Color Play - Building Outfits Around an Abstract Print Skirt

I have been wanting to build an outfit around this pretty abstract print maxi skirt ever since I thrifted it a few seasons ago. In order to get a bit outside my normal jeans and tees kind of casual outfits, I have been purposefully meandering through my maxi skirts in an effort to build a few fun, summer outfits that would work for backyard bbq’s, dressy casual dates with a friend or significant other, work or a more casual summer wedding. Today, I am showing you two different outfits using the same skirt.

Outfit 1 - Dressed Up

This skirt is a brand called Maeve by Anthropololgie. The outer layer is cotton, and it has an attached slip, making it easy to wear with no show through. The wide elastic band is comfortable, and easily covered with a wide belt, as you’ll see in the next outfit.

My bright pink jacket is a Chico’s thrift find. It is actually a petite, but I don’t have a super long torso, so I occasionally can get away with a petite size. You don’t really notice, especially if the sleeves are rolled up.

My tank top was a St. John’s Bay basic that I got at JC Penney a few seasons ago. I was excited to see it matched the blue in the skirt spot on. Of course with this skirt you could use pink, orange, white or black, or even mix it up with a totally different color like mint green, or sunflower yellow. That is exactly why I like to call this monthly column, Color Play, to stretch our minds as to what sorts of colors go together.

The jewelry wasn’t made to go together, but they certainly work well together. The necklace I got a few months ago at my favorite thrift store around the corner. The bracelet was a clearance purchase probably from Kohl’s or Penneys.

I have had this Relic canvas tote for a number of years, and it is a great work horse for summer. While I regularly carry a cross body bag, I occasionally reach for a tote bag to run to the coffee shop or library, or when packing for a trip. Sorry about the bits of cat hair. You can’t have a pet without there being a bit of fall out, especially in these warm temps. Ha, ha.

Our silly curmudgeon, Plato Aristotle Radcliffe Christensen. A large cat had to have a large name!

I had to rummage through my shoe boxes to find these cute espadrilles. These are Chaps brand and were a Kohl’s purchase a few years ago.

Outfit 2 - More Casual

I couldn’t resist doing a bit of print mixing with this fun skirt, and polka dots and embroidery seemed a great companion for the abstract print.

Both of these pieces were second hand finds. Like so many pieces that I thrift, I don’t always have an idea in mind of what they are going to go with, but find I am pleasantly surprise when things line up. My button down is Jones New York Sport, and the embroidered vest is Van Heusen. I’ve heard of Van Heusen in men’s shirts, but this is clearly a women’s vest, although a man might like it as well, but it is cut more for a feminine body. Walmart and a few other stores carry this brand.

I decided to add a wide belt for this look. Another thrift find, this wide braided belt is a soft material that adds interest and texture. I thought the belt and my Vera Wang bag were a good match. You can also see I swapped out the black pendant necklace for my lovable owl, and replaced the metal and bead bracelet for some fun white and gold stretchies.

I chose my denim Keds as a way to compliment the vest and create more continuity to a busy printed outfit.

So which look do you like better? Would you have purchased a skirt like this? Do you have any skirts in your closet that you are just not sure how to style? I hope this post gave you a little inspiration for shopping your closet and thinking outside your color box.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of my links I get a tiny percent. I appreciate every click and purchase. All opinions are my own and you are not charged anything extra for purchasing through my site.

Thank yo for all you do. I hope you are having a great week.

Pantone - Spring/Summer - 2021 - London Palette - Pickled Pepper, Orange Ochre and Sphagnum

For today’s outfit I decided to combine the two greens that were on the London Palette. Both Pickled Pepper and Sphagnum are great green shades for summer time. While Pickled Pepper is one of the main palette colors, Sphagnum is one of the palette classic colors. Olive is a great neutral and goes with just about every color out there, so Sphagnum, (which is actually a type of moss), makes for the perfect classic color.

My Pickled Pepper popover top is Sonoma from Kohl’s a few years ago. This top is easy to wear, as well as cool for these hot, humid days. I don’t usually prefer to wear sleeves with elastic, but as long as the elastic isn’t cutting off the circulation in my arms I’m okay with it.

My Sphagnum utility vest is Mudd brand, and was another clearance purchase from Kohl’s a few seasons ago.

These light wash jeans were a recent thrift find. A brand called Ella Moss, this brand is available at stores like Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Amazon, Dillards, and others. I like the cropped length and the high waist of this pair.

For the Orange Ochre color, I grabbed my thrifted, orange suede bag and a fun pendant choker. It is much easier to include a brighter color, if you do it with accessories.

I had to show off my new clearance Converse sneakers from DSW. They are very comfy and I love the blue color. They are similar in color to my thrifted Keds, which are showing a bit of wear, so these were a great find.

Here are a few silly pictures. I was jumping for joy. Ha, ha.

What do you think of these colors? Do you like to wear green? Do you have Sphagnum (olive) in your closet? I would love to hear from you. I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Graphic and photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Spring Trend - Neons and Pastels

In contrast to last week’s post, Spring Trend - Head to Toe Neutral, this week I am focusing on the Spring Trend of neons and pastels. Rather than divide this into two posts, I decided to combine the trends and the colors into one outfit. If we can wear neutral on the top and bottom, why not create an outfit with neon and pastel together?

This bright neon yellow top is sleeveless and there was no way I was going out in the snow in a sleeveless top, so I added a recent purchase from Forever 21’s clearance racks, this citron yellow chenille sweater. The top is H&M and is a hand-me-over from my daughter. The sweater is as cozy and soft as it looks, so I was glad to add it to my outfit on this very cold day.

These blush jeans are H&M and you’ve seen them before on the blog in my 20 Days of Christmas series. They have a little bit of distressing on them, but because they are so light you can hardly notice. Since I was going with light pink for my pastel, I added my blush SO flats and my blush clutch.

My necklace was a thrift store find. I thought it added another splash of neon in a different color. If you don’t like neon, this is a simple way to add just a splash of color without being overwhelmed by it. Accessories are always a good way to add color that you wouldn’t necessarily wear near you face.

What do you think of the neon trend? would you wear these bright colors or do you prefer neutrals like the ones in my post last week? Are you a pastel lover? I’d love to hear you thoughts.

I’ve included a few shopping links for all things neon. If you don’t like wearing bright colors like this try adding a little splash by wearing neon earrings or by carrying a neon purse. You’ll be right on trend.

These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Color Crash Course - Print Mixing

It is a beautiful day today, but the wind chill is only seventeen, so as much as I want to go outside and take pictures, I am going to be a wimp and stay inside in a sunny window and use some pics from past posts. 

We hear many things about print mixing and a plethora of bloggers do a wonderful job of mixing all sorts of patterns and colors. What follows are some tips on learning to piece together an outfit that has a mix of patterns and colors that will leave you feeling confident and stylish. 

1. Choose a mix of bold/large patterns with more subtle/small patterns. 

In the above post from January 24th (click on the date and it will take you to the original post), I wore a maxi dress with a bold black pattern around the hem line. The dress also has a more subtle print throughout. To top the dress off, after adding a similar blue pullover sweater I added a black blazer that has small white polka dots. 

2. Stripes can be mixed easily with anything - 

If you are at all trendy, then you know one of the big trends this spring is the mix of floral with stripes. I'm seeing this pattern mix everywhere and it works. 

This was my post from Tuesday, the start of my series on the Pantone Spring 2017 colors. The tee from Jacket Society is the perfect mix of stripes and floral. But for another take on this trend see Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb for her interpretation on floral and stripes together using her own pieces. 

Here is a different idea for mixing stripes with another pattern. This outfit was from a Color Crash Course column. In this outfit the stripes are vertical on the brown sweater. The scarf provides the other pattern. One reason this works is because the scarf pattern is kept tight around my neck and face, while my body is elongated by the stripes on the sweater. They are not competing with one another, but complementing one another. That leads me to the third tip for pattern mixing.

3. When mixing it up, think color, color, color -

Most people who do pattern mixing well, would probably tell you it has to do with choosing a color that complements both pieces. For instance in the above outfit, the taupe is found in both the scarf and the sweater. The blue is also found in the jacket and pants, but I am speaking directly to pattern mixing.

In this post from last week the pattern mix is masculine chic with the blue background of my top bringing up the blue stripe in my plaid trousers.

This outfit from my Denim Days series late last summer mixes different size polka dots on the chambray shirt and pink jeans. Part of what makes this work is the varied size of the dots, but also the muted, soft colors mixed with the more subdued neutral accessories. 

This next outfit was from my Fall 2016 Pantone series and actually fits into two of my mixing tips, so I'll start with it in this color category.

Originally this was just the skirt and top, which is its own version of print mixing. I will address that under the next tip. I added the scarf for a post I did on styling a pashmina scarf, only because the green in the scarf matched the green of the top. Voila! Print mixing with similar colors. 

4. Consider mixing prints with texture - 

If you a bit hesitant about mixing prints, try mixing a print with a texture. 

My Lush Meadow top is a textured pattern. My maxi skirt is obviously a print. Part of what makes this work is the pattern shape. The diamond shapes on the top are similar to the diamond shapes on the skirt. The other trick to making this look work well is adding the belt. The belt divides the patterns and keeps it from looking too busy. Adding a solid piece, like a belt, vest, cardi or jacket can help tone the busyness of prints down and give the outfit a cohesive look.

In this picture you can see the textured lace pattern of the top works beautifully with the leopard print cardigan. Inspired by Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, you can see my original post here.  If you still feel a bit intimidated by mixing patterns. try envisioning this same look with a black lace top or a more neutral tan. You are still mixing prints because of the texture, but it will be more subdued. 

5. Go for a monochrome look - 

This outfit was based on a post by Liz of With Wonder and Whimsy (see her post here). Instead of trying to pull one central color out of two crazy patterned pieces, going for a monochrome look allows print mixing with a crisp, clean vibe. I seem to have this thing for polka dots that I didn't even know I had. Ha, ha. See my original post here. 

6. Try an accessory - 

If you want a more subtle look, try just adding a simple patterned accessory to your print. Check out the following ideas:

Patterned Scarf

Adding this scarf to my snake skin jeans is a perfect pattern mix.

Textured Bag

Patterned Bag

Textured jacket

Print mixing can be intimidating, but you probably are already doing it and you didn't even know it. Don't be afraid to mix it up. Print mixing can be fun and it can also make your outfit more colorful and interesting.

Even my daughter likes to print mix. She sent me this pic of her most recent attempt. She pulled this off by using the base color of both her top and her scarf as well as mixing the larger scarf print with the smaller dots on the top. 

We'd love to hear from you. Leave me some love in the comments section!

Have a great weekend!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style.    Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, 

Color Crash Course

The forth in a series of monthly columns on Thursdays, the Color Crash Course, will focus on color. Color is an important part of how we dress. Sometimes I pick my outfits according to color. Let's say pink. Maybe for a few days I pick something pink to center my outfits around. Usually it is a top or a cardigan or jacket. Now that I am learning more, I might pick a bag with pink in it and center my outfits around that bag, or maybe it is a statement necklace or a scarf. Color brings depth and dimension to our outfits.

Pantone is the gold standard in the fashion and interior design industry for determining seasonal colors. For example in the spring they came out with colors called Serenity Blue and Rose Quartz. You can see the outfits I designed around those colors here (Serenity) and here (Rose Quartz). Fall colors are now out and include names like Airy Blue, Sharkskin and Lush Meadow. I look forward to Pantone's seasonal color report because I like to draw on their ideas as a spring board for my own outfits. You might wonder how I do this without going out and buying a whole new wardrobe. Think small. I recently found a clutch at a thrift store in the green spectrum of Lush Meadow. I also own a number of items that would qualify as Sharkskin. My colors may not be exact matches to Pantone's, but again, they provide a spring board for my own fashion designs. Cyndi Spivey of Grace and Beauty did a great overview of Pantone's Fall color line up in her post Fall Fashion Color Report.

While I will be focusing in September on those fall colors put out by Pantone, this column will not be limited to those colors only. I want to use this 4th Thursday of the month to encourage you to try different color combinations as well as revisit some of the old classics. Have you ever thought, "I would never wear those colors together!" You know the saying, never say never! These days anything goes. Brown with black, red with pink, orange and green, you name it, it can go together. It's all about shades and undertone. Maybe you have also thought, "I'd never wear denim with denim or like color with like color." Again, never say never. Next month this column will feature a post on wearing denim with denim. If you can't wait that long, see what Janeane did of Designing From My Closet. She nailed the denim with denim look.

Occasionally, I will also look at pattern mixing. Mixing patterns is new to me, so I am still learning, but it will be fun to experiment. I would love your input. In the comments section below let me know what colors you like to wear, or what colors you have never thought to put together. Let's have fun with color!

Top pictures Pixabay. Bottom pictures Rebecca Trumbull.

Piece Perfect

I am playing with some new ideas on my blog. I feel the need to do a little more intentional posting about fashion related subjects. After all, there is so much more to fashion than just showing a picture of an outfit. Since I am truly a writer first and fashion blogger second, I thought why not put a little more emphasis on writing about fashion. I have no idea who will be interested, but the point is to use the ability I have been given, and if I can use that on an area other people are interested in, win, win! 

My intention, then, is to begin a series of monthly columns, if you will, on different fashion related topics. The first Thursday of the month I will focus on clothing pieces. 

Clothing is like a puzzle. Each outfit is a finished picture made up of a few, or many complementary pieces. An outfit is not as locked in as a puzzle, where the pieces have to go together in an exact way to make the intended picture. We have more freedom with our outfits to throw pieces together that, a few years ago, might have been considered taboo. Pairing a pair of jeans with a dress for instance (see my post of that here). We also can pair colors in an array as varied as the wildflowers along the highway (see my take here). The point is up to us. What am I trying to say with the outfit I put on this morning? If it is a jeans and sweatshirt sort of day, I am probably feeling a need for comfort. If I am wearing something I usually don't wear, I may be feeling bold or daring. This, of course, can transcend our closets and seep into our make up and accessories. I never wear red lipstick. The day I do, I will be saying, "Look at me! I have made a change and I am proud of it!" Ha, ha.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Clothing is part of our language. It enables us to speak without using words. Perhaps that is why I like bright colors and fun textures. It speaks volumes about the person I am on the inside, not just the woman on the outside. Colors speak to the deep inner joy I have found in my relationship with Christ. I expect that heaven will be filled with colors I can't even imagine. Color is such a powerful form of expression. On a drab, gray, winter day I often reach for bright pink or blue to chase the blahs away. Think of your favorite place to vacation or your favorite local coffee shop or restaurant. I bet one of the reasons they appeal to you has to do with color: the blues of the ocean on a sunny day, the oranges of a log fire on a cool fall evening, the calming greens of the coffee shop walls or the dark wood of that Irish pub. Color can speak volumes. Textures can also add a dimension to our clothing language. When I am feeling girly, I reach for ruffles or lace. When I am feeling cold and want comfort I reach for a heavy cable knit or a soft cashmere sweater.

Piece Perfect will focus on different pieces in our wardrobes that can be foundational for building a great outfit. I will try to have an outfit post to go with the piece I have selected. Occasionally,  I might show pictures of the piece along with possible complementary items and accessories. I hope that you will enjoy reading this new portion of my blog and that you will come back each month as I feature a different clothing piece. The first piece I will be styling next month will be a pleated skirt. Be sure to check back the first Thursday of next month.

Leave me a comment below about the colorful places you like to visit! Until next time.