My Simplified Summer
It wasn’t retail therapy, but this past Saturday I found myself alone downtown on other business, a few blocks from the mall, with a few hours to spare. As I was in need of some shoes with better support, Nordstrom was my destination; and lo and behold - it was the half-yearly sale!!!
In the course of painting sets for the show we are involved with, my Chacos met their demise (or at least the long-awaited demotion). Now they are hiking sandals. When I need to look respectable, I will be wearing these:
(Unfortunately my size was not in stock, they should arrive tomorrow … at which time I will know how much I paid for them. he hee. I know they were on sale.)
My simplified summer color palette:
- white
- coral pinks: icy pale to bright to almost-red coral
- accent: dark brown
My simplified summer shoe wardrobe:
- leisure: Chacos
- casual: the pictured Sofft Adara dark brown patent wedges
- business: I don’t need business shoes
- social: dark brown vintage lizard peep-toe slingbacks
All are dark brown. I have a belt, now I just need to decide on a purse.
My simplified summer uniform templates:
- leisure: I’m still working on this one, but could it be anything but shorts and tee?
- casual: after working downtown for two days, I am firmly decided on this one - short-sleeved pants, aka bermudas + short-sleeved shirt + removable jacket. I am just so much more comfortable in pants than in skirts.
- business: I don’t need business clothes. Honestly, out here in the West, business casual is pretty much good for everything.
- social: sleeveless sheath. I have two black and one pink, and I wouldn’t mind making myself another, perhaps a print. I also have permission to raid the fabulous skirt wardrobe of one of my daughters.
What are you wearing this summer?
Related Posts:
Another Belt Fashion Lab: Width AND Placement
Updated. More of the same set of pictures.
After seeing all these, I have two observations:
- I like the belt at the waist with the knee length looks and at the hip with the full length looks. Last week, with a long skirt, I played around with the positioning of the belt and ended up liking it at high hip. I suspect we’re looking at length-balancing here, rather than a silhouette issue.
- The belt needs to be in scale with the other details of the outfit. For example, look how much better the wide belt looks with the jeans and white top, but it seems to overwhelm the dress. With the dress, the skinny belt is better. Can anybody explain why I like the skinny belt with the skirt and top, but I prefer the wide belt with the black tank and leggings?
Many thanks to eternalvoyageur for coming up with the idea for this and sending in these great pictures. Without further ado: wide belt and skinny belt, tested worn at waist and hip. (My much less thorough test of the same idea).
With so many pictures to look at, I’m simply going to ask:
What conclusions do you draw from this experiment?
Related Posts:
The Demise of Retail as Therapy
If you’ve been around since the beginning of the blog, this post will seem familiar. I’m trying a new blogging concept: throwing a re-run in every week or so. Perhaps it will force me to do a little (blog) “house-cleaning”.
Retail therapy. Supposedly that’s when people go shopping to make themselves feel better. In the real world, where most of us live, shopping just can’t do that anymore. It’s confusing, depressing, exhausting and, as often as not, futile. Who hasn’t spent hours looking for something that should be easy to find, only to find rack after rack of the same old not-gonna-do-it garbage?
Which brings up an important question: Where would you shop if money were no object?
(Consider that question now, and find out when to expect the lowest prices in those stores. Maybe the first week of February you can afford to shop there.)
More and more women say they seriously hate shopping for clothes. What about you? Is retail therapy or does it make you need it?
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Dress Over Shorts
Beginning with this evening, I have three days of slightly out of the ordinary events to dress for:
- This evening: Awana Leader Appreciation Dinner. The food will be BBQ and I am on the board of directors, making me a hostess and part of the set up, serving, and clean-up crew.
- Tomorrow evening: My older daughter is one of the graduating seniors being honored at another BBQ-style dinner at the same location. I’m looking forward to an evening with no duties.
- Friday evening: Opening Night! My younger daughter is appearing in Beauty and the Beast (as a dancing napkin!) and, while I did have responsibilities (such as constructing the bedding for Belle’s canopy bed), I am now pretty much off-duty until strike. After the show, the families of cast and crew traditionally go out for hamburgers.
If it’s warm enough, I think I’ll wear this outfit this evening. What I love about it:
- I feel dressed. I’m not worrying about whether my shirt is long enough, whether my dress is too short, or anything else. I can freely bend over and get something off the floor or lift something off a top shelf without being immodest.
- Not only do I feel dressed but, because of it is a dress, I feel dressed up.
- The black and white color combo is both “spring festive” and “Be Our Guest” at the same time.
(Sorry about the picture quality.)
When I bought this dress (for $1), it was with the thought of wearing it over a ruffled skirt. Then I washed it. I laughed out loud when I pulled the (rayon) dress out of the washer to hang it to dry, only to find it had shrunk a foot in length (that’s no joke)!
But, as serendipity would have it, I’ve been in love with the idea of mid-thigh dresses over shorts ever since I tried one on last summer; now I finally one in my wardrobe. Will you be trying this look this summer?
