Black on Black on Black

The lovely Fashionista Next Door has challenged us to wear all black as part of Style Me Friday.  And y'all?  This was crazy hard for me.

That's right, I had trouble putting together leggings and a tunic.

The thing is, I don't wear black from head-to-toe.  I pretty much have to have a pop of color; scarf, earrings, something.  Or something shiny.  I had to force myself to back away from my Foxxy Anubis brooch this morning.

However, I (sometimes) like a good challenge so I bit the bullet and resisted the urge to add color or shine, depending instead on different textures to (hopefully) add interest to my monochromatic look.

I, apparently, also wanted to show how it was possible to wear head-to-toe black and not look sleek and cool.

But, enough about my enduring fluffiness.  Let's get back to the texture:

Yes, my sweater is texturally interesting.  And yes, I do have to make that face when providing a close-up of this tunic. Rules is rules, folks.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

The Faux Cowl Point

You see this mustard cowl?

It's not a cowl at all.  It's a faux cowl I created by draping this sweater vest around my neck:

Thrifted vintage wool sweater vest

Why?  Because I wanted a brightly colored, warm scarf to brighten up my otherwise neutral outfit.  Specifically, I wanted mustard, but, for some reason, I don't own a mustard scarf (I know, I'm surprised too). 

So, I did what anybody would do in my situation; I used my mustard vest as a scarf:

Jacket: Nordstrom (similar) Dress/Tunic: Target  Leggings: Target  Boots: Gap (similar)

And I'm glad I did.  I think the mustard brightens up this whole look and is the perfect focal point.  Or faux cowl point, if you will.  Yes, it's terrible and no, I can't stop.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Whither the Kitsch?

The other day Sally wore an outfit where she said she was dressed for "almost herself."  I know exactly what she means.  This outfit is almost me, but not quite:

Target tunic-dress & leggings, Nordstrom cardigan, Macy's belt & thrifted boots.

It's me in that it involves bright colors, worn together.  And leggings; I love leggings darn it.  And boots.  I'm all about the boots.  But, it's still not quite me.

I think it's because there is nothing fun or particularly interesting about this outfit.  (That's right; I think I'm more interesting than this.  I said it).  It's also really drape-y.  I think I'm more comfortable in slightly more structured items with some fun to them.  I was physically comfortable in this, but it doesn't speak to my fun-loving, kitschy soul.  Whither the kitsch, Gracey, whither the kitsch?

Don't worry.  I'll probably get it together by next week.  Probably.

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

My Thighs Hate It

� but the rest of me loves it.  �It� being my new-to-me vintage tunic:

 

I do love it, but my thighs seriously hate it.  In fact, I can�t even button it all the way to the bottom without them threatening to Hulk out.  But, that�s okay, I just wore it over leggings with the bottom two buttons undone and my thighs stopped yelling about being suffocated in polyester.  They are so dramatic.

In addition to the tunic (vintage, gifted) and leggings (Target), I also wore boots (Enzo Angolini �Saylem� via Nordstrom) and another lady-tie (silk Brooks Brothers via St. Vincent Depaul).  Because it�s International Lady-Tie Week.  Okay, it�s not, but it should be.  Perhaps the next time my thighs are at the UN attempting to get recognized as an independent republic, I�ll float the idea past the General Assembly.  I can't imagine any country not supporting that proposal.

Enough about the lady-tie though, let�s get back to the tunic.  The fact of the matter is; I wasn�t going to allow my pouty, secessionist thighs to ruin this tunic for me.  I love this thing.  I love the crazy print:

And I love how it came to end up in my closet.   

This tunic was originally purchased by my fabulous friend, Jeanne, when we were shopping together at Vintage by the Pound.  I didn�t fight her for it because she was a guest in my city, but I did cast a lot of covetous looks in her direction.  And then, the other day, she mailed it to me out of the blue!  Needless to say, I was thrilled and Jeanne is awesome.

Happy Thursday, Everyone!  And Happy International Lady-Tie Week!

Gracey

Black and Blue and a Lynne Pin

Some time back, awesome, fabulous, gorgeous blogger friend Lynne sent me an awesome, fabulous, gorgeous vintage pin:

I wore it with black and blue: 

In what was, apparently, the most confusing outfit I�ve ever worn.  As I was leaving the house, my sister said �That�s a cute� thing.�  I asked her what thing she was talking about and she said my outfit.  She said she didn�t know what it was, but she liked it.  And, later in the day, I was trying to talk to my manager and he just kept staring at me until I asked him what the problem was.  He said he just didn�t understand what he was looking at.  I explained that it was three different pieces all layered together.

Specifically, I layered a turtleneck (Gap) under a cap-sleeve bow blouse (via Vintage by the Pound) and topped them both with a sleeveless wool dress (vintage Liberty House via Goodwill):

I also added leggings (Macys), a studded belt (JC Penney) and cuffed boots (Gap).  Oh, and neon pink stud earrings (Kate Spade New York via Nordstrom): 

image via Nordstrom.com

Confusing or not, this was one of my all-time favorite outfits.  I�ll be the first to admit that my attempts at layering don�t always work, but I think I frickin� nailed this one. 

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

It Just Makes Good Sense

I know a lot of people move towards more somber, drab colors in fall and winter, but I like to continue to wear my brights:

 

One, because brightly colored clothes make me happy and after much deliberation, I�ve decided that�s my aesthetic.  Happy.  Two, because it just makes good sense.  For example, if you�re caught in a freak snow storm, would you rather be wearing gray or a bright color?  The correct answer is, of course, a bright color.  So the search party can find you.

Today�s bright color is turquoise and is brought to you by my sweater (Nordstrom, thrifted) and the stripes on my skirt (Target).  I also wore leggings (Target) and fold-over boots (Chinese Laundry via Piperlime).  Also, yes, my skirt is navy and my leggings are black.  That�s just the way I roll.

Happy Friday, Everyone!  Enjoy your weekend!  And, remember, brightly colored clothes make you easier to rescue!

Gracey

Shop The Look

Similar turquoise sweater

Similar skirt

Target leggings

Similar fold-over boots

 

 

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It Got Cold, I Overreacted

Apparently the Oregon Weather Gods got tired of fellow Oregon blogger, Stacey, and I writing about our recent great weather, because it got cold last night.  And, as I always do when it first gets cold, I overreacted:

Did I really need both the sweater coat and a flannel scarf layered over the chambray tunic and jeggings?  Maybe not.  But, as I said, when the weather drops about 20 degrees in three days, I have a tendency to overreact. 

Also, this is the same DIY scarf I wore on Monday, and in Monday�s comments, the Menopausal Super Model asked how I made it.  The answer?  Crookedly.  Actually, that�s not entirely true.  In spite of the fact that I can�t draw, cut or sew a straight line (I have SLD, or Straight Line Disorder (it�s totally a real thing)) I still managed to do okay with this scarf by following the lines of the plaid for cutting.  It is sewn a little bit crooked though because my left arm is still weak and I can�t guide fabric in a straight line even when I don�t have the excuse of a broken elbow.

The good news is that it�s an infinity scarf and wrapped around my neck you can�t tell it�s crooked, which is why I knew this was the project for me.  I got the idea from the lovely Franziska at Franishh, who used this tutorial.  I used the same tutorial and it was really easy, especially if you don�t worry about your lines being straight.

Yep, looks straight(ish) to me!

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Shop The Look

Similar sweater coat

CJ by Cookie Johnson python print leggings

MIA �Roam� boots (on sale now at Piperlime)

Similar chambray tunic

Similar flannel scarf

** 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.