Thinking About Fall - Transitional Style - Lightweight Skirt

When we start thinking about fall, we are probably starting to yearn for our cozy sweaters, scarves and boots. As the weather begins its journey through the waning days of summer we know the days will still be plenty warm, but the evenings might start cooling off, especially after the sun goes down. That is a good time to think about layers. Why not pull out a few of your medium weight sweaters and a couple pairs of ankle boots and start using them, even though the start of fall on the calendar is not for another month?

Today’s outfit revolves around a light weight skirt that I picked up just a few weeks ago at Kohl’s on the clearance rack. It is obviously from this past spring, perhaps even related to Easter style, so I thought this would be a good piece to take from warm summer day, to cool weather appropriate with just a few simple changes.

For a cute, breezy, summer look I thought this Chaps plaid skirt would pair well with a fun graphic tee. You have see this thrifted No Boundaries tee on the blog before. You can see it styled with a denim pencil skirt, and a fringe vest. Isn’t it funny that I did the front knot with the fringe vest as well? The shirt is a little over sized and very stretchy, so knotting it is easy. The skirt is not lined, but I wasn’t going anywhere and it is not sheer, so unless I had on a pair of dark panties, there was no show through worries.

I wanted to highlight the pink and the white letters in the tee, so chose pink and pearl accessories.

I thought the Steve Madden white tennis shoes a good choice to keep the look fun and casual.

To make the transition to cooler weather, I once again reached for the color brown. I love brown in the fall. My husband likes the color brown on me, so I have been trying to incorporated it into a year round color, but it is often hard to find. For this look, instead of a jacket I chose my cozy, thrifted Old Navy cardigan.

Once again, I chose a more chunky necklace with shades of brown, gold, and coppery bronze. I really wasn’t sure how I felt about this look, but now that I see it, I like it. Brown and pink are always a winning combo and the contrast of the gray tee gives it interest and keeps it from being overly two-toned.

I went with my taller Sonoma suede boots, because I liked the more slouchy look with this casual outfit. They give it a bit more of a boho vibe. Most of the boots I own, that I have bought new I got at Kohl’s. I like both So and Sonoma brand. They fit my feet well and allow room for socks or tights. They are ultra casual, but still make an outfit look polished and complete. I’ll provide a few shopping links at the end if you are thinking about a new pair for fall.

My bronze cross body bag is another staple in my closet. I bring this one out every fall.

Here are the two looks side by side.

Do you have a summer skirt that you would like to wear longer? What can you add to make that skirt still useable in the cooler weather? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment or two.

I’m including a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own

Have a great Tuesday!

Thrifted Thursday - Casual Summer Style

As you all know I am a regular thrifter. Thrifting is a great way to get quality clothing pieces at very low prices. You can find name brands like Coach, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, and many more at drastically reduced prices. I personally don’t look for name brands, because brands are not as important to me as fit, ease of wear and care, and low price points. I have found things like my navy Ralph Lauren blazer and black heeled leather boots. I know there are many bloggers who score big finding very expensive brands for just a few dollars. Whatever you are looking for, thrift stores can be a great place to dig for treasure. During this time of Covid, you can also shop second hand on line, with retailers like Poshmark, thredUP and even Goodwill.

Thrifted Thursday is all about outfits pulled from my closet made entirely of pieces I have found thrifting. It challenges me to take a purposeful look at my thrift finds and come up with new ways to style them. There are many times I put an outfit together and it is entirely thrifted, but more often, my outfits are a blend of thrifted and regular retail priced pieces from stores like Christopher and Banks, Kohl’s, JCPenney and Maurices.

Both this graphic tee and my distressed cropped jeans have been on the blog before. You can see the tee styled with a denim skirt and the jeans styled with a green and white popover top, holiday sweater and a red plaid jacket. My Happy tee is No Boundaries brand. The distressed jeans are Simply Vera brand.

Since my tee is fairly loose and long, I thought to tie it at the front to give me a more defined waist. The tee is very thin, and almost distressed like my jeans. That is part of why I thought they went well together.

For my accessories, I chose my blush and pearl choker, which is not thrifted, but I thought it went well with the outfit. I also chose my thrifted, blush, NY & Co. bag.

