Best EBEW Ever

Today’s Everybody Everywear theme is… boots:

Yep, boots.  Which makes this the best EBEW ever.  I mean, I like that EBEW challenges me most of the time, but sometimes it’s nice not to have to think too hard about my outfits.  Really, the only way this could have been easier for me is if the theme had been “Clothes;” I’m fairly certain I could nail that one too.

Yes, I said “too” because I’m pretty confident with today’s look.  Because, if there is anything I can style without too much trouble, it's boots:

Of course I chose my Born Crown “Sosie” boots (via Nordstrom) for the challenge because if I were only allowed one pair of boots (Heaven forbid!) in my wardrobe, it would be these.  I’ve had them for four or five years now, and they’ve held up beautifully.  In addition to my beloved boots, I also wore a vintage dress (Lorac Originals, thrifted), tights (Hue via Macys), a tri-color belt (Goodwill) and a hilariously awesome vintage cardigan (Lord Jeff via Goodwill).

Yep, the maker of this cardigan is Lord Jeff:

And, to me, that is hilarious.  I mean, is there a less noble name than “Jeff”?  I love that almost as much as I love the rest of this cardigan.  And I love this cardigan a LOT.

But, I digress.  We’re talking about boots, not cardigans.  To see how everybody everywhere else wore their boots, be sure to stop by EBEW.

And have a Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Shop The Look

Similar vintage cardigan

Similar tights

Similar Born Crown Boots

Similar navy dress

Similar belt

** Disclosure: Actions taken from the hyperlinks in this blog post may yield commission/compensation for the writer. Please see the Disclosure tab for more details.

That’s the Spirit!

Today is the Everybody, Everywear Back to School Challenge.  Having not been in school for years (don't worry how many, it's not important) I decided to show my school spirit by wearing the colors of my alma mater, Washington State University:

According to our fight song, we're supposed to "win the day for crimson and gray"*:

So I paired a crimson pleated sweater skirt (vintage, thrifted) with a lightweight gray sweatshirt (Old Navy) and tasseled booties (Seychelles “Clue” via 2011 NAS).  I then realized that in my attempt to go “sporty” I looked like an old-timey cheerleader, so I quickly added a turquoise and silver necklace.  Because, let’s be honest, you can’t do cheers in a squash blossom necklace (vintage via Lil’ Gypsy), you’ll knock your teeth out.

In addition to the turquoise necklace, I also wore my new turquoise earrings (vintage via Lil’ Gypsy):

Looking at my outfit, I think it’s unfortunate WSU’s colors don’t include turquoise.  Don’t you think this uniform would look better with a pop of turquoise?

Image via Fresh University

Like the numbering.  Or the helmet.  Oooh, a turquoise helmet would be sooo pretty.

Even though my team doesn’t have pretty helmets, I have spirit, yes, I do.  I have spirit, how ‘bout you?!  You do?  Well, then, make sure you’re linked up over at Everybody, Everywear!

And have a Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Gracey

*Our fight song also says we're the "best in the West," but that hasn't been true for over a decade.  Sad face.

Monocreamatic

Today was the Everybody, Everywear Monochromatic Challenge.  I decided to go with monochromatic cream (or monocreamatic, if you will):

Monocreamatic

The Necklace

The Shoes

For this look, I paired a pleated skirt (vintage, thrifted) with a silk tank (thrifted).  I added a suede belt, worn backwards (thrifted) and nude platform sandals (Banana Republic) worn the correct way.  I also added a bib necklace (c/o Maurice’s) and a few bangles (Nordstrom and thrifted). 

I know it’s not entirely monochromatic, given the belt and the shoes, but I don’t know that I have it in me to go head-to-toe cream.  Or any other color for that matter.  Maybe black; I’ll have to try that come this fall.

For more monochromatic looks that probably aren’t broken up by off-colored belts, visit Everybody, Everywear.

And Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Gracey

Oh, I almost forgot – eShakti has provided a special promo code for Reader Friends of Fashion for Giants for 10% off through August 31!  Just use code FA26KEY at check out.

EBEW: Color Blocking

Today is the Everybody, Everywear Color Blocking challenge.  So I wore blocks of color:

Because I think you have to for it to be “color” blocking.  I mean, can you even color block with neutrals?  I don’t know, but I think probably not.  So, blocks of color it is.    

My blocks are a cobalt maxi skirt (Target) and a citron tank (Old Navy).  I added black sandals (White Mountain via Macys), a silver fringe necklace (Jessica Simpson via Macys) and a few bracelets (handmade, handmade, Macys).

To see how other bloggers blocked their colors, make sure you visit Everybody,Everywear.

And have a Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

EBEW: Neon

Today is the Everybody, Everywear Neon Challenge.  I paired my neon with black and tan:

I would have liked to have gone for a more summery combination, but after a lovely, hot weekend and a gorgeous Monday, it’s raining again here in Oregon.  So, I wore my neon tank (Old Navy) layered over a white tank (Target) and under a tan cardigan (Gap).  I also wore black skinnies (Gap), gray and silver flats (Target) and a stack of gold, black and turquoise bracelets.

Actually, I'm not even sure this counts as neon.  If so, it's the most wearable neon ever.  Well, excepting neon pink, of course; I do love me some neon pink.  In fact, the only reason I didn't wear neon pink is because I'm trying to work my way through my closet so I can shop again and haven't worn any of these pieces yet.  BTW, they're all keepers, just in case you were curious.

For more, or actual, neon looks, make sure you visit Everybody, Everywear.

And have a Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Easter Egg Dressing

I’m dressed like an Easter egg today.  Just in case you all didn’t get enough of it on Sunday:

Actually, I didn’t intentionally dress like an Easter egg, but EBEW and Target conspired against me.   I knew I was going to wear this blazer for the Everybody, Everywear Pastels Challenge, but I didn’t know what I was going to wear with it.  Enter Target.  What started out as a harmless trip to buy Q-tips and a birthday present resulted in my seeing this dress, squealing with joy, pondering the hi-lo hem, deciding to get it anyway and wearing it with this blazer.

So, you see, it’s not my fault I’m dressed like an Easter egg.  I just love this dress (Target) and this blazer (vintage, thrifted) and I happen to love them together, so I wore them together.  I also wore platform sandals (MRKT via DSW), a thin belt (Gap) and a tassel pendant (Old Navy).

Allergic to eggs?  You can (probably) see less egg-like pastel-wearing at Everybody, Everywear.  Probably.  I mean, it’s doubtful anyone else dressed like an egg, but you should go check it out just to be sure.

And have a Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Gracey

Gracey Wears Green

And so does everybody else, everywhere else.  Because, today is the Everybody, Everywear Green Challenge.

To be honest, I wasn’t terribly excited about this challenge.  I don’t wear a lot of green.  I think it’s a pretty color, but it just doesn’t do much for me.  But, I didn’t want to skip this month, especially since I skipped last month, so green it is:

This skirt (thrifted) is one of the few, non-olive-green pieces of clothing I own.  I paired it with a goldenrod bow blouse (Gap) because whereas some people won’t put yellow near their face, I prefer it to green near mine.  I added a navy blazer (vintage, thrifted), skinny belt (Gap), mustard tights and riding boots (Born Crown “Sosie” via Nordstrom).  And there you have it; Gracey wears green.

To see how other bloggers wore their green, pop by Everybody, Everywear and take a peek.

And have a Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

EBEW: Black and White

What with the holidays and everything else, I actually almost missed today’s Everybody, Everywear Challenge.  But, as luck would have it, I thrifted this black and white dress last weekend, just in time for the EBEW Black and White Challenge:

My favorite way to wear black and white is in a bold, graphic pattern or design, like the one on this dress.  Because the embroidered design is so bold, I kept the rest of the outfit simple.  I layered the dress (Guatemalan, thrifted) over a black turtleneck, doubled black tights and added black wedge booties (Nine West “Peekaboo” via Piperlime).

I considered adding a belt, but all the belts I tried did funny things to my boobs.  The top of the dress already makes the girls look like they’re heading south for the winter and all of the belts I tried just emphasized that.  Personally, I don’t want the southward migration of my bosom being emphasized in any way, so, I surrendered my middle today.  (Although, my middle did chime in that my tummy wanted it noted that there is some question as to whether or not wearing doubled tights can be called “surrender.”  So noted, Tummy, so noted).

For more black and white looks that probably don’t discuss boob migration or conversations with tummies, head on over to Everybody, Everywear and take a look at what everybody else wore for the challenge.

And have a Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

EBEW: Sequins and Sparkles

It’s Everybody, Everywear time, people!  And today that means sequins and sparkles.  Full disclosure, I’m not a fan of sequins for the daytime.  For me, it’s like leaving your Christmas lights up all year long; it saps some of the magic come Christmastime.  And daytime sparkle saps some of the magic come fancy-dress-time.  But, sometimes a girl needs to branch out so I gave today’s EBEW Challenge my best shot:

Given my reticence to wear any sequins during the day, you know there was no way I was going Full Sparkle.  Instead, I kept it minimal so it still felt like me.  To do so, I layered a sequin-striped t-shirt dress/tunic (Ross) over a black turtleneck (Gap) and black leggings (INC via Macy’s).  Over that I layered my oft-worn black sweater (Jones New York via Ross) and some black wedge booties (Nine West “Peekaboo” via Piperlime).

And I liked it.  It was warm, layered (What can I say?  I love the layers) and that bit of shine was sort of nice.  I wouldn’t say I’m a convert, but I am going to give daytime sequins another try next week, so maybe I’ll get there. And maybe I’ll leave my Christmas lights up year round too.  (FYI – this is sarcasm).

How about you, Dear Reader Friends?  Are you fans of sequins for day?  If you are and want more ideas on how to wear them (and probably on how to wear them more aggressively), stop by Everybody, Everywear and feast your eyes.  It’s sequintastic!

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

EBEW: Tights of Color

Being the least crafty person in the blogosphere, I was forced to skip the Everybody, Everywear DIY challenge.  But there was no way I was skipping the tights of color challenge.  Not that I need a reason to wear these teal tights:

These tights are definitely some of my favorite.  I paired the tights (Hue via Macy’s) with a black sweater dress (Madison Leigh via Macy’s) layered over a print skirt (thrifted & re-fashioned, also worn here).  I added black wedge booties (Nine West “Peekaboo” via Piperlime) and a vintage belt (thrifted). 

I think this belt has the coolest buckle:

It’s oxidized* brass and was in this condition when I found it.  Instead of trying to clean it up, I sprayed it with clear spray paint to protect the oxidation and to keep it from rubbing off on my clothes.

Want to see more tights of color?  Visit Everybody, Everywear and enjoy the rainbow.

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Gracey

Full Disclosure: I think oxidized is the right word, but I’m not a scientist (I don’t even play one on TV) so if I’m using the wrong word, please let me know in the comments.

EBEW: Pants of Color

Today is the EBEW Pants of Color challenge and I am very excited!  I have wanted red pants forever.  I mean, FOR-E-VER.  I have tried several pairs, including the red Gap cords from last winter, and could never get my thighs and my waist to agree on whether or not they fit.  But, today, finally, I am proud owner and wearer of some very red pants:

For today’s outfit, I thought to myself: “Self, you finally (finally!) have some red pants, what are you going to wear them with?” After a brief moment I figured what else does one wear with very red pants but a very pink shirt?  So I paired my oh-so-red skinnies (Old Navy “Rock Star”) with a hot pink silk tunic (Banana Republic) and added camel Mary Jane wedges (Corso Como via Piperlime), a metallic cuff and a crystal-and-brass pendant (via Special).  Is it eye-searingly bright?  Sure, if you have sensitive eyes.  But, mostly, it just makes me happy.

Today’s Takeaway?  Wear what makes you happy; even if people have to wear sunglasses to look at you.

And, don’t forget to stop by Everybody, Everywear and see what everybody everywhere else is wearing.

Happy Tuesday, All!

P.S. Special thanks to Phyllisa for totally being on board the pink and red combination and to Ferge for taking this picture:

I don't even know

P.P.S. If you’re thinking about these red skinnies, and you should, they actually run true to size.  My other pairs of Rock Stars are a 12, but these are a 14 which is my actual size, so I would NOT suggest sizing down for these.

EBEW: Mixin’ It Up

Today was Everybody, Everywear’s Mixed Print Challenge and it made me a little nervous.  I have mixed prints before (here and here), but it’s definitely not a style that comes naturally to me, so I decided to keep it simple today:



I mixed an abstract floral skirt (Fossil via Goodwill) with a striped three-quarters sleeve tee (Target), braided cognac belt (thrifted) and my oft-worn platform sandals (MRKT via DSW). 

For my money, stripes are one of the easiest patterns to mix as they seem to work well with other graphic prints (such as polka dots) but also with more organic prints such as florals.  So, pairing this striped tee with the abstract floral skirt didn’t take a lot of thought (I don’t have a lot of thoughts to spare lately).  It was also a pretty easy pairing because both pieces have at least one color in common; in this case the navy blue.  Although I’ve mixed pieces that didn’t have common colors, I find it easier if they do.

Today’s Takeaway: There is all sort of advice out there on how best to mix patterns, but I’d say the real trick is confidence.  If you don’t believe you’re rocking an outfit, no one else will either (and really, this is pretty much true for any outfit, not just pattern mixing).

Have a happy Tuesday, Everyone; and make sure you visit Everybody, Everywear for more looks featuring mixed prints!

Gracey

P.S. No, I did not ride my bike in this little-ass skirt.  I drove in today so as not to be arrested for indecent exposure.

EBEW: Gettin’ Thrifty With It

Yeah, that’s right, my title is a bad pun that references an even worse song.  Because that’s how I roll.  Also how I roll?  In thrifted clothes:

In fact, everything in this outfit is thrifted with the exception of the bangles (Nordstrom) and the necklace (vintage brooch-on-a-chain via Lil’ Gypsy).  And with the exclusion of those items, this outfit cost me a whopping $9.97.  The marigold blouse (never worn Liz Claiborne), which is silk and is the best color ever, was $1.98, the blue pleated skirt (vintage) was $3.00, the shoes (Franco Sarto) were $1.00 and the belt  (Mossimo/Target) was $3.99.

For those of you who bet yourself that I’d wear a pleated skirt for the EBEW Thrift Challenge, give yourself a cookie from me.  While my fabulous bloggy friend Katie loves to thrift silk scarves, I love to thrift pleated skirts.  And I was especially excited about this blue one. I’d been admiring the pleated blue Zara skirt that so many bloggers (like the lovely Katherine) rocked this summer, but we don’t have a Zara here in Oregon (hell, we just got H&M last fall).  So, of course I tried to thrift one.  And for months, I had no luck.  But, I kept my eyes open and finally found one, prompting a little happy dance in the aisle.

See? So happy!

If you’d like to see more of my thrifted pleated skirt collection, you can see this post, this one, or this guest post for gorgeous Fabienne of The House in the Clouds.  And if you’d like to see more thrifty posts (you know you want to), pop on over to Everybody, Everywear and feast your eyes.

Today’s Takeaway?  Whatever you’re looking to thrift (presumably pleated skirts because they’re awesome), be patient; it’ll pay off in the long run.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

EBEW: Hello, Yellow!

First things first, I wanted to thank everyone for your lovely comments regarding the loss of our beloved pet.  All of your comments mean a great deal to me, so thank you all very much.

Now, for the post; it turns out that today is Everybody, Everywear’s Yellow Challenge.  And I figured that this challenge was as good a time as any to return to blogging.  It’s not exactly triumphant (we only got five photos before I started crying), but it’ll do:

This is not the outfit I intended to wear today; I had planned on wearing a black skirt but today is a little rainy and a lot of overcast so I substituted in my black pants (who are thrilled to be coming off the bench, btw).  I paired the pants (Banana Republic) with my yellow dolman-sleeved blouse (Target) which I layered over a black camisole for consistent opacity and belted it with a braided, cognac belt (thrifted).  I added cognac wedges (Kenzie via Macy’s), a watch (yes, I do own one) and a charm bracelet (Banana Republic).

I’m always cautious about wearing black and yellow due to the whole Bumblebee Effect, which, granted, doesn’t have the worldwide-tsunami impact of the Butterfly Effect, but, still, who wants to look like a bumblebee, right?  Right.  So, I added the cognac accessories to lessen the severity of the contrast between the black and yellow and I think it worked.

Thank you all again for your comments and I hope everyone has a lovely Tuesday,

Gracey