Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Asian


I always liked Asian inspired clothing and used to have a few tops either made of vibrantly colored silk or of intricately embroidered linen, with delicate Asian lines such as the traditional collar and splits on the sides, usually mid-hip length, with or without sleeves. That was years ago though, and because my body changed a lot in the last few years, I did not keep most of my clothing. 




This brilliant, very artistic blouse has the most vivid Asian themed images, made of 100% silk and decorated absolutely beautifully, with lots of heart, talent and inspiration - I was simply stunned when I ran into this piece of art in a local thrift shop this past weekend. I could not believe my eyes! It was double surprising to me to read the label - Chico's Design. Now, I am a big fan of Chico's for years. Some of their customers complain that the brand changed and it is not what it used to be, and when I discovered this amazing item at Goodwill, I finally understood what they meant by that. I have to agree. I do not see clothing of a similar level of craftsmanship and inspiration these days. (Though, now and then they do amaze me with their very imaginative blazers! I have a few, but I have not posted them in the blog yet.)



We did a little research on the Internet, and it seems that Chico's used to have a special line of clothing called Chico's Design, but it does not exist any more. Oh how lucky I felt when I stumbled into the blouse! I only hoped that it would fit me since I usually get a size bigger. Magically, it fit me just right! (There is a little issue with the bust area, but I am willing to overlook it!) I felt even luckier when I stumbled into yet ANOTHER beauty of the very same line of blouses!! Not one - two great finds, priced $5.99 each! Both are stunningly vibrant, exotic and just blow my mind. I feel like I am wearing a museum piece. :) 



I have a fair amount of Asian blood in me. Not so much from my father's side who is from the central part of Russia (Vyatka region) and whose family look like their ancestors could have been Vikings (or so Justin thinks) - tall, long legged, red haired guys with oval faces, not really typical Russian looking at all (if there is such a thing). But grandma from my mom's side looks like she is a good part Asian. No wonder mama used to call me Buryatochka (a little Buryatian girl) - though, strangely enough, I was the only "Buryatian" in the family, with my round face and wide, pronounced cheek bones. When I look at the old family photographs, I definitely see the resemblance. 

Center row: Innokentiy and Alexandra Nikiforov, my great-grandparents, and their son Dionisiy.
Lower row: Polina and Vasiliy, their youngest children.
Upper row: Praskovya (my grandmother) and Lidia, their daughters.
Photo taken before the World War II in Tatarka, a small Siberian village.

Praskovya Shadrina (nee Nikiforova), my grandmother, with her children Nadia (left), my mom; Nikolai, Elena and baby Vera. 1954. 

It's hard to believe that my grandma is here much younger than I am now!

Nadia (my mom) and her oldest sister Nina. 1958. 
Mom is 13 or 14, and Nina is about 18 here.

There are more old photographs on the site Angara. Tatarka which is my mom's much treasured creation - she researched the history of her village and wrote a beautiful essay about it (in the Russian language).


But I think it is more than just "blood" and resemblance though. I feel my connection with Asian cultures on a very deep level. I once wrote an article about an unforgettable experience I had at the performances of Namgar, a gifted ethnomusician, who visited Seattle with her talented music group (named by her first name, also Namgar) and their ancient traditional Mongolian and Buryatian songs. It felt like my ancient roots were coming alive, and at one point in the concert when Namgar was singing old lyrical songs of her ancestors and Juliana, a beloved Seattle singer and ethnomusicologist, was at the same time, in a perfect harmony with her, singing ancient Russian love songs, it was as if my two great-grandmothers, one Slavic and another Asian, both young beautiful women, were talking to me. (If you read Russian, you can check out my article about Namgar and their two concerts in Seattle in 2010 here. I know that Namgar was very happy with it and included it in the group's references on their Wiki page and other resources.)



Or maybe it is as simple as I am just visually attracted to certain colors and shapes which compliment my appearance, and there is nothing more to it? And the fact that my first marriage was to an Asian man, and my daughter is more than 50% Asian is a pure coincidence?

My mom and other villagers' children are taken to another town over the river, on their very first trip to middle school, the 5th grade (their tiny village had only an elementary school, from 1st to 4th grade, all kids in the same classroom). 1957. Mom is the first girl (on the left) out of three girls sitting together. She was turning 12 that fall. Kids were about to spend the first school quarter apart from their families and come back only for a short visit during a school break.

My daughter Anna, 11, 5th grade. (Post about my outfit here.)




We don't know for sure, do we? All we know for sure is the way we feel. And I felt very strongly that I found something which I absolutely had to find when I stumbled into this amazing silk blouse at Goodwill last weekend. Just as strongly as I felt listening to Namgar's singing in a beautiful, intimate little hall in Seattle, a few years back.

Blouse - Chico's Design (thrifted). Skirt - Lane Bryant (clearance rack). Scarf - Target (clearance rack, $4.50). Boiled wool jacket - Lands' End (thrifted). Shoes - Dansko. Umbrella - via Target. Brass bracelet - thrifted. Earrings - Chico's (old). Rings - long story. :)

Linking with Patti's Visible Monday and Bella's Secondhand First (premier link-up)!

26 comments:

  1. What a lovely post, Natalia. The blouse certainly is a beauty and a great find. I'm sure the reasons we are drawn to the things we love are complex, and family history is probably in the mix; not necessarily because of genetics but because of shared culture and stories and traditions which can run so deep they seem like part of us.
    I loved seeing your family photos, and see quite a resemblance between your mother and your daughter (both beauties!) I adore the photo of the kids going to school in the boat. And I see you have an aunt Nina - my youngest daughter is called Nina (I call her Ninanotchka sometimes!)
    What a wonderful heritage you have. And also a wonderful wardrobe! xxxx

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    1. Thank you so very much, Curtise!! Your comment is so thoughtful and full of warmth, you touched my heart so deeply... Thank you for compliments to my beloved girls - mama and Anya (that's the way we call her in our family). I agree with you, they both are beauties! They of course are very happy to hear that too. :))
      Say hello to your lovely Ninochka from us - Natashenka and Anechka (Russian can be sooo tricky!). :) ~ With love

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  2. I loved this! those photographs are absolutely wonderful, a peak at a culture unknown to me. Your daughter is so much like your Mum, an absolute beauty. I'm boringly English, there's not a bit of exoticism in my family tree yet I'm inexplicably drawn towards all things Indian, I wonder why?
    That Asian top looks wonderful with the blue skirt and the luxurious wrap. I'm loving the sight of the crocus, there's a couple that have popped up in the cracks in the path this morning. Spring is on its way. xxx

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    1. Thank you for your kind words, Vix! I told my mom (and my daughter read my blog) the compliments you and Curtise wrote about her beauty, and I am sure they both loved to hear them! :)
      I love you, "boring" English, - such a wonderful culture with a quirky sense of humor and perfection of coziness in so many ways! Just love it! But do you know how and when your interest to Indian culture began? That would be an interesting story to hear... I just believe that we pick with our souls, and if we follow that little voice inside us (not the loud ones, and so many of them, outside) - well, then we find exactly what we need, despite our family history...

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  3. Natalia,
    I love this exotic outfit, and am surprised that that blouse is Chicos!
    I am truly in awe of the ensemble: the pairing of the stripe with that incredible artistic blouse is truly divine. A designer could not have done it better. And you thirfted it, Hurrah!
    Lovely family pics, such pretty faces!
    This is an exceptional post, I truly appreciate being able to read it!
    XX, Elle
    http://mydailycostume.com/

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    1. This is so good to hear! Thank you so very much, Elle!! :) :) :)

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  4. What a lovely outfit! I remember when Chico's still made clothes like that - it was probably about 12 years ago. Incidentally three sets of my Great Grandparents were Russian Jews who settled in the UK at the turn of the last century so, although I'm a Londoner born and bred, I never feel very English, if that makes any sense!

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    1. I had no idea that Chico's is known in England! Do you own any pieces? I started looking into this brand only about 8 or 9 years ago - so it was such a wonderful surprise to find this older blouse at the Goodwill! :)

      It totally makes sense to me about how you feel a Londoner, but not quite English. I think I can rely to that myself. Well, not Londoner/English part of course. But as immigrants, we are never 100% American, yet not 100% Russian already. Something changes. We carry both cultures in us. Something completely new we are. :)

      I though that your face look so familiar! Now I understand - we do have similar faces in Russia! But three sets of grand-parents with Russian Jews roots - wow! That is a very fun surprise to me! :)

      Great to see you in my blog! :)

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  5. I was so attracted to your Asian-esque blouse I had to come over from Patti's and see more. So glad I did. What a wonderful story and fabulous pictures of your ensembles, not to mention family photos. My oh my, such a rich back story to a blouse found at Goodwill. As you say, it was all meant to be.

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    1. Oh what a wonderful compliment to my post! I will admit I was inspired writing it. The blouse was inspiring! Thank you for your kind words - they made my day! :)

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  6. What a gorgeous outfit - your thrifted blouse is stellar and your sense of colour divine. What amazing family photos - so great to know your history. I have Russian blood on one of my Grandma's sides but the family knows very little about our history there ....

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    1. Thank you, Kelly, for your sweet and generous comment! It is very fun to get to know your family history. I would love to learn more about your Russian side! Although, I know how those things are often hidden - takes a lot of time and energy to dig for such kind of information. I am very lucky that my Mom did tons of work in this field and gave us this beautiful gift of knowing our own roots. Cheers! :)

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  7. Oh wow, what a beautiful blouse! That's the thing I would definitely like to have in my wardrobe too. A real treasure! I often joke about myself that I might have been an Indian in my previous life because I like everything Indian. Though Oriental designs and patterns also attract me.

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    1. I wonder what it is with us, Olga? We are definitely part Asian (if not by blood, then in our souls). :)

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  8. I just came over from Visible Monday, and I really enjoyed reading your post! Your outfit is lovely with all those vibrant colors and pattern-mixing, and that blouse was such a lucky treasure to find.

    I lived in Tacoma for about 15 years when I was younger. From there I went to Seattle, then England, and am now back in Oregon where I lived as a young girl.

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    1. Thank you for such a wonderful comment, Val! It means a lot to me! :)

      From what I hear, Tacoma has changed a lot (and for the better) in the last few years. We came here 7 years ago. It is now bursting with museums, restaurants, theaters... They fixed streets downtown, many small businesses occupy the beautiful old buildings now. I love Tacoma! It does have its dark side too though. Very mixed bag. We live actually off Tacoma city limits, in Pierce County - but just 15 minutes by car, and I am in the middle of everything!

      I love your personal geography - very beautiful. I haven't been to England just yet, but I adore Oregon - Portland is one of my favorite cities to visit, and the Oregon coast is simply one of the most amazing places on Earth!

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  9. Fascinating, Natalia! What an interesting post. And you look lovely in your jacket. Such a beauty it is, and that you got a bargain makes it clearly meant to be! And it suits you well. I see the Asian influences in the tastes you've shown the brief amount of time that I've known about your blog, and Asian design loves you too!

    I was born in 1950, and I was fascinated by your photos of children of my generation from a part of the world that was so remote, politically and in terms of distance. Thank you.

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    1. Such a generous comment, thank you a lot, Jan! I am very lucky and blessed that my Mom gathered the information (documents, photographs, and just oral memoirs of the villagers). It is very revealing even to me - and I grew up in Siberia! Those were such tough times in our history. No wonder people don't really want to talk about it much.

      I appreciate your comments! :)

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  10. Great post - thank you. And I love your shirt. It's beautiful and all the more so for being an amazing thrifted find. I really love your blue swing coat too. Great photos.

    Charlie
    Fur Earwig

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    1. Thank you so much for your very kind comment, Charlie! Cheers!

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  11. I adore your Asian jacket. Isn't it great when you find something that makes you totally happy when you wear it, especially if it is a thrift shop treasure. Thanks for sharing the family photos too. I love looking at old photos.

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    1. I am so glad that you enjoyed my post and the blouse! I was really inspired to write (and to wear) this! :) Thank you for taking your time to write a comment!

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  12. First off Natalia- thank you for participating in the first link-up for #secondhandfirst! Your score, the silk Chico's Design is truly a great find! I do remember the remarkable quality of the Chico label- I imagine it would be hard to keep expenses down and the quality up now so can understand the way a label's craftmenship can diminish. All the more a treasure of that blouse.... at $5.99! And you look wonderful in it- great color and fit for you. And out of the blue let me just say you have an angelically beautiful face!

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    1. Oh Bella, you just made my day! What an unexpected and flattering compliment! Thank you so much for it. :)
      Thrift shopping is so much fun - it suits my hunting instincts I suppose. :)

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  13. Visiting you from Citizen Rosebud's linkup! Your thrifted Asian top is such a score! Never thought it's a Chico's brand. You also chose the right accessories to go with the blouse. Kudos!

    And thank you for sharing personal photos of your family. From your great grandparents, grandparents, extended family and your beautiful daughter.

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    1. Thank you so much for your warm comment, Karen! Bella's link-up is such a fun "party"! Glad to see you here! :)

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