LBD: Layered Black Dress

I was sent this gorgeous little black dress from Long Tall Sally the other day:

Long Tall Sally Louben Triacetate Dress

And, at first, I was a little daunted because it's such a classic piece and I don't have the most classic of aesthetics.  But then I realized that part of what makes a little black dress such a classic is it's versatility.  You don't have to wear it with pearls and black patent pumps.

So I took another look and realized that this is the perfect dress for layering.   Not all dresses lend themselves equally to being layered, but this dress really is perfect.  It's sleeveless, it's made of a structured fabric and has the perfect gently scooped neckline.  Therefore, I've decided that this isn't my Little Black Dress, it's my Layered Black Dress.  Here are some of the ways I plan on layering it.

With a printed blouse:

Blouse: Foxcroft  Belt: LOFT  Pumps: Nine West "Ike"

Sure, a little black dress and houndstooth sounds classic on paper, but make the houndstooth a big, bold print and add leopard pumps and it's anything but boring.



With a printed blouse and a sweater vest:

Blouse: Foxcroft  Vest: Vintage, thrifted  Boots: Born (similar)

Because sweater vests are underutilized in this day and age and I think that's sad.  Also, leather buttons.



With a turtleneck and a poncho:

Poncho: sold out eShakti (similar)   Boots: Piperlime (similar)

C'mon, now.  You knew I was going to layer over a turtleneck!  And ponchos are so in right now; why not layer one over your black dress?



With the swingiest of coats:

Coat: vintage, thrifted  Belt: vintage, thrifted  Boots: Nine West (similar)

Swingy! And so easy over a black dress for date night.


Or, for hanging out in the snow:

Just kidding.  It's way too cold to hang out in the snow in this.  Save it for date night, kids.


What about you, Reader Friends?  Would you layer your LBD?  Which look is your favorite?

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

More Layerable Little Black Dresses

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

Embellished and Olive

I'm sad to say that this outfit is not an original idea:

Sweatshirt: LOFT (similar)  Vest: Old Navy (similar)
Scarf: Gifted (similar)  Jeans: Old Navy
Boots: Born Crown "Sosie" (similar)

Nope.  Not original.  In fact, brazenly ripped off from this Pin:

Image via Pinterest

As you can see, my outfit is less seasonally confused (Tulips and layers?  And is that snow on the ground? What is going on here?!) than the original, but it's basically the same.


Well, almost.  My outfit is also considerably less blinged-out than the original, but I like the colored jewels on this sweatshirt.  Especially with the claret color of the scarf:

Now if only I can get that Louis Vuitton bag...


Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Giant Find: Lou & Grey

Every once in awhile, I stumble across a clothing line for non-giants that magically works on my giant self.  Lou & Grey is my latest discovery.

If you've wondered into a LOFT store lately, or browsed their website, you've probably seen Lou & Grey.  And, if you're tall, you've probably checked to see see if they carry Tall sizes.  They do not, so you were probably disappointed and probably vowed never to shop Lou & Grey again.  Well, folks, I'm here to ask you to recant that vow, because Lou & Grey does work for tall women!  Or, at least it's worked for me.

The jacket in this outfit, for example, is Lou & Grey:

And the cuffing there is by choice, not necessity.


This skirt is also Lou & Grey:

Is it the world's longest maxi?  No, but it is definitely actually a maxi.

Because, for whatever reason, Lou & Grey tend to run a little big (a full size, I'd say) and a little long.  A little long for non-giants, that is.  For us taller women, Lou & Grey actually works!

Below are some of my current favorite Lou & Grey pieces (please to ignore the dejected faces of the models).

Boucle Sweatshirt

This sweatshirt makes me all kinds of happy.  Fuzzy?  Check.  Gray?  Check.  Probably long enough in the arms?  Probably check.


Shag Coat

I've been very, very big on coats since moving to the frozen steppes of Pennsylvania.  I love the shag texture of this one.  And I love the fact that it's clearly too long in the arms for the model which means it'll probably be perfect for me!


Quilt Popover

Lately I've been very into denim-colored pieces.  You know, pieces that are not denim but are the color of denim.  Pieces like this fabulous quilted top.


Panel Front Pencil Skirt

Although you can't see it very well, this skirt, like many Lou & Grey pieces is wonderfully textured.  I love that, especially for winter.


Grid Knit Sweater

This sweater reminds me of something from the 80s.  I mean that, of course, in the very best way.  It also has a nice borrowed-from-the-boys vibe that I like.


You'll notice I didn't include any pants in my picks; that's because I have no idea how Lou & Grey pants fit.  But, I can definitely vouch for their tops, sweaters & skirts. At least for those of us up to six foot; I don't think it would work as well for taller women.


What about you, Reader Friends?  Have you tried Lou & Grey?

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Literary Stylings #14: Russian Winter

I've decided to base today's look off of the book Russian Winter, by Daphne Kalotay:

As I said in Saturday's post, this book took me some time to get into.  And, today, as I was preparing this post, I realized why.  It's because I don't like the main character very much. The main character is Nina Revskaya, formerly a star of the Bolshoi Ballet in Stalinist Russia who later defected to the United States. And I think she's supposed to be the protagonist, but I didn't ever find myself rooting for her.  

Like everyone else living in Russia at that time, Nina and her friends had to watch everything they said and did.  Artists, especially, during this time were required to use their art to promote the beliefs of the State and if they didn't, or if they were Jewish, they were sent for "re-education."  And I thought the author did a wonderful job of taking the reader back in time.  But she didn't do a great job of making me care for Nina.

Seriously, you'd think someone who had to endure the rigors of post-World War II and fleeing her homeland would be more sympathetic, but not Nina.  She is easily one of the most selfish characters I've ever read about.  It's especially jarring given how unselfish the other characters in the book are.  The only person in the novel I found as terrible as Nina was her mother-in-law and, unlike Nina, she has reason to be terrible!

So, yes, the protagonist is more of an antagonist, but if you can get past that, the book really is interesting.  The descriptions of the lives of the artists in Communist Russia is absolutely fascinating.  And it's a pretty good mystery as well; Nina is keeping secrets she doesn't even realize she knows, making for a good read.

And the story makes for a pretty cozy outfit:

In Oregon I worked with a Russian woman who said that Oregon was nice, but it didn't get cold enough to wear her furs and she missed wearing them.  Remembering that and the fact that the artists in the book were able to earn more than the standard citizens, I figured a vintage fur coat was appropriate.

I'm not sure exactly when Nina defected, but I figured wide-leg jeans and turtleneck were probably okay:

Coat: vintage, thrifted (similar)  Jeans: Gap (similar)
Sweater: Old Navy   Gloves: Target (similar)

I mean, we can pretend she defected in the 70s, right?  Sure, why not?!


Now, a big part of this book is the jewelry that Nina is auctioning off.  And a big part of the mystery surrounds the Baltic amber jewelry she brought out of Russia.  Unfortunately, I don't have any amber, Baltic or otherwise, so I made do with the largest "jewels" I have:

Earrings: Macy's (similar)

Since we're doing a bit of pretending with the post, we're just going to say these are jet, m'kay?  Great!  You all are the best!


And now it's your turn.  Are you wearing a book-inspired outfit?  If so, you can link up here:

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey