Friday, September 28, 2012

No Words



Here is what I wore today:



The pants are vintage men’s golf pants (thrifted) and the top is vintage polyester (thrifted).  The yellow peep toes are Me Too (via Nordstrom) and the yellow bangle is from the Mississippi Street Fair in Northeast Portland.  And the earrings are Nikki Jacoby "Labyrinth" (via Crafty Wonderland):


Aside from an explanation of the pieces, I really have no words for this outfit.  But, I did have some random thoughts.  They went something like this:

"Is this outfit awesome?  It feels awesome.  But, it's Friday, so I may just be tired."

“My God but these pants are comfortable.  How is it that double knit is no longer a thing?”

“I still can’t believe these pants only cost a quarter.  Best thrifting purchase ever.”

“Heh, will you look at that.  The shape of the earrings totally go with the ‘Eastern’ shapes on this top; it’s almost like I planned it.  I wonder if anyone would believe I planned it.  Probably not.”

“This top is so ridiculous that it’s come back around to awesome.”

“Butterflies?  I don’t wear butterflies.  Thank goodness they're paired with some bad-ass orchids so I still look tough.”

“Wait.  Are those orchids? “

And, finally, “I wonder if this counts as pattern mixing?”


Happy Friday, Everyone!  Have a wonderful weekend! 

Gracey

Thursday, September 27, 2012

June Wears Leopard



I feel a bit like June Cleaver in this dress.  Of course, in my version, June wears leopard:



But, just a touch; like a leopard belt.  Just enough to prove she’s edgy and can do more than make meatloaf.

Of course, I don’t make meatloaf, or anything really, and I didn’t add the belt for edginess.  I added it because I’ve decided that pairing leopard with polka dots is my thing.  Well, one of my things.  Other things that are my thing include pairing leopard with green, owning too many coats and gesturing a LOT when I talk.  

Here’s an example of that last thing:

I think I was demonstrating that my hair was slightly better now.  Maybe.

This is actually what the majority of my photos look like on any given day.  I’m always flailing about with my hands or using them to demonstrate just how small something is.

But, I digress.  So, yes, today I did my thing and wore my polka dot dress (Coldwater Creek, thrifted) and I did pair it with a leopard belt (thrifted?).  I also added yellow platforms (Franco Sarto “Fylan” via Nordstrom Rack) and some bangles:


Is it the most fashion-forward outfit ever?  No.  But, it makes me feel as though I could slap an apron on and make something if need be.  Therefore, it gets full points for inducing delusions of domestic grandeur.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

This Outfit is Weird



It is.  I think it’s conceptually sound, but the execution was shaky:



 (** Similar boots, sheer floral vintage dress, similar belt)

Allow me to explain.  It was finally boot weather here in Oregon, so of course I had to wear boots.  And I love wearing boots with dresses, so I had to wear a dress.  And the dress I chose is sheer so I had to wear a slip.  And I’ve always wanted to try a dress with an exposed slip, so I selected a slip that’s just a bit longer than the dress.  All that makes sense, right?

Well, here’s where it fell apart.  I paired cognac boots (Steven Madden) and a belt (thrifted) with this dress (vintage Blair, thrifted) because I swear to goodness there is some cognac in the print:


But, not enough to notice from far away, making the look a little iffy.  Adding to the iffy-ness is the fact that I refused to iron the slip.  Because to me that’s like ironing sheets.  Or jeans.  Ridiculousness.  (Unless, of course, you iron your sheets and jeans and then I totally respect your commitment to a wrinkle-free life).  So, yeah, not quite what I wanted.

That’s okay though, I gave it a shot and I’m not mad that I did.

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Gracey

** Disclosure: Actions taken from the hyperlinks in this blog post may yield commission/compensation for it's writer. Please see the Disclosure tab for more details.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

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

Monday, September 24, 2012

Easy, Colorful and Pants-y


It’s still Pants Weather here in Oregon, so I’m still wearing pants:




(Shop the Look**: Polka dot pants, I couldn't find a similar blouse, but I love the idea of using this striped scarf to create a similar look with a plain blouse, mustard cardigan and blue wedge sandals)

I wear these pants a lot.  I think they are, outside of a couple of pairs of shoes, the single item that I wore the most this summer.  Which is good.  I am trying to be more conscientious about buying clothes I willwear instead of clothes I could wear.  And I don’t just mean something I’ll wear once either; I want to have clothes that I can and will wear multiple times.

In addition to the oft-worn pants (LOFT), I also wore what’s rapidly become an oft-worn blouse (vintage via Vintage by the Pound).  I can’t seem to resist this blouse, because well, stripes and a bow, people, stripes and a bow.  I added a yellow cardigan (via my Mom), blue wedges (Franco Sarto, thrifted) and a few bracelets to complete the look.

And I liked it quite a bit; it was easy, colorful and pants-y; which is perfect for a Monday.  Especially this Monday.  I did master the Peter Pan in pole dancing class yesterday, but I am very sore and physically tired today.  Luckily I’m not back to working out until Jazzercise tomorrow.

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

Gracey

P.S. Sorry for the photo quality, we took them at a later time than usual and I was too tired (lazy) to figure out the lighting.


** Disclosure: Actions taken from the hyperlinks in this blog post may yield commission/compensation for it's writer. Please see the Disclosure tab for more details.