Stripes and Spots

The other day I wandered into Target for laundry detergent, as one does.  And I walked out with a new skirt, as one does.  But, really, how could I resist this piece?

I love leopard and I love mustard and my joy in having them combined in one piece cannot be overstated, so there was absolutely no way I was going to pass this skirt up.

It is perfection:

I mean, it's short perfection but with some tights, I'm pretty sure I didn't flash anyone.  Probably.

In addition to the spotted skirt (Phillip Lim 3.1 for Target) and the tights (Target), I also wore a striped shirt (vintage, thrifted), black booties (Born Crown) and a vintage bracelet (Red Fox Vintage).

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Gracey

Lou Doillon - Fashion Week - Paris

      Lou Doillon - Fashion Week - Paris

     On ne présente plus Lou Doillon, la fille de Jane Birkin et de Jacques Doillon, le
     réalisateur de films. Lou Doillon est à la fois mannequin, actrice et chanteuse.Elle a 
     quatre demi-soeurs, dont Charlotte Gainsbourg. Quand on la croise durant la Fashion 
     Week, elle porte la plupart du temps du noir ou du bleu profond. Elle a visiblement 
     un club de fans qui suit ses faits et gestes sur le net, persuadés de voir en elle
     l'incarnation de la parisienne d'aujourd'hui.

     Photos by Farid - Easy Fashion Paris
 

Elisa - les Tuileries - Paris

      Elisa - les Tuileries - Paris

     En matière de tenue, presque tout est permis, à condition de trouver son style
     et de ne pas devenir l'esclave des marques. La jolie Elisa a su trouver ce juste
     équilibre et tous les photographes et les sites de Mode veulent aujourd'hui la 
     photographier. Elle a choisi cette année de sauter le pas en intégrant une école 
     de Mode pour tenter de faire de sa passion un métier. On lui souhaite bonne chance !

     Photos by Fred - Easy Fashion Paris
      Ce portrait est le premier de la série réalisée pendant la semaine de la Mode

10 Things to Thrift

A bit ago, the lovely Adrienne, with an assist from her equally lovely daughter, Tori, posted the ten items they like to look for in thrift shops.  That post inspired me to write a post about the ten items I like to look for.  And here they are, in no particular order.

Dresses

I know I said that this list was in no particular order, but dresses are probably my favorite item to thrift.  The majority of the dresses in my closet are thrifted and I can’t imagine that changing any time soon.

Scarf Print Blouses

I love scarf print blouses and though you can find them in retail stores, I prefer the authentic blouses from the 80s and 90s, festooned with jewels, chains, cherubs and gryphons.  Sometimes all at once!

80s Prom Dresses

Speaking of 80s, you can find some totally radical prom dresses at thrift stores.  With the exception of one year, all of my dresses for the 80s prom I attend every year have been thrifted.  And in the case above, so were my shoes, my headband of glory, my bag and my sunnies.

Skirts

I do thrift a lot of dresses, but I also thrift a lot of skirts.  In fact, I’d say the majority of my skirts, like my dresses, are thrifted.

Coats

Coats are a pretty great item to thrift, especially fancier coats, because people don’t wear them every day so they are often in pretty good shape.  I love coats but I don’t necessarily like shelling out the moolah for them so thrifting is a great way to build a coat wardrobe without spending too much.

Housedresses

As I admitted the other day, I am a housedress fanatic.  I wear them all the time and they’re all thrifted.  In fact, I’m not even sure where to get a housedress if it’s not at a thrift store.

Giant Sweaters

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away called The 1980s, people used to wear ridiculously oversized stuff.  Like giant sweaters that they paired with stirrup pants and flats.  I don’t know why, but they did.  And then they donated those sweaters to thrift stores for me to find and buy because they fit my giant self perfectly.  Thank you, kind citizens of the 80s!

Lady Ties

There are few things I like better than pairing a lovely, silky lady tie with pretty much everything.  You know who has lovely, silky lady ties for a song?  Thrift stores.

Brooches

If you’re looking for a signed rhinestone monstrosity of a brooch, you probably won’t find them at thrift stores.  But, if you’re looking for fun, glittery-but-not-gaudy everyday brooches, I strongly suggest thrifting them.  You can buy a whole cluster for less than ten bucks.

Belts

Belts, like coats, are another item that I don’t really like spending money on, even though I wear them constantly.  Happily, thrift stores carry a huge selection of belts, from leather to pleather to elastic to plastic.  And they’re generally pretty inexpensive too, which makes it easy to pull the trigger.

What about you, Reader Friends?  Do you shop at thrift stores?  What are some of your favorite items to look for?

Gracey

Graphic and Gray

This top represents two things I'm heavily into this fall; graphic and gray:

Top: Olivia Moon via Nordstrom  Skirt: vintage, thrifted   Boots: Born Crown via Piperlime

I love pretty much any print, but lately I've really been drawn to graphic prints.  And I've actually been on a gray kick since early this summer.  I don't know why since it's basically a non-color, but I just can't get enough gray.

I think one thing I like about both gray and graphic prints is that they play nicely with color, like this top with this burgundy skirt:

Similar shirt    Similar skirt     Exact boots

I believe the trend is heading towards monochromatic outfits, so I'm not remotely on trend, but that's okay.  Everything is okay with graphic and gray.  (Heh.  Rhyming.)

