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

Confidence in Heels

I wear a lot of high heels:

And I'm tall.  So, when lovely reader Janet asked me about if I had any tips on confidence for tall girls in heels, saying,�I wore a 4inch pair the other night and while my husband loved it I got stares and comments non-stop from strangers on the street and ended up feeling very self-conscious... Would love to hear how you feel/think about tall girls in heels...� I knew I was the right blogger for the job.

As I said in my reply to Janet, I�m thrilled to be asked about this because this is a topic very near and dear to my heart.  I haven�t always been confident enough to wear the 5�-heels that I wear today.  And even though I am, for the most part, very comfortable in my heels, even I get to feeling self-conscious sometimes.  But, I have a few tricks for maintaining confidence even when I�m taller than everyone else in the room.

Here is the thing about wearing high heels.  There will always be stares and there will often be comments.  When I put on my heels, I know for a fact that I am going to get stares.  I know this.  But, I�m six foot tall, so I get stares even when I�m in flats.  Knowing that they�re coming has helped me prepare for them.  And, I�ve found that if I�m confident in my look, it changes the nature of the stares and comments.  Seriously, exuding confidence changes the stares/comments from �Holy smokes, Hubert, look at that freakishly tall woman� to �I wish I were tall; I bet she can reach the top cupboard so easily.�

So, how do you get that confidence?  By being comfortable with your look.  For example, don�t wear shoes that are too tall or otherwise physically uncomfortable for you.  It�s like wearing a short skirt.  It only seems too short to the people around you if you�re tugging on it like it�s too short.  If you rock that skirt like it�s a perfectly acceptable length, people won�t give it a second look (unless its obscenely short, but I know you know better than to do that).  The same is true for high heels.  If you stride in those heels (no tottering) like it�s normal for you to be 6�5�, people will admire your height (and your poise).  They won't question it or try to get you to join their cut-rate circus.

Another tip is to tone down the rest of your outfit when you�re wearing heels.  Most people can accept heels, especially when they�re worn with confidence.  But, a combination of heels, sequins, layered necklaces, a turban and a caftan might just be too much for the average person.  Now, if this is your look, and, mark my words, it will be mylook in about twenty years, then go for it.  But, if you don�t want to draw any more attention to yourself than being 6�5� brings, a less diva-like look is your best bet. 

Which brings us to the third tip.  If a sequined caftan and turban is what you feel best in, then wear it.  When you wear heels, you want to wear what you feel looks best on you.  Because, as I said above, people are going to stare.  So, if you�re going to have all those eyes on you, make sure you�re wearing something you want people to see you in.  Whatever that is. This is especially true if you're new to wearing heels.  You don't want to go too far out of your comfort zone all at once.  Yes, I know it worked for Sandy in Grease, but for us mere mortals, it's best to take baby-steps.  

And, finally, if all else fails, you can always fall back on faking it until you make it.  I'm pretty sure the less-tall among us can sense our discomfort and if they think that you feel weird being so tall, they'll think it's weird too.  But, if you exude comfortable, calm confidence, they'll just figure that everything's kosher.  And, as an added benefit to this particular trick, even if you're not feeling particularly confident in your height, if you act like you are, you'll receive some positive comments that can actually make you feel confident for real.  It might sound crazy, but trust me, it really does work.

This concludes my tips and tricks for wearing heels with confidence.  How about you, Dearest Reader Friends?  Do you have any tricks to share?


Gracey

Pinspiration: Stripes and Tropical Florals

One of the trends I loved most this summer was bold, tropical prints.  That love led me to Pin this picture:

Image via stylecaster.com

Pattern mixing with a tropical floral?  Yes, please!

When I first Pinned this look, I didn�t have the pieces to recreate it.  But then, during my Nosh Opping Expedition, I saw the perfect jacket (with a matching skirt) at a local Goodwill.  Unfortunately, I couldn�t buy it, what with the shopping ban and all, but my friend Alex, being the best friend ever, later went back and bought it for me! 

And so, it is the result of my friend�s generosity that present to you my version of the above Pinspired look:

My jacket is vintage, thrifted and gifted (thanks, Alex!!) and my striped tee is Old Navy.  Cocoa-colored short shorts don�t exist in my wardrobe so I wore rolled jeans (Gap Always Skinny, sized up) instead.  And I added a patent belt (Nine West), pointy-toe pumps (thrifted), a turquoise bracelet (gifted) and coral earrings (Crafty Wonderland).

Here is a close-up on the print on my jacket:

 

Now if I can just find a way to wear the matching skirt�

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

Gracey

Boy�s Club

Alternately Titled: Gracey Wears Khakis

These are the only khakis I own.  I have had them for years and if I�ve ever worn them, I don�t recall.  They just aren�t really my style.  I know a lot of women wear khakis, and with great success, on a daily basis, but to me, they feel like menswear, which I do NOT know how to style so I usually avoid borrowing from the boys.   Today, though, I thought I�d give it a shot:

Is it truly androgynous?  Probably not.  But, it�s a level of androgyny I feel comfortable with.  And I really do feel like the looser fit of the pants, the neutral color palette and even the tie-neck blouse are a nod to menswear.  I paired the pants (Gap) with a semi-sheer black sweater (Target) layered over a cream bow blouse (Old Navy).  I also added black suede heels (Me Too via Nordstrom Rack).  I could have gone with flats, which may have been more authentic, but that would have put this outfit way outside my comfort zone and I am not that adventurous.

This outfit is actually a result of my heading back into the Valley of the Duplicates in The Giants Closet.  I have these same pants in grey also and have this same sweater in beige.  I�ve worn the grey pants at least once before, but am not sure I wear either pair enough to warrant having/keeping two pairs.  As for the sweater, I wear the black version fairly frequently, but don�t know that I�ve ever worn the beige version.  Because it�s beige.  I�m just sayin�.  But, I�ll try to wear both of the other pieces this week and decide if I really need all four pieces or just one pair of the pants and one of the sweaters.   Or any of the pants and sweaters.  So many decisions�

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Gracey

Bonus Footage: Gracey Goes to a Concert

I went for a Journey cover band, also got a Bon Jovi cover band and a lovely acoustic trio that performed a surprisingly amusing/amazing Color Me Badd cover.  It was fantastic.

What I wore:

I never have any idea what to wear to concerts, but I figured something neon-adjacent was probably appropriate given the whole Journey/80s thing.  So, I layered a neon & tan print tank (thrifted) over a white tank (Target) with black skinnies (Gap Outlet).  I added a black blazer (Gap), which ended up not being worn, a vintage, tasseled cross-body bag (thrifted), strappy heels (v. old, Nine West) and some jewelry, including some of my favorite earrings (Betsy & Iya �Hooded Wonder� via Mabel & Zora).

Close up of the bag:

Close up of the earrings:

The night started with an acoustic band called Guy Dilly and The Twin Powers.  And they are absolutely amazing.  There are just three of them and the drummer was my favorite.  Her �drum� was a wooden box that she sat on while playing and she also played a tambourine (with her foot!) and sang back up vocal at the same time!  She�s basically my idol.  You can see her, and the rest of the band, in this video from a performance in December:

If you ever get a chance to hear this band, do it.  They�re great.  In fact, you can find out about their upcoming performances and see more video, here.

The headliners of the night were, as I mentioned Friday, a Journey tribute band called Stone in Love.  They really are amazing and so much fun.  They completely encourage crowd participation, which I love, because who doesn�t love belting out Journey songs at the top of their lungs?  No one in this crowd, that�s for sure:

 After Stone in Love, we were treated to a sort of sneak preview of one of the newer cover bands in town (there is a surprising amount), called Steel Horse.  They are a Bon Jovi cover band and their lead singer has an amazing voice.  They were still a little rough around the edges, but it was still super fun to watch and yowl along to:

And that was my Saturday night. 

How about you, Reader Friends?  How was your weekend?

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Signature Silhouette

I may not have a signature style but I would be willing to claim this silhouette as my signature silhouette:

I�m not claiming this is the most flattering silhouette for everyone, I�m saying it�s the silhouette myparticular body feels the most comfortable in.  Although, I think one of the reasons I feel so comfortable in it is because I do feel like it flatters me.  For me, a full skirt, defined waist, fitted top and heels is fail-safe.  Made of win, if you will.

Today�s winning outfit is a vintage, pleated skirt in bright poppy (thifted) paired with a navy- and white-striped tee (Target), bright, multicolored belt (Target), platform sandals (Banana Republic �Natalie�) and a few bracelets.  And seriously?  I love it.

Do you have a signature silhouette, Dear Reader Friends?  If so, what is it?

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

P.S. - Come to prom with me!

Butterscotch and Mauve: Take Two

Last time I wore this outfit, the proportions were off:

At the time, I blamed it on the boots, but it wasn�t entirely their fault.  It was the combination of the boots and the skirt.

Now, I�m the first to admit that I don�t always pay attention to proportion.  Looking at my pictures, I think I sometimes treat this is a personal smile blog instead of a personal style blog.  Which is fine, I like to smile (obviously, I guess), but I do also like style.  So, this time around, I shortened the skirt and remixed the outfit with different shoes:

A close up of the tights

And, I think it worked.  It�s still a color combination I love; it�s just also now an outfit that I love.  I kept the same butterscotch sweater (thrifted) and paired it with the same mauve skirt (thrifted and now hemmed).  I added the same gray Swiss dot tights (Hue via Macys) and the same silk bow tie (thrifted).  But, this time I wore burgundy pumps (Naya �Jada� via Nordstrom) instead of boots; which, along with the shortened skirt, made all the difference.

Also, it snowed today in Oregon.  A lot.  My friend Kathy said it was a sign of the impending apocalypse.  I heard �zombie apocalypse� and made this face:

And with that, I wish you all a Happy Wednesday!

Gracey

Eclectic Jungle

Folks?  I think this might be one of my favorite outfits ever.  Ever:

I mean, sure, it�s a lot, but I think that�s part of what I like about it.  Well, that and the fact that it includes a lot of my favorite pieces.  Take the blouse, for example; it�s kitschy and it makes me ridiculously happy.  The skirt, in spite of it�s tricky length, is also one of my favorites.  And the blazer, which is new to my closet, was love at first sight.  It looks like polka dots in these photos, but they're actually diamonds:

And wearing these pieces all together?  I�m not sure it could get any better.  I especially like that I was able to winterize the blouse (vintage, thrifted) and this skirt (vintage, thrifted) with the addition of the blazer (vintage 80s Ann Taylor, thrifted).  I wore both the blouse and the skirt quite a few times last summer, but they�re very lightweight.  Adding the blazer and the tights (Spanx) definitely made them comfortable for winter.  And I added oxblood pumps (Naya �Jada� via Nordstrom), just because.

I also added my vintage lion earrings even though we all know lions don�t live in the jungle (they live in the Serengeti):

And some bangles:

Oh, and my owl belt snuck in there too, but I forgot to get a picture.

All in all, I�m not sure that this should work and I�m not even sure it did work, but I know I love it.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Old Fashioned

My friend, Kathy, said I look old fashioned today.  I suppose it was inevitable that someone would make that comment.  After all, the majority of this outfit is vintage:

The floral dress is vintage from an antique mall in Albany, OR.  The blazer is vintage Montgomery Ward from my thrifting trip with Kelsey (Hi, Kelsey!).  And the cameo bracelet is vintage from an antique mall in Nashville, TN.  I also added my vintage lion-head earrings, olive tights (Hue) and tasseled booties (Seychelles via Nordstrom).

I know the idea is to try to modernize vintage items, but I just didn�t care to today.  Besides which, I rather like today�s outfit.  In spite of the fact that it�s all matchy-matchy and muted tones, in addition to being old fashioned, it still feels like me.  More than likely that's due to my adherence to this silhouette - my thighs and I like it best.

Or, maybe, I�m just old fashioned.  (Probably not though).

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Gracey

WeeCap: Mad Men

My friend Alex and I are huge Mad Men fans; as much for clothes as for the wonderful acting, writing and that sexy misogynist, Don Draper.  So, when we heard that the theme for this year�s annual Salem Art Association Clay Ball was Mad Men, we knew we had to go.  And we knew we had to go all out.

Unfortunately, I didn�t have anything appropriately 60s in my closet, so I had to go shopping.  Luckily I was able to find this dress at an antique mall in Albany:

I realize in looking at these pictures that it�s a little too big for me, which I didn�t notice before because too big vintage is not often an issue I run into.  I�ll probably have to take it in before I wear it again.

Fit aside, I knew I had to get this dress as soon as I saw the fabulous sleeves � I love that they�re unattached and sequined.  Not that the sequins were enough; oh, no, I had to add some rhinestones too:

I embellished my hair with two clip-on rhinestone earrings, wore the rhinestone earrings and a bracelet and added a rhinestone pin to my clutch.

Unlike me, Alex had the foresight to buy a gorgeous 60s gown a couple years ago:

Isn�t it amazing? She also accessorized with rhinestones and added long white gloves and major lashes.

And then we were off to the party.  And, you guys?  It was so much fun.  The first couple of hours were the silent auction, drinks and hors d�oeuvres.  And a photo booth:

Erich McVey Photography was there with a very cool wall of old advertisements from the late 50s and early 60s.  If you want to see more pictures from the event, go to http://www.hautebooth.com/ and you can see a bunch of the other party goers.

After the silent auction we had dinner and the live auction � it was the first I�d ever attended, and it was fabulous.  Really, the whole night was fabulous.  Except that my feet hurt the next day.

It doesn�t help that I was out dancing Friday night too but by Sunday, the dogs were barking.  Luckily, I had some of these to wear around the next day:

They�re Kushyfoot Flats-to-Go and they�re wonderful.  They fit easily into my purse and they really are cushy.  When I received them from the fine folks at Kushyfoot, I was a little worried because the size is 9/10 and in my experience, things that have two size on them never fit the larger size listed.  But, I was wrong; these wonderfully comfortable flats really do fit my monstrous size 10 feet easily.

My pair is black embossed crocodile, but these fabulous flats also come in bronze alligator, zebra, polka dot, snake, perforated cream, black patent and silver.  And they're only $9.99 per pair in drug stores everywhere.  Or, of course, you can get some at kushyfoot.com.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well!

Gracey