Fall Flame and Teal

Oddly enough, one of my favorite color combinations for fall is flame and teal:

I think this color is actually being called "Fiesta" this season, but I will always think of it as "Flame" in honor of my favorite corduroy pants ever.


And I will always want to wear it with bright blue:

Especially in the fall.


To me, this is a very "fall" color combination.  It makes me think of bright autumn skies and bright autumn leaves and pumpkins.  Basically, it's perfect for fall.


At least I think so:

Cardigan: LOFT (similar)  Tee: Banana Republic
Skirt: Ann Taylor (similar)  Belt: Target (similar)  Sandals: Camper (similar)

Happy Friday, 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

Striped Short Sleeve Sweater

In the folly of my youth, I used to question the practicality of short-sleeve sweaters.  But, now I realize that they really are great transition pieces.

Over the long weekend, our weather turned cooler (finally) in the mornings and  has not been as humid (FINALLY) but still warm in the afternoons.



You know what's perfect for that sort of weather?

Sweater: Gap  Skirt: thrifted (similar)
Necklace: LOFT (similar)  Sandals: Steve Madden (similar)

Yep, that's right.  Short sleeve sweaters.



Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Bright and Stripe-y

Like much of what I wear, today's outfit features a bright and some stripes:

In this case, a very bright bright and some very stripe-y stripes:

But, what can I say?  I like what I like:

Blouse: LOFT  Cardigan: Nordstrom Rack
Skirt: Ann Taylor (similar)  Sandals: Camper (similar)

And what I like is bright and stripe-y.



Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Blueberries and Stripes

Earlier today on the blog I reviewed the "Blueberry" necklace, from Pam Neri Necklaces.  Here is a close up of the necklace:

And here's a look at how I styled it:

With stripes.  I styled it with stripes.



But, also with a full midi skirt and cage sandals:

But, mostly, with stripes:

Necklace: Pam Neri "Blueberry" Necklace
Tee: Banana Republic  Skirt: thrifted Ralph Lauren  Sandals: Steven Madden (similar)

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Product Review: Pam Neri Necklaces

With the exception of a few delicate pieces, I tend to like my necklaces like I like my thighs: chunky.  So, it's no wonder that I love the line of chunky beauties created by the talented Pam Neri.  Chunky beauties like this one:

It's the "Blueberry" necklace, which you can find here, and after much, much deliberation, it's the necklace I chose to review on the blog.  Ultimately I went with this one because I am unable to resist anything blue.


But, let me just say that it was not an easy choice.  Pam's necklaces are absolutely beautiful.  For necklaces like the "Blueberry", the individual wire strands are crocheted and then woven together.  You can see the technique better below:

I love the sense of movement in the necklaces, but also that they look raw, and have an almost "found" quality about them.  Part of that appeal is in the materials used.  The above necklace is the "Aruba" necklace and includes both coral and sea glass among the materials used.  I think it's a brilliant mix.

All of Pam's necklaces are beautifully made, and, best of all, she also takes custom orders.  I love the idea of a custom-made necklace to take with you on, say, a cruise.  When you're traveling with a limited wardrobe and limited color palette, why not have a necklace designed to compliment that wardrobe/color palette?  It's also a great option for wedding jewelry.


You can find Pam's necklaces, and place customer orders, on Instagram (@pamnerinecklaces), Amazon and her website (pamneri.com).


I'll share the outfit I wore with my gorgeous "Blueberry necklace" a bit later, but, in the meantime, go ahead and visit Pam's sites and treat yo'self to some swooning over some truly gorgeous necklaces.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Wednesday Ends in Y

I've decided to limit my print mixing to those days that end in "Y".  Happily, today is just such a day and I'm taking advantage of that fact by mixing some prints:

This time it's palm and stripes:

Palm and stripes and t-strap sandals:

Skirt: LOFT (similar short) (similar midi)  Blouse: LOFT (same blouse, different print)            Sandals: Camper (similar)

Because today is Wednesday and Wednesday ends in "Y."


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Shirt Dresses Are Easy

It's true you know, shirt dresses are easy:

Kinda like Earth girls.



But, really, just add a belt and shoes and you're set:

Not that all shirt dresses (or aliens (have you seen Jeff Goldblum in that movie???)) are equal.  Some shirt dresses have pockets:

Dress: thrifted (similar sleeveless) (with sleeves)
Belt: thrifted (similar)  Sandals: Kork-Ease (similar)

In my opinion, pocketed shirt dresses are the best shirt dresses.  And Jeff Goldblum aliens are the sexiest best aliens.



Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Trend to Try: Multi Stripe

One trend I'm super excited about this season is the Multi Stripe trend.  You can also call them Bold Stripes or Rainbow Stripes.  It is, of course, not a new trend:

But, it's a great trend, and I, for one, am super excited that it's coming back around.



I first noticed it with the Valentino 2015 Resort Collection, which brought us pieces like these:

Images from vogue.com

Magic, each and every one.



Of course, Valentino isn't the only line to send brightly striped looks down the runway:

Balmain Spring RTW 2015                             Gucci Resort 2016                      Tommy Hilfiger Spring 2016

The Balmain, Gucci and Hilfiger looks were less candy-colored than Valentino, but still bold and bright.  You can do the multi-stripe trend in pastels or even more muted tones, but I personally prefer them in the brights shown in the 60s, 70s, and today.



Like the trend but not sure how to wear it?  Here's some inspiration:

Top: Fashion for Giants and Who What Wear
Bottom: Atlantic Pacific and The Werk! Place

I paired my brightly striped cardigan from Lands' End with a bright skirt because I figure that two brights make a right.  But, you don't have to go bright; in the look from Who What Wear, a striped vintage skirt is paired with a leather jacket.

Tiffany, from The Werk! Place, mixes bold and neutral stripes in her outfit, finishing it off with neutral accessories.  And Blair Eadie, from Atlantic Pacific, pairs her rainbow striped Gucci sweater with skinny, dark jeans, letting the sweater and her perfect red lip do all the heavy lifting.


So, how about it, Reader Friends?  Are you into bold, bright, multi stripes?


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Better Shiny Than Sorry

I have a lot of cropped pants in my closet.  And a lot of stripes.  So, I figured I'd wear them together:

With a little bit of shine to keep my neutral outfit from being too boring:

Just kidding.  There is no way a waist this high is boring.  It's just flat out glorious.  And stripes aren't boring either.  They're classic.  And awesome.



But, still, you can't go wrong with a little shine:

Shirt: old LOFT (similar)  Pants: Ann Taylor
Necklace: Piperlime (similar)  Belt: LOFT (similar)  Sandals: Isola 'Lisinda'

Because, you know what they say, "Better shiny than sorry."  And if they don't say that, they should.



Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Pleats, Stripes and Brights

I thrifted this vintage pleated skirt the other day and couldn't wait to wear it:

Happily, the weather cooperated and I was able to pair it with a striped tee and colorful flats instead of tights and boots:

I mean, it's not that I don't love my tights and boots.  I do.  But these flats are just so much fun:

So bright flats it is:

Tee: Old Navy (similar)  Skirt: thrifted vintage (similar)
Earrings: local Portland craftsman (similar)  Shoes: Via Spiga "Pallas 2" Flats

And pleats.  And stripes.  All the good things.



Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Shoe Review: LTS "Bali" Block Heel Sandals

These are my new sandals, courtesy of Long Tall Sally:

LTS "Bali" Block Heel Sandals

And, I have to tell you, they are perfect.  I know they don't look like much, just a simple leather sandals with a low block heel, but these are, hands-down, the most comfortable sandals I've ever worn.  I've worn them several times already with nary an ache or a blister.

As thrilled as I am with the comfort aspect of these sandals, what I like best is that they don't make my large feet look even larger.  Perfectly flat sandals can often make feet look bigger, which, at a size 10, is not something I need.  The slight, oh-so-walkable heel on these sandals keep my feet from looking even bigger.

Additionally, thin straps on sandals can make toes look long, which, again, can make your feet look bigger.  The front strap on these sandals is just wide enough to keep my toes from looking too long.  And, the ankles straps cross at the perfect place on my leg so I'm not sacrificing any of my well-earned (okay, genetically gifted) height.

This last bit is important to me not because I'm afraid of looking shorter, but because I wear a lot of clothes that are proportionally challenging which can be stumpifying.  Like my beloved midi dresses and skirts as well as my new go-to, wide leg crops.  The strap placement on these makes them perfect for all my potentially leg-shortening looks.


Like these cropped pants:

Tunic: LOFT  Pants: Old Navy
Scarf: thrifted (similar save, splurge)  Shoes: "Bali" Sandals c/o LTS

See?  Perfect.  Because of the strap placement, I'm still showing "enough" ankle that I don't end up a victim of what I like to call "The Crisco Effect" (i.e. artificial shortening).



In addition to my crops and the Bali sandals, I'm also wearing a striped tunic and a thrifted scarf:

Not for nothing, but white-on-white is a tricky as black-on-black.  I think this only works because the tunic is slightly sheer.  Otherwise it's totally a mismatched mess.



But even then, it wouldn't have been a total loss because, you know, cute sandals:

Just one of, I might add, several very cute pairs of shoes introduced as part of Long Tall Sally's "If the Shoe Fits" campaign.  As I'm sure most of you know, LTS specializes in cute, wearable, stylish shoes for women who wear sizes 10 to 15.  Sizes that, at most other retailers, can be impossible to find.  If you are large of foot, I strongly recommend you stop by Long Tall Sally for your spring footwear needs.


Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Winter Patriot

The colors of this outfit are probably more suited for July than January, but the layers are way, way too hot for July in Pittsburgh:

They're perfect for January though.  The sweater is surprising warm and the skirt, being the thickest polyester the 70s have to offer, is also very warm.


And, of course, stripes are perfect for every season:

Especially double stripes:

Yep, double stripes and patriotic colors; perfect for a cold January day:

Jacket: LOFT  Tee: LOFT (similar)
Skirt: thrifted vintage (similar) Tights: Spanx  Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Fuzzy Stripes

Stripes are great:

But, do you know what are even better than stripes?  Fuzzy stripes:

I mean, really.  What beats a sweater that allows you to rub your own belly for comfort on a rough day?  The answer is, obviously, nothing.



Because fuzzy stripes are the best stripes:

Sweater: LOFT  Skirt: thrifted vintage (similar)
Tights: Spanx  Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

Bar none.


Happy Monday, All!  And don't forget to link up tomorrow for Literary Stylings!

Gracey