Flared and Frilled

There are finally (finally!) daffodils blooming here in Western PA and they inspired me to wear a little yellow of my own:

This top is funny because I love the stripes, the color and the cut, but I'm not sure it's all that flattering on me:

I'm pretty sure it gives my shoulders a bit of a "frilled linebacker" look, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of it.  Probably because it is so cheery and comfortable.


And because it looks darned good with my fox locket:

The jeans are also not the most flattering, but ditto on the comfort factor.  And it's nice to break out of that skinny mold sometimes.  Not me.  The jeans.  I haven't been in the "skinny" mold for ages!

Top: old Anthropologie, can't find similar, but I like this option and this one
Jeans: Gap (similar)  Sandals: Banana Republic (similar)

Bottom line, pairing flared with frilled may not be the most flattering, but it's cheery and comfortable and sometimes that's all a girl wants in an outfit.


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

White for Winter

Although I don't generally abide by the no-white-after-Labor-Day fashion "rule" I also don't generally wear my white jeans during the winter.  But, only because I can't quite figure out how.  And then I decided to give it a shot anyway:

After I put this together, I realized that I was, of course, making wearing white jeans in winter harder than it is.  They're just jeans.  Jeans are great for winter!  And white goes with everything!


Like red!  And blue!

And more blue!

Scarf: gifted handmade  Earrings: LOFT

And riding boots!

Jeans: Old Navy  Chambray: Gap  (similar)
Blazer: vintage Pendleton, thrifted  (similar)
Boots: Born Crown (similar)

Seriously, I have got to stop over-thinking things.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Sweater Weather

Hello All!  Sorry about my extended absence; we were in Paris for just over a week and apparently not all of my scheduled posts actually posted because I am bad at scheduling things.  But, I'm back, and I'll write a Paris post soon (I know, I know, just what you wanted, more pictures of Paris).  And for now, here I am in a sweater.

Knowing that I was going to move to the frozen steppes of Pennsylvania, I tried to find oversized sweaters to help keep me warm this winter.  Unfortunately, when you're built like me, oversized often just ends up being "sized."  But, that's not the case with this Gap sweater.


As you can see, it's truly oversized:

And, truly cozy.  It has everything I like in a sweater; softness, warmth, and the color blue.  So far, the only downside has been that it pills fairly easily.  I'm hoping regular maintenance with a sweater shaver will help with that though.


Even if it doesn't, I'll probably continue to wear the heck out of this sweater this winter.  Of course, I won't be wearing it with boyfriend jeans and flats like I am here:

Sweater: Gap  Jeans: Lucky (similar)  Flats: Old Navy (similar)

No, here in Pittsburgh, I imagine I'll be layering it over a turtleneck or seven with jeans over leggings tucked into snow boots.  Because, I don't know if you know this or not, but Pennsylvania is cold folks.  So very cold.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Loose Layers & Mixed Media

I was recently lucky enough to be offered a piece from the MarketPlace: Handwork of India Fall line and I was thrilled as they are one of my favorite companies to work with.  They are a wonderful company doing wonderful things and their clothes are both unique and well made.

As always, it was a struggle to decide which fabulous piece to choose, but I finally landed on the Indu top:

Indu Top in Charcoal

Why this top?  Well, I love the colors. And I also love the patterns.  But, my main reason was the fact that it's a mixed media top, combining woven panels with cozy tee shirt material and embroidery.  I love combining different textures in an outfit to add interest, but sometimes I'm too lazy to make the effort.

And that's why the Indura top is perfect for me.  I can be lazy and still be interesting.  Yay, me!


This top has a boxy, oversize fit that stymied me a bit at first because boxy on me looks, well, boxy.  But then I had the idea to layer it over another oversize piece and, as un-figure-flattering as that sounds, I really liked it:

Top: c/o MarketPlace: Handwork of India  Shirt: Gap  Jeans: Old Navy  Boots: Born (similar)

Because the top is a little short on my giant self, I think the loose layers actually work better than the Indu top on it's own would.  Or, maybe I just really love layers.  That could be it, but I'd swear this works:

So much so, that I plan on wearing iterations of this layered look throughout the fall.  So, I'm not saying you have to get on board, but the train is certainly leaving the station.

And I'll be wearing this as I drive it:

Happy Friday, All!  And a huge thank you to MarketPlace: Handwork of India!

Gracey

Jolly Blue Giant

I'm dressed like the Jolly Blue Giant today:

Jeans: Gap (similar)  Tee: LOFT (similar)  Sandals: Kork-Ease

In retrospect, perhaps the combination of double light-wash denim & four-inch heels wasn't a good idea.  Except that I like this outfit.


I know that you're supposed to mix shades of denim when you do double denim, but I've been feeling pretty matchy-matchy lately.  Obviously:

But, hey, if being matchy-matchy is a crime, lock me up; I'm already wearing my prison blues.


Actually, I was hoping the layered necklaces kept this outfit from looking too institutional:

I'm not sure if I was successful in that endeavor but I am pretty sure I don't care.  Seriously, I know this outfit is reminiscent of prison, of scrubs, of Britney & Justin at the VMAs, all of it, but I'd still wear it again.


Matchy-matchy for the win:

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Speckled

I actually wore this outfit on Friday:

Which is why many of you have already seen my new, adorably speckled shoes on Instagram.  For those who aren't following me on Instagram (you should, you know), here they are:

Steve Madden "Vyperr" flats via Piperlime

These shoes are so fun.  And versatile; you can have a Cruella De Vil moment in them, a Jackson Pollock moment, or a tiny cow moment.

Or, you know, you can just wear them with rolled jeans and a vintage top:

Oh, and with long, dangly earrings, of course!

Betsy & Iya earrings via Mabel & Zora

See?  Versatile.

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Get the Look

Gap Real Straight skimmer jeans

Similar black top

Steve Madden flats

Similar earrings

Light and White

You guys.  I'm wearing light wash jeans:

Sssshhh.  Don't say anything about them. My thighs have no idea.  You see, my thighs have been partying since the World Cup began; they are huge fans of any sport where the athletes have big thighs. You should see them during Olympic speed-skating; it's a non-stop Bacchanal in The Republic of Thighastan.


Anyway, while my thighs were sleeping off their "holy shit I can't believe Spain went out like that" bender, I snuck them into some light wash jeans:

Of course, they will notice eventually and they're going to be pissed, but I figure they'll forget about this little incident as soon as Uruguay and England step on the pitch.


In the meantime, I'm wearing light wash jeans:

Jeans: Gap  Tee: Nordstrom  Shoes: Nordstrom Rack  Necklace: LOFT

Muah ha ha ha ha ha.  Suck it, Thighs!


Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Get the Look

Gap 'Long & Lean' jeans

Similar linen tee

Similar platform sandals (here or here)

Somewhat similar necklace

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)

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

Distress Signals

Have you all noticed the uptick in distressed denim in retail lately?  It used to be a bit of a fringe trend and now it's all over the place.  It's available in different washes, including acid wash, different price points, from $19.99 to $690 (no, really) and in different cuts, from skinny to boyfriend.

And, of course, it's available in different levels of distress from minor shading and/or holes to I-fell-off-my-bike-and-tore-the-knees-out-of-my-jeans to full-on-honey-badger-attack:

Personally, I stick to minor distressing, but it doesn't really matter because none of the distressing looks natural anyway.  Natural distressing on me would be the inner thighs worn down to nothing; it certainly wouldn't look as if I just fought my way through a briar patch.

Unnaturally distressed or not, this trend is here to stay (at least for 2014).  So, I'm here to offer some advice on how to wear it.

Not Too Fancy, Not Too Casual, Just Right

This is my preferred deployment of distressed jeans:

Tops, L to R: Modcloth, Shop Ruche & Nordstrom
Jeans, L to R: Shop Ruche & Macy's
Sandals, L to R: Nordstrom, Modcloth & Moorea Seal

A pretty but easy top, simple shoes and mildly distressed jeans.  There is some juxtaposition between the top and the jeans, but a it's a believable juxtaposition.  I feel like if your pieces in an outfit are too oppositional, it no longer looks deliberate, it looks as if you got dressed on a dare.  I mean, sure, you can wear your ball gown with some Chucks, but I will ask you if you lost all your shoes in a fire.  I will ask sympathetically, but I will ask.

Trust me, you don't want to try to get too fancy with your distressed jeans.  These jeans cannot be dressed up.  No, that's not true, you can successfully pair them with a tuxedo jacket and heels and it will work in a certain context.  So I guess you can dress them up, but you can't take them out.  They're full of holes, for the love.  As a rule of thumb, if your destination calls for a tuxedo jacket, these jeans are too casual.  And if your destination is so casual as to warrant these jeans, then you probably shouldn't be wearing the jacket and heels.

But, of course, you also don't want to be too casual with your distressed jeans.  I mean, unless, of course you do.  Are you working in the yard?  Great, then by all means, wear your distressed jeans with a hole-y surf tee and rubber flip-flops.  But, if you're not and you wear that combination, you will look like you are and then what's the point of spending $690 on jeans?!!

What about you, Reader Friends?  Are you on board with this trend?  How do you wear your jeans?  Or does this trend just cause you distress?  (Yes, I went there).

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey