Flow-y, But With Pants

A combination that I really, really love, but don't wear nearly enough, is the combination of a dress over pants:

It can just be such a hard look to get right.  The proportions can go wacky, and stumpifying, very quickly. (And, trust me, no one wants to look both wacky *and* stumpified.  One or the other, sure, why not?  But not both).  Still, as I said, it's a look I love and one I'll keep trying.


That being said, I rather like this iteration:

Turtleneck: Gap (similar)  Dress: thrifted vintage
Pants: Gap (similar)  Belt: thrifted vintage  Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

I think wearing the dress partially open over the pants helps minimize any damage I'm doing with these proportions.  And even if it's not, I still like this version because it is great for swanning about without freezing my nethers. It's flow-y, but with pants.  So, you know, win-win.


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

A Little Dress-on-Dress Action

I haven't been engaging in very creative layering lately.  I usually just add a cardigan to whatever I'm wearing to combat the office AC.  I'm not even sure that counts as layering.  But today's look totally counts:

No cardigans here, just layered dress:

Both dresses are thrifted, the bottom dress is vintage and the top dress is from the 90s, and has a great sketched floral print:

Now, I'll probably be back to layering with cardigans tomorrow, as I do love cardigans and hate AC, but, for today, I went with a little dress-on-dress action:

Black dress: thrifted vintage (see similar below)  Belt: thrifted vintage
Floral dress: thrifted (similar below)  Sandals: c/o LTS (similar)

And I'd probably do it again.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Layering Dresses

No Nonsense Denim Leggings

I'm wearing white today:

And yes, it's after Labor Day.


The thing is, I received these white denim leggings from No Nonsense, and I like them too much to relegate them to summer wear only.  They are extremely comfortable, and are a surprisingly good length, even after washing.  I got them in XL and they fit snugly, without being too tight.  I will say though, that they are probably better suited for an "apple" shape than someone with a "curvier" shape; there is a bit of a gap in the waist for me.



So, yes, I'm wearing white after Labor Day:

Leggings: c/o No Nonsense  Tunic: Nordstrom Rack (similar)
Pendant: v. old Old Navy (similar)  Vest: Nordstrom (similar)  Shoes: Via Spiga (similar)

Thank goodness there are no rules against that sort of thing, right?



Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Aubergine and Ice

Ice blue, that is:

Now, we did have actual ice, and snow, over the weekend, but today is warmer.  Not actually warm, mind you, which is why I'm back in tights, but warmer for sure:

Warm enough for me to at least make the effort to incorporate a spring-y color like this ice blue into my outfit:

Even though it's April, we haven't had much in the way of spring weather here yet in Pittsburgh so I'm defaulting to my darker winter colors.  I mean, I want to wear pretty spring things but did I mention that it snowed on Friday?


Still, today's mix of aubergine and ice blue felt like a successful way to incorporate more spring-like colors into my still winter-y wardrobe:

Jacket: Gap (similar)  Blouse: LOFT (similar)
Skirt: Lands' End (similar) Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

What about you, Reader Friends?  Are you well into spring or are you still mixing spring and winter pieces?


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Layered Prints

I'm wearing layered prints today:

Now, you're probably looking at this and thinking, "Really, Gracey?  A turtleneck and a sweater?  In April?"


To which I'd reply, "Yes, because snow":

That's right, snow.  And quite a bit too.  We had a dusting on Sunday, some people got some Tuesday night, and now this.  And I think it's supposed to snow tomorrow as well.


So, yeah.  Snow.  And layered prints:

Stripes: Old Navy (similar)  Sweater: Vila via ASOS
Belt: J. Crew  Pants: Gap  Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

Because, well, snow.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

What's Up, Buttercup?

Today I'm wearing, yep, you guessed it, buttercup:

It's one of the Pantone colors for this spring and one I think is perfect for the season.  I love yellow in the spring and summer and buttercup is such a sunny yellow, it's hard not to smile when you see it.



One thing I particularly like about yellow is that it pairs well with darker neutrals, like my olive skirt and riding boots:

Blouse: Gap (similar)  Cardigan: Target
Skirt: LOFT (similar)  Boots: gifted (similar)

But, it will also pair well with lighter neutrals like white and khaki once we get closer to summer.  I don't know about you, Reader Friends, but I just love a versatile bright.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Literary Stylings #25 - Mislaid

For today's LitSty look, I was inspired by the book Mislaid, by Nell Zink:

I chose this book because it was one of my favorites from last month.  I had never read Zink before, but am now a huge fan.  She takes what are definitely sensitive subjects, like homosexuality in the 50s and 60s and race relations in the 60s and 70s and passing (!) for black (!) in the south (!) and writes about them with both pathos and humor.

The main character of the book is Peggy, who realized in high school that she loved women and wanted to love women.  She began dressing in masculine clothing and went to a liberal all-girls school.  However, at that school, she ends up having an affair.  With a professor.  With a homosexual, male professor.  Neither of them being experience with birth control, Peggy ends up pregnant.  And she and Lee, her professor, end up married.

Peggy eventually flees her marriage with her young daughter and in an attempt to hide them both, decides to pass as black.  In the South.  In the 60s.  Again, somehow, Zink manages to handle all of these issues deftly and often amusingly.  It's such a well written book, I recommend it to everyone.


As for my outfit, I wore a vintage dress layered over pants to demonstrate the duality of Peggy's position as both a lesbian and a wife and mother:

I chose this specific dress because although it's printed with roses, they're scribbled roses so it's not too sweet:

All in all, I'm not 100% sure this outfit makes sense in real life, but it made sense to me for this book.  And I was surprisingly comfortable wearing it.

Dress: vintage thrifted  Pants: LOFT
Turtleneck: hinge via Nordstrom  Shoes: Bettye by Bettye Muller

And now it's your turn; link your looks up below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

The Spring Version

I first wore this outfit last Fall:

Today I'm wearing the Spring version:

Well, the almost-Spring version.  I'm still not convinced it's actually Spring and so will keep laying like my life depends on it.


Because, as you likely noticed, the Spring version of this outfit is just the Fall version with some added layers.  But, that's okay because in this case, added layers mean added colors:

I mean, if there was anything the Fall version of this look was missing was more colors, right?

Skirt & Top: H&M  Cardigan: LOFT
Scarf: La Fiorentina  Belt: thrifted  Boots: v. old Kenneth Cole Reaction

Right.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Get the Look

Welcome to March

So, my co-worker, a native Pittsburgher and overwhelming optimist, assures me that Spring is almost here and it's going to be nice all week next week.  I am, understandably, I think, skeptical.  Why?  Because the past two days, it's been freezing and alternating between rain and snow.

Basically, I'm still wearing as many layers in March as I was in December and January:

Heck, maybe even more.


The good news is that I rather like this combination of pieces:

The bad news is that I'm getting real tired of the wind messing up my perfect pleats:

Stupid wind.


So, yeah, welcome to March:

Hat: Nordstrom (similar) Scarf: La Fiorentina via Bluefly  Sweater: LOFT (similar)
Wool Blazer: Gap (similar)  Skirt: thrifted vintage (similar)  Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

And Happy Friday!

Gracey

It's All Love

Or, I guess I should say, it's all hearts:

Sweater: thrifted vintage  Blouse: LOFT (similar)
Pants: Gap  Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

Really, it is.  The design on both my sweater and my blouse are hearts:

The sweater is vintage (I removed the arms) and the blouse is LOFT:

And they were surely meant to be; otherwise I wouldn't look so damn happy about it.  (Just kidding, I totally would).



Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Winter White, Winter Bright

Today I'm wearing winter white with winter bright(s):

Specifically, I paired a winter white sweater with a winter bright skirt, scarf and tights:

Sweater: Gap (similar)  Scarf: Nordstrom Rack
Skirt: upcycled Guatemalan dress  Tights: DKNY (similar)  Boots: Born "Sosie" (similar)

Because they pair well and they rhyme.  Win-win.



Happy Friday, All!

Gracey