Crop Top | WhyDid.com

Why Did You Wear That: From the Top

By Kirsten|January 29th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

Due to my computer’s inability to function last week, I was unable to finish my three part series documenting how a crop top and pencil skirt could be reincarnated quite easily. Not that last week was any warmer, but the fact that my face froze off yesterday afternoon as I ran errands, it seems a little odd to be posting about crop tops. Especially since the inclement weather has prevented me from prancing ’round town in one, but if Jenn keeps it up, I’m gonna have no choice but to walk around topless… and potentially pantless.

So, how can one dress down a sequined top that is cropped? Pair it with destroyed denim, motorcycle boots, and a tough leather jacket to look more downtown than bridge and tunnel post Bagatelle brunch. It’s just that simple.

top: Express, jeans: 7 For All Mankind, boots: Frye, jacket: Andrew Marc, bag: Balenciaga, dog: Smitty

I will have another mimosa though.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Woodgrain and Leather

By Kirsten|January 22nd, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

In adventures of “I’ve run out of clothes- what can I find in someone else’s closet?,” I popped into Dick’s closet to grab a jacket and found one which he claims is older than I am- which means it’s probably made out of dinosaur skin. While in the depths of his closet, a baseball cap in the same maroon hue caught my eye. When I reached up and dusted it off, my head nearly exploded as I discovered that the brim was… woodgrain. If I hadn’t had breakfast that morning, I totally would have passed out. Instead I fired off a text to my male bff telling him about the treasure I’d just unearthed. He was beyond stoked and probably a little jealous that he didn’t have his own. Don’t worry, homie, I’m on the hunt for a replica.

Pencil skirts are most often associated with secretaries and desk jobs a la Mad Men -pretty, prim and proper. However, I think they can be a very sexy addition to a dressed down look without losing all femininity. When I mixed a distressed (aka future dishrag) t-shirt that I cropped (obviously) and removed the sleeves from with this basic black skirt and topped it with an oversized leather jacket and baseball hat, I felt I’d created yet another perfect contradiction.

The combination of woodgrain and leather essentially makes me a walking rap song and what could really be better than that?

hat: brilliant find from dad (similar here), t-shirt: future cleaning rag turned crop top (similar here), skirt: Express, jacket: vintage (similar here), boots: All Saints (similar here), bralette: Victoria’s Secret, dog: Smitty, earrings: (similar here)

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Strawberry Fields

By Kirsten|January 21st, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

While the east coast froze during December and January, I was soaking up the sun on the west coast. Most people automatically assume LA, but I was up north near the Salinas Valley also called “the salad bowl of the world” which produces pretty much all of the greens consumed in the United States. So, by all means, eat your vegetables. This particular field is a strawberry field and wouldn’t you know it was all too fitting as the sun went down. The sunsets are nothing short of magnificent in the valley and each night I was wowed by yet another color combination in the sky and bouncing off the hills. On this particular late afternoon as we tried to capture “magic hour,” the sun cast a rose gold hue which only deepened as time passed and in turn, I now know what I’d look like as a redhead.

This was the outfit that I wore to ring in the New Year (yes, I got Dick onboard the New Year’s Eve outfit train). And while it was completely within reason on December 31st, I understand that some of you may not categorize sequin crop tops in the same manner I do- which is every day wear. So, now you’re looking at this jazzy little number wondering when the hell you’re ever going to wear it again and should you just send it to your niece for her next dance recital? The answer is no. You see, Dick is a very logical man, therefore I had to rationalize with him as to how both the skirt and top were totally wearable in more than one way. While this is how I would style a sparkly top for an evening out, in the next two posts, I’ll show you how to incorporate both a sparkly crop top and pencil skirt into your regularly scheduled wardrobe. But for now, let’s just bask in the rose gold glow.

kirsten smith

skirt: Express, top: Express, boots: All Saints (similar here), sunglasses: Ray Ban, bag: Balenciaga, necklace: Maya Brenner, dog: Smitty

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Sand Skating?

By Kirsten|January 11th, 2014|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

Speaking of skating… I’ve skated right through two of the east coast’s coldest months by hiding out in California. While there have been more than a couple of bikini clad Instagram photos, to be fair the temperature does dip below 70 when the sun goes down, but those sherbert sunsets never get old. I’ve made it my duty to watch them nightly because not one is ever the same and not one can ever be done justice by an iPhone photo- though Lord knows I’ve tried.

Speaking of aesthetic strife, no one can ever say I’m not resourceful. Yet again I’ve survived with a mere carry-on suitcase’s worth of clothing for the last eight weeks. (California must have that effect on me). Luckily, black and grey go with everything and I inherited some thread barren t-shirts that my dad was just about to relegate to cleaning rags. To say my dad is stable would be an understatement. If you need someone to put on your “in case of emergency” contacts, he’s the one. For instance, there’s a pair of sneakers I bought while visiting him maybe my sophomore year of college that have made it through five or so moves and always manage to reappear in “my room” whenever I visit. The deal with these shoes is that I made the rookie mistake of buying them half a size too small because they didn’t have my actual size of 7 1/2 and I just HAD to have them. I continue to make the rookie mistake of thinking that maybe they fit now… as if my feet have shrunk with age. All’s good and well for a few, but about 15 minutes into wearing them, I feel as though I’m partaking in the ancient ritual of feet binding.

Full circle? There’s a trail near my dad’s house where my mini sneakers abide and where I relish in the pastel skies on a nearly nightly basis. As I’ve traversed this trail, I’ve been mesmerized by these things that I incorrectly call sand dunes. Since I can’t really describe them (let alone identify them), I figured it was the perfect place to pose. So, Smitty, my own personal mountain goat (one of the memes my brother introduced me to) and I trotted up the trail in my tiny toe crushing shoes for this post. (Told you a skater skirt would look stellar with a crop top).

jacket: (similar here), top: Splendid (similar here), skirt: H&M (similar here), socks: StockinGirl (similar here), shoes: Converse (similar here – good job, Dick… these are apparently rare), bag: Balenciaga, necklace: no clue (similar here), dog: Smitty

I soaked my feet for an hour afterwards.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Thankful for Crop Tops

By Kirsten|November 27th, 2013|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

If I could wear this outfit or an iteration of it every single day, I probably would. Basically, if I was a superhero, this would be my costume. I’d have a closet full of the exact same thing just like Doug Funny. I’m not exactly sure what kind of superhero or cartoon character I would be, but I think one of my superpowers would be being able to see private Instagram accounts. To me this feels a little bit like a mixture between Pretty Woman and Cat Woman.

Yes, I’ve found another way to incorporate a crop top into my wardrobe, this being more of a “girls’ night out” version and probably not something that I’d be wearing post Thanksgiving dinner with my compressed socks you can buy at this website link. So I’ll just try and remember that when Thursday rolls around and there’s a plate full of food in front of my fat face. But perhaps another one of my superpowers might be a super metabolism.

top: American Apparel, skirt: Brandy Melville (similar here), socks: Stocking Girl (similar here), jacket: Andrew Marc (similar here), boots: Kelsi Dagger (similar here), bag: DIY (make yours here), necklace: vintage