jeanofalltrades

September 23, 2011 · 6:51 am

FBFF: Refashioned Clothing

Today’s post is a challenge by Fashion Beauty Friend Friday. This is a group effort; a lot of bloggers will be answering the call. Be sure to read all the other posts at ModlyChic.

When I was challenged to share something I’d refashioned, I was initially stumped. I buy a lot of second-hand clothes, and I sometimes take them in, hem a bit, or add ruching. But would that count as refashioning? Then I remembered my Windows 7 skirt:

Top: Swapped
Blazer: Swapped
Skirt: Thrifted and refashioned
Boots: Thrifted

I wrote about this skirt once (shortly after I made it). It once was a giant t-shirt. A men’s XXXXL to be specific. The corporate logo is so subtle. It’s a white “7” on a black t-shirt. I found it at the Goodwill in Bellevue, a mile away from the Microsoft campus. I bet a Microsoft employee got it free at work and then donated it. I picked it up for $1.99. I cut off the sleeves and neck, took in the sides, and added a 2″ wide elastic band to the waist.

patterns

I tried a subtle pattern mixing by wearing a pinstriped blazer and a black and white geometric print tank top. All in all, this outfit cost $12. Do you change-up your clothes too? What’s your best re-creation?

Savoring Summer

I know the last days of summer are upon us. But Seattle got such a slow start to the season that I don’t feel ready to give it up yet. Fortunately August and September have been terrific. I am still in full summer mode and went all out with pastels today.

Top: H&M
Skirt: Zand Amsterdam
Shades: Convenience store
Shoes: Flexx

This is my reversible skirt by Zand. The other side is decidedly more autumnal and I’ll likely wear it with tights and boot in the fall, which is technically today. Sure doesn’t feel like it!

I wore this blush top with silk shorts when I went to Fashion’s Night Out at The Bravern. The pink matched the pink swirls in the skirt. I think I like this combination even better than when I wore this skirt with brights.

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Tagged as fashion, nude shoes, pink, reversible skirt, skirt, style

September 21, 2011 · 5:30 am

Day Off in the Dog Park

I work in a really casual office environment but for me, shorts are off-limits. I usually prefer skirts anyway (in or out of the office) because they seem more polished—and just as cool on a hot day. That said, I’ve found a few new cute pairs of shorts lately (you’ll see them in posts in the days to come). My veganhosen were just the beginning.

Top: TJ Maxx
Shorts: Forever 21
Shades: Convenience store
Bag: Shiraleah
Shoes: Naturalizer

Even though I don’t wear them to work, shorts are perfect for a day off. On my day off, I went to Marymoor off-leash dog park with Frankie. The sun was out and the temperatures was in the high 70s! Proof that summer isn’t over yet. Frankie wore his dog cam (I’ll post the results soon) to document his version of our outing.

sunny day

I picked up this gauzy top earlier today while I was killing time waiting for my car to get serviced. It’s such a simple design (a rectangle folded in half, with a hole cut in the middle for my head. The sides are sewn part way up, leaving a make-shift armhole).

I bought the top because I like it, but also because I’m going to use it as a pattern and buy scarves at Goodwill so I can make more of these tops.

I’ve been to the Marymoor off-leash area literally hundreds of times but today I found The Dog Garden, a tranquil, well-manicured place where people can scatter their dogs’ ashes and have stones engraved to commemorate their furry friends. When we entered the area, Frankie went straight to the memory wall and sat down. He stared off into the distance contemplatively for a few minutes and then continued his tour.

I couldn’t help but wonder if he knew what the area was for and if he was thinking about some of his friends who are now gone. My favorite quote read, “Whatever souls are made of, yours and mine are the same.”

After paying respects to some of the best friends a person could ask for, we continued back into the regular park and finished our walk, covering most of the 40 acres before going home for dinner.

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Tagged as dog park, fashion, shorts, style

September 20, 2011 · 5:22 am

Black and Gray on a Sunny Day

It’s still summer (officially) but I’ve started wearing darker colors again. I don’t mind; I feel elegant when I do. Plus, I love the fit and shape of this Una skirt. I wrote about it in the spring, and again a couple of weeks ago.

I wore a long-sleeved t-shirt this time and my owl necklace. Sometimes simple outfits with statement pieces are effective.

Top: Old Navy
Skirt: Una
Shoes: Flexx
Necklace: eBay
Bracelets: Sears

What are your seasonal transition pieces? With fall around the corner, what are you looking forward to wearing when the weather cools down?

True Blue Slouchy Layers

Today I wanted to look like I had just rolled out of bed and grabbed the first things I could find. But I didn’t really want to do that (the effect wouldn’t be as good). So I layered loose clothing and intentionally pinned my cardi askew. I also squeezed in a bit of pattern mixing for a je ne sais quoi look.

Cardi: Nordstrom
Tank: Target
Pants: Eileen Fisher via Goodwill
Brooch: Gifted
Sunglasses: Target
Shoes: Bongo

These are my $5 Goodwill pants. I ruched the bottom of the outside seam by hand-stitching them. Now they’re like the harem-y, billowy pants all the models wear on the runways. But, if in a few more wears, I decide only a model of Amazonian proportions can get away with this look, I’ve lost nothing.

And just so it looked like I cared a just a little (after rolling out of bed), I wore heels. I always walk a more deliberately and confidently when I wear funky, tall look-at-me shoes.

Have you altered any of your clothes?

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Tagged as DIY, fashion, polka dots, stripes, style, thrifty fashion

September 18, 2011 · 1:30 am

Lederhosen for Oktoberfest

Herzlich Willkommen! To celebrate Oktoberfest (which kicked off in Munich yesterday), I’ve donned a pair of lederhosen.

Sweater: Papaya
Shorts: LuLu’s
Necklace: Forever 21
Bracelet: Thrifted
Shoes: Payless

Oktoberfest has been an accidental part of my life for a long time. When I was 8, my family moved to Kitchener, Ontario, home of Canada’s Greatest Bavarian Festival. The nine-day celebration includes beer gardens at 16 different halls, a Miss Oktoberfest pageant, and a huge parade. Kitchener (formerly named Berlin) has a large population of Germans and people of German heritage.

When I was ten, I got to experience the real deal first-hand. I lived in Southern Germany, 5 kilometers from the Bavarian border. Needless to say, Oktoberfest was a huge event, even in the small town where I lived. We went to beer tents to dance and listen to bands play. I ate potato pancakes and giant pretzels (I’m a vegetarian so I left the bratwurst to the others), while the adults downed beer by the liter. I didn’t make it to the original location—Munich—but they celebrated in Tannhausen all the same.

Now I live in Seattle, home of the Fremont Oktoberfest. I’m also about an hour away from Leavenworth, a small town in the middle of Washington whose entire downtown is modelled after a Bavarian village. Needless to say, they celebrate Oktoberfest too.

Now, I know lederhosen (literally “leather pants”) are men’s attire. I wanted to add a feminine twist to the traditional garb so I wore lots of bling and a killer pair of heels. Plus, I’m not sure I can rock a dirndl (the traditional women’s skirt, blouse and apron). It might seem too Sound of Music-ish.

The best part about my modern lederhosen is that they’re really “veganhosen.” I managed to find the exact type of leather shorts I wanted (distressed and casual, not shiny and sexy) in synthetic.

So celebrate the autumn harvest, dance, eat, and raise a glass! Prost!

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Tagged as fashion, lederhosen, Oktoberfest, shorts, style, vegan

September 17, 2011 · 7:46 am

Vintage Saturday Night Look

A few months ago, my friend Karthik was featured on this blog wearing an upcycled sari. She wore the look wonderfully. The tough decision she made before that event was which of her two vintage dresses to wear. Since she had two fancy events to attend, she didn’t have to worry too much; what she didn’t wear to her friend’s wedding-vow renewal she’d wear to the evening wedding.

Here’s the outfit she wore:

Vintage dress: Oh Bella!
Ring and bangles: Vintage family heirlooms
Earrings: From Houston’s Mahatma Gandhi neighborhood
Vegan shoes: Bandolino

I helped Karthik put this outfit together (even though she was doing fine on her own). We talked about a few style issues. Karthik wanted to wear some of her own wedding jewelry with the outfit but was advised against mixing blue and green. I said go for it! Her family heirloom jewelry included emeralds and was a terrific touch. The cool tones went well with the dress.

Here’s a closer look at the jewelry she wore with the dress, along with how she first styled it at her wedding.

Karthik wore the same earrings as she wore to her wedding, and the ring on her right middle finger is the same. Her ruby wedding band is on her left ring finger every day. She kept her wrist minimally adorned by choosing only two bangles from the assortment she wore to her wedding.

The other style issue was choosing shoes. We talked about metallics, which would have worked, and we talked about “nude” shoes. Since Karthik’s jewelry added enough sparkle, she chose nude. The challenge was finding a neutral tone that worked with Karthik’s skin tone. Luckily zappos.com has a great selection and an excellent return policy. Karthik bought a few pairs, tested them for comfort, style, and color, and landed on this great peep-toe with a kitten heel.

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Tagged as dress, emeralds, fashion, jewelry, style, vegan, vintage

September 16, 2011 · 6:07 am

A Dress Made for Me

I’m so happy to be sharing my new Una dress with you today. I recently wrote about the trunk show I attended with friends at Velouria. I might have mentioned that I bought an aubergine skirt that evening. Well, I also bought this dress. And while it wasn’t exactly made with me in mind, it fits like it was. And it is hand-crafted by Una’s owner, Susan. It was meant to be.

Dress: Una
Pendant: Fremont Sunday Market
Clutch: Thrifted
Shoes: Flexx

I had a few items by other brands picked out but when I tried this on, there was no contest. It’s so soft and stretchy. And it’s lined (a rare thing to find in a cotton jersey knit dress). I just love the eyelet detailing on the shoulders.

I went the unexpected route by wearing periwinkle shoes, an amethyst pendant, and a button-covered vintage clutch. I’d wear this dress to work, shopping, or a fancy gathering (it can be dressed up or down). Today, however, I wore it to dinner with the Mister.

Thrifty Thursday: Black and Yellow

I rarely wear black and yellow (for fear of looking like a bee). Today I tried it, and I was quite pleased. Then again, bees are cool and there’s nothing wrong with emulating them. This is a three-piece outfit: top, pants, shoes. I’m used to layering more and mixing and matching but sometimes simple works.

Sweater: Suzy Shier
Pants: New York & Co.
Shoes: Payless

This outfit is thrifty (especially since I got the top for $5 at the Suzy Shier outlet) but it’s also comfortable. The pants are dressy, but they have an elastic waist. Perfect for long hours in front of a computer (or too much pie). I wish they were slightly longer, but with a kitten heel they sit at the right length. I really like wearing wide pants long so they almost touch the floor. Seems more elegant that way (and elongates the leg).

I also noticed that the “long” short sleeves are slimming. I’m not overly concerned with my upper arms, but I have noticed that a shirt sleeve that ends just above the elbow is slimming. You can see that in my post with the red t-shirt. Compared to my post with a shorter sleeved t-shirt, longer is better if you’re going for slimming effect and limb length. It’s all in the proportions.

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Tagged as fashion, kitten heel, style, thrifty fashion

September 14, 2011 · 6:02 am

Futuristic Dress

Before I forget, check out my guest post at Oranges and Apples. While you’re there, check out all the other posts by guest bloggers covering for Franca while she’s honeymooning!

Do I look like I’m on the set of Twilight, or what? We’ve started having misty, foggy mornings lately. Fortunately the sun’s been coming out in the afternoon. The circles on this wrap dress blend together to make a pattern of their own. It feels space-agey. This was a thrifty find from Ross. Its length is perfect and makes me want to hem my longer dresses.

Dress: Ross Dress for Less
Cami: Gifted (from Germany)
Earrings: DIY
Bracelet: Claire’s
Shoes: Timberland

I think I have more items in my closet with dots or circles than any other pattern. Plaid is up there, but I’m seriously lacking in stripes and florals. Funny what interests me. What patterns are you drawn to?