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

Emerald & Animal

I know I came out as being anti-emerald when it was announced as the Pantone 2013 Color of the Year.  But, I don't hate it (mint, I hate).  I just don't love it.  Which is why this emerald silk blouse doesn't get much wear:

In addition to my poor orphaned blouse (Oscar de la Renta via Salvation Army), I wore skinny jeans (Old Navy "Rockstar" mid-rise), animal print booties (80%20 via Piperlime), a cuff (Macy's) and a necklace (Nordstrom).

I don't know why I don't wear this blouse.  All I can say is that green is just not a color I gravitate towards. What about you, Reader Friends?  Are there any colors you just don't wear?  Do you actually have rational reasons for not wearing them?

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

Gracey

Shop the Look:
Similar emerald blouse
Exact skinny jeans (Tall available)
Similar animal print booties
Similar collar necklace (BaubleBar invite)
Similar patterned cuff

** 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.

Tough Cherub

I am, admittedly, obsessed with scarf-print blouses.  This is the latest addition to my collection:

Yes, those are cherubs on my chest.  At least I think they are.  I can’t see any wings though so maybe they’re just naked babies.  But, we’re going to call them cherubs because “Tough Naked Baby” is just a ridiculous title for a post.  

In addition to the maybe-cherubs there are also gryphons, urns, some floral elements, and on the back?  Well, on the back, there is a big ol' eagle:

Why?  Presumably because nothing goes with gryphons and babies like a big ol' eagle.  Whatever the reason, it results in a hilariously awesome shirt, so I’ll take it. 

In addition to my fabulously ridiculous shirt (thrifted via Goodwill), I also wore my trusty black skirt (thrifted via Goodwill) and a collar necklace (Nordstrom).  I “toughened” up the look with black boots (Vince Camuto via Nordstrom) and a studded belt (v. old JC Penney).  

Tough cherub indeed.

Happy Wednesday, All!


Gracey

Memorial Day Sales for Giants

There are a LOT of Memorial Day Sales this weekend; here are a few that I think are worth the look.


eShakti

There are dozens of styles up to 50% off and eShakti is also offering free customization through Monday.  I love the Textured Check Stretch Dress:

And the Boat Print Crepe Dress, the Ethnic Print Pleated Skirt and the Large Check Circle Skirt.



House of Heirlooms


This is my friend Kendra's shop and she only has two sales a year.  For her Memorial Day Sale, she is offering 20% off of your entire order with the code MEMORIAL20.

That includes the gorgeous, vintage Ferragamo scarf I wore here, a gorgeous 1960 summer dress, and this amazing, vintage, tags-on Diane Von Furstenberg jumpsuit:

Gap Red Bright & Blue Event


Gap is offering up to 40% off select styles both online and in stores.  I snapped up a couple of these tanks for myself:

I love the wide straps and the drape of the fabric.  Not into neon?  They're offered in non-neon hues as well.  This sale is also a great time to snap up some adorable dresses and the skimmer jeans you've had your eye on all spring.  Remember, all Gap clothes are offered in Tall now!



Happy Saturday, All!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Gracey

What I Learned at Blogwarts: Layering

So, it turns out that Blogwarts is totally a real thing and they let me audit a class on layering.  Since many of you indicated on Wednesday’s post that you also have trouble layering dresses and blouses, so I thought I’d share what I learned.

Let’s talk first about the dress.

It should be a heavier-weight fabric.  I, personally, prefer ponte, a tightly-woven and therefore, heavier knit.

It should not be skin tight.  Especially in your curvier areas.  As I mentioned Wednesday, I went with a fit and flare dress because it gave me extra room around the thighs which is where I need it.

It should be structured (but not tight).  A more structured silhouette will help keep the look sleek.  A fit and flare dress, for example, will look sleeker layered over a blouse than a sack dress.

Now for the blouse.

Unlike the dress, the blouse should be lightweight.  Sheer blouses are very good for layering because they add very little bulk, especially under a heavier knit.

Like the dress, the blouse should be fitted.  This is especially important if the blouse is not sheer; a fitted blouse will help keep the bulk down.  Gap has some very cute fitted/shrunken boyfriend button-downs that I think would work.  They are available in Tall as well.

I also love the Caslon shirts from Nordstrom for this concept.  They don’t come in “Tall” but tend to have long-enough sleeves and are well-fitted.

For some suggestions on what to layer how, I created some Polyvore sets, all featuring the Mossimo Fit and Flare Ponte Knit dress from Target which is the same dress I wore in my post Wednesday.

