Because I Want To

I wore this scarf today because I wanted to, not because I had to:

Because it was warm here today.  Not just not-cold, warm.  I think it got up to 78 or so.  In November.  In Western Pennsylvania.  So, did I need this scarf?  No, I did not.



And the same could be said for the boots:

Dress: Target  Cardi: LOFT (similar)
Scarf: c/o of FRAAS (similar)  Boots: v. old Steve Madden (similar)

I'm wearing them not because it's cold and I have to.  No, I'm wearing the boots because it's November, damnit, and I want to wear boots.



Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

It's Not Red, It's Fiesta!

My sweater is not red:

It's Fiesta!!  At least that's what Pantone says.  And I'm not going to argue because calling this sweater Fiesta (!) makes this outfit sound more interesting than it probably is.



Which isn't to say it's boring.  The combination of fiesta (!) and olive is a fairly interesting one.  And the non-matching-but-totally-going scarf is fun:

But, it's mostly the sweater:

Sweater: LOFT  Scarf: secondhand (similar)
Pants: Gap   Shoes: Steve Madden 'Eleanorr' Flats

Because, well, Fiesta!



Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Pattern Play

One thing that has been both frustrating and amusing about getting a new job is that I have a new set of people I get to explain my outfits to.

This outfit required quite a bit of explanation:

First I tried to tell them that mixing patterns was okay.  They were not convinced.



Then I tried convince them that this mix especially made good sense.  I mean, look at this:

Could any two prints go any better?!!!



And yes, I said go.  I know this outfit doesn't match:

But, I'll be gosh-darned if it doesn't go.  Apparently though, "going" isn't a concept my new co-works are ready to embrace yet.



That's okay.  I'll just keep mixing my prints and eventually they'll agree that the mixes make sense.

Top: H&M (similar) (similar)  Skirt: H&M (similar)
Belt: thrifted (similar)  Boots: v. old Steve Madden (similar)

Maybe.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Eyelet and Culottes

Figure flattery is not a very high priority for me when getting dressed, but lately it's been even lower on the list.  Instead I've been playing with proportion and volume.

Friday it was proportion, today it's volume:

And by volume, I mean these fabulously voluminous culottes:

Ordinarily, I'd wear them with something tucked or fitted; anything to define my waist.


But, the fact of the matter is, you don't always have to define your waist.  Sometimes it's okay to wear high-volume culottes and pair it with a cropped top:

And waist be damned.


It's also okay to add in some cage sandals because they're your favorite and you can't-stop-won't-stop wearing them:

Top: Banana Republic  Culottes: gifted vintage (similar)
Sandals: Steve Madden (similar)  Necklace: c/o Happiness Boutique  Earrings: Kate Spade New York

Trust me, it's okay.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Olive, Cognac & Cream

Boot season is here!  Okay, not really.  Well, sort of.  In the mornings it's chilly, but then it gets hot and my feet sweat.  But, it's totally worth the sweaty feet to be back in boots.

And I thought that these boots, in particular, were a good pick for fall:

Their "fallen leaf" color brings a little autumn to the otherwise summery combination of olive, cream and turquoise.


And I had to wear the turquoise:

One, because I love this piece, and two, because I'm trying to wear all of my necklaces before I begin to default to scarves.  Because here in PA it's not just a month or two of scarves, it's like half a damn year.


But, for now, the weather is perfect for statement necklaces.  And boots, of course:

Top: Macys (similar) Necklace: LOFT (similar)
Skirt: Nordstrom (similar)  Boots: Steve Madden (similar)

Happy Wednesday, All!

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 Fruit and Floral

As much as a love this dress, I've always felt limited in the ways I could style it:

Usually with black shoes of some sort and each wearing varied only by the presence or absence of black tights.


Then, the other day, I had an epiphany and this happened:

And it was pretty much the best thing ever.


Am I still wearing black shoes?  Yes.  And are the proportions pretty wacky?  Also yes.  But, it's also one of my favorite things I've ever put together:

Seriously, I love this outfit.



I love the cut and print of the dress and I love the coral and jade earrings with it:

Earrings: Crafty Wonderland (similar, similar, similar studs)

And don't get me started on these pants.  I, obviously, want to wear them with everything:

Dress: vintage (similar color) (similar cut) (good layering option)
Pants: LOFT  Shoes: Steve Madden (similar) (similar)

But, that's only because they go with everything.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Pop of Non-Color

I'm not a big fan of white shoes.  They tend to remind me of nursing shoes.  Or, if they're sandals, of bandaged feet.  Or, if they're pumps, the 80s.  You know I love the 80s, but I never could get behind the brightly color-blocked outfits paired with white pumps.

But, what I can get behind are speckled white flats:

I just think they're more interesting than a black shoe would be with this outfit:

And more palatable, for my tastes, than a white pump would be:

Top: LOFT  Skirt: vintage, thrifted  Shoes: Steve Madden (save, splurge)

It's not that either of those choices wouldn't work, it just that I like these as my pop of non-color.


Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Psychedelic Poppies

So, as it turns out, faux leather is not great in humidity.  I wore this shirt anyway:

I wore it both because I like it and, because it was the only thing I could find to go with this skirt.  I thrifted this skirt months ago, but have struggled in finding anything to wear with it.  It seems like I could wear any color and it'd work, but so far that hasn't been the case.


But, I think this top works.  It has a different texture than the skirt and therefore doesn't read as a clashing or mismatched black:

The top also works well with the sandals:

Top: LOFT (similar) (peplum version)  Skirt: thrifted
Earrings: Lil' Gypsy Vintage (similar)  Sandals: Steve Madden (similar)

And both the top and the sandals add a nice edge to what could otherwise be a fairly stodgy skirt.  You know, as stodgy as psychedelically-colored poppies can be.


Happy Monday, All!  Or, rather, Happy Visible Monday; I'm linking up my psychedelic poppies over at Patti's today!

xoxo,

Gracey

Knits and Stripes

Man but I love a knit pencil skirt:

In fact, I love them so much that I only have one pencil skirt that is not knit and I only keep it because it's the most beautiful blue ever.  And, in spite of it's gorgeous color, I don't even wear it that much because I prefer the knit skirts.


They are just so darned comfortable.  And so darned easy.

The same is true for this knit bomber.  It's comfortable and easy like a cardigan, but with a less expected silhouette.


Seriously, knitwear is the best.  Especially when paired with a t-shirt.  And doubly especially when paired with a striped t-shirt.

Bomber: LOFT (similar)  Tee: LOFT
Skirt: thrifted (similar)  Sandals: Steve Madden (similar)

For some reason, I am very into stripes lately.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

I Can't Believe It's Not Vintage

This top is not vintage:

I know, I know, I can't believe it either!  I mean, look at this print:

Delightful and very vintage, right?  Well, half right.  It is definitely delightful, but it's also very definitely not vintage.  It's actually Foxcroft.


They contacted me recently to try some of their new pieces and let me just say that I was very pleasantly surprised by the selection.  I knew that Foxcroft shirts were well made and can free one from the tyranny of ironing (hallelujah!) but I had no idea they were so fun.  I often shy away from venerable brands like Foxcroft because I don't feel like I have enough gravitas to pull them off, but with some of their new prints, I can wear them and continue to live my gravitas-free lifestyle.


Like this top for example:

This fun, bright print is the "vintage royal" print and represents the vision of Foxcroft's head designer, Laura Poretzky-Garcia, to find inspiration from Foxcroft's vast print, fabric and design archives.


And I think that's fabulous.  As much as I love vintage, I also really love brands that do modern vintage, like this blouse.  Because, if this blouse were true vintage, it'd probably be made of sweat-inducing polyester and be too narrow for my "modern" shoulders (I call them modern because they get mad when I call them "linebacker-like").


Also, although it's not vintage, this top fits perfect with the rest of my outfit, which is vintage:

Top: c/o Foxcroft  Sweater & Culottes: thrifted vintage  Shoes: Steve Madden

That's right.  No iron, no sweat, no tall-girl-in-a-narrow-shirt and plays well with vintage.  Win-win.

And you can win too; right now Foxcroft is having their Friends & Family event and everything is 40% off through Friday.  That includes the top I'm wearing, this other delightfully vintage-y blouse and this amazing houndstooth piece.


Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey


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