. It's not much ($10), but the entire expo experience is essentially a chance to shop. Since Erica spent so much money on a Disneyland ticket, we figured it made more sense to spend our time in the park and spend any extra money on food. Which we did. A lot.

I go to Disneyland pretty often, but there really is something truly more special about going on Dapper Day. I always feel a little overdressed there (and everywhere), so it was seriously wonderful being surrounded by so many people dressed like I was. There certainly were a lot of people who dress like I do on a normal basis (and even more who dress up and dress more often and more seriously than I do), but it's lovely to see some people who don't dress like this unless given an excuse to. As vintage and vintage reproduction has become much more mainstream lately, the clothing has become much more accessible, and I love that Disney has given people an avenue (and the actual clothing through The Dress Shop) to do so.

But, of course, I'm getting to the important part: the dress. This was, well, the fourth dress I bought for the occasion. I know, it's ridiculous. I've been thinking about what to wear for the past few months - because this is a serious decision - and I finally settled on a dress about a month ago. It's a gorgeous white '50s true vintage dress that I'm in love with...but it doesn't fit. When I first tried it on, I was convinced I could make it work, but when I tried it a few days before Dapper Day, I came to terms with the fact that it just wasn't going to. I panicked and bought a dress off of Amazon that I knew would arrive in time, but I had my heart set on something vintage. With a backup dress at home, I went to a local vintage store on Saturday for one last shot at a dream dress. Naturally, I found two. I couldn't decided between this pastel one or a black and red plaid one with a pussy bow, and I ended up going with the red one. It's gorgeous and fit like a glove...but I couldn't stop thinking about how much better it would be for fall and how perfect this one would be for spring. I went back to the store 10 minutes later and got this one too. My bank account does not love me, but I have no regrets. I'll sell the first one that doesn't fit, and I know I'll get plenty of use out of the other two. Besides, this one was much better for the heat. Well, as good as it could have been. No dress was made for that heat.

Etsy Favorites #63: Dapper Day Edition

I know the last Etsy Favorites I shared was also a Disneyland edition, but what can I say? This is my life now. I'm headed to Dapper day today in a last minute vintage dress (long story), but I wanted to share some of the items I *almost* bought for the occasion. Essentially this is just a collection of every day vintage dresses and Disney accessories, but still. I could have easily worn any of these today!

I've become quite obsessed with Rita Lane Vintage lately, and this was the gingham dress I most regret not buying for Dapper Day. The best part? There's a hidden Mickey on it!

Welcoming Spring with Lindy Bop

I am very aware that I will regret saying this in a few months, but man am I glad that it's warm again. I'm tired of wearing tights, and I'm ready to break out the spring dresses. Speaking of which....this dress. It's incredible. Last week, Lindy Bop reached out to me about reviewing a couple of items, and I may or may not have freaked out about it. Lindy Bop is one of my favorite brands, and I have yet to be disappointed with an item from them. 

I debated a lot about this dress. It's certainly not an average neckline for me, and I was worried that I wouldn't wear it much. I finally decided that this was exactly the opportunity to try something new, and it was worth it. This dress is a dream. The neckline ended up being far more flattering than I was expecting, and the retro girls on bikes is the cutest print I could ever hope for. Not only do most Lindy Bop dresses have pockets (like this one!), they're all amazing quality as well. 

If my dazzling recommendation has convinced you that you too need this dress in your life, size down. I'm usually a large, but I've found that most Lindy Bop dresses generally have a decent amount of stretch and fit best when I order a medium. Just another reason so love this brand.

Etsy Favorites #62: Disneyland Edition

As you all well know, ever since I got my annual pass, I can't help but have Disney fever. It's so magical, especially during this time of year, that I can't help but be annoying about it. I'm spending the day at the parks today with some friends, so I figured it seemed appropriate to do a Disney edition of Etsy Favorites, especially considering that going to Disneyland all of the time makes me what to buy all of the cute Disney things. Can you blame me?

This Steamboat Willie circle skirt from Andy's Eye Candy is basically all of my dreams come true.

Disney Darling

Have you been able to tell that I'm seriously loving having a Disneyland pass again? Well, I am. I've been having an absolute blast going about once a week after work, and it's been so much fun feeling that infamous Disney joy on a regular basis. The best parts of having a pass: 1. I don't feel the pressure to go on every ride each time I'm there because I can come back whenever I want and 2. it opens up an entirely new facet of my blogging/outfit photo hobby. So many new locations to take photos at, new themes to plan outfits around, accessories to buy... it's exciting! If there's one way I think I've grown in the past year or so, it's learning to not be embarrassed by this hobby. I've spent a lot of time in my five years of blogging acting sheepish about taking photos and apologizing to the people I'm with. When it comes down to it, it's a silly thing to do, but it's also my favorite. I love planning shoots and learning about photography and what kind of aesthetic I like. I've done a lot better at owning up to the fact that this is something I enjoy and not a thing to be embarrassed by, but this weekend really drove that point home for me.

For starters, I went to the Museum of Ice Cream on Saturday with Erica. I have a dedicated blog post coming this week so I won't elaborate too much just yet, but the entire museum was filled with people trying to get the right Instagram shots. At Disneyland, I started to notice more than ever just how many spots had lines of people waiting to taking photos. What I'm trying to say is that, well, we're all doing it. It's silly and self-indulgent, but you know what? It's fun. And though I used to be convinced of it, no one is judging me. They're all just waiting to get their own perfect shots. In a way, it's just another lesson that Disneyland taught me. That and, always double check that they put alcohol in your drink because I'm pretty sure my Spine Chilling Lemonade did NOT have vodka in it even though I paid for the alcoholic version. You win some, you lose some.

I'm genuinely curious, how many of you have also had to deal with learning to not be embarrassed about style blogging? Or did you naturally have no shame about it from the beginning?

I was thrilled to bust out this dress yesterday for the first time. Despite the fact that I've been drawn to bright colors lately, this black Voodoo Vixen dress caught my eye recently, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I got a Unique Vintage gift card last week, and I looked at just about every single dress on the site, but I kept coming back to this one. The material is much stretchier than I had expected so I think I might have been better off sizing down, but it's not nearly noticeable enough to return it. If you're short like me, you may want to consider doing so as I kept having to pull it down in the back so it wasn't too large in the shoulders, but it was still comfortable enough. It's super breathable, and it ended up being great for a long day at the parks. 

The best part of this outfit though has to be the ears. Erica made them for me when I showed her a pair made out of Rifle Paper Co. fabric that I wanted to buy. I got the fabric for a fraction of the price as the ears I had seen, and Erica was a true angel and made them for me. Don't they look amazing? I'm going to wear them All. The. Time.

Dress: Voodoo Vixen via Unique Vintage (exact dress here)

Shoes: Modcloth (exact shoes here)

Ears: made by Sweets and Hearts (similar here)