jeanofalltrades

August 18, 2011 · 5:33 am

Thrifty Thursday: Remixing Mustard Jeans

I’m wearing my skinny yellow jeans again today. I paired them once before with orange and white. Today I chose complementary colors: yellow and purple.

T-shirt: Target ($3)
Pants: See by Chloe ($30)
Shoes: Payless ($15)
Sunglasses: Target: ($9)
Cuff: Greenbelts ($15)

I picked up this shirt at Target, on the deep discount rack. I figured for $3 it was at least gym-worthy. I’ve worn it a few times already and I like how it goes well with yellow. It’s slimcut but loose enough to stay comfortable on hot days. The darker top creates a completely different look compared to the last time I wore these pants. I was so happy to score the pants online (they were normally $200).

What deals have you gotten recently?

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Tagged as mustard pants, purple and yellow, skinny jeans, style, thrifty fashion, yellow

August 17, 2011 · 7:51 am

Blue and White Nod to Nautical

As soon as the latest 30 for 30 challenge ended, I ran to Marshalls and treated myself to a few items from their sale racks. This top was one of those pieces. I liked the cut of it and I like how it mixed nautical-inspired stripes with a subtle floral and rhinestones. It’s a denim-y blue so I paired it with a denim skirt, but will go well with skinny jeans too (blue, red, or even yellow ones).

Top: Marshall’s
Skirt: Dress Barn
Shoes: Bongo

Does a striped shirt and dotted shoes count as pattern mixing? I’m trying to master that trend.

I really love these adorable shoes, but admittedly, I don’t wear them a lot. They’re very comfortable and I”m determined to remix them into my wardrobe more often. They’ll look cute with a red dress. What do you think?

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Tagged as denim skirt, fashion, polka dots, stripes, style

August 16, 2011 · 5:27 am

Street Style: Free Wheelin’

Kirsten is one of those enviable souls who commutes to work by bicycle. And not just any bike—a great Euro-styled commuter bike (also called a Dutch bike) by PUBLIC Bikes. It reminds me of the Peugeot my mom rode around on in the ’70s (with me on the back in my little seat, usually holding the groceries). Except Kirsten’s is a modern take on a classic. It just looks old; it’s state-of-the-art.

Bike: PUBLIC
Sweater: Anthropologie
Jeans: Gap
Black top: Una
Tank: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Nine West
Necklace: Kimberly Baker

Kirsten is just as stylish as her bike. Most people I know love her glasses, but her outfit is pretty sweet too. I like when urban riders don’t dress for the Tour de France when dressing for work will do.

When Kirsten’s not cruisin’ to work, she plays upright bass in a Seattle rockabilly band, The Black Crabs. Can’t get much cooler than that. Go have a listen on the band’s Facebook page. Tell her Jean of all Trades sent you.

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Tagged as bicycle, fashion, PUBLIC Bikes, Rockabilly, street style, style

August 15, 2011 · 4:44 am

A Pair of Jeans

Disclaimer: There’s no denim in this post.

I’m calling this post “A Pair of Jeans” because there are, seemingly, two of me (Jean) in this photo. It’s a little trick I tried using Paint. I had fun with the effect so I thought I’d show it off. Today, I’m wearing another of the skirts by Erin MacLeod that I bought at Urban Craft Uprising.

Top: Swapped
Shrug: Thrifted
Skirt: Erin MacLeod
Bracelet: Fred Meyer’s
Shoes: Thrifted

I love Erin’s one-size-fits-most snap-waist skirts. You can adjust them so they sit high or low on the waist. They’re wrinkle-free and easy to pack. I chose this pattern because I’ll be able to wear it with burgundy, yellow, orange, pink, black or white. Very versatile. It’s going to work well with tights in the fall too.

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Tagged as Erin MacLeod, fashion, skirt, style

August 14, 2011 · 12:56 am

Dinner, Drinks, and a Trunk Show

My friend, June, has a wonderful dress. When I admired it, she told me it was by Una. I told her about my Una skirt and we exchanged stories. Una is a local Seattle company.

June recently interviewed Susan Fedore, the designer behind the Una label. You can hear the interview on June’s blog, The Sustainable Fashionista. She also tipped me off to a trunk show featuring Una at Velouria. If June wasn’t off getting married, she would have joined Cheryl, Karena and me at the show.

I wore my Una skirt to the event.

T-shirt: Victoria’s Secret
Shrug: Thrifted
Pin: Fable and Fury
Skirt: Una
Shoes: Flexx

Here’s a detail of the wonderful ladder stitching on my skirt, and the skull pin I bought at Urban Craft Uprising:

Velouria is a great boutique in Ballard, a Seattle neighborhood, that features local designers and artists. At the trunk show, I got to meet Susan Fedore. She was great to talk to and I’m happy to report that I bought an Una dress and skirt.

I also met Atisha Pogue, the designer and owner of Atisha Louise Designs. I found a perfect pair of earrings that I plan to buy from her site.

Cheryl bought two great tops by Una. Then we went to Moshi Moshi Sushi for dinner and drinks. After dinner, we stopped by Lucca Great Finds, where Karena bought loose tea in an intriguing tin and I bought stackable stretchy bracelets. Lucca is a wonderful curio shop filled with paper goods, vintage finds, jewelry and glassware. I could spend all day in there.

Shopping for locally made goods, eating dinner with friends, and having good drinks along with great conversation is my definition of a fun evening. I hope you had a fun evening too.

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Tagged as Atisha Louise, fashion, Moshi Moshi Sushi, skirt, style, trunk show, Una, Velouria

August 12, 2011 · 5:16 am

Cream and Coral Flirty Skirt

This is my floral flirty skirt (I like the way it flows, so I call it that). I got it for a song in Madrid, NM. You might have seen the other way I styled it. This time, I wanted to incorporate a new top I picked up at a thrift store in Bellevue, WA. I might pay hundreds of dollars to fly around the country but at least my clothes are ~~cheap~~ inexpensive.

Top: Thrifted
Cardigan: Smart Set
Skirt: Thrifted
Shoes: Payless
Bag: Shiraleah

The flowers are actually shades of red and I thought I could create a bit visual trickery by wearing a coral-colored cardigan. It picks up the oranges in the skirt and makes it look a bit different.

For once I wore bright lipstick. I was on my way to meet my husband for drinks and I wanted to make this outfit date-worthy.

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Tagged as fashion, skirt, style, thrifty fashion

August 10, 2011 · 5:56 am

Going Wild with Animal Prints

I really like animal prints. I don’t like wearing animals (definitely not fur, but not even leather). However, I feel like animal prints are an homage to the animals rather than a simulation of wearing the real thing. I appreciate flowers, so I wear florals. I look at animal prints the same way.

My Oma was a very fashionable woman and wore a lot of animal prints. For me, leopard, zebra and cheetah prints have a vintage-y 50s and 60s feel and remind me of her.

Until recently, I’ve had animal print accessories: ballet flats, a belt, even a shirt. Then I found this dress.

Dress: Marshall’s
Cardigan: Nordstrom
Belt: Express
Shoes: Aerosoles

It’s a simple knit shirt dress and it’s really comfortable. I like its blue-gray color and how I can play with colorful accessories. I plan to wear this with purple shoes and a yellow belt (as soon as I find a yellow belt). I want to try it with red shoes too, or a red belt and black shoes.

Do you do animal prints? What’s your favorite piece?

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Tagged as animal print, fashion, leopard print, shirt dress, style

August 9, 2011 · 12:35 am

Monochromatic Pattern Mixing

The latest Everybody, Everywear challenge is pattern-mixing. There’s nothing like a challenge to get me in gear. I love the look of mixing patterns but I’m often afraid to try it. It has to be done right. But if mixing patterns is breaking a rule anyway, how do you know the right way to do it? Hmm. It’s tough. I played it safe and stuck with black and gray.

T-shirt: Wet Seal
Skirt: Swapped
Belt: Thrifted
Shoes: Aerosoles
Tote: Snap Design
Earrings: DIY
Cuff: Greenbelts
Ring: Premier Designs

A few other ways to mix patterns with a high degree of success:

Try a monochromatic theme—limit the color palette and focus on patterns
Experiment with accessories—add patterned shoes or a scarf or belt
Mix stripes and polka-dots, stripes and florals, or polka-dots and florals
Try two different types of stripes

The key is to make this look intentional, not like you got dressed in the dark. I’m still a novice, but I’m trying new things. I have a feeling you’ll see more pattern mixing in upcoming posts. It was a lot of fun to put this outfit together.

Do you mix patterns? What is the secret to your success? Need some ideas before you try it yourself? Check out all of the other ways people mixed patterns over at Everybody, Everywear.

23 Comments

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Tagged as Everybody Everywear, gray, mixing patterns, patterns, stripes

August 8, 2011 · 1:27 am

The Lucy 100th Birthday Parade

It might seem like my parents have hijacked this blog. That’s not the case; they’ve simply had a more eventful weekend than I had. Part of the 100th Birthday celebration for Lucille Ball included a parade. My Mom sent pictures.

People came from everywhere.

From Sudbury, Ontario…

And Edinburg, Texas.

They came from Sherbrooke, Quebec…

From Portland, Oregon…

And Concord, California.

Even Lucy was watching.

There were countless Lucy impersonators.

But here’s the official one.

Lucy was a style icon. The 100th birthday celebration also included a lookalike contest. Lucy’s red hair and red lipstick could be seen 900 times over. Interestingly, the majority of contestants who dressed up as Lucy wore a blue and white polka-dotted dress. That outfit is as iconic as Dorothy’s blue and white gingham dress or Marilyn’s white halter dress. Such style!

Shadow Shot: Jamestown Factory

Today’s Shadow Shot post is a collaboration between my Dad and me. And by collaboration, I mean he took the pictures. I’m writing about them and posting them. I got my interest in photography from my Dad so I thought it would be fitting to show things he finds when looking through his lens.

My parents are in Jamestown, NY this weekend to celebrate Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday. My dad found this abandoned factory there. I love that, through the magic of technology, he can take pictures, upload them, and email them to me across the country, and moments later I can add them to my blog.

It used to be a furniture factory, and coincidentally, Lucille Ball’s father, Henry, worked there.

I love the stained glass and arched windows. Even factories were beautiful in the past. There’s something eerily beautiful about this place still.

The morning sun shone through the windows and the holes in the roof, revealing sturdy machinery that look like, with a little TLC, would still work today.