The Vague Calling: July 2014

The Rebellion

Sunday, July 27, 2014

(URBAN OUTFITTERS DRESS, JESSICA SIMPSON 'DANY' PLATFORMS, CHRISTIAN DIOR SUNGLASSES)

Once upon a time the fashion gods deemed platforms no longer “in” and just like that we were wearing flatforms/sneakers/ballet flats/kitten-heels/non-platform stilettos (which are sexy on the foot but not so sexy on the arch after anything longer than an hour). I am not giving up my Dany Platforms because they are suddenly not “in”. Jessica Simpson created a precious jewel of a shoe, a shoe that tells a tale of great sale conquer-ship and also holds sentimental value. Before I began blogging I was obsessed with Chictopia, Bloglovin and the Satorialist. The Dany’ platform had a huge following most likely due to Rumi Neely and I had to have them. For me, the Dany’ platform represents that peak in my life where the inspiration from blogging was at its highest. For me blogging was inspiring because these girls had style and put things together in a way that did more for me than any celebrity. Celebrities have stylists; they have little to nothing whatsoever to do with what they wear. Today, I am not too inspired by bloggers, fashion wise. I respect them as business women and I have a great level of admiration for the photography but for me there are too many sponsored posts and free clothes. Sponsored posts and free clothes is awesome, even more so when it is cohesive to your style, but when you try to pass off orthopedic shoes as “my current faves” I have to call bullshit. I understand that brands have to make money and what better way to appeal to young girls than a popular fashion blogger? And with fashion bloggers being so easily impressionable with the temptation of being featured/reblogged/liked/followed and (gasps) paid I can imagine it being oh too easy. Compromising my style and creativity just is not worth it, I know my worth and I know that I am not motivated by money or anyone’s approval.

The Pressure

Thursday, July 24, 2014

(ZARA TOP, H&M SKIRT, STEVE MADDEN PLATFORMS, ELIZABETH & JAMES 'CRESCENT' SUNGLASSES)

Summers in New York always seem to travel at the speed of light. We endured a polar vortex of a winter with spring being…well I do not remember spring and just the other day we had that fall sweater weather. It's crazy how it can go from steamy hot to cool and a little breezy. I know I am just getting back into the groove of blogging but the idea of freezing my ass off in ten degree weather is not something I am anticipating. Perhaps during the winter I’ll do more cooking/food posts :)

Keep The Receipt

Sunday, July 20, 2014

There’s this funny idea that all NYC bloggers are living the sex and the city life and I am sure there are a few…

( GAP JACKET, AA CROP TOP, MOSSIMO PENCIL SKIRT, AIR MAX 90)

I am not living the Sex and The City life; I am actually living in the Bronx and aside from my hour commute to work in midtown and to my sons’ school in Soho, I am quite alright with this borough. I was born here, Thanksgiving 1988 my mom gave birth to me in our apartment on Courtland Avenue. I have only resided in the Bronx so this is will always simply be home to me. I think the Bronx gets a bad rap because it is the only borough that has not jumped on the gentrification train... I am not going to discuss gentrification but I will say I agree with a lot of what Spike Lee has to say.

There's something refreshing and nostalgic to know that all these changes are taking place around New York but the Bronx is still the Bronx: still blaring Big Pun and Mary J Blige hits at summer block parties, still chaotic on the 4 or the D train the day of a Yankee game, still making authentic Italian food in the original Little Italy.

Sometimes I long for healthy food alternatives better shopping, maybe a Wholefoods or Trader Joes, but hey what are you going to do? I mean there’s a Starbucks 800 feet from my house, that may seem little but trust me it is big.

Stuck on the realness

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

(KURT GEIGER FLATS, H & M SHIRTDRESS, CASIO WATCH, LOUIS VUITTON CANVAS SHADES)

My class system on flats are characterized on how androgynous they are; the more masculine, the better the shoe. As much as I love flats and I really do, (I even went through this ballerina flat stage in high school) they just do not love my wide feet. Occasionally I'll just wear them anyway but if the material is not durable (ie: leather and not that luxury buttery soft kind) they give out and it just looks bad. I took some much needed time off of blogging. I am a firm believer in doing what makes you happy. I realized just how happy blogging makes me during the early stages of reconstructing Tiff James Deen into The Vague Calling. Sometimes I fall into the habit of dwelling on things that are not going my way or just focusing on irrelevant things altogether, when I could be focusing on my growth. When I am in blogging mode I have this tunnel vision to create and expand my mind without any limitations and distractions. I renamed my blog because Tiff James Deen was generating a lot of porny email spam lol. Also, when I named my blog Tiff James Deen there was not really too much thought behind it, it was impulsive. Over the course of the last year I had time to think about what I wanted to blog about, what I wanted from blogging, how much I've grown and all of my recent experiences and the new people in my life. I put all my ideas down on paper and suddenly it did not feel so impulsive anymore and so The Vague Calling came along… With all the idea’s I had simmering for months now I did not feel like I could categorize myself as just a fashion blogger because that’s not all I plan on doing here. I am going to do it all, because that is what makes me the happiest, and if the people like it, they like it and if they don’t, that’s fine too.

THE VAGUE CALLING