Summer Sweaters and Arctic Offices

I am fed up with the air conditioning at work.  It's so cold in my office that I was forced to wear a sweater to work today:

A sweater!  At the end of June!  I know!


Because, apparently, once the air goes on at work, they can't (won't?) adjust it.  So, on days like today when it was neither warm enough nor humid enough to justify blasting the air conditioner, they do it anyway.  So, in order to survive my Arctic office, I've learned that summer sweaters are not only a real thing, but a sometimes necessary thing.


I paired today's summer sweater with diamond-print pants and leopard flats:

Crap, but white is hard to photograph.  Well, trust me, those are black diamonds on my pants, not gray blobs.



And trust me that a sweater was more than called for today:

Sweater: LOFT (similar) Earrings: Mata Traders
Pants: Gap  Flats: Nine West (similar)

More than called for.



Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

A Spot of Leopard

Today's outfit is plum, navy, orchid, and a spot of leopard:

I thought about plum shoes, but I really like the contrast of the animal print with the berry tones:

Also, it's fun to say I'm wearing "a spot of leopard":

Jacket: thrifted  Blouse: LOFT (similar)
Pants: LOFT  Belt: LOFT (similar)  Shoes: Nine West (similar)

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Teal Floral, Pumpkin Cardigan

This is one of my favorite thrifted dresses because it works for spring, summer and fall, depending on the accessories it's paired with:

This works because the floral pattern contains several different colors, including the same pumpkin-orange as my cardigan:

For today's outfit, in addition to the a pumpkin cardigan, I also added colored tights and lace-up booties:

I'm not sure I'd pair the tights, boots and cardigans otherwise, but I love how the dress ties them all together:

Dress: thrifted vintage  Cardigan: LOFT
Belt: thrifted (similar)  Tights: Target (similar)  Boots: v. old Nine West (similar)

For me, that's one of the best things about prints; they give you an excuse to wear all the colors.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Like Me

I wrote a bit about this in my last guest post over at Already Pretty, but basically, my new job is the first ever that I've had with an honest-to-goodness dress code.  At my last job, they'd admonish us every summer not to wear cut-offs and/or tube tops, but that was really the extent of HR's input on what we could wear to work.  Here though, jeans are only allowed on Fridays and most women wear slacks.

Yep.  Slacks.

Up until now, I've just been avoiding the pants issue and wearing skirts and dresses, but it's really cold here.  So, yesterday, I finally ventured out in a pair of my new work pants:

And, you know what?  I felt like me in this outfit.


Sure they're just basic, some-may-say-boring black pants, but paired with one of my vintage blouses and some leopard print shoes, it's something I'd even have worn back home:

It's a little loud, it's a little different and it's totally me:

And, best of all, I didn't get sent home for wearing it.


I know, I can hardly believe it myself.

Blouse: vintage, thrifted  Pants: LOFT (I'm wearing a 12T)
Earrings: Modcloth (similar)  Shoes: Nine West Heroheart (similar)

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Floral and Leopard and Stripes, Oh My!

Sometime I like to mix a print or two in one outfit.  And, sometimes, when I'm feeling wild, I like to mix three prints in one outfit.  I was feeling wild today:

Not that this outfit is wild.  It's actually pretty sedate considering that I am mixing three different prints:

Shirt: LOFT (similar)  Jeans: Gap  Blazer: Gap (similar)
Shoes: Nine West (similar)  Earrings: Modcloth (similar)  Scarf: vintage, thrifted

That's because the third print isn't co-mingled (that's a technical fashion term) with the other two.  The stripes and floral are together, but the leopard is way down on my tootsies:

This keeps the outfit looking sleek and not too busy.  The dark skinnies and fitted black blazer also help keep it clean.


So, remember, if you want to mix more than two prints in an outfit, try separating the prints with solids.  It makes the look more intentional and less I-couldn't-find-my-neutral-shoes.

See?

Totally intentional.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Spring Jeans and a Fox Locket

My wishlist for spring is pretty short.  In part because I don't really need anything and in part because a large portion of my budget is going to a new handbag.  I did, however, want some new skinnies in a spring color and found these from Old Navy:

Sweater: Old Navy (similar)  Jeans: Old Navy Rockstar
Shoes: Nine West (similar)

As you can see, they're a sort of robin's egg blue and they're exactly what I wanted.  And, as you can also see, they go with all the other spring colors!


I originally only thought to pair them with the citron sweater because I wanted to wear that sweater with my new fox locket:

Isn't it the cutest?!  My sister sent it to me with pictures of my sweet, big-headed nephews inside, and I love it!


So, where do the shoes come in?  Well, I just figured that the only thing to do for that much color is to add more color.  I think Coco Chanel or someone said something like that.


Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Spring Transition

This is what I wear when it's cold but sunny so that I want to stay bundled up but also want to wear spring colors:

Jacket: vintage, gifted  Sweater: LOFT (similar)
Skirt: vintage, thrifted (similar, splurge)  Tights: ASSETS
Boots: Nine West "Hissyfit"

I'm still in tights and booties, but they're open-weave tights and completely impractical booties.  And I'm still in a black skirt, but I paired it with a floral print and a pink jacket.

I figure the floral sweater is a good middle ground for early spring.  It's a floral, but it's also a sweater.  And even though it's a dark floral, the little pops of pink tie in nicely with my pink jacket.


Basically, this outfit lets me feel a little like spring, but without freezing to death:

I think that's the core logic behind any good spring outfit; spring-y and no frostbite.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Stripes and a Sylca Designs Review

I was recently contacted by Sylca Designs with the offer to do a review of one of their pieces of jewelry.  And once I visited their site, I knew I was going to take them up on that offer.  Their jewelry is everything I like in my accessories: big, bold and bright:

Best of all, though, the jewelry is designed by the mother and daughter team of Sylvia and Camila Echavarria to be made from recycled wood, natural fibers and coconut shell so it's very lightweight.  I really do love chunky necklaces, but sometimes they can be too heavy to wear all day, especially when paired with another chunky piece.


But, not this necklace.  This necklace is the perfect weight and I wore it easily all day long:

I love that despite the necklace's light weight, it's still substantial.  It's a very striking piece and one that more than held it's own against the combination of stripes and faux leather I wore it with:

Necklace: c/o Sylca Designs

Bottom line, I love this necklace and I'm probably going to wear it all the time.  You've been warned.

Striped Shirt: Gap (similar)  Faux Leather Tee: LOFT (similar) (similar)
Jeans: Gap Stretch & Recovery  Flats: Nine West (similar)

Looking for a wearable piece of statement jewelry of your own?  I whole-heartedly recommend Sylca Designs.  They have a ton of pieces to choose from, including pendant necklaces, bracelets and rings.  And, you can get 20% off by using the code CV2013 at check out.  Seriously, go check them out, you won't be disappointed.


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Neutrals & Neon

I know that neon is no longer on trend, but I still like wearing it.  It's just the thing to brighten up a neutral winter outfit:

I mean, yes, I could have worn a black scarf with this, but that would have been so boring.  On trend, perhaps, but boring.

One thing you can say about neon, it's definitely not boring:

Even in little pops like a scarf or earrings, neon is just fun to wear.  I admit that I am a little bit biased due to my love of the 80s.  But, really, neon is fun:

And so are capes:

Cape: sold out eShakti (similar)  Scarf: v. old (similar)
Jeans: v. old Gap  Earrings: Kate Spade New York

And of course, one doesn't wear neon or a cape without being visible, so I'm linking up with Patti today.


Happy Visible Monday, All!

Gracey

Half-Down, Half-Up

For today's Putting Me Together Style Challenge, we were challenged with trying a new hairstyle.  So I invented one:

I call it the "Half-Down, Half-Up."  Now, you may be thinking to yourself that my hairstyle looks suspiciously like the hairstyle they call the "Half-Up, Half-Down."  Well, you're wrong.  For that hairstyle, the emphasis is on the up portion.  For my hairstyle, the emphasis is on the down portion.

See how the "down" portion of the hair has actually been brushed?  That's a big deal for me.  And, although I don't have a close up of the "up" portion, I can promise you that it's half-assed at best.  I didn't even bother getting my barrette straight!

So, yes, it may look like the Half-Up, Half-Down, but it's most definitely a Half-Down, Half-Up.


I also wore some clothes:

Sweater: vintage, thrifted  Shirt: LOFT
Jeans: Old Navy   Boots: Nine West

I mean, it's nothing to blog about (and yet...) because it's just jeans, boots and a sweater.  But, this is one of my favorite thrifted sweaters.  It's fabulous because it looks like a plain blue sweater, but it's actually flecked with all sorts of colors:

That is some vintage heathered goodness right there.


Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Black, White and Wine

This week's Work Your Closet Style Challenge over at Putting Me Together is to wear a dress.  And I was like, done and done:

Dress: vintage, thrifted (similar)  Tights: Target (similar)
Belt: vintage, thrifted  Boots: Nine West (similar)

Sure it's cold and snowy here in Pennsylvania, but I'll be darned if that keeps me from wearing one of my beloved dresses.

Nope, I just pulled out a sweater dress, added tights and ankle boots and et voila, Gracey's wearing a dress:

In this case, a vintage dress that I actually thrifted here in Pennsylvania.  I made them strip it right off the mannequin!  But, can you blame me?  The striped top is pretty cool:

 So, heck yeah  I'm wearing a dress.  And I'm linking up to Putting Me Together.



Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey