fresh kicks

shoes: chuck taylors 

I grew up in sartorial chaos.

 No one in my family dresses the same, as a rule. Trying to get ready for holiday photos was an absolute nightmare. No one agrees on patterns, aesthetics, or, god forbid, colors. But we always had Chucks. (Pink, black, bright red, and solid glitter, to be exact.) They were the one thing we all agreed on, probably because we could each have our own look. I can't say I was never in awe of the families who dressed like an LL Bean catalogue, but hey, it's what makes us unique. Years later, our chucks are still a wardrobe staple, and since he's part of the family now, we had to get Jordan his own pair. Don't worry, he's keeping the streak alive - he insisted on wearing floral print even though I was in plaid. 

But I guess that's what makes Chucks so iconic - you can wear them with whatever you want, 

and your girlfriend is still going to put you on her instagram feed. 

x Justina  

ps. how blinding are these? we need to put some miles on them.

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fits like a glove

jacket: vintage
dress: tobi 'joleen' dress
shoes: converse
backpack: sunny dushanka

The older you get, the more and more "short and tight but also fancy" becomes this bizarre expectation forced upon your wardrobe. I've managed to avoid it thus far mainly by never leaving my house. I'm also fairly tall and have all of the curves of a highway in the desert, so finding a dress that fits is also a v difficult undertaking.  As you can tell, I have a well articulated excuse for every situation. But I decided it needed to happen, because I am only scared of rational things, like deep water and spiders, and will not be intimidated by a dress. At least not one this small.

You know in a sitcom, where the main character does something they were scared of, and the happy music plays, and they say something along the lines of "that wasn't that bad"? That was me, once I got accustomed to the breeze. This dress is super comfy, and not too much of a ~night out~ look for me to rock on my weekly trip to IKEA.

Speaking of IKEA: settle this for me, guys. Is it "I-KEY-UH" or "E-KAY-UH"?

Loser has to buy me another pillow for my fort,
so I'm heavily invested.

xx Justina


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feeling warm?

sweater: people's project LA
jeans: wild blue denim
boots: CAT
lipstick: colourpop 

As someone who's grown up in a state with a wide variety of them: trees are beautiful. I honestly can't even focus on what I'm doing in these photos because that tree behind me is so absolutely stunning. It's the perfect backdrop for this sweater. 

Let's talk about sweater ventilation for a minute. Mainly, why isn't it more common? I think the worst thing ever is when you're wearing a really cute sweater and then you get that gross ~prickly clammy feeling~ that means you're about to become the sweater. HOW AM I MEANT TO BE COMFY LIKE THAT? (And please, especially if you're my mum, do not suggest that I wear more weather appropriate clothing. That is not HELPFUL okay) This sweater from People's Project LA is maybe the way of the future. It's cozy in the front, breezy in the back. Also, as my aformentioned mother pointed out, "it's not cut like a potato sack". 

Note to self: potatoes are good. 
Dressing like one is not.

x Justina


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it isn't always better

sweater: thrifted
tote: cuyana
boots: CAT

I'm going to live in this sweater for the rest of my life. Best $3 I've ever spent in a thrift store.

This is winter in California aka early fall everywhere else in the world. Unfortunately, the colourful foliage does not change it from being December, or me having to do Christmas shopping still. I keep making lists, and then sticking them in my bag and forgetting. Mainly because I get distracted buying Christmas presents for myself. Like this bag.

IT'S GOT MY NAME STAMPED ON IT. At least, my initials. Plus it holds absolutely everything, barring a few fantastic beasts. It's from Cuyana, also known as the-cool-brand-everyone-keeps-hush-hush-about-because-none-of-us-want-to-share. (Try whispering that in someone's ear. Go ahead.) As a brand, they're all about small source and handmade, sturdy and stylish, better over bigger. Getting close to Christmas (THREE WEEKS GUYS NOBODY PANIC) they're reminding all of us deal crazed nutters to give better. As someone who is extremely picky about a. who gets presents and b. what they get, I was all over it. To me, it seems like a great philosophy. Give people you love things they'll love, not just things. Do something unforgettable.

This seems like a great time to announce that I'm going to London on Sunday with Sallie. I don't really have anything else to add to that, except that I'm hoping to track down Ellie.

But when am I not amiright

x Justina

ps. shoot me an email at justina {at} abentpieceofwire.com with your address, and favorite color. I'm making Christmas cards and have no one to send to...EXCEPT YOU GUYS. (Perks of the internet: you can't run away.)


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mixing it up

boots: CAT

shorts: H&M DIVIDED

shirt: Style & Co 

bag + sunnies: TOMS

The aesthetic of this outfit is definitely vodka mom in LA. You know, the one who has a solid colored Starbucks cup, enrolls her kids in "crystal therapy" at the local yoga studio on the beach, and takes out all her frustrations with life at SoulCycle. For further reference, check out my favorite instagram account, overheard in la. 

I'm not usually a patterned shorts person, mainly because until H&M intervened, I A. owned one pair of Levi's cut-offs that were getting the job done and B. always felt like they were too difficult to style for me to bother with. Also, due to my icy black heart, I am cold all of the time, and excessive skin exposure under freezing AC's is not a winning scenario for me. But now, the tables have turned. Mixing them in with my excessive chambray collection has led to a series of outfits that are summer-appropriate, but don't make me look like I maybe got dressed out of my laundry pile. (shh)

It's getting to that point in the summer where we're too far along to do "summer stuff" but also there's still another month until we go back to college. Honestly, I'm ready to get along to sweater weather and piles of pie. Or at least, I think I am right now.

Just wait until that first puddle soaks into my shoes.

 x J

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gotta stash it all

overall dress: cotton on

t-shirt: cotton on

sneaks: converse

sunnies: TOMS

Overalls and I go way back, and most of you have witnessed it firsthand. As much as I love them though, there is always the slight chance that you look like a five year old. That's my usual day-to-day aesthetic, but sometimes even I feel pressure to dress like an ~adult~ occasionally. Hence, an overall DRESS. All of the pockets, with none of the playground jokes. 

I found this one from Cotton On a thrift store for $6 and if that's not a true American success story, I don't know what is. I've dreamed of wearing an outfit like this since I started blogging and first found my fashion alter in Swedish minimalism. Light wash denim, and monochromatic stripes are a match made in heaven, and I've been pursuing perfect combinations of  them this whole time.

Other things I've been pursuing: Pokemon. I only downloaded that stupid game to make fun of Jordan, but six days later I'm nine levels higher than I expected and have taken way too many walks to my local poke stops. It's problematic. I'm getting a TAN.

Although, I suppose if I actually were catching Pokemon, this would be an ideal outfit. All those pockets to stash 'em in, you know?

x J


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where are they taking you

photos by Jordan Schauberger 

shoes: tevas x jhene aiko

HI GUYS wow it's been ten days. That doesn't seem like a long time, but it was long enough for like a thousand people to die on Game of Thrones. I've been out adventuring with my squad, from San Francisco to LA.  In the first part, we bought succulents, listed to TLOP, and - well that's all for another post. I'll be writing a lot in the coming weeks - but first, much like gym class, we need to talk about footwear.

This post is about what I wore on my feet, because I'm trying to improve lives here. On this particular outing to SF, I broke in my brand new Teva's in a very serious way. I'd had vague blister-related reservations about wearing new shoes on a day where I'd be walking approx. a million miles up hill, but they're also very ~funky~ and if not San Francisco, where else?

THESE SHOES ARE INCREDIBLE. I don't why I've never gotten pair before. I mean, I do, because velcro, but I'm over that now. Not only are they squishy and comfy, but they're v stylish. I, and more importantly, Jhene Aiko say so, and you can't argue with it. I like to move wildly, and climb things and stand on my tiptoes, and these shoes just let it all happen. In the past, I've shied away from the "pretty ugly" shoe trend because A. it seemed like a lot of work to style and B. I didn't see a huge benefit. After clambering all over California in these, I can distinctly say that the benefit far outweighs the amount of "90's dad on vacation" jokes your friends will make.

I will, however, be concerned if you start sporting these with Tommy Bahama and a fanny pack.

x J


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flip and flow

dress: american eagle
boots: caterpillar
bralette: aerie

It's so HOT. Not just this dress, but the weather. El Nino is a distant memory, and the only proof that it even happened is that our lakes have actual water in them. With that said, the dress is pretty cute too. It's a perfect summer cut - there's not a lot happening, but it easily fits everything you could be doing during the day. Little details like the straps in the back elevate it from a standard school outfit to ~fancy barbeque~ acceptable. I also very much enjoy dancing in it because the skirt is flowy but doesn't do the thing where you have to hold it down so you don't flash someones grandparents. You know what I'm talking about.

 Remember when everyone was obsessed with those Chloé stud boots? It seems like it just happened, but that was basically in my sartorial childhood. Literally every blogger and their mother had a pair, and then they just disappeared. These boots remind me a lot of a southwestern interpretation of those, and I love it. I'm equally impressed that they're from Caterpillar - not a traditional maker of hipster boots, but surprisingly proficient at it. They're also incredibly comfortable, and the buckles make a very satisfying clunking noise when I walk.

Today was my last day of classes. I still have finals, but am effectively done with my first full time semester of college. I'm really unclear on where the last 16 weeks of my life went. I've learned about oxford commas, il imperfetto, delayed ledes, yoga breathing, and the very bizarre history of California. (Fitting.) I've also found a strange little family, and a lot of stress, in my (award-winning) college newspaper, and eaten a prolific amount of really good food. Shoutout to Tim for never letting me starve, Jordan for letting me angry write at midnight, and Hannah for copy-editing my life/being a generally angelic sunfish.

It's time for summer though. Some classics will be making a reappearance: Sallie + our annual road trip, camp, and LA. There's also some new stuff in the works.

Like sleep. 

x J

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sun touched

romper: tobi
sneakers: converse
bralette: aerie
tote: little brick bookstore
sunnies: toms

It's getting to that point in the summ- wait, it's still spring? HAH, okay, whatever you say.

It's getting to that point in the spring where it's so disgustingly hot already that I'd prefer to not wear any clothes at all, but if I have to, they need to be light, flowy, and not touch my skin.

A romper seems OBVIOUS, but I'm 5'8 and most jumpsuits (dresses, swimsuits, shirts, all clothing in general) are made for people considerably shorter. The biggest bummer in the world is seeing a cute one piece and stepping in only to realize the collar is somewhere around the middle of my stomach. With that said, some creative layering can always add upper length.  My new Tobi romper is my favorite kind of simple, with a little bit of flair. It's also loose enough to work for any height. The Aerie bralette is an easy ~staple~, and takes this from a tragedy to a tall girl look. Plus, in the summer, bralettes > real bras any day.

I only realized this morning that I've worn my converse every day this week. I always had this lurking suspicion that they cut my legs off, but I'm dedicated to the high top aesthetic.

Today one of my professors started talking about finals and I was very suddenly brought to terms with the fact that the semester ends in a month, and then it's SUMMER. There's already so much on the books, it'll be interesting to see how it all works out. And what shade of dirt my converse will be once it settles.

x J

ps. because I'm a homie, I want to let you in on the secret of Tobi: they have all your faves (dresses,  rompers, skirts, sequins, cardigans, bodysuits, midi's, crop tops, etc) and ur first order is 50% off.  have fun with that. 

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farm mom

jeans: american eagle
shirt: h&m
shoes: moheda toffeln
bag: toms


Please, ONE more person greet me with some variation of "oh there's a little hole in your pants". It's hilarious. Really. It is.

Over the years, I've definitely been heavily impacted style-wise by my work in 4-H. Don't get me wrong, most days I'm ~hella punk rock~ but every once in a while, you'll get a ranch mom day and I commit. The loose bun, the leather accessories, the practical shirt. Although not immediately apparent, these jeans worked in perfectly. Their cut is definitely a bit looser than my regular look but they sit nicely, and despite missing a solid chunk in the middle, they've got a cute figure. I'm also not as bothered by their utter destruction as I thought I'd be. It seemed like something that was going to be hard to dress up as what my mother refers to "acceptable in public", but their structure saves them.

A quality white button down is a basic staple everyone should have. Fourteen button downs is an obsession only I have. In my never-ending quest to clear out my black h-, uh, closet, I've realized that I basically wear the same four outfits in varying colors. It's interesting that I'm becoming one of Those Fashion People whose style can be summed up in a twelve slide post on Refinery29. I think it creates a unique challenge: I'm whittling down to my capsule wardrobe, but still want to keep it original every day. Or at least on the days I don't have class. All two of those.

We shot these photos on Monday, and it was both raining and blindingly sunny, because California does what it wants. It also rains on my camera and makes my outfit photos not-so-strategically blurry.

PSA: if you blindly shove your foot into your jeans at 5am, and they have holes this big in them, there's a solid chance that you will just stick your whole leg through.

x J

ps. March is over today? lol 2016 u wild 

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march madness

all photos taken with a fuifilm x30

tie dye tank: american eagle
leather jacket: selfridges


Today, in the name of spring break insanity, Maia, I, and my newly pierced nose (more about that later) got on a 6am bus. This bus, which necessitated both of us waking up earlier than we ever do for school, took us on a very bumpy trip to San Francisco. We had this wild idea that it'd be fun to take a day off and wander, so wander we did. For ten and a half miles.

That's not a typo. According to various step counting bands and apps and whatnot, we managed a whopping 10.5 miles up and down the hills of the city, and that was on only like three cups of coffee. It's truly amazing what the human body can do when motivated by food and shopping possibilities.

We don't live far from SF, so this wasn't a completely one-off experience for us, but it was fun to just explore. Sometimes when you visit a place too much, you forget to take time out and see new parts of it, or just slow down and enjoy them. By foot. In direct sunlight. For nine hours.

So here's what happened:

* A cappuccino at Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe, where I definitely abandoned Maia to order because I was not cool enough to talk to the barista's.

