Maximum Swanning

It was very, very cold here today.  But, rather than complain, I decided to layer:

Specifically, I layered my LTS cape over a striped shirt and belted the whole thing with a studded belt:

All paired with a vintage skirt, tights and riding boots:

Cape: c/o Long Tall Sally  (similar)  Shirt: Gap
Belt: old Michael Michael Kors  Skirt: thrifted vintage (similar)  Boots: gifted (similar)

So, no, no complaining from me today.  Just maximum swanning.


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Long Tall Sally Turns 40

Tall retailer extraordinaire Long Tall Sally, turned 40 this week.  And they also released their fall line.  Now, I am very excited that LTS is 40, but I'm even more excited about this line.  So much so, that I'm wearing almost head-to-toe LTS for today's adventures:

The blouse, the skirt and the boots are all courtesy of Long Tall Sally, and are all from the new collection.


When offered the opportunity to review some pieces, I chose these three because I am unable to resist the color of the boots or a multi-colored stripe and I love denim skirts for fall and winter.  This skirt is the perfect length for both short boots like these and for tall boots and tights when cooler weather arrives.  That being said, I think the boots are my favorite piece; I really do love the color and they are very, very comfortable.  (They are also available up to size 15!)


The only pieces of this outfit that aren't LTS are my woven belt (it's thrifted) and my earrings:

These are vintage; found, cleaned and restrung by my mom.  They're plastic so they're lightweight, but still dramatic.



And, I think, a fun addition to today's look:

To see how other tall bloggers styled pieces from the new collection, visit the LTS Blog.  And if you're inspired to purchase some new pieces yourself, many pieces are 40% until tomorrow, including my lovely boots.


Happy Saturday, All!  And Happy Birthday, LTS!


Gracey

The Mini

Recently I was once again lucky enough to be contacted by the lovely people at Long Tall Sally with the offer to review a few pieces from their current collection.  And, once again, I jumped at the chance.  There were a couple of pieces that I knew I wanted to try right off.  One was this mini skirt:

Aztec Jacquard Skirt - Image via Long Tall Sally

I don't wear a lot of mini skirts, but I couldn't resist the bold, graphic print and subtle shine of this skirt.  I think it's beautiful.  I also think that it's perfect for holiday parties.  However, I don't go to holiday parties.  I go to work.


But, I have good news!  Because the shine is subtle, this skirt is also good for work, especially when dressed down with an over-size sweater:

See?  Mostly, maybe even totally, work appropriate!  Hooray!!



In addition to being both party-ready and probably-work-ready, this skirt is fantastic because you can pair it with a variety of different colors.  It would look fabulous with a black top, of course, but I also really like it with this tobacco-colored (Gap's description, not mine) sweater.  I think it pairs well with the cream and black colorway:

Sweater: Gap  Skirt: c/o Long Tall Sally
Earrings: gifted (similar) Tights: Spanx  Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

But, really, you can pair nearly any color with this skirt.  And, knowing me, I likely will at some point, because this skirt is both beautiful and versatile.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Plum Dotty

Even though it's back to being hot and humid here in the afternoons, you can definitely feel the difference in the air.  Especially in the mornings when it's actually cool enough to warrant pants.

I know.  Pants, people!  Pants!


Plum pants, in fact.  Paired with a dotty, collared top from LTS:

Oh, and because I like to rhyme my clothes, I added some (leopard) spots to go with my dots:

Top: c/o LTS  Earring: Modcloth (similar)
Pants: LOFT  Shoes: Nine West (similar)

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

8/28/15 Five for Friday: LTS Fall Collection

Early today I posted an outfit featuring these houndstooth skinny jeans from Long Tall Sally:

In case you missed that post, here's a brief synopsis: these jeans are very 90s and I love them.


But, they're not the only piece from the Fall Collection I love, so I thought I'd use today's Five for Friday to share five more pieces I'm thinking about adding to my closet this fall:

1. Herringbone Flippy Dress: Maybe it's seeing all the cardinals in the snow out here, but I just love red dresses for winter.  This one is sleeveless for easy layering and looks like it'd be flattering as heck on most anyone.

2. BFT "Garnet" Paneled Loafer: I have a thing for two-toned shoes.  And I love the classic black-and-white combination of these.  And I love that they're loafers (I think I'm getting preppy in my old age).  The best part though is that because these are Barefoot Tess, they are offered up to size 15.  I know!!

3. Chalky Check Maxi Skirt: As I said in my outfit post, I am pretty excited that the 90s are back for fall.  And this skirt has a great grungy, 90s feel to it.  I want to wear it with an oversized sweater and big boots.

4. Supersoft Jeggings: I actually have these jeggings; they were in the package LTS sent me to try and they are my favorite ever.  They really are super soft and have that nice, high waist that I love.  They come in the deep olive/forest color shown above, but also in a great rust color.  I think I need them in both...

5. Fleece Lined Tights: One of the hardest things, for me, about being tall is that I can't wear really the great tights.  The fun patterns, sweater tights and so-very-necessary-in-Pennsylvania-in-the-winter fleece-line tights are generally too small/short for my tights-loving giant self.  But, this winter, I will finally be warm thanks to these fleece-lined tights for tall women!  I will be buying multiple pairs.


Happy Friday!

Gracey

Long Tall Houndstooth

This past week or so has been surprisingly, delightfully cool here in Pittsburgh.  So, I took the opportunity to break out a couple of fall items early.  Like these houndstooth skinny jeans:

Blouse: LOFT (similar)  Jeans: c/o Long Tall Sally
Sandals: Steve Madden (similar under $30!)

These jeans are part of the Fall Collection over at Long Tall Sally.  And those fine folks were kind enough to send me a pair to try.


And I'm so happy they did.  I love the plummy color:

And I love the 90s-vibe they have.  I'm kind of excited that the 90s are back in play this fall.  The fashion wasn't as fun as the 80s, but there was a lot of houndstooth.

You can't go wrong with a lot of houndstooth.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Coral Moto

This coral moto is such a great piece:

It makes every outfit better.  And brighter.  And is beyond perfect for spring.


The texture is great too:

Textured pieces add another layer of interest to an outfit without actually having to add another layer.


But, the best part is the color:

Jacket: c/o Long Tall Sally Jeans: Old Navy
Ankle Boots: Ivanka Trump (similar) 

It's gorgeous and it goes well with colorful shoes.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Spring-Like

We had a few days of quite spring-like weather here in PA the past couple of days so I took the opportunity to wear a couple of new pieces I received from Long Tall Sally:

Both the jacket and the shoes are some of Long Tall Sally's latest spring offerings and they were perfect for the warmer weather.

Although I am a size 14, LTS runs a little large, so I ordered the jacket in size 12 and it fits perfectly.  I definitely recommend going down a size.  I ordered my usual size, 10 and I'd say they fit true-to-size.  They are also pretty comfortable and I recommend them unless you're going to be doing a lot of walking; they don't have any arch support.  I wore them for running errands but caution against wearing them for actual running.


The jacket is the Textured Biker Jacket in Flame and the texture really is wonderful:

And the shoes are the Iris Cut Out Printed Ballerina and I love that they're a strong, graphic print.  I've been looking for a pair of black and white printed shoes for quite some time now, so I was thrilled to get these.


I paired the jacket and the shoes with a striped shirt, skinny jeans and green stud earrings:

Shirt: Banana Republic (similar)  Jeans: Gap
Earrings: Kate Spade New York

Why green earrings?  Well, because sometimes the best colors are complimentary colors.  I didn't make that up either; that's Science, Folks.


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

LBD: Layered Black Dress

I was sent this gorgeous little black dress from Long Tall Sally the other day:

Long Tall Sally Louben Triacetate Dress

And, at first, I was a little daunted because it's such a classic piece and I don't have the most classic of aesthetics.  But then I realized that part of what makes a little black dress such a classic is it's versatility.  You don't have to wear it with pearls and black patent pumps.

So I took another look and realized that this is the perfect dress for layering.   Not all dresses lend themselves equally to being layered, but this dress really is perfect.  It's sleeveless, it's made of a structured fabric and has the perfect gently scooped neckline.  Therefore, I've decided that this isn't my Little Black Dress, it's my Layered Black Dress.  Here are some of the ways I plan on layering it.

With a printed blouse:

Blouse: Foxcroft  Belt: LOFT  Pumps: Nine West "Ike"

Sure, a little black dress and houndstooth sounds classic on paper, but make the houndstooth a big, bold print and add leopard pumps and it's anything but boring.



With a printed blouse and a sweater vest:

Blouse: Foxcroft  Vest: Vintage, thrifted  Boots: Born (similar)

Because sweater vests are underutilized in this day and age and I think that's sad.  Also, leather buttons.



With a turtleneck and a poncho:

Poncho: sold out eShakti (similar)   Boots: Piperlime (similar)

C'mon, now.  You knew I was going to layer over a turtleneck!  And ponchos are so in right now; why not layer one over your black dress?



With the swingiest of coats:

Coat: vintage, thrifted  Belt: vintage, thrifted  Boots: Nine West (similar)

Swingy! And so easy over a black dress for date night.


Or, for hanging out in the snow:

Just kidding.  It's way too cold to hang out in the snow in this.  Save it for date night, kids.


What about you, Reader Friends?  Would you layer your LBD?  Which look is your favorite?

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

More Layerable Little Black Dresses

The Leather Look

I am not wearing this today:

I wore this while I was still in Oregon and still had my very most favorite photographer friend Ferge to take my pictures.


No, today, I am sitting home watching the Pennsylvania weather decide if it wants to rain or snow.  Oh, goody, it's decided on snow.


But, that's enough talk about the weather.  Let's talk about the outfit:

Leggings: Long Tall Sally  Sweater: Free People  Boots: Splendid (similar)

I usually shy away from "leather look" leggings for a couple of reasons.  And both of those reasons are my thighs.  They like to stretch these types of leggings so far that the "leather" appears to crack.  But, these leggings, from Long Tall Sally, have so far proven to be resistant to my thighs' shenanigans.


Now, the sweater is not a "tall" sweater but you wouldn't know it to look at it:

Free People sweater via Nordstrom

Most over-sized sweaters are just "sized" on me, but this one is well and truly over-sized.  I can't imagine it on a less tall person; it must be a dress!


To lighten up my gloomy-but-cozy look, I added citron earrings:

Kate Spade New York earrings via Nordstrom

Because nothing cheers up a look like some neon citron.


Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Long Tall Coat

As most of you know, I've long been an advocate of thrifting everything I can possibly thrift.  I don't thrift undergarments or swimwear because I'm squeamish like that, but pretty much everything else is fair game, including coats.  But, there are pros and cons to thrifting coats.  Pros: they're inexpensive, the evening coats are in great shape due to minimal wear and you can find plum capes with plum mink collars.  Cons: they often have tissues, pills and the occasional "if I die my husband did it" notes in the pockets and, worst of all, they are not sized for modern giants.

While I love, love, love my thrifted coats (especially the aforementioned cape),  not a one of them works as a true winter coat for me.  They're either too fitted to wear anything but a leotard under (which is unfortunate because during the winter you need to wear more than a leotard!) or they're too short in the arms (and sometimes the torso too!).

Happily, Long Tall Sally is here to rescue us modern giants by offering true winter coats that truly fit.  This is the one they sent me:

Faux fur-lined parka c/o Long Tall Sally

I chose this coat for several reasons.  One, it's olive and I'm obsessed with olive this year.  Two, it has a hood; I love hoods to help keep the rain/snow off my glasses:

Three, it's long enough both in the arms and the torso to keep me fully covered and warm.  Four, this coat has a removable lining so I can wear it now when it's 34 degrees and later when it is, for some hellish reason, less than 34 degrees.


The best part about this coat though is that I ordered it in my regular size (US 14) and it's roomy enough that I can layer under it without feeling like Randy from A Christmas Story:

No way I won't be able to get up if a bully pushes me down.


Now, if you are really, really lucky, perhaps you'll find a Tall coat at a thrift store.  But, rather than hold out for that and possibly freezing to death due to winter leotard wearing, may I recommend Long Tall Sally?  They have a great collection of coats from true winter coats (here's mine (currently on sale!) and I love this one), as well coats for more mild winters (this one is fab and also on sale!) and great dress coats (my favorite).


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey