men's-inspired caaj.

what could be more caaj than wearing men's loafers? just love these, especially the miu miu and the prada versions - but c'mon miucca, $500-$600 for such a passing trend?! somehow i never feel excited about spending that much on flats...

nonetheless, very cute shoes pictured below:

sandools to caajly complement your summer looks.

as you can see, the clog seems to be here to stay. check out these summer takes on The Clog - a footwear staple that completed many a caaj outfit in the fall and winter with its more traditional version. I personally love the Prada Bow Platform Slingbacks. They are just the right amount of trendy and classic and as such, they will continue to be wearable in summers to come as they are not restricted by the clog platform.

 Prada Bow Platform Slingbacks

 YSL Essaouira Clogs

 Fendi Safari Clogs

Alice + Olivia Abby Platforms

caaj fall 2011 rtw.

isabel marant

love how the clash of the patterned dress and the patterned sweater 

create a look that somehow manages to look cohesive. the boots 

are weird, but really cute. they also add a nice boho caajualness to 

heeled over-the-knee boots. 

digging the boxy, boyfriend quality of the jacket. the oversized silhouette 

makes it just the right caaj addition to any outfit.

chanel 

love the chanel take on the lesbian combat boot for fall 2011. i'm glad to 

know that it's a caaj staple that is here to stay. love the flounciness of the coat 

with the toughness of the boot.

really like the pairing of a seemingly disheveled look 

with beautiful tailoring for a deconstructed formal look.

caaj-chic outfit inspiration.

throw a tough leather vest over a pretty and sweet lace dress for the perfect combo of tough and pretty - which as we all know is the secret behind achieving the perfect caaj aesthetic. since the leather vest is such an extreme and unexpected complement, feel free to add sky-high heels and a necklace without feeling like your look will end up too girly. what a caaj-chic outfit!

style ruminative boutique.

check out the style ruminative boutique and see what closet additions would make your closet the perfect formulation of caaj tryhard..discover what caajK is loving these days!

styleruminative.boutiques.com

caaj coiffure - to color or not to color?

i think it's more caaj to have your natural hair color unless you're a blonde. yes, if nobody could ever tell that you've dyed your hair, then it would still be caaj, but that is a complete rarity for brunettes. blondes can end up looking like their highlights may be sun exposure-induced and as such, can get away with it. brunettes have no such luck. while ombre (defined below) certainly attempts to seem caaj with its unkempt grown out roots look, i think that when a look is so contrived, you're trying too hard to look caaj and like you don't care. the contrast between the dark roots and blonde ends is just too stark for brunettes to pull off. ombre is not caaj, it's practically daylight robbery. why spend money to have someone haphazardly paint bleach onto the ends of your hair as though you hadn't gotten your roots touched up in a hundred years?

while there are certainly some cases where a different hair color can be more flattering than what God gave you, i guarantee that in 95% of cases, you color because you're bored or want to change up your look - not because it's actually more flattering. in those cases, i suggest staying true to what God gave you - chances are that au natural is the most flattering. and even if it's not, there's something to be said for being so caaj that you don't see the colorist monthly.

until the colorist masters come up with a technique other than ombre for brunettes to look caaj, i think it's best for brunettes to bow out from coloring and return to their natural states. rachel bilson, come back. camila alves, come back. drew barrymore, just go away.

ombre - hair dyeing technique where roots are kept very dark and highlights are painted onto just the ends of hair.

super caaj with a hidden agenda.

it seems counterintuitive to try to look like crap when you have a big event, but that is the caaj key to looking stunning. let's be clear here though - you aren't trying to look like crap at the actual event, but rather, you are trying to look as bad as possible for the days / weeks / months leading up to the event (i would avoid pushing this into the years timeframe though since we don't want people forgetting that you were ever even attractive...) your wedding coming up? look bad. prom? look bad. cotillion? same rule. your first born's first birthday? doesn't matter - look bad.

so what does "look as bad as possible" mean exactly? this is the time when you bust out the sweatpants (or the caaj fashionista version - leggings), the sweatshirt (or the chunky sweater), and uggs (or lesbian combat boots). feel free to throw on your fake glasses while you're at it for added caaj effect. don't wear makeup (or rather, do the "natural" look). don't do your hair (or rather, straighten it but put it in a mussed bun or ponytail).

WHY? WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THIS TRIP TO UGLY?
i think the best way to explain the rationale behind this technique is through the use of a little bit of math. if you are, on average, a 7 on a daily basis and a 9.5 at special events, the differential of 1.5 ends up seeming like a bump of only 0.5 since people are not so surprised by how well you clean up.

if, alternatively, you artificially engineer it so that you are a 5 or a 6 on the days leading up to a special event, when you show up looking like a 9.5, people perceive you as off the charts, propelling you into the 12, 13 range. how ingenious! what a useful optical illusion!

looking like a 5 or 6 for a few days is also great for building credibility as being super caaj; thus mitigating the stigma of looking like a tryhard at the actual event. this way you can strut around the event with your head held high, basking in the glory of all your tryhard hotness with absolutely no qualms - yet another caaj success story.