A Reprieve

We're having a reprieve from the rain for a few days and it is delightful.  It's still pretty cold in the mornings but the afternoons have been glorious.  So I took the opportunity to shed some layers:

I know, it's not a very fall-like palette but I actually really liked the skirt (Old Navy) with the gray sweater (JC Penney).  But the boots (Enzo Angolini via Nordstrom, similar), the boots are totally fall-like.  An effect I probably ruined with my pink and blue necklace (via Etsy shop, Nest of the Bluebird) and neon pink studs (Kate Spade New York).

Still, I'm sure I'll be back to fall colors once Oregon gets back to fall weather.

Happy Friday, All.  And have a lovely weekend!

Gracey

Before the Rains Came

So, I'm not actually wearing this dress today:

Vintage RK Originals dress, Gap boots & Kate Spade New York earrings

Nor did I wear it yesterday as is usually the case.  No, I wore this before the rains came.  Over the weekend, Oregon remembered that it's Oregon and it has a responsibility to rain steadily from the first day of autumn through the last day of spring.  It's off to a great start.

But, enough about the weather.  Let's talk about the dress.  I think it's from the 60s and I think it's fabulous.

My favorite part is the studded trim:

Seriously, aren't those just the most ladylike little studs you've ever seen?

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Day 2: Black & Blue & Neon Too

For Day One of the Perfect 10 Remix Challenge, I wore stripes.  For Day Two, I wore solids:

And for Day Three, I�m planning on mixing stripes and a solid.  Just kidding, I have no plans for Day Three.  I prefer to go where the morning takes me.

And, on Day Two, the morning took me to this look:

This look being a navy blue sleeveless tee (Gap, similar) paired with a black, pleated skirt (thrifted, similar).  Yep, that�s right, black and blue.  But, with neon too, in the form of my neon yellow necklace (Target) and some neon blue studs that you can�t see because of my hair.  I finished the look with a multicolored belt (Target), some studded cuffs (Nordstrom) and my trusty Rieker shoes (thrifted, exact).

I have to say that I actually picked the rather staid, non-psychedelic items I chose for this challenge on purpose.  I like color.  A lot.  All over my body.  All the time.  Oddly enough, not everyone feels the same way, and, as a result, there is a school of thought that says you can have a small, neutral capsule wardrobe with maybe a couple of accent pieces but that otherwise depends on accessories to add color and interest.  I, of course, think this is a bunch of hooey.  

But, still, it�s an interesting concept, isn�t it?  So, I figured I�d use this 10 x 10 challenge to try a toned down palette, like black and white and navy, but with strong accent pieces, like neon.  So far, it hasn�t been terrible, but, it�s only Day Two.  By this weekend I may be sleeping in my printed dresses because I miss them so much.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

How I Wear My: Neon

Today on the "How I Wear My" series (hosted by Jill and Adrienne) we're showing how we wear our neon.  With the exception of this neon dress, I tend to wear my neon in small doses like in today's look:

I paired my neon yellow sandals (Tommy Hilfiger via Piperlime) with a gray dress (thrifted).  I added a thrifted belt, a turquoise and lime scarf (Echo via Nordstrom) and lime studs (gifted (thanks, Megan Mae!)).

For more neon looks, please visit Jill at Everything Just So.

But, while you're still here, what about you, Reader Friends?  Do you wear neon?  If so, how do you wear your neon?

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Cobalt Midi

I know for some, the inclination in summer is to wear as little clothing as possible.  And, as the temperatures climb into the 90s here in Oregon, I definitely understand.  And others swear that maxis are good, especially for air conditioning and I understand that too.

But, personally, I�ve found myself drawn to full, swooshy midi-skirts, like this cobalt one:

 

Skirt: Thrifted vintage   Tee: Gap   Sandals: White Mountain via Macys

 

I think it�s the swooshy-ness (shut up, Microsoft, it is too a word) of the skirt that makes it so lovely for summer:

 

Or, it could be the pockets:

 

Because pockets are a gosh darned delight all year long. 

Whether it�s the swooshy-ness or the pockets or something else, I don�t know.  What I do know is that I love a good midi-skirt for the summer months.

What about you, Reader Friends?  What length are your summer hemlines?

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Neon Peach Redux

Y'all, neon peach is my jam:

Gap dress (exact dress, different color), Ella Moss sandals via Piperlime & Target belt (similar)

It's really not surprising that I would love this color so much as it's also the name of the fictional all-girls 80s cover band with which I jam.  And, peach preserves are my favorite type of jam.  (Man, English is a weird language).

Today I wore my neon peach with turquoise and a bit of cobalt:

And, because neon peach is, unsurprisingly, I guess, a highly visible color, I'm linked up to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Bright and Stripe-y

My shoes are bright and my dress is stripe-y:

Old Navy dress (no longer available) (similar) and Tommy Hilfiger sandals via Piperlime (exact)

I think my dress is perfectly stripe-y and my shoes are perfectly bright, but Ferge thinks my shoes are too bright:

Image via Piperlime

Nonsense.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Botanical Shadows & Painterly Splotches

I do not know how better to describe the print on this blouse than botanical shadows and painterly splotches:

I mean, really.  What is that?  Yeah, I don't know either.

But, whatever the print on the blouse is, it pairs well with my dark skinny jeans and that's enough for me:

In addition to the blouse (Nordstrom) and the jeans (Banana Republic) I wore my neon link necklace (Target) and my cap toe wedges (bandolino via DSW). I wear these shoes and this necklace a lot with these jeans.  I think that's okay; some days it's nice not to have to think too hard.

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Thighs? What Thighs?

My thighs don't share my love for printed pants.  They like to plan their rebellion quietly, hidden behind quiet skirts and dark jeans.  They do not want anyone to pay any undue attention to them and question what, exactly, they plan to do with all that dynamite.

So, these jeans? 

With their white background and wild and crazy print?  No, my thighs are not a fan.  But, then I came up with the idea to pair the jeans with my neon shoes:

Bisou Bisou skinnies via JCP, Old Navy chambray tunic & Coconuts "Casey" flats via Piperlime

And, wouldn't you know it, no one even noticed my thighs at all.  I received several comments about the shoes, but not a single person asked why my thighs were stockpiling blasting caps.

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Bringing Huaraches Back

I've decided that I'm bringing huaraches back:

And I'm feeling pretty darned smug about it.

Pockets!!!!

Why?  Because they're super comfortable, huarache is a fun word to say and they look good with my striped dress (c/o eShakti):

See?  Stripes and huaraches; a match made in heaven.  And when you add in a neon peach belt and this gorgeous necklace...

Image via TheHangingGarden Etsy Shop; click here to get your own.

It's like heaven is a place on earth.


Yep, you guessed it, it's Belinda Carlisle time:

My band, Neon Peach, would totally cover the heck out of this song.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Trends to Try: Neon

Like many fashion trends that have been here before, neon has come back around.  It first cropped back up a year or so ago and is still going strong today.

So, how do you try this trend without looking as though you're starring in a Wham! video?  Well, for one, avoid wearing it with feathered hair and short shorts.  Agreed?  Good, now here are some other tips that might help you try this trend.

1. A little goes a long way.  Try this trend in small doses such as jewelry, belts, small handbags and shoes.  I think you'll find that a even the smallest pop, such as studs, or nail polish, is still fun.
2. Wear it with mid-tones.  Especially if you're not sure about this trend, you may find that pairing neon with too strong of a color might be too much look.  Try pairing your neon with mid-tones such as gray, khaki, navy and olive to keep your look modern.
3. Stick to neon in colors you love.  I wear a lot of pink and orange so I naturally gravitated to neon pink, neon orange and, my personal favorite, neon peach.  If you wear neon in shades you like, you'll be more comfortable trying this trend.
4. If you choose to wear more substantial neon pieces, like skirts, dresses or sweaters, make sure you wear them in a modern shape and/or with equally modern pieces.
5. Wear it with denim.  In the form of a belt, shoes, sweater or clutch, neon anything looks good with denim everything.

Looks to Try:

 

Neon by fashionforgiants on polyvore.com

Looks not to try, a.k.a the aforementioned Wham! video:

What about you, Reader Friends?  Have you (re-) tried neon yet?

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

True Blue

No, not the Madonna song*, the pants:

I have been looking for some summery skinnies as most of my skinnies are dark colors and/or corduroy.  I have a coral pair but wanted a pair in the blue/green family.  Unfortunately, all I could find were pastel colors.  I say unfortunately because my thighs hate pastel skinnies, and, to be honest, I don�t love them all that much either.  Happily, I was able to find these lovely true blue skinnies at JC Penney the other day:

And the color is perfect.  It�s summery without being pastel.  It pairs well with my favorite neutral, gray.  And it looks great with neon:

*Okay, fine, the Madonna song too:

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Shop the Look:

jcp �Sophie� Perfect Skinnies 

jcp Slub Sweatshirt 

Coconuts �Casey� flat (also available in neon yellow)

** 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.

 

Birdie Awesomeness

As an Oregonian, I am, of course, unable to resist anything that has a bird on it.  So this shirt?

Yeah, this shirt was destined to be mine.  Not only does it have birds on it, but it fits my long arms even though it�s not offered in �Tall�.  Those two qualities alone are reason enough to love this shirt.  But then you add the fact that it looks adorable layered under my apricot sweater and it is birdie awesomeness at its best.

In addition to the awesome bird button-down (Caslon via Nordstrom) and the apricot sweater (Worthington via Goodwill), I also wore flared jeans (Gap), camel wedges (Corso Como via Piperlime) and neon studs (Kate Spade NY via Nordstrom).  

 

Friend Ferge thinks the neon studs don�t make sense with this look.  She is wrong.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Shop the look:

Exact Caslon button-down (other prints also available)

Similar neon studs (save, spend)

Similar Gap flares (Tall available)

Similar apricot sweater (here, here and here)

Similar camel wedges

** 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.