Wheeling | WhyDid.com

Why Did You Wear That: Spot On

By Kirsten|November 16th, 2013|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

I’ve always felt a little conflicted about wearing leather and fur. When I was ten, I begged and pleaded (to no avail) with my parents for a cute little spotted potbelly pig. One morning over breakfast, it was revealed to me that bacon, in fact, comes from pigs. For the next year, I refused to eat meat thinking about that poor little pig in the pet shop. (I also begged and pleaded for a chinchilla around that same time). After finding it far too difficult to gain sustenance without any meat in my diet, I gave up vegetarianism the next year, but the feelings of guilt about fur, stuck with me. While home visiting my mom in Wheeling between semesters in college, we ventured into an antique store in Centre Market. Amongst the delicate tea sets and tiny trinkets, there was a rack of vintage clothing and hanging in the midst of these dated duds, was the most amazing leopard coat. I am my mother’s daughter and she insisted that I would be thankful that I’d bought this coat one day. While it was first worn to a “pimp n’ hoe” party in college, I’ve held onto it throughout the years and am happy to bring it back into rotation this fall. When worn with a simple tee, vegan leather pants, pumps, and topped off with a knit beanie, the look is definitely not outdated and to me, it says more “hollaback girl” than call girl.

beanie: H&M, coat: vintage (similar here), top: Express, pants: Black Orchid (similar here), shoes: Yves Saint Laurent, bag: Celine, sunglasses: RayBan

xx,

WhyDid

photos by Catherine Sampietro

Why Did You Wear That: Holiday Red-y

By Kirsten|December 12th, 2012|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

And the hits just keep on coming thanks to my ahead of her time mother. This is yet another adorable dress straight from the closet of Georgia Lynn. I’m so thankful my mom had the good sense to hold onto some of her favorite pieces. While I won’t be inheriting any Chanel tweed jackets (wasn’t her bohemian style), I’m happy to give several stunners of the sweater dress variety a new home. True, you won’t be able to go out and grab this exact one but, I think it’s a great example of a dress that’s more than appropriate for a couple of upcoming holiday party occasions.

The office holiday party.
Semi-formal family functions (whether yours or his).

A form fitting sweater dress (or knit) in a festive color (we all know emerald green would be a fantastic choice as well) at a moderate length says, “Cheers!” not “cheap.” No one wants to be the girl in a mini dancing on the desk/table with a lampshade on her head. And should you have one too many egg nogs and find yourself perched upon said table, this dress will be long enough to keep Victoria’s secret.

dress: vintage, boots: Steve Madden, bag: Amrita Singh, hair: Sultra Bombshell

Thanks, I’ll have another.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Dress Up

By Kirsten|November 28th, 2012|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

It’s always so relaxing to go home. There are no worries, no pressure, nothing to do, and I gain about ten pounds. Turns out, the fine folks here are not particularly interested in juicing, Pilates, or whether or not hunting gear should be worn to dinner at Applebee’s. That said, I am looking forward to heading home (to New York), starting a cleanse, and hitting the treadmill– hard. In the meantime, I played a little game of dress up in a sweater dress of my mother’s that I’ve been eying for several years. It hung in my closet in New York for a bit, but never got any play because I couldn’t quite figure out when and where I wanted to wear it, so I returned it during my West Coast intermission. Now seems like the perfect time for this knit confection to make its way back to my closet once again. Let’s give it another go. Whaddya say?

dress: vintage, bag: Balenciaga, boots: All Saints, hat: Croft & Barrow

Thanks, mom.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Water Under the Bridge

By Kirsten|May 30th, 2012|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

Even the smallest cities have a great deal of history. My hometown, Wheeling, West Virginia, is no exception. As a matter of fact, every time I turn my head, I spot another area deemed a “Historic District.” One such spectacular piece of history is the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, which spans 1,010 feet across the Ohio River. Built in 1849, it has quite literally stood the test of time.

So, rather than poo poo your place of birth, do a little research on your city’s history. You never know what interesting artifacts you may uncover.

dress: Band of Gypsies, hat: Big Buddha, belt: vintage, clutch: vintage, sandals: Dolce Vita, watch: Michael Kors

Get that Wheeling feeling.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Take Me Home

By admin|May 23rd, 2012|Personal Style|

West Virginia tends to get a bit of a bad rap. Whenever I tell someone that I grew up/went to school there, I get the typical antiquated responses. “Are your parents cousins?” “You have nice teeth though.” “I love Virginia!” Come on, guys. Haven’t we gone over this? West Virginia isn’t all hillbillies and bare feet. The Bachelorette whisked her date to the Greenbrier in this week’s episode and as a matter of fact, it may be more Sex and the City than one might think (Sarah Jessica Parker stayed in Wheeling during the birth of her twins via surrogate).

Even when I don’t have a literal home of my own and can’t figure out where I want to be, West Virginia always feels like home to me. With its rolling hills, friendly faces, and unrivaled natural beauty (have you seen my sorority sisters), West Virginia hardly lives up to its reputation. It defies it. And I’m willing to bet if I didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t even know I was there…