jeanofalltrades

October 4, 2011 · 7:24 pm

Animal Instincts

Welcome to another Bloggers do it Better challenge courtesy of Pretty Shiny Sparkly. The challenge is a chance for real women to show how they wear a current trend. This time it’s animal prints. I love animal prints. I’ve worn my zebra top recently, and my leopard ballet flats. Today, I’m bringing out the leopard shirtdress again.

leopard print

Dress: Marshall’s
Jacket: Betsey Johnson
Belt: Forever 21
Shoes: Aerosoles
Tote: Crystalyn Kae
Ring: Fuego

I dressed this outfit down a bit by wearing a dark denim jacket with the dress. The denim says “casual” but the hue is dressier than a faded jacket.

I’ve always wanted a bright yellow belt and thought it would look good against the print. The dress is busy and it would be easy for a subtle belt to get lost. This one stands out. Yellow and purple are complementary colors so I chose deep purple shoes today.

The dark green tote bag adds a third color. Well, four if you count denim as blue. It’s a wonderful faux leather bag from Crystalyn Kae, and it’s hand-crafted right here in Seattle.

Do you wear animal prints? Did you participate in the challenge? Don’t forget to check out how others styled animal print over at http://prettyshinysparkly.com/bloggers-do-animal-print-better/

3 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as animal print, Bloggers do it better, dress, fashion, style

October 4, 2011 · 6:29 am

Dressing for the Fashion Show

I try to keep my posts interesting and different. However, I don’t actually wear something different every day. In fact, I like to show how to remix apparel and get lots of use out of key pieces.

This Selma Karaca dress is an example of how I’ve been reusing the same dress. I wore this dress to a Halloween wedding in New Orleans last year, and again this spring for the Everybody, Everywear challenge. I also wore it this past weekend to the Zebra Club fashion show.

Dress: Selma Karaca
Jacket: Newport News
Earrings: Gifted
Rings: Fuego
Bracelets: Damselfly
Clutch: Thrifted
Boots Thrifted

I chose this dress mainly because the theme of the fashion show was “vintage boudoir.” I thought the lace added the boudoir element and the jacket was vintage in its cut.

Next time I wear this, I’ll try dressing it way down. Perhaps pairing it with tights and a denim jacket. When I do, you’ll see it here.

3 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as dress, fashion, lace, Selma Karaca, style

October 3, 2011 · 6:16 am

Dashing to the Mall

I’m not a big fan of malls. I like to be able to go outdoors easily and tell time based on the sun. There’s something about a giant mall that makes time disappear too quickly. Plus, I like thrifting. So when I shop, you’ll often find me in local boutiques and thrift stores. I also find online shopping really convenient so I often shop at larger retailers online.

That said, I sometimes end up at the mall. My most recent trip was to Bellevue Square so I could look at costume jewelry and accessories.

Top: Victoria’s Secret
Skirt: Dress Barn
Shoes: Payless
Purse: Frye via thrifted

Denim is such a neutral canvas that I usually pair it with patterns and bright colors. Today I got dressed feet-first because I wanted my leopard print flats to be the point of interest. I kept the other pieces (top, purse) neutral too.

Where do you shop? Are you a fan of online shopping, thrift stores, the mall, or boutiques?

2 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as animal print, ballet flats, fashion, skirt, style

October 1, 2011 · 3:30 pm

Zebra Club Fashion Show at Piano Bash

Last night I attended the Zebra Club fashion show at Piano Bash. I was lucky to land VIP tickets to the show, which included an after-party at Munch Bar. Since I had two tickets, I immediately thought of my friend Shannon, the blogger behind The adventures of Lucky Duck. She’s got her finger on the pulse of fashion and I knew she’d be great company.

Shannon and I arrived around 8 pm. We received our press passes and goodie bags and walked the red carpet into the venue.

Shannon accessorized with Badgley Mischka jewelry and shoes. I wore a dress by Selma Karaca. We were welcomed by both the manager and marketing director of Piano Bash. The marketing manager looked adorable in a earthtone strapless mini dress with a tulip hem.

We met a lot of stylish people at the party, including Haarlem, a fellow blogger and NY transplant. He looked sharp in his suit and his accessories matched the red carpet! I think Haarlem is single-handedly proving that Northwest residents have style.

I ran into other Seattle-based bloggers too: Jess from The Suburb Experiment, Carolyn from Hey Pretty Thing, and Kimmie from Blue Paper Lanterns.

Oh, and the reason for the event: The Zebra Club fashion show. The show itself was a lot of fun. We watched DJ Topspin provide beats while a rotating group of freestylers took the stage, including Golden Mic King, The Physics, and Don’t Talk to The Cops.

The models came out and walked to the live music. I noticed a trend of texture mixing in the clothing the models were wearing. They wore free-flowing garments with contrasting accessories. This delicate dress and chunky boots exemplifies that.

I saw a lot of plaid (always a good thing, especially for fall). Models wore tons of layers, chunky knits, stripes, and tribal-inspired patterns. The proportions were great too. Billowy tops were paired with tights or leggings. Fitted dresses were accessorized with bold jewelry and tough shoes.

I was glad to see shorts in the fall lineup. Off the runway, these would look great with tights and boots.

The show was a lot of fun and I have a few items on my wish list now. I’ll have to head over to Zebra Club and try on a fantastic long-sleeve mini dress I was drooling over and a chunky, loop-knit jacket one of the models wore so well.

Thanks to Zebra Club for inviting me, and to Piano Bash and Munch Bar for hosting.

3 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Street Style

Tagged as Bellevue, DJ Topspin, Don't Talk to The Cops, fashion, fashion show, Golden Mic King, Munch Bar, Piano Bash, street style, style, The Physics, zebra club

September 30, 2011 · 5:53 am

Dotty Top and a Maxi Skirt

Back in the day, this would have been called “a long skirt.” We had minis, but we didn’t have maxis, per se. The long skirt has been rebranded. And look out—the midi (aka the mid-length skirt) is supposed to be big for fall.

Top: Papaya
Skirt: Forever 21
Shoes: Payless
Shades: Convenience store
Bag: Shiraleah

I threw on this maxi skirt (so much more put together than pajamas, but just as comfortable) to enjoy the last of the sunny days before the nine-month rainy season hits.

I don’t mind the rain though. It’s good for the gardens. Plus, with all that cloud cover I don’t need to be as diligent with the sunscreen. I still wear SPF every day, even in winter. It’s important for healthy skin to not get too much sun. I’m kind of proud of how I retained my ~~pasty~~ alabaster hue all summer long. I do have faint tan lines on the tops of my feet from my sandal straps. Doh! I don’t like tans, but I especially hate tan lines.

This outfit comes in at just over $90, which qualifies it as thrifty. If you recognize the skirt, it’s because it was part of my original 30 for 30 when I first tried the challenge back in January.

1 Comment

Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

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

September 29, 2011 · 8:31 am

Thrifty Thursday: Handkerchief Dress

I love this simple dress. It’s got a neat bandana-style print and it’s a comfortable, stretch cotton knit. It’s basically two rectangles, like a handkerchief, sewn together. The elastic in the waist gives it shape, although it would look cute belted too. My only regret is that I “lost” this in my closet all summer. I should have been wearing it.

Dress: Ross Dress for Less ($16)
Cardigan: Old Navy ($8)
T-shirt scarf: DIY ($0)
Earrings: DIY ($0)
Boots: Naturalizer via Thrifted ($9)

I wasn’t sure about wearing a glittery sweater for day, but it matched so nicely. I think a bit of shine is fine, especially if the overall look fits your style and the occasion. It’s funny, in the pictures it looks gray. But I bet if I wear it to a club, the lights will reflect off the metallic thread and I’ll light up the night! I’ll let you know how that works out!

The top was on sale at Old Navy. It’s going to look great with dark denim. I got one in gold too (a subtle, champagne color, actually). I want to wear the other one with cream pants. How elegant!

5 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as boots, fashion, glittery cardigan, handkerchief dress, style

September 28, 2011 · 6:19 am

Pastel Bambi Skirt

Wow! That’s all I can say about this skirt. When I saw it at The Frock Shop, I had to have it. Luckily it fit and was on sale. This is a one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted, upcycled skirt from Kimmi Designs, a local Seattle designer. I’m pretty sure I owned these Bambi bed sheets when I was a kid. And I think Kimmi Designs used repurposed sheets to make this skirt.

Top: Target
Skirt: Kimmi Designs
Purse: JC Penneys
Earrings: Claire’s
Shoes: B2

I was shopping in the Frock Shop with a few friends when I found the skirt. Steph recommended wearing it with a light pink top. I totally agree (and I will when my pink top is out of the wash). Kristen wasn’t a huge fan of the skirt—until she saw Thumper yelling in Bambi’s face. That sold her on it. Sadie went along with it because she’s knows I have a ~~crazy~~ quirky fashion sense and won’t get talked out of something this cool too easily.

If you’re in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood in Seattle, make sure you visit The Frock Shop. It’s a small space, packed full of goodies, but it doesn’t feel cramped. They have lots of dresses and separates and jewelry. I’ve never left the store empty-handed. If you’re nowhere near Seattle. you can always shop at their online store. No excuses!

As a side note, this skirt probably interested me so much because Bambi was the first movie I ever saw in the cinema (not in 1942 when it was first released, of course. I’m not that old! There was a special re-showing of it when I was a kid). I went with my mom. I was horrified when (spoiler alert) Bambi’s mom was shot and killed. What a horrible children’s movie! Perhaps the film planted a few animal rights’ seeds in my little head. Despite the horror of the plotline, Bambi does remind me of the fun times I had with my mom when I was young.

7 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as Bambi, fashion, Frock Shop, Kimmi Designs, skirt, style

September 27, 2011 · 6:27 am

Cropped Pants and a Zebra Bag

I’ve worn these pants a lot, but usually rolled up into capris (sometimes tucked into boots). Today I decided to wear them down for a cropped look. When I wear cropped pants, I think of Audrey Hepburn. I kept the look from shortening me by wearing a heel. Also, I find a narrow silhouette is better than a wide cropped pant if you’re going for height.

Top: H&M
Pants: Bluenotes
Belt: Sears
Cuff: Greenbelts
Shoes: Timberland
Bag: Boodlebags

I can’t believe I haven’t shown you this bag yet! I bought it at an Etsy craft show this past spring. I use it a lot, but not always when I’m taking outfit pictures. Boodlebags are American made (right here in Washington, actually). They’re durable, practical, water-resistant, and best of all, cute!

I find that I can wear this zebra print with any solid outfit, no matter what colors I’m wearing. It’s roomy enough for my Kindle, phone, wallet and snacks. The exterior is coated fabric so it wipes clean. The interior is hot pink with a separate compartment for keys, etc. I can wear it across my body or as a regular purse.

3 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as Boodlebags, cropped pants, fashion, style, zebra stripes

September 26, 2011 · 6:01 am

Black and White and Red All Over

I like black and red, black and white, red and white, and red and black, so it’s only logical that I’d also like the three colors together. I’ve worn this color combination before (and I’m sure you’ll see it again).

Top: Trina Turk via thrifted
Skirt: Thrifted
Shoes: Aerosoles
Bracelets: Claire’s

Today, I debuted my tomato-red, Trina Turk cowl-neck top. I found it at Ragamoffyn’s, a high-end consignment shop in Kirkland, WA. I paired it with a black and white floral handkerchief skirt that I’m always tempted to draw on, as though it were a page from a coloring book (I promise not to).

red, black, and white

Even though this skirt is floral, I always forget that it is. Seems strange, I know, but I think of florals as being colorful. This piece slips my mind when I’m looking for florals (which I’ve been known to do).

4 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as fashion, handkerchief skirt, skirt, style, thrifty fashion

September 24, 2011 · 12:10 am

Shadow Shot: Oregon Travels

I recently visited the Oregon coast and Portland, Oregon with my husband and dog. Oregon is a beautiful state south of Washington and north of California. It has great, windswept beaches, gorgeous mountain ranges, fantastic forests, a hot desert region, and cool cities. It’s prime wine country too.

We started in Cannon Beach, a tiny town and beach along the Pacific Ocean in the northwest corner of Oregon. The first recorded visit to Cannon beach was by William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Of course, the Tilamook Indians already lived here.

Terrence and Frankie walked ahead of me on the wide, sandy beach. I like how instead of shadows, they are reflected in the wet sand. We stayed in a quaint cottage right next to the beach. The “tsunami zone” signs worried me a bit but the location was prime.

Portland is an hour inland. We drove along a twisty, two-lane highway through a forest, back to the interstate, and on to the city. Hats off to this town of half a million and their dedication to public art.

The architecture in downtown Portland is wonderful. If you visit, you’re in for a treat. You’ll find plenty of shopping, restaurants, parks, and a live music scene that will keep you busy any night of the week.

Hey Harriet has a wonderful weekly photo challenge so people can submit their shadowy shots—pictures that show the play of light and dark. Check out her site for lots of inspiring photography.