Flow-y, But With Pants

A combination that I really, really love, but don't wear nearly enough, is the combination of a dress over pants:

It can just be such a hard look to get right.  The proportions can go wacky, and stumpifying, very quickly. (And, trust me, no one wants to look both wacky *and* stumpified.  One or the other, sure, why not?  But not both).  Still, as I said, it's a look I love and one I'll keep trying.


That being said, I rather like this iteration:

Turtleneck: Gap (similar)  Dress: thrifted vintage
Pants: Gap (similar)  Belt: thrifted vintage  Boots: Franco Sarto "Eminent"

I think wearing the dress partially open over the pants helps minimize any damage I'm doing with these proportions.  And even if it's not, I still like this version because it is great for swanning about without freezing my nethers. It's flow-y, but with pants.  So, you know, win-win.


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

A Whole Lotta Denim

My initial thought when I first got this dress was, "Whoa, that's a whole lotta denim":

My second thought was, "Ooh, snaps.  I love snaps."  My third was, "Crap, I hope my thighs don't take those snaps as a sign to make a run for it."


And my fourth thought was, "That'll be so cute paired with cognac boots."  And it was:

It was also cute with a floral-print wool scarf:

Was it still a whole lotta denim?

Dress: Gap  Scarf: thrifted vintage
Belt: thrifted vintage  Boots: v. old Steve Madden (similar save, splurge)

Yes, but that's okay, because the snaps stayed snapped, my thighs stayed put, and the dress looks cute with cognac boots and a colorful scarf.



Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Maximum Swanning

It was very, very cold here today.  But, rather than complain, I decided to layer:

Specifically, I layered my LTS cape over a striped shirt and belted the whole thing with a studded belt:

All paired with a vintage skirt, tights and riding boots:

Cape: c/o Long Tall Sally  (similar)  Shirt: Gap
Belt: old Michael Michael Kors  Skirt: thrifted vintage (similar)  Boots: gifted (similar)

So, no, no complaining from me today.  Just maximum swanning.


Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Unseasonably Warm

So, yesterday it rained.  Kind of a lot.  But today, today was unseasonably warm.  Like in the 80s unseasonably warm.  Happily, I hadn't put away my summer stuff yet, so I got one more day in a flowy skirt:

I paired said flow-y skirt with a patterned top that in no way matches.  But it goes:

Probably.



I even snuck in some sandals:

Blouse: LOFT  Skirt, Belt & Shoes: thrifted

Because, as you may have heard, it was unseasonable warm here today.



Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Mostly Impractical

This dress is one of those pieces that I feel has a limited window of wear:

It's a thicker knit so it doesn't really work for warm weather.  But, it's short-sleeved so it doesn't really work for cold weather either.



But, on a day like today that starts out cool, but not cold, and gets warmer, but not warm, it was perfect:

And perfect with this scarf:

Still though, if I'm honest, this dress really is mostly impractical:

Dress: Lands' End (similarly impractical)
Scarf: thrifted (similar) Belt: thrifted  Boots: Gifted (similar)

For much of the year anyway.



Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

A Little Dress-on-Dress Action

I haven't been engaging in very creative layering lately.  I usually just add a cardigan to whatever I'm wearing to combat the office AC.  I'm not even sure that counts as layering.  But today's look totally counts:

No cardigans here, just layered dress:

Both dresses are thrifted, the bottom dress is vintage and the top dress is from the 90s, and has a great sketched floral print:

Now, I'll probably be back to layering with cardigans tomorrow, as I do love cardigans and hate AC, but, for today, I went with a little dress-on-dress action:

Black dress: thrifted vintage (see similar below)  Belt: thrifted vintage
Floral dress: thrifted (similar below)  Sandals: c/o LTS (similar)

And I'd probably do it again.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Layering Dresses

And Pleats, Of Course

It may well be Fall now, but it still feels like summer.  Well, no, that's not true; it's no longer hellishly humid.  But, it's still warm.


Warm enough for star tees and sandals:

And pleats, of course.



In short, the weather is currently gorgeous and I'm getting all the wear I can out of summery pieces:

Tee: Gap (similar) (similar)  Skirt: thrifted vintage
Belt: LOFT (similar)  Sandals: Dune London "Ivanna"

Like star tees and sandals.  And pleats, of course.



Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

A Rusty Paisley

As soon as I received my lovely rust-colored boots from Long Tall Sally, I knew that I wanted to wear them with this dress:

So I did: 

And they are, I think, perfect with this dress which is a mix of blue and rust:

A sort of rusty paisley, if you will.

And, if you won't, I will:

Dress: thrifted vintage (see similar below)
Belt: thrifted vintage  Earrings: street fair (similar)  Boots: c/o LTS

Because for my money, a rusty paisley is a good paisley.

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Shop Paisley Dresses

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

Back To Where We Started

This outfit is vintage me:

Bright colors?  Check.

High waist?  Check.

Bold pattern?  Check.



Interestingly enough, this outfit is also me in vintage:

The skirt, top and belt are all secondhand vintage.  The shoes are retail, but they're also amazing, so, yeah.



Of course, me in secondhand vintage *is* vintage me:

Top: thrifted vintage  Skirt: thrifted vintage (similar below)
Belt: thrifted vintage  Earrings: vintage  Sandals: Dune London 'Ivanna'

So I guess we're back to where we started.



Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Shop Red Button-Front Skirts

Not Impressed

So, this combination of cardigan and dress drove my coworkers crazy:

Dress: Old Navy  Cardigan: thrifted (similar)  Sandals: Dune London "Ivanna"

They assured me that they liked outfit well enough, but complained that it doesn't match.  I agreed, but offered that it *does* go.

They did not look impressed with that explanation.


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Small Victories

Remember last week when I said it was so hot that I basically had to wear summer dresses every day? Well, that is no longer true.  I mean, I'm still wearing summer dresses:

But now it's because it's warm enough that I *get* to wear summer dresses every day; I'm no longer being forced into it by unreasonable levels of humidity.



Today's particular summer dress is a floral shirtdress (because of course):

I paired it with a pre-knotted belt because when I try to knot belts on my own, they don't look remotely right:

I also wore my increasingly ubiquitous lace-up sandals and bright green earrings:

Dress: thrifted  Earrings: Kate Spade New York
Belt: LOFT (similar here & here)  Sandals: Dune London via Nordstrom

To recap, it's gone from stupidly hot to pleasantly warm and I didn't have to try to knot my own belt.  These are small victories, but I'll take them.



Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey