Today is the last day of summer, but I’m hoping the weather stays warm. If not, I’ve got my fall wardrobe ready to go.
Top: H&M
Skirt: Crossroads Trading Company
Belt: Marshall’s
Necklace: Ebay
Shoes: Aerosoles
I wore this skirt with tights last spring, and that’s what I’ll be doing again soon, I’m afraid. Don’t get me wrong–I love fall fashions. I just don’t like to think about seven or eight months of rain. At least it rarely snows around here. I’ll take wet roads over icy ones any day!
I love the look of a long-sleeved top paired with shorts. For most shorts-wearing weather, it’s too hot for long tops though. that’s why fall is the perfect time for this look. It’s a nice transition between skimpy summer clothes, and warmer autumn attire.
Top: Florida street vendor
Shorts: H&M
Tote: Snap Designs
Shoes: Goodwill
Necklaces: eBay (wing); Falling Whistles (whistle)
Bracelets: Shop on Bainbridge Island
The weather is still in the 70s around here, so I threw on a loose cotton knit top with dressy shorts. I’d never been a fan of shorts (and I still think a skirt trumps them for most occasions), but I have branched out and tried shorts more in the past year. I don’t think I had a pair of shorts in my closet for a long time–turns out, they’re fun to wear with tights though.
I’m getting lots of use out of my Snap Designs tote. I wasn’t sure how versatile yellow would be, but it is! It’s a fun piece that pops and doesn’t really have to match anything else I’m wearing. I also tried layering necklaces just like I stack multiple bracelets. It’s a fun way to create different looks with exiting pieces.
I think the shorts carry over into fall. What transition pieces are you taking with you from summer to autumn?
Filed under Fashion, Street Style
Dress: Shop in Canada
Cardi: Smart Set
Shoes: Timberland
Necklace: Santa Fe street vendor
Bracelets: Various places
The dress is sleeveless, low-cut, and short, so I wore it with a coral cardigan and casual sandals. I didn’t need to vamp it up. I added a bunch of inexpensive stretchy bracelets for an impromptu arm party. These are from places like Claire’s, and shops around town. If it fit with the color scheme, it went on my arm.
I might try this with a blazer too.
Do you hang onto clothes or is your closet lean and mean? According to many people, “if you haven’t worn it for a year, toss it.” But I really like this dress; I just don’t always get to things in my closet. I tend to prefer collecting clothes, and I keep them as long as they’re in good shape, fit well, and suit me.
Oh, don’t forget to check out the other Visible Monday posts. I added this to Not Dead Yet’s linkup.
You know I love tattoos, and you know I keep adding to my collection, so it won’t be a surprise that I have a new one.
Suzy Todd, at Two Birds Tattoo in Seattle, designed and inked this for me. The outline, leaves, and skull background were done in July. In August, I went back for the paisley and daffodils. The skull is on the side of my left thigh.
I wanted this design because I like the idea of Mexican sugar skulls and the Day of the Dead/All Saints’ Day celebrations. This is a bit like that, but different. I wanted pink and purple paisley to commemorate my Oma (her favorite colors and shapes) and daffodils to commemorate my grandma (her favorite flowers). I’m not sure my grandmothers were fans of tattoos, but surely they wouldn’t complain about the sentiment behind this one.
Speaking of tattoos, I recently went to the Seattle Tattoo Expo with my friend Amy. She’s shopping for an artist who can design a Japanese Maple and sleeping Buddha piece. We saw dozens and dozens of booths with artist from all around the world. A few stood out from the crowd:
The best portraits I’ve ever seen were by Ganso Galvão, an artist from Brazil. If you ever want a photorealistic grayscale or color portrait, it’s seriously worth the trip to South America for his stuff.
Rich White at Action Tattoo in Auburn, Washington, is an amazing portrait artist as well. I’ve never been interested in realistic pieces, but Ganso and Rich and making me change my mind.
Tribal Rites Tattoo in Fort Collins, Colorado had such creative designs and wonderful color. I loved the birds, moths, and other creatures they created.
Of course Suzy was there too–in fact, I saw her getting a tattoo. The tables were turned and she was a client. Two Birds had a booth too though.
All the artists were talented and creative, but Amy didn’t make a decision that day. She was there solely for research. She gathered business cards and looked through portfolios. Talking to the artists is important too; you have to like the style of the work and the person who will be using your body as a canvas.
A week after the expo, Amy booked an appointment with Eddie at Super Genius Tattoo. I’ll be sure to share the end result with you.
I haven’t had to worry about going back to school for a long time but I did start a new job a couple of weeks ago, so I’ve dealt with a lot of similar concerns: first-day jitters, what to wear, decorating my locker office, finding my way through a new building. So when I found out Everybody, Everywear had a back to school challenge, I accepted.
Sweater: Store in Vancouver
Shorts: Salt Works via swapped
Shoes: Kelly and Katie
Bag: Furla via gifted
Bracelets: Lucca
Necklace: Falling Whistle
This outfit isn’t prep-school crisp, nor does it incorporate plaid, a pleated skirt, or uniform of any kind. But it is more fall-like than most things I’ve been wearing lately. I’ll break it down.
A sweater is quintessentially fall. In burgundy (or, as they’re calling it this season, oxblood), it’s autumnal for sure. Yes I have on shorts–a staple of summer–but in the longer length and denim fabric, I feel more British schoolboy than Daisy Duke.
My shoes are what really remind me of the school uniform season. A low, buckled flat (and in this season’s color).
The necklace is a Falling Whistle. Not a back to school item by any means. It’s part of a campaign for peace in the Congo (and the opposite of a child soldier is a child in school–so I thought it worked). Jamillah from Made to Travel wrote about them and I bought one.
Summer didn’t start in Seattle until mid-July so I’m not ready to switch gears and dress for fall. As long as the weather allows it, I’ll be bare-legged and coatless. I do need a back to school haircut. I’ve been trimming and coloring my own hair since December in an attempt to grow it out and see if I can go a year with out a salon visit.
Are you going back to school? Ready for fall or hanging onto the last of summer?
No one needs a pair of yellow jeans–and now I have two. But they’re so different from each other! My other pair is mustard yellow skinnies. These are cropped, loose and day-glo! Plus, I’m participating in Not Dead Yet’s Visible Monday link-up and neon seemed very appropriate.
Top: Street market in Florida
Pants: The Gap
Shoes: Payless
Necklace: Swapped
I bought them in Boston (before my shopping ban). They were 40% off the lowers price and came in at about $17. I could justify it. I’ve worn them a lot already.
It’s funny: I wore these pants with a white top and leopard shoes, just like I wore the mustard ones. But I’ve also worn these with patterned tops, chambray, and bright solids.
I like neon (just like I liked it in the 80s) but I seem to be collecting only yellow pieces. I should branch out and try lime, orange, or hot pink. I already have neon yellow maxi skirt, envelope clutch and belt. I’ve heard monochromatic is big for fall but head-to-toe neon is a bit much.
Do you wear neon? What colors?
Last year, the Mister and I went to Fashion’s Night Out at the Bravern. We had so much fun, we did it again this year. First Mr. Jean of all Trades checked in. He looked fine. I was impressed that he left the suit behind and went with a Perry Ellis sweater and H&M slim-fit pants. It was more risky, but it paid off.
Then we listened to a band. Don’t you just love her shoes?
Last year, I drooled over Jimmy Choos; this year, I had my own pair. Of course I wore them to the event. We decided to head over to Jimmy Choo. On the way, I was distracted by the wonderful pattern- and texture-mixing in the window of Tory Burch.
We went in so I could drool over the gold cuffs and double-wrap bracelets.
I sipped on champagne…
And thought of all the ways I could wear these black riding boots: maxi skirts, tights and minis, over skinnies. Endless options and a classic boot.
The fall collection is fantastic and the store drew a crowd.
We dropped by Karen Millen too. I love the asymmetrical coats and shapely dresses. Everything has such structure, but was still feminine. A great combination of tough and soft.
Finally, we made it to Jimmy Choo. I chatted with the wonderful associates who work there.
The champagne was flowing here too. Then, the wonderful, always glamorous Sarah Hulbert and her husband arrived. She picked up an extra swag bag for me while she was at The Bellevue Collection’s VIP lounge. So sweet! You can see the bag–red with white text and pictures of models–in this picture.
We did the red carpet thing–a must at an event like this.
Here you can see my whole outfit. I wore an H&M dress, carried an oversized Asos clutch, and wore my Jimmy Choo shoes. My necklace is from Buffalo Exchange.
There was so much to see–we didn’t even get upstairs to David Laurence. I did pop into Anthropologie with Sarah. After we said our good-byes, I poked into Neiman Marcus and ogled the Stella McCartney bags. Amazing!
What a night! did you go out for Fashion’s Night Out?
I have a bird theme going on today. My pants are robin’s egg blue and my shoes are dove gray. Well, the first ones. The second are blush pink. I can’t think of a bird-related name for that color.
Top: Wildlife Works
Tank: Target
Pants: Goodwill
Bracelets: Boutique on Bainbridge Island
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
I started with sky-high Badgley Mischka pumps. These are my cab-to-café shoes–but I was on my way to work.
Before I even finished this shoot, my feet were getting sad. I knew I wouldn’t last 8 hours in them so I switched to ballet flats.
Both these shoes are on the pricier side of things. The Badgley Mischkas were on sale online. The Jimmy Choos weren’t, but at least I’m getting lots of use out of them–and they are more comfortable for the long haul. The heels make the outfit more elegant, but I value comfort too.
I call these pants my “old lady pants” because they are high-waisted, pleated, tapered leg pants that one might associate with “the older set.” But rolled up and paired with a slouchy top, they suddenly become on-trend. I didn’t want to fork over a lot for the pastel trend or the harem trend, so I turned a pair of $5 pants into the latest thing. When I don’t wear them out of the house anymore, they’re going to be great for lounging around in.
Two years ago, I traveled to Mill Run, PA with my friend Donna to visit Fallingwater, an amazing home by Frank Lloyd Wright, built for the Kaufmann family. The Kaufmanns owned a department store of the same name and liked to spend weekend in the countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of Pittsburgh. Frank Lloyd Wright is probably America’s most famous architect. He designed the house and built it in the latter part of the 1930s.
I’d always wanted to visit this home. Thankfully it’s a National Historic Landmark and is safe from demolition, unlike a lot of Mid-Century Modern architecture (including other houses by Wright). Who would tear down an amazing piece of history–art you can live in?
The multilevel home is long and linear and seems to float over the falls. Inside, it’s exquisite, yet unassuming. The ceilings are low and the rooms are open. Light floods in and it’s hard to tell where the walls stop and nature begins. That was the idea: To bring nature in and enjoy living with the falls.
The Kaufmanns were world travellers. They collected art from all over the world and the decor in the house reflects their eclectic style. You might see a modern Picasso painting in one room, a 200-year-old Persian rug in another, and a 15th Century Madonna statue in yet another.
Donna and I drove from my parent’s house in Cambridge, Ontario through Buffalo, NY and on to Pittsburgh. After a fun weekend traipsing though galleries and shopping districts, we made the two-hour drive to Fallingwater. We wandered through the house and grounds on a guided tour, snapping shot after shot of iconic art, furniture, and the architecture that we’d only read about in university. It was an amazing experience.
The department store is now a Macy’s, and the Kaufmanns are long gone, but their legacy, and the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, will live on in the woods in Mill Run, PA. If you ever get a chance to visit, you won’t regret it.
Filed under Architecture, Art, Events, Photography, Travel
After all these years, I haven’t narrowed down my look. I like boho, quirky, gothic, punky, or even preppy-inspired outfits. I dress for my mood. Still, there are certain outfits that I feel good in, and certain looks that make me feel tough. This is one of them.
Top: Swapped
Blazer: Laundry by Shelli Segal via thrifted
Jeans: See by Chloé
Boots: Old Navy
It’s chic, with a rock ‘n’ roll vibe. It has masculine qualities, but is very much a woman’s outfit. Even if it doesn’t look badass, it makes me feel badass. It’s Joan Jett and Chrissy Hynde all rolled into one.
It has a lot of my favorite pieces (blazer, heels, jeans) but it’s a new take on those items (embellished, booties, yellow).
What types of clothes do you feel best wearing?
Filed under Fashion
jeanofalltrades 