My maternal grandfather was born near Canton, China, & immigrated to the U.S. in the early 20th century. He met my grandmother in California, & that's where they started a family. But they soon separated, & Grandmom took my mom & her siblings back to my great-grandmother's farm in Alabama.
I was born in Florida, but after my father died young, my mother & I moved to California where we were able to frequently visit her father & the extended Chinese family who had come to the States. I grew up in touch with both my Chinese & American sides, which I really appreciate. I even learned to speak & understand some Cantonese as a kid, but in the intervening years, I've forgotten everything other than "thank you" & how to count from 1 to 10 :-)
What I'm wearing:
Black silk dress with pleating detail at neck, Target
Black cardigan with puffed sleeves, H&M
Black studded belt, Macy's
Black tights, Calvin Klein
Red Chinese silk kitten-heel, ankle-strap shoes, ShoeMetro.com
Black & gold medallion earrings, Forever 21
Red flower pin in hair, made by me
Do you wear things that remind you of your family history or heritage?
Love the shoes! I used to have a pair of blue and silver Chinese brocade platform pumps. I miss them so much.
ReplyDeleteI really love those shoes! I have a pair of red Chinese brocade pumps (from Aldo, about 10 years ago) that I really adore. I'll have to get them into a capsule soon!
ReplyDeleteI am really grooving on the red/black theme - such a great colour combo.
My heritage is boring: English, a bit of French, a bit of Dutch.
This is an amazing outfit. I love this post.
ReplyDeleteI come from a mixed family. I always appreciated being able to grow up in two different worlds.
Great outfit! The outfit is elegant, and the flower and the shoes add some fun quirkiness to it. Do you fare well on kitten heels? I love them, but they hurt my ankles as they don't support much, or because of all those potholes and crummy sidewalks in NYC.
ReplyDeleteGreat outfit! The outfit is elegant, and the flower and the shoes add some fun quirkiness to it. Do you fare well on kitten heels? I love them, but they hurt my ankles as they don't support much, or because of all those potholes and crummy sidewalks in NYC.
ReplyDeleteThose shoes are adorable, I like the detail with the ballerina toe. So interesting to read a bit about your heritage. People in your country have som many interesting immigrant stories. As far as we have tracked none of us are from another country than Sweden. I'm born in Dalarna the county that is often called the heart of sweden, lot's of the ancient culture is still living here. I have a pair of shoes with kurbits-painting and a pair of armwarmers I embroderied myself with kurbits, its a typical floral pattern in this county.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteOoo, yes, add your Chinese brocade pumps into the mix :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, now I know so many people who are more Chinese than me in America, but I'm still proud of my mixed heritage. It's all part of who I am.
ReplyDeleteI like a kitten heel bec. the little bit of lift is more attractive than a flat, yet not as hard to walk in as a taller heel. This particular shoe has a wider kitten heel than some, so it'd be good on rough sidewalks. But I'm lucky in that, while California roads are awful, the sidewalks are decent (probably bec. nobody but me walks!).
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great ensemble- I love the spot of red on top and on the feet. The texture of the shoes, a Chinois satin pattern is lovely- I can see so many ways to wear them.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea about your Chinese heritage! Your family has had quite an adventure. The outfit is so elegant, but the meaning that it holds for you makes it even more lovely.
ReplyDeleteI'm 1/4 Irish (like everyone else - ha!), and spent 3 weeks in Ireland with my dad 10 years ago to celebrate his 50th birthday. I bought a couple of nice jewelry pieces to remind me of our heritage and that special time my dad and I spent together, just the two of us. One is a Waterford Celtic cross pendant and the other is a sterling silver/marcasite Celtic cross.
Thanks! I can't wait to keep wearing these shoes.
ReplyDeleteLovely -- wearable travel mementos are the best!
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