Vintage Vinyl: Portugal. The Man + Avalon Exchange Floral Dress

Inspired by:
Portugal. The Man, In the Mountain In the Cloud (2011)

Favorite tracks: 

"Everything You See (Kids Count Hallelujahs)"  "All Your Light (Times Like These)"  "Once Was One" 

Outfit details:
Dress (Avalon Exchange, St. Louis), necklace (Goodwill), rings purchased at Belleville Flea Market

I inherited my record player at the beginning of high school. Amassing my vinyl collection has become a treasured hobby; just like my continual quest for vintage clothes, I relish in the hunt for cheap deals. (Aside from the records family members passed down, my best bargain to date was $2 for an album of Elton John's greatest hits.) My collection feels very personal to me, because each album has at least one song I could never live without. Some of those first vinyls remain my all-time favorite albums. Listening to them feels restorative. I like being able to unplug from all the external commotion, enjoy the music, and force the gears of my brain to turn in a different direction.

These days I mostly listen to my records when I'm writing. I've gotten into this habit where if I'm suffering a bout of writer's block, I get entranced by the album art and start matching my jewelry to it. As far as exercises in expanding my sartorial limits, it's pretty effective. When I'm getting dressed I often base an outfit around a particular piece of clothing or jewelry; this method challenges me to think in terms of a combination of color, mood, and theme. I've had so much fun with it, I want to try and make it a regular feature on the blog.

The 'Vintage Vinyl' challenge will be to combine my older records with new pieces of clothing, and new records with vintage clothing or jewelry.

In high school, purchasing a Postal Service album on vinyl was the height of luxury. Being employed full-time has allowed me to fill out my record collection with newer artists (although I guess 1990s and newer isn't that 'new' anymore!) that I wouldn't necessarily find rummaging at Goodwill. I've been a casual fan of Portugal. The Man since the release of American Ghetto, but it wasn't until I saw them perform this past summer at Red Rocks that I really appreciated the harmony in their instrumentals. I also enjoy them because a lot of their lyrics deal with growing up and coming to terms with ugly things in the world while trying to stay true to your own ideals (aka, the average millenial's quarter-life crisis). In the Mountain... is trippy but fierce. It includes the kind of tracks that you shout along to in your car pumping your fist because you live on your own weird terms and you're awesome!, emphasis on that exclamation point. I find myself gravitating toward this album when I need a shot of courage.

A fan of pink and purple, I think the album art makes the accent colors on this vintage dress from Avalon Exchange pop. I wanted the jewelry to feel bright and eclectic, with a slight bohemian vibe. 

'Vintage Vinyl' meshes my vinyl collection and personal style.