Thrifted Booty, aaarR!

Okay, that's enough pirate-speak for one post! Here's some of the first looks i wore using my Fancy Pants World Tour loot. This first look uses the new H & M stretch cotton blouse, stretch cotton jean jacket, and Charlie 1 Horse mules. I loved this look - very sleek, great, interesting play of newtrals and nice details. I wore it to stroll down Solano Avenue with Mr. E and got a number of looks from my fellow distaff citizens. They'd start at the feet, and slowly move up until i could see the disbelieving/disapproving - yet 'filing this away for future reference' look on their face.

A successful outfit.

I made The Sheila Skirt of 100% linen a couple/three of months ago, and i'm enjoying it even more now that i can wear it over bare legs. I wasn't sure i'd like a knee length, straight skirt but i love the pulled together feel it gives to many looks. How foolish of me to doubt the power of Sheila! I'm scheming to make more.

This CAbI jacket is cotton seersucker with woven stripes. The details are wonderful - little pleated ruffles at sleeve hem and on the pocket tops, and the seams inside all finished with aqua calico. It's a lot of fun with jeans, and plays quite nicely with my frou-frou cami-tops. It shows no signs of wear, and the 3/4 sleeves give it a sassier feel. $5.50!

A closer look.

Here's a look with the black cotton capri-length cargo pants. The fabric is thin but closely woven, thus sturdy and easy to wear when it gets hot. I think they're men's, i had to take them in at the waist and crotch.

And here's the same outfit with the H & M stretch cotton top visible. It's the same cut as the white top, only in black, i was so tickled to find both! I like buying closet staples in a light and dark version - you get the benefit of having more than one of a piece you love and can use, but with even more flexibility. These cargo capris illustrate the same principle - they're a mish-mash of my fave khaki cargos and workhorse khaki capris, made up in black.

Since i stuck to my list in buying these pieces, i immediately integrated them into daily rotation. I've been wearing the jean jacket 3-4 times a week since i got it! It fills the same 'ecological niche' as my khaki jean jacket, but with a different color, cut, and 'feel' or 'style vocabulary word'. I have to say, stretch fabrics have become phenomenally wearable the last few years. When i was little, they would weave in these elastic 'fibers' (basically the rubber bands they put on newspapers or a floral bouquet, only in ivory) that would start busting and hanging out of your clothes like little rubbery teeth. Nowadays, they have truly become a miracle fibre. I'd never wear a jacket of this heavy denim cut this close without the stretch - with, it's incredibly comfy!

I'm also wearing it a bunch because 'any day now' the weather will turn summer and it'll be way too hot. We're having this strange, late summer here - yesterday the weatherman said it looked like a February weather system! Who knows, but when it comes to this jacket i'm getting while the getting's good!

Mrs. Bossa Gets It Done

the skirt look

 I've been very flattered and excited by your response to my Checklist Analysis post. I worried that it would be too 'thinky' and abstract to draw readers in, but so far people seem to find it intriguing and inspiring. As readers have requested more examples of using this checklist on particular outfits, here's your first one.

A few days after i published the post i received an e-mail from Mrs. Bossa of Mrs. Bossa Does the Do, asking for my thoughts on a couple of her recent looks.  She'd been thinking about finding a new 'Fashion Formula', as she terms it, for her work outfits. She ended up taking inspiration from the house of Marni, and came up with a couple of outstanding outfits after boiling down her observations to this :  "In the end I decided that there were a few key elements to my favourite Marni looks: on the one hand unexpected colours and quirky statement necklaces and on the other, the aforementioned ribbed knee socks and ‘dull’ old grey tights, worn either with peg trousers or knee-length skirts."  (Find Mrs. Bossa's original post on how Marni helped her come up with her Fashion Formula here.) Read on for my checklist analysis, and a response to my thoughts from Mrs. Bossa herself.

the trouser look

Silhouette:
Sleek with a surprise - just a little to the side of a 'classic' fit/silhouette (a bit on the roomier side), with certain unexpected details in where hems hit, etc.  So there's a wee gap between skirt hem and top of socks, trousers are rolled into cuffs, even tho they're being worn with socks, which you'd think would mean it's cold, but she's wearing sandals, so....... (there's nothing i love more than creating an outfit which creates this kind of hamster wheel thinking in the observer's mind). There's also a sharp edge here and there to focus the look - pointy toed shoe, nice and sharp shoulder on the jacket, pointy triangles on the sandals made emphatic by wearing a contrasting sock underneath.

Drape:
The fabrics' drape emphasizes the silhouette by having enough body to hold the line of the cut without being stiff or bulky. Even the material of the skirt falls neatly, as opposed to being overly flowy or clingy. The

Texture:
Also works to put the focus on silhouette by staying in the mid-range - generally matte, but with enough variation (nubby sock here, shimmer of silk crepe there) to keep things lively.

Color:
The general idea is a newtral background with one or two contrast pieces - either contrasting in color and/or value (light vs. dark).  What adds that quirky unexpectedness is that the background pieces vary in color (not so much in light/dark or value). So in the trouser look the shell is a dark navy, the jacket black, the socks dark grey. The navy shell is a brilliant touch as it's the color opposite of the orange of the trousers, making the contrast more vibrant. Joanna uses another quirky strategy for creating the 'background' in her skirt look, by 'backgrounding' pieces (necklace, shoes) which are generally highlighted in outfits. She accomplishes this by setting them next to or on items with a very similar color and value (black necklace on black sweater). Again in the sweater/skirt look, the 'background' pieces vary in color, not so much in value - grey socks, black sweater and necklace, dark brown shoes.

If Joanna wanted to create more looks with this general feel, one choice would be to make a light value background for a dark value and/or contrasting color item. For example, she could use the orange trouser once again as the contrast piece, but make a background of light newtrals. Including at least one piece with a warm green base (for example, a light sage cardigan) would up the contrast even more, as she did by using the navy blue shell. She could wear the same light-colored sandals with  light grey, bone, or cream colored socks, and so on. Or she could wear the skirt and sweater of her second look with the same sandal and sock combo of my first example and go light on the rest of the pieces, making the black sweater the contrast piece on a light background.

Pattern:
Doesn't play a role in these looks.

Detail:
Plays a big role and helps create the quirky, unexpected feel to what are at heart fairly basic clothing items. Again, 'backgrounding' a statement necklace by wearing it over the same color and value, wearing nubby socks instead of hose, leaving a gap between hem and sock - these are the touches that set these looks apart from the ordinary. The individual clothing items all lack much detail, being spare and clean.Tthis adds to the modern feel and keeps the quirky touches from feeling overly fussy or contrived. Another aspect to notice is that the details and

Accessories:
All have a geometric feel. the necklace is composed of circles, the shoes have pointedly pointed toes, the sandals make nice triangles. These work well with the sharp shoulders of the jacket and rhythmic pleats of the skirt. Nothing is representational or organic in feel.

Style References:
Well, Joanna let us all know these are her take on the aspects of Marni's work that she was drawn to. I wouldn't have realized this if she hadn't told me, because i don't follow the collections really at all (bad style blogger!), and don't know anything about Marni except that it's a designer. However, taking a gander at Joanna's inspiration pictures, i can see the influence. Joanna's take on these looks is definitely more wearable than the runway looks, and i appreciate the creativity they show more than i would seeing a lady all decked out in Marni's latest - you can wear a designer's look wholesale and have these same quirky touches and subtle use of color, but all of the decisions have been made for you. Taking inspiration requires that the 'inspiree' dissect their own response to the designer's work, and come up with ways to translate those responses into their own wardrobe and lifestyle. In a strange way, this approach to a designer can bring you closer to their clothing and creative process than dropping a few bills at one of their boutiques.

I love these looks, they are very wearable and really fun. You could come up with a load of different looks in this same vein, there is a lot of room for variety but the general structure is solid enough that you won't be flapping around for ideas or direction. Brava Joanna!!!

clockwise from top left: lo contrast; lo contrast; lo and hi contrast at once; hi contrast.

Joanna's Response:

"This is fantastic - I've read it twice! It's so interesting to see my style with a fresh eye. I never even considered the effect of reducing statement pieces to background ones, but you're right: my emphasis is on a clean silhouette and quirky little details. I realise now that outfits that have felt really dull have been missing these details. I was fascinated to notice the geometric shapes in my clothes, too, something I'd never been aware of - fussy and flowing ain't me, that's for sure! I'm still mulling over the section on colour, as I'd like to try the suggestions you made, and I never thought about the 'value' of the items I choose. I have been branching out into colour blocking, which I'm enjoying, but the pieces themselves are always simple, as you can imagine. I love the section on the trousers socks and sandals - that 'hamster wheel' never occurred to me!"

Thank you Mrs. Bossa - both for your kind comments and for allowing me to use your looks to help illustrate my checklist. 

A word on how i 'do' the checklist. I generally look at the outfit, run through the checklist and get a 'gut feel' for the major elements : silhouette and color, for example. I then spend a few days to more than a week mulling in my mind, going back to the pictures, making notes here and there as it occurs to me, until i can do a write up in just a few minutes. That lets me know i've reached a decent level of understanding. So i use a very analytical, left-brain tool (the checklist), but i wield it in a very right-brain, fluidly creative manner. I find that this get 'both halves' of the brain in on the action. As a result, i'm much more able to create looks i love organically, just throwing them together; but when i do get stuck i have the ability to 'think' my way into an equally great look.

I want to do a couple more of these type of posts, if you have one you're interested in having me look at just send a note to pygmyowl@sbcglobal.net.

Fancy Pants World Tour

the true femaraderie of thrifting - me & 'P'

 A few weeks ago i received an intriguing invitation in the mail box. "Fancy Pants World Tour"? Sounds epic and expensive.  Also like the food would be good. Wait, that's the "Elastic-Waist Pants World Tour". A gander at the return address filled me in on the perpetress. ilegirl, my good friend "P", was planning another of her female oriented frolics. (You may remember her last fete, "Romantic B. S.").

those are fabric trousers!

 The itinerary:

Danville Thrift

Hospice Thrift Shop – 444 Diablo Road
Thrift Station – 486 San Ramon Valley Blvd.

Luncheon break at Starbucks - brown bagging encouraged.

Danville Consignment

A Dress Change – 125 Railroad Ave (855-5581; http://www.adresschangeconsignment.com/)
Something Old, Something New – 155 Railroad Ave (838-4492)

two-tone embroidery, lovely tomato-red cotton

 My long-time readers will know that i'm not much of a thrifter. I've given it a go several times in the past, but it's never worked out well for me. I'm hard on clothes, i'm picky, hard to fit, very selective about colors and fiber content. This all adds up to hours and hours needed to find anything i'd want to buy, which could be justified in that i have more time than money (on the whole). But so many thrifted items have such a short lifespan that it ends up being a huge expense of time and effort for not much wear-time. So i've tended to focus on sewing and designing my own clothes - it adds up to less time per garment to produce, for much much longer wear-time.

my look for the tour - no rain, so the boots weren't needed

However, this trip sounded like so much fun - a day spent with the ladies looking at a bunch of clothes and sipping lattes. I RSVP'd enthusiastically, and baked a bunch of ginger snaps the afternoon before (they're filling the yogurt container in the top pic). The morning dawned bright and clear (despite forecasts of rain) and the tour was well-attended. We were about a dozen, a multi-generational group - P's mother spent the day shopping with us and her father made an appearance at lunch. On the other end, one of the shopper's two-year-old daughter came along for the ride, in her rhinestone encrusted Converse sneaks (very very cute!). Towards the end of the event she fell asleep in her mother's backpack, with the 'nap flap' giving her a wee bit of privacy.

Danville rewards thrifters bountifully for their efforts. It's a very rich community, housing lots of ladies with time to shop and the inclination to keep up on trends with no repeats! You get a lot of clothes that end up in the thrift or consignment shop out of boredom, or keeping up with 'the new', not so much due to wear and tear. Ah, the type of stock to which i can relate!   Hospice Thrift Shop was smaller than Thrift Station, with a more curated stock. However, Hospice Thrift was holding a 20% sale which almost closed the difference. Thrift Station was pretty crowded, with some of the racks difficult to maneuver between, and a window full of vintage hats. They're cash only (thank you Mrs. MacA!!) and have a wide selection of men and children's gear as well as women's.

proof i  DO try non-newts now & then

A Dress Change has the type of brands you'd find in Nordstrom's, nicely laid out in an adorable space (zebra striped dressing room curtains, rococo framed mirrors). They even have a lounging space stocked with sports magazines and cushy chairs for weary husbands. Something Old, Something New is housed in a more utilitarian space, but they have some really beautiful, high-end pieces. As a result, i saw some of the biggest price tags there (i think the highest i saw was $895). The Moschino dress i'm wearing in the top pic sported a tag of around $200. (Needless to say, it stayed in the shop.)  However, they also have insane mark downs - P scored a beautiful Maggie London dress for $9.00 plus change. It only needed the zipper replaced to be like new.  And the beautiful embroidered cotton top i'm modelling in the dressing room could be yours for a quite reasonable $18.75.

look at these French characters!

In the end, i stayed in my budget and on my shopping list. I came home with two versions (black and white) of the same short sleeved cotton blouse, a pair of cropped black cargo pants (Tommy Hilfiger), a dark wash stretch denim jean jacket, a striped cotton CAbI jacket, and a pair of Charlie 1 Horse mules with no detectable wear all for under sixty bucks.  The embroidered blouse showed up after i'd reached my budget, so i showed some restraint and passed on it. But if it's still there when i return......all bets are off!

Coming up - some looks showing off my new booty. Also, i'm working on some example outfits to put through my checklist - stay tuned! Life has been showing some of her hairier aspects recently, and i so appreciate your reading and your comments. But it looks like things are calming down and i'm itching to post more regularly.  Take care and i plan to see you here again SOON!

Topic Heist!

That's right, today's topic is a blatant rip-off of the beautiful Angie's 'Team' posts. Ironically, the great bulk of the time i can't commit to either of Angie's chosen teams (rolls eyes at self). But i can choose teams in a heartbeat on today's question: When it comes to your wardrobe, do you bat on Team Perfection or Team Unlimited Variety? Would you rather have a limited number, say around a dozen, of outfits which suit you perfectly in every way - incredibly flattering, the finest materials, impeccable cut, just the thing for coping with your weather, project the ideal sense of yourself - but you only have that dozen outfits for a year.

Or, would you go for an unlimited closet - something new everyday, be it shoes, scarves, jackets, skirts, on and on. As much as you can wear every day, except nothing is absolutely perfect - there may be a snag on the sweater, color is a bit off on that designer coat, the beautifully aged jeans bag in the butt, the sheath is uncomfortably tight under the arms. And you may be missing one or two key items that would be useful workhorses, like a great white tee or denim straight skirt. But there's new stuff all the time!

I'm sure it's obvious i bat for Team Perfection. And i think a lot of us have ideas about who's on what team. But i've been really curious about your true preferences the last while, and wondering just how well i actually know my fellow bloggers..........per Angie's rules, you can only choose one team. No need to explain (although you're perfectly welcome so to do). One word comments encouraged - this is a Perfect opportunity for de-lurking!

Intro to my Outfit Analysis Checklist

When i took my hiatus from this blog, one of the things i wanted to focus on was how i would present to you some of the ideas and concepts which have helped me find and hone my personal style and wardrobe. This is especially important to me because i've yet to run across most of these ideas on the internet, and i've found them so useful that i want to get them out there to you!

Today i'm introducing my 'outfit analysis checklist' ('checklist' for short). I use this checklist for many purposes - to discover what i like and don't like style-wise, to discover likely ways to expand on my style or adapt it to different situations, to pinpoint my shopping lists, to hone in on what will work for me while shopping (since i've nailed my own style & know how to enlarge upon it), to figure out what i need to learn more about style-wise (color, line, etc.)

I also have used this checklist many times to create a 'formula', 'rule', or 'recipe' that i can use to shop my own closet for new outfits. I analyze a look of mine that i really like, and come up with my 'rule' from the results. Then i use this 'recipe' to shop my closet for new looks that have a similar underlying structure to the original inspiration.  In addition, looking at my wardrobe in a new way often results in new, great looks which have nothing to do with my 'recipe' - this process sparks creativity.

I used this checklist to analyze one of Cynthia's outfits - the one in this post. Her first line in this post reads, 'I totally enjoyed what i was wearing today.' That's the type of look that's worth putting this kind of work into! My hope was that i would discover enough about Cynthia's personal style that i could suggest new outfits to her that she liked and truly enjoyed - that felt like her. As it turned out, i found that Cynthia had put together outfits that fit my 'rule' with no information from me - this casual look contains a large scale print, a small scale print, and the pants are a solid color. All three garments are blues. But did Cynthia like it? She says, 'This is one of those swishy, happy outfits that derives some of its awesomeness from movement and does not show up as well in stills."  Here's another all-blue ensemble with a medium-scale print (the tee), small scale striped cardi, and solid color jeans. Cynthia doesn't say much about the clothes, she was having a rotten weekend. But she looks great! And here's the link to our first outfit collaboration.


Interestingly, as i studied Cynthia's wardrobe i realized that she could do more with detail than she has until now. I thought she could take any garment with nice detailing, label it as larger or smaller scale, and then just plug it into the 'pattern' part of the formula. She beat me to it. This look contains a large scale print on the (completely achingly fabulous, by the way - looking at Cynthia's wardrobe in depth was no pain at all) red/white/blue skirt, a small scale ruffle detail on the dark blue blouse, and a solid black cardi. Here Cynthia pairs a military/safari style olive drab jacket (large scale details) with a medium scale detail/pattern tee and solid color neutral dark browny-green pants.

These examples gave me confidence that i'd actually discovered something about Cynthia's style, instead of just imposing my ideas on her. I hope she feels the same! In fact, this post will be the first time i've shared my methods with her - she's just received a list of possible outfits to try. In the video i recorded for you, i give an overview of this checklist, some definitions of the checklist items, and explain more about the process of using this list to create more outfits. I plan to publish at least one post on each checklist item, with definitions, vocabulary words, examples, and resources where you can find out more.



(If i seem distracted at moments during the video, it's just the cat.) Please let me know if there's anything you'd like me to expand on or explain further. If you have an outfit you feel great in and you want to 'figure it out' so that you can create more outfits with a similar flare, leave me a comment or send me an e-mail! This material is pretty dense, but it's less so if you just focus on one element at a time, or only on the elements that you're interested in. If you're bopping around style nation, just spend a little time on your favorite blogger outfit of the day - what's the silhouette? how many colors? does she use one pattern or more? Little by little is how you increase your knowledge and experience.  Thank you so much for reading and watching!

steph


Grit and Glamour, Vahni's site


Checklist with Definitions:
Silhouette: how a garment is shaped, including fit and any 'fashion' fullness such as a bustle or gathers at waist or shoulder.this includes neckline, shoulder, and hems (sleeve, top, tunic, skirt, dress, pant leg).

Color: how many colors are in the outfit? are they saturated or pale, a tint or a shade, warm or cool? how do they relate to each other on the color wheel - are they opposites, triads, or...?

Pattern: any design printed on or woven into fabric.

Detail: any three-dimensional embellishments - collars, lapels, epaulets, gathers, pleats, pintucks, cuffs, buttons, zippers, pockets, etc.

Drape: how a fabric hangs and falls. dependent on fibre, weave, weight.

Texture: smooth, shiny, metallic, rough, fuzzy, furry, and so on.

Style References: these can be to an era (1920's, 1940;s), a nation (German lederhosen, French beret, Mexican sombrero), occupation (sailor, cowgirl), to a certain fashion designer (Coco Chanel, Dior's New Look), or to trends of the current day.

Accessories: any jewelry, scarves, handbags, etc. Since barefoot people have no influence in society, i consider shoes as part of the clothes more than as an accessory. Use your best judgement.

Checklist of Cynthia's January 19 Outfit:
Silhouette: classic to classic-relaxed. indicates the contours of the body, but nothing tight or baggy.no strong waist definition. Natural shoulder. Neckline neither too tight or revealingly low. Sleeve hems between elbow and wrist, skirt hem around knee.

Color: two 'colors' and two 'neutrals'. The 'colors' (red and blue) are both saturated, clear, and warm. The form two 'corners' of a triad on the color wheel. The tee stripe is a warm grey/ivory neutral. The boots are a warm brown cognac, which can be read as a 'neutral' or as the 'third corner' of the color wheel triad (yellow) with the red and blue (due to the strong yellow undertones of the leather).

Pattern: two patterned pieces, the cardi and the boots both are a solid color. The pattern of the skirt is very large scale, colorful, low-to medium-contrast. The stripe of the tee is small scale and low contrast.

Detail: pretty absent. mostly fastenings (buttons on the cardi), tho the boots do have nice decorative buckles.

Drape: not too clingy, not too floaty, not too stiff.....medium.

Texture: The boots have a nice finish to them with a bit of shine, there is almost a hint of shine in the cardigan, but the rest of the outfit is matte. Nothing feels dull, just enough shine to make things come alive (the boots).

Style References: the pieces feel current, nothing is dated or trendy. The cardi, tee, and boots are classic. The skirt has a wonderful ethnic, folkloric, eastern european embroidery feel to the floral pattern.

Accessories: one small, beautiful pendant. There is enough pattern and color in this outfit that accessories are almost superfluous (it is fun to think about what that bee would get up to in those huge flowers!)

The 'Recipe' derived from this outfit:
For a look comprising a top, bottoms, cardi or little jacket, and shoes or boots.

Color: Option A: two pieces will each have a different color, while the rest of the outfit is composed of neutrals (black, white, denim, grey, navy, any color so dark it's hard to tell what color it is).
           Option B: two-three pieces will be variations on the same color (robin's egg blue, denim blue, navy), whilte the remaining pieces will be neutrals (black, white, denim, grey, navy, any color so dark it's hard to tell what color it is).

Pattern: one piece will have a large-scale print, one piece will have a medium-to-small scale print, the remaining pieces will be of a solid color.

What's a "Need" and What's a "Want"?

What's a "need" and what's a "want"? Always a ponder-worthy question in our society, even more so when it comes to women and adornment. "Needs" have a dual face in this conversation. Needs will help us with our daily activities - protection from weather, cold, sun, the odd indecent exposure ticket. Needs have a pocket for our keys, debit card, and grocery list. Needs enable us to make more flexible use of the pieces in our small, well-honed wardrobe. Needs help us catch the eye of a future mate, even earn the respect of colleagues and clients. We may need a reward for a goal achieved, or a rotten work week endured.  Maybe we need to 'fit in' with our more affluent girlfriends, or look the way we think we deserve to at this time in our lives. Or we just need something to do, and shopping gets us out of the house, out of our head.

At some point in the paragraph above, most people will judge that the meaning of the word 'need' has changed, possibly to a definition closer to 'want'. That point will vary for different people, in different times and circumstances. Why do we use 'need' instead of 'want'?  'Needs' are much easier to justify, more practical and rational. We're not supposed to have 'wants', especially as more mature women. The old women we want to be(come) are wise, sophisticated, self-contained, elegant - not frowsy, loud, frumpy dumpy bats in need of glasses, hearing aids, medical attention. Not old biddies who craves visits from family, friends, who desperately need someone to see them. Will we be happier if we can distinguish our needs from our wants? Will we be happier if we try to fill our needs or if we try for our unspoken wants? Could it be there exists a golden mean between the two, some chalkboard-scrawled formula for satisfaction as well as bliss?

Musings about the purpose and practice of life, and it comes down to a little cotton jacket. It seemed every time i got dressed the last 3 months this Royal Robbins jacket fit my day. Comfy, warm without heaviness, practical pockets.......it also lent a casual-yet-pulled-together finish to so many looks. Seeing as it's over five years old (clothes don't last forever) and how i'd enjoy a bit more variety (especially come summer, when this jacket will get even MORE use), i decided a handful of similar jackets were in order.

I mulled it's features and watched how i wore and used this piece until i felt i had a good feel for what appealed to me - cropped, collar, in my color scheme, ligtweight but durable fabric, useable pockets for small items, flattering cut, details which echo my Amelia Earhardt/Isak Dinesen aesthetic. I could have looked strictly for another khaki jean jacket (and won't refuse one if it pops up somewhere). But developing a list of qualities allows me to acquire items which fulfill their practical purpose while at the same time allowing a much wider aesthetic field from which to choose. To illustrate, here are the two jackets i thrifted last weekend which fit my checklist:

So, dear reader, was it 'want' or 'need'?  Most likely a bit of both. Would i have pushed it more into the 'need' camp if i waited to replace this wardrobe staple until it was stained, ripped, or otherwise ruined? Very possibly.

But who needs the hassle.




Further reading: posts which inspired/influenced this post:

Allie's very frank, practical, helpful post on developing and sticking to a shopping budget. This post is part of an ongoing series - check back or subscribe to make sure you see them all! Part one here.

It seems that Ari Cohen's NOWness video has sparked quite the controversy around the appropriate way for 'the mature woman' to present herself.  Alarmingly, some people seem to feel that veering towards eccentricity is a danger to be avoided! (Heavens to murgatroyd!) I do feel that watching a person becoming a caricature of themselves can be painful. However if you are eccentric i don't see how getting older will do much besides......encourage your eccentricities. That said, if people take joy in their appearance, however that may be, it just makes me happy! (great post, Ms. Pesu!) I'm a 'variety is the spice of life' type of gal, and greatly admire many many styles, colors, silhouettes, and trends on others that i would never wear myself. Others do carry them off to perfection, and i am so very glad that they do.

Advanced Style on NOWness
more Advanced Style videos
Passage de Perles on "50+ style: the eccentric, the elegant, and the space in between"
Passage de Perles 'Is this outfit too Jung on me?' thoughts on invisibility and eccentrics
Deja Pesu on joyful dressing - what does it mean to you? "If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution. --Emma Goldman"
 there are very lively discussions in the comments of all three posts - worth your time to take a look!

Spookily Came The Postman

beautiful package! i love Teri's little card - it's living in my jewelry box

 As you may know, Terri of RAGS Against The MACHINE had a giveaway recently in celebration of her reaching 125 followers. Meg of The Sewing Pixie brought this milestone to Terri's attention, and this, combined with Terri's fabulous and iconic use of  Meg's 'Skelly' cameo, made the choice of giveaway prize clear. (At least to me!)

I'm not much for entering giveaways. I know that they are great tools for driving readership and commenting, and i support this goal. But, as you all know, i'm so frikkin' picky about what i wear. I'd hate to win a prize that would just sit in the closet while someone else would wear it week in and week out. As i put it in my entry comment:

"hee hee, i never enter giveaways because 9 times out of ten, the prize doesn't suit me anyways, so why not let it go to someone it will.


however."

 As luck would have it, i won!  It came at just the right time, too. I'd been feeling horrible for weeks with a sinus infection. Round one of antibiotics didn't do the trick. Round two caused a severe reaction (102F fever, joint pain and swelling). Round three didn't do diddly either since my regular doc was on vacation and the front desk decided i didn't deserve to speak to the doc on call and i got prescribed the same antibiotic that didn't work the first time......on top of all this i have a horrible history of asthma (multiple hospitalizations, etc.) and sinus troubles are notorious for triggering asthma. So i was constantly anticipating worse days ahead. One day it just hit me, how awful i'd felt and how i was making no progress at all - and then two wonderful things happened. First, my amazing prize came in the mail!

Then, my noble camera died in the line of duty (sob). I didn't secure it properly and it fell on it's head and could no longer focus - the neurological damage left if effectively brain dead. We had to pull the plug. This camera came to me from my brother, a retired Air Force man. This little Kodak circled the world not once but twice, documenting the chickens of Diego Garcia and swimming in the Indian Ocean. My point and shoot had led a full life. It was time to let go.

mom feels this bee has had her privacy invaded

As a result, i got a brand new, full of features camera! Wow! It's nowhere near a top of the line DSLR, but i am amazed at what it can do. I took some pictures of my jewelry and it was like using an electron microscope! My favorite feature is the 'dog' and 'cat' face detection feature. That's two different settings - one for dog faces and one for cat faces. You can set your camera for 'cat face' and then program it so that it automatically trips the shutter when a cat face is electronically detected. Wonder if they have cameras with bigfoot detection capabilities?

The necklace is great, and nicely made. The clasp is secure as well as easy to use, and the chain is delicate, interesting, and smooth as silk.  The button earrings are perfect. The oxidized silver wears easily with everything, and the foliage arabesques tie into to all the lines of my wardrobe. Nothing beats a pair of earrings that enhance every look with no thinking necessary! Here's Meg's etsy shop - you know what to do.

I wore this look to go grocery shopping. The butcher who generally helps me seemed to like it, but showed no sign of 'reading' Skelly.  Interestingly, i ran across a comment from Terri of RAGS herself a day or so ago. As i recall, she said she likes wearing subtle items that are a little 'off', partly in order to test people's observation skills.

I've loved to do this myself for years. In fact, i did it last Saturday at ilegirl's Fancy Pants World Tour. ilegirl arrived early  to pick me up for the drive down to Danville. Shortly after getting in the car i noticed my skirt was inside out. Well, putting your clothes on inside out without realising it is supposed to be good luck, plus i wondered if anyone would notice, so i left it. No one noticed, or didn't feel like telling me. Within an hour i was in a dressing room, trying on clothes, so i turned it right side out. And, yes, i was wearing my new Skelly necklace from Meg and Terri....

Wheels within wheels. Just how is our universe arranged, anyways?

Cameo Necklace: Meg's Ragged Edge etsy shop
Dress: Converse One for Target
Jacket: own design
Heels: Clark's Passion
Nude Fishnets: Sock Dreams
Earrings: Tail of the Yak, Berkeley, CA