Tag Archives: sandals

August 29, 2015 · 12:45 pm

Gray and White Thrifty Look

I just came back from vacation in Germany and while I sort, edit and cull my photos, I thought I’d share a thrifty look I wore shortly before I left for my trip.

Top: Swapped
Pants: Suzy Shier
Shoes: Swapped
Bag: Thrifted

I picked up this top at a clothing exchanges a few years ago. It belonged to my friend Andrea, whose style I admire. At another clothing exchange, my friend Kristin handed these awesome wedges to me. She knew they were my size and, since I love her style sense too, she knew I’d like these.

The shoes and top work great with my cropped cords. I’ve had these for years. And they were only $5 from the Suzy Shier outlet in Cambridge, Ontario, the town my parents lived in for a while.

My Harvey’s seatbelt bag was thrifted, and was also about $5, making this one of the least expensive outfits I own. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

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Filed under Ethical, Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as corduroy, fashion, sandals, style, thrifty fashion, wedges

August 13, 2015 · 11:10 pm

Bermuda Shorts and Basket-weave Top

Seattle’s summer is showing no signs of slowing down—and I’m not complaining! I love the warm weather. In summer I gravitate toward dresses, but shorts are a nice change.

Bermuda shorts

Top: Damselfly Seattle
Shorts: Saltworks via swapped
Shoes: Aerosoles
Purse: Crystalyn Kae
Bracelet: Brooklyn flea market

Shorts are usually too short and casual for work, but Bermuda-length shorts are fine in creative and/or casual environments.

woven-pattern top

I wore these to work with a loose top. I was drawn to this pattern because it looked like a thick, woven fabric. It’s an illusion—the pattern is printed on the fabric.

I like the dark background and how the top incorporates so many colors. It means I can wear this with almost anything. I like it with denim (so the denim shorts are a good fit), but it will look great with any solid pant or short.

shorts and sandals

I met up with Crystalyn Kae at Urban Craft Uprising this past July and I ended up with a cute lime green cross-body purse. Adorable, isn’t it?

Crystalyn Kae purse

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Filed under Ethical, Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as Crystalyn Kae, sandals, shorts, style, vegan

September 17, 2013 · 11:04 pm

Breaking the Rules with Blue and Green

“Blue and green should never been seen except in the washing machine.”

That’s what someone rattled off to me when I wore these two colors together a few years ago. Luckily I don’t follow rules. I’ll wear white after Labor Day too–just watch me!

Top: Marshall’s
Jeans: Macy’s
Belt: Truth
Shoes: Flexx
Ring: One-eyed Collie

Some color combinations have often been considered no-nos: black and brown, blue and black, and apparently blue and green. But I disagree. It’s more about the shades. Too dark a blue or brown might not stand out against the black but I’d hardly say they clash. And sometimes clashing colors work. Fuchsia and orange anyone?

Do you have and favorite outfits that break fashion rules? Or any rules that you absolutely won’t break?

I’m linking up with The Pleated Poppy and Transatlantic Blonde today. Have a look at what everyone else is wearing!

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Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as cropped pants, fashion, green jeans, sandals, stripes, style, thrifty fashion

July 23, 2013 · 9:43 pm

Red Shorts and Polka-dots

I’m on a roll, wearing shorts like nobody’s business. I think they work best (at least on me) when they hit at the widest part of my thigh and are slightly loose.

Top: Goodwill
Shorts: Swapped
Shoes: Thrifted
Belt: Truth Belts
Hat: Payless

I almost didn’t get these red shorts. They were castoffs from my last clothing exchange. I was gathering up the unwanted items and getting a big pile of clothes ready for Goodwill when I spotted them. I thought they’d be good for gardening but I’ve been wearing them out.

Today I dressed them up with a chunky-heeled sandal and my straw fedora. I hid the turquoise band with a black ribbon so the hat matches the outfit. Next time, I’ll wear a longer shirt. There’s nothing like seeing yourself in photos to realize what works and what doesn’t! I’m owning this fail.

I joined The Anything & Everything Blog Hop at My Thrifty Chic and What I wore Wednesday at Transatlantic Blonde. Now I’m off to see what everyone else is wearing!

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Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as fashion, fedora, hat, polka dots, sandals, shorts, style, thrifty fashion

July 21, 2013 · 5:50 pm

Beating the Heat

It’s not as hot as it was a few weeks ago, but it’s still warm, and I’m always on the lookout for ways to stay cool. My plants were thirsty so I relaxed in the backyard and did a bit of watering.

Do you see the little bee house on the right? I had mason bees in my garden this spring. They don’t sting and they don’t make honey, but they are great pollinators. After a few weeks, the females fill the house with next year’s bees (in cocoons) and then they die. I’ll take this batch of future bees into the garage for the winter and bring them out to hatch in the spring.

Top: Target
Skirt: Eddie Bauer via swapped
Cuff: Street market in Florida
Pleather shoes: Luo Luo

Alice and Jean

My cat, Alice, joined me in the garden. She’s blind, so she can’t escape the yard like most cats, but she really enjoys exploring. She’s even started running! If I say “run run run” she knows the coast is clear and she takes off. When I say “careful!” she knows to slow down. She’s smashed into the house, pots, and chairs before so the warning word really helps her. She’s a smartie!

After making sure all the plants were watered, I poured myself a glass of rosé–that’s seems like the best way to cool off!

I joined Style Sessions at Style Elixir, Monday Bloom at DC in Style and Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet–checkout what other bloggers are wearing!

