Open-Weave and Man Pants

Today I am wearing, just as the title suggests, open-weave and man pants:

The sweater is open-weave and the pants are, well, man pants.


In fact, they are the man pants that I thrifted a couple of years ago for a quarter.  That's right, a quarter.  Which is reason # 767 why thrifting is awesome.

Sweater: LOFT  Pants: Thrifted.  FOR A QUARTER!  Sandals: Isola via Nordstrom

Because, let's be honest, where else can you get a pair of delightful man pants for a two bits?  No where, that's where.

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Get the Look

Similar open-weave sweater

Similar(ish) checked pants

Isola "Lucina" sandals

Similar neon necklace

Check, Check, Check It Out

Today's blog title is basically a stroke of genius on my part as it refers both to my checked pants and my library stamp tee:

Tee: Out of Print Clothing  Pants: Gap  Sandals: thrifted Franco Sarto

That's right, it's a t-shirt printed with the stamps that you used to see, in the good ol' days, when you... wait for it... that's right, checked out a book.  Let's all let that sink in for a bit.  Brilliant, yeah?

Also brilliant?  This tee:

I love it so much.  It's from Out of Print Clothing whom I love anyway for making awesome things like shirts, totes and jewelry and for donating a book for each awesome thing sold to their partners, Books for Africa.  And then they went and made this tee and I was in heaven.

Seriously though, pretty great right?

You can get your own Library Stamp Tee here.  And I hope you will, if only to confuse all the children who have no idea what a library stamp is (sad face).

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Get the Look

Library Stamp tee

Similar checked pants

Similar wedge sandals

What I Read: May's Books

Hello, Reader Friends!  The first Tuesday of the month is next Tuesday and that means it's time again for another post about possible inspiration for next week's Literary Styling's Link Party.

So, without further ado, here is what I read and how I felt about it.

True Sisters, by Sandra Dallas

I am a big Sandra Dallas fan and have read most of her books.  The Diary of Mattie Spenser is my favorite book of hers, but really, I've pretty much loved them all.  With the exception of True Sisters.  It was good, but it wasn't great. At least not for me.  I think the subject matter was interesting; it's about a Mormon handcart company and their trials and tribulations as they try to walk to the Salt Lake Valley from Iowa City.  Unfortunately, instead of writing about one or two characters, Dallas tries to cover several women and their families and it all sort of falls apart.  Like the handcarts themselves (spoiler!).


The Year of the Flood, by Margaret Atwood

Full disclosure; I actually read The Year of the Flood previously and I loved it.  I just wanted to re-read it before starting on the final book of the MaddAddam trilogy, MaddAddam, because I like to binge-read the previous books in a series before starting a new book.  I figure it's like binge-watching old shows before a new season.  Does anyone else binge-read?  So, anyway, I read it again and I loved it again.  I've mentioned before than I'm a fan of dys-lit and Atwood's brand of intelligent, inventive dys-lit is some of my favorite.


MaddAddam, by Margaret Atwood

This is the third and final book in the MaddAddam trilogy and it was definitely worth the wait.  It was a wonderful read and managed to serve as both a prequel to Oryx and Crake (the first in the series) as well as the sequel to The Year of the Flood.  It provides a satisfactory ending to the series, but doesn't tie everything up in a neat little bow because Atwood understands that it couldn't possibly.  Basically, Margaret Atwood is a bad-ass and remains one of my all-time favorite authors.  I highly recommend this series, especially if you like dys-lit.


The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

Okay, so I'm about to say something very unpopular about this book; it wasn't that great.  At least not for me.  It started off really well, making me laugh out loud several times, but then it was just, average, I guess.  I don't think it's a bad book, I'm just not sure it's a great book.  But, then again, it may be.  I think it may have suffered from being over-hyped.  I expected to need a box of tissues to make it through the second half of the book, but I didn't.  I barely teared up.  Of course, that could be because I'm an insensitive jerk, but it could also be that the book was over-hyped.  I don't know.  I'm sorry.


The Lonely Polygamist, by Brady Udall

This book is great.  It's funny and strange and interesting and sad and really quite wonderful.  It's unlike anything I've ever read before and it makes me want to read everything else Brady Udall has ever written.  It's very weird and very clever all at once, which means it combines two of my favorite things in one place and it does it very well.  On the surface, it's about a man suffering from a midlife crisis.  But, we're talking about a man with four wives, 28 children and monumental social, familial and religious responsibilities.  Basically, it's great and I definitely recommend it.

Per usual, I have no idea what book I'm going to use for my inspiration, but hopefully I'll come up with something!

Happy Wednesday, All!  Also, please don't yell at me about TFiOS; I said I'm sorry!

Gracey

Long Tall Tunic

Hello All!  Sorry about my extended absence last week.  Life got in the way of blogging, as it's sometimes wont to do, but I am back now.

Back, and wearing clothes.  Specifically, I'm wearing this new tunic courtesy of Long Tall Sally:

I'm also wearing my Sole Society fringe necklace because I figured the print on this top can handle a heavy-duty necklace:

And now for a word on Long Tall Sally.  I tend to stick with the "tall" brands that I know, like Gap, LOFT and Old Navy, even though I know there are other options out there.  Options such as Long Tall Sally.  I had heard of them, of course, but I wasn't sure how they fit and I wasn't sure I wanted to go through the hassle of finding out.

Well, folks, I got lucky because Long Tall Sally actually contacted me and offered me a couple of pieces from their new collection.  And, even luckier still, it fits pretty well.  I ordered a US size 14 and this tunic isn't too large, but it'd definitely a generous cut.  If you are between sizes, I would recommend sizing down.  The same if you prefer a slimmer cut.

The best part about Long Tall Sally though is the length.  They don't make clothes for somewhat tall women, they make clothes for legitimately tall women.  I mean, look at the length on this tunic:

It is truly tunic length on me and, as I've whined about before, that is a pretty rare thing in today's market where showing your bum appears to be the new black.

So, if you haven't tried Long Tall Sally, I highly recommend them, especially if you're 5'10" or over.  And, now that they've combined with Barefoot Tess, they have both a great selection of clothes and shoes for tall women!

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Get the Look

Long Tall Sally kaftan

Similar cropped pants

Sole Society necklace

Similar Franco Sarto sandals

SIA: The Floor Scrapers

This is Jess' (of Animated Cardigan) pick for today's SIA and it is fantastic:

The Floor Scrapers (Les Raboteurs de Parquet) by Gustave Caillebotte 

I was taken both by the strong stripe motif, and the curlicues found both in the window grate and the shavings on the floor.  Eventually, however, I decided to go with stripes:

Stripes on stripes.

Oh, and, I also added some wooden earrings:

How's that for sticking with a theme, huh?

In all honesty though, this was an easy theme for me to stick with.  I think I actually prefer my stripes in neutral colors and loved this top paired with this skirt:

Top: thrifted vintage  Skirt: LOFT  Sandals: Enzo Angiolini

To see what everyone else wore for the challenge, please visit Animated Cardigan.  You will not be disappointed.  (Unless, of course, you're disappointed by awesome-ness, at which point I cannot help you).

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Summer Floral

Although it's not quite summer yet, I feel like this dress is more of a summer floral than a spring floral:

In my mind, a spring floral involves softer colors, like pastels, and a softer application of those colors.

The colors of this dress are bright and loud and just the way that I like them:

Bees are also more summer than spring and I accessorized this dress with a bee brooch as a necklace:

Bees and flowers; yes, I am doing some of my most subtle work here.

And I'm taking that subtle work to Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday!

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

The Cappelli Pack A Hat

The other day I was offered a Cappelli Straworld, Inc. Pack a Hat for the summer and I was very excited.  I am definitely a sun lover, but I try to limit my sun exposure with sunblock and large, dramatic hats like the Cappelli Pack a Hat.  I have several wide-brimmed hats and was thrilled to be able to add the navy one to my collection.

Of course, what does one wear with a large, dramatic hat but a caftan?  I love swanning about the back yard in my vintage caftans, shaded from the Oregon sun by my Cappelli Straworld hat.  Not a fan of caftans?  You're missing out.  But, the good news is that large, dramatic hats also look fabulous with maxi dresses. For either, you can add simple sandals or a brightly-colored mule for added drama. Caftan or maxi, Cappelli has you covered.

This wonderful hat comes in seven different colors; black, toast, red, navy, turquoise, lime and green.  And it comes in an adorable striped wristlet that you can use to pack your hat, but that also doubles as a sporty little clutch.  And both for only $25!  You can get yours here.

Remember folks, sun protection is important and Cappelli Straworld hats not only protect you, they look great too!

Happy Saturday, All!

Gracey

T3: Prismatic Leopard

I am participating in Thoughtful Third Thursday (T3) today, with My Closet Catalogue and my outfit is inspired by a quote from a book that I'm actually struggling to read.  The book is Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace and while I realize that he was a genius and possibly the best writer of his generation, it's still slow going for me.

Which isn't to say it's not inspiring, because it is.  From the moment I read this quote, I knew it was going to be the basis for my T3 look:

My silent response to the expectant silence begins to affect the air of the room, the bits of dust and sportcoat-lint stirred around by the AC's vents dancing jaggedly in the slanted pane of windowlight, the air over the table like the sparkling space just above a fresh-poured seltzer.

Such a minor quote, but I LOVE how descriptive it is.  So, I based my look on the "sparkling space just above a fresh-poured seltzer":

Top: Thrifted MNG  Pants: Kohl's  Sandals: Isola via Nordstrom

Ordinarily I would have selected something that was literally sparkling, but I actually like this better.  To me, the prismatic leopard print perfectly represents the sparkling air above a dark table:

Or maybe not, but still, I think yes.  So I'm linking it up to T3.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Get the Look

Similar blouse

Similar pants

Isola sandals

80s Prom - Body-Con and Boob-Tastic

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that I went to my annual 80s prom last weekend.  And you've probably already seen these pictures:

But, here are a couple more pictures from the event.  As always and forever, I went with my perennial prom date, Alex:

However, unlike the last several years, my dress was very, very body-con this year:

Body-con and ridiculously boob-tastic.  But, I have to say that I was more comfortable dressing so far out of my comfort zone than I thought I'd be.  I mean, if you can't go boob-tastic body-con at 80s prom, when can you, right?

Seriously though, those things nearly overpowered my poor boyfriend!

He looked very dapper though, didn't he?

And we all had a blast. The band, Radical Revolution, is absolutely wonderful.  They play everything and they play it well.  And everyone attending knows all of the songs so the entire crowd sings shouts along.  

And, of course, there are official prom photos.  Here is ours for this year; it's one of my favorites!

L to R: Alex, Gracey, Iano, Jennifer & Lori

Stafford Media Studios took the photos this year and as you can see, they did a fabulous job.  If you'd like, you can see all of their wonderful prom photos, here.

80s prom, folks.  I highly recommend it.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

White Jean Wear-Ability

White jeans have a very limited window of wear-ability for me.  I can't wear them if it's raining or has rained in the past two days as any bit of moisture on the road gets flipped onto white jeans when I ride.  I also can't wear them during the suggested period of Memorial Day to Labor Day because it's too frickin' hot to wear jeans, of any color, during those months.  So, basically, my white jeans only come out a couple of times a year; when it's dry, but not too hot.

Like today:

Tee: LOFT  Jeans, Scarf & Belt: Old Navy  Sandals: Banana Republic

For today's look I paired my white jeans with a citron tee and an adorable hummingbird scarf because, as an Oregonian, I consider it my birthright to put a bird, any bird, on darned near everything.

And it's always worth it.  Always.

Outside of the weather cooperating, white jeans are pretty wearable for me.  I am prone to staining them, but a little OxyClean will usually take care of whatever foodstuffs I've dropped in my lap.  However, I've realized that for a lot of women, white jeans aren't that wearable, and not just because they like to partake in really, really messy burritos.  (Oh, wait, is that just me?  Okay then.)  

If you struggle with wearing white jeans, please, allow me to offer some completely unsolicited advice on the subject.

Look for a looser fit.  Some people advocate sizing up and if that works for you, that's definitely one way to get a looser fit.  Personally, I just bypassed the super-tight jeans for the more forgiving fit.  These are still a skinny cut, but it doesn't take third-party assistance to pull them on.

Look for thicker fabric.  A lot of the discomfort about white jeans is that you feel like everyone is seeing your everything.  If you go with a thicker jeans, that's less of an issue.

Wear nude panties.  Not white (not ever white).  Not hot pink.  Nude.  Even if your jeans have a sturdier fabrication, nude panties are best.

Pair with whatever you like.  Once you find the perfect pair of white jeans, you can wear them with whatever you like.  Any color, any print, any thing you want.  This is probably the best thing about white jeans, so have fun with it.

What about you, Reader Friends?  Do you wear white jeans?  If not, will the advice of a notorious burrito-dropper like myself change your mind?

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Get the Look

Old Navy Sweetheart jeans

LOFT sunwashed tee

Similar scarf (here or here)

Similar nude sandals

Simplicity

It's about to get stupid hot here in Oregon.  In the high 70s today and then close to 90 later this week.  I know.  In Oregon.  In May.  It's ridiculous.

Anyway, given the upcoming heat, I thought it best to try to get my pants-wearing out of the way.  So, today, jeans:

I may risk pants tomorrow as well, but then it's tube tops and flip flops for the rest of the week.  I'm kidding, but only because flip flops aren't great for bike riding.  Otherwise, totally.

Today's outfit was great for a morning bike commute though; a breezy white shirt, relaxed jeans and my new favorite sandals:

Shirt: Gap  Jeans: Lucky  Sandals: Moorea Seal

Oh, and this necklace.  Again.  Because I am strangely unable to resist the lure of sounding like the world's largest house cat:

Jingly tassels for the win! (Also, not for nothing, but Jingly Tassels is also the name of my next band.  We're going to do burlesque covers of Christmas music.)

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Get the Look

Gap tunic

Similar Lucky jeans

Olive sandals (other colors here and here)

Similar vintage necklace (here or here)

Double Denim and Neon Stripes

Remember when double denim was all the rage and all the cool bloggers wore it and we all wondered how they did it?  Well, I still have no idea and I'm pretty sure it's no longer all the rage, but I went ahead and wore double denim anyway:

Tunic: Old Navy  Skinnies: Wit & Wisdom  Boots: Nine West

And I paired it with neon stripes.  I'm pretty sure that, like double denim, neon is now passe, but I happen to like neon stripes.  Especially these neon stripes:

Gap Neon Stripe Scarf

This scarf reminds me of a tee from the 80s, in the best possible way.  And I don't care if neon's fifteen minutes of fame are up, I'm going to keep wearing this scarf.  And probably double denim too.  Just because.

What about you, Reader Friends?  Do you stop wearing a trend as soon as People Style Watch declares it "over" or do you maintain your neon-wearing ways?

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Get the Look

Similar chambray tunic

Similar polka dot skinnies

Similar ankle boots (save or splurge)

Exact neon stripe scarf

Bohemian Polka Dot Safari

This outfit makes no sense.  None of the elements really go together except color-wise:

Top: thrifted Foxcroft  Vest: Old Navy  Jeans: Banana Republic  Sandals: Jeffrey Campbell

Or, maybe it would be more appropriate to say that some of the elements go with each other, but all together they're a bit of nonsense.

I mean, there are polka dots, there is a safari-ready vest and there are bohemian elements in both the shoes and the necklace.  This necklace:

Vintage necklace via Lil' Gypsy

I think it's the necklace that throws the whole thing.  Even the sandals would probably be okay, but the necklace doesn't quite fit, even though I'm pretending it echoes the polka dot motif of the tunic.

But, the truth is, if I had followed Coco Chanel's advice and removed one thing before I left the house, it wouldn't have been this necklace.  In fact, I'd have ditched the vest.  I'm a little iffy on this vest anyway, not just solely in the context of this outfit.  But the necklace makes me happy even if I do sound like a rather large house cat due to the chiming of the fringe.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Literary Stylings #10: Divergent Erudite

I decided to base this month's Literary Stylings outfit on the Divergent series, by Veronica Roth:

It really should have been a more obvious choice than it was.  Clothing plays a very big role in these books as the five different Factions are all identified, in part, by their clothing which helps demonstrate their cultivated virtue.

The main character, Beatrice/Tris, was born into the Abnegation Faction.  Members of Abnegation wear head to toe gray to demonstrate, in part, that they don't care about their looks because that would be selfish and their virtue is selflessness.  The other Factions include the Amity; their colors are orange, red and yellow and their virtue is peacefulness.  There are also the Dauntless; their virtue is bravery and their color is black.  The Erudite have the virtue of intelligence and their color is blue.  And the Candor have the virtue of honesty and their colors are black and white.

I think I resisted using these books because I like to think I wouldn't belong in any of these factions because they all have their flaws (yes, even the peaceful Amity).  But, the more I thought about it, the more I think that if I had to choose a faction, it would be the Erudite and I would wear blue.

So, for today, I did.  Head to toe blue:

Why Erudite?  Well, I love reading and learning new things.  When I was younger, reading was pretty much my favorite past time and I would have rather read then pretty much anything else.  That hasn't changed much since I've gotten older.  I still love reading and I still love learning.  If I were rich, I'd just stay in college indefinitely, learning and getting degree after degree.

So, yes, Erudite would have been my chosen faction if I were to have to choose at age 16 (or even now).  And the wearing of my beloved blue?  That's just a bonus:

Of course, I am not really a member of the Erudite faction, so I went ahead and wore a very Amity red coat as well:

And now my friends, it is your turn.  If you were sartorially inspired by something you read last month, please link up below!


Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey