America the Grateful

Today I am keeping in mind all the soldiers who have fought for this country and us, the men and women still in combat and their bravery, as well as all the men and women resting peacefully after having spent their lifetime serving for the United States. This post is dedicated to all of you, and I am eternally grateful for your sacrifices and patriotism. 

Manicure Monday is a small artistic nod towards all the armed forces of the United States through abstract shapes in our nation's colors.

I myself am a fan of wearing American flag themed clothing, especially in the red, white and blue color range, but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. Instead of wearing bold colors on days like today and the 4th to honor the country and its heroes (or on any day!), muted colors with star and stripe patterns works just as well, if not creatively better. I've used a blue accent to a gray stars and stripes outfit to pay my respects today.

denim shirt: forever xxi

tank: issi @ t.j.maxx

jeans: target

boots: doc martens

necklace: ny & company

 My flag shirt I am wearing is just a regular tank worn on top of a denim shirt. Go out of your comfort zone and try layering things you wouldn't normally layer. You might be surprised with the result

Say thank you to someone who's earned it today; veterans and members of the armed forces are the core of our nation.

- nali xo

One Love

I'm a huge fan of statement tees because they add a little sass to an otherwise straightforward outfit, but they can also broadcast a good message if you're willing to showcase your beliefs on your chest. 

Anyone who knows me knows I am one thousand percent supportive of human rights. I believe that it doesn't matter who you are, who you love or what you believe in, a person is still a person no matter what and should be treated as such. I hope that one day gay marriage will be as common and accepted as interracial marriage and that another day not too far behind, they will both just be called 'marriages', without a need to specify who. That's why I was psyched when I found this American Apparel tank at Buffalo Exchange this week while probing the thrift scene.

My favorite thing about this shirt is the fact that it was originally sold at American Apparel. This casual clothing company has been around since 1989 when it was created by Dov Charney, a t-shirt specialist and an American culture aficionado. Now, the vender has since won "Retailer of the Year"at the 15th Annual Michael Awards for the Fashion Industry along with many other prestigious awards, and continues to be one of the fastest growing companies in the world. Not to mention that the company's target (young adults) is infatuated with the company because of the status AA has created for themselves. Companies like AA delivering social messages through their products (gay rights, immigration reform) tell teenagers who have not yet made up their minds about hot button issues that it's cool to support them. Status in the fashion world is HUGE and gives so much power to the people who hold it. I only wish more companies would use their influence like American Apparel does to help convince more people of what they, as humans, should be standing for. We're all here for the same reason, why make it harder for someone else on your team?

necklace: claire's

pants: bebe @ buffalo exchange

denim shirt: american eagle outfitters

sneakers: no name

hat: scoutmob.com

Easily paired casually or a little more sophisticated, this shirt is sure to make a pop not only with the words printed on it but also with the bright color of it.

shirt: reckless @ pac sun

shorts: sans soucy @ marshall's

boots: sm @ sear's

tights: t.j.maxx

bandana: michael's

Take the extra step of support and throw on a pair of heart printed leggings or tights to drive home the message of honest love.

skirt: forever xxi

cardigan: piazzitalia

moccasins: target

Express yourselves and your beliefs and think before you speak. You may not be able to change the world (or the government) but having an opinion matters. If your opinion is against someone's rights as a human, you're entitled to that, but reconsider before calling something 'gay' because you don't like it. If 'straight' were used a negative connotation, you wouldn't be too happy, so don't rain on someone else's parade just because they were born different from you. And for all you supporters out there, even if you just buy a t-shirt that says 'legalize gay' or get more educated on how far gay rights have come, it matters. Keep learning, and teach others around you about what they might not know. When it comes down to it, we're all in this together and I can't wait for the day that everyone realizes it.

- nali xo

Make Love Not War

When it comes down to it, there are two kinds of people. People who are in favor of war and people who aren't. I am 1000% behind any solider who puts his or her life on the line in order to protect the rest of us and our country. That being said I am also 1000% against wars existing to begin with. This is not a social/political piece and I have no place talking about any of this but I just needed to justify buying this shirt and making it clear I support what it stands for.

I've used this shirt before in some of my other posts and at first glance, it seems like any old logo tee made perfect for a college student, or maybe for a very proud American because of the color scheme. When I brought it up to the counter to purchase my said t-shirt at my official thrift station, Buffalo Exchange, not only did I get my fabulous finds and great service from the sweetheart ringing me up, but I also got a brief history lesson based on the slogan printed on the shirt. 'Draft beer, not people' reads loud and clear across the chest of this simple yet paramount tee. As my cashier rang me up she smiled knowingly at the shirt and told me she used to have one when they were first sold in Urban Outfitters in the early 2000s. Then she told me it was a kind of movement, especially among teenagers, that was going on while George W. Bush Jr. was in office. Naturally I slapped the slogan into Google when I got home and found barely anything about what the girl had been talking about. No news articles, no videos of protesting teens. I did happen to notice the slogan was altered from t-shirt to t-shirt, some saying 'students' instead of 'people'. Which amazed me even more. This was a clearly controversial movement because of the obvious subject matter but also because this was something that seemed to only be popular around young people and students who shouldn't technically be drinking to begin with. These are young people who have no immediate control over what was going on overseas because they are so young but still manage to understand that underage drinking (which is usually taken care of immediately at colleges or in other situations of underage drinking) is less important of an issue than innocent lives being taken because of wars. It should be a simple decision for people in charge to prevent any kind of war before things get bad but underage drinking is stomped out immediately anywhere it is uncovered. 

So sorry I just got much more carried away than I had planned but at least now if you ever come across a shirt like this you'll have something to think about and can wonder who and where it came from. The naturally beautiful Taylor Attea modeled for me today and hopefully I did this small piece of history justice in dressing it up and down the way I did. Taylor certainly rocks it

shirt: buffalo exchange
skirt: topshop
sneaks: converse 
lipstick: riri woo by mac
headband:topshop 

Lipstick that red could make anyone smile, especially with an American themed outfit (my personal favorite style theme)

necklace: kohl's

shorts: vintage

plaid: target

tights: marshall's

shoes: target

bracelets: forever xxi & h&m

Here is a more subtle (and less American) way to wear the shirt

sweater: aeropostale

leggings: t.j.maxx

shoes: lower east side @ payless

I apologize if you hate me for this super long/super politically charged post but just give it a second thought next time you see or hear about something like this. The truth is we all can and will make change in the world, we just have to decide what kind of change it will be.

- nali xo