Daily Outfit: Return of the Malibrans

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Diana

Would you believe that since I bought my treasured Fluevog Malibrans, I have only worn them a few times? Part of the reason why I kept not wearing them is because I wanted to have at least one other accent of yellow in my outfit, but all I had was a yellow pashmina scarf that is far too warm for spring. The other issue is that since it’s too warm for tights, wearing them entails having goldenrod directly next to my skin, and for some reason I was convinced that this would make me look jaundiced. But, after seeing several other bloggers wearing yellow shoes, I realized that I was all worked up about nothing. And when I popped into Sherry’s Yesterdaze and found a perfectly matching bakelite bangle, I knew that I had to wear my Malibrans again. So here they are, in all their glory.

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Because of the warm tones in the shoes, bracelet and cream tee, I decided to make my other accent color blue. I always try to balance warm and cool tones in my outfits.

And now that I’m starting to get the hang of doing new things with my hair, I love it! I see some hair accessory shopping coming soon

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My only complaint is that the multiple layers in this outfit, combined with sticky Florida heat, had me sweating a bit. But then again, that probably also had to do with walking the dog I’m dog-sitting, losing my ID, having to retrace my walk to find it, and then walking half-way across campus later that day to deal with financial aid issues. I long for a cooler, less sticky climate.

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And I once again must say, no matter how cliche it is, this little black dress is absolutely one of my wardrobe essentials. It is such a versatile, all-season staple. And it twirls.

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T-shirt: Target (thrifted)
Dress: American Rag (thrifted)
Shoes: Fluevog Malibrans
Scarf: Thrifted
Belt: VIntage
Purse: Re-conned
Bangle:Vintage
Pendant: Lii Lii (Etsy)
Earrings: Thrifted

What I'm lovin': Being Eco-friendly in Style

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Diana

Earth day was just last week and with the environment in shambles, many people are trying to be more eco-friendly. But so many times accessories for being green can be down-right dowdy or a bit too bohemian. Here’s a selection of some fab stuff I’ve found that let you save the planet in style. A similar Etsy love set is soon to follow.

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Reisenthel Carry-bag

$40 on Amazon in lots of colors and Prints

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Earthlust Stainless Steel Water Bottle

$17 each on ReusableBags.com

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BAGGU $8 each

(lots of different colors and prints)

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Laptop Lunches Bento Box with Sleeve

$37.95 at ReusableBags.com

(there’s an entire Flickr group dedicated to this system)

Daily Outfit: Mixing It Up

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Diana

This outfit was inspired by Academichic’s module on pattern mixing. To keep the multiple patterns from looking too busy, I chose a simple color palette of white, black and blue. The patterns in the outfit include black lace in the camisole, blue paisley in the scarf, blue brocade and white eyelet in the skirt, black and white polka dot on the bracelet and black mock-croc print on the sandals. All of the colors came together in the scarf, which made for a lovely finishing touch. This has also reminded me that I really need to try new things with my hair. It’s so easy to just wash and air dry it every day, that I rarely try anything to style it.

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This outfit also contains two of my new favorite wardrobe staples: my LOFT bolero and Clarks Rime sandals. When I first purchased this bolero, I was somewhat skeptical of how often I would wear it. But since I’ve discovered that it works as a draped cardigan (as in this outfit), as a belted cardigan and as a tie-front bolero (here also), I’ve realized that it’s actually far more versatile than a traditional cardigan.

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When I first bought my Clarks Rime sandals from 6pm, I was worried that the straps would hurt my feet. But I’ve come to love them as my go-to sandals. They are very comfortable and supportive, and the mock-croc and buckle makes them quite stylish. And I have yet to get any blisters from them (although I haven’t taken a long walk in them yet – that will be the next test)

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Camisole: Old Navy
Bolero: Ann Taylor Loft
Skirt: Sewn by me!
Sandals: Clarks Rime
Scarf: Thrifted
Necklace: Target
Bangle: Thrifted
Earrings: Claire’s

Etsy Love: Honey & mustard

Posted on April 25, 2009 by Diana

My Malibrans still have me obsessed with all things yellow. I find myself very drawn to all shades of this lovely color. I’ve created an Etsy love set focused on the color yellow before, but today I decided to make it more specific by focusing on certain shades of yellow that have caught my attention of late. (Have you ever noticed how so many shades of yellow have food names?)

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Vadelia in Mustard with Leather

Morelle

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Smile Like You Mean It

JuneDesigns

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Mustard and Grey Earrings

Marie Fly Fly

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Bright Mustard Yellow Vintage Messenger Carry-On Bag

Get Ready, Set, Go

Daily Outfit: Comfort chic

Posted on April 23, 2009 by Diana

Effortless chic seems to be one of the new buzzwords in the style blogging community. It describes an easy, comfortable style that is both chic and casual. I’d like to think that “comfort chic” is along those same lines. Comfort chic, to me, can describe your go-to outfits on days when you want to be comfortable, but still look great. Kind of like the warm feelings we get about comfort food. Variations of this outfit, along with belted cardigans and jersey dresses, are go-to’s for me.

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I’ve mentioned before that balance is key in fashion. I never like to wear an outfit that fits entirely into one genre; I like to mix feminine with tough, dressy with casual, hard lines with soft. In this case, the pearls and the scarf create a dressier vibe, which is toned down by the loose cardigan, mary jane flats and capris. I’ve also got a mix of softness and crispness, contrasting the comfy cardigan and drape-y lines on the blouse with the crisp, fitted capris.

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I read about the “scarf tied around a purse” trend in a a fashion magazine (Elle or Lucky, can’t remember which) back in October, and it was a look that I really wanted to try, but just never got around to. In honor of Academichic’s current focus on making styles work for you, I decided to go for it. I love the European flair it gives the outfit.

The next photo was inspired by the lovely style blogger, Keiko Lynn, who sometimes jumps in her photos. I think it makes things more fun, so why not?

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Blouse: Target (via Classy Consignments)
Cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft
Capris: Erik Stewart
Shoes: Born Codders
Purse: Morelle City Bag
Scarf: Thrifted
Pearls: Coryell Design
Bangles: Jill Popowich

Sustainable style

Posted on April 22, 2009 by Diana

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In honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d make a list of various ways to help the environment while staying in style. Obviously, this doesn’t cover the gamut of everything you can do, but it is a start.

Buy used or vintage: Buying used or vintage clothes is good because it’s recycling something that someone else has already worn. Vintage also has the plus side of often being more well-constructed than modern clothes

Buy better, buy less: When buying new items, it pays to spend a bit. When you get something that is good quality, it will last you much longer, and thus avoid getting sent to the dump from becoming unmendable too soon.

Buy eco-friendly: Organic cotton, bamboo fabric, re-cycled creations all do their part towards bettering the environment

Buy handmade: Many handmade artistans use recycled materials, and go about their creations in ways that are eco-friendly.

Avoid synthetics: While it may be difficult to completely eliminate synthetics, most are best to be avoided. Most synthetics take a very long time to break down, so those 70′s polyester jumpsuits are still sitting in the landfills. Natural fibers are better for the environment and more pleasant to wear.

How do you practice sustainable style?

What I'm lovin': Pretty and walkable shoes

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Diana

I realize my title is somewhat vague, so I’ll clarify. Last October, I got to go to New York City. I bought my Born Codders for the trip and absolutely loved them. I walked a ton, yet they didn’t hurt my feet. The cherry red color and mary jane strap kept me stylish. Those shoes made a huge difference in my enjoyment of the trip.

Flash-forward to this summer. I’m hoping to go to Chicago in June. And while I’ll definitely be taking my Codders, I’d love to buy a second pair of comfortable shoes that will look great with pants or skirts. I’ll probably be wearing lots of skirts and dresses, as the weather will be warm, so I want shoes that will look good without socks or tights.

Here’s some of the possibilities that I’m debating.

vina Born Vina in Aubergine Suede

$84.56 on Zappos (on sale)

mira Clarks Mira in Teal

$67.50 on Zappos (only a few left, but they could probably be found elsewhere)

dansko Dansko Giselle in Peanut Nubuck

$60 on 6pm.com

(they sometimes show up on Ebay in other colors, so I might opt for one of those)

keen Keen Sydney II in Midnight Navy

$75.60 on Zappos (on sale)

Born Carlisle in Lye Green Leather

$41.98 on 6pm.com

Daily Outfit: A touch of green

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Diana

One of the simplest outfit techniques is to create an outfit of primarily neutrals with a few pops of color. For this outfit, I made various shades of green the accent color, with my ever versatile lime green purse and a seafoam tank peaking out from under the blouse. I normally don’t like how these two shades of green look together, but since only a little of the seafoam shows, I think it works here.

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I know I’ve talked about these pants before and bashed them for being poly-blend, but I have to say, they have become one of my style essentials. I love their gray textured color, the comfortable and flattering wide leg style and the fact that they’re lined. The dry-clean aspect does annoy me a bit, but I’ve come to accept that as I add more to my work wardrobe (especially silk), visiting the dry cleaners will just become a part of life. I just have to make it a regular routine and find a green dry cleaner that I like.

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Blouse: Ann Taylor Loft
Tank (under blouse): Express
Pants: BR Outlet
Shoes: Clarks Marilla
Purse: Easy Spirit
Necklace: Kira Ferrer
Bracelets: Jill Popowich
Earrings: Garage sale

Daily Outfit: A Little Bit Mod

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Diana

Inspired by my search for white jewelry, I decided to put together a mod-inspired outfit with white accessories. I think that white is one of the most under-utilized accent colors. It is a neutral, but it can freshen up just about any outfit. For my white accents in this outfit, I chose some opaque white earrings, white wedges and a white belt. I would have rather used a waist-cinching belt, but since I don’t have one yet, I modified this trouser belt. Sometimes you have to work with what you’ve got.

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The pink polka-dot blouse and the pink bangle add some color to the outfit. I chose my gray purse because it helps to lighten up the outfit, while still letting my white accessories shine.

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Dress: American Rag (via Revolve)
Blouse: Target (thrifted)
Belt: Target
Shoes: Naturalizer
Purse: Morelle City Bag
Earrings: Target
Bangle: Thrifted

Daily Outfit: Finally Getting It

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Diana

I got the fabulous book Sew U for Christmas, and ever since then I have been trying to get the patterns exactly the way I want them. I’ve mainly been focusing on the skirt. The largest pattern size was too tight for me, so I kept adjusting the pattern according to my measurements. I had to keep adjusting it to make it work for my hips, and there were some failed attempts. After aggressive and honest measuring, adjustments to the darts so they ended at my widest point and adding extra room to accompany my hips, I’ve finally got a skirt that fits. And it’s even lined. I’m ecstatic!

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The blue fabric is some synthetic material left over from my prom dress I made years ago, so I was glad to finally make something with it. The lining is some lovely eyelet cotton. Normally, lining is supposed to be shorter than the main layer, but I decided to let mine peak out a bit. I might re-hem it about 1/2 shorter though. Now that I’ve finally got the pattern figured out, I’ve got plans for several more skirts, including an above-the-knee denim skirt and a hounds-tooth corduroy number. Once there’s a little more cash flow, some lovely summery cotton skirts will be in the works as well.

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