A Reprieve

We're having a reprieve from the rain for a few days and it is delightful.  It's still pretty cold in the mornings but the afternoons have been glorious.  So I took the opportunity to shed some layers:

I know, it's not a very fall-like palette but I actually really liked the skirt (Old Navy) with the gray sweater (JC Penney).  But the boots (Enzo Angolini via Nordstrom, similar), the boots are totally fall-like.  An effect I probably ruined with my pink and blue necklace (via Etsy shop, Nest of the Bluebird) and neon pink studs (Kate Spade New York).

Still, I'm sure I'll be back to fall colors once Oregon gets back to fall weather.

Happy Friday, All.  And have a lovely weekend!

Gracey

Literary Stylings # 3: Valeria's Last Stand

As I mentioned before, one of the mere three books I read last month was a weird-and-not-in-the-good-way book called Valeria's Last Stand, by author Marc Fitten:

I guess it was supposed to be a comedy, but I don't see how making every single character in the town hateful was funny.  I don't know, maybe I missed the point.  Has anyone else read this book?  If you haven't, I don't recommend it, but if you have, can you explain it to me, using small words, please, in the comments?

Enough about the book though.  Well, maybe a bit more.  There is a lot of talk of produce in the book as the titular character, Valeria, grows the best produce in town and constantly reminds everyone of the fact (seriously, she is horrible).  There is also a lot of talk about color, the color of the fruits and vegetables, especially peppers and turnips, but also of the crockery made by the local potter.

Well, when I saw this dress in Goodwill a couple of weeks ago, the colors instantly reminded me of the colors in the book:

And the chaotic print reminded me of the muddy, chaotic prose of the book:

Happily for me, crazy, chaotic print on a dress makes me much happier that crazy, chaotic writing.  Seriously, that book made me feel like this:

Pretty sure that was the look on my face the entire time I was reading it.

But, it did inspire me to buy this awesome dress, which I paired with a braided belt (also via Goodwill) and ankle strap flats (Hive & Honey via Piperlime) and a chunky necklace:

I chose this particular necklace because the large beads are actually clay, you know, like a potter uses and there is a potter in the book.  Also, it's pepper-colored and peppers play a large role in the book so I wore it.

Because, even though the book was terrible, it really did inspire this entire look.

And now, it's your turn.  You can link your literature-inspired looks below: 

 

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Pink Stripes, Floral Pin

I wear my pink striped dress a lot during the summers.  And I usually pair it with equally summery shoes and accessories.  Today, however, I went a slightly darker route:

Dress: thrifted vintage  Belt: Gap  Sandals: thrifted

All so I could wear my black, lacquered floral pin:

Vintage, handpainted black lacquer brooch

Because, sometimes, all a girl wants is to wear pink stripes and a floral pin.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Pink, White and Gold

Pink, white and gold is a pretty darned girlie combination.  And, in spite of my love of dresses, I don't really consider myself a girlie girl.  So, it's sort of a surprise, yes, even to me, that I ended up in this combination today:

But, for what it's worth, I consider this a sort of tough pink, white and gold:

Maybe it's the bits of black in the shoes (Seychelles "Mum" via Ideeli).  Or maybe it's the hot pink pants (Michael Kors) instead of a pale pink.  Or, maybe it's the cut of the blouse (Max & Mia via Nordstrom); I think the mixed media and raglan sleeves keep it from being too sweet.  The shape of the necklace (Nordstrom) is also not too terribly sweet.

Not that I have anything against sweet.  Donuts are sweet.  And I love donuts.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Literary Stylings #1: Auntie Mame

Hello, hello, hello!  Welcome to my first ever Literary Stylings post and Link Party.  Today, I am posting an outfit inspired by the book, Auntie Mame, by Patrick Dennis.

I can't remember how old I was when I first saw the movie, Auntie Mame, but I absolutely adored it, and Mame, from the very beginning.  I actually didn't even know that it was a book until a few weeks ago when I was wandering through my favorite used book store and stumbled upon a copy.  The book turned out to be as much of a delight as the movie was and I fell in love with Mame all over again.

Today's outfit is inspired by a scene early on in the book where the narrator first meets his Auntie Mame.  In the scene, Mame is well into her "Asian influence" period so she's dressed in a full kimono to host a fabulous soiree.  Here is my look:

For this outfit, I layered a kimono-esque thingamajig (I think vintage & I think from the sticky thrift store) over a micro-pleated dress (Goodwill) .  I finished the look with Seychelles "Mum" sandals, some layered necklaces and a vintage rhinestone bracelet:

Mame would, of course, have worn diamonds, but I'm channeling after-the-crash-Mame.

I look skeptical but I was quite excited to be swanning about in this.

I really, really liked this look.  I felt tall and fabulous, but still well within my comfort zone.  Mame was a great believer in authenticity so I think she'd appreciate that my look, while inspired by her, is still very much me.

And now, over to you all.  I can't wait to see what everyone wears!



Not a blogger?  I'd love to see your literature-inspired photos on the Fashion for Giants Facebook Page!

Thank you to everyone who was able to participate; I know it was very short notice.  If you didn't get a chance to join in this time around, you can read more about the Literary Stylings Challenge here and hopefully we'll see you on Tuesday, August 6th!

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Gracey

Hot Pink Camp & A Mocha Midi

I don't know that I would have thought to pair this hot pink camp shirt with this mocha midi skirt if they hadn't been on the same migratory path through my closet.  But, they were and I liked the way they looked grazing on the plains together so here they are:

Blouse, skirt & belt: thrifted vintage, Hive & Honey flats via Piperlime

I also added black accessories, including my vintage sweater clip pins:

One day I'll probably wear this piece to hold a sweater together.  Probably.

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

Gracey

Pops of Black

During the cooler months, I like to alleviate the more muted tones that are prevalent during fall and winter with pops of color.  And then, the other day, I got to thinking about black.  It's not fair that black doesn't get to "pop." I mean, what did black ever do to people that it remains pop-less?  Sure, it figured heavily in a very deadly and unpopular plague, but that was ages ago.  Black has totally gotten it's act together lately and, in my opinion, deserves to pop.

So, today, I wore pink and blue, with pops of black:

It's my new thing.  Well, one of my new things.  The other two are fruit (see yesterday's post) and big cats (you know, leopards, lions and such).  But, I digress.  I like black as an accent.  I think this outfit is more interesting with black as the neutral instead of brown or nude:

 I think it works in part because the blue striped shirt (vintage via Vintage by the Pound) and the skirt (thrifted) are mid-tones and not pastels.  Black with pastels could be a bit jarring.  Okay, you caught me; it's actually probably fine, I just don't like pastels.  But, black shoes (Hive and Honey via Piperlime), a black belt (thrifted via Goodwill) and black jewelry with mid-tones, I can definitely do.

Especially when the jewelry is all funky and stuff:

I think it's supposed to be a sweater clip, but they're pins, not clips and I don't wear sweater clips, so I just treated it like a brooch and wore it pinned to my blouse.  Because that's just how I roll.  That's right, pops of black and misuse of sweater clip/pin/things; I am a rebel without a cause.

Except, of course, the cause of thrifting.  This entire outfit, except for the shoes and the bracelet, was purchased second-hand, so I'm linked up to Coffee and Cardigans for Thrifter Thursday.  And I'm also linked up to IFB Project #95: Show Us Your Stripes.  Because, today, I am a linking fool.  So, I guess then maybe my cause is linking? 

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey 

Trends to Try: Neon

Like many fashion trends that have been here before, neon has come back around.  It first cropped back up a year or so ago and is still going strong today.

So, how do you try this trend without looking as though you're starring in a Wham! video?  Well, for one, avoid wearing it with feathered hair and short shorts.  Agreed?  Good, now here are some other tips that might help you try this trend.

1. A little goes a long way.  Try this trend in small doses such as jewelry, belts, small handbags and shoes.  I think you'll find that a even the smallest pop, such as studs, or nail polish, is still fun.
2. Wear it with mid-tones.  Especially if you're not sure about this trend, you may find that pairing neon with too strong of a color might be too much look.  Try pairing your neon with mid-tones such as gray, khaki, navy and olive to keep your look modern.
3. Stick to neon in colors you love.  I wear a lot of pink and orange so I naturally gravitated to neon pink, neon orange and, my personal favorite, neon peach.  If you wear neon in shades you like, you'll be more comfortable trying this trend.
4. If you choose to wear more substantial neon pieces, like skirts, dresses or sweaters, make sure you wear them in a modern shape and/or with equally modern pieces.
5. Wear it with denim.  In the form of a belt, shoes, sweater or clutch, neon anything looks good with denim everything.

Looks to Try:

 

Neon by fashionforgiants on polyvore.com

Looks not to try, a.k.a the aforementioned Wham! video:

What about you, Reader Friends?  Have you (re-) tried neon yet?

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Rorschach Floral

Lovely blogger friend, Megan Mae, wore a wonderful watercolor floral blouse the other day and it reminded me that I had a watercolor floral blouse of my own somewhere deep in the recesses of my closet.  Found it.  Wore it:

Wore it, in fact, with a vintage blazer, gray skinnies and black heels.

Interestingly enough, this outfit is a pretty fair representation of our weather lately.  It was gorgeous for about a week, so our trees are blooming in pink and white, like my blazer and the background of the blouse.  But, the past few days it's been raining and gray like the flowers and the skinnies.

Of course, now that I look at it in photos, I think maybe they look less like flowers and a bit like Rorschach prints.  So we'll call it a Rorschach floral.

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Gracey

Maybe Peach & Navy

I think this top is peach. Maybe:

It may be blush though. 

Either way, it could probably stand to be paired with a bolder color than navy.  I did add a bit of color with the jewelry.  But then I went with the pale gold shoes; again, I think a colored shoe might have been more interesting.  

I think I just don’t believe it’s spring yet so I’m sticking to my dark, winter neutrals.  Yes, it has been in the 70s here the past couple of days, but I know as soon as I pull out my spring/summer clothes, the temps will drop and it’ll start hailing.  Oregon weather loves to play mind games.

What about you, Reader Friends?  Is it spring in your wardrobe yet?

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Shop the Look:
Similar lace blouse
Similar cropped pants
Similar cropped cardigan
Exact FRANKIE necklace
Similar gold flats

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

That Old Fall Feeling

It’s, finally, starting to feel like fall here in Oregon.  The mornings are getting chillier and I’m almost to the point of wearing a light sweater for the ride in.  Honestly, though, that could just be because I want to wear sweaters; they are all I’ve been thrifting lately.  Sadly, it’s still not sweater weather, but it is totally “subdued, fall-like color weather” so I dressed accordingly:

Yes, I do wear this dress all year long (because those are the best dresses) but I like it the most for fall.  The flowers have a delightful mossy, pile of leaves look to them and, for me, nothing says fall like moss and piles of leaves.  And mushrooms.  But, I digress.  Today I paired the dress (vintage) with a light gold belt (thrifted?) and shoes (Kenneth Cole Reaction, v. old).  I also added my new cameo and garnet earrings (via Deepwood Vintage Fair) and a vintage cameo bracelet.

The stones are rough-cut, low-grade garnet.

As much as I like this dress with the flats, I’d much rather be wearing it with boots.  I miss my boots, y’all.  They’re all on deck, freshly waterproofed and just waiting in the wings.  I swear, as soon as the temperature drops below 80, I’m breaking them out.  And probably the sweaters too.  Basically, you should expect me to look overheated and uncomfortable in my photos for the next couple of weeks.

What about you, Dear Reader Friends?  What are you looking forward to wearing this fall?

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Gracey

Horse Belt!

I am wearing a horse belt:

And that’s pretty much all I have to say about today’s outfit.  HORSE.  BELT.  Does the rest really matter, people?  I think not.  Okay, fine.  For those of you who somehow manage not to be distracted by a horse belt (!), which, I’m not going to lie, is a little concerning; I’ll provide the outfit details. 

 

Today, I paired The Horse Belt (vintage, Plucky Maiden’s Junk Fest) with a  terra cotta dress (Target), black, waterfall cardigan (Old Navy), turquoise bracelet (gifted) and the same shoes I wore yesterday (Hive and Honey via Piperlime).

What’s that?  You wish I’d taken a close up of the horse belt so you can see it in all its leather-worked, hand-painted glory?  Well, then, today is your lucky day:

I love this thing so much that I actually paid a whole $20.00 for it.  I know, I know, that seems like a lot, but I figure I’m going to wear it in a lot of equestrian (and non-equestrian) themed outfits this fall and winter so the cost per wear should be pretty low.  Also, it’s a horse belt!

And it’s Friday!

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

P. S. Cinturón de Caballo! (That's horse belt in Spanish.  You are welcome).

Stripes and Mia-Approved Pockets

My dress today has stripes and what I believe would be Mia-approved pockets:

This pose is soooo smarmy; it makes me laugh.

Blogger friend Mia wrote that she used to use pocket size as criteria for buying clothes.  If the pockets were big enough to hold a book, it was meant to be hers.  I’m pretty sure my pockets today are big enough to hold a book.  Maybe not a trade paperback, but a couple of Harlequin Romances for sure.

Not that I’d ever put books in these pockets.  When I my hips found out I was even just writing about it, they started preparing Molotov cocktails.  They like to make it very, very clear that they won’t accept any added bulk in their region; they’d secede before they let that happen.  And, of course, my thighs are always up for a revolution so they lent my hips some matches.

Even if I don’t use the pockets for books, I still think this is a pretty great dress.  It’s been on the blog a couple of times before, but not at all this summer.  So, I figured I’d get in a post while it was still summer.  The dress is vintage Raoul (thrifted) and I paired it with an embroidered belt (Target) and platform sandals (Franco Sarto via Nordstrom Rack).  If yesterday’s outfit was a bit 80s, today’s feels a bit 70s to me; like I’m applying for the position of art teacher at that aggressively feminist all-girls summer camp I ‘worked’ at earlier this summer.  I love that imaginary camp.  

And I love this dress.

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

Gracey