jeanofalltrades

March 15, 2012 · 1:07 pm

Dress Up, Dress Down: Polka-dot Dress

I few weeks ago I had the chance to guest post for Lindsay Living. I wrote about packing for a trip. In the post, I showed two different ways to wear one dress.

In this first version, I’m wearing it as a dress. No big surprise. I chose this one because it’s a jersey knit and won’t wrinkle in a suitcase. And because you never know what the weather will be like when travelling, cardigans are a great way to layer and be prepared. They’re nice for covering up in air-conditioned restaurants too.

Dress: Thrifted
Cardigan: Smart Set
Necklace: Gifted
Watch: Florida street market
Shoes: Flexx

Here, I’ve layered a top over the dress, essentially turning it into a skirt. It really changes up the look. One less thing to pack!

Dress: Thrifted
Top: Papaya
Necklace: Forever 21
Cuff: Claire’s
Shoes: Target

I’m a fan of bringing costume jewelry on trips too. Accessories are an easy way to change an outfit quickly and they take very little space in a suitcase. I don’t take pricy pieces. Luggage gets lost, things get taken. It’s one less thing to worry about if you keep valuables at home.

Have a look at the post on Lindsay’s blog for more travel tips!

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Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as dress, polka dots, remixing, travel style

March 13, 2012 · 1:59 am

Green and White and Wet All Day

This month’s Everybody, Everywear challenge is green! I love green and actually have a few green pieces that I was considering, but the weather chose for me. It’s a rainy day in Seattle (no surprise there) so I went with my green satin trench coat. Don’t forget to check out how the others wore green!

Coat: Wet Seal
Scarf: Crazy Harry’s
Jeans: BCBGirls
Boots: Wanted
Umbrella: Baby & Co.
Pin: eBay

I debuted this coat on my blog almost a year ago. The first time I wore it with blue jeans and white booties. The white jeans I chose today changes the look a lot, I think. White makes any color pop.

I always manage to splash water and mud up the back of my pants when I walk in the rain so I’ve learned not to wear white jeans when it’s wet outside. However, the tall boots will save my pants so today I tucked my jeans into them. Who says you have to save white for summer?

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Tagged as Everybody Everywear, fashion, green coat, style, trench coat, white jeans

March 12, 2012 · 7:01 am

Patience Pays off in Cords

Months ago I saw a pair of amazing, rust-colored, corduroy flares on the Free People website. They were so boho. I wanted them. But I’m ~~cheap~~ saving for a house so I didn’t fork over the money. I did, however, bookmark the page. Every now and then I’d return to it. No change. And then, a couple of weeks ago I checked and they were 50% off. And only my size was left. Three seconds later they were in my shopping cart and on their way to me. It wasn’t the deal of the century but I saved a bunch by waiting. And that’s worth something.

Sweater: Thrifted
Pants: Free People
Boots: Dr Martens
Bag: Crystalyn Kae
Earrings: Sears

I am just as happy with my new pants as I am with the cherry blossoms on the tree in front of my place. It’s still chilly–it even snowed last week–but there are definite signs of spring.

Have you waited for the price of something to drop before buying it?

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Tagged as boho, corduroy, fashion, flares, style, thrifty fashion

March 10, 2012 · 12:01 pm

Wearing My Red Pants Again

I’m loving my red skinnies and I keep wearing them. They have just the right amount of stretch to make them fit well and feel comfortable. Too much lycra and the stretch can sometimes work against me–the pants work their way off my hips requiring a belt or causing me to pull up my pants all day long. Not cool!

Top: Swapped
Pants: Just USA
Booties: Old Navy
Cuff: Greenbelts
Earrings: Shirazi

Today I wore them with a loose, black and white merled top I snagged at a clothing exchange. The ruched center of this top helps create shape. I’m a fan of contrasting shapes and find a loose or long top works best with snug pants or a bodycon skirt.

I’ve worn this Greenbelts cuff so much. It’s becoming my go-to bracelet. It adds a toughness that I like and is a statement piece without being fussy or complicated. It matches pretty much everything. Money well spent. Plus, it’s made of an old belt. Genius!

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Tagged as fashion, red pants, skinny jeans, style, thrifty fashion

March 8, 2012 · 11:38 pm

Blue on Blue

I don’t often wear one color tête-à-toe but I did today. I broke up the wall of blue with pea green boots and a winter-white scarf. One day I looked in my scarf drawer and realized all my scarves are brightly hued. So I vowed to buy a neutral scarf. When I saw this one at the Thread Show, I snagged it.

Top: Old Navy
Jeans: Gap via thrifted
Boots: Naughty Monkey via thrifted
Scarf: Wildlife Works
Earrings: Sosie Designs

I like Wildlife Works’ philosophy. They employ people in Africa in a fair-trade, sustainable garment industry so they don’t have to resort to hunting or forestry to make a living. I like the scarf because it’s soft and long and can be worn many different ways. It has a subtle print. The t-shirts they make have graphic prints too, but they have their own unique twist. They’re very unusual and completely wearable.

If anyone tells you that blue and green should never be seen, tell them it’s nonsense! Look at the sky and the mountains next to each other and tell me they don’t match.

More Zebra Stripes!

I got these shoes on sale. You see, I bought a pair of boots and was $4 shy of the “free orders over $50” special. Instead of paying $7 to ship my boots, I paid $8 for these shoes and got free shipping. So really, the shoes were $1. Proof that I can justify any purchase!

I wore them with dark denim and a red top for a casual look.

Sweater: Thrifted
Tank: Old Navy
Jeans: Banana Republic
Shoes: Soda
Necklace: eBay
Cuff: Greenbelts

Oddly, I forget where I ordered these shoes. After all the calculations and planning, the store name escapes me. I’ve been wearing all the things in my closet so getting use of my shoes is important. That’s why I got dressed from the feet up!

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Tagged as ballet flats, fashion, skinny jeans, style, thrifty fashion, zebra stripes

March 6, 2012 · 6:44 am

Another eBay Necklace

By now you know jeans and a blazer is my go-to look. It seems dressier than it is. It’s simple, classic, and easy to get right. This time, however, I changed things up a bit by adding a multi-strand necklace.

I love how this necklace looks like it’s many separate pieces. They’re all joined together at the clasp and they’re all perfect lengths for a layered look. Best of all, this clocked in at less than $5 on eBay. I just searched for long necklace. In fact, today I checked that search term and this exact piece was the first result. It’s from an online store in China.

You can also search for multistrand necklace or vintage necklace or get more specific with words like key or owl or heart and see what you find.

Blazer: Forever 21
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity
Tank: Old Navy
Belt: Forever 21
Earrings: Sosie Designs.
Necklace: eBay
Shoes: Nine West via Goodwill

Have you bought necklaces on eBay? What other places are good for scoring jewelry?

4 Comments

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Tagged as blazer, fashion, jeans, necklace, style

March 5, 2012 · 6:10 am

Hot Pink and Zebra Stripes

I love zebra print and I especially like mixing it with hot pink so today I wore a 3/4-length fuchsia top with a black skirt and carried a zebra-print bag.

Top: Thrifted
Skirt: People Like Frank via thrifted
Boots: Hot Topic
Bag: Boodlebags
Earrings: Sears

I love this bag. It’s handmade in Seattle and it’s waterproof! Perfect for rainy, Washington State. Boodlebags are made of coated fabric and come in all sorts of patterns and styles.

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Tagged as fashion, skirt, style, zebra stripes

March 4, 2012 · 1:12 am

Newsboy Cap for Casual Day

I wear hats a lot, especially when it’s cold out or I’m walking my dog. Rarely is it a fashion statement. Today, though, I decided to wear a tartan cap as part of my outfit, not as a way to stay warm or hide messy hair.

Cap: Fuego
Top: Ross Dress for Less
Jeans: Express
Boots: Wanted

I like this style of cap a lot better than baseball caps. In fact, I’ve never worn a baseball cap. It doesn’t seem to fit my style. For me, it would symbolize that I’d given up. When I do wear caps–even as a way to hide a bad hair day–I’m usually complimented on them.

My cap is blue and gray and my outfit is blue and gray so I added non-matching boots so I didn’t look like I spent too much time planning.

Do you wear hats? What kind and when?

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Tagged as boots, casual, fashion, hat, jeans, style

March 2, 2012 · 8:28 am

Black and Red Stripes

I bought this sweater on eBay a couple of years ago and I’m sad to say I’ve worn it only once. The first time was at a Rat City Rollergirls roller derby game. I supported my favorite/former team, Grave Danger. Their team colors are red and black. Here’s my second attempt.

Sweater: eBay
Skirt: People Like Frank via thrifted
Boots: Hot Topic

I liked the loose knit and the zipper and appliqué embellishments. I’ll try it with black pants too but today I wore a long skirt and tall boots. These boots were inexpensive and because they’re not leather, they make a great rain boot. I don’t splash in puddles but I walk with confidence along Seattle’s wet streets and I know that these boots can handle the elements.