Embroidery, Tassels, and a Ram

This outfit has everything:

Embroidery.

Tassels.

And a ram:

All of which make it, possibly, the perfect fall outfit:

Dress: LOFT (similar) Ram belt: secondhand vintage  
Scarf: Nordstrom Rack (similar here and here)
Boots: Bettye Bettye Muller (save, splurge, bigger splurge)

Or at least perfect for what's supposed to be a rainy, not-too-cold fall day.



Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

A Good Combination of Things

I don't know if it's the heat or my general discontent (I still miss Oregon), but getting dressed has been difficult for me as of late.  This face demonstrates how I feel about most of my clothes lately:

But, I have to say that I actually like today's outfit:

I mean, double pockets, so yeah.  But, also because it seems, to me, to be a good combination of things.



For example, the combination of the dress with the oxidized belt:

That's a good combination.  As is the combination of the dress with the cardigan.



And the dress with the sandals:

Dress: thrifted (similar) Cardigan: LOFT (similar)
Earrings: gifted (similar)  Belt: vintage  Sandals: Dune London "Ivanna"

Yes, I'd say that it's an all-around good combination of things.



Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Shirt Dresses Are Easy

It's true you know, shirt dresses are easy:

Kinda like Earth girls.



But, really, just add a belt and shoes and you're set:

Not that all shirt dresses (or aliens (have you seen Jeff Goldblum in that movie???)) are equal.  Some shirt dresses have pockets:

Dress: thrifted (similar sleeveless) (with sleeves)
Belt: thrifted (similar)  Sandals: Kork-Ease (similar)

In my opinion, pocketed shirt dresses are the best shirt dresses.  And Jeff Goldblum aliens are the sexiest best aliens.



Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Diplomacy

My skirt is navy, not black:

Why does this matter?  Because, the Pittsburgh Penguins, whose colors are black and gold, are currently in the middle of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  This means that most of Pittsburgh is very involved in rooting for the Penguins right now.

And that means that when you wear buttercup and dark navy to the office, the dark navy is mistaken for black and you are cheered for wearing black and gold.  Even when you're not.



But, you smile and say that you are anyway:

Cardigan: Target  Belt: LOFT (similar)
Skirt: thrifted vintage (similar)  Shoes: Kork-Ease (similar)

Because although that sounds like lying, I'm pretty sure it's called diplomacy.



Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Literary Stylings #25 - Mislaid

For today's LitSty look, I was inspired by the book Mislaid, by Nell Zink:

I chose this book because it was one of my favorites from last month.  I had never read Zink before, but am now a huge fan.  She takes what are definitely sensitive subjects, like homosexuality in the 50s and 60s and race relations in the 60s and 70s and passing (!) for black (!) in the south (!) and writes about them with both pathos and humor.

The main character of the book is Peggy, who realized in high school that she loved women and wanted to love women.  She began dressing in masculine clothing and went to a liberal all-girls school.  However, at that school, she ends up having an affair.  With a professor.  With a homosexual, male professor.  Neither of them being experience with birth control, Peggy ends up pregnant.  And she and Lee, her professor, end up married.

Peggy eventually flees her marriage with her young daughter and in an attempt to hide them both, decides to pass as black.  In the South.  In the 60s.  Again, somehow, Zink manages to handle all of these issues deftly and often amusingly.  It's such a well written book, I recommend it to everyone.


As for my outfit, I wore a vintage dress layered over pants to demonstrate the duality of Peggy's position as both a lesbian and a wife and mother:

I chose this specific dress because although it's printed with roses, they're scribbled roses so it's not too sweet:

All in all, I'm not 100% sure this outfit makes sense in real life, but it made sense to me for this book.  And I was surprisingly comfortable wearing it.

Dress: vintage thrifted  Pants: LOFT
Turtleneck: hinge via Nordstrom  Shoes: Bettye by Bettye Muller

And now it's your turn; link your looks up below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Coatigan

No, not "that coat again."  Coatigan.  It's a cross between a coat and a cardigan:

This particular coatigan is from LOFT and I love the forest green color:

And I love how warm it is.  In fact, it's frankly too warm to wear unless it's freezing out.  Happily, it's been freezing out this week so I was able to pull it out of my closet where it had been languishing since this fall.



I layered it over a thrifted sweater dress which was, in turn, layered over a turtleneck and ponte pants:

Coatigan: LOFT (similar)  Dress: thrifted (similar)  Pants: Gap (similar)
 Hat: Nordstrom (similar)  Scarf: Target (similar) Boots: Born Crown (similar)

Yeah, I'll definitely be wearing this coatigan.  Again.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

New Year, New Cape

I think it's best to start a new year in something dramatic.  Like a cape:

It lets people know that you're not afraid to bring the drama to the office.  Belting your cape with a seriously studded belt also helps to hammer that point home:

Still not enough drama for you?  Try swanning about in your cape.  Nothing says drama like some swanning.  And trust me, in this Long Tall Sally cape, you can't help but swan:

The fabric drapes so beautifully and flows so nicely when you walk.  It's wind-in-the-cape instead of wind-in-the-hair, but I still feel like Tyra would be proud.


Seriously, Folks.  Capes.  I think they might become a thing:

Cape: c/o LTS  Turtleneck: Gap (similar)
Skirt: thrifted (similar) Belt: MICHAEL Michael Kors (similar)
Boots: Born Crown "Sosie" (similar)

At least I hope so.


Happy Monday, All!  And Happy New Year!

Gracey

The Versatility of Pumpkin

Although I'm often extolling the virtues of orange, even I recognize that it's not an easy color to wear.  It seems limited in it's color pairings and pairing it with basic black invites Halloween references.  However, I'm hear to tell you that orange is actually surprisingly versatile.


Especially pumpkin orange, like this cardigan:

The last time I wore it, I wore it with a printed dress:

This time I wore it with basic neutral pieces, including, yes, black jeans:

And I added the most pumpkin-friendly silk scarf I own:

Scarf: thrifted silk

I'm telling you, Reader Friends, you really can pair orange with nearly anything.  Even black:

Cardigan: LOFT  Shirt: Nordstrom (similar)
Jeans: Old Navy Rockstar  Boots: Born (similar)

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Pleated and Printed

This dress has everything a gal could ask for in a vintage dress.  It's both pleated and printed:

What, exactly, it's printed with, I can't say.  It's some sort of random, 60s print:

But, that random 60s print works well with modern neutrals.


Modern neutrals like this faux leather moto and the suede boots:

Dress: thrifted vintage (similar)
Moto: Guess via Nordstrom Rack (similar)  Boots: Circa Joan & David (similar)

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Pattern Play

One thing that has been both frustrating and amusing about getting a new job is that I have a new set of people I get to explain my outfits to.

This outfit required quite a bit of explanation:

First I tried to tell them that mixing patterns was okay.  They were not convinced.



Then I tried convince them that this mix especially made good sense.  I mean, look at this:

Could any two prints go any better?!!!



And yes, I said go.  I know this outfit doesn't match:

But, I'll be gosh-darned if it doesn't go.  Apparently though, "going" isn't a concept my new co-works are ready to embrace yet.



That's okay.  I'll just keep mixing my prints and eventually they'll agree that the mixes make sense.

Top: H&M (similar) (similar)  Skirt: H&M (similar)
Belt: thrifted (similar)  Boots: v. old Steve Madden (similar)

Maybe.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

A Matchy-Matchy Fall

That'd be the title of a Hallmark movie about my outfits so far this fall.  I don't mean to be matchy-matchy, but it's definitely happening:

Seriously, between this outfit last week and today's outfit, I've matched more in the last week than probably the last six.


I mean, even my nail polish matches:

Yes, accidentally, but it still matches.


But, that's okay.  Because if being matchy-matchy is what it takes to be able to wear these beautiful shoes again before it gets too cold, I'll take it:

Shirt: Gap (similar)
Ombre Skirt: thrifted vintage (similar sequin version)  Shoes: Franco Sarto

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey