Polka Dots & A Backwards Belt

Although sometimes I like to insist upon my originality, sometimes I just blatantly copy other bloggers.  Today is one of those days:

Sometime back, the gorgeous Kendi of Kendi Everyday wore a similar belt, from Target, backwards; today I am wearing my belt, from Target, backwards.  What can I say?  Tuesday’s aren’t my days for originality (I save it for the third Thursday of every month).  In addition to a backwards belt, I wore a linen skirt (Jones New York via Macy’s), a polka dot tee (Gap), nude platform sandals (Target) and self-made drop earrings.

This outfit is only okay for me.  I think it’s the proportions.  The skirt is so full that I probably shouldn’t have gone so slouchy up top.  But, it’s finally getting really warm here in Oregon (high 80s, low 90s every day) so I shy away from wearing anything too close to my body.  And this top has polka dots, which in my book count for something (possibly everything).

Today’s Takeaway?  Wear polka dots.  They are going to be huge this fall (according to Marie Claire) and they hide a multitude of sartorial sins (according to me).

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

My Kingdom for Some Belt Loops

Daily Outfit for Thursday, August 18th

Okay, so I don’t have a kingdom*, but, if I did, I’d probably give at least some of it up for a skirt with belt loops.  Because, once again I was sorely feeling the lack of belt loops:

I paired my belt loop-less skirt (vintage, thrifted) with a silk blouse (Nordstrom, also seen here), cognac belt (Old Navy) and leopard wedges (Tahari via DSW).  Once again I wore this blouse backwards because it has what has to be the lowest cut keyhole neckline ever.  Seriously, this blouse doesn't even try to be work appropriate; but, the colors are so pretty I don't want to get rid of it.  I actually loved  all of the colors in this outfit but it wasn’t very comfortable because my belt kept sliding everywhere. 

It’s sort of my fault (only sort of, though) because this skirt is a size too big.  But, it’s such a pretty color and it’s vintage Neiman Marcus and did I mention how much I love the color?  And, as demonstrated with the blouse, I will keep something just for the color.  Unfortunately, the skirt is too big so not belting it is not an option, but when I do belt it it’s a hot damn mess.  Really, the practical thing would be to just get rid of the skirt, but practicality is not my strong suit, so that probably won’t happen.

Also, you may have noticed (and if you didn’t, that’s okay too), but I am a day off on my posts.  I didn’t have time yesterday to post this because I was in a meeting all morning and at a smorgasbord of vintage wares all afternoon and evening.  So, I’ll post today’s outfit sometime tonight or early tomorrow, and post pictures from yesterday afternoon and tomorrow’s wedding maybe Sunday?  Or something like that.  Don’t worry, we’ll get it all sorted.

You may have also noticed that today is Friday (I’d be a little concerned if you missed this one), so I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Gracey

*Outside my head, at least.  In my head, it’s the Balkan kingdom of Gigantistan.

Bright Stripes and Cognac

I was running late this morning so I threw on the easiest thing I could find:

For the summer, there is nothing I like better than a bright, summery dress.  They’re easy and they don’t take a lot of styling to look good.  Today I paired my striped vintage dress (thrifted) with a braided cognac belt (thrifted), cognac sandals (Jeffrey Campbell via Nordstrom) and gold bangles (Nordstrom).  I wore it last time with a bright fuchsia belt and nude platforms, but I think I might like it even better with the cognac accessories.

Oddly enough, I used to not like dresses because I thought they were boring.  I preferred skirts because they felt more versatile to me.  I think that skirts are probably more versatile – they can look completely different paired with different tops – but I think I might prefer dresses for how easy they are.  While it’s nice to have the option to change the look of your skirt with different tops, sometimes it’s just nicer not to have to think too hard about getting dressed.

What about you, Reader Friends?  Do you prefer dresses or skirts?

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Gracey

EBEW: Mixin’ It Up

Today was Everybody, Everywear’s Mixed Print Challenge and it made me a little nervous.  I have mixed prints before (here and here), but it’s definitely not a style that comes naturally to me, so I decided to keep it simple today:



I mixed an abstract floral skirt (Fossil via Goodwill) with a striped three-quarters sleeve tee (Target), braided cognac belt (thrifted) and my oft-worn platform sandals (MRKT via DSW). 

For my money, stripes are one of the easiest patterns to mix as they seem to work well with other graphic prints (such as polka dots) but also with more organic prints such as florals.  So, pairing this striped tee with the abstract floral skirt didn’t take a lot of thought (I don’t have a lot of thoughts to spare lately).  It was also a pretty easy pairing because both pieces have at least one color in common; in this case the navy blue.  Although I’ve mixed pieces that didn’t have common colors, I find it easier if they do.

Today’s Takeaway: There is all sort of advice out there on how best to mix patterns, but I’d say the real trick is confidence.  If you don’t believe you’re rocking an outfit, no one else will either (and really, this is pretty much true for any outfit, not just pattern mixing).

Have a happy Tuesday, Everyone; and make sure you visit Everybody, Everywear for more looks featuring mixed prints!

Gracey

P.S. No, I did not ride my bike in this little-ass skirt.  I drove in today so as not to be arrested for indecent exposure.

One Tall Piece of Fruit Stripe Gum

That’s what I feel like today in this dress:

Shoulder detail

And you might not think feeling like a tall piece of gum is a good thing, but I absolutely adore this dress so I’m embracing the fruity, gummy-ness of it all.  This dress has everything.  It has color (so many colors) and stripes (yay stripes) and buttons (on the shoulder) and pockets (two of 'em).  It’s pert near perfect, in my estimation.  I love how bright it is and did I mention buttons and pockets.  I mean, really.  I paired this much loved dress (thrifted) with a braided, raspberry-colored belt (thrifted), neutral platform sandals (Target) and my orange drop earrings (Alberta street vendor).

But, enough about the dress; I want to apologize for the lack of posts this weekend.  Friday was super busy, and then I was under the weather for the rest of the weekend.  I didn’t have the energy to post or even read all your posts, but hopefully I’ll get caught up now that I’m feeling better.  I was actually still feeling a bit ‘meh’ this morning, but my cheery dress has made it all better.

That’s right; I brought back around to the dress.  It’s just how I do.

Happy Monday, All, and I hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

Gracey

A-Team Hannibal, Not Hannibal Lecter

A Belated Daily Outfit for Monday, May 02, 2011

Today’s outfit was a surprise to me:

Yes, I did pick it out for myself, but you know how sometimes you think of an outfit and then you get it on and it’s twelve kinds of wrong?  Or you think of an outfit and you don’t expect to love it because it doesn’t even include any of your favorite colors, but you put it on and it turns out wonderfully?  The latter is what happened here today.

I think this outfit might actually one of my favorites and it was a complete accident. I am house-sitting for friends this week, and I don’t sleep well if not in my own bed, so I have a bit of insomnia.  I came up with this outfit during one of those half-asleep-but-the-mind-is-racing moments last night.  And honestly, it’s a combination that in the light of day I can’t even imagine how I came up with.  It’s making me think that half-asleep is how I should make all of my outfit choices.

When I bought this silk blouse (Banana Republic via Goodwill), I thought it might look okay with my brown pants (Banana Republic Factory Store), but couldn’t picture what else I would possibly wear.  I think I got stuck on the fact that I was combining brown, purple and pink, all of which are colors I don’t wear often and never together.  But, this morning at 5 am, it came to me; I’d wear the blouse and pants with a navy cardigan (GAP), leopard print flats (v. old via Ross) and a hot pink belt (INC via Macy’s).  And oddly enough, I think it worked.

Like Hannibal (A-Team Hannibal, not Hannibal Lecter or Second Punic War Hannibal), I love it when a plan comes together.

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Gracey

P.S. My new camera still hasn’t arrived, so Ferge is still taking my pictures, today with my phone, for which I am super-grateful.

Flannel and Angst: Gracey Goes Grunge

Daily Outfit for Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Today is the Everybody, Everywear maxi challenge.  To see what everybody else wore for the challenge, get thee to Everybody, Everywear.  As for me, the last time I wore a maxi dress, I went bohemian; today, I went grunge.  Well, at least my version of grunge.  It's Gracey-grunge:

  

I think it’s the color of the dress that inspired my grunge-y look for today.  I layered it under a purple and black striped tee (Rebecca Beeson via Bluefly), which I in turn layered under a semi-sheer black sweater (Target).  I topped it all off with a sweater coat (Esprit – v. old), infinity scarf (Steven Madden via Macy’s) and some appropriately grungy boots (Born Crown via Nordstrom). 

Grunge was not really my thing – even in the 90s – but I feel like I’m pulling it off.  I think the colors (or lack there of) are good, the scarf is a cheeky nod to flannel, and the boots, while not Doc Martins, are derivative of the style of Docs.  The best part though?  This cuff:

I mean, how angst-ridden is this?  I think it’s brilliant.  It was a Christmas gift from my sister years back.  She got it for me after I’d fallen in love with it at a craft fair.  It’s a ribbon woven through some pleather with the word “peculiar” sewn on, and I think it’s perfect for my grunge revival.

I did hear a rumor that grunge was coming back.  How do you all feel about that?  Are you excited for the return of flannel and angst? 

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Take that, Miss Hannigan!

A Daily Outfit Post

Apparently I own not one, but two, purple pencil skirts, both of which are closet orphans.  I decided to let the second one out to play today:

Goodbye Work!

Hello Weekend!

I have had this purple pencil skirt for probably two years now, and have never worn it, for the same reasons I never wore the other one.  It’s impossible to ride my bike in this and purple is just not a color I wear very often.  I also find pencil skirts to be a little bit formal, which I am decidedly not, and that also makes them hard for me to wear. Right now some of you are probably wondering why I have two purple pencils skirts when I don’t wear purple or pencils skirts.  Maybe I was trying to branch out?  I don’t know.  Don’t judge me.

So, today’s challenge was to wear this short, purple pencil skirt (I drove today), pair it with something that wasn’t black, and integrate it into a more casual outfit.  To that end, I paired the skirt (Ann Taylor Outlet), with a grey tee (Target), marigold cardigan (Tulle), yellow and plum Swiss dotted grey tights (Hue via Macys), cream and striped scarf (???) and riding boots (Born Crown via Nordstrom).  And I liked it.  Another orphan saved from the clutches of Miss Hannigan.

In other news, it was very sunny here today, but it was also only 32 degrees when I left the house this morning.  So, nice try, Mother Nature, but I am not bamboozled by your sunshine.  I’m still in tights and boots.  Speaking of which, these tights make my legs feel gross to the touch.  They feel like they’re covered in Black Swan-level goose bumps because the dots are woven in, not printed on top.  Sexy, no?

Creepy goose legs

Does anyone have any exciting plans for this weekend?  I’ve got a birthday party for a nephew, will be hanging out with my much-loved friend, B., going to a jewelry party at Lori’s and staying over with Jenny.  Busy, busy, busy.

Have a lovely weekend, Everyone!

Gracey

And Then There Was Friday

Daily Outfit 4/1/11

So, today was a day without much inspiration and I dressed accordingly:

Yeah, it’s not awesome.  And certainly not as exciting as yesterday’s bright and stripe-y dress but few things I own are.  I guess this outfit could even be construed as boring.  It is, however, very comfortable which I feel should count for something.  I mean, really, it’s an outfit made of comfort.  Leggings?  Comfort!  Striped tee?  Comfort!  Sweater dress?  Comfort!  Flat boots?  Comfort!  Summer-weight cashmere scarf?  Comfort!  (And in case you were curious: Target, Target, Target, Chinese Laundry via Piperlime and Nordstrom).

Still bored?  Perhaps I can distract you with this bit of awesomeness: I found a new blog today, called Insulted By Authors, and it’s lovely and hilarious and well-done and hilarious.  I have a link over there in my Thinky Blogroll, but you can also get there from here.

If that’s not enough, I don’t know what else I can do for you, except to promise to get my Santa Fe pictures up this weekend.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend full of rainbows and puppies (or whatever distracts you from boring Friday outfits)!

Gracey

Stylish Bright Stripes and Black Tights

Daily Outfit 3/31/11

Full disclosure: I love this dress.  I plan on wearing it all summer, so I hope no one gets tired of it.  I really did intend to wait for summer to debut it, but who knows when summer will get to Oregon, so I decided to wear it today.

Fabulous, right?  I couldn’t believe my luck when I found this dress at my local Goodwill for only $3.50!  The dress is vintage, the belt is croc-embossed (Macys), the tights are Spanx Tight End Tights (Nordstrom), the cardigan is Gap, the earrings are of disremembered provenance and the booties are BC Shoes (via Piperlime).

Even though this dress screams summer to me, I really like it with the black accents.  I tried it first this morning with a bright cardigan and tights and cognac belt and shoes, but it felt like a little much to me.  You all know I love me some brights, I just think I might prefer them grounded with a neutral.  And black and brights are a match made in heaven for me.

Now, for those of you looking at this outfit and thinking “My goodness that’s one stylish giant,” you are not alone.  And I’ve got the badge to prove it:

The absolutely fabulous Claire of Spinning Threads has awarded me the Stylish Blogger Award on Tuesday.  The rules for receiving this award are that I have to share 8 things about myself and award it to 8 other stylish bloggers.

I had actually received this award from Sara Star rather early on, so you can read eight things about me here (which will give you a full 22 facts about me!).  I do, however, want to present some of my new-found favorite and stylish blogs with this award. 

In no particular order, these are some of the blogs I am especially loving as of late:

• Surely Sonsy
• Well Curated
• Angy's Tea Room
• Bellishment
• Me Myself and My Closet
• Tart Lemon Drop
• Northeast Chic
• Basic Cravings

Again, if you don't already read these blogs, stop by.  They're definitely worth it.

 

In other news, I am glad to be back in my lovely, green Oregon.  It was pouring when I got home Tuesday night, but this morning’s ride was glorious.  Absolutely perfect – balmy temperatures, no rain, no wind and the trees are beginning to bloom.  Did I mention that it was perfect?

I hope everyone’s day was as wonderful as my bike ride was,

Gracey

The Purple Pencil

Daily Outfit, 3/9/11

The first order of the business today is to wish my awesome, handsome, smart nephew, Dominic, a happy birthday; he turns 7 today.  Happy Birthday, Nonnie!

The second order of business is to apologize for the wrinkles.  I had to be to work early today for a training so the pictures were taken after I'd been sitting at my desk for 8 hours.  Not pretty, I know.

Now to the clothes:

 

Today I paired my purple pencil skirt (thrifted), with a silk blouse (hinge via Nordstrom), teal tights (Hue via Macys), what appears to be my favorite peacock cardigan (a.n.a via JC Penney), what are truly my favorite boots (Born Crown via Nordstrom) and some handmade earrings (Mom).

This outfit contains a couple of closet orphans.  I don’t wear a lot of pencil skirts because they are pretty impractical for bike riding (I got a ride today).  And I don’t wear a lot of purple because I never know what to pair it with, outside of black, which seems boring.  As a result, I thrifted this skirt months ago and have never worn it.  The blouse is another orphan, but for different reasons – it was an impulse buy.  I saw silk (!), color (!), print (!) and sale price (!) and I bought it.  Sadly I ignored the fact that the cut is weird.  It has a peplum which I almost never like and always never know what to do with.  It also has a very deep keyhole neckline (seriously deep, like inappropriately so) that is just not working for me.  I bought this blouse almost a year ago now, and I’ve only worn it once.

I am trying, however, to be better about using or losing the orphans in my closet.  I had the idea to pair the purple skirt with the peacock cardigan first and thought this blouse might tie the two together.  The cut of the blouse still concerned me, but I tucked in the peplum and turned the blouse backwards to mitigate the slightly scandalous neckline.  This is my first time reversing a garment, but I think it worked.

Altogether, I like this outfit.  I like the colors together and it’s very comfortable.  But, what do you think, readers?  Ignoring those atrocious wrinkles, do you think this worked?  Is this not quite right?  Should I try one more remix?   Or should I just oust one or both of the pieces from my closet?  I know, so many questions, but I appreciate the input!

As always, thank you for reading and I hope you had a fabulous Wednesday,

Gracey