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Sunday Wardrobe Trauma
This was my room on a recent Sunday morning, after I finally got dressed. Tell me, do you suppose I left feeling relaxed and worshipful? If you said ‘no’, you were right. This was the scene of some serious Sunday wardrobe trauma!
Some of what was going through my head (that I can repeat):
- I hate skirts. More correctly, I detest above-the-knee skirts.
- This skirt would work, if only it were lined.
- Do I have anything that could stand in for a slip?
My challenge, and I must succeed, is to:
- Figure out what I want to wear to church when it’s between 50 and 70 degrees out, and
- Buy it.
In the meantime, my younger daughter is more than willing to allow me to borrow her skirts, which is only reasonable since I often buy them for her on my 99 cent Monday excursions.
Please share: what is your uniform template for church or other dressy casual occasions when the weather is too warm for wool pants and too cool to go barefoot?
I’m happy to report I had zero trauma this past week. Summer has arrived!
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Prints from Oscar De La Renta’s Resort 09 Collection
Since this has been a print week and Coutorture has photos available from Oscar’s Resort ‘09 collection, and Dior Cruise ‘09 too, I thought we’d take a look at some prints, Fashion Lab-style.
Compare the use of scale in these first two. Who is flattered and who is just plain overwhelmed?
In this second set, in addition to scale, we can study line movement and especially direction. (Also note that the deep, square neckline, which is visually in balance, acts kind of as a solid to separate the print from the face.)
Just for fun, here’s thumbnails of some more pictures.
Which is your favorite look? That last picture is me. 
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More on Selecting Prints
As long as we’re talking about solids vs prints …
In my previous post on selecting prints in scale with your facial features, I also recommend harmonizing the amount of “background” to the print with the amount of space around the features. Background space can be adapted by simply combining a small bit of a print with a larger expanse of solid.
Three other considerations in selecting prints:
- line movement: at its simplest, this is simply asking are the lines in the print curved or straight?
- line direction: consider also whether the print elements create a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal feel (not all do).
- line clarity: I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this. Take a look in the mirror. Are the edges of your features clearly defined or do they blend into your face? (I suspect this as the reason I don’t wear lipstick well.)
Remember, there is a great deal of room for creativity in applying any of these principles. In other words, don’t hurt yourself trying to figure out whether your eyes are round or almond-shaped. Try both and wear what you like. And have fun!
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Italian Style: Prints vs Solids
The main fashion take-away for my 18 year-old from our Italy trip? They didn’t wear many prints. She kept commenting on how much easier coordinating outfits would be if prints weren’t in the picture. (I told her with her idiom she’d be better off learning to mix prints and go for the trendy Dutch style we also saw.)
Do you wonder what place prints should occupy in your wardrobe?
- If you prefer solids, I noticed the Italians mixed textures and details into their ensembles, thereby keeping them from looking boring.
- A simple way to keep from having to mix prints: use them in only one part of the wardrobe, for example tops and blouses. Or suits and jackets. Or skirts and pants (my preference).
- Want to wear multiple prints? Pattern-mixing advice from “The Prince of Chintz”, famous interior designer Mario Buatta, via Sensational Color:
start with a biggest pattern first and then add all the other elements based off of the colors in the largest pattern chosen
This technique is illustrated in detail in a tutorial at Vintage Threads.
Are you a print person or a solid person? As the weather warms up I am drawn to more prints, but solids remain the backbone of my wardrobe.
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Wedding Gifts
Recently received via email:
What do you get for the bride taking the plunge in today’s flailing economy? Brides are less consumed with blenders and toasters, and more concerned with cash. Brides-to-be don’t have time to run from store to store creating registry lists, and those buying for the couple probably don’t have the time to go to five different stores the soon-to-be newlyweds are registered at.
MyRegistry.com saves time for all involved in wedding registry. The site allows users to create one all-inclusive registry, you can include items from any store in the world and compile everything in one, organized registry. Those buying for the couple who feel that perhaps a cash gift would be more sensible than another ten-speed blender can deposit a cash gift on the website, a feature that sets MyRegistry apart from the competition.
Myself? I always give the same gift. And I’m embarrassed to say I’ve been paying more for it.
Any NT’ers reading? Wannabes? I know bonnie makes kefir and drinks it with coffee. This spring I have become mistress to a batch of grains, continued experimenting with soaking flour, and resumed sprouting. Next up: fermented vegetables. How’d you like to receive a jar of peppery, fermented pickles as a wedding gift? LOL
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Just Linking May 10th
Just a few random links I’ve collected over the past couple of weeks:
Amy at MotherLoad has a great post up on building a starter work wardrobe.
New commenters:
Chloe from Her Accessories.
Polly at Chick In the Country (featuring What I Wore pictures)
Jennifer at Family Musings. Be sure to see her post on modesty.
Vyque at Fasshonaburu.
Sharon from A Scrapbook of Me
Master photographer Stuart Riddell
New to the blogroll:
BTW, Happy Mother’s Day!
