Lions and Leggings and Stripes, Oh My!

One of the hardest things about moving to a colder climate, for me, has been maintaining my individual sense of style while still keeping warm.  Because, as much as I love skirts and dresses and tights, sometimes it's so darned cold that I just want to wear leggings.

Like today:

But, because I'm me, I'm not just wearing leggings.  I'm wearing lions and leggings and stripes (oh my!):

Because, the fact of the matter is, that adding lions and the phrase "oh my" makes everything better:

Stripes: Old Navy (similar)  Jacket: LOFT (similar)  Cowl: gifted (similar)
Brooch: thrifted vintage (exact)  Leggings: metrostyle  Boots: Born Crown (similar)

Try it, you'll see.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

One Cowl to Rule Them All

Last year for my birthday, I bought a Skipjack Cowl from Victory Garden Yarn.  This year for my birthday, I bought a Snowdrop Cowl from Victory Garden Yarn:

And it is the best cowl ever.  One cowl to rule them all, if you will.  Or, heck, even if you won't.  Because I will.  But, you should.  Because this is a great scarf.


I wanted to get something more suited for the Pennsylvania winter this time around and this cowl is perfect for layering over cozy sweaters:

Cowl: Victory Garden Yarn  Sweater: Free People
Leggings: Macy's  Boots: Michael Michael Kors (similar)

I ordered the scarf in the charcoal and garnet combination, but Victory Garden Yarn offers 25 color choices and you can order the cowl in any combination of any two colors.


But, I really, really recommend pairing garnet with charcoal; it's fabulous:

Earrings: Modcloth

And perfect for winter without being drab:

Perfect.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Let's Talk Leggings

Great news!  Who What Wear has decreed that we can all wear leggings again!  What's that?  You had no idea that leggings "have long been shunned by the fashion community for being an outdated staple" and you've been wearing them anyway?!  That's okay.  I have too.

Because, the fact of the matter is, I love leggings.  I don't necessarily wear them a lot on the blog, but you should know that I otherwise wear them pretty much all the time.  They're great for layering.  They're great for travel.  And they're great for weekends.  Really, they only thing they're NOT great for is wearing as pants.

However, not all leggings are created equal.  Especially when you're both tall and plus-sized.  But, there are some leggings that work on giants.  Here are my picks:


The Leather Look

For leather-look leggings, I love my pair from Long Tall Sally.  They are truly long (I had to undercuff them) and are available up to size XL.  However, they run quite big (I'm wearing Medium) so I'd say they'd fit a XXL with no problem.

If you're not a giant, the SPANX faux leather leggings and the HUE leatherette leggings have both gotten great reviews.



Ponte Knit

Ponte is a heavier knit, making these leggings a great choice if you live in a colder climate or if like a little more coverage with your leggings.  I'm wearing my pair from metrostyle and you can see they're a bit shorter on me than on the model, but they are designed for tall women and are available up to size XL.

For non-giants, I recommend HUE once again; I've had good luck with their leggings, even on my giant self.



Oh Cotton, My Cotton

In spite of the fact that they've, apparently, been obsolete for years, you can find standard black cotton leggings nearly everywhere, at nearly any price point.  Personally, I'm partial to the Ultra Wide Waistband leggings from HUE, worn above.  They're not as heavy as ponte, but they're still very nicely opaque.  And, while they don't come in Tall sizes, these leggings hit me at the same place on the ankle as the Tall metrostyle leggings, so they're definitely long enough.  And they aren't kidding about that "ultra wide waistband" either; they're super comfortable!  They're available up to size XL (16).

If you want a truly tall cotton legging, I'd recommend the Long Elegant Leggings from Long Elegant Legs.  They're available in up to size XXL (22-24), have a 36" inseam and are available in four different colors.  And Long Tall Sally offers their classic leggings in a 33" inseam, up to size XL, in 11 different colors!


And, finally, I'd like to recommend Mossimo Supply Co. leggings from Target.  They are neither terribly thick nor particularly long, but they are perfect for layering.  A lot of times higher-quality leggings can be too thick for layering under jeans.  These leggings are perfect for that.  They're also nice for warmer climates where you don't want anything too heavy.


So, how about it, Reader Friends?  Will you be wearing leggings again now that Who What Wear says it's okay?

Happy Saturday, All!

Gracey

Black, Grey and Snow

Let me apologize right off for these pictures:

Tunic: Old Navy (similar)  Cardigan: Lou & Grey
Leggings: HUE  Cowl: Gifted (similar)
Boots: Born "Mabel" (similar)

The thing is, I'm not used to snow and have no idea how to take photos in it.  Especially when it's overcast.  I could take them inside, but I'm terrible at that as well.

So, yeah.  Sorry, Folks!

There's not a lot to see here anyway, except for a little lazy pattern mixing:

Mostly I'm just dressed for warmth and comfort and very limited forays out of the house:

Very, very limited.  For which, this outfit is perfect.  I can wear it out, but I can also wear it in, curled up reading with a cup of milky tea.  Needless to say, I prefer the indoor activity!


Because outside?  Snow.

Boo.


Happy Monday, All!  Happy Visible Monday, actually because I'm linking up to Not Dead Yet Style!

Gracey

Branching Out

I tend to be a creature of habit when it comes to buying clothes.  I stick with the stores that I know (so much so that my dad asked me the other day if my blog was sponsored by Nordstrom - he's very funny) because I know how they'll fit me.  This is especially true when it comes to brands that carry "tall" clothes.  Because, as all tall women know, there is tall and then there is "tall."

Unfortunately, due to this reliance on the brands I know, I haven't really tried a lot of other tall lines.  But, today I am branching out.

You see that wonderfully stripe-y tunic?  It's from Chadwick's of Boston.


I know!  I had no idea that Chadwick's carried tall clothes either.  But, they do.  Like this tunic:

When Chadwick's offered me an item to review, I was a little hesitant because their "tall" starts at 5'7" which isn't always long enough for me.  But, as you can see, this tunic is plenty long, covering my bum and everything!

Tunic: c/o Chadwick's  Leggings: c/o metrostyle  Jacket: Kenneth Cole Reaction (similar)
Scarf: c/o FRAAS (similar)   Boots: Naughty Monkey (similar)

Which, given how my bum resists coverage by most tunics, is a miracle.  A Chadwick's miracle!


Now, I can't say how Chadwick's will work for women taller than myself, but if you're between 5'7" and 6', I'd say give them a try.  They don't have a huge selection, but they carry good, classic pieces.  I especially like their basics, like my tunic, and I'm drooling over this fabulous plaid blazer!

What about you, Reader Friends?  Are you creatures of habit when it comes to purchasing clothes?  Or do you like to branch out?

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

#dearsally Holiday Wish List

I'm not currently working here in Pennsylvania, so I have a lot of spare time on my hands.  As a result, I've been doing a lot of reading, sleeping in and virtual window shopping.  As sad as I am to give up actual shopping because, well, no job (and really no need for clothes, if I'm honest), window shopping is pretty fun.

Especially at Long Tall Sally.  It is truly wonderful to see an item and know that it will, in fact, be long enough in the arms.  No more scrutinizing the model to see if maybe, just maybe, those ankle-length pants will be ankle-length and not mid-calf.  It's heavenly, I tell you, heavenly.

Here are some of my favorite pieces:

Because I'm an optimist (and I enjoy cat sweaters), I've created both a Workday Wishlist and a Weekend Wishlist.

On my Workday Wishlist I have an appropriately aloof cat sweater, a plaid skirt and an A-line midi, as well as tights and double-zip ankle boots.  I selected two skirts because I'm not sure how conservative my new work place will be and, because I think they're both fabulous with this sweater.

And on my Weekend Wishlist, I have an awesome mixed media, gradient houndstooth sweater coat, that I'd wear over either a black over-sized sweater or a cream sweater dress.  And I added heavy jersey leggings, waterproof boots and leather gloves that will actually fit my giant hands (I know!).  These pieces would be fabulous for cold days spent exploring Pittsburgh.

What about you, Reader Friends?  What's on your holiday wishlist?

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

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

Review: metrostyle leggings

As I've mentioned before, it can be difficult to find quality leggings in Tall lengths.  And by quality, I mean leggings that are not see-through and have well-stitched seams; it's bad for my self-esteem when I pull on leggings and the seams pop!

Lately I've been on a serious mission to find leggings I love and I'm happy to say I've been very lucky!  But, it took some work.  I'll share all of my finds later this week, but today I want to talk about the leggings metrostyle sent me.  Apparently they knew of my search and were there to help a sistah out.

These are my metrostyle leggings:

Leggings: Skinny Ponte Knit in Tall c/o metrostyle

And I do love them.  Please to allow me to explain why.  One, they are seriously thick because they're ponte.  And while they're not thick enough to wear as pants (because leggings are NOT pants) they are thick enough that if my tunic rode up a bit, I wouldn't be completely uncomfortable.


Two, at 32.5" they are the perfect length for me to wear with flats, like I did today; as you can see, they hit me right above the ankle bone.  Also, to my eye, the 10" leg opening looks better with flats than a smaller, tighter opening.

And three, they have a nice, wide waistband and are therefore very comfortable.  I don't know about you, but wide waistbands are my jam; I can't even pretend to wear leggings with a skinny waistband.  These also come up pretty high on my waist, which some people hate, but I love.


And, best of all, there was only minimal bagging at the knees after a full day of sitting in them:

Shirt & Sweater: Gap  Leggings: c/o metrostyle  Shoes: Old Navy (similar)

Fit-wise, they fit true to size.  I'm a size 14 and I ordered the Large Tall and they fit perfectly both in my thighs (they haven't popped a seam yet) and my waist.

If you haven't ever tried metrostyle, give them a look.  They carry petite, tall and women's sizes as well as standard sizes.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey


Please Note: Although this item was given to me in exchange for a review, all opinions expressed on this blog are my own.  And that means that if the leggings were not great (Bob) I'd tell you.  Promise. 

Tunic, My Heinie

No, really, I'd like to introduce this tunic to my heinie because I'm pretty sure they haven't met:

Seriously, one of the most frustrating things about being tall is that shirts are crop-tops (gross), tunics are shirts and dresses are tunics.  Tunics are (supposedly) great because you can just throw them on with leggings and go.  But, I can't.  Not unless I want to wear leggings as pants (I will never).

No, instead, I have to layer my "tunic" over a "dress" that's actually just a tunic on me.  Happily, I like to layer:

Tunic: Old Navy  Dress: LOFT  Scarf: Gifted  Leggings: HUE  Boots: Born "Mabel"

But still, if I could find a tunic that wanted to spend quality time covering all my bottom and not just grazing the top half, that would be super.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Shop the Look

Similar  (sort of) tunic

Similar striped tunic/dress

Similar scarf

Exact HUE leggings (my fave)

Born "Mabel" boots

Black on Black on Black

The lovely Fashionista Next Door has challenged us to wear all black as part of Style Me Friday.  And y'all?  This was crazy hard for me.

That's right, I had trouble putting together leggings and a tunic.

The thing is, I don't wear black from head-to-toe.  I pretty much have to have a pop of color; scarf, earrings, something.  Or something shiny.  I had to force myself to back away from my Foxxy Anubis brooch this morning.

However, I (sometimes) like a good challenge so I bit the bullet and resisted the urge to add color or shine, depending instead on different textures to (hopefully) add interest to my monochromatic look.

I, apparently, also wanted to show how it was possible to wear head-to-toe black and not look sleek and cool.

But, enough about my enduring fluffiness.  Let's get back to the texture:

Yes, my sweater is texturally interesting.  And yes, I do have to make that face when providing a close-up of this tunic. Rules is rules, folks.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

The Faux Cowl Point

You see this mustard cowl?

It's not a cowl at all.  It's a faux cowl I created by draping this sweater vest around my neck:

Thrifted vintage wool sweater vest

Why?  Because I wanted a brightly colored, warm scarf to brighten up my otherwise neutral outfit.  Specifically, I wanted mustard, but, for some reason, I don't own a mustard scarf (I know, I'm surprised too). 

So, I did what anybody would do in my situation; I used my mustard vest as a scarf:

Jacket: Nordstrom (similar) Dress/Tunic: Target  Leggings: Target  Boots: Gap (similar)

And I'm glad I did.  I think the mustard brightens up this whole look and is the perfect focal point.  Or faux cowl point, if you will.  Yes, it's terrible and no, I can't stop.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Whither the Kitsch?

The other day Sally wore an outfit where she said she was dressed for "almost herself."  I know exactly what she means.  This outfit is almost me, but not quite:

Target tunic-dress & leggings, Nordstrom cardigan, Macy's belt & thrifted boots.

It's me in that it involves bright colors, worn together.  And leggings; I love leggings darn it.  And boots.  I'm all about the boots.  But, it's still not quite me.

I think it's because there is nothing fun or particularly interesting about this outfit.  (That's right; I think I'm more interesting than this.  I said it).  It's also really drape-y.  I think I'm more comfortable in slightly more structured items with some fun to them.  I was physically comfortable in this, but it doesn't speak to my fun-loving, kitschy soul.  Whither the kitsch, Gracey, whither the kitsch?

Don't worry.  I'll probably get it together by next week.  Probably.

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

My Thighs Hate It

… but the rest of me loves it.  “It” being my new-to-me vintage tunic:

 

I do love it, but my thighs seriously hate it.  In fact, I can’t even button it all the way to the bottom without them threatening to Hulk out.  But, that’s okay, I just wore it over leggings with the bottom two buttons undone and my thighs stopped yelling about being suffocated in polyester.  They are so dramatic.

In addition to the tunic (vintage, gifted) and leggings (Target), I also wore boots (Enzo Angolini “Saylem” via Nordstrom) and another lady-tie (silk Brooks Brothers via St. Vincent Depaul).  Because it’s International Lady-Tie Week.  Okay, it’s not, but it should be.  Perhaps the next time my thighs are at the UN attempting to get recognized as an independent republic, I’ll float the idea past the General Assembly.  I can't imagine any country not supporting that proposal.

Enough about the lady-tie though, let’s get back to the tunic.  The fact of the matter is; I wasn’t going to allow my pouty, secessionist thighs to ruin this tunic for me.  I love this thing.  I love the crazy print:

And I love how it came to end up in my closet.   

This tunic was originally purchased by my fabulous friend, Jeanne, when we were shopping together at Vintage by the Pound.  I didn’t fight her for it because she was a guest in my city, but I did cast a lot of covetous looks in her direction.  And then, the other day, she mailed it to me out of the blue!  Needless to say, I was thrilled and Jeanne is awesome.

Happy Thursday, Everyone!  And Happy International Lady-Tie Week!

Gracey

Black and Blue and a Lynne Pin

Some time back, awesome, fabulous, gorgeous blogger friend Lynne sent me an awesome, fabulous, gorgeous vintage pin:

I wore it with black and blue: 

In what was, apparently, the most confusing outfit I’ve ever worn.  As I was leaving the house, my sister said “That’s a cute… thing.”  I asked her what thing she was talking about and she said my outfit.  She said she didn’t know what it was, but she liked it.  And, later in the day, I was trying to talk to my manager and he just kept staring at me until I asked him what the problem was.  He said he just didn’t understand what he was looking at.  I explained that it was three different pieces all layered together.

Specifically, I layered a turtleneck (Gap) under a cap-sleeve bow blouse (via Vintage by the Pound) and topped them both with a sleeveless wool dress (vintage Liberty House via Goodwill):

I also added leggings (Macys), a studded belt (JC Penney) and cuffed boots (Gap).  Oh, and neon pink stud earrings (Kate Spade New York via Nordstrom): 

image via Nordstrom.com

Confusing or not, this was one of my all-time favorite outfits.  I’ll be the first to admit that my attempts at layering don’t always work, but I think I frickin’ nailed this one. 

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey