Inspired

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments on my last post. I will do my best to respond to everyone as I usually do, and catch up with all of your new posts as well. I am always touched when you show interest in life back in my home country and ask me questions. Since we are exploring personal style here, I thought I'd mention a few style blogs in the Russian language which are definitely worth of checking out, so let's come back to this by the end of this post, OK?

This outfit was inspired by an all-denim look by one of my favorite fashion bloggers - Stephanie Zwicky of  Le Blog De Big Beauty. I just adore this woman - so much fun, freedom and creativity in her outfits. Trendy - yes, but done with an exceptional artistic eye and soul. You can see the photos of her denim outfit in this post. Here in particular, I love how she combines casual denim with soft and feminine details, such as flowers in her hair and long flowy scarf. I find blue/brown color combo very striking too.  

But as much as I loved Stephanie's look, I did not want to simply copy it - I had to add my own little twist, you know - to feel like Natasha Lialina, not like a girl who just read the famous Big Beauty's blog. So I left the basic idea untouched (all-denim, wide leg trousers, chunky accessories) and added a bit warmth with gold and a somewhat nautical feel with my own accessories. There is really not much for me to add about this outfit, other than I couldn't resist buying these wide leg pants at Chico's Memorial Day weekend sale. I always loved the look of such trousers, but haven't had a chance to wear them before. I love them so much, I think I could wear them every day!

And now, as promised in the beginning of my post, let's talk a little about style in Russia. I actually consider Russian women among the most stylish or at least, fashion aware. I can't emphasize enough how much style and fashion mean to Russian girls. One of the most stylish people I personally know is a beautiful Russian lady who lives in my neighborhood and who used to consider starting a personal style blog. I kept encouraging her and still hope that she gives it a go one day. There is really nothing to lose. If anything, only to gain. And yes, I know there are a bazillion style blogs nowadays, but people like this Russian beauty or like Stephanie Zwicky for whom style is a true passion coming from the depth of their being, are still a rare and invaluable find. Well, since I don't know whether or not this talented Russian lady started blogging, I decided to share with you a few other style blogs in Russian language (I think they also translated into English, or just use Google Translate which is wonky, but better than nothing). The photos you will see below are not exactly representative of a typical Russian Winter dressing - they are rather exceptionally artistic outfits for not the most cruel weather (we do have mild Winter days too!). But I thought they will give you a good idea just how much style actually means to women in Russia. I intentionally picked bloggers with completely different styles, so there is something to enjoy for every taste. The common thing between them - they all are REALLY GOOD! So enjoy! :)

Vita (St Petersburg, Russia) of La Vita Mia - feminine retro inspired outfits

Tatiana (Moscow, Russia) of Bonnie Blog - imaginative boho inspired outfits

Elena (Odessa, Ukraine) of Galant Girl - dynamic contemporary outfits

I hope you'll enjoy your visit to my part of the world and find out for yourselves that even in the extreme weather conditions, as they say, girls will be girls! To complete the picture, I'd like to finish this post with my humble self and show you a photo which I have already posted in my blog before. It was probably a not-so-bad winter day (-15 to -25 C) in Siberia. Still cold, of course. I would say I look pretty stylish here - yes, warm and cozy, but still stylish in my long dark blue sheepskin coat with side splits, white beanie and oversized scarf, and fashionable boots. And even though this photo was taken  about 15 years ago, I still consider this outfit stylish and I would wear something like it again if I happen to go to Siberia in Winter. I just really hope that I won't have to! :)

Today's outfit:

Denim shirt - Lane Bryant (previously worn here)

Chambray wide leg trousers - Chico's (still on 50% off sale here)

Wedges - Jeffrey Campbell

Purse - Cole Haan (old)

Necklace & earrings - Chico's

Bracelet & ring - Lane Bryant