Sign of the Gypsy Queen

Personal heritage plays an important role in any outfit. Everyday you make choices about what you put on your body based off of past experiences and what cultural norms tell you that you should and should not wear. While most of the time I would describe my style as "Nancy Drew meets Vogue with a twist" every so often it is almost as though something snaps and I revert back to something in my DNA.

A bit of background on my family, my great-grandmother was an Italian immigrant who came to America at age seven in 1908. Siria was from Montemerano in the Grosseto region. She was an intrepid woman who traveled the world and was, for all intents of purpose, fearless. My noni used to joke that she was part gypsy (she was not actually) and it was not until four years ago when my grandmother gave me a box of her old jewelry that I came to this same conclusion. As I grow older, I am finding more of Siria in myself than I first imagined and it is coming out in the choices I make in clothing.

This being explained, it is no wonder why I am feeling the need to explore the wild world of what I consider "gypsy-chic for the modern girl" because it's springtime, time for some changes.

ASOS

I first began to feel that this was necessary when
I stumbled upon the ASOS Peplum Dress with Ribbon Trim about a month ago. There was something that struck and confounded me about this dress. I am not a fan of peplum skirts but this one is simply perfection. It's not as severe as most and has a flattering fit.

ASOS is wonderful for finding pieces that stand out from the norm and so many of the items fall perfectly into my "gypsy-chic for the modern girl" style. This new style I am trying to adapt to for the spring season involves more than just wearing something that is multi-colored and a tad out there. You need to have the perfect accessories to master this vintage, euro-traveler vibe.

Garlands of Grace

Esty is another place that I go to find pieces that are unique. The DIY and vintage website allows craftsmen to sell their art to the public from a site-in-site base. When looking for accessories that lend themselves to a vintage vibe I go straight to Garlands Of Grace, an Esty store. I am obsessed with headbands and wanted to find one that screamed out turban without actually being a turban. I turned to Esty and within a few clicks I found the garnet twist stretch headband, a new hair accessory from Garlands of Grace. The wrap is styled like a long scarf that has been made to twist and fasten into a classy headband style. It is made of  a soft stretch fabric and has a clasp closure for easy wear and can be ordered in one of ten different colors. This headband can easily be worn with a 1960-esk casual look as well.

There is only one other thing that I think of when I think gypsy and it is a necklace that I found in the plastic box filled with my noni's jewelry, given to me years ago. The necklace is in actuality a massive rosary made of large, lucite, disco-ball shaped beads.

Though I have yet to have the chutzpah to wear the thing, it epitomizes the the gypsy-esk feel that this look yearns for. It is ballsy, brash and oddly contradictory yet fabulous. It is just like a modern day gypsy.