Candy-Colored

It has been ridiculously cold here in Oregon this week.  I'm talking highs less than 35 degrees cold.  So I've been reaching for the warmest items in my closet.  Items like this candy-colored wool sweater:

You can tell I'm freezing when I clench my fists.  Well, I'm either freezing or prepared to defend myself against vicious squirrel attacks.  One or the other.


I paired the sweater with my flame-colored cords:

Gap sweater (similar), Target cords (similar on super sale!) & Born Crown boots (similar; also on sale!)

Not because there is any flame in the sweater (there really isn't) but because I find cords warmer than jeans.  And because I like yelling, "They don't have to match, dammit, they go!" at co-workers who still haven't quite grasped the concept.  And because, as I've said before, brights in the winter make me happy.

But mostly for the co-worker yelling.

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

P.S. If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, today is the last day to enter.  And you can do so here.

Literary Stylings # 6

This outfit is based on the character of Caesar Flickerman from Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins:

   

How so?  Well, he has blue hair and I’m wearing a blue hat.  And I’m pretty sure he loves shiny stuff so I’m wearing a shiny blue sweatshirt.  But, it’s my Caesar Flickerman Weekend Look so instead of pairing it with equally shiny blue pants that I don’t own but obviously need, I paired it with plaid:

Unfortunately, I think the resulting look is less “Caesar Flickerman On The Weekend,” and more “glitter grunge.”  Which is a thing I just accidentally invented but kind of love.  Seriously, folks, Glitter Grunge could totally be my new aesthetic as well as the name of my new all-female grunge band; we’ll cover Nirvana (because of course), Hole and Garbage.  It will be both dark and glittery.

Enough of that nonsense (though I suspect we’ll revisit it at some point), let’s get back to my look.  Caesar Flickerman is my favorite and I adore how Stanley Tucci plays him with those giant Chiclet teeth of his.  That’s not an insult; I love big teeth and big smiles.  And I love Caesar Flickerman and my Caesar Flickerman-inspired outfit:

Glitter Grunge, FTW!!

And now on to you, Reader Friends.  Did you read a book last month?  Are you wearing an outfit inspired by that book?  Well, then, please link up below:

Happy Tuesday, All! 

Gracey

How It Works

My sister looked at today’s outfit and said “I don’t get it”:

I said, “What is there to get?  They’re both plaid.”

She responded with, “I don’t think that’s how it works.”

I responded by laughing really loudly and saying “That’s exactly how it works.”

The thing is, I honestly do think this outfit makes perfect sense.  I’ve had the skirt for a while but the sweater vest is a recent thrifted acquisition.  But, when I tried the vest on, my immediate* thought was that I would wear it with this skirt.  

For me, a plaid with a plaid is nothing but good, especially when the other rules of pattern mixing are followed; these pieces have a similar scale and they share a predominant color.

Vest: thrifted vintage   Skirt: thrifted vintage  Tights: Spanx  Belt: Gap, similar  Shoes: Naya "Jada", similar

Okay, so I guess both pieces being plaid isn’t what makes these pieces work together, but I still maintain that they do work.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

*Okay, that’s not entirely true.  My actual immediate thought when trying this vest on was “holy side-boob!” as it’s open basically to the waist.  But, my second thought was to pair it with this skirt.  I swear.

Cranberry

I guess this cardigan could be called "red" but red is boring and I grew up looking at J.Crew catalogs, so I'm calling it cranberry:

Dress: c/o eShakti  Cardigan: thrifted   Tights: Spanx   Boots: Nine West "Darsy"

I know it doesn't seem like enough for cold November weather, but it's a lovely wool/silk mix and is warm as heck.  I thrifted it a couple of years ago and don't wear it nearly enough, I think because the proportions are a bit difficult to work with.

Then I remembered that I have trouble with proportions anyway so I just slapped it on over my eShakti sheath dress and some tights:

In case you were curious, the dress is oatmeal with an ink trim and the tights and boots are ebony.

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

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

Stripes and Spots

The other day I wandered into Target for laundry detergent, as one does.  And I walked out with a new skirt, as one does.  But, really, how could I resist this piece?

I love leopard and I love mustard and my joy in having them combined in one piece cannot be overstated, so there was absolutely no way I was going to pass this skirt up.

It is perfection:

I mean, it's short perfection but with some tights, I'm pretty sure I didn't flash anyone.  Probably.

In addition to the spotted skirt (Phillip Lim 3.1 for Target) and the tights (Target), I also wore a striped shirt (vintage, thrifted), black booties (Born Crown) and a vintage bracelet (Red Fox Vintage).

Happy Monday, Everyone!

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 4: Yesterday’s Dress

For Day 4 of the Perfect 10 Remix Challenge, I’m re-wearing yesterday’s dress.  As a skirt:

I layered the dress (Bar III via Macys) under a sleeveless chambray shirt (Caslon via Nordstrom).  I added my Rieker shoes (thrifted, exact), some studded cuffs (Nordstrom) and finished the look with some delightfully shiny earrings (Robert Rose via Nordstrom).

Robert Rose "Fan-Glam" Earrings

I feel like the chambray shirt, the shoes and the cuffs have a dressed down, sort of tough vibe and that the rhinestone earrings are a fun juxtaposition. 

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Gracey

Literary Stylings # 3: Valeria's Last Stand

As I mentioned before, one of the mere three books I read last month was a weird-and-not-in-the-good-way book called Valeria's Last Stand, by author Marc Fitten:

I guess it was supposed to be a comedy, but I don't see how making every single character in the town hateful was funny.  I don't know, maybe I missed the point.  Has anyone else read this book?  If you haven't, I don't recommend it, but if you have, can you explain it to me, using small words, please, in the comments?

Enough about the book though.  Well, maybe a bit more.  There is a lot of talk of produce in the book as the titular character, Valeria, grows the best produce in town and constantly reminds everyone of the fact (seriously, she is horrible).  There is also a lot of talk about color, the color of the fruits and vegetables, especially peppers and turnips, but also of the crockery made by the local potter.

Well, when I saw this dress in Goodwill a couple of weeks ago, the colors instantly reminded me of the colors in the book:

And the chaotic print reminded me of the muddy, chaotic prose of the book:

Happily for me, crazy, chaotic print on a dress makes me much happier that crazy, chaotic writing.  Seriously, that book made me feel like this:

Pretty sure that was the look on my face the entire time I was reading it.

But, it did inspire me to buy this awesome dress, which I paired with a braided belt (also via Goodwill) and ankle strap flats (Hive & Honey via Piperlime) and a chunky necklace:

I chose this particular necklace because the large beads are actually clay, you know, like a potter uses and there is a potter in the book.  Also, it's pepper-colored and peppers play a large role in the book so I wore it.

Because, even though the book was terrible, it really did inspire this entire look.

And now, it's your turn.  You can link your literature-inspired looks below: 

 

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Amazing, Fabulous, Perfect

I received this amazing, fabulous, perfect skirt as a gift from the amazing, fabulous, perfect Dawn at Suitcase Vignettes and, more recently, the Etsy shop, Tea Stained Lace:

It is one of the coolest vintage pieces I've ever seen, much less had the pleasure to own and I can't thank Dawn enough for sending it my way.

Here is a close up of the print on the skirt:

I have no idea what is being portrayed on this skirt, but I love the dark and moody colors and the little bits of red.  

Little bits of red that I picked up with my shiny red belt:

Seriously.  Love.

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Pretty Dress, Awkward Photos

My dress is pretty.  My photos are awkward:

In my defense, it started to rain when we were taking these which made me sort of hunch-y, but damn, yeah, that's awkward.

The dress really is pretty though, see?

 

 I love a bold floral and the bits of orange in this one make me very happy indeed.

Also making me happy?  The fact that aside from the bracelet (Nordstrom), everything in this outfit was thrifted (dress, shoes, belt) or gifted (necklace).

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Literary Stylings # 2: City of Dark Magic

Hello, and welcome to the second ever Literary Stylings Link Party and All-Around Good Time!  Today, I’m wearing a look inspired by the book City of Dark Magic, by Magnus Flyte:



Image via www.goodreads.com

As I've mentioned before, this wasn’t my favorite book that I read in July (it was, in fact, sort of terrible) but I was inspired by the descriptions of Prague at night:

Skirt: thrifted Ralph Lauren  Blouse: LOFT  Wedges: Matiko via Ideeli

 

And I tried to channel that in my look, what with the dark colors and the added sparkle of my accessories:



 

The photo above is supposed to be showing a close up of my accessories, but, mostly, I am just laughing my fool head off.  As I do.  I would, however, like to point out that I attached a rhinestone brooch to my necklace, a la Carrie at Petal by Petal and was super proud of myself.

Anyway, back to my outfit.  This is totally Prague at night, no? 

Dark.  Magical.  Yep.  Totally.

And now for your literary stylings!  Bloggers, you can link to your literature-inspired look here:

 

And, don’t forget, if you’re not a blogger, you can post your literature-inspired look on the Fashion for Giants Facebook page!

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

 
P.S. For those curious about City of Dark Magic, it’s not very good at all.  It’s kind of all over the place and there are ridiculous amounts of ridiculous, gratuitous sex.  And not even good sex, just silly, pointless sex.  So much so that it ruins the book.  Not that the book was above being ruined otherwise; the copious sex scenes are not the only parts of the story that are poorly written.

Summer Maxi

People swear that maxi skirts and dresses still keep you cool in hot weather.  I was skeptical (so much fabric!) but, I thought I'd give it a try today:

I paired my black maxi (Target (similar, tall available)) with a black and white striped tee (Old Navy (similar)) and brightly colored sandals (Ella Moss via Piperlime (similar color)).

I also added a braided belt (thrifted) and a vintage squash blossom necklace:

Via Lil' Gypsy Vintage (similar here)

And, I have to admit, wearing a maxi was pretty okay for most of the day.  Right up until I got on my bike to ride home.  Riding a bike in a maxi skirt is never great.  Riding a bike in a maxi skirt in 90+ weather is even less great. But, I will say that the maxi was a great choice for the air conditioned office; my legs often get chilled and they didn't at all today.

So, the final verdict?  Maxi's are pretty great for summer, as long as you're not trying to ride a bike in them:

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey