Kickin' It with Kimonos - Multi-color

Welcome to my Kickin' It with Kimonos series. If you didn’t see the first post last week, be sure to click on the Gray and White Plaid to see how I styled a unique two toned outfit perfect for a summer work look, or a trip to the mall. In this series I am taking a look at a few of the unique, fun kimonos that reside in my closet. While last week’s post featured a more traditional shaped kimono, this week’s piece is truly a ruana, not a kimono. What is the difference? A kimono has a T shape, featuring a more columnar body and sleeves, while a ruana is merely a long, rectangular shaped fabric with an opening in the front and at the sides. Many times ruanas do not have sleeves, but merely hang over your shoulders and arms. Today’s piece is stitched at the sides, creating a type of wide, open sleeve.

I’ve styled this fun, festive ruana on the blog several others times. You can see it styled with blue and red, and also with red and green. It was a treasure find at DSW on the clearance rack, and is Do Everything in Love brand. This is a great name for a clothing brand, because every time you look at the tag it is a reminder to keep our opinions and our emotions in check and to be kind and show love at all times.

I do not wear shorts. I know lots of bloggers talk about body positivity and I think that is a great attitude to have, but there is also the reality of what each of us is comfortable showing off to the general public. In this picture I have on nude support hose. They help keep my legs looking a more uniform color and texture. One of these days I will show you the real me, but for now, if you struggle with varicose veins, I completely understand, especially if they aren’t merely spider veins. Mine are the bulbous, black and blue type. Maybe one day, I won’t care any more, but for now, this is me.

I chose to don shorts in an effort to show you other ways of styling pieces that most people would wear during the hotter, summer months. These are Sonoma brand from Kohl’s and are more of a Bermuda length, which I like. No more hot pants for this girl. Ha, ha. This was a photo from high school, taken with my friend Donna. I’m the one with dark hair and glasses, if you couldn’t tell. Those were definitely short, shorts! Aren’t old pictures fun?

My thrifted Marvel tee was the perfect piece to pair with this ruana. I love the bright colors and while it is cropped, with these higher waisted shorts I didn’t need to worry about my belly showing.

You can also see in the above picture the bright yellow beads I selected to go with the outfit. I didn’t need any jewelry, because there is so much already going on in this outfit. There are times, I just like to embellish, because it is fun.

I went for a larger bag having in mind this would be a good outfit for a day of shopping with a girlfriend. This is my thrifted Simply Vera bag.

My Keds navy and white sneakers seemed to be the perfect choice for this casual summer outfit.

As always, I love to give you a few happy pictures.

In addition, I couldn’t wear a Marvel shirt and not pretend to be a super hero. Ha, ha.

Do you have a bright colored ruana or kimono like this one? Do you like to wear bright colors like this, or are you more a fan of more subdued neutrals and pastels? I hope you enjoyed this post and seeing an old picture from my past.

Thursday, I hope to look at a few of the summer trends. I know summer is half over with, but I am sure we have plenty of warm days left, even well into the fall, and as I have told you before, I don’t worry so much about being trendy when the trends are trending, ha, ha, but just choose what I like and decide when I want to wear it.

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

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Is it a Kimono or a Ruana? Week 5

I have two installments left in this series on kimonos and ruanas. I have found that adding a couple of these pieces to your closet will give you miles of extra wear on things that you might consider more plain or mundane. The kimono or ruana is a piece that can stand alone, meaning it doesn't need much help to make an outfit look fabulous. For most of these I have worn the kimono/ruana over an outfit built from simple pieces like a skirt and a tank, pants and a tank, etc. The over piece is what takes center stage, which it should. 

Today's look is a different sort of kimono/ruana. Once again, I am going to call this one a "kiana" because it takes the long drape of the ruana, but makes it more kimono like by sewing the sides together to create a sleeve of sorts. When I first got this open weave piece, it was only sewn at the sides by a few stitches. I liked the way it stayed in place, but soon the stitching came undone and I noticed it was harder to keep the piece from slipping off, so I sewed the sides back together. 

I decided with this open weave look, I could focus more on the entire outfit standing out, thus the tropical print pants and graphic tee. I got these fun pants at H&M on the clearance rack. I don't wear this loud of a print too often, but I loved the fit and thought it was time, once again, to climb out of my comfort box. 

At first, I tried this on with a number of tank tops, including white and a light blue, but nothing seemed right. It was then I remembered, I had this thrifted tee and the greens matched perfectly. 

I chose the pink accessories to pull out the little bit of pink in the pants. Yes, my necklace is wrapped over my boob! Sometimes, I forget to make sure everything is positioned just perfectly. Ha, ha. Oh well, just keeping it real!

Just a few words about this shirt. If you follow my Instagram feed, then you have seen this before and I said a similar thing then that I am going to say now. It is often hard to see beauty in tragedy. How do we see beauty in school shootings, wild fires, volcanoes, mud slides and things like disease and addictions? The point is not that those things themselves contain the beauty, but that there can be beauty, even amid those difficulties. Communities coming together to help families of victims, amazing fire fighters who risk their lives saving others, and people who come out stronger than ever going through loss and heartache are all beautiful. 

There is a verse in the Bible, which says,

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

— Romans 8:28 (NASB)

I'm not going to preach to you, because this is a fashion post, but I truly believe this. Gratitude plays a huge part in seeing beauty and in bringing healing when we have gone through difficulties. Finding, even the smallest things to be thankful for, is the first step to realizing exactly what this tee represents. I'll step off my soap box now. Ha, ha.

Here is a back view of the "kiana".

Besides the open weave allowing your outfit to take center stage, rather than the kimono, it also allows air to get through. I have found many kimonos are make of polyester, poly blends, viscose or silk and actually can make you feel more hot and sticky. That's perfect when you are in an overly air conditioned building, but not if you are walking at the fair or an outdoor summer festival. An open weave outer piece is a great option for the waning days of summer. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. What do you think of this outfit? I'd love to hear your comments on how you style a kimono or a ruana in the comments sections below. 

I've included a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links which means if you click on a link I get a few pennies. If you purchase something through my site, I might get a little commission. I appreciate all the clicks you can give, but even more I appreciate hearing from you. 

Have a great day everyone!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Is It a Kimono or a Ruana? Week 4

Here I am, once again, taking a look at kimonos versus ruanas. Both of these over pieces are excellent additions to your wardrobe. They help spruce up a more plain outfit and add a lovely, interesting, layer to a work outfit or a date night look. The lighter layers not only add interest, but a little extra warmth for those overly air conditioned offices and restaurants. If you didn't see my previous three posts you can look at those by clicking on the link. Week 1, Week 2 and Week 3. Week 2 gives a good overview of the difference between the kimono and the ruana, if you were wondering.

This week's post centers around a hybrid piece that I am going to call a "kiana", as I feel it has both the cut and fit of a ruana, but the essence of the kimono. This is another online purchase from Christopher and Banks that I got for a good deal. 

For this outfit, I wore a pair of Sonoma olive trousers, a cream colored St. John's Bay tank, and my blue SO flats. 

I am calling this a "kiana" because it is shaped like a ruana, but is sewn on the sides, creating the illusion of sleeves, thus the kimono. Once again, you can see that the outfit by itself is rather plain, but adding this sheer over piece makes the outfit really pop.

I received this fun textured clutch for Christmas from my younger daughter a few years ago. I love the color and the texture. Texture is another way to add interest to an outfit. Think about adding texture in the form of a jacket, a scarf or a bag like this one. Jewelry can also be a way to add more texture. Think pendant necklaces with fringe or even a beaded bracelet like this one I am wearing that I found in a clearance basket at Chicos. 

Here is another look at the entire outfit. 

What do you think of this piece? Do you think calling it a "kiana" is a good name? What are some ways you style your kimonos or ruanas? What are some ways you add texture to your outfits? I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments section below. 

I've included a few shopping links below for you to peruse. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Have a wonderful day. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.