SIA: The Woman And Her Chair

This is the painting Salazar, of 14 Shades of Grey, chose for today's SIA Challenge:

Cecelia Beaux "After the Meeting"

And this is what I wore:

Yes, that's right, I am dressed as both the woman and her chair.

When I first saw this painting on 14 Shades of Grey, I was immediately drawn to the mix of the floral on the chair and the stripes on the woman.  I also love the the rich warm tones of the painting and wanted to incorporate all of those things into my outfit.

The result is a mix of stripes (Target shirt, Vince Camuto skirt), floral (handmade vintage coat-dress-thingy) and leopard (Nine West):

Yes, I know there is no leopard in the painting, but I'm pretty sure that woman sitting on that chair would have some leopard in her life.  She's seems like a bit of a bad-ass like that.

For more inspired looks, pop by Salazar's and take a gander!

And have a Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Oooh, I almost forgot.  I'm linking up to Visible Monday over at Not Dead Yet Style because I felt highly visible in this mix of prints and awesomeness.

Day 1: Sexy Beetlejuice

So, yesterday was the first day of the Perfect 10 Remix Challenge and this is what I wore:

I liked it, actually a lot, but it did feel a little "sexy Beetlejuice" to me.  I hesitate to call myself sexy, but this was definitely a lot more va-va-voom-y than I usually go.

Happily, the striped skirt is one of the most comfortable pieces of clothing I've ever worn.  It felt like I was wearing lounge wear all day and it was great for bike riding.  I think if I weren't so physically comfortable in this, being dressed like sexy Beetlejuice might have been mentally uncomfortable for me.  But, as it was, I kind of loved this:

In addition to my awesome striped skirt (Vince Camuto via Nordstrom, exact) I also wore my striped tee (Old Navy, similar), my latest thrifted espadrilles (Rieker, exact) and a braided belt (thrifted, similar).  By the way, these shoes are awesome.  I have never heard of this brand before I thrifted them, but they're crazy comfortable too, just like the skirt.

Oh my Gawd, y'all; I've figured out the key to comfort! Dress like sexy Beetlejuice!

Trust me, it totally works.


Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

This Outfit is Weird

It is.  I think it’s conceptually sound, but the execution was shaky:

 (** Similar boots, sheer floral vintage dress, similar belt)

Allow me to explain.  It was finally boot weather here in Oregon, so of course I had to wear boots.  And I love wearing boots with dresses, so I had to wear a dress.  And the dress I chose is sheer so I had to wear a slip.  And I’ve always wanted to try a dress with an exposed slip, so I selected a slip that’s just a bit longer than the dress.  All that makes sense, right?

Well, here’s where it fell apart.  I paired cognac boots (Steven Madden) and a belt (thrifted) with this dress (vintage Blair, thrifted) because I swear to goodness there is some cognac in the print:

But, not enough to notice from far away, making the look a little iffy.  Adding to the iffy-ness is the fact that I refused to iron the slip.  Because to me that’s like ironing sheets.  Or jeans.  Ridiculousness.  (Unless, of course, you iron your sheets and jeans and then I totally respect your commitment to a wrinkle-free life).  So, yeah, not quite what I wanted.

That’s okay though, I gave it a shot and I’m not mad that I did.

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Gracey

** Disclosure: Actions taken from the hyperlinks in this blog post may yield commission/compensation for it's writer. Please see the Disclosure tab for more details.

Why Not Try: Black with Brown

This fall and winter, why not try black with brown?  I know that when I was growing up the edict was either/or, but never both together.  Thankfully, fashion has become more relaxed and we can wear white after Labor Day, socks with sandals, and, yes, black with brown.  In fact, pairing black with brown can be extremely chic when done right.

So, what constitutes to doing it right?  Luckily, for this combination, it’s hard to go wrong.  I personally like to pair my black with warmer browns, such as camel, caramel or cognac.  But, it can be equally chic with darker browns such as chocolate and espresso.  Really, the only thing to keep in mind is to make the pairing look deliberate.

For example, I wouldn’t pair an all-black outfit with espresso-brown shoes because it could look like you got dressed in the dark and accidentally chose your brown shoes instead of your black shoes.  However, the same black outfit with lighter brown shoes, such as cognac, indicates you deliberatelychose contrasting shoes to enhance the look.   And adding both a brown belt andbrown shoes can make the look even more deliberate. 

Probably the easiest way to try this trend is to find items that combine the two for you.  For example, my black flats have a brown ankle strap, making pairing them with my black dress easy as pie:

Hive and Honey "Yvonna" Flats - Image via Piperlim

Another easy way to wear black and brown is to introduce a third color, like with my black, brown and cream dress:

 I'm excited to wear this dress this fall with boots.

Other black and brown items I love for fall include these fabulous printed pants from Anthropologie:

Pilcro Stet Slim Pants - Image via Anthropologie

And this polka dot sweater from Old Navy:

Polka Dot Boatneck Sweater - Image via Old Navy

Still not convinced?  Maybe you need a little Pinspiration?  In that case, here are some of the black and brown looks I’ve pinned for inspiration this fall:

Image via rachelslookbook.com

Image via Pinterest via fashionworship.com

Image via Lilly's Style

What about you, Reader Friends, do you pair black with brown?  If not, will you give it a try this season?

Gracey

Pinspiration: Black, Lace and Cognac

I Pinned this outfit the other day with the idea to recreate it myself:

Image via fashionworship.com

This is my version of the above look:

One of the reasons I Pinned this look is because although I already had all the pieces, it’s not something I would necessarily put together myself.  I mean, it’s just so neutral.  But, I’m trying to become more comfortable with neutrals so I thought I’d give this look a shot.  To do so, I paired my knit pencil (vintage, thrifted) with a cream, lace blouse (Limited), a cognac belt (thrifted) and cognac sandals (Jeffrey Campbell via Nordstrom).  I also added Nikki Jacoby earrings, some bracelets and a vintage necklace (via the Plucky Maidens Junkfest).  And, I think I liked it.  You know, for neutrals.

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Saving the Best for Last

I’m not sure this is absolutely the best vintage dress I have in my closet, but it’s definitely top three:

Unlike Tuesday’s dress that I tried to love, but just couldn’t, I have no problems loving this dress.  In fact, I think it may be pert near perfect.  I love the strange little print (no idea what it is), the colors, the jaunty little lady tie and the length.  Most of all though, I love the fit.  I don’t think this dress could be any more flattering even if it whispered “hey baby, lookin’ good” every three steps.

Seriously, it’s even good from the side:

I paired the dress (vintage Anthony Richards, thrifted) with a braided, cognac belt (thrifted) and cognac espadrille wedges (Corso Como via Piperlime).  I had originally thought to pair this dress with red accessories but then I ousted my red wedges and got a little stumped.  But, I think like it just as well, if not better, with the cognac accessories; the red might have been a little too matchy-matchy.

Whether or not this is the best vintage dress in my closet may be up for debate, but it is definitely the last that I needed to wear before Maurice and I would be allowed to board the ship home from Nosh Opping.  This weekend, I’ll post a wrap up of what got ousted during the expedition; I actually got rid of a surprising amount of clothes.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

The Summer Sweater

This sweater is another item from The Giant’s Closet that I really like, but am pretty clueless on how to style:

I bought it because it seems like a great summer sweater with its sheer stripes and butter yellow color.  And then I remembered that it seems weird to me to wear sweaters in summer.  And then I remembered that I never know how to style lightweight sweaters.  I gave it a try today though and paired the sweater (thrifted) with a floral maxi skirt (Target).  I added a braided belt (thrifted), black sandals (White Mountain via Macys) and an amber necklace (local artist).  

And I liked it enough that now I think maybe I can style it so I’m going to keep it around, at least for a bit.

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!  I hope you all have a fabulous, and safe, Fourth of July!

Gracey

One of Three

This skirt is one of three navy blue polka dot skirts that I own:

I paired this particular navy blue polka dot skirt (thrifted) with a navy and white striped ¾-sleeve tee (Target) and added a braided belt (thrifted), espadrille wedges (Corso Como via Piperlime) and my awesome new vintage apple necklace.  Don’t worry, I didn’t shop.  I won the necklace in a giveaway on the lovely Lori’s blog, A Little Slice of Special.  The necklace is from the also very lovely Marisa’s Etsy shop, Ally Hoot Vintage.  If you haven’t visited Marisa’s shop, stop by.  It’s fabulous.  And also make sure you stop by Mariss's and Lori’s blogs too (Marissa’s is The Shades of Monet Chronicles).

Now, back to the skirt.  I have no idea why I have so many navy skirts with white polka dots.  The multiple black skirts I sort of understood, but this is just silly.  Not that this skirt is silly.  No, I think this skirt is lovely, and I’m going to keep this one.  And I think I’ll keep one more too because both of the other skirts are pleated and it’s totally okay to have two polka dot skirts as long as one is pleated, right?  Right.  And, of the two pleated skirts, I think probably keep the non-drop waist one.

Before you ask, no, I don’t know why I have so many drop-waist skirts either; I really don’t like them.  Although, I do have to admit they are good for wearing with un-tucked tops because there isn’t as much volume around the hips.  Okay, so I guess I do know why I have so many… still I’m getting rid of them because they’re just not that versatile for my particular closet.

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Rough Going in the Land of Nosh Opping

I am beginning to dread what I believe is the months of exploration I have left in the Giant’s Closet region of the Land of Nosh Opping.  Although I’ve been here for a mere three weeks, it feels like three months.  And I can certainly see why they don’t get a lot of tourist dollars in Nosh Opping.  The weather isn’t that great, the terrain is inhospitable and the government is really strict on the whole no shopping thing. 

I know that the more quickly I get through, or get rid of, all the items in my closet, the more quickly I can return to the land of retail and joy, but it’s been rough going to create outfits with new pieces each day.  This was the fourth look I tried on today:

And it was such a struggle fording the river and climbing the hill to get here (my mule, Maurice, was once again of little help), that I’m not even sure it was worth it.  I know I like the pieces of this outfit, but I’m not sure it all works together.  I believe the hardships of this expedition may be causing me to lose perspective. 

What I do know is that I like, and plan on keeping, all of these pieces.  I like the top (vintage, thrifted) though I think it could be less boxy.  I also like these pants (vintage men’s pants, thrifted) and do like the top with them.  And, the shoes are great (Jeffery Campbell via Nordstom) though perhaps not with this?  I don’t know.  Did I mention the food here sucks?

But, what doesn’t suck is the fact that today is Friday and it’s sunny and I’m going to the Doug Fir to listen to Guy Dilly tonight.  I’m very excited.

Happy Friday, All!  Enjoy your weekends!

Gracey