The Pet Leopard Lady Tie

As most of you know, I love me a good lady tie.  I find them amusing and cheeky and fun to wear.  And my latest lady tie find is no exception:

Is that not the most fabulous lady tie ever?  The print is pet leopards on chains with what I’m assuming are diamond collars.  

Yes.

I thrifted the tie this summer and have been waiting for it to get cold enough that extra fabric around my neck would be welcome and not make me a hot, sweaty mess.  And today, My Friends, is the day:

For the lady tie’s inaugural outing, I paired it with a mustard sweater (thrifted, similar), black skinny jeans (a.n.a via JC Penney) and riding boots (Born Crown “Sosie,” similar).

But, really, a pet leopard lady tie goes with everything.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

P.S. Don’t forget to enter my giveaway, here!

80s + Plaid = Love

This sweater is one of those fabled plaid pieces I thrifted this summer in anticipation of cooler weather:

Sweater: vintage, similar   Scarf: DIY   Jeans: Banana Republic   Boots: Nine West "Darsy"

 Well, cooler weather has arrived, and I finally (finally!) got to wear my beloved plaid cardigan.  And it was a delight.

Except that the super-low-v neckline gave me a bit of trouble.  It's not as though the girls popped out and waved at folks, but I could feel them thinking about it.  I tried to mitigate their overwhelming friendliness with a scarf, and I think that worked, but I was awfully warm all day.

I tell you, Friends, it's a rough day when a gal has to choose between sweating and flashing people.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Day 7: Alien Fox & Miss Sassypants

So, I think this is actually Day 8’s outfit, but I didn’t wear anything other than work-around-home clothes on Day 7 so we’re calling this Day 7:

Jeans: Old Navy   Top: Caslon via Nordstrom  Shoes: Rieker

It is also the outfit I wore to see my blogger friend Rinda, of Miss Sassypants:

She was in town for work but we got to spend a few hours eating and shopping and talking and laughing.  And you guys?  She is amazing.  She is gorgeous, funny, willing to do the running man in public, super talented and believes there is no merit to high-waist short-shorts.  So, she's, you know, basically a genius.

I had a ton of fun shopping with Rinda, and one of the stores we stopped in was a packed-to-the-brim vintage shop that had a lot of crazy amazing stuff.  I especially liked a lot of their brooches but I was completely enamored with this one:

I call it my alien fox brooch but I guess it could just be a "stylized fox" brooch.  Nah, that's boring.  It's an alien fox brooch commissioned by an alien visitor to our planet to commemorate their favorite pet (alien) fox.  Yes, I have decided.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Day 5 & 6: Stripes on the Bottom, Stripes on the Top

For Day 5 of the Perfect 10 Challenge, I wore stripes on the bottom, pairing my Day 1 skirt with my Day 2 shirt:

In addition to the striped skirt (Vince Camuto via Nordstrom) and the navy tee (Gap, similar), I also wore my Rieker shoes (thrifted, exact), my braided belt (thrifted, similar) and studded cuffs (Nordstrom).  And I added a large scarf (LOFT, similar) for a little extra warmth on the morning bike ride.

 

And for Day 6, I wore stripes on the top, wearing my Day 1 tee for my jeans' first outing:

I know, I know, this is nothing groundbreaking, but it was just a weekend outfit for running errands and going to the movies.  In addition to the tee (Old Navy, similar) and jeans (Old Navy Mid-Rise Rock Star Skinnies), I added my Rieker shoes (thrifted, exact) and studded cuffs (Nordstrom).

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

 

Double Denim Redux

So, I'm trying double denim again.  The first time I tried double denim I looked like a postal service worker.  No, I'm not linking to it; just imagine my smiling face on your local postal carrier and you've got the gist.  The last time I looked like a cowgirl.  Well, technically a rancher's widow who was trying to get her cattle to market so the ranch didn't go under.  You can see that one here, or just imagine Barbara Stanwyck's character in Big Valley.  (Also, just as an aside, Barbara Stanwyck as Stella Dallas is one of my favorite performances ever; I love that movie).

I think today's attempt at double denim was at least marginally better:

Jeans and Top: Old Navy, Sandals: Jeffrey Campbell via Nordstrom

Short necklace: BaubleBar, Long Necklace: Jessica Simpson via Macy's

But, mostly I think double denim is one of those trends I just don't have it in me to do.  I mean, this looks fine and all but I'm probably not going to commit a felony so I can wear double denim all my live long days.

What about you, Reader Friends?  Are there any trends you've tried and decided they weren't for you?

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Shop the Look:
Old Navy Rockstar jeans (tall available)
Similar chambray tunic
Similar sandals
BaubleBar Cobra Triad necklace (if you're not a member, you can use this invitation code: 20210652)
Similar fringe necklace

** 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.

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

Coral, Coral, Coral

I really love myself some coral.  Obviously:

Coral yesterday, coral today.  Coral, coral, coral.

I also, apparently, really love the combination of those pants with those shoes.  Heh.  Well, what can I say, I can’t be creative all the time.  Or, even most of the time, if I’m honest.

But, I digress.  I was talking about my apparent obsession with coral.  In spite of what it looks like, I'm not actually obsessed with coral.  But it is one of my favorite colors and I do wear it quite a bit.  I especially like this particular coral (blouse via Old Navy) and peach (vintage blazer via Goodwill) color combination.  Worn today with dark skinny jeans (Banana Republic), a barely seen leopard belt (v. old) and cap toe wedges (bandolino via DSW).  Oh, and a long necklace (thrifted via Goodwill).

And, because at least two items in this look are thrifted, I’m linking up to Thrifter Thursday over at Coffee and Cardigans.  I’m pretty proud of myself for remembering to do this as I’ve forgotten for weeks.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Shop the Look:
Similar single-pocket blouse
Similar peach blazer (up to size 16)
Exact Banana Republic skinnies (tall up to size 16)
Similar long necklace
Similar leopard belt

** 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.
 

Sea Foam, Not Mint

Last year I railed against gross, institutional mint green as a trending color.  This year I still just can't with mint green.  But, I can with sea foam.  And I did, with this necklace (Onyx Phoenix necklace, via BaubleBar):

Yes, that's sea foam, not mint.  How can I tell?  Because mint is gross and this isn't.  Really though, sea foam has more blue to it than mint; it's like a greenish aqua.  Although, maybe this is just aqua...

Oh, well, whether sea foam or aqua, I wore it today:

And I wore it with coral ankle-zip skinnies (Gap), a gray sweater (Nordstrom) and silver and gray flats (Target, v. old).

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Shop the Look:
Exact BaubleBar* necklace (waitlisted)
Similar coral skinnies
Similar gray sweater
Similar two-tone flats

*If you're not already a BaubleBar member, you can use this invite link here.

** 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.

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

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

Black and Baroque

Aside from the unfortunate placement of some of the design elements, I rather like this Yves St. Clair vintage blouse:

Although I have a well-documented affection for scarf-print blouses from the 80s, I wasn’t sure about this one because it’s not very colorful.  But, I do love the pattern (baroque nipple shields aside) and really like it paired with black skinnies (a.n.a via JC Penney) and animal print wedges (80%20 via Piperlime). 

I also added a filigree heart necklace (Modcloth) that I think works well with the pattern of the blouse:

 

I know, it’s not terribly spring-y look, but as they say, if it’s not baroque, don’t fix it.  And, in my opinion, this outfit doesn’t need any fixing.

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Gracey

I'm Not on the Wall

I'm just standing next to one.

Really, though, it’s basically stupidly cold here in Oregon right now, even though it’s nearly April.  This severely limits my wardrobe choices.  And, as you can imagine, having to bike commute limits them even further.  But, after much pondering of levels of coziness and comfort, I ended up in this:

I hate to fall back on wearing black (this isn’t Westeros, after all, and I’m not on the Wall) but most of my warm clothes are black.  So, a black sweater (Jones New York via Ross), scarf (Betsey Johnson via Nordstrom), jeans (a.n.a via JC Penney) and boots (Goodwill) it is.  But, I did lighten the look a little with a striped pink tee (Old Navy) and neon pink earrings (Kate Spade NY via Nordstrom), which I think was just enough to keep me from looking like I’m a bearskin cloak away from being a Ranger. 

Also, in case you can’t tell, I’m super excited about the return of Game of Thrones next weekend.  I read the first four books during the show’s hiatus and can’t wait to see how they handle what I know is coming up.  

I’m also super excited that it’s the weekend.  I didn’t really love this week and am glad it’s over.

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Gracey

Shop the Look:

Similar black sweater

Similar Old Navy tee (Tall available)

Exact black skinnies

Similar black boots

Similar black scarf

Similar neon earrings (save or splurge)

** 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.