Mossimo dress, Ruche "Giselle" Pleated Necktie blouse &Lulu's d'Orsay flats

Mossimo dress, Modcloth "First Class Cabin" blouse & "Both Feet on the Playground" flats

Mossimo dress, Nordstrom Caslon shirt, Sole Society booties

A couple more tips.

If you can't find a bow blouse you like, you can always add a lady-tie to your look.

Belts are your friends; a wide belt, especially, can help keep the volume down.

And, if you're still not looking as sleek as you like, try this trick from Franziska at Franish; she's a genius.


So, what do you think, Reader Friends?  Would you try any of these looks?


Happy Friday, Everyone!

Gracey


** 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.

Like A Pro

I've always wondered how other bloggers were able to layer button-up blouses under their dresses without looking lumpy.  Was  it a trick of the light?  Did they have the assistance of birds & mice to make it work?  Was there some sort of Hogwarts for Bloggers, a Blogwarts if you will, that taught them how to perform this bit of magic?

Turns out the answer to all of those is no (well, Blogwarts is a maybe).  Turns out that all you have to do is find the right dress and the right blouse and, et voila, you've layered like a Blogwarts-trained pro.  This weekend, I found the right dress:

Target dress, Gap blouse, Born boots & vintage brooch

And I layered it over the right blouse:

I also added my vintage lion pin because, as I told you, I'm into big cats right now:

So, what makes this the right dress (for me)?  Well, it's a ponte knit, which means it's a heavier knit, which makes for smoother layering than a thin knit.  It's also a looser fit, which means there is room under it to add a blouse.  And, it has a flared skirt which gives extra room around my hips, which is where I need it most. 

And the blouse?  What makes it so great?  Well, it's very lightweight, practically sheer, which allows it to fit smoothly under the dress.  Also, it's mustard (hooray) and has a bow (double hooray). 

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Gracey

Shop the Look:
Exact Mossimo Fit & Flare Dress (Plus also available)
Similar bow blouse
Similar Born riding boots
Exact vintage lion pin

** 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.

SIA: Coral and Cobalt

I have been on a roll this month.  I participated for the first time in Two Birds’ Inspiration Monday earlier this month.  And now I’m participating in Style Imitating Art.  I’m rather proud of myself.  But, enough about me.  Let's talk about art and style.

Here is the art:

Image from David Weisner's "Flotsam"

And here is my style:

I love the combination of coral (salmon? carp?) with the bright blue so I paired my coral polka dot blouse (handmade vintage) with my cobalt midi skirt (vintage via Goodwill).  I also added some pops of black (I heard it's the latest trend) with my belt (via Goodwill), necklace (Old Navy) & ankle strap flats (Hive & Honey via Piperlime).  

Yep, you guessed it: POCKETS!!!!

I’d like to thank Jess of Animated Cardigan for hosting; you can see the other participants on her site. 

And I’d like to give a shout out to my boobs for distorting some of the dots into goldfish-like shapes; I appreciate your help with this challenge, Ladies.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

P.S. This is an illustration from the book, Flotsam, by David Wiesner.  His books are amazing and if you haven’t read them, I strongly suggest you do, even if you think you might be too old for picture books.

Mogambo

Today I am dressed like my namesake*, Grace Kelly, in the 1953 movie, Mogambo. 

Grace Kelly (and the ever dashing Clark Gable):

Grace(y) the Giant:

See? We're practically twins.  Well, not really, but I do feel like Grace would have worn this in Africa with Clark.  Ava Gardner was also in the film and she would have scoffed at this, preferring her wiggle skirts but Grace and I know you can't properly go on safari, or ride a bike, in a wiggle skirt. 

Nope, it's a full skirt for me:

Jones New York skirt, Gap blouse, thrifted huarches, thrifted belt.

And an adorable little owl pin:

A stickpin used to keep my Gap shirt from living up to it's name.

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey


*This is not true.

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

Pops of Black

During the cooler months, I like to alleviate the more muted tones that are prevalent during fall and winter with pops of color.  And then, the other day, I got to thinking about black.  It's not fair that black doesn't get to "pop." I mean, what did black ever do to people that it remains pop-less?  Sure, it figured heavily in a very deadly and unpopular plague, but that was ages ago.  Black has totally gotten it's act together lately and, in my opinion, deserves to pop.

So, today, I wore pink and blue, with pops of black:

It's my new thing.  Well, one of my new things.  The other two are fruit (see yesterday's post) and big cats (you know, leopards, lions and such).  But, I digress.  I like black as an accent.  I think this outfit is more interesting with black as the neutral instead of brown or nude:

 I think it works in part because the blue striped shirt (vintage via Vintage by the Pound) and the skirt (thrifted) are mid-tones and not pastels.  Black with pastels could be a bit jarring.  Okay, you caught me; it's actually probably fine, I just don't like pastels.  But, black shoes (Hive and Honey via Piperlime), a black belt (thrifted via Goodwill) and black jewelry with mid-tones, I can definitely do.

Especially when the jewelry is all funky and stuff:

I think it's supposed to be a sweater clip, but they're pins, not clips and I don't wear sweater clips, so I just treated it like a brooch and wore it pinned to my blouse.  Because that's just how I roll.  That's right, pops of black and misuse of sweater clip/pin/things; I am a rebel without a cause.

Except, of course, the cause of thrifting.  This entire outfit, except for the shoes and the bracelet, was purchased second-hand, so I'm linked up to Coffee and Cardigans for Thrifter Thursday.  And I'm also linked up to IFB Project #95: Show Us Your Stripes.  Because, today, I am a linking fool.  So, I guess then maybe my cause is linking? 

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey 

Short and Fruity

It's true.  This dress is short.  And fruity.  But, I love it so:

I got the dress from the Albany Antique Mall (they have a pretty great vintage clothing section) the weekend before last and immediately fell in love with the print.  Yes, it is shorter than I would usually wear without some volume to offset the shortness, but it is a great print and the high neck is fun.  Oh, and it looks fabulous with my Lynne Pin:

And I think it will also look fabulous with tights and a turtleneck in the winter; that way I won't have to worry so much about the length.  Or lack there of.  As it was, I drove in to work today to insure I didn't flash any of the middle school students I ride past every morning. 

In addition to the pin (gifted from Lynne because she is the best ever), I also added a thin belt (Macy's) and pointed toe boots (Luxury Rebel via Piperlime) to the look:

I think the boots somehow served to both modernize the look and recall the dress' sixties origins at the same time.  Which was totally my intention, as far as you know.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Xanadu

As most of my long-time readers know, I go to 80s Prom at McMenamin's Kennedy School every year.  I usually talk more about it in the weeks leading up to it, but was I busy trying to figure out how Polyvore works (I've almost got it) and it kind of snuck up on me this year so I didn't mention it.  But, it was last Friday, and it was fabulous.

Those of you who saw sneak peeks of my look on Instagram may have already guessed, but this year's theme (in my head) was Xanadu:

Yep.  Nailed it.

As usual, I went with my partner-in-crime, Alex.  Her theme was polka dots:

She too nailed it.

Also per usual, we practiced our best Billy Idol sneers:

What's that?  You think we nailed it?  Thank you, I do too.


And that was basically my weekend.  It was wonderful.


I hope you all had a fabulous weekend as well.  And a Happy Monday!

Gracey

Giveaway Winner: Lucky Number 13

Thank you to everyone who entered my Shabby Apple gift card giveaway.  We have a winner:

That's right, it's lucky number 13, Ginger F!

Congratulations, Ginger!  If you can please provide me with your email address, I will put you in touch with the wonderful folks at Shabby Apple and they will hook you up.  You can leave you email in a comment or you can email it to me at fashionforgiants (at) gmail (dot) com.

Thank you again to everyone who entered.  I'll try to have another giveaway soon.

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Gracey

Spots, Dots & Par-rots

I'm wearing spots, dots and par-rots today:

I've often yammered on about how I love animal and green together because something something jungle.  I continued that "jungle theme" with my new (to me) parrot brooch:

So green.  And parrot-y.  (Not parody, parrot-y; if it were a parody of a parrot, it'd be Conan O'Brien in a parrot mask or something).

I found the brooch in my favorite local vintage shop, Lil' Gypsy Vintage, and thought it would be perfect with my animal spotted cardigan (Anne Taylor via Goodwill) and green dotted pants (LOFT).  I also added a vintage Monet bracelet (via Red Fox Vintage) and my cap toe wedges (Bandolino via DSW).

Yay!  Jungle!  Sort of!


Happy Thursday, Everyone!


Gracey

P.S. if you haven't entered my Shabby Apple giveaway, today is the last day to do so; don't forget!

Shop the Look:
Similar green dotted pants (Tall available)
Similar spotted cardigan
Similar cap toe shoes
Similar vintage parrot brooch

** 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.

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