My Winter Wardrobe

First, a note about my posting schedule. Work is ramping up (hello Advent, you’re right around the corner!) which means lately I haven’t had as much time as I would like to write and publish posts. For the foreseeable future, you can keep expecting at least one post a week, but my usual Tuesday/Thursday schedule will now become the ideal rather than the norm. Thanks for your flexibility and for continuing to keep this blog a fun and creative place for community and conversation!

And now, this year’s late fall/winter wardrobe, for your viewing pleasure. Since I broke up with capsule wardrobes, this is not a comprehensive list of every single piece I will wear this winter, but rather the pieces I imagine will get the most wear; they form the core of my wardrobe.

Tops

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Coin 1804; Gap Body; Eileen Fisher; Ivanka Trump; Workshop by Andrea Jovine; J. Crew; Cyn; Liz Claiborne; Gap; Loft; L.L. Bean; J. Crew; Joan Vass; Gap Designed & Crafted

I’ve really upped the number of tops this year for two reasons: I have about twice as much winter to contend with, plus my M.O. for expanding a section of my wardrobe tends to be “buy several different varieties I think I’ll like and then see what actually gets worn.” Instead of “less is more” (which is where I hope to end up), this is basically the “more becomes less” approach.

Re: colors – is anyone surprised that my sweater palette is basically blue and cream, with pops of caramel, grey, and red? That’s my whole summer wardrobe right there.

And the dresses keep the theme going….

Dresses

Gap; J. Crew; Merona; Caslon; Merona

I’ll wear these with cream, blue, and grey tights of varying weights.

The pants, however, have a liiiittle more variation in hue happening…

Pants

Loft; Talbots; Paige; Lauren by Ralph Lauren; Banana Republic; Jessica Simpson

I’m enjoying pairing more neutral tops with more colorful bottoms – if you can call purple so dark it photographs as black (those first pants) “color”! And yes, apart from the jeans, I’m sticking with the all-corduroy streak again this year. They just feel…cozier. I’m probably deceiving myself that corduroy imparts extra warmth; after all, the fuzziness is on the outside, not on the inside where it would do some good. I don’t care; just let me hold onto my comforting delusion!

Back to the trusty ol’ red/cream/blue color palette for my layering pieces.

Layers:

Kate Hill; Merona; Tahari by Arthur S. Levine; The Savile Row Co.; Mercer & Madison; Loft

Last but not least…

Outerwear:

United Colours of Benetton; J. Crew; Larry Levine
That’s a lot for now; I’ll share scarves/hats and footwear in another post.

In the meantime, check out my winter wardrobe this time last year; a lot has changed!

Fall 10×10 Style Remix: Sweaters Galore – Part 1

So the other week I said I wasn’t doing the 10×10 because we were still having 80 degree weather. A few days after that post published Mother Nature mocked me by dropping the temperature 20 degrees with winds that made me chilly even with a thick sweater on. So I decided to jump on the 10×10 train a little late and have fun with it!

For those unfamiliar, a 10×10 style remix is a wardrobe challenge that uses limitations to spark creativity. Originating with Lee Vosburgh of StyleBee and now cohosted by Caroline of Un-Fancy, a 10×10 remix takes 10 pieces of clothing and makes them into 10 outfits over 10 days. What you count as an item is up to you (I’m not counting shoes, workout gear, outerwear), and so is the outcome – maybe you want to be satisfied with what you have instead of fighting the urge to shop, maybe you want to find new ways of wearing what you already have, maybe you don’t want to have to stand in front of your closet agonizing over what to wear.

This time around I’m using the 10×10 to test out new (to me) fall pieces as I ease into a climate with real autumn weather. Since I started the remix on a whim (and after I already had other posts scheduled), this post will be a recap of the first half of the challenge. I’ll recap the rest of the remix in the next post.

My 10×10 Line Up

These 10 pieces centered around neutrals with some texture for interest; as you can tell I’m still firmly on #TeamCorduroy for cool weather. I also tried to incorporate a few new silhouettes – the loose crop and the trapeze/inverted hemline, aka the Chic Bat.

Here’s what I’m working with – 5 sweaters, 4 pants, and one jacket:

Olive sweater by Cyn; cream cableknit sweater by Workshop by Andrea Jovine; taupe jeweled sweater by Ivanka Trump (hey, all my money went to Goodwill so I’m cool with it); dishwater sweater by Gap Body; charcoal sweater by 1804 Coin; olive field jacket by United Colors of Benetton; dark purple corduroy pants by Loft; cognac cords by Talbots; jeans by Paige; cream cords by Lauren by Ralph Lauren. All thrifted.

Outside of my 10, I added shoes and a few scarves for more color/interest. Here are the scarves; I’ll include close-ups of the shoes in the outfit shots.

Scottish cashmere scarf, Etsy; merino wool scarf, thrifted

And now, on to the outfits.

Day 1 – Olive + Salmon Plaid

The sweater and ankle boots in this outfit are olive, despite appearing sort of taupe in the picture:

Closeup on this cashmere scarf with incredible colors – salmon, blue, cream, and a color that splits the difference between taupe and olive and thus pairs perfectly with my sweater:

I found this scarf on Etsy and have honestly no idea if it’s actually 100% Scottish cashmere/made in England as claimed, but it’s super soft and warm so I’m sticking with it. More scarves in a variety of colors from the same vendor here.

These thrifted olive ankle boots by Leila Stone look 👌 with this sweater. The higher (for me) heel makes them slightly uncomfortable to walk in long distances, but it’s totally doable on my short commute:

I give this outfit 10 out of 10. I feel chic, put together, and like I managed to add some fall color in a palette that doesn’t overwhelm me.

Day 2: Navy & Cream

This sweater is actually more of a dishwater color…I love the texture and the silhouette (split hems forever!), but I think I’m going to bleach it and dye it cream so that it’s not quite so… grey-ish. Is there such a thing as cream-colored dye?

I like the scarf on top of that big blank slate and the print mixing with the floral sneaks. Now that the weather is chillier, I can easily swap my navy Puma sneakers for footwear warmth. I’d give this outfit 8/10 for comfort and style; -2 points for the dishwater color.

Day 4: Stormtroopers

My daughter and I both wore charcoal and cream this day, which prompted her to declare that we were stormtroopers (don’t worry; she’s usually rooting for the Rebel Alliance):

I surprised myself with how much I like this charcoal color; y’all know I stay away from true black and this is pretty close to it, but the charcoal somehow warms it up enough that I don’t feel washed out. I dig the contrast with my blond hair.

The inverse hem with a bit of a trapeze swing happening is new to me; I like it! It gives some movement and interest to the outfit while the fitted sleeves keep it from feeling completely nonsensical in the oversize department.

I do, however, think that the volume on top might benefit from slightly more fitted pants (e.g. my Paige jeans), so 7/10.

Here’s a close up of the sweater texture and the DIY pendant necklace I made from Goodwill finds:

And the boots – I love the print on these:

Wish I could say I thrifted those puppies, but they were a Christmas present from a few years back. They’re Lucky Brand (thanks Seester!).

Day 4: Cognac and Cream

This day started lazily at home with coffee and oatmeal spiked with locally picked apples, then segued into a visit with Thoreau at Walden pond. I felt absolutely cozy throughout thanks to this super soft cable knit sweater:

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It features another new silhouette for me: a loose, semi-crop with fitted sleeves that once again kept things reasonable. Paired with flared cords (and the Pumas I ended up wearing to walk around Walden Pond – see below), it reads like I finally caught up with 2017 fashion, which long ago dispensed with skinny legs and fitted tops.

I LOVE the cognac color of these cords; it’s really rich and vibrant and would pair fabulously with my crossbody bag. I’ve previously gotten flares tailored, but I think I might leave these as is…they have a hint of a 70s vibe that encourages me to embrace some volume in my silhouettes.

I rate the Puma version of this outfit (which you can see on Instagram) 8/10 because although I felt a little out of my comfort zone, I also felt cool – and comfortable.

Mmmm, cozy:

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Here’s a closeup on those colors:

And the shoes for taking a walk:

Day 5: Field Jacket Chic

Let’s follow that 70s vibe straight into the 80s, where this field jacket picked up its corduroy collar and plaid lining:

Love the colors on this scarf, and the mossy olive green on the jacket:

I’m giving this one 10/10 for color palette, for sweater + jacket pairing so well together, and for the finishing touch of the scarf which really pulls it all together. This would have been pushed up all the way to 11 if I had worn my olive ankle boots, but I had a lot of walking to do which called for the comfort of sneakers.

All right, Thrifters – that’s a wrap on Part 1. Come back next week for Part 2 of my fall 10×10! And share with us if you’re doing (or have already finished) the Fall 10×10.

