Lucky Lamb

This outfit was directly inspired by an outfit that I saw in Lucky Magazine a couple of months ago.  And by a trick of Catherine’s at Not Dressed as Lamb:

A couple of months ago, Lucky suggested pairing a super-full skirt with a turtleneck layered under a printed shirt.  I knew immediately that I wanted to try to recreate the look but didn’t have a suitable skirt.  And then, a couple of weeks later, I found this skirt so I thought I’d give it a whirl:

And I love how it turned out.  In spite of it’s awkward length, this skirt has become one of my favorites to wear and today’s outfit is no exception.  I paired the skirt (Ralph Lauren via Goodwill) with a burgundy turtleneck (Gap) layered under a houndstooth shirt (vintage via Vintage by the Pound).  I also added a tie belt (DIY with belts from St. Vincent de Paul), tights (Hue via Nordstrom Rack), booties (Nine West Darsy) and a neon necklace (Target).

Although I do love the skirt, I was a bit iffy about the shirt.  It’s vintage and therefore has an appropriately crazy collar.  Which is where Catherine’s trick comes in; in this post here, she pins the collar of a shirt into a stand-up collar.  I did something similar with today’s shirt.  My collar wasn’t robust enough to pin behind my neck, so I folded the collar inside the shirt and used a stick pin to keep in place, creating a sort of mandarin collar:

And I think it worked.

So, thank you, Lucky.  And thank you, Catherine.  Also, a special thanks to my friend, Jeanne from I Dream of...{by Jeanne}.  She was with me when I bought this shirt and swore I could rock it.  Best enabler ever.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Cruella

I can’t decide if these pants are oxblood or burgundy:

I think they’re probably burgundy because they seem to have more purple in them than oxblood does.  But, I’m calling them oxblood on the off chance that my readers expect me to be on the cutting edge of fashion.  I don’t think any of you do, but just in case, my pants are oxblood, not burgundy.  Tell your friends.

In addition to my oxblood cords (Banana Republic), I also wore a blue, collared shirt (thrifted) layered under a cream sweater (Liz Claiborne, thrifted) and houndstooth flats (Old Navy, thrifted).  Of course, by calling them oxblood and paring them with houndstooth, I feel like I'm a puppy capelet away from being Cruella De Vil.

Happy Friday, All!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Gracey

Why Not Try: Oxblood?

This fall, why not try oxblood?  Sure, it’s the most unappealing sounding trend since underwear as outerwear, but it’s actually quite nice.  So, what is oxblood?  Oxblood is a deep, reddish brown hue similar to burgundy:

Pantone Oxblood Swatch - Image via Amazon.com

And it is a huge color trend for fall. Personally, I love oxblood for fall because unlike some trends (again, underwear as outerwear comes to mind), I think this one is extremely wearable.  It’s also versatile, easy to find, and easy to thrift.  

Take, for example, these oxblood (yes, I’ve referred to them in the past as burgundy, but I guess this year we’re calling them oxblood; just go with it) “nun shoes” (Naya “Jada” via Nordstrom): 

Image via Shoes.com

I bought them last fall and I wear them all the time.  I wear them most often with gray and black because they add just the right bit of color.  But, you don’t have to go dark; oxblood also looks fabulous with blush, cream and teal.  Most recently, I paired it with bright yellow and navy blue:

In addition to being versatile, oxblood really is easy to find, both in retail stores and thrift stores.  Aside from my Naya shoes, all of the rest of the oxblood in my closet has been thrifted.  But, if thrifting isn’t your thing, here are some pieces that I like for fall.

Mossimo Women’s Elbow Sleeve Ponte Dress:

Image via Target

I think this is a great dress and if you want to see just how great it is on a real person, my girl, Sal, rocks it here.

Banana Republic Skinny Cords:

Image via Banana Republic

I have these in mustard and they fit wonderfully; so much so that I just ordered them in the burgundy oxblood.  (Also, you can get 30% off today and tomorrow with the code, THANKYOU).

Topshop Peplum Tank:

Image via Nordstrom

Unfortunately this tank is only available up to size 12 and runs a full size small, but it’s an otherwise great way to combine two trends in one.

eShakti “Vintage Ponte Knit Dress”:

Image via eShakti

I think I may be sort of obsessed with this dress.  I want very badly to wear it layered over a turtleneck with tights and boots. 

Naya “Jada” Pumps:

Image via Shoes.com

Yep, they’re still available and they’re still awesome.

MARC by Marc Jacobs “Too Hot to Handle” Shopper:

Image via Nordstrom

Yes, it is crazy expensive, but it’s also too pretty not to be included.

Still not loving oxblood?  Try calling it burgundy or Bordeaux (ooh, fancy) and see if that doesn’t change your mind.

And have a Happy Monday!

Gracey

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Some Damn Stylish Nuns

Today a co-worker told me that my shoes reminded her of the shoes the nuns at her school used to wear when she was younger.  I figure those must have been some damn stylish nuns, because I love these shoes:

Image via shoes.com

They are the Naya “Jada” pumps that I’ve been wearing for the past year.  Last year they were burgundy.  This year they are oxblood.  Such is the way of fashion.

Of course, I didn’t justwear shoes:

I also wore a pleated polka dot skirt (thrifted) and a mustard yellow blouse (Old Navy).  I added a leopard-print belt (via a disremembered source) because I’m obsessed with leopard and polka dots like blogger-friend Tracy is obsessed with leopard and stripes.  And I finished the look with a vintage bracelet (Monet via Red Fox Vintage) and drop earrings (Target, v. old).

Because my skirt is thrifted and the belt may be, I’ve linked up to Callie’s Thrifter Thursday over at Coffee and Cardigans. 

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

Gracey