Inspiration Board: The Paper Bag Princess

Hey summer sisters! Please pardon my lack of blogging lately! I got into some kind of funk (P.S. Did anyone see the funky Glee episode Tuesday night!? I loved the outfits for the last song.) and wasn't jazzed about any of my posts, so they never went live.

Luckily I had a miniburst of inspiration yesterday morning when I was getting dressed and am going to run with it. No more funky time!  

So, one of my favorite books as a little girl was The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch. Elizabeth is this young diva of a princess who loses everything in a dragon-breath-related fire and is forced to wear a paper bag around while she searches for her love, Prince Ronald. When she finally finds him, he tells her she looks a hot mess.

"You smell like ashes, your hair is all tangled and you are wearing a dirty old paper bag. Come back when you are dressed like a real princess."
--Prince Ronald

Instead of crying or pleading for his affection, Elizabeth totally holds her ground and tells Ronald she is just as fabulous without him. It's a great message for young girls ... and totally relevant to this fashion season!

Photo source: bloomingdales.com

You've might have seen paper bag skirts, such as this one from Elizabeth and James, popping up this summer, and I am no stranger to this trend. They include a sash belt that cinches the fabric above the sash, creating the same effect of a paper bag when you squeeze the top. And because paper bag skirts tend to hit a few inches above the knee, I can't get enough of them. Being 5' 0'', I steer toward skirts that hit about 4 to 5 inches above the knee. Anything longer can make me appear even shorter than I actually am. So, when I grabbed a light blue paper bag skirt from my closet yesterday, I was reminded how fabulous Elizabeth felt in hers.

The point of these skirts is to show off the unique waist, so I can't really think of an instance where you would not tuck in your shirt. With that in mind, go for something fitted. The easiest option would be a plain tee in a heather grey or something that has that worn-in look of a men's gym shirt (which also plays off the masculine-feminine balance of a skirt with a very casual tee). You can also pair the skirt with a fitted screenprint tee (do I smell thrift store trip?) to add more personality and color.

The "100-50-25" Where to Buy

• Less than $100 -- Victoria's Secret
• Less than $50 -- ModCloth
• Less than $25 -- Forever 21

Where do you draw inspiration?