Tag Archives: jeans

February 20, 2012 · 7:28 am

Denim and Plaid Swapped Look

I hit the jackpot at a clothing exchange I went to a few months ago. One of the pieces I picked up was this neat, asymmetrical plaid top. I thought it would look great with denim so I wore it with a pair of jeans I got at another clothing exchange last year.

Top: Eva Franco
Jeans: Rock & Republic
Shoes: Mark and James

With a free top and free pants, I don’t feel bad about splurging on shoes. Besides, these Mark and James heels from the Badgley Mischka brand were 50% at an online sale. And yes, I featured them yesterday too when I wore them with a red dress. I’m all about versatility.

I like that the top has a peplum feel to it. It’s not an extra piece of fabric, but the cut is similar. Peplum jackets and skirts are in for spring so I’m on trend. Hooray!

2 Comments

Filed under Ethical, Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as fashion, jeans, style, thrifty fashion

February 5, 2012 · 9:27 pm

Green Sneakers for Skydiving

I went indoor skydiving recently. It was so much fun and I highly recommend it. I booked a beginner session for Mr. Jean of all Trades and myself through a local outfitter, iFly Seattle. The instructor was a lot of fun–and very helpful. This sport is safe for novices but with practice, it gets to be a fun and challenging event.

The preflight instructions said to wear “well-fitting, lace-up sneakers, or running shoes. Other shoes are not suitable. Wear casual clothes, preferably pants and a shirt with no collar.” Dressing for the event would be the hardest part! I don’t wear sneakers in public. I tried that once and was in a shame spiral all day.

But I do have a fun pair of green shoes that I don’t wear often. They did the job.

Notice the lack of collar on my shirt? See how I’m wearing pants and keeping it casual? I can follow instructions to a T!

Cardigan: Nordstrom
T-shirt: Old Navy
Jeans: Express
Shoes: Champion
Purse: Crystalyn Kae

When we arrived at iFly, we threw flight suits over our casual clothes (think mechanic’s coveralls or racecar driver’s outfit). I didn’t get to take a picture of myself in that gear because my valuables were locked away during the jump.

And for those of you wondering what the heck indoor skydiving is, well, it’s a vertical wind tunnel that moves air up at high speeds. When you jump into the wind tunnel you float and soar around. It’s hard to describe. It didn’t give me butterflies like a rollercoaster and it didn’t make me feel queasy like a boat. It was simply fun.

Have you tried it?

8 Comments

Filed under Events, Fashion

Tagged as fashion, indoor skydiving, jeans, style

February 2, 2012 · 7:56 am

Color-Blocked Sweater

Back to the cool Pacific NW winter. Oh well. You haven’t heard the last about my Florida trip!

I found this color-blocked sweater on sale at Old Navy (before my self-imposed shopping ban went into effect). It’s so simple but it works so well with jeans. The cut of the sleeves adds interest to an otherwise common combo.

Sweater: Old Navy
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity
Shoes: Seychelles
Ring and necklace: eBay

I’ve worn these jeans about 25 times this year. They were on sale, but even if they weren’t they’d be a good value, if you look at the cost per wear. Better to wear a $100 pair of jeans 25 times than a $40 pair twice! (If you can find a $40 pair and wear them 40 times, well, that’s even better.)

2 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as fashion, jeans, style

December 27, 2011 · 1:18 pm

Blazer Day with a Touch of Marigold

This is my go-to look, I’ve decided: Blazer, jeans, and heels.

Blazer: Laundry by Shelli Segal via thrifted
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity
Tank: Papaya
Scarf: DIY
Earrings: Airport kiosk
Shoes: Nine West

Today, I added a DIY t-shirt scarf and I wore open-toed shoes with socks. You might also notice the embellishment at the bottom of the blazer. I did that! The lining was coming undone so I re-hemmed it and while I was at it I did a little freestyle machine sewing. I just turned the jacket this way and that while I sewed until I had a neat pattern.

How do you customize your things? Do you have a signature look?

4 Comments

Filed under DIY, Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as blazer, DIY, fashion, jeans, style, thrifty fashion

December 6, 2011 · 6:41 am

Dusty Rose Jacket and a DIY Scarf

I’m wearing my dusty rose pleather jacket again. This was an amazing find at Penneys. I wore it with gray in the spring and I’m wearing it with jeans today. It’s super soft and looks luxe.

Jacket: JC Penneys
T-shirt: Target
Jeans: GLO via thrifted
Shoes: Mea Shadow

My DIY t-shirt scarf sort of matches the denim. It’s a really simple project. If you haven’t tried making one, have a look at my earlier post that explains how.

The shoes are new. They were hugely discounted online so I had to snap them up. The original price was almost $200 but I got them for $30. Yes, I’m wearing them with socks. It’s not a faux pas anymore, as long as the heel is chunky. [Update: I’m wearing these with shorts in another post and you can see more of them.]

7 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as DIY scarf, fashion, jeans, style, vegan jacket

November 25, 2011 · 6:50 am

Simple Denim Look

Here’s an outfit I pulled together when I was feeling casual. I don’t always dress to the nines everywhere I go (far from it, actually). It’s basically jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt, but I added a few extras.

Top: Kensie
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity
Shoes: John Fluevog
Necklace: Gifted
Laptop bag: Solo

Nothing in this outfit is thrifted, which is rare for me. However, I managed to get the top and jeans on sale. I’ve joined a few online member-type sale sites and I’ve found some great deals.

It can be tough when beautiful items pop into my inbox every day. I have to remind myself about what I really need and what’s just another pretty thing. Also, just because it’s 50% off doesn’t mean the sale price is a deal. But, self-discipline aside, there are good places to find nice things—without leaving the house. I’ll do a write-up about what I like about the sites I peruse.

These shoes were technically free. I say technically because I paid the full price for them—using a Visa gift card that I was awarded for good service in a role I participated in at work. So even though they cost money, it was free money.

I didn’t want to use the card here and there—groceries, fuel, a latté or two and a couple of knick-knacks—and then have nothing to show for my award. So I bought the shoes as a reminder of a job well done. They’re much more useful than a silly plaque (which is what I’ve received in the past for merits). These shoes are my trophy. I’ll wear them with a skirt soon so you can see the neat studded detailing on the straps.

2 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as casual style, fashion, jeans, style

October 21, 2011 · 6:52 am

Casual Friday: Blue Jeans

When I wear long, bootcut jeans I feel super cool. I don’t know why. Perhaps the heels I need to wear to keep the pants from dragging on the ground give me a certain confidence-boosting strut.

Today I broke out my Rock and Republic jeans. I picked these up at a clothing exchange and was afraid to wear them. They’re snug and I didn’t want to stretch them out. Silly, I know. Denim is one of the more durable items of clothing out there. Plus, it’s meant to be broken in. So I cast off my doubts and went with it.

Top: Nordstrom
Jeans: Rock and Republic via swapped
Shoes: Payless
Earrings: DIY
Wristlet: Coach via thrifted
Cuff: Claire’s

Overall, thanks to the thrifting, swapping, and DIYing, this was an inexpensive outfit. Grand total: $65. Not a bad way to feel badass.

2 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as fashion, jeans, style, thrifty fashion

August 29, 2011 · 6:06 am

The Necklace with Two Crows

Today I got dressed necklace first. My friend, Cheryl, who knows I love crows, picked up this necklace for me at her favorite place to buy art, jewelry and gifts, Sasquatch Studios. Sadly, Cheryl can’t shop there anymore because Sasquatch Seattle is closed. However, the owner is looking for a new location at Martha’s Vineyard. So the Sasquatch, commonly thought to be from the Pacific Northwest, is headed east.

To my necklace, I added a yellow t-shirt (there are hints of yellow in the necklace) and layered over a gray blazer (the necklace has a gray background). I don’t have to be that mindful of matching, but I figured, why not? It’s a casual office day (in my mind anyhow), so I threw on jeans and boots.

jeans and blazer

Blazer: Smart Set via thrifted
T-shirt: Swapped
Necklace: Gifted
Jeans: Bluenotes
Boots: Dr. Martens

If it weren’t for the boots, this would be a $15 outfit. But I bought the boots new (and full price) so I’m over the $100 mark, which disqualifies this as a thrifty look. It’s still fun and comfy. Yes, it’s jeans-and-a-t-shirt, but with the necklace, it’s so much more.

2 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as blazer, crows, fashion, jeans, necklace, style

June 9, 2011 · 9:25 am

Thrifty Thursday: Tunic and Jeans

Imagine if I were famous. Here’s a photo you might see in the tabloids:

Don’t worry; I’m more approachable than that. Not that I couldn’t run at you like a rabid ferret. But why? I might run to you to tell you all about my latest thrifty find. Don’t be afraid. Just don’t make eye contact.

Tunic: Swapped ($0)
Tank: Gifted ($0)
Necklace: Claire’s ($8)
Clutch: Thrifted ($10)
Jeans: Ernest Sewn on sale ($49)
Boots: Naturalizer via thrifted ($9)

I’m a big fan of clothing exchanges. I get to give away things I don’t need and I can take nice clothes off someone else’s hands. At the last clothing exchange I attended, I picked up this tunic. It’s an empire waist, which I keep saying I shouldn’t wear, but I think it lies flat enough not to look like a maternity top. My new rule: I can’t get mad at someone who asks me “when I’m due” if I’m wearing an empire-waist top.