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

Big Tassels Are the Best Tassels

It's finally thawing out here in Western Pennsylvania, but on Friday, it was cold.  Cold and clear, but so very cold.  So, once again, I was in layers:

You can always tell when I get well and truly tired of winter because my layers get more and more fanciful.  I mean leggings and a striped shirt with a jacket make perfect sense, but then I went and threw a sleeveless denim dress on top of the whole thing.

Jacket: Nordstrom (similar)  Dress: thrifted (similar)
Tee: Gap  Leggings: c/o metrostyle  Boots: Born Crown (similar)  

But, it was actually a pretty great combination.  The dress helped to keep my legs warmer than just leggings alone would.


Also helping to keep me warm is my big tasseled scarf:

Cap: Nordstrom  Scarf: Bluefly

Big tassels are the best tassels, I think.


Happy Monday, All!

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

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.