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Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as denim skirt, fashion, sandals, style, thrifty fashion, vegan

June 30, 2013 · 10:49 pm

Staying Cool in the Heat Wave

It sounds unreal, but Seattle does get heat waves from time to time. We’re in the middle of the one hitting the West right now–and there’s no sign of letting up.

Fedora: Payless
Top: Goodwill
Shorts: Old Navy
Shoes: Luo Luo (from Amazon)
Faux leather purse: Target

All I can do is dress light and drink lots. Instead of blow-drying my hair or straightening it, I add a surf spray texturizer and let it get a bit wavy. My hair is naturally pretty straight so this is as much wave as I can coax out of it. As least wind and sweat won’t make it look worse!

To keep the sun off my head, I tried out my new fedora. I have to say, I love it! The straw is great for summer and it doesn’t trap the heat like most hats do. Fun fact: Did you know the fedora was originally a woman’s hat? The word comes from the title of an 1882 play. The main character, Princess Fédora, was played by Sarah Bernhard, who wore a center-creased, soft brimmed hat on stage. Women’s rights activists adopted the fashion right away. Men didn’t start to wear fedoras until the 1920s.

In my 30s, I swore off shorts, but a couple of years ago, I brought them back into my wardrobe. I used to think they were too casual, but with a pair of wedges, they’re fun. These ones are faux leather, come in nine colors, and are on sale for less than $25! It was hard to choose, but I do like the blue.

I balanced out my outfit with a loose, billowy top. It’s much cooler than something body-hugging anyway. I found this floral top at Goodwill. It was a size too big, but tucking in one side seems to make it work.

What are your tricks for staying cool in the heat? Maybe some of the women participating in Visible Monday have ideas!

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Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as fashion, floral, sandals, shorts, style, thrifty fashion, wedge heels

April 29, 2013 · 12:05 pm

Denim Skirt for Spring

I actually took these photos late in the fall, on one of the last, nice spring days. It seemed silly to post warm-weather wear after the temperatures dropped, so I’ve been sitting on these pictures.

Top: Best Kept Secret Sample Store
Skirt: Swapped
Sandals: Aerosoles

The weather is nice enough for bare legs again (depending on the day), and this is an outfit that I’ll wear in spring too. I’ll have to paint my nails blue again too!

I found this top at a sample sale and loved the color, softness of the fabric, and the way the neckline draped. The skirt was from a clothing exchange. I was drawn to the vertical panels.

Sometimes I like putting together a unique look; other times simple style does the trick.

Do you have a go-to look for spring?

I’ve joined Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet. Have a look at what all the others are wearing.

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Tagged as denim skirt, fashion, sandals, style, thrifty fashion

April 9, 2013 · 11:39 pm

Sandal Weather

It’s not really sandal weather but when it’s not freezing I’ll wear open-toed shoes–and even sandals–in the hope of getting spring to hurry up.

Top: Target
Tank: Old Navy
Pants: Swapped
Shoes: Aerosoles
Scarf: Swapped

It’s still a seasonal transition time though. Sometimes cool, occasionally warm. Lots of rain, and a bit of sun. So I like the idea of layering and being prepared for whatever comes my way.

And this is the first time I’m joining The Sapphire Bee and My thrifty Chic for their weekly Anything and Everything blog Hop. I’m looking forward to participating weekly. A mixed bag of this and that is the MO of Jean of all Trades!

What items do you wear that signal the start of spring?

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Filed under Fashion, Hot and Cold, Thrifty

Tagged as fashion, sandals, scarf, style, thrifty fashion

March 31, 2013 · 10:34 pm

Sunny Seattle Stripes

I love Seattle when the sun is out. This past weekend was the first time in a long time (not counting Hawaii), when I could bare my legs. It was that warm out. The mister and I even had a picnic outdoors and had drinks on an outdoor patio!

Top: Mexx
Shrug: Ross Dress for Less
Skirt: Dress Barn
Shoes: Aerosoles
Purse: Sue Huston
Glasses: Street market in Florida

I’ve worn this top before with shorts and with pants, and here it is with a skirt. I’m still on the lookout for a true Kelly green pair of skinny jeans or capris so I can wear this top with those too. In the meantime, I thought the pink and yellow accents make this a springy look.

When I wrote up this post, I had a suspicion I’d used the title before. I did a search and found a post from almost two years ago called Stripes in Sunny Seattle. Coincidentally, I’m wearing the same skirt and sandals–but a different striped top.

Oh, and don’t forget to check out all the other visible women at Not Dead Yet!

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Filed under Fashion

Tagged as fashion, sandals, skirt, stripes, style

September 16, 2012 · 10:18 pm

Black and Seafoam Dress

dress and cardi

Dress: Shop in Canada
Cardi: Smart Set
Shoes: Timberland
Necklace: Santa Fe street vendor
Bracelets: Various places

The dress is sleeveless, low-cut, and short, so I wore it with a coral cardigan and casual sandals. I didn’t need to vamp it up. I added a bunch of inexpensive stretchy bracelets for an impromptu arm party. These are from places like Claire’s, and shops around town. If it fit with the color scheme, it went on my arm.

arm party

I might try this with a blazer too.

tie dress

Do you hang onto clothes or is your closet lean and mean? According to many people, “if you haven’t worn it for a year, toss it.” But I really like this dress; I just don’t always get to things in my closet. I tend to prefer collecting clothes, and I keep them as long as they’re in good shape, fit well, and suit me.

Oh, don’t forget to check out the other Visible Monday posts. I added this to Not Dead Yet’s linkup.

dress