Black on Black on Black

The lovely Fashionista Next Door has challenged us to wear all black as part of Style Me Friday.  And y'all?  This was crazy hard for me.

That's right, I had trouble putting together leggings and a tunic.

The thing is, I don't wear black from head-to-toe.  I pretty much have to have a pop of color; scarf, earrings, something.  Or something shiny.  I had to force myself to back away from my Foxxy Anubis brooch this morning.

However, I (sometimes) like a good challenge so I bit the bullet and resisted the urge to add color or shine, depending instead on different textures to (hopefully) add interest to my monochromatic look.

I, apparently, also wanted to show how it was possible to wear head-to-toe black and not look sleek and cool.

But, enough about my enduring fluffiness.  Let's get back to the texture:

Yes, my sweater is texturally interesting.  And yes, I do have to make that face when providing a close-up of this tunic. Rules is rules, folks.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Teal Abyss

So, the color of these pants is Teal Abyss:

And that kind of makes me laugh because it's an awfully dramatic name for a pants color.  It reminds me of this movie (oooh, drama). But, I appreciate that LOFT went for the drama instead of just calling it "Dark Teal" or something boring like that.

I also appreciate that LOFT made these pants at all because they're kind of fabulous.  They have a fairly high, wide waistband, so they're super comfortable and they hold their shape pretty darned well.  Also, they're teal and I'm big on teal this fall:

 Best of all, they come in Tall; although not in this color anymore.  But, they do have limited offerings in Tall in other colors and you can still get Teal Abyss in regular lengths and I recommend them for everyone; giants and non-giants alike (just make sure you line dry them).

In addition to my teal abyss pants (LOFT), I also wore a mustard sweater (thrifted, similar (tall & plus available)), black pumps (Gentle Souls "Rhemsical") and a tassel necklace (Old Navy, similar).  I thought the tone of the pants worked well with the sweater and both colors seemed perfect for a clear but cool fall day.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey 

The Pants Formerly Known as Oxblood

Last year at this time, these pants were my "oxblood" cords.  This fall, they are my "wine" cords:

Because, apparently, oxblood is out this year.  That's not to say this color is out.  No, if you added something in this color to your wardrobe last year, rest assured you can continue to wear it this fall and winter.  But, you will need to refer to it as wine, otherwise you'll look dated. Heaven forfend.

Today I paired my oxblood wine cords (Banana Republic, similar) with a peach sweater (thrifted, similar).  I added a pair of dark teal velvet flats (Old Navy, similar) and a wool floral scarf (gifted, similar) to tie it all together.

Or something like that. 

Remember, kids; wine, not oxblood.

And have a happy Tuesday,

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

Double Animal and FRAAS

Oh, it's been cold here in Oregon.  Happily, the kind folks at FRAAS offered to let me try one of their new line of scarves to help keep me warm:

It's reversible and comes in several colors, including petrol, dark red, purple and black.  I chose the petrol shade which, as you can see, is a sort of teal:

It's actually not an infinity scarf, but I borrowed a trick from Jeans and a Teacup and fastened the ends together with a small rubber band so I could wear it as an infinity scarf.

In addition to the FRAAS scarf, I did wear double leopard with my sweater (Old Navy) and flats (Nine West).  I also added cuffed jeans (Lucky).

If you're interested in procuring a lovely FRAAS scarf of your own, you can find select styles at www.fraas.com as well as www.amazon.com.


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Days 9 and 10: Black Pleats

I finished my Perfect 10 Remix Challenge with two outfits featuring my black pleated skirt.

Day 9:

For Day 9, I paired my pleated skirt (thrifted, similar) with my striped tee (Old Navy).  It was a bit cool on the ride in so I also added my floral jacket (thrifted).  The shoes are, of course, my Rieker huaraches (thrifted, exact) and I added my red apple pendant (c/o The Monet Chronicles, similar) so I’d still have some interest once the jacket came off.

Day 10:

For my final outfit, I wore a simple combination of the skirt and a sleeveless chambray shirt (Caslon via Nordstrom), again with the Rieker shoes.

But, I also added my lovely bird huddle scarf because I'm from Oregon and I will be putting a bird on it, thank-you-very-much.

And, with that, I am done with the Perfect 10 Remix.  Thank you to Callie for creating this challenge and to all of you for reading along and pretending you’re not tired of huaraches and stripes.   Heh, Huaraches and Stripes sounds like a terrible buddy comedy with a hard-bitten detective, Huaraches, who semi-retired to Thailand and his Bengal tiger partner, Stripes.  Or, it’s my next band name.

Happy Friday, 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

 

Day 1: Sexy Beetlejuice

So, yesterday was the first day of the Perfect 10 Remix Challenge and this is what I wore:

I liked it, actually a lot, but it did feel a little "sexy Beetlejuice" to me.  I hesitate to call myself sexy, but this was definitely a lot more va-va-voom-y than I usually go.

Happily, the striped skirt is one of the most comfortable pieces of clothing I've ever worn.  It felt like I was wearing lounge wear all day and it was great for bike riding.  I think if I weren't so physically comfortable in this, being dressed like sexy Beetlejuice might have been mentally uncomfortable for me.  But, as it was, I kind of loved this:

In addition to my awesome striped skirt (Vince Camuto via Nordstrom, exact) I also wore my striped tee (Old Navy, similar), my latest thrifted espadrilles (Rieker, exact) and a braided belt (thrifted, similar).  By the way, these shoes are awesome.  I have never heard of this brand before I thrifted them, but they're crazy comfortable too, just like the skirt.

Oh my Gawd, y'all; I've figured out the key to comfort! Dress like sexy Beetlejuice!

Trust me, it totally works.


Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Olive, Orange and Leopard

The weather has taken a turn for the worst here in Oregon.  Thunder and lightning, torrential rains and, gasp, layers.  Today's layers are olive, orange and leopard:

I'm not super excited about being forced into wearing layers, but I liked the mix of olive (thrifted jacket), orange (Old Navy top and Nine West flats) with leopard in this look.  I also added Gap Real Straight Skimmers and a Nordstrom studded bracelet. 

I think maybe my jacket is a bit boxy for my shape, but otherwise I liked this look.  I may try to thrift a more fitted one, but it's hard to find something that is both fitted and casual and I bought this jacket specifically to fill a casual niche.  Also, I'm kind of lazy so unless a more-fitted-but-still-casual olive jacket throws itself into my Goodwill cart, this one will just have to do.

So, to sum up, it rained, I wore layers and those layers included a somewhat ill-fitting but still mostly acceptable jacket.  And that makes me wonder, how important is fit to you, Dearest Reader Fans?  Do you purchase not-quite-right items to fill a gap or is fit paramount in your wardrobe?

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Citron and Gray

Citron and gray is one of those color combinations I really love:

And of course, citron and gray with turquoise is even better:

Blouse: Old Navy (similar, plus available)  Skirt: Gap  Sandals: Ella Moss (similar)  Belt: Old Navy (similar)

In other news, I continue to be thrilled by the presence of pockets in my clothes:

Thrilled, y'all.

Happy Wednesday, Reader Friends!

Gracey

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

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

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.

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.

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

For the Birds: Inspiration Monday

For those of you who don't know, the lovely ladies of Two Birds have a link-up every Monday of looks inspired by celebrity outfits.  This is January Jones and she is today's inspiration:

january jones

I don't usually participate in Inspiration Monday because I forget and/or don't have the right pieces and am not creative enough to make it work with the pieces I do have.  Today though, I had everything I needed; leather, denim and lace.  Oh, and bitchface:

Okay, it's not the epic bitchface of January Jones, it's more like the suggestion of bitchface or like I'm thinking really hard, but it's the best I could do on the face.

And this was the best I could do on the clothes:

Instead of being all sad-faced that I didn't have similar pieces, I used the pieces I had in similar fabrics.  My lace (sans the black bra (next time though, next time)) is my lace sweatshirt (Macy's).  My denim is jeans (Old Navy Mid-Waist Rockstar Skinnies) instead of a jacket.  And my leather is just the boots (Luxury Rebel via Piperlime) instead of pants and boots.

And, frankly, I think I nailed it:

I'm the one on the right.  I know, it's confusing.

Happy Monday, All!  And thank you to Two Birds for hosting and January Jones for inspiring!

Gracey