The Skirt Likes Leopard

Yesterday, Kelley, of Threads and Buttons, rescued one of her closet orphans and I remembered, “Hey, I have closet orphans – they might like to be rescued.”  This skirt is the orphan I decided to rescue today:

I actually have a great fondness for all of my closet orphans; I’m just not fond enough of them to wear them regularly.  This skirt is no exception; I like the color and the length and the fullness but I never wear it.  At first it was because it used to be a little big in the waist.  So, I took it in.  And I still never wore it.  But today?  Today the yellow linen skirt has been liberated.

I paired the skirt (thrifted Eileen Fisher) with a knotted white blouse (Banana Republic) and leopard mini-wedges (v. old via Ross) because the skirt hinted that it liked leopard.  I figured “who doesn’t” and added the leopard wedges and some bracelets (Mom-made) to tie them in.  And I liked it.  I just don’t know how versatile this skirt is going to be for me.  The skirt would like me to point out that the fact that I don’t have the imagination for multiple pairings isn’t it’s fault.  And that’s true – I should probably try harder before just giving up. 

To that end, how do you all think this skirt would look with grey?

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

Waist Not, Want Not

I have no waist today and I can’t care:

The fact of the matter is that it’s hot (relatively speaking) and I have nothing to wear (even more relatively speaking if it’s possible to qualify that phrase).  So once again I went with loose layers; a sheer blouse (Olivia Moon via Nordstrom) layered over a black dress (thrifted) with platform sandals (MRKT via DSW) and minimal accessories.  I didn’t even pretend to wear a belt today, backwards or otherwise.

This is another outfit that I think is better in the wearing than in the photographing.  It’s very comfortable and nice and cool which is about all I can worry about these days.  I do wonder though if I should think more about how outfits will photograph when I select them.  I probably won’t, because that’d definitely be more than I can handle, but it’s still a thought (I have so few thoughts these days, I like to point them out when they occur).

Question for my Blogger-Readers: When you select an oufit, do you all take into account how it will photograph?

Happy Wednesday, 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.

Silver Flowers on a Blue Field

I’ve always liked that flags and coats of arms are described as having a design element on a “field” (like a red lion on a green field).  I just think it’s both a lovely and effective way to describe them.  So it made me quite happy to be able to describe the "blouse" in today’s outfit in a similar manner:

Here is a close up of the aforementioned print:



The background looks black here, but it really is navy.



The “blouse” on this outfit is actually a tank dress (Gap, thrifted) that is a bit too short for me to wear as a dress but that I love the print of.  I decided to try it today as a top, paired with my blue high-waist skirt (vintage, thrifted) and navy platform sandals (MRKT via DSW).  I added a thin belt (Gap), watch and blue and white bracelet (local craftsman).

I’m always hesitant to layer dresses under skirts because my hips have threatened to join my thighs in rebellion if there is too much volume.  However, I think the thin fabric of the dress works well under the thicker, stiffer fabric of the skirt in this instance.

Today’s Takeaway?  When layering, pay attention to the thickness of the fabrics involved – it can be the difference between looking sleek, and having to fight off an attempted coup by volume-hating body parts.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

T-Shirt and Skirt, T-Shirt and Skirt

I have become mildly obsessed with wearing T-shirts and skirts over the past couple days; so much so that I practically wore the same thing two days in a row.

On Monday I wore this:

I paired my vintage poppy pleated skirt (thrifted) with a grey tee (Target), my increasingly ubiquitous cuff (thrifted), vintage “fringe” earrings and black platforms (G by Guess via Piperlime).

And, today, this:

This pose is so ridiculous, I had to include this picture.

I wore a blue vintage circle skirt (thrifted) with a black and white striped tee (Old Navy), a silver necklace-as-bracelet (gifted, I think) and black sandals (White Mountain via Macy’s).

They’re not exactly the same, but they have a similar feel to them.  A feel that was prompted by some advice in the latest In Style to pair pleated skirts with a casual sweater and boots.  I love my pleated skirts, but never thought to dress them down and was excited to try a new way to wear them.  I tried it Monday with my favorite poppy-colored pleated skirt, tying the tee at the side both to help define my waist and to add to the casual feel.  And I really liked it.

In fact, I liked the look so much that I decided to try a variation on the theme today.  Today’s skirt isn’t pleated, but it’s very full and a length that, like with the pleats, tends to make me want to dress up instead of down.  But, today, I paired it not only with a tee (this time tied in the back to define the waist), but with flat sandals.  And again, I like it.  I know the proportions are a bit tricky, but for some reason, I think it works. 

Could I be delusional?  It’s possible.  Maybe I’m sun-addled from the trip to the beach.  But, for whatever reason, I like these looks and will probably continue wearing variations on this theme for awhile yet, you lucky ducks.

No takeaway for today, instead I wanted to let you know that I and several other bloggers, are showing the world our shorts over at Fabienne’s blog, The House on the Clouds, today.  So, get your minds out of the gutters and go take a peek!

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

P.S. Ferge and I tried to take a picture of me twirling to show off the skirt, but it did not work.  At all.  It just made me dizzy and sort of nauseous and this is all we got:

Again, yes, it's ridiculous, but it's all I've have to show for all our efforts.

Neon and Turquoise

Here’s the deal.  It’s Friday, it’s summertime and I’m only working half a day today.  So, yep, Captain Casual strikes again:

But, how awesome is this necklace with this neon top? 

For today's possibly-overly-casual look, I paired my beloved beaded necklace (rummaged) with a neon tank (J. Crew – thrifted) layered over a white tank (Target), with clam diggers (made by me from Gap Long and Lean jeans) and the same metallic cuff (thrifted) and sandals (Lovely People via Ideeli) I wore yesterday.

I’ve said before that this necklace goes with everything and I think today’s pairing settles it.  I love this necklace anyway, but am just thrilled with how it looks with neon and white.  I’m also pretty happy with my self-cut clam diggers.  I love cut-offs for the summer, but I can’t say that I love them on me.  But, when I saw Angie of You Look Fab’s clam diggers, I thought that might be something that would work for me.  And I think they do work – I wore these all last weekend and will probably wear them much of this weekend as well.

Because?  This weekend?  This is the weekend that I’m finally, finally getting over to the coast.  Somehow it turns out that I haven’t been there all summer.  But, we’re going over tomorrow and I’m super excited and I’ll take lots of pictures (probably in these same pants).

Today’s Takeaway?  Turquoise, like orange, really does go with everything.

Happy Friday, Everyone!  Have a fabulous weekend!

Gracey

More Lazy Dressing

I slept horribly last night and as a result I seriously struggled with what to wear today.  Because I didn’t have the mental acuity to come up with anything creative I went the lazy route once again:

While yesterday I couldn't be bothered with more than a dress, today I wore two whole pieces (your're welcome).  I layered an embellished tank (Design History via Ross) over a maxi dress (thrifted), added metallic sandals (Lovely People via Ideeli) and a metallic cuff (thrifted) and called it a day.  Is it lazy?  You bet your sweet bippy it is.  But, it’s also comfortable and sometimes a girl just can’t manage anything more than some lazy comfort.

Today’s Takeaway?  Shiny accessories totally make lazy outfits work-appropriate (Within reason, folks.  Lawyers probably won't be distracted by shiny stuff).

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

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.

Put A Tassel On It

Turns out that I am a sucker for anything with a tassel on it.  Like this bracelet:

I got this bracelet and some tasseled carnelian earrings the last time I was at our local vintage store, Lil’ Gypsy.  And I’m kicking myself for passing up a tasseled lavaliere, but I think I’ll go back and see if it’s still there.  I’m telling you, folks, put a tassel on it and I’ll probably buy it.

Oh, I also wore clothes today:

Not nearly as exciting as the tasseled bracelet, to be sure, but probably more work appropriate than just the tasseled bracelet.  In addition to the bracelet I wore my black-and-gray twofer dress (Target) belted with a multi-colored cotton sash (thrifted), my purple-blue platform sandals (MRKT via DSW), turquoise bead necklace (rummaged) and vintage cameo bracelet.

I know my accessories look like a hodgepodge of colors, but although you can’t see it very well, the sash combines the black and gray of the dress with the purple of the shoes, the turquoise of the tasseled bracelet and necklace and the rose and cream of the cameo bracelet.  And in addition to be tied together with the belt, all of the accessories are similar in hue (or is it tone?) which helps unify the look without being matchy-matchy.

Today’s Takeaway?  Tassels rock.  That is all.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Knit Pencil

I thrifted this vintage, knit pencil skirt while I was in Santa Fe a few months ago:

I haven’t worn it before now for a couple of reasons.  One, it’s more body-con than I usually wear.  And two, pencil skirts are ridiculous for riding a bike in.  I decided to give it a shot today though, pairing the skirt with a brightly colored tank (via Ross).  I added leopard print mini-wedges (via Ross), a black vest-like cardigan (I think Allison calls them vestigans) (Halogen via Nordstrom Rack), and some bracelets (thrifted).  I went with the lower shoes because a fitted skirt and high heels would have been too far outside my comfort zone for work.

I actually rather liked this outfit, with the exception of the vestigan.  I only wore it because this top has thin, strappy straps and, again, I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing a body-con skirt and visible bra straps to work.  The skirt is great though.  Although it’s fitted, it’s made of a nice, thick knit so I don’t feel like everyone is ogling my booty.  And, as I had hoped, it’s a heck of a lot easier to ride a bike in a knit pencil skirt than a woven one.

Today’s Takeaway?  If you insist on riding your bike in pencil skirts (which is completely understandable) try a knit one; it’s much easier and there is less flashing of the poor passersby.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Blue Friday

I love this color of blue and just realized that I wear it a lot, as is evidenced by today’s outfit...

... and by the fact that I wore a skirt in the same shade yesterday and have a similarly shaded scarf that I wear quite a bit (seen here).  I don’t know why I wear so much blue – it’s not like it matches my eyes or anything – but I do love it.  Especially this particular blue.

Today I wore the blue in dress form (Walmart) to which I added a rope-and-leather belt (thrifted), cognac sandals (Jeffrey Campbell via Nordstrom) and brass angel wing earrings (Alberta street vendor).  Because the color is so strong I decided to go with neutral accessories today, even though I like this blue equally well with brights and other saturated hues.

Today’s Takeaway?  It’s okay to wear a single color frequently, even daily.  It’s likely that no one will notice unless you tell them and if they do notice you can just say it’s your signature color.  It worked in Steel Magnolias, it will work for you. 

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Gracey

EBEW: Gettin’ Thrifty With It

Yeah, that’s right, my title is a bad pun that references an even worse song.  Because that’s how I roll.  Also how I roll?  In thrifted clothes:

In fact, everything in this outfit is thrifted with the exception of the bangles (Nordstrom) and the necklace (vintage brooch-on-a-chain via Lil’ Gypsy).  And with the exclusion of those items, this outfit cost me a whopping $9.97.  The marigold blouse (never worn Liz Claiborne), which is silk and is the best color ever, was $1.98, the blue pleated skirt (vintage) was $3.00, the shoes (Franco Sarto) were $1.00 and the belt  (Mossimo/Target) was $3.99.

For those of you who bet yourself that I’d wear a pleated skirt for the EBEW Thrift Challenge, give yourself a cookie from me.  While my fabulous bloggy friend Katie loves to thrift silk scarves, I love to thrift pleated skirts.  And I was especially excited about this blue one. I’d been admiring the pleated blue Zara skirt that so many bloggers (like the lovely Katherine) rocked this summer, but we don’t have a Zara here in Oregon (hell, we just got H&M last fall).  So, of course I tried to thrift one.  And for months, I had no luck.  But, I kept my eyes open and finally found one, prompting a little happy dance in the aisle.

See? So happy!

If you’d like to see more of my thrifted pleated skirt collection, you can see this post, this one, or this guest post for gorgeous Fabienne of The House in the Clouds.  And if you’d like to see more thrifty posts (you know you want to), pop on over to Everybody, Everywear and feast your eyes.

Today’s Takeaway?  Whatever you’re looking to thrift (presumably pleated skirts because they’re awesome), be patient; it’ll pay off in the long run.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Petite Pleats

You may have already noticed, but I am not petite.  My skirt is though:

And, now that I think of it, so is my tunic.  I like to thrift petite midi-skirts because they’re right about knee-length for my giant self.  And my “tunic” is actually a petite dress.

I paired the pleated skirt (thrifted) with the polka dot tunic/dress (thrifted), a black studded belt (JC Penny) and neutral platform sandals (Target).  I used the belt to rein in some of the volume of the tunic/dress but also to put my waist where I wanted it.  Without the belt, my torso would have seemed disproportionately long.  With the belt, I look leggier and less torso-y (it’s a word).  The neutral shoes with this serve the same purpose, elongating my legs with what can be a tricky skirt length.

The takeaway for today?  That giants can wear petites and if you want to look like a giant, move your belt up. 

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Seen It All Before

Well, not all of it, but I did wear two pieces of this outfit last week:

I wore both the dress and the belt last week, and in the same outfit last week.  How’s that for lack of imagination?  Pretty good, no?  I did mix it up a little bit though.  Last week I wore the black dress layered under another dress.  Today I repurposed the black dress (thrifted) to act as a skirt under a sheer, silk, dolman-sleeve blouse (thrifted).  The owl belt (Ross) is still being worn as an owl belt, for obvious reasons.  And I added my new-to-me black platform sandals (rummaged) and also-new-to-me vintage carnelian earrings (via Lil’ Gypsy).

I really liked this outfit, but I’m not sure the photographs do it justice.  The sleeves, for example are huge (talk about drama, right, Erin?) but you can’t really see that in the photographs.  You’ll all just have to imagine that I look more svelte and less poofy in person.  (Actually, I'd like you to imagine that with all the outfits I post, not just this one).

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  Mine didn’t go exactly as planned (no drag queens but we added street corner serenades), but you know what they say about the best laid plans of giants and friends.  I'll post full details on my WeeCap a bit later.

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Gracey

Fire Starter

These shorts are not corduroy…

But I can’t seem to convince my thighs of this fact.  The fact that the fabric is ever so slightly ribbed was enough for my thighs to attempt to start fires in them all day today.  This in spite of the fact that I had a talk with my thighs when I put this together this morning, assuring them that these shorts are NOT corduroy.  However, as soon as I put the shorts on, my right thigh yelled “Burn, baby, burn” and the left countered with “Cry ‘Havoc’ and let slip the dogs of war.” (The left has traditionally been more militant than the right).

I even tried to convince my thighs to put down the matches by telling them how flattering these shorts were to them, but I still heard mutters of “conflagration” and “where’s the flint?” all day long.  In spite of the muttering from my thighs, I do like these shorts; they're a good length and a good fit.  And although fussy thighs keep me from wearing them often, I was determined today and paired the shorts (New York & Co via Ross) with my neon camp shirt (thrifted) layered over a white tank (Old Navy) and neutral platform sandals (Target).

Heh, I just realized that I paired neon with a neutral – I don’t think this pairing was on my fashion bucket list, but let’s say it was, I’ll check it off and we’ll all pretend I know what I’m doing.  Agreed?  Fabulous.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

The Elusive Zebra-Leafed Hibiscus

Daily Outfit for Tuesday, May 28^th

I’m pretty sure the pattern of this blouse is taken directly from nature:

Admittedly, I haven’t done a lot (any) traveling in equatorial nations, but surely somewhere, some very, very remote somewhere, there is a zebra-leafed hibiscus plant.  And this plant is probably worshipped for its healing powers, or because it makes a tasty, if slightly hallucinogenic tea, or because it makes a deadly dart tip even deadlier.  Whatever its use, I’m sure the elusive zebra-leafed hibiscus is completely awesome.  Just like the blouse it influenced.

As I said the first time I wore this blouse, I recognize it’s a bit kitsch, maybe even tacky, but I love this darned thing.  This time I paired the blouse (vintage, thrifted) with a high-waist, midi-skirt (thrifted), my new wedges (G by Guess via Piperlime) and, taking some advice from Reader Ismay, I added a long necklace (gifted?).  I also added my trusty cuff (thrifted) because it’s trusty.

Remember, it’s not tacky if you love it!*

Gracey

*Like much the “advice” dispensed here on Fashion for Giants, I’d take this with a grain of salt if I were you.

American Girl

I love wearing red, white and blue this time of year.  It’s a color combination that just screams ‘summer’ to me.  And who am I to ignore that screaming?  Right?  Right. 

Smug patriotism at it's finest.  Also?  Pockets!

Here I'm demonstrating smiling patriotism.  Also rather finely.

I don’t wear red, white and blue on the Fourth of July (I don’t know why.  I refuse the allure of Christmas sweaters too) but I definitely like wearing it during the summer months.  Today I paired my skirt (J. Crew Factory Store) with a handmade gingham blouse (thrifted), braided cognac belt (thrifted) and woven bone flats (thrifted).  I know bone isn’t really white, but white shoes are just so white to me.

What about you all?  Do you have any favorite color combinations for summer?

Gracey

P.S. For those of you who eagerly opened this post hoping to see me posed with an American Girl doll, I’m sorry to disappoint you.  I’d say maybe next time but I’d hate for you to be disappointed two days in a row.

Pleated Skirt Awareness Movement

Yes, I’m wearing a pleated skirt.  Again.

But, I really do have a good reason for wearing so many pleated skirts.  You see, I am a dedicated member of PSAM (the Pleated Skirt Awareness Movement).  It’s a small, grassroots organization aimed at increasing people’s awareness of the wonders of pleated skirts.  My role in PSAM is to wear my collection of pleated skirts as often as possible on my blog until my readers cave and thrift pleated skirts of their own.

This time around, I’ve paired my vintage, cream, pleated midi-skirt (thrifted) with a vintage leaf-print blouse (via Fat Fancy).  I think the pleats on the skirt, and the slightly puffy sleeves and leaf print of the blouse, add enough interest to the outfit that I kept the rest of it simple; just a faux-patent belt (Nine West via Ross) and black ankle tie espadrilles (Very Volatile via Nordstrom).

Want more information on how and why to thrift a pleated skirt of your very own?  See my guest post on The House in the Clouds, if you haven’t yet.  I promise, it’s super informative (mostly).

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

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