Burgundy & Blue

We’re entering that confusing time of year here in Oregon where it’s really sunny and things are starting to bloom so you think maybe it’s Spring, but then, in the middle of your bike ride it drops 15 degrees and starts hailing.  

As you can imagine, that sort of weather can be hard to dress for when you commute by bike.  Therefore, I’m back to my old standby of dresses, cardigans, tights and riding boots:

What can I say?  It dries easily and is warm enough but not so warm that I overheat during the sunny moments.  Also, it’s easy to put on when you're to tired from staying up late reading the Game of Thrones books to think of anything else.

For today’s version, I paired a blue dress (vintage Karin Stevens via Salvation Army) layered under a burgundy and blue cardigan (Gap Outlet).  Today’s tights are burgundy and today’s riding boots are Born Crown (“Sosie” via Nordstrom).  Et voila, simple, effective and quick-drying. 

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Gracey

Shop the Look:

Similar polka dot dress

Similar tipped cardigan

Similar Born Crown boots

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Just a (Lazy) Girl in a Dress

There is definitely something to be said for simplicity.  Unfortunately, I’m not the blogger to say it.  Not usually, at least.  But, today’s outfit is actually pretty simple:

Today, I’m just a girl in a dress.  This particular dress is vintage Karin Stevens (thrifted) and is one of my favorites.  I usually wear it with color but decided to keep it simple today with a brown belt (thrifted), mini-wedges (Jessica Simpson via Nordstrom) and an acorn necklace (Last Thursday vendor).  And I liked it.  

I think it worked because of the dress.  I love the fit and the cut and print are interesting enough that it doesn’t need a lot of bells and whistles.  Given my inability/refusal to accessorize regularly, I should probably fill my closet with dresses of this sort.  Clothing that is supposed to be a “blank canvas” is too much pressure for my non-accessorizing self.

Oh, my goodness, I think I just had an epiphany.  That’s why I like prints so much; because they allow me to be lazy!  Thank goodness for prints – I probably couldn’t get dressed without them.

What about you, Reader Friends?  Are you a print-lover or do you prefer a blank canvas?

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

That Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means

I was in the hallway at work today and a woman yelled “Happy V.D.” to her friend down the hall.  I started laughing, but what I really wanted to do was tell her that “that doesn’t mean what you think it means.”  And then, of course, my friends and I spent the rest of the day saying “Happy V.D.” to each other.

In other news, I wore some clothes today.  These clothes, in fact:

You may notice that I’m not wearing pink or red.  I know that today is the EBEW Pink and Red Challenge, but I purposely skipped it because pink and red together on Valentine’s Day is just too on-the-nose for my taste.  I went with blue(s) and burgundy instead.

I’ve paired this day dress (vintage Karin Stevens, thrifted) with this cardigan (a.n.a via JC Penney) and belt (Gap) before, but with my riding boots.  Today I added teal tights (Hue) and burgundy shoes (Naya “Jada” via Nordstrom) instead.  And I love it.  I wasn’t sure about the burgundy shoes, but I think they definitely work.  And we can pretend I wore them in the spirit of Valentine’s Day (I didn’t).

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!  And Happy V.D!!

Gracey

The Accidental Outfit (Or, Avoiding a Thigh-Coup)

This outfit was an accident:

Now, you’re probably thinking “Gracey, this outfit looks fine; you didn’t need to tell us it was an accident.”  But, here’s the deal; you all know we’re big on transparency here at Fashion for Giants.  However, what you may not know is that that transparency is necessary to prevent a thigh-coup.  Now, thigh-coup may rhyme with haiku, but it would be a mistake to assume it’s anything as lovely.  No, a thigh-coup is actually when my crazy militant thighs attempt to take over the current government (me).  In an attempt to avoid this, my current government practices transparency as much as possible.

And, to that end, I have to admit that I didn’t plan this outfit this morning.  The outfit I planned during my cough-riddled half-sleep had a lot of color, some complicated layering and possibly fur.  But, when I woke up this morning and faced my piles of clothes – all clean but none put away due to my cold and my natural laziness – I saw this dress lying next to this sweater:

And it appeared to me, in my head-cold-haze, to be a match made in heaven.  The navy and blue polka dot dress (vintage Karin Stevens, thrifted) pairs surprisingly well with the peacock-colored cardigan (a.n.a via JC Penney).  I also added a thin belt (Gap) to define the waist, riding boots (Born Crown “Sosie” via Nordstrom) because they go with darn near everything, a watch and a vintage bracelet (gifted). And there you have it; an accidental outfit is born.

So, yes, while I’d like to pretend I spend hours selecting outfits that demonstrate that I do, in fact, know how to dress my giant self, I can’t.  My thighs are watching and if they think I’m being less than honest, they’ll ally with my hips and attempt a thigh-coup.  They’re bossy like that.

Happy Thursday, All!  Here's hoping it's free from thigh-coups and hip-juntas!

Gracey

Another Day, Another Day Dress

Having come late, summer seems to be lingering here in the Pacific Northwest.  We had a little rain but for the past week it’s been in the low to mid-80s.  Not that I’m complaining; the warm, but not hot, weather is perfect for my collection of day dresses.  Like this one:

Day dresses are the best.  They’re easy (possibly lazy, but whatever), they fit my broad shoulders, they don’t aggravate my thighs, they often have pockets (pockets!) and they’re easy to ride my bike in.  I love them.  Today I paired a day dress (Karin Stevens, thrifted) with platform sandals (MRKT via DSW), a thin belt (Gap), a watch, a bracelet and pink drop earrings.

Why pink earrings?  Because I wanted to.  Or, if you prefer, because they match my pink toenails and therefore because they help to bookend my outfit.  But, really, it was just because I wanted to.

Today’s Takeaway?  You can make up any reason you’d like for wearing what you do, but the best reason is because you want to.

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

Gracey

P.S. I know some of you asked about the collar on yesterday’s dress.  The dress buttons up the left-side of the chest at an angle.  I don’t button it all the way up and I fold the extra fabric down which creates the sort of v-neck-on-an-angle you saw.

 

Pretty for Pretty’s Sake

Daily Outfit for Thursday, June 02, 2011

I think this dress is so pretty:

I paired the dress (vintage Karin Stevens – thrifted) with black ankle-tie espadrilles (Very Volatile via Nordstrom).  I wanted to keep it simple given the fairly busy pattern of the dress (an abstract floral).  And I also wanted to highlight the cut of the dress, which I think is brilliant for my shape.  I love the fact that the waistband hits me at the smallest part of my waist and that the top is fitted without being too tight.  And, it has pockets!  Two of them!!

Sometimes I feel like there is pressure on bloggers to be “edgy” or “experimental” in how we dress.  Outfits with deep juxtapositions between the pieces (cowboy boots and ball gowns, tutus and Converse, etc) are applauded as being unique and so very interesting.  And while I would like my readers to find me interesting, sometimes I’m drawn to pieces just because they are pretty.  And I think this dress is very pretty.

How about you, Friend Reader?  Are you drawn to edgier pieces or are you a fan of pretty for pretty’s sake?

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey