Five for Friday: Green Flash

For my last Five for Friday, I did a color, I love, Fiesta!  For today's version, I decided to do a color that I'm still on the fence about, Green Flash.

And, I have to say, I am newly on the fence about this color.  When the new Pantone colors were first announced, I was firmly on Team Oh-Hell-No about Green Flash.  But, it's growing on me and might even be something I try in one of the below pieces:

1. Saint Laurent "Classic 11" Sunglasses - I love, love, love the idea of sunnies mirrored with green flash lenses.  This pair is definitely on the steep side, but they're also awesome and would look fabulous with an all-white look.

2. Saucony Originals Jazz O Classic Retro Running Shoe - Athleisure continues to be a trend that many people enjoy.  It's not my personal favorite, but even I have to admit there is something charmingly retro about these bright sneaks.

3. Bindya Houndstooth Print Scarf - This is probably my favorite deployment of green flash; mixed with other bright colors on a black background.  And as I've always said, a lightweight scarf is perfect for an air-conditioned summer office.

4. Vintage Kay Windsor Summer Dress - Do you love Green Flash?  Well, then, this pick is for you.  Go all in with a vintage dress from Etsy vendor AldaWild.

5.  Topshop "Matisse" Floral Print Shorts - I love these shorts.  Love the print (again, Green Flash and other brights on a black background), love the cut, love the 80s feel.  Love.


So, Reader Friends, how do you feel about Green Flash?  On board?  On the fence?  Or on Team Oh-Hell-No?


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Because They Go With Everything

I'm wearing those blue pants again:

Why?  Well, mostly because they're blue, but also because I think they really might truly go with everything.



I mean, I've worn them with peach, with a dark floral print and today with whatever color this is.

Scarf: thrifted silk (similar)  Sweater: LOFT (similar)
Pants: Gap (similar)  Shoes: v. old Corso Como (similar)

And I added some additional color with the scarf:

I'm telling you, Folks.  Blue pants.  Because they go with everything.



Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Pleats, Stripes and Brights

I thrifted this vintage pleated skirt the other day and couldn't wait to wear it:

Happily, the weather cooperated and I was able to pair it with a striped tee and colorful flats instead of tights and boots:

I mean, it's not that I don't love my tights and boots.  I do.  But these flats are just so much fun:

So bright flats it is:

Tee: Old Navy (similar)  Skirt: thrifted vintage (similar)
Earrings: local Portland craftsman (similar)  Shoes: Via Spiga "Pallas 2" Flats

And pleats.  And stripes.  All the good things.



Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Shoe Review: LTS "Bali" Block Heel Sandals

These are my new sandals, courtesy of Long Tall Sally:

LTS "Bali" Block Heel Sandals

And, I have to tell you, they are perfect.  I know they don't look like much, just a simple leather sandals with a low block heel, but these are, hands-down, the most comfortable sandals I've ever worn.  I've worn them several times already with nary an ache or a blister.

As thrilled as I am with the comfort aspect of these sandals, what I like best is that they don't make my large feet look even larger.  Perfectly flat sandals can often make feet look bigger, which, at a size 10, is not something I need.  The slight, oh-so-walkable heel on these sandals keep my feet from looking even bigger.

Additionally, thin straps on sandals can make toes look long, which, again, can make your feet look bigger.  The front strap on these sandals is just wide enough to keep my toes from looking too long.  And, the ankles straps cross at the perfect place on my leg so I'm not sacrificing any of my well-earned (okay, genetically gifted) height.

This last bit is important to me not because I'm afraid of looking shorter, but because I wear a lot of clothes that are proportionally challenging which can be stumpifying.  Like my beloved midi dresses and skirts as well as my new go-to, wide leg crops.  The strap placement on these makes them perfect for all my potentially leg-shortening looks.


Like these cropped pants:

Tunic: LOFT  Pants: Old Navy
Scarf: thrifted (similar save, splurge)  Shoes: "Bali" Sandals c/o LTS

See?  Perfect.  Because of the strap placement, I'm still showing "enough" ankle that I don't end up a victim of what I like to call "The Crisco Effect" (i.e. artificial shortening).



In addition to my crops and the Bali sandals, I'm also wearing a striped tunic and a thrifted scarf:

Not for nothing, but white-on-white is a tricky as black-on-black.  I think this only works because the tunic is slightly sheer.  Otherwise it's totally a mismatched mess.



But even then, it wouldn't have been a total loss because, you know, cute sandals:

Just one of, I might add, several very cute pairs of shoes introduced as part of Long Tall Sally's "If the Shoe Fits" campaign.  As I'm sure most of you know, LTS specializes in cute, wearable, stylish shoes for women who wear sizes 10 to 15.  Sizes that, at most other retailers, can be impossible to find.  If you are large of foot, I strongly recommend you stop by Long Tall Sally for your spring footwear needs.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Five for Friday: Fiesta!

Of course, today's Five for Friday had to be all about my favorite Pantone color for this Spring, Fiesta!  I love this orange-y red hue and think it's perfect for the season.  And retailers seem to think so as well; there are a LOT of Fiesta pieces on the market right now.


Here are five of my favorites:

1. J. Crew Peacock Diamond Scarf - I love lightweight scarves for Spring and even wear them into Summer to battle the air conditioning at work.  This one will work with everything from a chambray shirtdress to a white tee.

2. Madewell "Transport" Fringe Tote - Totes just seem like the easiest, best, least fussy option for a summer bag.  This one is roomy and has handles long enough to throw over your shoulder, but short enough to carry in your hand.  Basically, it's perfect.

3. Bettye by Bettye Muller "Buzz" Sandals - I don't know what it is about Bettye Muller, but she totally has my number when it comes to shoes.  I love the walk-able block heel and the amazing print on these.  They're a bit of a splurge, but one I will probably make.

4. L. Erickson "Grace" Crystal Stud Earrings - I am a huge proponent of big ol' stud earrings and think this pair is the perfect way to add a little Fiesta to a look.

5. eShakti Crepe Midi Skirt - So, Fiesta and Navy?  A match made in heaven.  As is demonstrated on this fabulous eShakti skirt.  Not in the market for a skirt?  This print is also available on their Allison dress and this belted dress.


How about you, Reader Friends?  Are you feeling this color as much as I am?


xoxo,

Gracey

It's Not Red, It's Fiesta!

My sweater is not red:

It's Fiesta!!  At least that's what Pantone says.  And I'm not going to argue because calling this sweater Fiesta (!) makes this outfit sound more interesting than it probably is.



Which isn't to say it's boring.  The combination of fiesta (!) and olive is a fairly interesting one.  And the non-matching-but-totally-going scarf is fun:

But, it's mostly the sweater:

Sweater: LOFT  Scarf: secondhand (similar)
Pants: Gap   Shoes: Steve Madden 'Eleanorr' Flats

Because, well, Fiesta!



Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Optimistic Ankle Baring

After a wet, cold, rainy & sometimes snowy patch, I think Spring may finally be here.  In fact, I'm so optimistic about it, that I brought out my ankles:

As everyone knows, optimistic ankle baring is one of the first true signs of Spring.


I chose to bare my ankles with these bright blue pants:

I love these pants.  I bought them on a whim, because they were blue.  I was uncertain of how versatile they'd be, but I want to wear them with everything.  Do they go with everything?  Maybe, maybe not.  But I want to wear them with everything.


And they certainly go with this dark floral blouse:

Blouse: Nordstrom Rack  Belt: v.old Macys
Pants: Gap (similar) Shoes: Via Spiga "Nalo" Wedge

But, I'm pretty sure they'll go with a bunch of other stuff too.  In fact, I imagine we'll be seeing exposed ankles all season long.


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Aubergine and Ice

Ice blue, that is:

Now, we did have actual ice, and snow, over the weekend, but today is warmer.  Not actually warm, mind you, which is why I'm back in tights, but warmer for sure:

Warm enough for me to at least make the effort to incorporate a spring-y color like this ice blue into my outfit:

Even though it's April, we haven't had much in the way of spring weather here yet in Pittsburgh so I'm defaulting to my darker winter colors.  I mean, I want to wear pretty spring things but did I mention that it snowed on Friday?


Still, today's mix of aubergine and ice blue felt like a successful way to incorporate more spring-like colors into my still winter-y wardrobe:

Jacket: Gap (similar)  Blouse: LOFT (similar)
Skirt: Lands' End (similar) Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

What about you, Reader Friends?  Are you well into spring or are you still mixing spring and winter pieces?


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Layered Prints

I'm wearing layered prints today:

Now, you're probably looking at this and thinking, "Really, Gracey?  A turtleneck and a sweater?  In April?"


To which I'd reply, "Yes, because snow":

That's right, snow.  And quite a bit too.  We had a dusting on Sunday, some people got some Tuesday night, and now this.  And I think it's supposed to snow tomorrow as well.


So, yeah.  Snow.  And layered prints:

Stripes: Old Navy (similar)  Sweater: Vila via ASOS
Belt: J. Crew  Pants: Gap  Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

Because, well, snow.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Blue Green

I was trying to figure out if these pants are blue or green:

And then I realized that the answer is "yes."


So, I paired them with some blue and some green and some blue green:

Shirt: Gap  Blazer: LOFT (this year's version)
Pants: LOFT  Scarf: gifted (similar)  Boots: Ivanka Trump (similar)

Because what else would you wear with yes-colored pants?


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Wind in the Florals

I'm back to another vintage floral dress dress today:

And the weather is back to wind.

Thankfully, I'm also back to tights, or this would have been an unpleasant photo session indeed.  As it was, I barely managed to keep from flashing the school children walking by.  I might look calm and collected in the photos above, but this is what it really looked like today:

At least until the wind died down a bit and I was able to get something a bit better:

Dress: thrifted vintage  Cardigan: thrifted vintage
Belt: thrifted (similar)  Boots: gifted (similar)

And then it started raining and I had to give up entirely.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Five for Friday: Iced Coffee

For today's Five for Friday, I decided to tackle one of the Pantone colors that I am not all that excited about, Iced Coffee.  This was one of this season's colors that, when announced, I was like, "yeah... but no thanks."  But, I'm working on being an equal opportunity color wearer so I poked around the interwebs for some Iced Coffee items that were wearable to my bright-loving self.

And, I have great news.  There are wearable Iced Coffee items available; items like these:

1. Panacea Smoky Crystal Earrings - So, it turns out that I rather like Iced Coffee, as long as it has a little shimmer and shine like these earrings.

2. eShakti Vine Print Dress - And, Iced Coffee as part of a print is definitely do-able, especially on a midi dress like this one.  The sleeves aren't my favorite, but, it's eShakti, so you can change them if you want!

3. LOFT Linen Cotton Sweater - If I were to ever do a solid piece in Iced Coffee it would be something like this simple, lightweight sweater.

4. Urban Originals Feather Print Scarf - Again, I like this color best in a print and think this pairing with fuchsia and orange is gorgeous.

5. Vince Camuto "Lavette" Booties - This is probably my favorite iteration of Iced Coffee.  If you're looking for a neutral summer shoe, I think these are just perfect.  And on-trend in all the ways.


What about you, Reader Friends?  What are your feelings on Iced Coffee?  Wearable, or just for drinking?


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

In Between

Today I'm wearing an in between outfit due to our in between weather:

It's not cold, per se, but it's raining.  And it's not warm, but they've turned on the air conditioning in the office, I guess because it was warm yesterday?  I don't even know.


All I know is that somehow a maxi with sleeves and ankle boots, with bare legs but with a scarf, makes perfect sense.


Even my booties fit the in between theme:

The color and the perforations make them seasonally appropriate, but they still help keep my feet kind of warm.

Dress: v. old Nordstrom Rack (similar sleeved, similar sleeveless)
Scarf: Victory Garden Yarn Skipjack Cowl  Booties: Vince Camuto "Campina"

Because on these in between days, I don't need to be kept warm-warm, just kind of warm.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey