jeanofalltrades

March 19, 2014 · 8:55 pm

All Hail Kale

I couldn’t resist this KALE t-shirt from The Engine 2 website. The play on words (YALE) is a funny veg joke. Engine 2 is a site that offers recipes, a 28-day plant-based challenge, and shirts.

Dress: Forever 21
T-shirt: Engine 2
Jacket: Swapped
Boots: Urban Outfitters
Purse: Matt & Nat
Bracelets: Roberta Oakes

I don’t usually wear traditionally cut t-shirts and thought this would be just an exercise top, but it’s too neat to save for the gym. I wore it over a maxi dress. Fashion rules are meant to be broken!

I wore a denim jacket over my T and went with brown accessories. Orange and blue are complementary colors and a warm, reddish-brown can offset blue nicely. It’s unexpected too.

Once again, I got photobombed by Alice. She’s blind, so goes out only under close supervision. She’s never seen grass, but she love to nibble on it. That’s six pounds of sass right there!

I’m joining Style Elixir, The Pleated Poppy, and Transatlantic Blonde for linkups. Check out what all the others are wearing!

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Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

March 17, 2014 · 8:00 pm

Blue Suede* Shoes

The Camilas are out! I love this evergreen bush, but I especially love it for the few weeks each spring when its pretty pink flowers bloom.

I wore my blue (faux) suede shoes with skinny jeans and a bright sweater. In the past I’ve paired these surprisingly comfortable shoes with skirts, but they work with pants too.

Sweater: Target
Tank: Old Navy
Belt: Truth Belts
Shoes: Payless
Jackets: H&M

Of course I’m super tall in them–almost six feet tall–and it’s a lot of fun. I’d never look down on anyone, but I do love towering over everyone sometimes.

My velvet biker jacket comes in handy on nice (but cool) spring days. It’s still technically winter but spring will be here any moment! Today we had sun, rain, more sun, a bit of hail, and some clouds.

I joined DC in Style and Style Sessions today for blog linkups. Check out what all the others are wearing!

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Tagged as biker jacket, blue suede shoes, fashion, motocycle jacket, platforms, skinny jeans, style, thrifty fashion

March 10, 2014 · 10:47 pm

Silver Boots and Neon Yellow

I love my Tin Man boots. They add a fun, casual vibe to a skirt or pants. I’ve even worn them with shorts. Today, I went bright on top and neutral on the bottom. My boots almost blend into my maxi skirt.

Sweater: Marshall’s
Skirt: Target
Boots: Dirty Laundry
Necklace: Online shop (name forgotten)

I’ve had this skirt for a few years now. It was definitely a good purchase. It’s great in all seasons. With boots–like here–and with sandals when it’s warmer out.

It’s definitely looking like spring in Seattle, but I’m not quite ready for sandals. I did skip my coat today (I wasn’t going far). I’m just eager for days when I don’t have to bundle up. At least it’s staying light longer now.

I got photobombed by my cat! She’s so sweet. I can’t get mad at her–even if she does steal the limelight!

boots and maxi skirt

I’m joining Visible Monday and Monday Bloom today. Check out what all the other bloggers are wearing.

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Tagged as boots, fashion, maxi skirt, skirt, style, thrifty fashion

March 4, 2014 · 11:47 pm

Houndstooth, Paisley and Stripes

I went all out with monochromatic pattern-mixing today. I was slow to embrace the trend, but I’ve learned to love it. I just don’t always like to think too hard about how my clothing items work together as an outfit. That’s why I don’t mix patterns a lot.

Coat: Macy’s
Shirt: Marshalls
Skirt: Swapped
Tights: Roots Canada
Shoes: Soda
Scarf: Fred Meyer’s
Necklace: JC Penney

Black and white is the common theme that ties the patterns together. Finding a theme made it easier to mix and match. Plus, stripes are practically a neutral. They go with everything.

I added a pop of color with my hot pink infinity scarf–it’s still so gray in Seattle that I needed something to cheer myself up. The flowers in my garden (or lack thereof) won’t help for a while. And the rats are gloomy too. I stenciled those rats on my fence as an homage to Banksy. Or was he really here?

My wedge platforms complete the outfit. They’re fun and surprisingly practical. At least I won’t sink into the grass like I would in heels!

Do you have winter-spring transition outfits?

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Tagged as fashion, houndstooth, paisley, pattern mixing, skirt, stripes, style, thrifty fashion, tights, wedge heels

February 28, 2014 · 4:15 pm

Navy Blue Thrifted DVF Dress

I lucked out recently when I spotted this Diane von Furstenberg dress at a thrift store. It’s not her signature wrap style, so I think it went unnoticed by staff and customers. Nonetheless, it’s a pretty dress, with asymmetrical front seams and a bow at the collar. It’s not too frilly or girly, which is nice. I’m not a big fan of over-the-top ruffles–and least on me.

Dress: Diane von Furstenberg
Tights: Target
Shoes: Poetic Licence
Cuff: Shop in Issaquah, WA

Navy will go with about anything, but I had to try it with muted purple tights. The same purple tights, in fact, that I wrote about for my latest New Year’s post. This time, I also matched my tights (always elongating) with my shoes–velvet and sparkly peep-toe heels. A little girly is fine, right?

So this outfit is actually the same as my New Year’s one, with one simple swap. I traded my jumpsuit for a dress to change things up completely.

I wore this to a double-date dinner with hubby and a couple of friends. It’s looking spring-like, but nights are still cool so I appreciated the sleeves and tights. The 3/4 sleeves let me show off my “diamond” cuff. Well, it looks luxe. But at $10 I’m guessing it’s not diamond.

I’ve joined Life of the Party and Passion for Fashion. See what everyone else is wearing!

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Tagged as Diane von Furstenberg, dress, DVF, fashion, style, thrifty fashion, tights

February 23, 2014 · 9:19 pm

Leopard in the Olive Garden

I referenced my olive jeans in the title of this post and my mind kept reading “olive garden.” I changed the title so it included “leopard” instead and it sounded like there was a leopard in the garden. I give up. I’ll embrace the humor!

Spring is almost here. I can taste it. Usually, the only hints are rain, rain, and more rain, but a bit of warmth from the sun never hurts.

Top: Old Navy
Jeans: Just USA
Boots: Novacas
Belt: Couch Guitar
Watch: Timex
Bracelets: Various shops
Purse: Crystalyn Kae

I’m always one to cover up with sunscreen but after so much gray, I was happy for a few rays. A little Vitamin D is good this time of year.

I took advantage of the sun and warmth to have a look around my garden. It’s going to need a lot of work, but surprisingly, a lot of things live throughout the winter. And many flowers will start blooming on their own. I’ll fill in whatever’s missing with plants from the nursery.

This isn’t a gardening outfit, but it worked just fine for a peek at the garden for a pre-spring assessment. I’ve worn this shirt with red pants before, so I knew a red belt would work. I wore my olive skinnies because I love olive and red and because the olive was another neutral to balance out the top. The boots pull in shades from my top too.

An arm party is a fun way to accessorize. I wore my Timex and threw in a few stretchy beaded bracelets in colors that matched my outfit.

I’m joining Monday Bloom today. See what everyone else is wearing.

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Tagged as fashion, leopard print, skinny jeans, style, Timex

February 19, 2014 · 11:44 am

Head to Toe Gray

Today I’m wearing gray. Usually I like wearing color to contrast the gray Seattle winter but I don’t mind blending in sometimes. Call it camouflage for the Pacific Northwest.

Hat: Forever 21
Sweater: Wet Seal
Jeans: Sonas Denim
Flannel boots: Groupon

Every winter wardrobe needs a beanie (or toque, as we call them in Canada). I usually wear one to keep warm, but it’s a fun fashion item too. I ditched my jacket to show off the velvet skull on my shirt.

My jeans are from Sonas Denim and I got them as part of a Kickstarter campaign. Sonas was raising funds for their new line so in exchange for a donation, I got these. Sonas is a vegan-run company intent on keeping their environmental footprint small. They recycle everything (even scraps of denim), give 10% of profits to animal welfare groups, and have plans to fund an animal sanctuary.

When I contributed to the Kickstarter, I got to communicate with the founder himself, Gerry Kelly. I can’t say that happens very often!

I love my Sonas (I bought a second pair in black waxed cotton for a dressier, almost leather-look) so even on a gray, day, I’m happy–which is what Sonas means in Gaelic!

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Tagged as boots, fashion, jeans, skinny jeans, skull, Sonas Denim, style, vegan

February 16, 2014 · 9:40 pm

Stripes and Khaki

Here’s a blast from the not-so-distant past. A striped, floral and khaki number I wore in the fall and never added to the blog.

Top: Marshall’s
Pants/belt: Macy’s
Shoes: Payless
Scarf: Shop in Portland

I’m looking for spring outfit ideas and this will work now, just like it worked in October. In fact, in Seattle, it works about nine months of the year. There’s only a few months in winter when open toes are too chilly for me. Even in summer, a light 3/4-length top and loose pants are fine, especially in the evening. Only the red leaves on the tree date these pictures.

I squeezed in a bit of pattern mixing with my floral scarf, and the red in the scarf picks up the color of my shoes. These shoes are so comfortable! The platform means the heels isn’t as high as it looks, and the pleather is soft and not at all sweaty.

I’ve worn these pants a lot! Definitely got my eleven dollar’s worth. They were on sale in the junior’s department and even came with the belt. I wanted a loose, casual look so I went up two sizes.

My grass is still green–we’ve had rain and only two days’ of snow this winter–but my herb garden is asleep. I can’t wait until spring so I can cook with freshly picked chives, parsley, basil and rosemary!

What parts of spring are you looking forward to?

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Tagged as fashion, khaki, red shoes, scarf, stripes, style, thrifty fashion

February 12, 2014 · 11:54 pm

My Vaute Couture Traveler Coat

It’s rare that I double down on shopping, but when my Vaute Couture Emily coat arrived in mail a couple of months ago, I tried it on, fell in love, and jumped on Vaute’s site so I could buy the other coat I’d been eying: The Traveler.

Coat: Vaute Couture
Skirt: Thrifted
Tights: Target
Boots: Cri de Coeur

I was initially drawn to the color of this coat (dolphin), and the great tagua nut buttons. I also knew that this was the type of coat I’d wear a lot in Seattle (not too warm, not too bulky, but cozy enough to protect me from chilly weather).

The Traveler is made in NYC from recycled materials, and it’s vegan. No down or wool in this baby!

Top: Express
Cuff: Swapped
Necklace: Fremont Sunday Market

What better to go with my new coat than my Cri de Coeur booties! These are leather free, fair trade, and I adore the subtle sheen. The soft gray shade goes with everything too.

To offset my investment pieces, I wore a top from the Express sale rack and a skirt I found at a thrift shop.

You can almost make out the new tattoo I have on my calf in this last picture. I’ll save the big reveal until after the color is added.

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Tagged as booties, Cri de Coeur, skirt, tights, Vaute Couture, Vaute Couture coat

February 9, 2014 · 8:47 pm

Studio Museum in Harlem

One of the first things I did when I went to NYC last summer was head to West 125th Street to the Studio Museum in Harlem.

The museum is a contemporary art gallery focusing on African-American works. It offers an artist-in-residence program too, so it not only reflects and showcases art in the community (and for the community) but it gives artists a space to practice their craft.

In addition to an impressive permanent collection, there is a constant rotation of exhibits. Here’s what I saw.

Robert Pruitt’s exhibit Women featured a collection of large-scale conté-on-butcher-paper drawings of women. There are pop culture and political themes in the work, which feature models of women in Pruitt’s life. They’re embellished with gold leaf.

I saw a high school photography exhibit featuring wonderful snippets of student life, from family and home scenarios to perspectives on high fashion. Here are just a couple of the 30 or so images from the collection.

I enjoyed Jennifer Packer’s work, which was varied in theme but related in its textures and painterly-ness.

Cullen Washington Jr.’s Untitled (Mondrian #6) echoes the geometric aspects of Piet Mondrian, only Washington’s are created entirely with found materials.