Tag: Monet

What I Wore: Town Festival & Preaching with a Pattern

Hi all! A few what-I-wores from the past few weeks, wherein I bust out a new thrift find and accessorize an old one (and where I achieve somewhat better focus for my outfit shots). These outfits spanned the hot, then cool, then hot again end-of-summer weather we’ve been having in New England; if you’re having the same kind of weather, hopefully you’ll find them useful!

First up, my outfit for the town fair, which involved 5+ hours of walking around booths and staffing our own, getting to know people, nabbing books at the library sale, and eating Thai food and cupcakes the girls soccer team made. I needed something casual but easy to spot as I wandered the crowds being introduced and introducing myself hither and yon. Luckily a thrift find the day before at the Davis Square Goodwill hit the spot:

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Dress: Talbots, thrifted
Necklace: DIY from thrifted parts
Bracelet: Monet, thrifted
Shoes: Saltwaters, retail

I pulled an ERII and decided to dress myself in one color for visibility; after that it was a matter of adding simple accessories for a touch of detail (necklace) and for functionality (bag):

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Bag: Marco Avané, thrifted

I love the warmth and cheeriness of the coral/salmon color and its polo shirt-adjacent feeling, which fits my town’s casual vibe so well.  It’s like the Massachusetts version of this dress, which was too stiff and scratchy and formal but whose color I loved:

A photo posted by LeahLW (@thriftshopchic) on

 

Here’s a look at the collar, which was wide and casual but whose neat finishing polished things up a bit:

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A closeup on the bag for those who haven’t seen it yet:

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…and on the necklace, although this shot showcases that I need to spend a little time with the sweater stone on my new purchase to tame the micro-pills.  This shot is also rather pink in color whereas the above shots come out more on the orange side; the true hue lies somewhere in the middle:

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One sizing note for Talbots, for what it’s worth: this dress was marked a full size smaller than what I normally wear. I’m not sure if that’s due to vanity sizing at Talbots or just that their items tend to be a little roomier in fit, but it’s a great reminder that you should trust your own eye on whether something might fit rather than the size label.

PS I wore this same outfit this past Sunday for preaching in a late-September heat wave and it worked perfectly to keep me cool yet looking collected.

 

Up next: Sunday preaching. It was dumb to wear both long sleeves and leggings underneath my robes on a hot September day, but this ensemble was just right after worship was over and the robes came off:

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Dress: Land’s End, thrifted
Leggings: F21, thrifted
Wedges: Bandolino, thrifted
Scarf: no label, thrifted
Cuff: Monet, thrifted
Squinty eyes: sun reflecting off house window

Let’s get a closeup on that scarf, which I found on the same trip as the Talbots dress:

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With scarves, I don’t really know what I’m looking for until I see it; this was a clear “YES” right on the rack. It has a few pulled threads and even what looks like a burn hole smack in the middle, but the pattern disguises all of that (as does rolling it the right way). My love of blue, polka dots, and print-mixing also outweighed its imperfections; who could resist two different dot patterns AND the awesome scallop effect at the bottom?

Have you ever bought something with imperfections you knew would be hidden by placement or pattern? What do you think of my finds? Do you agree with my (no longer so) revolutionary stance that it’s okay to wear white after Labor Day, particularly if it’s HOT?

Summer 10×10 Remix: Day 6

As part of the Summer 10×10 remix (hosted by UnFancy and Style Bee), I’m attempting to post what I’ve been wearing each day as I live out of my suitcase on back-to-back family reunions. What’s a 10×10 remix? 10 pieces of clothing, 10 outfits, 10 days. What you count as an item is up to you (I’m not counting shoes, workout gear, outerwear) since the point isn’t following strict rules – it’s using limitations to spark creativity. 

Day 6: Even More Lake

I spent the vast majority of this day in pajamas and workout gear, only getting dressed right before dinner.  When there are boats to ride, a lake to swim in, gorgeous country roads to run, and s’mores to roast, why bother?

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Shirt: Lucky Brand – thrifted
Red chinos: Bandolino – thrifted
Cuff bracelet: Monet jewelry – thrifted
Belt: no label – thrifted

The gardens at this lake house are quite spectacular:

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Wild bachelor’s buttons and the lake on my run:

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As you can see it’s been overcast but it hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm.

See ya tomorrow!

Spring 10×10 Remix: Day 9

I’m doing the 10×10 spring remix hosted by Un-Fancy and StyleBee. I’m using 10 pieces of clothing to create 10 different outfits, using self-imposed limitations to spark some creativity. All the details – and the clothes (all thrifted)– here.

Day 9 – the penultimate! I paired the white Ann Taylor skirt with the peach leopard print blouse by Forever 21. I don’t think that counts as “high-low” in the original designer/mass market sense of the term…but these two are definitely from the high and low ends of the retail cost spectrum in terms of what I normally thrift! I finished it off with a Monet cuff bracelet and Clarks sandals (retail):

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Pockets!
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Painted nails left over from a weekend wedding – so fancy!WP_20170425_16_29_51_Pro

Close up on that pattern:
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Styling notes: rolled sleeves, natch. Tucked in shirt pulled out just a smidge to give it some insouciance.
I also love the look of more tailored shirts worn untucked over pencil skirts, but I decided to go with just one kind of top in my wardrobe for simplicity’s sake, and this looser version with some lovely drape and roll to it, tucked in to skirt or slacks for a more put-together flavor, feels more “me.”
I think this might look slightly better with my slide wedges but I felt lazy and went for comfort with the flatter sandals.
Last but not least, here’s another safety pin creation – the gaps in the blouse are held together by pins. You can probably see it a little more here than in the previous shirt, because I have one pin that needs some rearranging.  Same trick used on the skirt as well.

Thoughts: I’m a fan. I included this skirt in my 10×10 to establish it as a wardrobe staple instead of something I wish I’d wear but just haven’t gotten over the hurdle yet. And this second wearing got me there!  I like the lightness of these colors together – it’s a palette cleanser, but not so neutral that my eyes are searching for color. And you know I love the subtle funk in that leopard print…

 

One day more! Are you bored of my choices yet? I’m not, but I’m also looking forward to slowly adding some of my other clothes back in and seeing what really fits great with these staples and what can float on down the river to someone else.

See ya tomorrow!

 

Spring 10×10 Remix: Day 5

I’m doing the 10×10 spring remix hosted by Un-Fancy and StyleBee. All this work week and next, I’ll be using 10 pieces of clothing to create 10 different outfits, using self-imposed limitations to spark some creativity. All the details – and the clothes (all thrifted)– here.

Day 5: Get excited, no coat today! It was warm enough to wear just this cotton tunic and I am all in. I saved this gloriously Delft-plate-esque Chico’s top for Friday because it felt a little more casual than some of my other blouses… although on closer inspection the print is quite dramatic and that by itself makes it feel a little more formal.
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I paired it with my Vince Camuto pants and flat sandals instead of a skirt and wedges because I knew I’d be doing a lot of carrying stuff up and down stairs as a I break down the altar from Maundy Thursday and get ready for Good Friday. #holyweek #akaclergycrunchtime

Side view, with slits up the side for a little give in the hips:
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You may remember the original had little tassels but they were a different blue and kind of raggedy:
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I thought they made the otherwise striking print and clean silhouette look a little ratty, so I cut them off and just tied the ends in a simple overhand knot. They look weird actually tied together so I just let them hang:
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Closeup on that gorgeous pattern:
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Let’s take a second to discuss the hair. This relaxed side-ponytail is my current favorite hairstyle. It basically comes out of a mindless “agh, I need to tie my hair back to keep it from getting in my breakfast/coffee/toddler’s current art project” and then 20 minutes later I look in the mirror and realize it’s gorgeous so I secure the hair tie one more loop to keep it there.  I can’t make it look this way on purpose if I try!  Sigh.  (PS If you are wondering, I am still doing no poo 18 months in; update post to come.)

Bonus: when I try to do a different pose and it turns out horribly corny:WP_20170414_10_19_24_Pro

Thoughts on this outfit: It’s a win. 3/4 length-sleeves are my fave and the bold pattern, as I noted above, dresses up an otherwise poolside-worthy top (don’t get me wrong, I’d still take it to the pool). So light and breezy but with a great torso-skimming cut. (I’m looking at you, soft wash shirt – THIS is what we’re aiming for!)  Those bright, contrasting colors will feel even more spot-on once the weather heats up.

Happy Passover to those celebrating, and a meaningful Good Friday and Easter to those celebrating as well. (I meant to wish the same for Maundy Thursday yesterday but forgot.)

Scroll down to tell me how your remix is going and what you think of Day 5.  I’ll be back on Monday to start off week 2 of the 10×10. Thanks to all those who have commented for making it so enjoyable thus far!

10×10 Spring Remix: Day 3

I’m doing the 10×10 spring remix hosted by Un-Fancy and StyleBee. All this work week and next, I’ll be using 10 pieces of clothing to create 10 different outfits, using self-imposed limitations to spark some creativity. All the details – and the clothes (all thrifted)– here.

Day 3: You may be getting tired of this Tahari by Arthur S. Levine dress coat (coat dress?) but I’m not! It goes with everything:
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Sandals by Clarks (retail); shirt by Banana Republic; pants by Vince Camuto; bracelet by Monet; necklace = heirloom

I actually thought about wearing my grey marled Merona blazer pictured in the post mentioned above, just for some variety; but the grey in it is juuuust different enough from the grey in these Vince Camuto pants that I wasn’t feeling it. There goes my idea to pair its pattern with these solid pants for a “casual suiting” look! (Don’t worry, the blazer will still get plenty of wear in this 10×10, paired with skirts and my dress.)

The action shot – long-haired people, you know that move where you untuck your hair from the coat/jacket/cardigan you just put on?
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Without the coat:
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This is the “Soft Wash Shirt” by Banana Republic – a mix of linen & cotton. I love how soft it is and how it combines that softness with some clean lines – see those seams on either side of the placket? They give it a little polish that brings its relaxed linen texture from “weekend” to “work wear”:
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And check out the roll-tab sleeves (y’all know I love a good roll tab):
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But. (Why does there have to be a “but”?!) The “fitted” look those seams give it is just not fitted enough for my torso:
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Meh. Now we’re back in weekend territory.

See the difference when I pin it behind my back?  Don’t know why I didn’t see this in the dressing room.
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It’s not terribly noticeable (especially when I’m wearing a coat/blazer), but not ideal. I’m not sure if I should re-donate it as-is so someone else can enjoy it, or take it to my tailor and see how expensive it would be to bring it in a little. With a spot of tailoring it could be a wardrobe star this summer when Atlanta hits 90+ degrees and 90 percent humidity every day.
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My overall feeling about this outfit? The color palette is right in my wheelhouse, and I love the way the coat looks over the blouse. I am not happy with the fit of the blouse, but since I included it to get a better feel for how it plays with the rest of my wardrobe, I see that information as a win. I’m looking forward to pairing it with a skirt next week to see how it does tucked in, since the fabric is stiffer than the blouses I usually tuck.

What do y’all think of the outfit? Would you donate the shirt or take it to the tailor? How’s your remix going?