Olive Drab and Aubergine

Two outfits today. The first one i wore yesterday, with my new Bass Lamont Distressed Boots!  So very very nice (even thought they have a 2" heel, not 5" like some other bloggers wear). I also feel like i am getting better at creating outfits that read as casual and in which i feel truly comfortable. I wouldn't say i'm completely there yet. But i'm getting much closer!

 I love olive drab, and it's close enough to a neutral to 'sneak into' my typical palette with no commotion whatsoever.  Aubergine, burgundy, etc. seems to be more of a 'color' color to me, and i feel it's a little too much for me to wear it on it's own. I prefer it worn with it's complementary hue of green.

here's a peak at my 'granpa's union suit' red socks

As a rule, when you put two 'opposite' colors (as in opposite each other on the color wheel) next to each other, they spark each other and the colors appear more intense and richer. In this outfit, the opposing colors don't 'pop' much because they are shades. A shade is made from a pure color which has been mixed with black.  This 'steps down' the color intensity of any given hue, and can also help meld together different colors (as it does here with the olive drab and aubergine).

 I came across Tiger Color recently (i'm pretty sure it was on Paula's site Fashion Over Fifty, but i don't recall) and it is a fantastic resource for all the basics of color theory. Poke around there a little to familiarize yourself with the concepts, then start picking apart all of your fave color combos to discover how and why they work. Soon you too will be a mistress of the color tiger!

no luck mastering this tiger

I was lucky enough to be able to take a number of undergraduate level art history and practice courses in my twenties. Combined with my life long practice  of sewing, photography, and drawing, my professional experience in sign making, and love of all arts and crafts, i've managed to get a pretty comprehensive grounding in color theory.

But i have no idea why this second outfit (worn 3-4 weeks ago) seems to work, really. There's no burgundy or olive drab in that skirt. It is based, way in the way back, on a red/green oppositional color scheme, as is the olive drab/aubergine top and cardi combo. But......who knows. Theory can only take you so far, is the moral of this story. Either that, or this second oufit belongs in the realm of the 'fashion don'ts'! I mean, "Honestly, Dad - socks and sandals??!?!?!" (exasperated sigh)

Cardi: Macy's (several years ago)
Aubergine top: Anne Klein for Vogue Patterns V2987, altered & made by me
Floral Corduroy Shirt: L. L. Bean (several years ago)
Capris: Royal Robbins
Red Socks: gift
Umbrella Skirt: own design
Petticoat: own design
Boots: Bass Lamont
Sandals: Naturalizer
Belt: old
OTK Socks: Target

Summer Wrap Up

Happily, today (Halloween!) has dawned nice and bright, so the little ghoulies and monsters should be able to run, squeal, and hold up the locals without fear of damp or cold.  However, the last couple of weeks have been typical Bay Area winter-type weather - damp, some rain, fog, a bit chilly.  I have a couple of summery outfits i haven't posted yet, so i figured i'd better slap 'em up here before they seem completely out of kilter!

Another grocery-shopping-day look.  Note predominance of pockets and tell-tale bright pink pen.

another view:

I love that skirt so much more since i made the 'coordinating' petti. Even when i wear the skirt all by itself.  It makes no sense, but that hasn't stopped anything before.

God, i just love the way linen crinkles and wrinkles and drapes.  That blouse is a linen/rayon blend and by the end of the day is just has this amazing texture. Not to mention it breathes wonderfully in the heat.  It also lasts like iron, i did you not! If i had to choose one fiber for all i wear, i'd go with linen.

Same pin/chain trick. Next you can see the multiple waist fastenings i like - knotted, belted, & tied.

This last outfit (below) was fine. But i've decided to toss this blouse (after i cannibalize it for buttons, lace, etc.). I got it on sale at April Cornell a few years back. Very nice details - buttons with loops, skinny circle-ruffle on neckline, lace and ruffle on sleeve - but the fit is just atrocious. Constantly 'falling to the back', kind of too long to wear out and loose (plus the front placket always shrank, causing the hem to dip up in the center), yet not long enough to tuck in or knot properly.

Here's a detail of how i got the blouse to kind of (not really) stay in place:

I used a hair elastic to gather up the 'knot', then hid it underneath the belt. It looked fine, but the blouse kept moving around too much for me.

I thought this clock would look so fun with this outfit.  It's a present from my mom - i love old clocks and i love birds, so it was really sweet of her to find this one for me. This clock is perfect as a kitchen clock (hmm, i think it's time to move it over the greenhouse window above the sink again...).  The funniest part is, through some mix-up, the details of which i've forgotten (mom?), mom ended up getting a duplicate and now we have matching kitchen clocks!  Of course this makes it that much more special. I'm having a feeling that i was certain i'd lost it in the move to Tony's when we married, so mom got me a replacement, but then i found the original....

Mom, does this sound right to you or.....?

Happy Halloween everybody!!!

Jacket: Royal Robbins, altered
Top, Petticoat: own design
Skirt: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Shoes: Maine Woods
Pen: Pilot Rolling Ball Extra Fine
Belt: Betsey Johnson

Blouse: Folkwear Patterns Gibson Girl Blouse, made by me
Dress: Converse One at Target
Underskirt: Liberty of London for Target
Belt: Betsey Johnson

Blouse: April Cornell
Skirt, Petticoat: own design
Sandals: Naturalizer

Expandin' One's Repetoire

Gasp! what's all this then?!?!? No pieces all beige, nor black, nor white or grey.....yep, folks, it's an all-color outfit. My first on the blog, excluding a couple of dresses. This one is entirely made up of separates.

Yet i felt comfortable all day, and got a number of compliments. And this outfit just came together, i wasn't forcing myself to make a big leap (though it kind of looks like i did!). How did i go from this or this to today's outfit?

Thursday TDE got a visit from reader kellyroy68. She documents her classic-with-an-artsy-edge, mom-on-the-go style at her blog, Fashion Me Blog. She asks, 'By the way ,do you know http://magnoliapearlblog.blogspot.com
I love this stuff although I can't pull this look.What do you think?' To begin, thank you kellyroy for pointing me to Magnolia Pearl! I'd never heard of them before. Magnolia Pearl offers wonderfully artful, exquisitely feminine vintage feel pieces dripping with ruffles, ribbons and all types of lace. And kellyroy asks a great question - you have a style that works for you and your lifestyle. But personal style is about creativity as well, and you feel a pull to take your style in another, totally new direction......how to do this while feeling true to yourself and not making expensive mistakes?

Well, my answer is typical Taurus - bit by bit. We all have outfits that we like and fit our style but that are pretty basic. A tee and jeans or a jean skirt, a sheath dress or shirtwaist, simple sweater and a-line skirt......the real beauty of these simple ensembles is how well they play with others. In other words, you can use these simple outfits as backdrops for the most outlandish of accessories and look like you know what you're doing. You obviously wore a plain background to show off your great, unusual piece!

So take this simple sweater shell and skirt in pale pinks on Fashion Me Blog. The easiest first step would be to add a lacy Magnolia Pearl scarf at the neck. If you like that look and want to take it further, pop on this medium pink Magnolia Pearl vest (on the lower left of the collage). The simple lines of your background pieces offer the eye a place to rest, and 'tone down' the outfit the way vanilla ice cream tones down the intensity of hot fudge in a sundae. To take it even further, try both scarf and vest together in the same outfit. You can even buy a whole outfit at once, if you love it to pieces and it's a great deal, then wear all the pieces separately with calmer outfits to 'work up' to wearing the whole outfit. This is also a nice way to get more use out of special occasion or fancier pieces.

That's how i ended up in all this color. About thirteen years ago, i bought a bright coral floral scarf. I like it a lot, so i made the Donna Karan jacket in a similar color (but only wore it with whites and beiges, maybe denims). The J. Peterman tee was too adorable and on sale three or four years ago.......by this time i was getting a lot more familiar with the range and types of color that i enjoyed wearing, so when i spotted the umbrella fabric i didn't take long to decide to snap it up for a skirt.

These pics are of the outfit i wore Thursday. Wednesday i wore the tee with khaki cargo pants, a usual way of styling them. It was okay, nothing fabulous. By late afternoon my leg was killing me, i couldn't stand to have anything touching it, so i ripped off the pants and put on my most 'non-leg-touching' skirt......hey! whaddaya know! I got such of a kick out of the combo i couldn't wait to wear it again, and put it on again Thursday with the jacket.

Prints can help you identify colors you might want to use more of on their own. The J. Peterman tee has a great dusky rose, a kind of burnt-feeling green, glowing deep coral, medium violet - any of these colors would be great on their own. And apparently they look great together, witness that tee....

Obviously, it's not necessary to take THIRTEEN YEARS to ease into a new look (what can i say. We Taureans are know for being slow and stubborn!). But by taking it a little slower, and going step by step, you can be more sure of your choices, and save money and aggravation.

I had the idea for this post before i received kellyroy's question, so there's a bit of kismet for you! And to top that, Magnolia Pearl has an outlandishly decorated airstream coach documented in Selvedge magazine. They live and work in it while on the road. The Mr. and i have been dreaming and scheming of living in our own tiny home for years.......

Jacket: Donna Karan for Vogue Patterns #2862, made by me
Tee: J. Peterman
Skirt: own design
Petticoat: own design
Clogs: Dansko Marcelle
Mary Janes: Clark's Passion
Jewelry: own design

Central American Embroidery

I've ended up with more variety in the looks i've been able to wear with this skirt than i expected. It's an example of how the shape of the top worn with a particular skirt determines the silhouette and thus the overall look. I realized that this top had enough length for me to belt it at the high hip (instead of at the waist, which would give a similar silhouette to the previous outfits i've made around this skirt). One day i'll go all crazy on you and wear a different pair of shoes!

Central American embroidery is one of my favorite ethnic arts to wear. I don't know much about it, but the pieces i have seen are just incredible - amazing color sense, dense and precise needle work, and no limits to the imagination of what's depicted. A dear friend picked this blouse up at a garage sale for a buck or two and mailed it to me. All these gorgeous creatures depicted by hand. I'd wear it more except i want it to last as long as possible!

I managed to buy a gorgeous embroidered strap belt last winter in Mendocino. Unfortunately it's pink dye comes off very easily onto other fabric and i've had a hard time figuring out how to wear it without ruining the other clothes i'm wearing with it. Any ideas out there? It's a six foot long wrap belt.

I've been keeping my eye on the Mayan Connection site for years. The perfect convergence between a skirt that will work in my wardrobe scheme and my budget has yet to occur, but i'm keeping hope alive!

Blouse: ??? hand embroidery looks of Mexican origin?
Skirt: own design
Belt: some old thing
Sandals: Naturalizers

Shoppin' On The Noggin

Here's a little better look at the umbrella skirt. I love that frog, i couldn't bear to crop him out of the picture. Mr. E picked him up to hold up the umbrella in the middle of our outdoor table. Capturing him in a photo with the umbrella skirt was only a matter of time.

Here's a look at the details on this top. It turns out that the light in our shower is just right for catching these hard-to-photograph details. This is the original cami-top. My good friend, BZ, sent me a similar style of top which she'd found at a yard sale. It solved my problem of what to wear when it's boiling out but you feel like a schmuck wearing a black sports bra like ever other woman in this town. Fortunately it was a snap to copy the style, it takes less than a yard of fabric, and the possibilities for embellishment are just about endless.


Tomorrow morning Mr. E and i plan to get up at the veritable crack of dawn to queue up for the semi-annual REI used gear sale. REI stocks all variety of outdoor gear, from kayaks to bikes to tents, backpacks, shoes, and clothing and on and on. The used gear sales are famous for incredible bargains on barely-touched items (REI has a liberal return policy). This will be our first time attending one of these events - it looks to be pretty intense. From the website:

"Get your membership card ready, so you can check out the rock bottom prices on our used gear and clothing...... Due to the popularity of the first day of this event, we will issue reservation tickets for Saturday shoppers. These tickets will be given out Saturday morning, every half-hour, beginning at 8 am, and will allow 15-minute access to the sale. Twenty tickets will be issued for each 15-minute shopping interval. Only one ticket will be given to each person, and each person must be present to receive one."

Yee-haw! I can really use some new cargo pants (my best have recently develop a 6 inch long tear in the upper thigh). REI also carries Smartwool socks and Dansko clogs. A safari vest would be a lot of fun, i only have four belts so i'm always on the lookout there, you know me and hats.....but all will depend on who has returned what. I'm very happy to be attending with Mr. E - the most outstanding shopper i've ever met.
Sad news. A month or so ago i saw this Raccoon Rumpus blouse in an Anthropologie store. It's been on my mind ever since, but has sold out. I had entertained a fantasy that such an exceptional garment (yes, those are realistic racoons cavorting on 100% cotton swiss dot) would be a complete commercial flop and subject to drastic markdowns, at which point i'd swoop in and claim my rightful bounty. Alas, it was not to be........(swelling violins in the background).

The chances of finding similar fabric anywhere also suck. However, a nice swiss dot with strategic raccoon embroidery? Distinctly possible!

Hat: gift
Top: own design
Skirt: own design
Sandals: Naturalizers

Tiptoeing About, Spouse Has Tummy Trouble

The title explains the inglorious introductory photo of my new skirt. Poor Mr. E had been having stomach upset all day at work, so he came home and fell sound asleep. I didn't want to bother him with excessive photo-fiddling, which resulted in a lower-quality type photo. Oh well, i'm just one of those old-fashioned 'i put my priority on real life' luddites!

But i did get a decent close-up of the top. I'd like to point out that i have taken it in since i wore it in this early post, where i complained about the fit. One item crossed off of the to-do list!

Do any of you wear your rings on a necklace when you're doing a lot of dirty or watery things? I like to still be wearing my rings, even if they're not on my hands. I think they're less likely to be lost as well.

I went out on a limb a bit with this skirt. The bright colors and specific pattern mens that it won't go with EVERY OTHER THING in my wardrobe, which is how i've been approaching additions up until now. But i feel that i have enough 'basics' covered to sneak this in. And since i can wear a casual cotton skirt 5-6 days of the week, it will get used - not like a fancy skirt i'd only wear to an opera opening. The warm color palette augmented with warm neutrals of the pattern also make this skirt easy to wear with a number of my existing tops. It's cheerful and fun and the material barely touches my legs so it's really comfortable. And it's fun to have an item that is strictly casual and fun!

P.S. I'm working on a series about remaining stylish whilst roughing it - we had a wonderful camping trip on our recent vacation. I've been camping many many times since i was 2-3 years old, so if you have any issues you would like me to address please leave a comment or send me an e-mail. Thanks!

Top: own design
Skirt: own design
Scarf as belt: gift
Sandals: Naturalizers