jeanofalltrades

May 16, 2014 · 10:28 pm

Floral Pants and Robin’s Egg Blue

I’m wearing the wide floral pants I bought in Savannah last year. I’ve already styled them on this blog (with denim and orange) and this time I tried something different.

Sweater: Goodwill
Necklace: The Vegan Woman
Pants: Terra Cotta
Sandals: Bamboo

I like how there are so many colors in these pants. I can pick any of them and wear a top in that shade. A deep green would look good. I can even veer into pinks and yellows. Today, though, I tried it with a robin’s egg blue shade.

I found this sweater at Goodwill. It’s cropped, but cropped is back again. I wore a tank top underneath though. I don’t think flashes of midriff are work appropriate. A pair of high-waisted shorts with a crop top would work for weekend wear though. Just no belly buttons unless you’re at the beach! The 90s midriff look seems to be gone and a more subtle version is in.

Of course, as with all trends, choose the ones you like and skip the rest. Heck, wide pants weren’t technically “in” for a few years–but I wore them anyway!

Do you follow trends or wear what you like? Any trends that you love or hate right now?

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Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as fashion, style, sweater, thrifty fashion, wide pants

May 11, 2014 · 10:20 pm

A New Dress for Spring

I found this dress at a clothing exchange recently. It belonged to my friend, Kristin. I gravitate toward her castoffs and she often ends up with mine.

Dress: Swapped
Tights: Target
Boots: Groupon
Necklace: Herbivore Clothing

This seems like a great three-season dress. I like that it’s a faux wrap and has a built-in panel across the front so I don’t need to wear a cami with it. It’s perfect for work!

I wore it recently with tights and boots but I bet I can wear it with sandals too. Isn’t it odd that I found a pair of boots on Groupon? I usually think of them as a coupon site for two-for-one dinners, discounted massages and that sort of thing. Well, these are a nice faux leather, and they are comfortable and were a great price. I know I’ll have to replace my other tall brown boots soon so I jumped on these.

I thought brass would look good with the orange flowers behind the abstract pattern in this dress (and the buckles on my boots), so I wore my “vgn” (vegan) necklace form Herbivore Clothing.

Do you have any go-to seasonal transition pieces?

3 Comments

Filed under Ethical, Fashion

Tagged as boots, dress, fashion, Herbivore Clothing, style, thrifty fashion, tights, vegan

May 4, 2014 · 6:48 pm

Black and White Stripes and Floral

I love mixing patterns, especially when the patterns are in the same color family. I’m mixing and matching black and white again here. I did that recently with houndstooth, paisley and stripes. In this look, only the top is the same.

Top: Marshall’s
Skirt: Thrifted
Boots: MIA
Socks: Sock it to Me

I wore this skirt on the blog a couple of years ago. that time, I was in Florida and made it a warm-weather look. It’s not bad out now, but it’s not Florida warm either. So I stuck with boots.

Peeking out of my boots are my black and white star knee-socks. You can’t see much of them, but technically they count as a third pattern. And stars are an appropriate theme for today. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you’ll know the reference.

May the Forth be with you!

I’m linking up with Visible Monday and Monday Bloom today. Go see what all the other visible, blossoming women are wearing!

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Tagged as boots, fashion, floral, skirt, stripes, style, thrifty fashion

April 24, 2014 · 8:06 pm

Houndstooth Scarf and a Wild Surprise

My mom recently sent me a couple of neat scarves (and one for hubby). I got this houndstooth number and a leopard one; hubby got a Blackwatch tartan scarf (but I might wear it too).

Sweater: Swapped
Skirt: Swapped
Tights: Roots Canada
Boots: DSW
Scarf: Gifted

I wore my scarf with a bright pink sweater I picked up from a clothing exchange.

Halfway through my photo shoot, I heard a strange rat-a-tat-tat.

I looked up and across the street, hammering on a cell tower, was a woodpecker!

What a beauty. I believe this guy (or gal) is a pileated woodpecker.

I love eyeing wildlife–especially in the city. It’s amazing how many neat animals drop by. From rabbits to crows, they’re all so fun to watch. I’ve even seen raccoons. Hubby’s even seen a full-grown buck and two coyotes (we live near a greenbelt). I admire all the species who work hard to eke out an existence and raise their families.

After my nature experience, I picked up my purse–an amazing Susan Nicole number that I won in a raffle at the Walk for Farm Animals last fall–and headed off to work.

I’m joiningtwo linkups today: Lena B. Actually for Passion for Fashion and Style Elixir for Friday Fab Favorites. See what all the others are wearing!

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Tagged as animals, boots, fashion, pileated woodpecker, scarf, skirt, style, sweater, thrifty fashion, wildlife

April 19, 2014 · 4:17 pm

Patterned Pants

I love the comfort factor of pajama pants, but wouldn’t be caught dead in them outside the house. That’s why I love the loungewear as outerwear trend that popped up last summer.

Jacket: Lulu’s
Pants: Bébénoir
Tank: Swapped
Shoes: Beyond Skin
Necklace: Gifted

These are a soft, relaxed-fit pant, reminiscent of harem pants or lounge pants. With slippers and a smoking jacket, I’d rival Hugh Heffner for stylish boudoir clothes. But with ballet flats and an unstructured jacket, these are surprisingly appropriate for every day. I wore them to work and out to dinner.

To be clear, these are “outside pants.” I bought them at Bébénoir when I have in New York last summer. I was lucky to have this incredible gem of a boutique just around the corner of my Harlem condo, where I lived (and pretended to be a local) for 10 days.

I’d read about Bébénoir in a fashion magazine the week before I flew to NYC. I wanted to visit, but Harlem is a big place. I had no idea if it would be anywhere near my apartment. Imagine my luck when my taxi passed the shop, turned the corner, and dropped me off at my temporary digs.

I must have shopped there every other day. I took my parents along too, and my mom loved their clothes (in fact, she bought a pair too, which you can see in her Harlem blog post). Bébénoir has a wonderful–and affordable–selection of men’s and women’s clothing and accessories (and super friendly staff).

My Beyond Skin flats work really well with these pants. I got these as part of a Kickstarter. I donated toward their new line of shoes and received these. All vegan, ethically sourced, sweatshop-free, fair labor–and cute! If you haven’t checked out their site, do it now! I love their new spring line.

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Filed under Ethical, Fashion

Tagged as Bebenoir, Beyond Skin, fashion, pants, patterned pants, style, thrifty fashion, vegan

April 15, 2014 · 10:44 pm

Citrus Sweater and Cords

Yellow and gray–again? I know! I wore this color combo a few weeks ago.

Sweater: Marshall’s
Jeans: Big Star via swapped
Boots: Cri de Coeur
Clutch: Alchemy Goods
Necklace: Florida shop
Cuff: Rogue City Killers

Both outfits feature metallic boots, but these have a heel and are slightly dressier than my silver combat-style boots. And this time, I opted for pants instead of a skirt. The pants are from a clothing exchange I went to recently. I’d never heard of Big Star but they fit great, so I took them. Turns out they’re over $130. Score!

My necklace was sewn onto a top I bought in Florida. I cut the stitches keeping the two items together and now I wear them separately. How would I have washed the top with jewelry still attached?

Despite being the brightest, acid yellow, I get a lot of wear out of this sweater. I do like pairing it with gray, but I’ll show you soon how I wear it other ways too–with denim, floral, black, white…

I’m joining linkups today: Monday Bloom and Style Elixir. Check out what everyone is wearing!

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Tagged as corduroy, fashion, skinny jeans, style, thrifty fashion

April 7, 2014 · 9:36 pm

Black and White 60s Mod Look

Here’s a head to toe thrifted look. I got the dress from one clothing exchange and the boots from another. But it’s a look that’s meant to go together. I feel very 60s mod in this outfit. The dress is short enough to belong in the 60s too–yikes! But it isn’t more revealing than shorts, so I’m embracing the look.

Dress: Swapped
Vinyl boots: Swapped
Necklace: Florida flea market

I fiddled with the previous shot to give it a vintage feel. But by making a color photo black and white, no matter how retro or artsy it might be, loses the best part of this outfit: the red boots! I love these knee-length, high-heeled boots.

In fact, I saw them at DSW and almost bought them. I regretted not picking them up. So imagine my delight when my friend Andrea brought hers to a swap. These are even better than the Fluevogs I used to have. I sold them because I was ridding my closet of leather and other animal products. Now I have a fantastic–free–vegan replacement.

I don’t manipulate my photos a lot. I want to show the real me. However, I will crop out a cluttered background or edit out a piece of garbage on the ground. For this photo, I removed my house number (hey, I don’t know everyone and I don’t like pop-ins!). I also tried to remove an unsightly security sticker from the corner of the window. Well my second-rate editing tool got confused and cloned MY head into the space instead of matching the rest of the window.

This might be the best accidental edit ever! I’m leaving it in. There I am, peeping through the window, wondering what I’m doing outside.

6 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as dress, fashion, red boots, style, thrifty fashion, vegan

April 2, 2014 · 8:50 pm

Flannel Biker Jacket

Flannel is the uniform of the Pacific Northwest. It’s warm, that’s for sure, but it’s not usually incorporated into fashion-forward garments. Sometimes, Seattleites are called unstylish, but I disagree. And loads of Seattle Style Bloggers will prove otherwise.

I liked this jacket because it’s flannel and it’s stylish.

Jacket: eBay
Dress: Lulu’s
Shoes: Urban Outfitters
Scarf: Fred Meyer’s
Bag: Craft fair in Harlem

It’s a classic biker jacket cut in an unexpected color and fabric. A perfect non-leather option. I even included it in a recent vegan motorcycle jacket post on my other blog.

I wore my jacket over a black maxi dress and added pops of color in the form of blue ballet flats, a bright pink belt, and a light gray-blue scarf. My bag from a Harlem craft fair matched so I carried it with me. yellow flannel jacket

I thought this was a comfy and stylish look for an afternoon out with hubby. We went out for lunch and then checked out the Bellevue Arts Museum, which was showing an exhibit of paper clothes. The clothes were elaborate reproductions of period pieces from the 17th century and on. Of course photography was prohibited.

Luckily I got this shot though. I wanted hubby to pose in front of this pair of wings but he insisted I do it. He pointed out that I matched the color scheme of the wings–and he was right.

Do you enjoy visiting museums and galleries?

I’m joining Transatlantic Blonde for a linkup today. See what all the others are wearing!

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Tagged as biker jacket, dress, fashion, flannel, jacket, motorcycle jacket, style, vegan

March 28, 2014 · 4:04 pm

Flower Power

While selling a few things on eBay recently, I bought this shirt. Hey–it’s not supposed to work that way! The ad at the edge of the screen called my name and I couldn’t resist. At least I made more than I spent.

Shirt: eBay
Jeans: Goodwill
Boots: Qupid
Cuff: Etsy

I don’t have a lot of button-up shirts and I liked the pretty florals in this one. It’s like a watercolor painting. My Impressionist shirt.

I paired it with my faded cropped jeans and tall wedge-heel boots. I wanted to “ground” the look with a darker color. And I toughened up the delicate blouse with my mock-croc faux leather cuff.

I bet it will also look good with bright pink or light green jeans too. White jeans would look elegant, and I can also wear this with a skirt and tough, biker jacket. So many options!

Overall, it was a thrifty look. Perfect for spring! I hope spring is on its way to you.

I’m joining Passion for Fashion and Life of the Party for linkups today. Check out what everyone else is wearing.

8 Comments

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Tagged as boots, fashion, floral, jeans, style, thrifty fashion

March 23, 2014 · 10:47 pm

Turquiose and Brown Waistless Dress

I’ve had this dress for years and I still love it. It’s super comfy, is a neat Missoni-inspired pattern, and can be worn from early fall through late spring.

Dress: Ross Dress for Less
Tights: Target
Boots: Urban Outfitters
Cuff: Etsy

I’ve worn this with brown tights and tall boots before, but this time I thought I’d try booties and blue tights.

I realize that without a defined waist, this could easily look like maternity wear. I have no solution to that dilemma. Other than carrying a flask and reinforcing the “I’m not pregnant” look by taking swigs from it all day.

Sometimes a belt is a good way to define a waist, but this actually has pleats coming from a “princess waist” so a belt won’t work. I’m not too worried.

I was really happy when this cuff arrived in the mail. I got it from Etsy, to replace some leather cuffs I’d gotten rid of. This is a faux leather, embossed cuff that’s lightweight and adds a bit of cool, toughness to the outfit. Doing a search for faux leather cuffs was overwhelming–there were so many great results! But I narrowed it down and got this one and a red one from a great shop called Trailer Park Gypsy.

Do you shop on crafty sites like Etsy? It can be addictive! I just bought a wall decal for my bedroom from another shop on Etsy.