Outfit Inspiration - Cottage Core with an Edge

This week’s source of inspiration started with an Instagram challenge that I am trying to participate in for the month of May. The challenge, #mismatchmay revolves around outfit combinations that might seem unusual or outside the norm. It isn’t just a matter of putting different prints together, although that does have something to do with it. Every week has a different focus. For the first week we are to build outfits with the ideas in mind of character play, pose play and mix of hard and soft.

I thought I would focus, at least for one of the days on the mix of hard and soft. This would be combinations of fabrics like soft silks, tiered tulle, lace, and other feminine fabrics with moto jackets, structured vests or blazers, or leather and vinyl. As I began shopping my closet, I wanted to get a little more knowledge, which led me to Pinterest. There I discovered something I had heard of but didn’t know a lot about, Cottage Core.

Cottage Core delves into fashion that examplifies a romanticized version of pastoral life. You will find floral prints, feminine tiered skirts and maxi dresses, and oversized cozy cardigan sweaters. There is a focus on natural fibers, vintage inspiration and a closeness to nature. There is a Cottage Core aesthetic in the architectural realm as well with home decor turning towards English gardens, and rustic baskets and floral arrangements.

This outfit is my attempt to do Cottage Core (for the soft) with an edge (for the hard). There are two things in this outfit that fall into the Cottage Core aesthetic: the white tiered, lacy skirt, and the floral print on the sweater.

My floral pullover was a clearance find a few years ago from Maurice’s. It is a good piece for spring, as it is not the heavy weight of many of my pullover sweaters. Unfortunately, the weather has been cold and rainy, so my warm weather clothes are on hold.

I have had this skirt for a while. It is St. John’s Bay from JCPenney. I have styled it on the blog before. You can see it styled with a green blouse and jacket, with a pink striped pullover, and with a striped tee and navy eyelet jacket.

My brown moto jacket has been around for a while too. A thrifted piece it is Celebrity Pink brand and you can see how I styled it with an orange medallion skirt, a Grinch sweater, olive utility pants, a printed maxi dress, and a peachy monochrome look.

I added a bit of gold bling in the form of my layered necklaces and multiple bracelets. I addition I thought it would be fun to add another print, so I reached for my thrifted leopard print bag.

I chose a pair of hand-me-over ankle boots from my daughter to finish the outfit.

What do you think of this outfit? Are you familiar with Cottage Core fashion? Do you have tiered skirts, and florals in your closet? What about this style do you like or dislike?

I hope you enjoyed this post. I am including a few shopping links for Cottage Core types of pieces. These are affiliate links which means if you purchase something through the link, I get a little bit of a commission. These are brought to you at no additional cost. All opinions are my own.

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Spring/Summer Trends - 2021 - Wearing White, Bubblegum Pink and Ballerina Flats

You know how much I love color, so I was excited the Spring Trends for 2021 included a few fun colors. Once again, white is on the scene, and like pastels, seems to now be a year round staple. Winter whites this past winter were very popular and I felt it was an easier color for many to wear than a stark, brilliant white, but even bright white has a place, and this spring and summer it will have its day. In addition to white, this spring/summer season is heralding the addition of bubblegum pink. This bright, deep pink can be worn full on, or sprinkled. Just like ice cream toppings, you can decide if you want to drizzle or drench. Today’s outfit is a simple combination of these two colors. Let me know what you think.

My bright pink striped sweater is a thrift find from a few years ago. This Old Navy brand top is comfortable and light weight, so perfect for these still chilly days of spring. My biggest problem with pullovers right now are my belly flaps, or as they are more commonly known - the spare tire. I don’t really have as much of a bulge in the front, but definitely on my sides. At the suggestion of my daughter, I am discreetly hiding the fact behind my clutch. Ha, ha.

This picture is silly, but I put it in here for several reasons. First, I thought you might enjoy a good laugh. I think this was one of my dance moves: maybe the wave? The second reason has to do with what I did with my pullover top. I often do the front tuck. Doing this helps to hide some of the middle area bulge that many of us are carrying around. I did this as an after thought, so it isn’t as pretty as it could be, but you get the idea. Finally, I wanted you to see this maxi skirt that I have styled before on the blog. This St. John’s Bay skirt from JC Penny is one of my favorite summer pieces, as it is fully lined, has an elastic waist and groovy texture. You can see it styled with a green jacket and an orange striped tee.

I like to give you links to past posts, to show you the versatility of the pieces in your wardrobe and how they can be styled for different seasons and with different pieces. You don’t have to have a clothing fetish like I do to have a full and interesting wardrobe. Having a few key pieces, like a white skirt, whether maxi, midi or mini; a-line, pleated or pencil, will give you lots of options for warm weather looks.

I’ve included a couple of pictures that show you up close the details on the skirt.

Once again, I chose a long, pendant necklace. I also added a silver and gray stone bracelet. To keep my accessories similar I grabbed my silver clutch and my silver SO ballerina flats. As I said last week, low soles are back in style, so grab your flats and your sandals and walk in comfort.

Do you wear white in the summer time? Do you like this bright, bubblegum pink? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Color Play - Bathroom Tiles

You might think by the title of my post, that I am going to talk about the tiles in my bathroom. That would not be very entertaining, as my downstairs bath has white tiles and the upstairs bath is in dire need of repair. I took a picture of these bathroom tiles at the public library nearby, as a source of inspiration for putting an outfit together. I have been trying to think of more creative ways to look at color, not only in the world around me, but for the purpose of using those colors as inspiration for outfits.

Picture taken by me on my phone.

There is a lot going on with these tiles. I see several shades of blue, gray, brown and a sort of mustardy yellow tan. Ha, ha. I’m sure there is a correct color name, but who knows what it is. I was originally going to post this outfit back in July, so I had chosen to go with the white tiles rather than the darker grays.

This outfit is perfect for the transition from summer to cooler fall temps and frankly, while there is still a whole month of summer left, I am looking forward to the temps cooling off, the leaves changing and all the other tantalizing fall aromas and tastes.

Everything in this outfit was thrifted. My white skirt, a brand called VLD was styled last year in my Wearing White series. You can see the skirt worn with a blue top and fall colored scarf, here.

The thrifted 3/4 length sleeve, mustard tee is Sonoma brand. This is another piece that gets regular wear in the cooler temps. You can see it styled with a snakeskin print skirt, purple maxi skirt, and a brown cardigan,

You have also seen this thrifted J.Jill jacket on the blog before too. See it styled with my head to toe denim outfit from this last spring’s trend post.

I added the blue pendant necklace as an additional pot of color against the yellow background.

When I was putting this outfit together and wondering what bag to use, it came to me that this little thrifted piece of bling would be the perfect accompaniment. The browns also mimic some of the brown tiles in my inspirational picture. I love the little southwestern scene done in sequins and beads on this fun piece.

The black casing of the bag and the little black cord strap caused me to reach for my thrifted, black, Baretraps sandals.

What do you think? Did I mimic the bathroom tile colors? What sorts of things do you get your outfit inspiration from besides bloggers or models? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me some love in the comments.

Here I am kicking 2020 to the curb! Ha, ha.

Here is a look at the tiles and my outfit side by side.

I hope you enjoyed this post and that you come away from it with new eyes to look for added sources of outfit inspiration.

I’m including a few similar piece shopping links, so feel free to peruse. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit (except for the tiles) Rebecca Trumbull.

Marvelous Maxis - Wearable White

White has long been a summer staple for many women. I can remember when I was a girl, going shopping with my mom before Easter to get a new pair of white church shoes. Back then, we didn't wear white until after Memorial Day, with the exception of Easter Sunday. White is now a year long embraceable color. Spring, summer, winter and fall are all appropriate seasons for wearing white. In the warmer months our white clothing will usually gravitate to capris, shorts and lighter weight tanks and sleeveless tops. I have also found white skirts are a fun item to have in your wardrobe. 

Today's skirt is St. John's Bay brand from JC Penney. They currently do not have a white maxi version, but they do have a knee length version here. 

Look 1 - Casual

I topped the white skirt with a simple orange and white striped tee that I found at a thrift store. I like the bright color of this tee. 

I added my antler and bead necklace from Cabelas and a bracelet that matched. It's funny how sometimes you can buy two separate pieces of jewelry, at two different places, at two different times and end up having them look great together. 

To keep the look ultra casual I wore my black flat espadrilles. These are Easy Spirit brand and have a nice cushy insole. Here is a very cute low wedge version. Espadrilles are a great shoe for summer as they are usually made of canvas, which keeps your feet from getting too hot. They also look cute with just about everything.

Look 2 - Dressier

I didn't dress this outfit up as, much because I wanted to show you that making only a few little changes can make a casual outfit look a bit more dressy. 

I kept the same tee, but topped it with a Joe Fresh navy eyelet jacket from JC Penney. Penneys no longer carries Joe Fresh, but they have their own website. Here is a cute version from Old Pueblo Traders. 

You can see I also kept the same bag. This roomy top handle bag is from shopping a friend's closet. It is an Aldo brand bag and is well constructed with a burlap looking body and tan leather trim and handles. 

I swapped out my antler and bead jewelry for a few orange beaded bracelets and a bird pendant, with a gold chain and pretty faux rhinestones. 

I also swapped out my flat espadrilles for my Croft and Barrow Ortholite sandals. These are very comfortable, look stylish and come in two other colors. You can see them here. 

Here are the two outfits side by side.

Do you own a white maxi skirt? How do you style it? Do you wear it all year round or just in the summer? I actually could see wearing this skirt with a heavy sweater and boots in the colder weather, so I may just have to try that. I'd love to hear your input in the comments section below. 

Check back Thursday for a colorful outfit on my Color Crash Course column.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

This post contains affiliate links. All opinion are my own. 

Linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb, Nicole of High Latitude Style, 

Pantone Spring 2017 - Greenery

I decided to put this color first before the Island Paradise, which was the one next in the Pantone line up, because I thought it made a possible Easter outfit. The Greenery color is one of my favorites from the Pantone Spring 2017 line up for its connection to nature. Looking out my window, I can see the first shades of green in the grass, trees and bushes. No two greens are exactly the same. I first talked about Greenery when Liz and I did our collaboration back in February. You can see that post here. I decided to use the same top, but paired it with a white skirt and a Greenery suede jacket that I found recently thrifting. 

I tucked the popover top in and added a belt that blends green and a bit of pink with the straw color. Tucking the top in and adding the belt give definition to my waist. I could also have left the top out and wore the belt over it. That would make another interesting look. 

Here you can see the belt better as well as the necklace and ring that I added for accessories. As always, I like to add visual interest to an outfit by adding texture. The belt, the skirt and the suede jacket all add their own texture. In addition to that the necklace with its gold metal sunbursts add a different but complementary element. 

I went for my pewter  tote bag and added my tan colored shooties. The subdued brown and tan shades add to the earthy look of the outfit, while the white skirt makes it stand out. 

You can also see a little of the detail on this fun maxi skirt that I found at Kohl's at the end of the season last summer. I love that this is a fully lined maxi, so I don't have to worry about wearing a slip underneath. As long as I don't wear red or black underwear this will be a great go-to skirt for a day of shopping, a night out with the hubby or a walk in flip flops on the beach. I love pieces that have that amount of versatility. 

What do you think of this outfit? Would you wear something like this for Easter? What are you planning for Easter day? We will have a treasure hunt for my Grandson, visit with family and probably have the traditional meal of ham, deviled eggs and many other goodies. 

I always appreciate your input, so if you have the time, be sure to leave a comment in the comments section below. 

Have a wonderful Easter!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a shopping link I get a few cents. If you purchase something through one of the links, I get a little commission. All opinions are my own. I appreciate your support for my blog. 

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Wednesday linking up with Shelbee in the Spread the Kindness link up and Hannah and Sara of The Perfect Storm Blog.