jeanofalltrades

May 10, 2012 · 5:18 am

Dress Up, Dress Down: Missoni Shift

A few months ago Missoni for Target hit the stores–and flew out the doors! Their website crashed, the shelves were stripped bare, and I was left empty-handed. My friend, Cheryl, was luckier though. She snagged a few pieces from the online store. This shift was one of the pieces.

Dress: Missoni for Target
Cowl: Scarf City
Tights: Roots Canada
Shoes: Seychelles

It proved to be a bit too short for Cheryl’s statuesque frame, so I bought it from her. I dressed it up with opaque tights and a stacked heel, but I knew it had more potential. I dressed it down too, by pairing it with skinny jeans and boots.

Jeans: Express
Belt: Marshall’s
Boots: Naughty Monkey via thrifted

I like to have options and make my shopping dollar stretch. Wearing this as a dress and as a sweater gives me choices. Did you manage to get any Missoni pieces from Target?

Acid Yellow Maxi Skirt

Last month I met a few other Seattle Style Bloggers for coffee. After catching up with what’s been going on in our lives, we walked down Broadway and did a little thrift store shopping. That’s where I found this skirt.

Jacket: Betsey Johnson via thrifted
Tank: Papaya
Scarf: Fred Meyer’s
Skirt: Crossroads Trading Co.
Clutch: Thrifted
Boots: Dirty Laundry
Cuff: Lauren Harkness
Earrings: Shirazi

Neon is big this spring, but trends aside, I like the cut and color of this piece. I wanted to show how I could transition it from a cool Seattle spring into a warm summer. I can’t wait to wear this with sandals and a tank top, but for now I’ve layered it with silver boots and a denim jacket.

I never used to have yellow in my wardrobe, but I have several pieces now. There’s a shade for everyone–from soft, buttery shades, deeper marigolds, and light lemons. This skirt has a high color value (light and bright) with green undertones. But don’t worry if you don’t think you could pull it off. If you love a color but don’t think you can wear it, wear it on your lower-half and wear a color that suits your skin tone on top.

6 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as fashion, neon, skirt, style, thrifty fashion

May 5, 2012 · 1:38 pm

Burnt Orange Crochet Dress

An ad for this dress popped into my email inbox a couple of months ago. It was an end-of-season, deep-discount sale and I was smitten. I have a small problem ignoring the deals on Ideeli, Shop it to Me, Gilt, and My Habit. Mostly, I have rules that send these amazing shopping deals into a folder so I can’t be tempted on a daily basis, but sometimes I peek–and inevitably cave.

orange crochet

Dress: Anthropologie
Slip: Swapped
Necklace: eBay
Cuff: Lauren Harkness
Bag: Matt & Nat
Shoes: John Fluevog

I don’t mind though. I’ve snagged terrific deals on items from Badgley Mischka heels to an envelope clutch. I just have to keep my shopping budget in mind as I browse. I loved the boho appeal of this dress, as well as the color. It’s a classic piece that will serve me well all year long.

I’d like to pretend I was dreamy and serene during this shoot–hence the heavy lids and somber expression. But the reality is that I hadn’t had my morning coffee. I went to the Bravern to buy an espresso from Vovito but they were closed. This is my pre-caffeine look.

The good news is that I got to pose in front of Anthropologie, where this dress is from, and they have a cool wall. The best news is that the Starbucks down the street was open. Don’t worry–I made it back to Vovito the following week. They have two Slayers so it’s always time and money well spent.

3 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as Anthropologie, boho, crochet, dress, fashion, Fluevog, style

May 3, 2012 · 12:32 am

DIY Cable Knit Pillow

Here I go again!

Last year I made a cream-colored cable knit pillow and over the summer I made an orange one. Both pillows sold on my Etsy shop so this past weekend I made another pillow.

This was once an Izod sweater that I found at Goodwill. I wore it for February’s “red and pink” challenge but I’d originally bought it with a pillow in mind.

pink sweater

I liked the cotton-candy color. I know pink draws a strong reaction from people. Give it a chance. It’s a fun shade.

Vintage Swing Coat for a Rainy Day

This jacket is my oldest garment. It was my Oma’s. I remember greeting her as a child and giving her a hug while she had this coat on. She’d come to visit, hang up her coat, and get started on making something delicious like an apple cake.

My Oma probably bought this in the early 1960s, making it close to 50 years old. It was made in a time when Canada’s garment industry was booming. Not only was this “made in Canada” (harder to find these days), but the label said “made in Winnipeg.” I’ve never seen a clothing label that listed the city on it (well, there’s DKNY and such, I suppose, but that city is part of the branding). This is a Modes Marcel by Brown Fashions.

Jacket: Vintage Oma
Sweater: Old Navy
Jeans: Gap
Boots: Qupid
Necklace: eBay

I love the swing shape of this jacket and the cropped sleeves. I can wear it with dresses and pants. If it’s cold, I wear long gloves too. I’ll show you that look in the fall (at least I hope I don’t need gloves till then). And no, I didn’t cut my hair. Whenever I tuck it behind my ear, people think I paid a visit to the hairdresser.

5 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as coat, fashion, made in canada, style, vintage

April 30, 2012 · 12:21 am

Turquoise and Black Blazer Day

Monday is business day, so what better way to show my work spirit than to don a blazer? I last wore this skirt in the heat of summer–with bare legs and sandals. But it works with tights too.

turquoise and tights

Blazer: Laundry by Shelli Segal via thrifted
T-shirt: Victoria’s Secret
Skirt: Erin McLeod
Tights: Roots Canada
Shoes: Old Navy

This blazer is thrifted–and it’s seen better days. So I did a little DIY and fixed an errant hem. While I was at it, I embellished the edge with some freestyle sewing machinery.

I bought my sewing machine thinking that it would pay for itself if I hemmed just four pairs of pants. I’ve done that–and so much more! I’m a master of straight lines, but that still gives me lots of options.

Do you own a sewing machine? How do you use it? How did you learn?

7 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as blazer, fashion, skirt, style, thrifty fashion, tights

April 27, 2012 · 10:03 pm

Answering the Call

What comes around goes around. Look at the nifty new phone receiver I bought for my smartphone.

I love technology, but I get nostalgic sometimes. As I kid, my parents had a large, wall-mounted rotary phone in the kitchen. As a teen, we had a desk phone–complete with push buttons. The Princess phone in my room when I was a teen was much slimmer shape. When I first moved on my own I had a “modern,” sleek desk phone with a square receiver.

I still couldn’t afford the “brick” cell phones that were hitting the market. By the time the flip phone was introduced cell phones were more affordable–but I went for the cheaper “candy bar” style.

Now I carry a computer in my pocket. And while I love the convenience of GPS, Internet and email access, and the ability to tweet from anywhere, I miss the comfort of old skool phones. They were made with design and functionality in mind.

When I plugged this into my HTC and put this receiver up to my ear, a lifetime of happy telephone memories came flooding back to me. The receiver lined up with my mouth so my callers could hear me clearly. It felt right in my hand. I didn’t accidentally hang up on people. The lip around the edge of my cell phone (created by the protective case) is uncomfortable. The receiver cupped my ear gently.

Of course I still make quick calls on the phone without the receiver. And I have an earbud for hands-free talking. But when I sit down for a long conversation when I dial up mom, this is my new go-to accessory.

6 Comments

Filed under Technology

Tagged as cell phone, gadgets, HTC, phone receiver, smartphone, style, technology

April 26, 2012 · 5:26 am

Neon Envelope Clutch for “Poem in Your Pocket Day”

Why did I not know about Poem in Your Pocket Day? Why did my husband, a self-admitted non-reader and non-intellectual, tell me about it? Could it be that he is smarter than he lets on? Could it be that I’ve been drinking too much and reading not enough?

The answer is yes! And that’s why I’m reprinting my favorite childhood poem. I don’t have an exciting pocket but I have a cool envelope. According to the Wikipedia entry about envelopes, “when the folding sequence is such that the last flap to be closed is on a short side it is referred to in commercial envelope manufacture as a pocket.” Enough said. Here’s my pocket:

Top: Gifted (from mom)
Tank: Old Navy
Jeans: Earnest Sewn
Belt: Matt and Natt
Shoes: Seychelles
Cuff: Greenbelts
Clutch: Asos

Tired of wide thighs? Feel like your waist is too thick? The answer is to carry an enormous envelope clutch! Of course I’m kidding! But I do notice that the larger the purse, the smaller the person. It’s the Olsen Twin philosophy–and it works.

And here’s my poem:

It’s Hot
by Shel Silverstein

It’s hot!
I can’t get cool,
I’ve drunk a quart of lemonade,
I think I’ll take my shoes off
And sit around in the shade.

It’s hot!
My back is sticky,
The sweat rolls down my chin.
I think I’ll take my clothes off
And sit around in my skin.

It’s hot!
I’ve tried with ‘lectric fans,
And pools and ice cream cones.
I think I’ll take my skin off
And sit around in my bones.

It’s still hot!

8 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Literature

Tagged as clutch, envelope clutch, fashion, jeans, neon, poem in your pocket, purse, Shel silverstein, style

April 24, 2012 · 6:41 am

Fresh Produce Spring Dress

I recently had the chance to test drive a dress from the Fresh Produce catalog. Talk about timing! Seattle was in the 70s this past weekend and it was a great time to wear spring clothing. Fresh Produce has a great collection of dresses for spring. I chose the Bali Café Wrap Dress. It arrived a few days later and I love it!

Dress: c/o Fresh Produce
Jacket: Betsey Johnson
Tank: Papaya
Shoes: Aerosoles
Necklace: Fremont Sunday Market

It’s made of a soft rayon/lycra knit blend and is really comfortable and wrinkle-resistant. The empire waist is super flattering, as is the v-neck. It works well with or without a tank top underneath. I love how it’s a half wrap so it doesn’t blow open in the breeze. It looks like a full wrap but it’s sewn together at the side. I slipped this on over my head and secured the ties in a bow.

The sleeves are sweet too. They are a soft flutter style that’s feminine without being too girly. Fresh Produce has oodles of colorful clothes but since I chose a muted hue, I decided to brighten it up with my accessories.

Seattle is known for its cool, wet weather, so I thought I’d try styling this dress a couple of different ways. You know me–I like to remix and get mileage out of my clothes.

Dress: Fresh Produce
Jacket: Betsey Johnson
Tank: Papaya
Boots: Rampage
Necklace: Fremont Sunday Market
Bag: Nine West

I swapped my sandals for faux-suede, kitten-heel boots and added a denim jacket. It’s a spring dress will be so cool in the hot weather, but definitely works for cooler days too. I’d even wear this with tights and a cardigan.

Check out the Fresh Produce website. They ship to over 200 countries and have more than just great dresses. I saw great casual tops and vacation clothing too–and I have my eye on a few pieces!

5 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Hot and Cold, Product Reviews

Tagged as dress, fashion, Fresh Produce, spring dress, style, wrap dress

April 23, 2012 · 6:24 am

Outdoor Living Room in Ballard

When my friend Suzanne and I took Frankie to Equal Exchange Espresso to try Slayer-made Lattés, we made a detour to this neat little park. It’s the only park I’ve been to with a cement living room in it.

We sat on the cold, hard, overstuffed chairs and sipped our lattés. It was better than it sounded. Rain and sun won’t damage this furniture. And Frankie won’t wreck it either. A+ for durability and creativity.

Suzanne wore a dove-gray jacket that she got as a Christmas gift. As cute as it is, she admitted that it wasn’t a good cold-weather coat.

I wore my tartan rain boots and a jacket I got at a consignment shop. I was also ready for rain, but not cold. Only Frankie, in his black and white knitted sweater, was prepared for the elements.

Luckily the coffee warmed us up on the walk home.