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Le look du jour ...

                          

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                                                                                    boots: zara,
                                                                                    skirt: zara,
                                                                                    t-shirt: stradivarius,
                                                                                    jacket: zara,
                                                                                    bag: mona,
                                                                                    hat: h&m,
                                                                                    ring: parfois,
                                                                                    watch: michael kors,
                                                                                    ph. Masa


During the weekend I wore total black look with simple white t-shirt. After we snapped these photos, I realize that I'm in love with the first one! And can you guess why? It reminds me of beautiful Paris!♥
Concerning the skirt, I already wore it at the H&M store opening (photo Here) and if you are interested I will give my best to recreate it soon and take some photos for the blog.too! :)
Now, how do you like this rough elegance?

Literary Stylings Reminder

Hello Dearest Reader Friends!

This post is just a friendly reminder that it's nearly time to link up to the Fashion for Giants Literary Stylings Link Party.  Per usual, the party will be held the first Tuesday of the month, which is next Tuesday, October 1st, and will be open for linking all week long.  You can find more information on this awesome literary adventure here.

Here are the books I'll be choosing from for my look.

This month, I read Kapitoil, by Teddy Wayne:

Image via goodreads.com

This was a good book but not necessarily one I enjoyed reading.  I will try to explain.  The lead character, Karim, is from Qatar and is really quite lovely but most of the other characters were not.  It got to the point where I dreaded his interactions with the mostly horrible Americans he came into contact with.  And from the stand point of this challenge, there really wasn’t much inspiration there so I don’t think I’ll be using this one.

 

I read The Roaches Have No King, by Daniel Evan Weiss:

Image via www.bookfever.net

The Roaches Have No King was… interesting.  But, I think the author’s device of writing from the POV of a roach back-fired on him in the end.  The book got increasingly graphic and, well, disgusting as it progressed, and by the end I was no longer sure what point the author was trying to make.  It got drowned out in scatological observations and inter-species sex.  And although those two things might make for an interesting challenge look, I think I’ll probably end up going a different route.

I read The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth:

Image via thebooksmugglers.com

The Midwifewas an absolutely lovely book.  Jennifer Warner isn’t the best author in the world but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this book.  I’m delighted she put her experiences in East End London after World War II down on paper because the stories are wonderful.  I definitely recommend reading it and I’ve heard the PBS series, Call the Midwives, is pretty darned good as well.

And I'm finishing up Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison, by Piper Kerman:

Image via goodreads.com

The author of Orange is the New Black, Piper Kerman, isn’t exactly a great author either but she gets her point across and I’m glad she wrote the book.  Like Warner, Kerman doesn’t try to glamorize her experiences and both are honest even when it doesn’t portray them in the best light.  I definitely recommend this book and have heard this series is pretty good too.

My Literary Stylings outfit this month will most likely be based on one of these last two books unless I come into possession of some cockroach-colored patent leather and then, well, my choice is obvious.

What about you, Reader Friends?  Have you chosen your look for next Tuesday?

Gracey

Before the Rains Came

So, I'm not actually wearing this dress today:

Vintage RK Originals dress, Gap boots & Kate Spade New York earrings

Nor did I wear it yesterday as is usually the case.  No, I wore this before the rains came.  Over the weekend, Oregon remembered that it's Oregon and it has a responsibility to rain steadily from the first day of autumn through the last day of spring.  It's off to a great start.

But, enough about the weather.  Let's talk about the dress.  I think it's from the 60s and I think it's fabulous.

My favorite part is the studded trim:

Seriously, aren't those just the most ladylike little studs you've ever seen?

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Beauté ...

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Today I wanna share with you updated version (old post Here) of my favorite make up and facial care products:
1. The Body Shop - Seaweed pore-cleansing facial exfoliator - which is my favorite face scrub of all time.
2. The Body Shop  - Seaweed mattifying day cream - light perfect for sunny days
3. The Body Shop - Vitamin E moisture cream - I use this during the whole year and prefer it more than the Seaweed.
4. I love Raspberry and blackberry - body lotion
5. Bourjois Little round pot blush - 34 (using it for years)
6. Bourjois Healthy mix Foundation - 52 during the winter, 54 during the summer period
7. Bourjois Loose Powder - 02  - best loose powder ever
8. Dior Diorshow Blackout mascara (using it for years)
9. Avon Kohl eye liner - black - with my sensitive eyes I more than satisfied with this product
10. L'Oreal Glam Bronze Duo

These are my favorites, how about yours?
What's one item you can't leave your house without? :)

1, 2 step ...

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                                                                                      sandals: zara,
                                                                                      pants: thanks to Sheinside (here),
                                                                                      shirt: pull&bear,
                                                                                      bag: primark,
                                                                                      rings: h&m,
                                                                                      watch: michael kors,
                                                                                      sunglasses: ray ban,
                                                                                      ph. Maja



Couple days ago I wore new printed pants with jewelry in gold and basic blue shirt. Favorite summer sandals, aviator sunglasses and messy hair.
Do you like it?