A Skirt, Of Sorts

This outfit is NOT a lot of things.  For example, this is not a crop top:

And that's not my bare midriff covered with surprise tattoos.  No, that is a flesh-colored belt covered with embroidery.  (Ugh. Flesh-colored belt is not a phrase I ever thought I'd write, but there you have it).


Gross as that phrase is, the embroidery is actually rather nice:

And looks less skin-like up close, I think (I hope).



In addition to not wearing a crop top, I am also not wearing a skirt:

Not that you can really tell in this picture, but I swear to you, these are culottes.  Or, a split skirt, if you will.



Of course, if we call it a split skirt, then I guess I *am* wearing a skirt:

Blouse: LOFT  Split Skirt: thrifted (similar save, splurge)
Belt: Fossil (similar)  Sandals: Isola (similar)

Of sorts.


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Rose Colored Blouse, Rose Covered Heels

Generally, all things rose are my sister's domain; it's her name after all.  Still I couldn't resist these Topshop shoes with the roses embroidered on the heels:

Fancy, right?!



Fancy, and, I guess, a little busy.  So I kept the outfit I paired them with simple.  Just culottes and a blouse:

Simple. Albeit a little wrinkly.  I love a linen blend pant, especially for summer, but you bend down to strap up your adorable, embroidered shoe and you look a mess.



A well-coordinated mess, in your rose colored blouse and rose covered heels, to be sure:

Blouse: LOFT  Pants: LOFT (similar)
Belt: LOFT (similar)  Shoes: Topshop 

But, still, a mess.



Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Fall Floral

I love a dark floral for fall, and this floral sweater from LOFT is perfect:

I love the large scale print and the colors are gorgeous:

Although the weekend was freezing (no, really, it dropped to 28 last night), it's warming up again so a three-quarter sleeve sweater, velvet scarf and culottes are just warm enough:

I'm trying to wear my culottes and cropped pants for as long as I can this fall because, tights or not, I don't see them working for winter.


Which is too bad, because I do love me some culottes:

Sweater: LOFT  Scarf: thrifted
Culottes: thrifted (similar)  Shoes: Bettye Muller Bettye (similar)

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Eyelet and Culottes

Figure flattery is not a very high priority for me when getting dressed, but lately it's been even lower on the list.  Instead I've been playing with proportion and volume.

Friday it was proportion, today it's volume:

And by volume, I mean these fabulously voluminous culottes:

Ordinarily, I'd wear them with something tucked or fitted; anything to define my waist.


But, the fact of the matter is, you don't always have to define your waist.  Sometimes it's okay to wear high-volume culottes and pair it with a cropped top:

And waist be damned.


It's also okay to add in some cage sandals because they're your favorite and you can't-stop-won't-stop wearing them:

Top: Banana Republic  Culottes: gifted vintage (similar)
Sandals: Steve Madden (similar)  Necklace: c/o Happiness Boutique  Earrings: Kate Spade New York

Trust me, it's okay.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Glitter, Stripes and Culottes

As I'm sure you're all tired of hearing me say, I am a huge fan of culottes.  Especially big ol' wide-legged culottes like these ones:

And with a high waist?

I'm in culotte heaven.


I'm also in glitter-and-stripes heaven:

Glitter, stripes and culottes:

Top: vintage (horse option!)  Belt: thrifted vintage
Culottes: thrifted vintage (save, splurge)  Studs: Kate Spade New York
Sandals: Steve Madden (similar)

I'm just not sure it gets any better.


Happy Friday, All!

Literary Stylings #17: In Zanesville

Although I really, really enjoyed all of the books I read last month (seriously, I recommend them all), I was most sartorially inspired by In Zanesville, by Jo Ann Beard:

As I said on Sunday, this book was absolutely wonderful.  I didn't grow up in Indiana in the 70s, but this book made me wish I had, if only to be friends with the two main characters.  Seriously, the narrator, and her best friend, Flea, were the type of girls I absolutely would have wanted to be friends with in high school.  They bond over corny jokes, favorite words and clothes.


In fact, clothing is so important to them that they take what has to be the worst babysitting job ever (EVER!) over the summer in order to put clothes on layaway for the school year.  And what did they put on layaway?  Oh, just awesome items like culottes and sweater vests:

I mean, if any book were tailor-made for me for this challenge, it's this one.  I love culottes and sweater vests!


Although, I think the colors on my sweater vest are more 80s than 70s:

Wrong decade or no, I'm just happy to have read this book and happy it inspired this outfit:

And now it's your turn, Reader Friends.  If you've got an outfit to share, please link up below:

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

I Can't Believe It's Not Vintage

This top is not vintage:

I know, I know, I can't believe it either!  I mean, look at this print:

Delightful and very vintage, right?  Well, half right.  It is definitely delightful, but it's also very definitely not vintage.  It's actually Foxcroft.


They contacted me recently to try some of their new pieces and let me just say that I was very pleasantly surprised by the selection.  I knew that Foxcroft shirts were well made and can free one from the tyranny of ironing (hallelujah!) but I had no idea they were so fun.  I often shy away from venerable brands like Foxcroft because I don't feel like I have enough gravitas to pull them off, but with some of their new prints, I can wear them and continue to live my gravitas-free lifestyle.


Like this top for example:

This fun, bright print is the "vintage royal" print and represents the vision of Foxcroft's head designer, Laura Poretzky-Garcia, to find inspiration from Foxcroft's vast print, fabric and design archives.


And I think that's fabulous.  As much as I love vintage, I also really love brands that do modern vintage, like this blouse.  Because, if this blouse were true vintage, it'd probably be made of sweat-inducing polyester and be too narrow for my "modern" shoulders (I call them modern because they get mad when I call them "linebacker-like").


Also, although it's not vintage, this top fits perfect with the rest of my outfit, which is vintage:

Top: c/o Foxcroft  Sweater & Culottes: thrifted vintage  Shoes: Steve Madden

That's right.  No iron, no sweat, no tall-girl-in-a-narrow-shirt and plays well with vintage.  Win-win.

And you can win too; right now Foxcroft is having their Friends & Family event and everything is 40% off through Friday.  That includes the top I'm wearing, this other delightfully vintage-y blouse and this amazing houndstooth piece.


Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey


Please Note: Although this blouse was given to me in exchange for a review, all opinion expressed on this blog are my own.  And that means that if the top was not great (Bob) I'd tell you.  Promise.

A Lot of Culottes

Just as Jessica Day rocks a lot of polka dots, I rock a lot of culottes:

Top: LOFT  Belt & Culottes: vintage, thrifted  Shoes: Madden Girl

These are my current favorites:

If I had my way, I'd wear culottes every day.  Every day, People.  It's that serious.  In fact, I had to be talked out of some blue satin culottes the other day.  And, to be honest, I'm not sure I have been talked out of them.  It's not that I need blue satin culottes, there probably isn't anyone that needs blue satin culottes, it's just that I love them.


And I love these:

I found them  at Goodwill the other day and practically begged them to fit over my hips.  Happily, they complied and we've been together ever since.  It's basically a match made in heaven.  They treat me right by fitting, having pockets and making all my culotte dreams come true.  And I treat them right by pairing them with stripes and lace up wedges:

Perfection.  Outfits like this are the exact reason I rock a lot of culottes.


Happy Monday, All!


Gracey

Get the Look

Guess What?! Culottes!!

Guess what?

If you guessed culottes, you're either very smart or very literate (both good things):

Because I am, in fact, wearing CULOTTES!!!!

Yes, this is the best picture I've ever taken.

Man, I love, love, love me some culottes.  When I was younger, I had a white pair with a rainbow embroidered across the pelvis and down the legs.  They were a bit of 70s heaven and because of them, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for culottes.


In fact, I've been looking to thrift a pair for the past year or so, but without any luck.  Happily my Mom is basically a thrifting goddess and found this pair for me:

They make me smirk with joy!

Now, don't get me wrong; I recognize that culottes aren't the most figure-flattering things in the world.  But, they're beyond great for bike riding and I feel slouchy and cool in them, as opposed to sloppy and plump.

And this particular pair not only makes me feel magically cool, they have both pockets and awesome buttons:

Man, I love these things.

What about you, Reader Friends?  Are you a fan of culottes?


Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey