by gum, by golly!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Wearing bold prints and bright colors this summer

This summer, I've found I would much rather be wearing separates than a dress. And bold, beautifully colored ones are really catching my eye.

I have several patterned separates that need coordinating solid pieces to put together outfits rather than wardrobe orphans. So I'm trying to fill in where I can this summer! Unfortunately I haven't had a lot of time to sew lately, so a couple of the gaps I've filled in with a recent purchase from Trashy Diva.

I'm wearing their new Trixie top, which I included in my halter styles inspiration post. I ordered two because their shipping is high, and sometimes you have to maximize shipping, right? That's what I tell myself, anyhow.

The top is cropped, hitting just at my natural waist (the skirt is actually a little big on me, so sitting just below). With a skirt or shorts sitting right at your waist you'd occasionally get peeks of midriff as you went about your daily business.

I'm quite pleased with it. I don't buy a lot new these days, so I'm pretty choosy! The quality is very nice, and the fit is great, with wide elastic panels on the sides. There are two straps that button in the back with three button holes, so you can tie the straps into a halter, wear them straight as I am, or cross them in the back! I love adjustable straps since they're often too long on me.

The top is made from stretch cotton poplin, is fully lined with self-fabric and has a covered center back zipper with hook and eye closure at the very top.

Take note that you may need to size down. The elastic sides are quite stretchy so the fit is forgiving. I'm about a 34/35" full bust these days, and I'm wearing a small which is meant for a 32"+ bust.

I'm wearing it with a 1950s novelty print skirt that's like a full-on carnival.

This skirt is just crazy. Hot pink, yellow, orange, turquoise, lime green and black on white. There's flowers, Native Americans, cars, marching bands, guns, lemonade stands, balloons and more.

It's like a Rube Goldberg machine met a carnival and had a skirt baby.

Did I mention the hot dogs? I know, I know. I don't get it, either. Is this scene supposed to mean something, or is it just 1950s lunacy??

I paired it with some orange and green Bakelite bangles and vintage flower earrings.

The heat of summer usually finds me growing tired of setting my hair and dealing with rollers and drooping hair and I don't even feel like wearing scarves, so I've been sporting braids a lot lately.

I didn't wear this outfit anywhere, just a day working at home. Like I said in my last post, I'm trying to make more of an effort... and I'll be talking about this in the future, too!

I paired the outfit with emerald green sandals, a color I'm loving right now. I'm not all clogs and wedges in summer... when it starts to bake outside I want as little as possible on my feet, and at least these let me do it in style. (Even if I think they could lose the little blingy metal plate...I forgive them that because of the color.)

Everyone knows about the stereotypical shoes women favored in the 40s and 50s, but if you look at a variety of resources, you'll see plenty of examples of sandals similar to this! I've been wearing these practically everyday.

(I was standing near a pot I didn't use this year but then discovered there were some volunteer petunias in it from last year's flowers!)

I think full skirts are great to beat the heat as they're roomy and breezy, much more than my usual preferred A-lines. So I'm definitely favoring them lately. Especially in cotton, which is my most favorite fabric to wear, you have a perfect match for summer. Can't beat it!

Summer is a great time to enjoy novelty prints, bright colors and fun sandals, don't you think??

outfit details:

top: Trashy Diva Trixie Top

1950s circle skirt: Secondhand Wonderland on Etsy

vintage earrings: gift from my mom

Bakelite bangles: here and there

sandals: Zappos

hair flowers: Ruth Nore Designs and Details by J. Lynn

Thursday, June 6, 2013

New spectacles

No, it's not vacation photos yet. Soon, I promise!

Now you may recall sometime in May, I mentioned that I got new eyeglasses. A few astute readers noticed I was wearing them in my last post. And if you follow me on Instagram, they're not new to you at all, as I've been sporting them in photos for awhile. But this is the first time I'm introducing them on the blog.

Meet my new specs!

I've been wearing vintage eyewear from the 1950s for years, much longer than I've been a daily vintage clothing wearer. So I was looking for a pair of glasses for when I wanted something other than my 50s specs. And while my wardrobe often leans more 40s, I think 50s glasses will always be my main love. They are just. so. awesome.

But! I wanted a more 40s-looking pair as a change of pace. So I went with modern glasses that have a pretty 40s feel, with the round lenses and keyhole bridge. I ordered them online from Classic Specs (this pair here), and I'm quite pleased. I have a strong prescription so I need high index lenses, and these were hundreds of dollars cheaper than I've sometimes had to pay for eyeglasses (even bringing in my own vintage frames), including anti-reflective coating. I was very pleased with the quality of the frames and lenses. It's a gamble ordering glasses online, but if you find a place with a good return policy, you're not out anything if you're unhappy with the results!

Today, I'm wearing them with a dress I made this time last year. I was kind of meh about actually wearing it last summer as I felt it was a little too cutesy and young for me, but I'm not currently minding it. Age is just a number, right?

Lately, I've been sporting this Rita Hayworth-inspired updo a lot, though mine is never nearly as glamorous as hers or other vintage gals, as my patience for hairstyles is admittedly quite small. In fact I noticed uncurled sections on the back of my head in these photos, counteracting the lovely wave I achieved in my bangs. So just look at the front of my head, deal?

Regardless, I'm planning to wear this style a lot to beat the upcoming heat this summer. And what a great way to show off hair flowers! I'm going bananas for hair flowers right now, so expect to see them adorning my noggin a lot in the upcoming months.

I'm wearing my new Lime Crime lipstick in Retrofuturist, too. To me it has a slight pink undertone when worn without a lip liner, though I usually opt for orange-reds or blue-based reds. But with a liner (how I'm wearing it here) it's more the true red they say it is. I'm pretty pleased with the wearability and creaminess, so it's already gone into my regular rotation of reds.

It's hard to get used to seeing such a change in eyewear style on my face, and especially odd to me that they aren't vintage specs for the first time in so long, but I'm enjoying them!