What I Wore: Cerulean Plaid Blazer

You may recall my first foray into plaid blazer territory:

Last week I found another plaid blazer by the same brand (Merona), same size, featuring some gorgeous blues:

It came home with me, of course, although I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to wear it. Those are some pretty striking hues:

It’s hard to tell but some of the skinny lines are pretty much purple.

But I figured I could use it in place of the lint-collecting navy blazer that had lost its shape in the laundry. (Yes, I know, not a good idea to wash a blazer. Sometimes I am lazy and foolhardy.)

My first attempt at creating an outfit with it turned out rather Dionne and Cher from Clueless:

Source

The high contrast plus the turtleneck made for a very 90s vibe. I wasn’t really feeling the throwback look and figured I could fix it with a crew neck top, but I was already dressed and was feeling the late-to-work look even less.

I tried again on Sunday, a grey and cool day that practically shouted corduroy and plaid – style notes as you scroll through:

Why is it that Merona blazers fit me better than most fancy-pants brands I find at the thrift store? Not that I’m complaining…just curious about their spot-on fit, which I associate with higher quality stuff than Target brands.

Sweater: Gap Designed & Crafted, thrifted
Corduroy pants: Style & Co., thrifted and tailored (waist taken in)
Blazer: Merona, thrifted
Socks: Target, retail
Ankle boots: Lucky Brand, gift from The Sister
Necklace: DIY from Goodwill finds

This time I think the softer oatmeal shade and the crew neck on this Gap sweater made things a little less eye-popping. The marled texture and split hem on the sweater also gave it a more current feel:

As did the snakeskin print ankle boots:

Next time it’s truly chilly I’ll be excited to pair this blazer with my navy turtleneck sweater to see if tamping down the contrast but leaving the high neck will work as well as I imagine.

How would you wear this bold blazer – if you would wear it at all? Was Clueless a cinematic touchstone of your youth? If not, what’s your favorite stylistic movie reference? Scroll down to comment.

What I Wore & How I Styled It: Steve Urkel Chic

Last week, without realizing it, I dressed like a great style icon of the 90s – Steve Urkel:

I subbed a belt for suspenders, but otherwise I had his look down: coordinating cardigan, high-waisted pants, high hems on those pants, and ankle socks:

Swiss dot cotton button down by Merona – thrifted
Wine corduroy pants by Style & Co. – thrifted
Merino wool cardigan by Talbots – thrifted
Leopard print hair belt by J. Crew – thrifted
Socks by Target – retail
Shoes by Clarks – retail

How’d I get to this fabulous combination?

First up: base pieces. I started off wanting some warm hues after a week in my travel wardrobe‘s polar palette, so I paired this button down with these pants:

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The current iteration of this shirt, you may have noticed, is a true button down instead of the former popover tunic. I swapped the tunic version (too narrow in the chest/hips) for this same brand/print in a slightly larger size. Yes, I cried a little to lose the popover cut and length, but I wanted to wear this great textured pattern more often than the constant tug-and-reposition act was inspiring me to do. Comfort over style, people – or rather, style informed by comfort.

Next: a topper. My workplace is chilly in some spots but the temp outside was supposed to hit 66 F – hey Hotlanta, I love you so much this time of year! – so I decided to add a thin cardigan I could layer/unlayer with ease. I went back and forth between the one on the left (from my spring wardrobe), which would have made for an interesting contrast in hem lengths, and the one on the right, which brought some extra punch in the pattern department:

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Hmm, the outfit on the left is basically this same outfit, translated for warmer weather.

Surprise surprise – I just couldn’t resist the contrast of two great patterns (one subtle) in related colors and chose the cable pattern one.

I buttoned the top several buttons because, left to its own devices, the top button flops around and doesn’t stay put, but I left the bottom several unbuttoned because I wanted the contrast in patterns to show through:

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Since the hem on this shirt isn’t as long as it used to be, I next had to decide whether to tuck or untuck. The relatively similar length of the button down and the cardigan answered that for me – I’d much rather have a visual contrast between hem lengths than have them line up in a way that cuts me off:

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Well, then, of course the high waist drew attention to itself and looked funny with no belt. Out came my trusty leopard belt – a print that functions like a neutral:

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A little less of a closeup:

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Last but not least, metallic bronze flats that would pick up the warm browns in the belt and the shiny gold of the cardigan buttons; and striped socks with all the constituent colors represented (a feat that makes me ridiculously happy):

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That’s a lot of sock showing.

So what do y’all think of my high-tide, pattern-mixing homage to Urkel – is it “No sweat, my pet”? Or more along the lines of “Got any cheeeeeeese”?

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Scroll down to comment!

Travel Wardrobe: Cold Weather in a Carry On

No Friday ReBlog today because I haven’t been reading enough (any?) blogs over the holidays to find good stuff for ya. It’ll be back next week; in the meantime, send me your favorite thrift- or style-related blog posts at leah AT thriftshopchic DOT com or leave ’em in the comments.

We went to the Great White(ish) North for a week over the Christmas holiday and I had to figure out how to pack for cold weather in a carry on. The limited parameters on my wardrobe were not as dramatic as this trip when I packed my stuff and my kid’s into a tote bag (which I promptly forgot), but I did need to think practically about how everything would go together since warm clothes take up more space and thus afford fewer slots to play with. Everything is thrifted unless otherwise noted.

Using the template from the How to Pack a Travel Wardrobe post, I’m factoring in:
-length of trip (6 days);
-weather/activities at destination (cold; family time + church + exercise); and
-laundry facilities (check!)

Knowing it would be cold, I started off with this wool/cashmere/angora sweater from the Loft, which is as cozy a garment as you’d hope to find:

Then I picked out tops to go underneath:

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4 tops, with plans to either rewear or wash depending on how many living room dance parties were to be held. L to R: Coldwater Creek, Piazza Sempione, Loft, J. Crew

I also tucked in a sleeveless undershirt in case it got REALLY cold – didn’t need it but was glad it was there. And I wore leggings (see below) under my pants when were going to be outside for a significant amount of time.

Then pants that picked up the colors in the sweater and would serve as great neutral bases:

L to R: Banana Republic, IT! Jeans

I wasn’t keen on the grey at first, since I had a grey turtleneck; doing too much grey because it’s just depressing when it’s dark and cold. But the corduroy on the dark grey ones is almost like velvet, making them so chic I knew they would dress up my otherwise comfy outfits. I thought about bringing my navy cords, too, but since I couldn’t justify 3 pairs of pants (no room!), I decided to keep the grey and just not wear it with the grey top. (Look for a post next week introducing the caramel velveteen pants.)

Jewelry:
Same ol’ earrings every day, plus one pendant necklace, the cream and dark taupe of which would jive nicely with my sweater:

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Necklace DIYed from Goodwill parts.

Shoes:
I went for one these two, to cover church (bronze flats by Clarks – retail) and everything else (navy Pumas):

Plus sneakers for running (retail).

Workout clothes:
Luckily my sister-in-law is pretty devoted to her running schedule so I knew I’d get a chance to run with her – motivation!

I packed a silk undershirt to layer and keep me warm:

And a bamboo tech shirt to layer on top:

It wasn’t cold enough to need more than that – I just had to run about 5 minutes to warm myself up and the silk kept me nice and snuggly.

I also brought bulky but oh-so-worth-it track pants from highschool to keep my legs warm while running.

I brought two pairs of leggings, one for sleeping and one for layering under the track pants, both American Apparel (retail). Here was my shirt to sleep in (and to wear one day before I slept in it):

Faded Glory.

Sadly, I discovered ANOTHER hole in it, so it’s hereby consigned to winter sleepwear with no daytime cameos:

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Outerwear
I wore my trusty red wool peacoat on the plane (well, used it as a blanket) and packed my freshly thrifted winter accessories in the outer pocket of my carry on so I could get them out first thing after landing:

J. Crew

No tags.

Here are my outfits. There’s not a lot of variety, but I liked the formula. Furthermore, I had no one to impress and just wanted to look put together and feel WARM. Mission accomplished:

(worn twice)

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(worn twice – except for the bowling shoes, those were just worn once)

What are your strategies for packing sufficient cold weather clothes into a small space? Do you ever just pick one simple outfit formula and wear variations of it to keep packing super simple? Scroll down to comment, and Happy New Year!

What I Wore/How I Styled It: Summer Dress in Winter Weather

I thrifted a lovely little number this week and felt inspired to wear it right away – the sign of a good thrift. There was just one problem – it was a cotton shirt dress. Even in Atlanta, December is not always friendly to warm weather clothes. But I was determined.

My biggest tip for wearing warm weather clothes in cold weather? Layer both over and under.

So I started with a sleeveless undershirt to keep me warm. (If it had been even colder I would’ve gone with my cream turtleneck.)

Then I put the dress on and tried out a few different leg-coverings: regular thin-ish cream leggings, cable-knit white leggings. The first seemed too summery, and the second were too white – not the warm cream tone I was going for to pair up with this delicious caramel dress. Then it hit me that my cream corduroys would be the perfect color and warmth. Et voilà:

I spy an undershirt:

I nabbed two of these rings at the Goodwill the other week and popped one on as a necklace and wore one as a ring:|

Hello glorious safari details:

Then I popped my big fuzzy sweater on top to make sure I was cozy. First wear of the season for this baby:
Sorry it’s a little blurry – I’m still not great at taking outfit selfies!

And here’s a sassy little bow:

My favorite – roll tab sleeves! This sweater is kind of like a shedding polar bear, though:

Last but not least, textured socks and bronze snakeskin flats:

Shirt dress: Jones New York, thrifted
Undershirt: Cuddleduds? Can’t tell for sure; thrifted
Sweater cardigan: Loft, thrifted
Corduroys: Lauren jeans by Ralph Lauren, thrifted (new with tags) and tailored
Socks: Target, retail
Shoes: Clarks, retail

What warm weather pieces do you wear in the cold, and how do you style them? Scroll down to comment?

What I Wore/How I Styled It: Rainy Day Wherein I Fail at Button Downs Under Sweaters

This is what I wore to church yesterday. Can you tell it was a rainy day? (Hence the indoor photos and strong overhead light.)

Plaid button down by Japna – thrifted
Blue sweater by Loft – thrifted
Blazer by Cartonnier – thrifted
Cream corduroys by Lauren by Ralph Lauren – thrifted new with tags, then tailored from a wide leg to a slim leg
Rain boots – thrifted, no label

I was, in theory, happy with this outfit. I started it out (in my head) with these rain boots, knowing I would be corralling a small person in mucky, wet weather:

This is the closest I own to riding boots. Ha.

I wanted to pick up the pink, the light blue, and the dark navy, and this button down and sweater did the trick:

My pink/blue marled Cartonnier blazer was the obvious topper. (And I thought I wouldn’t get a chance to wear it this season – because these ain’t exactly wintry hues.) Close up on the colors/patterns:

The cream corduroys provided some nice neutral real estate between all the color and pattern on top and in the boots. Navy pants would have worked, too.

So here’s the problem: in theory, I love the idea of a button down underneath a sweater. It seems so chic – little pops of pattern at the cuffs, neckline, and hem to contrast with a solid (or even not-so-solid) swath of sweater. And the warmth!

But in reality, this pairing drives me nuts. The button down never lays properly under the sweater (see all pics above except the first one, which I made my spouse retake for the sake of my vanity). It looks lumpy and pointy and things pop out in unfortunate places. And even though this plaid shirt is decently long, I’m forever tugging at the hem to make sure it’s peeking sufficiently chic-ly below the sweater.

In short, this combination looks chic on Talbots models and in my head, but NOT on me. Even this combo had to be pulled and adjusted all day, and flattened for this photo (and some button or other pointy part still looks mysteriously like an errant nipple):

A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on Nov 21, 2016 at 3:36pm PST

Enlighten me, readers! There have to be some of you out there who wear this look with aplomb and nary a stray scrunch. What’s your secret? Is my sweater too thin (it’s a thin cotton knit)? Do I need to wash and dry it to shrink it up a bit or iron it before each wearing to get that smooth look? Is my button down shirt not long enough or form-fitting enough? Do you secretly safety pin or tape the whole thing in place??

Scroll down to comment – and don’t be afraid to wear rain boots as legit footwear, especially since there are so many fun patterns and chic styles to be found in the thrift store:

A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on May 13, 2016 at 2:58pm PDT

A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on Nov 5, 2016 at 5:41pm PDT

A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on Nov 5, 2016 at 5:28pm PDT

A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on Nov 5, 2016 at 5:30pm PDT

What I Wore and How I Styled It: Snow Leopard + Wine and Navy

This weekend the morning temperature dipped down below 50 for the first time, so I went looking for a cozy ensemble for church/work. I often wear something to church on Sunday AM and then redo it for work on Monday since I don’t wear my church clothes hard and the only person who will see me sporting the exact same outfit is my spouse. I figure if an ensemble worked once, I should milk it for all it’s worth, no? (Fun fact: the first picture is from this morning and the rest are from yesterday.)

Pants: My wine-colored cords were freshly back from the tailors, where they had gone for a little nipping in around the waist, and I was itching to wear them.

Top: It was cold enough for a proper sweater on top so I opened my sweater drawer to see what looked inviting. Light blue sweater – too lightweight. Pink/grey/white sweater – wrong color palette; the wine would drown out the blush pink and soft grey. But the off-white with snow leopard sleeves? Yes ma’am.

Shoes: I grabbed my dark grey/white snakeskin ankle boots to echo the off-white/grey palette of my sweater and add some interest, and we were in business:

Sweater: French Connetion, thrifted
Pants: Style & Co., thrifted and tailored
Boots: Lucky Brand, gift from my sister
Necklace: DIY from Goodwill parts
Blazer (blazer): Haberdashery Collection by Personal, thrifted

Jewelry: I wore cream-colored earrings to complement the sweater and boots. Did it need a necklace? Not necessarily, but it would dress up the soft textures a bit. The pendant with a stylized flower fit better with stylized flower earrings than my large “stone” pendant, so that’s what I chose:

Note: This is about 20 minutes after pulling it out of the drawer where it had sat, more or less Kondo-folded, since last year. Not bad wrinkle-wise, eh?

Socks: Since these cords went in for a trim up, they sit where they should on my waist…

Ahh, fit so much improved!

…which means the short legs are now really short and expose some ankle above the top of my boots. So I put on my thickest wool socks to give a cozy, chunky little layer there and keep my ankles warm:

Blazer: Last but not least, I had no idea if I’d be chasing my kid outside for half the service, so I went looking for a topper. With so much pattern going all already (including the texture of the sweater), my all-navy blazer was a nice neutral option. Plus the saturation/temperature of the color played really well with the color of the corduroys:

Initially I cuffed the sleeves because it gives blazers a fresh, modern look – but my sweater arms were long enough to peek out from underneath the blazer sleeves uncuffed and I liked that contrast, so I unrolled ’em.

Ta-da!

What’d y’all wear this weekend? Do you ever redo an outfit from one day to the next when you know you’ll be in a different context with a different audience?

Thrift Finds: September & October

So, these past two months were fruitful at the thrift store. In fact they were so fruitful that you’d be forgiven for thinking I no longer have an “edited”/”minimalist” closet. But – surprise! – I also gave away a fair number of things and am still at my self-defined acceptable number of hangers….except for two areas: blazers and pants.

For blazers, I’ve been looking to cross a “statement” blazer off my list, and in exchange for the two I’m trying out…

Snakeskin by Isaac Mizrahi Live!; Plaid by Merona

…I may give up my camel blazer. It goes with everything but in a way that involves a large swath of what is basically untextured tan – blah. (And we know how I feel about the necessity of texture or at the very least visual interest.) I do love the contrast lining on the camel blazer but that’s about the only interesting detail on this sucker. And and, I think the plaid being a size smaller is a better fit than the camel. ~~So I’m sitting on it but it’ll probably get donated and free up some space by the end of the month~~. <– already in the donation bag

Speaking of texture, my pants drawer is noticeably more full than last time I showed it off (left), and I blame corduroy:

The photo on the right doesn’t even include the wine cords below which are at the tailor’s. Sheesh.

These two in particular are culprits, having joined the ranks this past month:

Wine-colored cords by Style & Co.; “Scotch pine” cords by Jessica Simpson

Also joining in the pants department:

Banana Republic jeans – more on them next week. Flares, I know!

Here’s a luscious two-texture Joan Vass Studio sweater I wrote more about here and here:

Still loving this and wearing it regularly.

And new (to me) Pumas!

Also more on them later this week.

And although I just pooh-poohed camel earlier in this post, I did pick up a camel skirt I’d been looking for. I don’t think it made it to a thrift list but it’s been in the back of my mind ever since I got rid of this one – quick recap, I knew I wouldn’t be excited to wear the winter-weight skirt I donated, but I can definitely rock this cotton-based one in fall/spring/summer:

Pockets! By Merona.

Looking forward to pairing it with button downs and popovers and maybe even a turtleneck or two! Wild.

And throwing it back to a thrift list hole from spring (which was unsatisfactorily filled by this silk first attempt), a blue sheath dress by Ann Taylor:

Isn’t it lovely? I dig the color and I LOVE the neck; the neckline and the little chain detail at the waist bring some interest without making it overly showy. It also fits like a glove and is the perfect length. Can’t wait to wear it (this fall mayyyyybe? If not, definitely spring) and give you better pictures.

In the same outing I found this Virgina Hill shirt dress – after a long drought, apparently it was raining blue dresses:

Excited about the shirt dress nature of it – it’s basically a dress version of the blouse silhouette I dig. I also love the gorgeous color and the 3/4 length sleeves (my fave). The length is a little short for my work/church wardrobe. Since I don’t often wear dresses casually and work/church is 85% of my wardrobe, though, I’m going to have to find a way to wear it regularly – maybe with leggings or maybe out on dates. Thoughts?

And last but not least, by Chico’s – another spring/summer find, inspired by this top I pinned from A Pair and a Spare:

It’s a popover tunic (my fave!) and has a gorgeous Delft color palette going on. Now I just have to be patient for several months (or some surprise tropical vacation?) until it’s time to wear it.

And now, the rejects!

Mulberry stretch skirt by femme with a cute back zipper detail – love the stretch but it was too tight.

Textured blazer by… Liz Claiborne I think? Love the texture in there but you can see how big the arms were on me by the funky little pooch on the upper left arm – excess fabric is the culprit:

Faded Glory 3/4 sleeve striped Henley – loved the colors, the length, and the sleeve, but the buttons made it too casual for my work wardrobe and the pilling made it too lo-fi for my wardrobe, period. What it taught me, though, was that some tan/gold-ish stripes on cream would work well with the cords-and-blazers look I’m reveling in this fall:

Oh ps it’s kinda sheer. Or you just shouldn’t try on your shirts with a darker bra than you plan to wear it with in real life.

This was an attempt to carry the cream/tan stripe thing into another shirt, but this shirt – I can’t remember the brand – is definitely too small:

I love the short hem and gold buttons on this acrylic number from the 80s – it’s very Golden Girls, and would go great over dresses (as modeled below). Aren’t those pockets sassy? But it had a stain and was too big for me in the shoulders, so back on the rack it goes to be picked up by some deserving bridge-playing lady who needs it for a luncheon out and has better stain-lifting powers than I:

I loved this top by Pleione (a new-to-me, mid-range Nordstrom brand). It’s a neutral take on leopard, has an unusual pleat in the middle that gives it good drape and a little swing, and an open collar. It was too big for me and the drape is not my style, but I think it’d be perfect for Anna from The Anna Edit (basically this plus this):

Showing off the pleat; a straight-hanging view is on my Instagram.

Loved the print on this shirt dress, but body-hugging much?? I think I could make it work if my style was a loooot sexier:

Loved the diagonal seam on the front of this sweater by Quinn, and the color – but it was sheer and didn’t seem to be high quality, so nope:

I loved the color on this and the interesting pattern, plus the split t-shirt hem is a great detail. But it was getting a little close to a tribal motif, it hit me funny in the mid-section (pic on left) and was too tight in the chest (pic on right):

This great popover tunic by Tiny was, in fact, tiny. Love the colors, the length, and the pattern (possibly also tribal? I feel like this is a minefield since you don’t know what’s problematic until you know it is) but I am literally holding the top closed over by bosom:

My favorite kind of business shirt – popover tunic, with great buttons, color detail, and 3/4 length sleeves! – by Express, I think? (Y’all, I’m bad at getting brands on items I’m trying on!) But it was too tight in the midriff as you can tell from the telltale navel dimple shadow just below the placket – like a donut:

That’s it for this roundup. What have you thrifted/skipped lately? Scroll down to comment!

Building a stylishly edited wardrobe from thrift store finds

Tag: corduroy

My Winter Wardrobe

Fall 10×10 Style Remix: Sweaters Galore – Part 1

What I Wore: Cerulean Plaid Blazer

What I Wore & How I Styled It: Steve Urkel Chic

Travel Wardrobe: Cold Weather in a Carry On

What I Wore/How I Styled It: Summer Dress in Winter Weather

What I Wore/How I Styled It: Rainy Day Wherein I Fail at Button Downs Under Sweaters

What I Wore and How I Styled It: Snow Leopard + Wine and Navy

Thrift Finds: September & October

Putting Together an Outfit: Cords + Popover Tunic + Duster

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