Brilliant Blogger: Rhiannon of Liebemarlene Vintage
If you love decade-inspired wardrobes, then you’ll love blogger Rhiannon Leifheit’s blog Liebemarlene Vintage. With doe eyes and doll-like features, this blogger manages to pull off any outfit with ease and a cute pair of vintage booties on her feet.
Interested? Read on for tips on how to get her vintage-style wardrobe.
1. Dress it Up
Rhiannon has the ultimate collection of vintage dresses. Whether they’re long sleeved, short sleeved, or sleeveless, they’re always cute, full of whimsy, and paired with the perfect pair of shoes. In fact, Rhiannon has admitted that she actually doesn’t like wearing pants of any kind. Not. Even. Jeans. (I can hear a thousand college girls collectively gasping as I type this.)
Put your raised eyebrows down girls, I can hear your arguments now, “It’s so much easier to just slip on a pair of jeans!” and “They’re comfortable!” I have news for you ladies, dresses are way easier to slip on, and they’re ten times more comfortable, so save it for the judge.
How can one go through life without a pair of jeans on her stems? Simple, Rhiannon picks and chooses statement dresses instead. How many times have you found yourself stumbling into your trusty jeans and then rummaging through your closet for a good 20 minutes pillaging for a decent top to complete your outfit, only to find that you’re going to be late to Chem Lab? (Every day, right? I know- I’ve been there.) There’s an easy way to fix that: wear a dress. It’s an entire outfit in one piece. Boom- 20 minutes early to class AND you can chat up the cute guy who sits in front of you.
I’ll level with you, you don’t have to forgo your jeans forever; I’m just trying to give you options and save you 20 minutes of pulling your hair out. The bottom line is dresses are an easy way to save time when you’re in a rush. Pop one on and violà, outfit complete, and you’re out the door.
2. Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Summer is over and it’s way too cold to wear dresses, right? Oh, you don’t know how wrong you are, my friend; you don’t have to abandon your dresses just because the sky is cloudy. Dresses are the ultimate layering staple and are a snap to transition into fall with. Do you have cold feet? Just do what Rhiannon does; slip on a pair of tights and your legs will be warm and toasty. And if you’re feeling really daring, you can forgo basic black tights for reds, blues, grays, even polka dotted or lace- yes, you too can be Blair Waldorf!
Tights aside, the rest of your outfit is a snap, just follow the “Rhiannon Formula of Dressing” and you’ll easily look just as cute as her. What’s the formula? Take this down class, I expect you to know this for midterms: (Cute Dress + Tights + Boots) + Cozy Cardigan + Warm Overcoat = Style Success. Easy as pie.
3. Skirting the Issue
While Rhiannon loves her dresses, she definitely isn’t one to shy away from skirts. And I can see why- they dress up your outfit instantly, and revive you from skinny jean drudgery. How can you mimic Rhiannon’s skirt style? Look for skirts with interesting colors or patterns (like florals, checkers, or pleats- yes, the black secretary skirt with the tucked in blouse is nice, but it’s just been done too many times now, you should make a statement not blend in!) Instead try tucking a simple blouse into your red checkered skirt, and throwing on the ever versatile cardigan, you’ll look sophisticated and be comfortable!
One thing I do recommend when wearing a skirt is to keep things balanced. Think of it like this: your body is turned upside down. Instead of your top being the focal point of your outfit, your bottom should be (especially if you have a floral or some other type of print). One last tip I have to recommend with skirts is to belt it. Skinny or thick, belts add interest to your outfit, and sometimes are the finishing touch you need to pull it together. Still want more tips on sporting a skirt? Check out Kristina and Meggy’s blurbs on skirts and how to wear them.
Blogger Inspired Wardrobe:
Coat- Shop Ruche Necklace- Modcloth Dress- Modcloth Booties- Heels.com Cardigan- John Lewis
While Rhiannon’s clothes are mostly pulled from vintage or thrift stores, I know that most of us college girls don’t have the time to go scouring for clothes. Because of this, I pulled things from all over the interweb instead. (I do recommend trying out thrifting though! It’s the best way to save money and look cute- plus you’ll have one-of-a-kind pieces!)
For today’s blogger-inspired wardrobe, I pulled together a bevy of neutral tones and paired them with cools and brights. To start off, I wrangled up a cute empire waisted dress from Modcloth. Then I chose a mustard yellow cardigan for you to throw on oh-so casually when it gets nippy. Still cold? If that’s the case, to battle those blustering winds of December, I chose a chic ruffled overcoat to layer right on top. And to give you an ounce of refinement, I picked a little golden bow necklace and some brown chunky-heeled booties, to add some interest to your outfit and keeps things cute and whimsical. I like to think that Rhiannon would approve.
Thoughts?
I remember discovering Rhiannon’s blog way back in my Junior year of high school. (Boy, time flies!) After a couple visits to her blog, she quickly became one of my daily reads. While I know that her style isn’t for everyone, I can’t help but admire her for her one-of-a-kind point of view. She pulls things from her closet so effortlessly, yet always looks so put-together. I can’t help but admire her for it.
So what do you guys think? Did I convince you to leave the skinny jeans in the closet once in a while, or are you gonna keep on keeping on? Do you like Rhiannon’s style, or is it too old-school for you? Either way, let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to check out Rhiannon’s blog, Liebmarlne Vintage, for more decade inspired looks.
Posted on on October 25, 2009 / Filed Under: Hot Websites / Tags: Brilliant Blogger, Decades, Dresses, skirts, Tights, Vintage, Websites, Winter
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Cassandra
I love her look – thanks so much for doing a piece on her, otherwise I never would have found her site :D
I’ve been going through a bit of a no-pants phrase myself since summer, and it really nice to see someone else I can turn to for inspiration for new combinations. Somehow the lack of pants seems to make one turn towards vintage ….
I prolly wont take the old-school look as focused and every-day as she has, (i do still love my skinny jeans and bits of neon :P) but oh! It would be killer if I could have some of her wardrobe, especially her shoes :)
Leia
Oh my, she is gorgeous, and I love her style :)
*eLLa*
I love love love her wardrobe. I would love to wear dresses and skirts everyday, jeans are so boring, sigh.
lalalina
This poor girl looks like she is getting swallowed by her clothing. Her clothes look too voluminous for her small frame.
Isabelle
I have been following her style for a few months now and I adore it! It’s sweet as if she fell from a storybook yet grown up. She’s a walking grown up fairytale.
Stef
Hi Stephanie! I also live in montreal :)
I like this girl’s style… it’s very vintage
yet I live in Montreal, and even her “cold weather” looks wont keep ME warm in 2 weeks…. it gets to be -22 here, so a pair of tights simply DONT cut it for staying warm in the winter time.
Right now it is -2 out and its only october, so maybe her “keeping warm” looks work for Montreal fall weather… not wintertime.
Also, all the skirts she wears are very billowy and slightly above the knee… as a girl who has short, stumpier legs, I wouldn’t be able to pull off alot of the looks that she wears that are very skinny, long leg-oriented. My upper body is much smaller than my lower body, so some looks that are fashionable right now (like her skirts with ankle boots etc) simply dont look good on me.
Brooke
I really like her style, and I would love to wear her looks everyday! Problem: Those heels are not going to agree with my campus! I suppose flats will have to do…
Neg
Omg, thank you thank you thank you so much for this post, I adore her style!
Like her, I don’t like any kind of pants and don’t wear them at all.
Her blog is the perfect source of inspiration for new outfits. I especially like her old-school looking dresses and I’m definitely going to look for similar ones.
Thank you for doing this post, otherwise I would never have discovered this amazing blog…
Luinae
Wow, one of my favourite style bloggers featured yet! I rarely wear jeans ever, particurly skinny jeans and I am so happy to find another blogger that agrees with me!
Totally stunning
kristi
I think I’ve seen her post stuff on chictoia, I love her style! I wish I can stral her wardrobe!
Breanna
OMG, she buys more clothes weekly than I buy the whole season :o Her outfits are gorgeous and she’s a very pretty girl, however, she seems to have only one facial expression.
Caity
She’s very pretty and she has amazing style, however, I would get made fun of constantly if I wore dresses every day! Also, these things don’t look like they’d work with my body type. I do suppose I could wear more skirts and dresses, though.
Hannah
Oh. My. Goodness.
I’ve found my new style muse! Like Rhiannon, I don’t wear pants. These incredible outfits are just what I need for some new inspiration. Thanks!!
Christy
She has great style and a gorgeous wardrobe! I love wearing skirts and dresses but everytime I wear them I have the worst luck with wind and sudden gusts. How does everyone else deal with this? I hate having to hold on to my dress! These events only reinforce my inclination towards pants.
rose
Oh gosh I’ve been following her blog since forever and I was soo excited to see her here, she’s been in wardrobe remix in flickr and that’s how I found her style and clothing. She has impeccable taste very vintage but fashion foward I want to own ALL of her dresses!! She even has a DIY section for shoes, pants and shirts.
crystal daisy
wow her style is gorgeous! sometimes I find it a little bit disturbing by these pretty, well-dressed girl bloggers and their endless wardrobe but I think it’s not bad if you can afford those stuff AND style beautifully like that… :) Also they fulfill my fantasies cause I can’t buy that amount of clothes or shoes,.
Colleen - NYU
So cute! She reminds me of Zooey Deschanel who always has the perfect combination of girly, vintage, and fashion-forward pieces in her look. Great site to bookmark, thanks!
M
LOL @ Breanna’s comment. I noticed the same thing. If I had her wardrobe I would be all smiles all the time.
Erin S
Although I’m definitely not handing over my jeans any time soon, I have begun to look for more pantsless options in my wardrobe. I.e, leggings, tights, long sweaters or tunic shirts, and of course dresses. While it’s by no means a denim free wardrobe yet, I have declared Friday “No Pants Day,” and it’s a start. You mean I get to be comfy AND look cute? Where’s the downside?
Maria
I LOVE her style! I’m not much fan of a dress because though it’s easy to slip on, comfortable, and no need to find a decent top for the jeans… a dress is not very easy to mix match. Not that I don’t love them…hee hee, But I’m a huge fan of skirts! I try not to wear my jeans so often now because skirts (knee-length and kind of flowy-vintage style) totally flatter my body type. Thanks so much for featuring this blogger! She’s truly a fashion inspiration! :)
Cara
I am in love. I want to be this girl! Practically, at least I have a new blog to follow. She is daily inspiration for those of us who prefer the ladylike, feminine aesthetic. Kudos to her for radiating personality and history very practically and stylishly in the modern world. Her looks do take me back to the 20s and 30s, but sometimes also to a little-girl, frilly-dress-and-stockings look, which I think is wonderful because – admit it girls – who doesn’t miss those quaint tea-party days at least occasionally? I am now craving a vintage store run! Funny things is, I already own a great pair of Italian heels that look similar to the ones you featured in your example outfit.
Tamsin
To Christy, who asked about the wind + skirt problem, I wear a straight silky half slip under skirts, as if they are cut right they don’t blow up, and also help reduce friction between tights and skirts, which helps the problem of your skirt riding up. I’m hopeless without one!
I wear a lot of stuff like this, which I love, the only problems being skirts coming up if you have to climb into a car etc, and I feel that sometimes people react differently to me, either mockingly or intimidated by someone “dressed up”.
Bubbles
Somebody’s channeling Zooey D. Adorable!!
Reneé
2 words : LOVE IT !
Maya
Wow, that’s seriously inspiring me to go out and buy some cute dresses to throw on more often! I really adore this post and I love her style, though I must also really commend you for your excellent writing work! You really brought out the style and the way it works and how we can make it work and I was really really impressed by the quality and content of this post ?
After reading the first lines I was just about to go all, huh, fun to read but no use to me because I’m in Holland and it’s really freaking cold here and winter for a long time as well. And I’m ALWAYS cold, so dressing cutely is a huge challenge for me in the winter because I seriously need seven layers to keep warm, lol. But this post definitely motivated me to try change that up this winter!
Andrea
It would be nice to wear dresses all the time but that doesn’t work for me. Since when is it a good idea to wear a dress to a chem lab? Thats dangerous. If my legs are not covered properly and I’m not wearing flat, fully, covering shoes, I’m not even allowed into the lab. Since I have a lab everyday, that means jeans everyday.
Mel
I’ve been reading Rhiannon’s blog for over a year now and I absolutely love her style! I think you did a great interpretation of her style, and I love wearing dresses and skirts all the time!
Lea
Her looks and style is exactly like Zooey Deschanel! I loooove it!
Kim - Cal State
I’m glad everyone is enjoying this post! A lot of you seem to be doing comparisons to her and Zooey Deschanel, and I just wanted to say that while the resemblance is uncanny, they are actually really separate entities.
Rhiannon’s style has been like this for as long as I can remember and I think it came out of her love of vintage fashion which Zooey also shares, so I wouldn’t really say she’s “channeling her” she’s just come under the mainstream radar as of late and because of that it seems like Rhiannon is copying her. Either way, I love both of them, they both have really great style!
@Brooke I totally understand where you’re coming from, I am obsessed with heels but it’s just so hard to wear them on campus, especially since I’m an art major, I always have to lug around a giant portfolio filled with art supplies. If only heels were more comfy!
@Christy like Tasmin said, I recommend wearing a slip or even shorts underneath your dresses if the wind is an issue, they’re hidden and still very comfortable to wear.
@Andrea, you do have a good point about dresses in chem lab. I never really thought about that. Perhaps not the best place to wear a dress, if you wore tights would it help any though? Essentially you just want to keep your body covered right? I’m actually really curious haha.
Kristen
I love dresses and tights but I agree with Andrea. They don’t meet the safety standards of a typical chem lab because they don’t protect at all against any accidental chemical spills on oneself. =/
Andrea
Unfortunately, tights don’t count. There was a girl the other day who just about got kicked out of class because she was wearing shorts with tights and boots. The reasoning is that you get way more protection from wearing pants (that go over your shoes) then tights.
You can always tell who the business students are in my school, they are always wearing nice clothes! The rest of us have to be very careful what we wear.
Erika
I loooove her look! she reminds me a lot of Zooey Deschanel in 500 days of Summer
Rhiannon
Oh wow, I just found this–thanks a million for the nice write-up (and comments!). It’s nicer than I deserve. For one thing I do copy Zooey D. when it comes to hairstyles for sure! She is wonderful. Also I don’t think I look like her but I definitely don’t get mad when people tell me I do. :)
I agree with you 100% about wearing dresses being easier than coming up with pants outfits . . . I think I started wearing dresses/skirts most of the time in college for just that reason. Plus they’re more comfortable. And cheaper–it seems like it’s easier to find a good skirt at a thrift store than a well-fitting pair of pants.
OK, thanks again!! Oh, and I love the outfits you put together!
Nurul
I love her style, it reminds me of my little sister. She’s the one who’s girlier and more into fashion than I am but we both love pastel colours and skirts and dresses. I don’t think I could pull off wearing a skirt or a dress everyday though. I’d like to go a whole week without pants but they’re just too damn convenient, haha.
Unique Engagement Rings
You were a really good sport about it, though.
Jas
I love the way she dresses! It’s very feminine and really pretty. Her style reminds me ALOT of Zooey Deschanel!
Kasey
I LOVE IT. I love vintage, I love old-schooled and old-fashioned school. It’s so nice, but since I live in Norway It’s not that easy to get clothes like that. :/ but I’m going to England soon so I’m gonna shop some clothes there! :)
doreen
I love her style! it’s carrie mulligan from an education meets sexy librarian. cardigans forever!!!