Simple, Yet Effective

If I were to describe my style, I wouldn�t use the phrase �simple, yet effective.�  No, I enjoy my bells and whistles (and tassels and prints) way too much for that.  I would, however, use �simple, yet effective� to describe this outfit:

You know what wasn't simple (or particularly effective)?  Getting these pictures taken.  My sister took them and first I got photo-bombed by our porch cat, Elizabeth Swan:

And then my sister took pictures of me explaining things:

No one knows what I was explaining.  Something tiny, clearly.

So, yes, the outfit is simple, but I don't think it's boring.  Sure, it�s just jeans and a blouse, but these jeans are awesome (Banana Republic) and the blouse (Gap) incorporates color, print and a wee little almost-peplum.  I added a rust-orange beaded necklace, because orange and purple totally make sense, wedge booties (Nine West via Piperlime) and a vintage bracelet.

Truthfully, I don�t know howI�d describe my style.  Probably something like �Color, Color, Color, Print, Print, Print.�  Yeah, that sounds about right.

What about you, Reader Friends?  How would you describe your style?

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

P.S. A porch cat is a cat that moves onto your porch and has kittens.

FBFF for April 27th � Outfit Planning (and Outfit Wearing)

Today�s FBFF Questions are all about outfit planning.   Or, as I like to think of it; why I wear what I wear when I wear it.  And given yesterday�s conversation about psychotic weather and today�s outfit, these questions are actually pretty timely for me.  Please to let me explain below.

First, this is what I wore today:

Black leggings (Target) layered under a navy and blue skirt (also Target) with a black micro-ribbed tank (yes, more Target) layered under a coral waterfall cardigan (Nordstrom).  I added cuffed boots (Chinese Laundry), a tassel pendant (Old Navy), vintage bracelet (Lil� Gypsy) and earrings (Nikki Jacoby Jewelry via 2011 Crafty Wonderland).  Sure that�s a lot of Target for one outfit, but it was comfortable.  And colorful.  That�s a win-win in my opinion.

Now to the questions:

1.      How do you go about picking your outfit for the day? (Do you lay stuff out the night before? Do you plan a whole week's worth of looks Sunday night? Do you wing it every morning?)

It depends.  My outfits are generally a combination of planning and winging it.  In fact, today�s outfit is just one such example of a combination of planning and winging it. The winging it portion comes from the fact that this outfit is a direct result of my not having put my laundry away.  As it turns out, the skirt and cardigan ended up next to each other on my desk chair, I liked the look of them together and went from there.

The planning portion comes from the fact that I ride my bike to work and therefore weather considerations force me to be a least somewhat thoughtful in what I wear. 

Terri asked me yesterday how I stay dry riding to work.  I don�t.  And I don�t even try.  I�m lucky that my ride is only about 10-12 minutes each way.  Yes, if it�s pouring I get soaked, but I�m usually able to get away with only getting a little damp.  And a little dampness is manageable because I make sure I wear clothes that dry quickly.  I am in skirts and tights most of the winter in part because they dry more quickly than jeans.  Leggings also dry fairly quickly � which is another reason for today�s outfit.  It�s supposed to rain off and on and just in case it�s on while I�m on my bike, I chose leggings and a skirt instead of jeans.

I will say though, that I�m trying to be better about planning outfits.  At least to the point of having something in mind if not laid out.  To that end, I keep a list of outfits I�d like to try.  These may be outfit ideas that I get from a blog or in a magazine, or just those that I come up with while staring into my closet.  Of course, many of the outfits on the list are often better in theory and often don�t make it out of the house. 

I have never, ever planned a whole week�s worth of looks on a Sunday.  I can�t even plan a week�s worth of looks to go on vacation.  I just throw a bunch of stuff in a bag and pray I have enough underwear.

2.      Do you try stuff on and then take pics to see how it looks, like Cher in Clueless?

Anybody who has read my blog knows I don�t do this.  No, instead, I like to be surprised by how terrible an outfit photographs right before I post the pictures.  It�s more fun that way.

3.      And are you consistent in your planning or lack thereof, or is your planning limited to special events?

Planning?  What planning?  Seriously, I don�t even always plan for special events.  This outfit, for a girls� night out and friend�s birthday party?:

Yeah, I came up with that half an hour before I was supposed to be at the bar (which is an hour away).

I did a little better with this one:

But, even for this event, I think I only figured out what I was going to wear the week of the event.  And I was still not that confident in my decision.  At least not until I saw the pictures, so that was a nice change.

4.      Do you have a way of keeping track of which outfits you wore when?

Yes.  I have a blog.  It�s called Fashion for Giants and word on the street is that it�s hugely popular among tall people and/or people who appreciate the sublimely ridiculous.

All kidding aside, I don�t worry too much about when I wore an outfit.  I�m more conscious of when I wore a particular piece, especially if it�s something noticeable.  For example, I am going to try not to wear my hot pink pints every week.  I�m going to limit them to every other week. 

5.      How do you come up with new clothing combinations? (An app? Computer program? Trial and error?)

Wait?  What?  They have an app for that?  Huh.  Technology, it�s amazing.  But, I don�t use it.  The list I mention above is a hand-written list, which I keep in my handbag, of ideas for new clothing combinations. 

Sure, it�s old-fashioned, but when the zombie apocalypse happens, I�ll still have that list of ways to look fashionable while fleeing the living dead and everyone else will just have to wear whatever comes to mind because they lost their fancy app/program.

Want ideas for actually planning outfits?  Visit Katy Rose at Modly Chic for a list of this week�s FBFF participants.  There is bound to be someone who actually plans their outfits.

And have a wonderful weekend, Everyone!

Gracey

Spring in Oregon

So, it�s spring in Oregon, which doesn�t necessarily mean sun.  We have sun and then we don�t.  Spring in Oregon basically means the trees are blooming and then the rains are coming along and beating the snot out of those trees.  Seriously, I think there are more petals on the ground here than on the poor cherry trees.

This now-I�m-sunny-now-I�m-not weather can also be difficult to dress for.  I mean, it�s spring, I�d like to wear spring-like colors but it�s also raining and sometimes pouring.  Today�s outfit is my attempt at a compromise:

I wore a skirt because it dries quickly but a bright yellow skirt (Eileen Fisher, thrifted) because it isspring, after all.  I paired the skirt with a gray tee (Old Navy) and a black cardigan (Gap) because Oregon�s spring weather requires layers.  I added cuffed boots (Gap) so my toes don�t get wet (I hate wet toes), a silver necklace-as-bracelet and a silver, fringe necklace (as necklace, Jessica Simpson Collection via Macys).

Happy Thursday, All!  I hope your weather is less psychotic!

Gracey

Coral Pop

So, apparently I really do love a high-waist, regardless of whether they love me or not (it�s a tumultuous relationship, to say the least).  I�m wearing one again today, this time in skirt form:

Last time I wore this skirt and sweater together, the lovely and fabulous Jodi, of Day2DayWear, suggested a pop of pink.  I didn�t have a pop of pink but I do have a pop of coral, which is a pinky-orange and so is practically the same thing, right?  True pink or pinky-orange, Jodi was right, I love the added color.

The coral pop comes both from my belt (Steve Madden via Ross) and my coral-and-Peruvian-jade earrings (2010 Crafty Wonderland purchase).  And I really do love the coral with both the aqua sweater (Target 2011) and the blue skirt (vintage, thrifted).  I also added a camel Mary Jane wedge (Corso Como via Piperlime) and a few bracelets.

Today�s Takeaway?  Everything is better with orange, be it pinky-orange, tangerine or traffic cone.  Trust me, I have a blog.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

P.S. Thank you all for your kind words about my photos yesterday; I�m still all out of sorts but am taking the ostrich route to recovery.  It�s only a problem if you don�t like sand in your ears.

Love the Outfit, Hate the Photos

You know those days where you feel great in an outfit right up until the point where you see the pictures?  I think I�m having one of those days.  I think maybe I had one of those days yesterday too.  I thought it was the sun, but it�s overcast today and I still can�t seem to photograph worth a damn.

Don�t worry though; today�s post isn�t another photo-free post.  This is what I wore today:

Seriously, y�all, I adoredthis outfit when I left the house this morning.  I love the crazy print and the high waist of the pants (silk, thrifted).  And I love this sweater (Old Navy) for its lovely color, open-weave and button-back:

And I love the two together and with the nude platform sandals (Banana Republic). 

But I do not love the photos.  At all.  I don�t think it�s the outfit; though it could be, I�m not sure high-waists are my thing.  Really though, I think it�s me.  Work has been hectic which makes me feel unsettled and unable to just relax and take a picture.  I�m just flat out twitchy.

Oh, well.  What�s a girl to do, right?  Right.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

P.S. Autie asked for a close up of the shoes:

Banana Republic "Natalie"

 

Words, Not Pictures

So, I have no pictures of today's outfit.  I did wear clothes and they were good, serviceable clothes, but the photos were an epic fail.  Basically, it's sunny here today and that threw a bit of a monkey wrench in our picture-taking endeavors.  (We don't know what we're doing).

Therefore, for today, we just have words, not pictures.

Speaking of summery weather, this past weekend was gorgeous.  We actually made it to the 80s.  In April!  In Oregon!  And it was glorious.  As predicted, I did some reading in the sun but I also was actually surprisingly busy given my natural inclination towards laziness.

Let's see.  On Friday night I went out with my friend, Alex to a local bar to listen to a local band.  The band is called Rock n' Roll Cowboys and they are country rock?  I don't know, but I believe this is a thing.  We mostly just went for the rock portion, but the band is a lot of fun and we danced most of the night and even ended up singing along to "God Bless Texas" because the chorus is extremely easy to learn.  Really, in spite of our lack of familiarity with the country portion of their performance, we ended up having a great time.  We're actually planning on seeing them play this coming weekend too.

On Saturday, Alex and I went thrifting where I got a silk tee that I am actually wearing today (don't worry, it'll surface again), a vintage top, a skirt that I've already hemmed and a prom dress for 80s prom for my little sister.  It's awesome.  Which reminds me, I found my prom dress a couple of weeks ago and it's gorgeous and hideous at the same time.  It's less prom than last year's but very, very 80s.  I'll try to remember to give you guys a sneak peek soon.

On Sunday, I read in the sun and then went for a long (hour-and-a-half) walk around one of our local parks with a friend.  The park was unsurprisingly packed but it was still fun.  Sunday evening I went to the "Club Dance" workout and it basically kicked my heinie.  Seriously, I haven't popped my booty that much since my college days.  Between the booty-popping, arm-waving and hip-thrusting, I am sore as heck today.  But, I will definitely go back; it was hard, but it was so much fun!

Oh, and I almost forgot one of my favorite things I did over the weekend was to watch that new HBO series, Girls.  Natasha Fatah talks about it a bit on her post, here, but basically, I thought it was pretty great.  I didn't love it unreservedly, as it's not always easy to watch, but I'll definitely watch it again.  Have any of you seen it?

Happy Monday, All!  I'll figure out how to take pictures in the sun tomorrow (or you'll just get really, really bad pictures).

Gracey

Citron and Gray

I should have called this post �Citron and Wrinkles� because, holy smokes, does this blouse get wrinkly.  And this is after I ironed it this morning:

 

I still love it though, wrinkles and all; I just think citron is such a sunny, pretty color.  Because it�s still not quite warm yet here, although I do believe this weekend will be gorgeous, I paired the blouse (Old Navy) with gray jeans (Gap).  Because it�s not exactly cold today either, I risked an open toe and wore studded wedges (Vince Camuto).  I added a silver fringe necklace (Jessica Simpson Collection via Macys) and my vintage turquoise-bracelet (Ray�s Ragtime).

Most importantly, however, is that today is Friday!  About which I am even more excited than usual.  I have random, tentative plans for this weekend that may or may not involve music (listening, not playing; don�t be silly), sewing (undoubtedly poorly), a dance workout (Club Dance?  I don�t even know, but I�m excited) and/or hiking.  Realistically though, I�ll probably do nothing but sit in the sun reading a book.  Because I�m lazy like that.

What about you, Reader Friends?  Any exciting plans?  Or will you be joining me on the HMS Lazy?

Whatever your plans (or lack thereof), have a wonderful weekend, Everyone!

Gracey

Back to Boots

Oregon refuses to play along with my plans to fake Spring.  The weather has, instead, gotten progressively colder and wetter as the week has gone on.  I snuck some sandals in on Tuesday but was forced back to boots today:

The good news?  I was able to wear the boots sans tights.  Here in Oregon, we call that progress.  In addition to boots (Born Crown �Sosie� via Nordstrom), I wore a rose-colored skirt (thrifted, and hemmed by me) paired with a multi-colored sheer blouse (Liberty Love via Nordstrom Rack) and a studded belt (Michael Michael Kors via Nordstrom).

The better news?  This long, cold, wet week is nearly done. 

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Another Animal Print Piece? I�m A-Fraas So

It�s no secret that I love animal print; I am, in fact, one of those people who consider it a neutral.  So, when the fine people at Fraas offered to send* me a new animal print scarf, I jumped at the chance.  And I was not disappointed � this Fraas scarf is just lovely:

It�s nice and lightweight so I can wear it throughout the spring and even as a wrap on cooler summer nights.  And the coloring is pretty neutral, both proving my point and allowing me to pair it with a lot of different items in my closet. 

Today I paired it with a cream, tiered blouse (Nordstrom), coral waterfall cardigan (Nordstrom), dark trouser jeans (Banana Republic), heeled booties (Nine West via TJ Maxx), lion earrings (vintage) and a turquoise-bead bracelet (vintage).  I wore the scarf long to match the flow of the cardigan and felt long and lean all day, despite the ruffles and layers.

Interested in an elongating and versatile Fraas scarf of your own?  They are available at department & specialty stores across the world and can also be purchased at fraas.com and amazon.com.  Not a fan of animal print?  Fraas makes all sorts of different patterns, from dragonflies to stripes to watercolor-like florals, and they're all gorgeous.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

*Yes, this scarf was sent to me free of charge, but you all know I�d tell you if it were less than awesome.

Hot Pink Pants! Hot Pink Pants!

I am finally (finally!) the proud owner of some hot pink pants.  And they�re so nice; I had to say it twice.  These are the pants:

So pink!  I love them.  I have wanted hot pink crops since bloggers like Lyddie at Chic on the Cheap sported the Old Navy ones with such aplomb.  I even tried the Old Navy ones, even though they didn�t come in tall.  That was an extremely unsuccessful experiment (think clam diggers with a funny crotch).

But, a couple of weeks ago, as I was wandering around Ross Dress for Less, the heavens opened and shone down on these lovely, so very pink pants.  On clearance!  In my size!  Of course I had to wait for the weather to warm up so I could wear them; it didn�t, but I wore them anyway.  I paired the pants (Michael Michael Kors) with a navy and white tunic (Old Navy), nude platforms (Banana Republic), a fringe necklace (Jessica Simpson via Macys) and pink drop earrings (gifted � thanks, Nan!).

To recap: I have pink pants!!!

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

 

Gracey

Sir Hems-a-Lot

Yes, there are pictures, but first we�re going to explore the etiology of today�s title.  Won�t that be fun?  (BTW: the answer we're looking for is yes, folks).

Sir: I don�t think I look particularly mannish in this outfit, but somebody called me �Sir� today.  Maybe it�s because I didn�t wear earrings?  Let that be a lesson to you, Gentle Readers, accessorize or suffer the consequences.

Hems-a-Lot: I went on a hemming rampage a few weeks ago, taking quite a few of my midi-length dresses to above the knee.  Which isn�t to say I�ve given up midis; I just wanted a little variety.  This dress was one of the victims of that rampage:

Today:

Before:

Unlike previous outfits with this dress, I�m sans tights and I paired it with lighter, more spring-like accessories.  Instead of my dark brown boots, I opted for camel-colored ones (Steve Madden).  And in addition to the boots, I added a coral belt (Steve Madden via Ross), a couple of vintage bracelets (thrifted & gifted) and a watch.

Because faking Spring is almost as good as really having Spring arrive.

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Gracey

Pattern Mixing 101

I think a lot of people shy away from pattern mixing because two patterns close together can be unsettling to the eye.  I don�t mind being unsettled or unsettling, but can understand how pattern mixing is an acquired taste.  So, today I am demonstrating one of the easiest ways to mix patterns in an outfit.  It�s Pattern Mixing 101:

Photo via Piperlime

For today's lesson, I paired a striped tee (Jones New York via Ross) with abstract floral flats (Nine West �Fascinate� via Piperlime) and dark jeans (Gap Real Straight).  I also added a vintage turquoise-colored bracelet for a little color in the top half of the outfit.

Now, let�s break down why this works: 

One, if you�re going to mix patterns, it really is best, especially at first, to keep the patterns in the same color family.  In this case, although my shoes are a lovely shade of tangerine, the pattern on them is the same color as the pattern on the top (or at least close enough for government work). 

Two, the stripes and floral aren�t at all jarring because they�re not close together; instead they separated by the expanse of the jeans. 

Three, it works because I believe it does; seriously, a little confidence goes a long way.

So, how about it, Reader Friends; if you don�t already mix patterns, does this help you get started?

Happy Friday, Everyone!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Gracey

It�s Pretty, It�s Just Not Good for Bike Riding

It is almost impossible to ride a bike in a pencil skirt.  Scratch that.  It�s almost impossible to mount, ride or dismount a bike gracefully in a pencil skirt.  I know this.  I�ve been riding my bike for a couple of years now and have a pretty good idea of what works.  Pencil skirts don�t work.

However, I sometimes just feel like wearing them anyway.  Today was one of those times:

I thought I could get away with it because this skirt isn't as fitted as some pencil skirts.  I was wrong.  I think the combination of the skirt and the wedges was just too much to handle.  I made it without incident, but trust me, it was not pretty.

The skirt though ispretty.  It�s just not good for bike riding.  I still love it though � cobalt is one of my favorite colors and I like the added color of the embroidery.  I actually created this skirt from a vintage Guatemalan dress that was damaged on top.  And by created, I mean I just cut off the top and added some elastic.  

Why, yes, I do have mad sewing skills.  Thanks for noticing.

I paired the skirt (rummage-saled) with a striped tee (J. Crew), wedge sandals (Corso Como via Piperlime), an oxidized-buckle belt (thrifted), bangles (Nordstrom & thrifted) & a necklace from my blogger-friend, Erin (thanks, Erin!).

To recap: Pencil skirts are not good for bike riding, I like cobalt, a lot, and I have secretly amazing sewing skills.  Oh, andI�m linking up to Thursday�s are for Thrifters.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Double Dots

For some reason it�s hard for me to wear this sweater without pairing it with another printed piece.  Sometimes it�s more polka dots, sometimes it�s giraffes.  Today it�s more polka dots.  Again:

But, really folks, besides giraffes, what goes better with giant polka dots than smaller polka dots?  That�s right, nothing.  So smaller polka dots it is.  This time I paired my large dot sweater (Old Navy) with a  small dot dress (Coldwater Creek, thrifted) the collar of which isn�t crooked, it�s delightfully askew (I love that word).  And, because it rained off and on today but still wasn�t too cold, I wore bare legs (Two days in a row!  It�s practically summer up in this piece!) and nude Mary Jane wedges (Corso Como via Piperlime).  Oh, and hot pink earrings (Last Thursday vendor) because it�s also hard for me to wear navy blue without adding hot pink.

The skirt on this dress is a bit long but I haven�t decided if I�ll shorten it or not.  Instead, I just wore the last two buttons undone which is a trick I learned from Alexa Chung, of all people.  The the nude shoes and undone buttons help lengthen the legs which may have been shortened by the length of the skirt (the buttons make more sense in motion).

That�s right, I just advised you to wear your skirts unbuttoned.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

 

Easter Egg Dressing

I�m dressed like an Easter egg today.  Just in case you all didn�t get enough of it on Sunday:

Actually, I didn�t intentionally dress like an Easter egg, but EBEW and Target conspired against me.   I knew I was going to wear this blazer for the Everybody, Everywear Pastels Challenge, but I didn�t know what I was going to wear with it.  Enter Target.  What started out as a harmless trip to buy Q-tips and a birthday present resulted in my seeing this dress, squealing with joy, pondering the hi-lo hem, deciding to get it anyway and wearing it with this blazer.

So, you see, it�s not my fault I�m dressed like an Easter egg.  I just love this dress (Target) and this blazer (vintage, thrifted) and I happen to love them together, so I wore them together.  I also wore platform sandals (MRKT via DSW), a thin belt (Gap) and a tassel pendant (Old Navy).

Allergic to eggs?  You can (probably) see less egg-like pastel-wearing at Everybody, Everywear.  Probably.  I mean, it�s doubtful anyone else dressed like an egg, but you should go check it out just to be sure.

And have a Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Gracey

Straight Outta Boca

Straight Outta Boca is both where these pants look like they came from and the name of the octogenarian rock band I�m going to start when I get older.  However, the rock band is the future and the pants are now, so let�s talk about the pants:

They�re double knit plaid, they only cost me a quarter and I�m pretty sure they are vintage, men�s golf pants, albeit for a not very tall man.  I can totally see them on the golf course in Boca Raton in the 60s.  Pete Campbell would wear these pants.   

The funny thing is that I wouldn�t say that man-shaped in any way, but I�ll be darned if these man pants don�t fit me better than any other crops I�ve ever had.  I mean, they�re a little big in the waist, but they don�t make my hips or thighs stabby.  And they go well with my coral sweater (Target) and leopard wedges (Tahari via DSW).  Man pants, people; they�re awesome.

In fact?  Today�s Takeaway?  When in doubt, man pants.

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Whiskers Be Gone

So, I love the fit of the jeans I wore today.  They are the Gap Real Straight Jeans and while I love me some skinnies, I feel a  bit hip-heavy if I wear skinnies with flats.  But, these straight-legged jeans work well both with flats and my hips.  Unfortunately, they also have crotch-whiskers:

February 2011 - just a girl and her whiskers

Seriously?  What is that?  I know they�re supposed to make me look like one of the cool kids with a favorite pair of jeans that I�ve worn nearly into whiskery oblivion, but they don�t.  They make me look like my pelvis is hungry for some Fancy Feast.

Well, they hadcrotch-whiskers.  I've since dyed them:

Much better, yes?  No more pelvic yearning for a catnip mouse and a sunny corner.  Instead of distracting from the rest of the outfit, they add to it.  Today the rest of the outfit consists of a coral tunic (Gap), gray cardigan (also Gap), a multicolored scarf (Nordstrom) and blue velvet flats (v. old, Old Navy). 

Have pesky crotch whiskers of your own?  Try dying your jeans; I used Rit Navy for mine and just followed the directions on the box.  If you want darker color, both Sal, of Already Pretty, and Jessica, of What I Wore, have great tutorials on over-dying.

Happy Friday, Everyone!  This weekend I have, what I�m assuming will be a miserably cold birthday party at the zoo tomorrow and, of course, Easter is Sunday.

So, Happy Friday and Happy Easter!

Gracey