Dress It Up - Go Vintage!

Today's post has no pictures of inspiration just because there are SO many I could post. Not only is vintage "in" right now, but it is also very dressy, classy, and fun as I've mentioned in some previous posts of this series.

It could be anything vintage you could wear (your grandmother's scarf, your mother's maxi skirt from the 70s, oxford style heels, a string of pearls), but today I'm sharing pictures of a vintage dress I found several weeks ago at one of our local thrift stores.  It looked quite wearable, too, so I snatched it up.

The seamstress left the extra seam allowance on the side seams of the bodice, which I was thankful for since I'm rather a curvy hourglass. The sides now feel big, but in bunches still around the bust area, so to achieve a better fit my guess would be that I would need to let out the shoulder seams if there are any.

It has a zipper that extends into the skirt and comes up mid-back and then fabric ties (that are connected to the back bodice, ie, apart of it instead of sewn onto it) close the neckline in the back. The whole entire bodice is unlined (no darts) and bound in white bias tape.

It has a very full skirt which makes this dress perfect for twirling in. :)

One can't go wrong with mint and mustard colors either (apparently both are popular this spring!) ...

I almost wore it for Easter Sunday but my "more-up-to-date" sister talked me out of it. ;) I certainly wouldn't be ashamed to wear it out in public or for a picnic outing. What IS odd about this dress is the DATE of this dress. Several ladies who I asked on my favorite sewing forum presumed this to be a late 50s/early 60s and for years I have deplored that fashion era with a passion.

Perhaps I'm mellowing in my old age? ;)

Dress It Up - On Your Head!

Wearing hats can be another element that will add a touch of elegance and dressiness to an outfit. With Easter this Sunday, it would be a perfect time to pull out a hat out of its box! Have you ever considered wearing one out to a special dinner or even just out doing errands?

I have several times. I have come home with hats or simply tried them on at the store, and my poor dear family does all they can do to not laugh at me. I can wear the ones that work well for when I dress up in a historical garment (like this) but in general, most modern hats look hideous on me.

Perhaps there is a reader who can empathize? There are other options, dear ladies! There are fascinators and hair combs to try! :) Some are really ridiculous, I readily agree, but then there are some that are quite charming.

I actually have yet to try one on myself, but I'm not going to shrink back from them quite yet as I have most modern hats.

If you're not quite sure about an actual fascinator, you could try a flower on clip with some netting like this one by Olive & Jane or simply wear a real flower in your hair. You can never go wrong with fresh!

If you're on a tight budget (who isn't these days?!) you could make your own hair comb like this one:

Ebay and Etsy are wonderful sources to find hair combs with reasonable prices. Now I have tried and rather like haircombs. Personally speaking, they add that touch of elegance without the WOW, WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?! factor; if that is something you concern yourself with.

This is a simple one in a tortoiseshell-like plastic.

And then I have another that is a replica of the butterfly comb on Titanic (I don't endorse the movie, though there are some fantastic costumes, hats & combs, and jewelry on there!)

Don't look on ebay for these, unless you want to pay over $100 for it. Back in 2008 or 2009, I think I payed around $25 for mine from a extraordinarily talented lady who is no longer in business, though she has a few left that she is selling here for a bit more.

I'm going to take the risk and wear one of them to church tomorrow for our Easter service, with the attempts of doing some kind of curly updo. Which comb should I wear?

Dress It Up - Wear a Cardigan!

Confession time.

I think I have almost the same amount of sweaters as I do summer and winter tops combined.

Ahhh. That felt good to get off my shoulders (confessions are good for the soul...)

But really, I wear sweaters three out of four seasons. I have some thick, chunky ones for the really cold days of winter, a couple standard weave for fall, and then a few 'paper-thin' ones for spring. Depending on the style of the cardigan and what I'm wearing with it, I wear them zipped up, buttoned up, open, or in the case of one odd one, there is a "built in" eternity scarf - or whatever it's called - that I twist and drape around the back of my neck. (I liked the color more than the style...)

As before, Pinterest continues to inspire me.

Cardigan's can be belted, too!

If you're needing some pizazz to your outfit, add a couple of flowers or a vintage pin.

Don't be afraid of vintage styled sweaters, either. "Back when I was growing up, boy, they sure did dress classy" as my dear Grandma would say. I think they had the cute details that today's lack.

How excited I was to find a vintage-inspired cardigan from Anthropologie a few weeks ago. AND on clearance (reduced at least twice, I think), AND something that I could actually let myself buy without feeling guilty about spending the money on it. ;)

The cardigan was described as "pintucks, ruffles and a sweetheart neckline transport you to an era of suppertime traditions and Model T's." Who wouldn't be charmed by it and its details?

::ahem:: Please excuse my messy hair, my unmade bed, and thrown-on-the-bed pajamas, too. I literally rolled out of bed and "threw my clothes on" before doing anything else. ::ahem:: So without further ado, I'm wearing a white lace camisole (Maurices), a thrifted white knee-length skirt (New York & Company), and the "Orchard House Cardigan" from Anthropologie.

PS. Do you like knowing the brand of clothes I post? I personally can't stand it when people post pictures of their outfits and say "thrifted" for certain articles of clothing when I want to know what store or brand it came from so I can be on the look out for 'this or that' when I'm thrifting myself. ;) But maybe that's just covetousness? :P



Dress It Up - Wear a Belt!

For a long time I've always associated wearing belts jeans or dress slacks. But then over the last couple of years, I've seen more and more pictures pop up of women wearing belts with their outfits.

Like these two pictures, you could wear it over the waistband of a skirt with a tucked in tank top, or a pretty blouse. Or, wear it over a loose shirt or tunic like my friend Laura did below. It could be skinny or wide, black or brown or any color that might add some "pop" to your outfit.

I opted to wear it over my shirt since it is longer in length, and being an hourglass-shape who still needs to lose a few extra pounds, things don't look to classy tucked into anything around my waist!

I'm wearing a thrifted white shirt (Jones New York brand), a thrifted red toile circle skirt (no brand), and a thrifted skinny black belt (Kohl's). What's odd is that up until the day I wore this, I never paired either of these together even though all of them have been in my closet for 4+ years!

PS. Later this morning, look for a couple things in the shop that are inspired by today's Dress It Up outfit.

Dress It Up - With a Scarf

A week has already past, and it is time for the 2nd installment of "Dress It Up"? Time flies. :)

Today's "tip" to dress up an outfit is from the below picture that I found on Pinterest. A simple black cardigan (maybe over a silver-white button up blouse?) can sometimes be just that: plain and simple. Which of course there is nothing wrong with such, but seeing how another "plain and simple" color, ie. gray, in the form of a scarf can really make boring = classy. 

So with that in mind: this is me a couple Sunday's ago before going to church. I was wearing a pencil skirt in plaid (The Limited) paired with a plain black sweater-shirt (Covington - thrifted), gray tights (The Limited) and black tall boots (Covington). And of course the gray scarf (Macy's) to complete the look.

Have a lovely weekend, ladies!

Dress It Up - A Pop of Color

Does anyone else find Pinterest helpful, fun, inspirational, and yes I'll say it: addicting? :) I thought I'd do a weekly post on Saturday's called "Dress It Up" by sharing inspiration that I get from Pinterest and how it effects my wardrobe but without having to spend an arm and a leg to do it.

Today's inspiration is either called "A Pop of Color" or "Colors Mix-matched."

This outfit not only grabbed me because I have a canary-yellow purse in the same shade as this one, but I never would have thought of pairing it with a grass green coat. It looks fabulous though, and the yellow adds such a happy tone to an otherwise dreary winter setting.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to be bold and put together something that I never would have considered wearing together. Wearing a slate blue turtleneck, a jean skirt, and a black & white weave sweater, I paired it with a mustard orange scarf.

Pop of color? Check.

While out doing errands that day (as you can see my royal blue purse on my shoulder and finishing a cup of tea as I was heading out) I received at least one compliment on the ensemble so it must not have been a hideous choice.

Would you ever put blue and mustard together? Go try it! :)