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Got a style/sustainability question? Know of an Etsy seller I should check out? Want to tell me about your vintage Fluevog collection? Whatever it is, feel free to drop me a line: DianaLynnSmiles *at* gmail.com. (replace *at* with the @ sign)
Hi and welcome! I'm Diana, and this is my blog, Smiles Go With Everything. As the title suggests, I write about a little bit of everything, but the majority of my focus is on style and sustainability and how the two interconnect. In between are sprinklings of baking, gardening, crafting, and whatever I feel like sharing.-
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Tag Archives: clothes
Etsy Love: Ohh, Fashion!
Do I have the David Bowie song stuck in your head yet? Good. I’ve been kind of frustrated with the clothing retail scene lately. It seems like it’s hard to find exactly what I’m looking for in stores. Either something won’t fit right, a seam or detail will be something I don’t like, or the neckline is too deep, etc. I’m thinking that maybe what I need is to invest in some really awesome handmade clothes from the artists on Etsy. Many Etsians are willing to work with you and customize a garment to fit your needs. Clothing on Etsy may cost a bit (or a lot) more than some retail, but the quality can be excellent, and it feels good to know that you’re paying an individual artist rather than a corporation who’s benefiting off of sweat shop labor.
(Note: I’m not saying that all brick and mortar retail stores are bad. It’s just often a lot harder to find out exactly where and how your clothes are made when you buy from big stores. But there are certainly exceptions, and there are some fantastic and ethical companies out there.)
Here’s some clothing pieces from Etsy I’ve fallen in love with lately.
Black and White Stripey Oversize T-shirt, $95
Striped Hemp Racer-back Cowl Dress, $99
Grey Cotton Pin-tuck Skirt, $85
What I'm lovin': Chadwicks
Back when I was 18, I wore a dress from Chadwicks when I was a bridesmaid in my cousin’s wedding. I hadn’t given the company much thought since then. Sure, I loved my dress, but I always associated them with formal wear. Lately though, I’ve noticed them popping up everywhere. When I saw the amazing French Jacket featured over at Fashionably Fab at 50 Plus, I knew I had to bop on over to their website. And I’m in love! Many of their garments are made with natural fibers, the color selection is amazing, the photography is eye-catching, and the prices are very affordable.
The Ruffle Cardigan in Blueberry $34.99 (on sale)
Sleeveless Color-block Tank in Cyan Blue Navy $19.99 (on sale)
Printed Sundress in Sour Lemon Navy $39.99
Scupltured Knit Sarong Skirt in Olive $19.99 (on sale)
Cotton Peplum Jacket in White $39.99
What I'm lovin': Bright and beautiful colors
I want color – by SimpleElegance1 on Polyvore.com
I’m feeling a bit under the weather this week, with a stuffy nose and slightly sore throat. Nothing too bad, just enough to make me not want to get out of bed. After looking in my closet this morning and trying to figure out what to wear, I began feeling even more depressed. It is fully Spring now, yet my closet has so little color. There’s plenty of black, brown, navy, gray. But what about blue, green, red, purple? What about lemon and peach and turquoise and lilac?\
I’ve gone over budget both in January and this month, mostly due to clothes/shoes shopping. And yet every morning, I still find it difficult to put together an outfit that flatters and isn’t an exact repeat of something I wore the week before. I’ve been purchasing new items, yet it seems that they may not be the right ones for me right now, because I’m still very unsatisfied with my wardrobe.
So here’s my new challenge for myself: during the month of April, I am not allowed to buy anything black, brown or navy. Everything needs to have color or at least be a lighter neutral like khaki or gray. Of course, I’m open to exceptions if I try on something and it looks totally freakin’ awesome on me, and happens to be black, brown or navy. But right now I think that I really, really need to focus on brightening up my wardrobe. I need more flowy and flattering skirts and dresses. I need more bright and colorful blouses and layering pieces. And I need some non-dowdy jackets that aren’t black or brown. With this in mind, hopefully I can be a bit smarter with my shopping this month.
What I'm lovin': Anthropologie
Despite the fact that I’ve known of the Tampa Anthropologie store for almost a year, I didn’t actually visit the store until just a few weeks ago. This was my first time ever in Anthropologie, and I was amazed. It felt like everything had been designed just for me. All of the style were exactly what I craved, all of the items in the store resonated with me. I walked slowly through the store in awe, gazing longingly at the beautiful housewares, coveting the gorgeous bags and shoes. And oh, the dresses! Yes, everything was expensive. But I wanted it all. Seriously. I think this will become my new place to go when I have a good chunk of money to spend on clothes. The fabrics were all quality, the designs spectacular, and the sale prices were decent. And it resonates with me, and that is something I find very important when buying clothes.
For item details, go here.
Etsy Love: Handmade Clothes
It’s true that I have yet to buy any clothes on Etsy. But with all the amazing options I’ve been seeing lately, I know it’s only a matter of time. I love the idea of being able to put a face and name with the person who made my clothes, as opposed to it being someone anonymous in a sweatshop. I love the idea of being able to communicate with the designer, to change elements and sizing so that the garment is perfect for you. And I love supporting artisans and indie designers. Here’s some stuff that’s caught my eye lately.
Puff Sleeve Ruffle Frill Pink Orange Blouse
Sweater Top With Cowl Neckline
What I'm lovin': Boden's Spring 09 Collection
I just recently discovered Boden. I haven’t bought anything from them yet, but I’ve heard from other reliable sources that their stuff is top quality. It’s a bit pricey (for me at least) and all the sizes are UK, which can be a bit confusing for some. But the items they have are beautiful, classic, well-designed and made with quality fabrics. I just got their Spring 2009 catalog, and there’s so many items I would love to get. With my budget, I can’t really afford to get more than maybe one or two items a month, so we’ll have to see. Even just one of their colorful jackets would make a huge difference for my wardrobe.
New Year's Resolution
(photo by me)
Since I’m in graduate school, I’ve mainly been living off of my student loans. That means that I get most of my money in a big chunk in the beginning of the semester. This has revealed some of my poor money habits to me. It’s very easy when you have $4000 of your student loan left to justify lots of shopping (I need nice clothes for when I enter the work world, right?). But then when it gets to the end of the semester, I suddenly realize that I’ve used up all my loan, and still have to wait til mid-January before I get my next one. All this has helped me to see that I am somewhat addicted to shopping, and that I need to come up with a plan for next semester so that I will actually be in control of my money while still purchasing a few choice items that I may actually need.
Here’s my resolution plan:
Step 1: Use a list of basic essentials to keep my shopping focused. I’m using Sally’s list as a starting point, then customizing it to my own needs. This way, I’m buying things that will be more versatile than say, a crazy printed dress that goes with nothing else in my wardrobe.
Step 2: Create a budget. This is also re-learning basic money management for me. The plan right now is to immediately budget the necessities that occur regularly, and then determine what I have left per month for non-necessities and stick to that limit. So I will have a set amount each month that I can spend on non-essentials. If I find a $100 pair of shoes one month, then I have to cut back in other areas of spending, like cosmetics and entertainment. If I get my hair cut and colored, then I might have to buy less clothing. Etc, etc. I’m still continuing my Fluevog plan as well to encourage sewing and crafting to earn more towards clothes. However, I have to make sure that what I spend stays within my budget.
I realize that this might not be enough structure for me, so at the end of each month I will re-evaluate my budget and figure out what I can do to improve it.
Fluevog Update: I have “earned” enough money for the Fluevogs, but I’m waiting a little longer (probably til my birthday in February, which is when the next Fluevog sale should happen) before I actually purchase them. I want to be a bit more responsible with my money before shelling out $250 on a pair of shoes.
Step 3: Buy items because you really love them, not because you have a coupon/ it’s on sale. I have a bad habit of buying things that I’m not really crazy about simply because I have a coupon for the store. If it’s not something that I totally love, why should I be spending my money on it?
Hopefully, with these strategies, I can be a bit more responsible with my money, and a bit more prepared for entering the “real world” of full time work come next August.
Daily Outfit: Keeping warm and colorful
When the weather started to turn cold, I began to realize just how much of my cold weather wardrobe is black. This can lead to very gloomy days, so I have been intentionally trying to add more color to my outfits while still not freezing.
Scarf – Clapotis knit by me
Pink blouse – Target
Sweater – Kohls
Jeans – Express
Shoes – Clarks Marillas
Purse – thrifted
I’ve also got a long sleeved layering tee under here that you can’t see. I like throwing pretty, feminine colors together, like the pink of this blouse with the lavendar scarf. Lovely colors make for warm, happy days.
And a few random thoughts on my new blog name. I was hoping to change my blog’s url, only to discover that there is already a simpleelegance.wordpress.com. However, the owner of this blog only posted one post, a year ago, and seems to have completely forgotten about their blog. Would it be totally rude for me to e-mail them and ask them to delete their blog so I can get the url? Is that the ultra blogging faux pas?
Daily Outfit: Trying Something New
Lately, one of my goals has been trying to find ways to use items that have been sitting in my closet forever, but that I can’t bring myself to get rid of. These are usually items that I may really like, but can’t figure out how to wear. With today’s outfit, I managed to use three of them. This outfit was a bit different from most outfits I tend to put together, but I love how it turned out.
Beret: handknit by me
Scarf – thrifted
Pink Henley – ?? via Revolve
Dress – American Rag via Revolve
Fishnets- ??
Shoes – Old Navy
Purse – Easy Spirit
The pink henley I bought on a recent trip to Revolve on an impulse. When I got home with it, I realized that the hem was weird and that the stripes were too strong when wearing it over a cami. Frustrated, I threw it in my Goodwill pile. But today, I needed a splash of color, and it was exactly right. I tucked the hem into my fishnets, which dealt with that problem. Wearing underneath something solid made the stripes not too bad also.
This black dress was just too cute to pass up. But it’s cut so low that I have to wear something underneath it. And since it’s all black, that something needs to have color so I don’t look like I’m going to a funeral. The henley took care of that.
The shoes I bought at Old Navy awhile ago. I love zebra print, but I’ve always felt that these were too loud too wear. However, when pairing them with a school-girl chic outfit, they balance out. I’ve got crazy shoes with a sweet, pink, green and black outfit. The only problem with them was that they provided absolutely no support, so my feet were hurting by the end of the day.
Here’s the shoes I was wishing I had:
John Fluevog Opretta Viardot in cream and grey
Sigh… one day I shall have Fluevogs.
Daily Outfit: Cashmere Wine
Here’s another outfit centered around a buy from Revolve. This time it’s a gorgeous 100% cashmere DKNY cardigan that I got for $20, a steal for that much cashmere. The scarf is handknit by me (the pattern is the Lace Ribbon Scarf from Knitty)
Scarf: handknit by me
Polo: Old Navy
Cardigan: DKNY (via Revolve)
Pants: Express Editors
Shoes: Clarks Marilla
Bag: Morelle City Bag