This sweater vest was another fun thrift find. I was shopping with my best friend back in NY and she pointed this out to me. I tried it on and loved it. It is Relativity brand. What sold me on this piece was the fringe.

Since I was grooving on a blue theme, I chose my thrifted blue and silver, YNot brand cage sandals.

It is fun to put together an outfit made entirely, or mostly out of pieces I have found at a thrift store. Do you like this outfit? Do you like to go thrift shopping? What thrift stores do you like to shop at? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I’ve included a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I’ll see you next week.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Summer Pieces - Water Color Maxi Skirt

With my photographer on vacation I have to resort to taking pictures myself for a week or two, meaning relearning how to use my camera. Ha, ha. I thought I would talk about a few of the fun summer pieces I have recently acquired. Every seasonal change, I have to go through my wardrobe to purge what I do not wear, what no longer fits or what I realize was one of those, why did I buy this, moments. As I have said before, I love clothes and I love shopping, so you can imagine that I am inundated with clothing. I also, (true confession time), often shop in spurts, somewhat like an addict trying to get my fix. It is sad, really, but for many of us, shopping is a hobby. To keep myself from ending up on the show, Hoarders, I decided that when I buy, I also need to purge. I am in the middle of this process right now and the fun part of it is, I get reminded of all the fun pieces I do have, and it inspires me to put together a few new outfits.

This water color maxi skirt, I found at a Goodwill store along the way, when my hubby and I were on vacation. It is a brand called eci New York. Macy’s does carry a few eci pieces that revolve around bright, bold florals and patterns. I love all the colors, because it provides a myriad of options for putting outfits together. Made of a medium weight polyester, this piece is easy wash and wear with no ironing needed. It has a wider elastic waist which provides comfort, as well as ease of wear.

I first thought of pairing the skirt with a light pink top, but then when I pulled this top from last year out of hibernation, I knew that was it. The yellow, St. John’s Bay top, from JC Penney, has a bit of a boho vibe already so I thought it was the perfect companion for this unique skirt. I love the textured aspect of this top, from the eyelet on the bodice, to the poms along the bodice edge, to the tasseled cords. I also like the flowy sleeves.

When I started veering towards the Bohemian feel, I chose a woven belt that ties, leaving long fringe hanging along the skirt. You could position this belt wherever you wanted, with the fringe in the front, back or off to either side. I chose the left side, since I typically carry my bag on my right side.

I also chose jewelry that I felt epitomized that characteristically gypsy feel, like a multi-layered beaded bracelet with a dollop of fringe and a unique amber pendant choker with an aesthetically pleasing swirl.

My bag, bought many years ago, is the only true macrame piece I own and what says boho more than macrame? Ha, ha. It is small, but I have used this piece over and over as a cross body bad when we travel. It is big enough to hold the essentials, but not so big that it hurts your neck. This probably could use another washing. Bags like this are easy to wash. Be sure to put it in a laundry bag, then throw it in with your lights or towels. It isn’t meant to be a true white, but more of a cream.

For shoes I chose my No Boundaries black, gladiator sandals. These are ankle high gladiators, unlike the ones that go all the way up the calf. I’ve had these for a long time. They are comfy for a flat sandal and easy to pair with so many outfits for summer. I finally painted my toes, so summer must be pretty well here to stay. It is not that warm, but perfect in my opinion. If I owned a pool, I’d be happy with temps in the mid eighties, but as it is, I really like it to be about seventy five with a slight breeze.

Do you like this outfit? Would you wear a skirt like this? What sort of artsy or uniques pieces do you have in your closet? I’d love you hear from you. I don’t mean to be a nag, but I really do like when my followers give me a little feedback. It is good for my blog as well. It helps me to know what you like and what sorts of things you would like to see on the blog. Even if you made a commitment to comment once a month, that would mean a great deal to me. Thank you so much, for all of your support, whether you comment or not! I appreciate you.

I’ve included a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. When You click on a link, I receive a few cents. Every little bit helps. These links are to things I think you might like and that follow along with the outfits I am posting. All opinions are my own.

Have a great Tuesday.

Marvelous Maxis - The Dress Edition - Week 3

Here we are again, taking another look at why maxi dresses are one of the funnest summer staples you can add to your closet. It really doesn't matter if you are short or tall, narrow or wide, there is a maxi dress out there that will look fabulous on you. My BFF back in NY mentioned that she has a hard time finding maxi dresses that are not too long. She is petite, and so often maxi dresses are sweeping the floor, even on people over 5'5". I have a few suggestions. 

1. Search stores that have a regular petite's section.

Macy's, Penney's, Christopher & Banks and Talbots all cater to petites. You can also read this article by InStyle, which lists 35 other retailers that have petite offerings. If you are a plus size girl check out stores like Catherines, dressbarn or Eloquii. All of these stores have a nice selection of maxis and good return policies, so if you order it online, try it on and still don't like it you can send it back or just return it to a store nearby. 

2. Find the one that fits.

Maxi dresses are not just about length. Find a dress that feels comfortable all over. In the heat of the summer, the last thing you want is to wear a dress that is pinching the love handles and gaping at the "girls". Try dresses on. I mean lots of dresses! Sure it is work to shop, but you only really need one or two good maxi dresses to get you through the summer. Shop online and try on at home, then you can take your time trying on and have the option of listening to music while drinking a tall glass of iced tea.

3. If the perfect maxi is too long, have it hemmed.

If you find the dress that fits perfectly, but don't like that it is dragging on the floor have it hemmed up, either by doing it yourself or taking it to a tailor or seamstress. A good seamstress won't charge that much for a hem. 

4. Instead of a maxi, look for a midi or tea length dress. 

If you are still concerned about length, try shopping for a mid length or tea length dress. These usually fall at mid-calf or just above the ankles. You will still get the coverage and the ease of a dress, but won't have to be fearful of tripping over the hem.

I hope that helps, for those of you who might be having issues with the length of many maxi dresses. I'll include a few shopping links at the end with a few petite and plus size maxi dress offerings. 

As you will see, my maxi dress this week is shorter than the last two. I got this simple navy number from Christopher & Banks a few years ago. I need to add something here. When I say a few years ago, that means I can't remember how long ago I got it, but it has been hanging in my closet for a while. Ha, ha. It is scary how fast time goes by. My husband has a much better memory than me and he also remembers dates and years better than me. I'm often shaking my head thinking, "Wow! Has it already been that long?"

I couldn't resist throwing this black and white photo in. I love black and white pics and whenever my daughter posts black and whites from photo shoots, I am always drawn to them.

You can see this dress has a straight or columnar type skirt. It reminds me of something worn during the ancient Greek or Roman period. 

I decided to dress this up, just a touch, with my silver accessories. The necklace is from Charming Charlie, while the bag and belt are thrifted. The gladiator type sandals are old and No Boundaries brand. 

This maxi is so easy to throw on and I don't have to worry about shape wear, slips or hose. The material is a medium weight knit and is basically wrinkle free. 

The beauty of a columnar type skirt is that you get coverage without adding bulk. If you are bigger on the bottom, like I am, usually sizing up helps keep the skirt from being too tight. However, trying things on is always the best way to find what fits and what doesn't. For another look at columnar type skirts, take a look at my Marvelous Maxis post from last summer on skirts. This one is specifically about straight skirts. 

Here are a few more photos just for fun! I can't help but put a plug in for my talented daughters. If you live in the Toledo area and need a photographer, I would recommend Rebecca Trumbull Photography. She not only does my fashion photography, she shoots pets, weddings, high school seniors, commercial photography and manages social media accounts. My younger daughter, Rachel, not only produced my silly photo bomber, but she is an amazing make up artist. She is not currently a practicing MUA, but if you follow her on IG you can see what products she recommends. 

And this is me at the end of the day! Ha, ha. 

What did you think of this dress? I love to hear from you. I have learned so many new things from other bloggers and from all my wonderful followers who take the time to comment. I know life is busy, believe me! Your comments are appreciated and do help my blog to grow. I do not actively seek out collaborations or advertisers, just because I am very busy, so I rely on my followers to let others know about my blog. Your input helps me to become a better blogger. 

I've included a few shopping links, just for fun. These are affiliate links. If you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through one of the links on my sight, I get a little commission. All opinions are my own. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Makeup Rachel Christensen. 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for my weekly faith post, and Thursday for another Old Becomes New column. 

Have a great week.