Fashion Fun: Men's Oversized Button Down

When it comes to thrifting for fashion, I like to think outside the box. I always peruse all the sizes, because so often size is relative. What I mean by that is, it is relative to the brand. A size 12 in one brand might fit you perfectly, but a size 12 in another brand, might be too big or too small. I honestly believe sizing is different than it used to be. If you shop vintage clothing, at all, you will see that most of the pieces are relatively small. Women tended towards being smaller in the waist, hips, and shoulders than we are now. Not sure why, but it does seem to be the case.

I have also started looking in the men’s section of thrift stores for fun pieces like tees and printed button downs. I like the roomier cut of a men’s medium or even large shirt and they often have textures, prints and fabrics that are different than those on the women’s racks. Today, I am going to show you three different outfits using three men’s button downs that I purchased while thrifting.

Outfit 1 - Men’s Button Down as a Tunic

When I saw this paisley madness, I knew I had to have it. This is Visconti brand. If you type the name be sure to type in Visconti clothing. and you’ll see they have them at Dillards. They also have their own website, but I am not here to encourage you to buy a new shirt. This to encourage you to look at the men’s racks if you thrift, or even if you shop clearance. I absolutely love the colors in this piece and it is easily worn all year round as a top or as a “shacket”.

I topped this look with a thrifted, black Nadia brand, corduroy vest. I added my Simply Vera, Vera Wang skinny jeans and my black knee high boots. The black embroidery on these jeans are what sold me. The abstract floral print goes with so many other pieces.

I didn’t really need to add any jewelry since the print is so busy, but I thought it would be fun to add this piece that has a variety of colors and textures. It blends in, yet also stands on its own.

Outfit 2 - Men’s Button Down as a Work Wear Top

This shirt is Izod brand. This year’s Pantone Color of the Year is called Very Peri. I think it is a very pretty color reminiscent of the Periwinkle flowers, which can come in blue, purple or white. I thought this checked shirt fit the color well. One thing I have to do with most of the men’s shirts I purchase is roll up the sleeves, but rolling up the width of the cuff is just the right amount, so you can hardly tell.

My denim pencil skirt is also thrifted and Gloria Vanderbilt brand. I like the length of this and if I still had a reason to wear a skirt would definitely be wearing this often. I added the navy hose to cover my veiny legs and thought the black, thrifted Nine West loafers gave it a work wear look. I also added the denim blue cloth belt and the dark purple agate pendant necklace. My thrifted, Merona bag, also brings in that Very Peri vibe.

Outfit 3 - Men’s Button Down as a Shacket

I’ve had this thrifted, Ruff Hewn corduroy button down for a few years now. I love the color and typically think of it as a fall piece. It is soft, warm and roomy, so a perfect piece for wearing over lightweight sweaters, sweatshirts or long sleeve tees.

I wanted this outfit to have more of a spring vibe, so I went with my Sonoma floral joggers, and a thrifted light pink Express short sleeve tee. I opted for metallic accessories including my silver Sketcher sneakers, pewter hand-me-over bag, and my silver and copper necklace.

Here are the three outfits side by side.

I hope you enjoyed this look at how to style a men’s oversized button down. It is fun to explore other options in your fashion wardrobe, and you never know when something you try will become your new favorite style. Which outfit was your favorite? Do you wear men’s clothing? How do you like to style a men’s or women’s oversized shirt? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me some love in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by the blog. I have provided a few shopping links for your enjoyment. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2021 - New York Palette: Mykonos Blue, Spring Lake and Coconut Cream

It seems that every Pantone color palette that comes through the Institute has at least one, if not two blues on it. Blue is a color that everyone can wear, whether you wear dark classic navy, casual comfortable chambray or tropical hues that take you to the beaches of the Caribbean. I have a lot of blue in my closet, but then, I have a lot of every color in my closet. Ha, ha. Blue is great for pairing with many other colors. I pair denim with every color and denim definitely falls in the range of blues. Today’s blues are wearable and most likely already in your wardrobe.

My colors did not really line up with these blues. Oh well, that is part of the challenge of doing this series. I don’t always get the match spot on, but that is okay. The point is to take things you already have and do something similar. It doesn’t matter if your blues are a perfect match or not. All of these pieces were things I already had.

When I picked out these pieces I really thought the pants and the vest would have matched better to Spring Lake, but now looking at the picture the pants seem to match better with the Mykonos Blue. The vest, which does seem to lean a little bit toward a gray undertone, was too dark to match the Spring Lake color. However, the patches on the pants seem to lean a little more in that direction.

The vest is a thrifted Relativity piece. I have styled this on the blog before. You can see it worn with a graphic tee. The jeans which I have styled on the blog before are thrifted and a brand called Est. 1946 Denim. You can see how I wore them with a graphic tee and cozy sweater here. Looking at the above picture, I should have rolled up the cuffs on the jeans.

When you have an asymmetrical vest with fringe, you just have to twirl!

My yellow mini floral print button down is a thrifted Old Navy piece. I decided to leave it completely untucked to add to the ultra casual vibe of this outfit.

I was trying to go for the Coconut Cream idea in my accessories, but again, things didn’t match up exactly. My bag was a hand-me-over from my daughter. This Miche brand bag actually has interchangeable outer shells, so for this look I used the cream colored one.

My sneakers are thrifted Mossimo.

What do you think of these colors? Do you like to wear blue? What color blue is your favorite?

Thanks for following along with the blog. I appreciate all of your clicks, likes and comments.

I am including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great day.

Photo credit Jessica Trumbull with Rebecca Trumbull.

Fall/Thanksgiving Outfits - Harvest Tee and Distressed Jeans - Dressy

Yesterday was my eldest’s birthday. She ordered us lunch, which I picked up and took to her house, then after we ate, we went shopping. I have to say, I felt almost like life was normal for a few hours. We had fun and I enjoyed my time with her. I have always tried to take my girls shopping on their birthdays since they were fairly young. I used to take both girls and we would get lunch together, but then the gift buying would be for the birthday girl, although I would usually end up buying the other girl a little something too. Life is so busy and with the Covid complications it is hard to find time for those moments.

Today’s look is the dressed up version of my distressed jeans and harvest tee. I only made a few changes to elevate the look. I switched out my cozy sweater for a long burgundy blazer. I also donned a pair of heeled boots and grabbed a snazzier bag.

This burgundy blazer is a thrifted Pendleton piece. I have, on several occasions thought to get rid of it, but it is such a classic, tailored piece that I keep hanging on to it, and this is precisely why. I love the way it looks with jeans. Obviously, it would also look good with a pencil skirt or more dressy trousers. The structured collar, more fitted waist, pocket flaps and detailed buttons really make this a class act.

I kept the same necklace, but added a couple gold bangle bracelets and a gold belt to go with the gold on the tee.

This thrifted, no name bag has such cute details. From the faux alligator print to the fun clasp and more structured shape, I knew I had to snatch it up. Just don’t tell my hubby! Ha, ha. He thinks I have too many sweaters, bags and shoes. Ha, ha. Why would he possibly think that?

These boots were also a thrift store find. They are Life Stride brand and I really like the brownish, burgundy color. It makes them unique from the typical black, brown or gray colors of many of my boots.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you think the changes I made elevates the look or do you think because of the distressed jeans, it still looks ultra casual? I would love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment or two.

Here are the two outfits side by side. Which one do you like better?

Can you believe a week from today is Thanksgiving? I will confess, I have started listening to Christmas music. I just need that little bit of happy in my day to day life right now. I haven’t started decorating, but I hope to get to that soon.

I am leaving a few shopping links. Be sure to check those out. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a good evening everyone.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Actual Amy - Layering Up

As most of you know, I love layers. Layering in these transitional times, from summer to fall, and fall to winter, gives us the ability to create outfits with even more interest and texture. Easy layering pieces include cardigans, blazers, jackets and scarves. These can all add a fun change to your wardrobe and give you layers to put on or take off as needed with the changing temperatures. We are expecting a warm spell these next few days, followed by falling temps for the beginning of October.

In today’s outfit, the focal point is a recent clearance find from Target. This A New Day striped blazer was uniquely different from my other blazers and jackets being that it is striped, so I knew I had to have it.

It was a chillier day when I took these pictures, so I already had the fall colored knit top and rust colored cardigan on in the house. We are hoping to make it until October before we turn on the heat. Ha, ha.

My knit, short sleeve multi-print top is a thrifted Loft piece. The rust colored cardigan is Croft & Barrow brand. There is some subtle print mixing going on here with the multi-print tee and the stripes on the blazer. This is one way to print mix without it being overwhelming. The solid color cardigan provides a border between the two prints, but you still see the mix.

These are my favorite thrifted jeans. This is an older brand called Kikit, which are only available from thrift retailers like Poshmark and Thredup. You can see how I styled these on the blog before with a leopard print blazer.

Less is more, when it comes to accessories for an outfit like this. This hand made pendent necklace is a simple piece, but makes just the right statement.

You’ve seen this pretty bag just recently on the blog when I used it with a fall colored fringe kimono.

I chose my black faux suede ankle boots. These are Natural Reflections which are a brand Cabela’s carries. My hubby and I go there every so often and usually pass through the shoe department to see what’s on sale. i really love the buckle detailing on these and I use them a lot throughout the cooler seasons.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you wear lots of layers when it gets cooler? How do you like to put your layers together? I love hearing your thoughts so be sure to leave a comment or two.

I’m including a few shopping links, so be sure to stop by. Every time you click on a link I get a few cents. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great weekend everyone. If you follow my faith posts be sure to stop by tomorrow to see the latest.

Outfit Inspiration - Dressed Up Casual Style

This Thursday column is about the places I find some of the inspiration for my outfits. There are many wonderful fashion bloggers out there. Jodie’s Touch of Style, Jo-Lynne Shane, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Fashion Fairy Dust, Shelbee on the Edge , A Picture Worth Style, and Away From Blue are just a few of my favorites. All of these women provide regular outfit inspiration as well as fun and interesting takes on real life. While I derive a ton of inspiration from these ladies, I also get many ideas from looking at magazines, fashion ads and ads from retailers like Chico’s, Christopher and Banks and Maurices. Pinterest is another great place to find fashion inspiration. You can see my Pinterest boards by clicking here.

Today’s outfit was inspired by another Chico’s ad I got in the mail, I think from last fall. The model was wearing boyfriend cropped jeans with a rolled hem, a white tee and a lovely orange and multi-colored ruana. When I was looking for my source of inspiration for this post, I saw that and I knew I had the perfect pieces to mimic the same look. This is my version.

Obviously, the focal point of this outfit is the beautiful, thrifted ruana. I found this piece, by a retailer named Mason and Belle, at a thrift boutique back in New York when I went to visit my mom. My best friend, Stacey, and I always take a day to shop, have lunch and just talk, laugh and vent. It is so good to have at least one close friend you can do that with. It is hard to be so far away, but we regularly email, text, pray and look forward to the next time we can spend together.

What drew me to this piece were several points. First, the cut is very different than any other kimono or ruana I own. It is much shorter, almost more of a shawl, wrap or poncho. The cut is also asymmetrical, unlike the more boxy cut of Tuesday’s yellow floral piece, or the rectangular cut of the kimono you will see next Tuesday. The second point is the fringe. Yes, this boho girl loves me some fringe, and this was no exception. Even the fringe is exquisitely different, with its additional beaded look. The final point that caused me to put this in my basket was the color and pattern. Purple? Of course! Plus the added oranges and yellows make this a great piece to take me into fall. Here are some other pictures of the back and the fringe.

I still need to do some unwinding of the fringe since I washed it, but all of the fringe is still intact.

My thrifted jeans are Merona brand. I didn’t wear them for a long while because the waist is rather big. They fit great through the hips and legs, but the waist has a tendency to stick out in the back. I was going to try to take them in, but decided to just wear them as is. I always wear a belt anyway, so that helps to make the waist more secure. I rolled up the hems to make them more of a cropped pant, rather than the ankle length that they are.

My simple white tee is Christopher and Banks brand. They have quality tees, that fit well and are made out of medium weight material. Every now and then they have good sales on their tees, so if you like their styles keep an eye on their sales.

I chose accessories to emphasize the colors in the ruana. The purple fringe pendant necklace is one of my favorites and it stands out against the white backdrop of the tee. I had two orange bags that I was trying to decide between. One was a brighter, more pumpkin orange and it was suede, so very appropriate for this boho look, but I decided to go with this shopper bag in the more burnt orange color, to give the outfit a little classier, big girl, dressed up vibe.

Lastly, I went with these lace up, gladiator style sandals. These are Massini brand and I got them a few years ago at Meijer.

Where do you get your fashion inspiration from? I hope that I inspire you from time to time. Remember, there are many ways to put an outfit together. Those pieces in your closet are just waiting to be unleashed into a variety of beautiful outfits. If you ever have any questions about putting an outfit together or a fashion or faith question, feel free to email me. I’d also love your thoughts for other things you would like to see on the blog. Thanks so much for all of your support!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

I’m including a few shopping links that mimic my look. These are affiliate links. Every click on a link gives me a few cents. All opinions are my own. Thank you for all your support.

Have a great weekend!

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.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - Sugar Almond and Dark Cheddar

Today’s colors, in my opinion are the epitome of fall. The browns and oranges remind me of pumpkins and firewood stacked as it waits to be used. Red’s and yellows are other bright colors associated with this season and we will be seeing more of those in the London color palette, which will be coming up shortly. Let’s take a closer look at Sugar Almond and Dark Cheddar.

This thrifted, Sonoma, chevron print, dress caught my eye a few months ago and I knew it would be perfect for fall. Originally, I was going to used the waterfall cardi for the Sugar Almond color, but I actually think the colors in the dress are more suited to both of these Pantone colors.

Since I don’t normally wear dresses this short, I thought it would be fun to pair it with cropped pants. This pair of St. John’s Bay, creamy colored pants were another thrift store find. I almost didn’t get them, because I thought they were a little tight, but then, what isn’t on me right now. Ha, ha. However, I ‘m glad I put them in my cart. I think they make a cute addition to this dress. I want to try them with boots, when the weather gets colder. I might even try this dress with a chunky sweater, tights or leggings and boots. If I have success with that, I’ll post pictures either on Instagram, or I’ll do a post about it.

You can see in the above picture, the dress has a partial button front and an elastic waist. Wearing a belt with this would be another fashion forward idea, but I wanted an uninterrupted look from collar to hem, especially since I chose to wear this with cropped pants.

Let’s take just a moment to talk about the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is a photography guideline that suggests mentally dividing your picture into thirds, horizontally and vertically. You then place the image you wish to photograph at the intersection of two lines. This can make for a more interesting picture, that draws the eye to the image.

Fashion also has a rule of thirds. The body is divided into thirds: head to waist, waist to knees and knees to feet. This is an approximation and as we all know, some people have longer necks, shorter torsos and longer legs, so each individual will be a little different. This rule is good to be aware of when putting together an outfit.

If you look at the above picture, the dress would be considered in the first two thirds of my body and the crop pants and shoes in the last third. Take a look at this article to learn more about the rule of thirds in fashion, and why it helps to keep it in mind when you dress. Dressing Your Best: Rule of Thirds.

This Pink Rose, waterfall cardi is another thrift find. I love the open weave, and as you can see, it also has the chevron pattern on it. I did not plan that. Ha, ha. I just thought the color went perfectly with the colors in the dress. This is a great piece for these fall days that are still warm.

For accessories, I went with a coppery bag and my thrifted Naturalizer shooties. I also added the pendant bead necklace as a way to bring out the cream in the dress and tie in the pants. Accessories are the best way to pull an entire outfit together and make it look finished.

What do you think of these colors? Do you wear orange? Orange is often an intimidating color to wear, but there are so many different shades and tones that there is probably one out there you could wear. Would you wear crop pants with a dress like this? Let me know your thoughts. I love to hear from you.

Be sure to check back Thursday for two more Pantone colors.

Photo and graphic credit Rebecca Trumbull.

I’ve included a few shopping links for you to look at. These are affiliate links. Any time you click on a link, I get a few pennies. If you purchase something through my links, I get a a small commission. I appreciate all your support and all opinions are my own.

Have a great week.

Mixing Metals

There was a time, back in the stone age, when women were not allowed to mix metals in their outfits. Why, there was a time when women were not allowed to mix patterns, or wear white after Labor Day, or wear pants. How things have changed. Many of these changes have been good, especially when it comes to fashion and the average woman. Now women can wear their floral blouse under a striped sweater and get all manner of compliments. A woman can wear white all winter long if she so desires, and us gals have been wearing pants for a very long time.

Many of the changes that have come about in the last few years, I have had to get used to. I was brought up to only wear white between Memorial Day and Labor Day. I keep my white pants out now and even though I don’t reach for them as often as some women might, it is not because of a rule that no longer exists. It took me a while to get the print mixing thing figured out, but now I print mix with the best of them.

One of the more subtle changes in the fashion world that I have been adjusting to is to mix metals. In other words it is now acceptable to wear gold with silver with copper with bronze with brass and pewter. Anything goes. My daughter suggested I take the challenge and make it my own, so this outfit is my first intentional attempt at metal mixing.

I started the outfit with the gold metallic top that I got for Christmas. It is a cute piece that my hubby got for me from a retailer named Marshall’s, with a little help from our daughter. It is a top that I will wear more when the weather warms up.

The fun snakeskin print vest I found in my daughter’s get rid of pile. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure, right? The front of the vest comes together with a metallic piece that holds the fabric in place. I couldn’t resist taking this fun topper home and even though it has a little wear, it doesn’t show due to the animal print. I am already thinking about how I can style this more casually for a great date night look.

I decided to go with a pencil skirt for a work wear or date night appropriate outfit. I like the streamlined look of a pencil skirt, especially under a more voluminous topper.

For my next metal, I put on a necklace that I also thrifted from my daughter. I thought the mix of copper, silver and brassy colors made this the perfect statement piece for this outfit. Using a necklace like this makes it easy to mix metals.

I got these leather boots at a local thrift store. Real leather, heels and fun details made me take these home with me.

My finishing touch on the metal mixing was to grab my little gray clutch with the brassy chain and edging and a mixed metals charm bracelet. The silver rings are my daily choice for hand wear, so I almost always have those on and the wedding band is white gold.

I like how this outfit turned out. The browns and grays are similar to the silver and coppers of the metals. This outfit is earthy with a touch of shimmer and shine.

What do you think? Do you like to mix metals? Do you like to wear outfits with shimmer or bling?

I’ve included a few shopping links for you to look over. Thanks for hanging out on the blog.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Have a great weekend!

Old Becomes New - Multi-print Blazer

For this month’s Old Becomes New column, I am featuring a short, 3/4 sleeve blazer that I found at a thrift store a few years back. What drew me to it was the amazing, eclectic color palette. My first thought was that I could wear it with so many things. After I tried it on and loved its’ stretchy feel, I had to take it home. Unfortunately, I’ve only worn it less than a handful of times. I decided to revisit it and make the tough choice as to whether I should keep it our not.

I honestly believe this jacket is meant for a smaller person than me. I am 5’ 5” and hover around 163 pounds. While it tends, on me, as more of a crop jacket, I’m just not sure. I am asking for your help friends. What do you all think? Does my outfit look disproportionate?

I chose my dressbarn W62 jeans. I bought this pair last year and they no longer carry this color. I love that they are so comfortable and stretchy, however, I feel like they are almost too big. I lost a few pounds this past spring, so I don’t know if that is what made the difference, but they seem to have a lot more wrinkles. Do you ever buy something, put it on and think, “It just doesn’t have the magic, I thought it had?”

I went with this thrifted brown tee and a necklace that was in some of my daughter’s stuff to be gotten rid of. Hey, I’m not afraid to find treasure in the strangest of places. I like the brown and yellow cord, the beads, ribbon and the charms, which you can’t see much of in this picture. It seemed a prefect fall accessory.

My bag is another thrift find. I felt the brown tee and the brown bag pulled in more of a fall feel with this blazer that could be worn in any season.

Once again, I chose my SO olive ankle boots. These are perfect for the cool temps of fall when you are not quite ready for mid-calf or knee high boots. You can see more fun colors here. The price point on these is not bad at all and they are very comfortable. I typically wear an 8.5 or a 9 and went with a 9 in these so I have more room for heavier socks as the days get cooler.

What is your verdict? Is this a jacket I should keep or should I let it go free? Ha, ha. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I have to work Friday and Saturday and try to play catch up with all the other stuff that I don’t get done during the week. Ha, ha. Take care and always choose to be kind.