Sleepy Day In...

With a week of tests behind me I now have a fabulous lull with no tests for a whole week and a half! (that's exciting in med school world). So I took a lovely nap for most of the day and then put on my recently purchased pre-owned clothes.

This inspiration comes from the opening of one of my best friend's mother's shop right here in Ghent! It's called Double Take II (her first shop, Double Take, is located in Hilltop in Virginia Beach). The store sells designer consignments. While I am not wearing the complete outfit I purchased there this past weekend (because I wore it Sunday and didn't have time to take pictures) I am wearing the blouse I bought there. I am sure future posts will include the cute Anne Taylor Loft skirt and Kork Ease Wedges I purchased.

 The Jacket
Brand: Ralph Lauren
Purchased at: CHKD Thrift store (12.99)

The Jeans
Brand: Who Cares by Alisha Levine
Purchased at: TJ Maxx

 The Shoes
Brand: BCBG Max Azria
Purchased at: CHKD Thrift Store (6.98)

The Silk Blouse
Brand: Banana Republic
Purchased at: Double Take II (13.50)

A few of my best friends since elementary school with the shop owner, Jo, in Double Take II!

A quick note on consignment versus thrift stores.
Consignment stores sell clothing for individuals. The individual brings the clothing to the shop and the shop owner sells it for the owner. The shop owner gets a percentage of the profits and the owner gets the rest. If the item does not sell within a certain period the clothing is either returned to the owner or (if the owner doesn't want it back) donated to a thrift store or other charitable organization! Generally the shop owners only take items that meet their standards and image, and they believe will sell.

Thrift stores sell donated clothing, usually for charity. They take almost anything that seems sanitary... Thus its a bit more of a grab bag, but usually a bit cheaper.

More on Double Take and Double Take II here!

Sushi has PUFAs!

Last weekend I went to an awesome make-your-own sushi potluck, where everyone brought something to put in the sushi! While there I wore a fun outfit! While I would never wear it to class or when I'm shadowing at a doctor's office, I believe that clothing should be as fun and daring as you feel comfortable while appropriate for the venue. Because knowing you're taking a bit of a risk is one of the most fun parts of fashion!

My friend Vinhson insisted on taking this picture because he loved the outfit and the fact that I had a beer in one hand and a cookie in the other. I'm classy like that. He did not tell me me blouse was untucked... but you get the idea!

Top:
Halter
Brand: Whitney Eve
Purchased at: Bluefly.com
A note on Bluefly... While discounted from the list price, I'd still avoid the impulse buy and hold out for a real deal!

Cardigan
Brand: Cherokee
Purchased at: Target
I like getting my plain cardigans at Target. They usually have every color under the sun at a reasonable price. Perhaps not the best quality, but it works.

Leopard Print Skirt-
Brand: DStudio
Purchased at: Steinmart
Steinmart sometimes gets a bad rep as an old person store but they have some fun stuff! Especially jewelry and its usually at a reasonable price for the quality!

The Boots have been covered in a previous blog!

Here's another favorite of the night:

Now time to sleep so that I might have a chance of passing Biochem on Monday!

Maybe if I look cute I'll get back to the gym?

I used to go to the gym at least 3 times a week, but lately I've just been sleepy and lazy. So I checked out one of my favorite places to get cute gym clothes online!

Athleta.com has a lot of super cute gym stuff! Unfortunately its also kind of expensive... But worth it! I particularly like their active wear swimsuits. I bought a one piece over the summer, and I often have the problem that one pieces make me look like a prepubescent girl. However, this swimsuit is amazing! I debated whether or not to model this "accoutrement" but concluded anatomy is also in the title of the blog and in the interest of good journalism I showered up and stripped down!

So without further ado... WHY I LOVE THIS BATHING SUIT!

Brand and Purchased at: Athleta

1.  The Cute Factor- This is a FASHION blog not a how to be comfortable at the gym blog... So this is pretty important! I love that it is colorful and fun. Most athletic bathing suits are boring solids or have that swirly multicolored, tie-dye look to them, but this one I actually would be proud to wear to a pool party!
2. The Bikini Zone- Covers the bikini zone, and any girl knows how embarrassing it is when a suit rides up (and they aren't repping for Brazil...)
3. The Thighs and Butt- So many 1 piece suits are stuck in the 80s and think that high-cut= hot. And that might be true on girls with a great ass. But for those girls like me who might have butt and and thighs to spare, coverage is key!
4. The Shoulders- Ok, you wouldn't want to go sunbathing in this suit, but that's not really the point of athletic bathing suits. The point of athletic suits is comfort and movement. And this suit offers that! The straps don't fall down or move, and they offer great support.
5. The Chest- I've already mentioned the great support and referenced that most 1 pieces make me question my womanhood. While you can't tell in the above picture (and granted on me there isn't much to see anyway), this suit does a great job of supporting without restraining.

See? With every other suit that would be sad and flat. And while there are way more important things when working out then having a great rack... I like people to be able to tell I'm older than 13 when they look at me!

Today I was unable to find anything great at Athleta.com; however, on Gaps website (which actually own Athleta) I've been eyeing a work out top for awhile. It's part of their "bodyfit" collection. I've never bought their workout clothes, but I have bought underwear there after reading a review that put it on a list next to Hanky Panky and other top underwear brands. It really was super comfortable...

$24.99

That was my favorite find. I just think it is something a bit different than the usual structured running tops, or giant gym Ts; however, it still has a built in bra! It is also offered in black and "ebony" (which is more like gray).

My old favorites TJ Maxx and Marshalls also sometimes have great work out clothes. Occasionally Tuesday Morning has cute sets too!

While I will not be purchasing any clothing for awhile (my closet is full enough and my loans will barely cover my rent), I'd love to hear from anyone who does. Or if you have other great work out brands please share! So go out and get active!