* A solid ramble round Chinatown, where we picked up lotus cakes and sesame balls at the Eastern Bakery. (10/10 would recommend) We also snagged a couple of those "The City" sweatshirts that are hand-woven by Steph Curry out of the magic he uses to shoot 3-pointers.

* A clam chowder bread bowl at Boudin's bistro because A. I am always ALWAYS hungry, and B. if you come to SF and do not eat Boudin's sourdough at least once, your entire trip was pointless.

* Flower (And clothing. And coffee. And LUSH.) shopping in Union Square, because fresh flowers make everything brighter and also ~aesthetic~.

* A gorgeous sunset out the window of the bus I was on illegally, as technically my return ticket was for the next day. Oops. There was a gorgeous sunrise out that window as well, but I was half asleep and couldn't be bothered to get the camera out.

The best part about the fashion scene in SF is that you will have a very difficult time telling the hipsters from the homeless. The secret is in the conversational topics - if it isn't The Life of Pablo or the possibility of joining someone's friends start-up, 

they're not a hipster.

x J


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find me in your roses

dress: show me your mumu
shoes: converse
sunnies: the lazy ones
lack of muscle mass: blaming it on genetics

How many blog posts have I clandestinely shot in front of my neighbor's roses at this point? It has to have been at least four or five. With that said though, I don't think I've ever blended in white as well as I did this time.

Okay, so here's the whole story: I signed up for Mon-Wed 9am yoga because "it'll be nice to start my week with yoga" and  "that'll relax me". What I didn't think about was that I'd have to then wear my ~gross yoga clothes~ (super snazzy tanks and lululemon leggings) for the whole rest of the day. Sigh. So now I've come to the creative crossroad of finding outfits to change into, wanting to carry the least amount of excess weight possible, and needing to be able to put them on in a bathroom stall and not land in the toilet. I'm getting pretty good at it, and layering is my new best friend.

This outfit is the one that got the most compliments last week - my Show Me Your Mumu dress that survives wrinkles (and the bottom of my backpack) and the ultimate basic converse. The sunglasses were just a nice way to distract everyone from the fact that my eyeliner had gone from "Warrior 1" to "Downward dog"  very quickly. Here's the genius of this outfit though: everyone thought I was ~dressed~. I spent most of the day feeling like I got away with a massive heist.

Side note: yoga is GREAT. I'm not going to start hand-standing on cliff ledges or anything, but it really is a nice way to train your body. Especially when your body is the athletic equivalent of a brick.

And no, brothers, I have never landed in the toilet. Don't jinx it. 

x J


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time to go back

Full outfit c/o Kohl’s

Everyone likes to talk about the "first day of school outfit". But I want to draw attention to the fact that, since you have to go back after that first day, the "back to school" outfit is arguably much more important. These people are seeing you every day, after all, you can't let it go now. So when Kohl’s sent me out to track down a "Back To School" outfit in their stores, I took it VERY seriously. Like, two hours of shopping and a lot of hypothetical "what-if" scenarios SERIOUS. I also made a list of criteria the outfit had to meet: 

1. Aesthetically pleasing (obviously)

2. Versatile pieces i.e. you could use the stuff with other stuff to create more stuff

3. Situationally appropriate (I love heels, but the miles of halls in my school do not)

4. Comfortable, because why even wear clothes if they aren't

5. Easily customizable to your ~pErSoNaL bRaNd~

For my perfect 40th (nearly half through first semester) day of school outfit, I started with a black boyfriend tee, an easy basic. Then, I went for these very Leslie Knope-esque printed jeans. I snagged (literally) a burgundy cozy cardigan to a.) keep me snuggly and b.) add some color. Then I remembered that I am walking across campus approx. 8480382048 times a day, and how often my shoes are in my Starbucks snapchats, and went for the ultimate classic: white Chuck Taylor’s. This was the BEST sartorial decision I've made in ages. (And they were on sale.)

Now I will admit: I was not a super Kohl’s shopper and so not entirely sure what I was metaphorically walking into when I literally walked into my local Kohl’s. Now, my keen observation skills will be to your benefit. Here is what you will see: racks and racks and racks of things you want as far as your eyes work. Then, baskets, which you will use to collect all of your new treasure. On the racks themselves, little grey boxes of happiness displaying drastically reduced prices that are easily within the "Mum, I could wear this SO MUCH" range. Everything after that is just an enjoyable bout of shopping bliss. The place is an actual wonderland.

Ps: Criteria 6 for outfits: if you can't spontaneously dance in it for whatever vine trend is in right now, don't even bother. 

x J 

ps. friendly reminder: a gift card can't buy my love - Kohl’s compensated me for this, but I, like Drake, don't fake feelings. 

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