Chasing Chelsea

I bounce back and forth between wanting a small fully utilized wardrobe and absolutely adoring all my many, many clothes and the endless options they create.  In the past year I've learned something about my brain and how it works that truly has been a lightbulb, making everything make sense.  

Oddly enough this epiphany came from a podcast on home design, not fashion or neuroscience.  The guest spoke about the psychology of our homes and how the "farmhouse/ greige minimalist/hyper awareness of the resale value movement appeals to people who are overstimulated and seeking relief.  They see the bareness, simplicity as a sanctuary from the world, exactly as our homes should be.  When presented in that light, I felt rather guilty for being such a harsh critic.  

The reverse then is true for me.  Generally speaking, I find the world very understimulating.  Every spralling Midwest town looks the same, everyone in athleisure, cars all some easy to resell shade of neutral, and all my days spent in greige cement buildings under florescent lights.  So boring.   

My brain craves new, interesting, beautiful, intricate, unusual, challenging, detailed, different.  It's why I shop so much, read four books at a time, and worked three jobs at once. Even the challenge of decluttering and living on a small capsule wardrobe is tied in to that cycle of something new, the next challenge. Then I get bored. My home and my wardrobe are naturally an extension of this.  I crave the hunt of a harsh to find dress, the challenge of alterations, the creative burst of styling it.  And then my brain wants to move on to the next hunt, the next challenge.   It's killer on my bank account if I'm not careful, but I've been this way my whole life; this is just how my brain works and it's unlikely to change.  However, it can be managed and knowing this about myself brings me a great deal of peace.

All of this has been a very circuitous way of saying, I've found another Bernie Dexter beauty from my ISO list.  This Chelsea dress in book print is one I almost never see pop up for resale.  I had to scour the BST groups, found a months old post, and had it shipped from another country to finally bring it home, but here she is and just in time for autumn styling.  No regrets.

Outfit Info:  Bernie Dexter Chelsea Dress in Books Print, B.A.I.T. heels, Vintage bag, Collectif Shrug

Autumn Hues of GownTown Glam

Autumn is on the way and I'm ringing in the fall with a little GownTown glamour in this lovely collared dress with bow detail at the back.  I love this shade of muted mustard, it's just perfect for autumn.

Outfit Info:  GownTown 1950s Vintage Bow Dress, Heels from B.A.I.T.

The Mother of All Unicorns!

The year was... a long time ago and an absolutely stunning Eva Franco dress released on ModCloth and while I was desperately trying to figure out how I could afford it at $325 in 20-teens dollars, this same Russian Doll dress turned up in an episode of New Girl and then sold out immediately. 

A restock came along but I still couldn't swing the price.  I found matching fabric and made an apron dress version.

 I found similar fabric and learned to sew so I could make my own version.  

And, over the years, I have kept an eye on the resale sites but each time this dress turned up the price was the same.  The dresses kept aging and getting wear, but that brand new price would. NOT. budge.

Finally.   FINALLY!  I have found the dress.  In good condition.  At a reasonable, age appropriate price.  Finally, after 10 long years of waiting in suspense, I have found the dress.  The wait is finally over; let's do this!!

Do I love the dress?  Yes, yes I do.  I had to do a little tailoring and as you can see, it's very low cut.  I've layered it with a navy blue lace cami for work and I may just find a pretty bra that goes well with it for everyday wear since it's sure to show.

But, I need to note that this fabric is the Exact. Same. Stuff. I bought in Japan.  Had I known that it was the same canvas fabric, I would probably have just made a dress from it back then. Alas, my sewing knowledge and skills were just forming and I was unsure of myself.  Ultimately, it doesn't matter, I've had fun sewing and searching for this dress, and now it's mine.  

Outfit Info:  Qupid heels are old, Matryoshka bag is old, necklace is vintage, Eva Franco Russian Doll dress is thrifted

Set Sail For September

It seems like a cruel trick that the last few and precious weeks of summer are so unbearably hot that they have to be spent indoors or at least in the shade.  The silver lining then is that when September rolls around, it's such a relief that I hardly have time to grieve summer because I'm so busy enjoying being able to just go outside again.  

This darling Palava dress caught my eye in the summer time, but due to it's 3/4 sleeves, I decided to hold off on wearing it until autumn, so there's another silver lining to the end of summer.  Palava has become a favorite brand for their lovely prints and excellent quality. (No, I am not affiliated with them, just a fan)

Outfit Info: Cynthia Navy Shipwreck Dress from Palava

The Best of August

August is the worst month in my opinion.  It is unbearably hot, everything is dry and dying, school starts/the fun stops, no good movies come out, the concerts are over, and the list goes on.  There are two good things about August though, and in the interest of being balanced, I'd like to mention them here. 

1. Night Swimming.  2.  Star Gazing.  And it's very convenient that you can accomplish all (two) of August's best activities at the same time.  It's so hot that the water is warm enough for a lovely swim until dawn, and while you're floating take a moment to catch the splendor of the Leonid Meteor Shower.  

Some of my happiest summer nights, the ones that truly defined my childhood and teen years were spent on an August night when school was looming and we threw all caution to the wind and the wonder of summer to make the most of the short days of freedom we had left.  Swimming in prom dresses with girlfriends, wading into warm murky ponds with the gang, sitting by the poolside talking about the future with a roommate.  Always the night, and the water, and the stars shooting by.  This was August to me.  

This year Mr. Bleu, our daughter, and I woke ourselves at 1:00 a.m. on a weeknight no less to lay in the back of our truck and try to catch the show.  We saw a few and they were lovely, but the moment together was loveliest of all.

Today's post feels like the last of the summer outfits.  Once September arrives it's farewell summer; I swap out all my bright colors, florals and stripes for plaid and shades of rust.   So, for today, something summer while it lasts.

 

Outfit Info: Edme & Esyllte Floral Skirt is thrifted, Cabi top is thrifted, B.A.I.T. shoes, bag is gifted.

Summer Reading: The King In Yellow

If you enjoy a good summer read then prepare yourself for something delicious: The King in Yellow. This lost treasure was written in 1895 by Robert W. Chambers and has all the eloquence of the Victorian era in this macabre work of proto-science fiction better known as cosmic horror.  And, if you're worried that summer is nearly over, worry no more, for this is a collection of short stories woven together by a common element.  

 

I knew nothing about The King in Yellow, but it was recommended by my stylist at my last color appointment, and since I was in need of a read and enjoyed the prospect of combing a book club style conversation with my next root touch up, I found it for free at The Gutenberg Project, and discovered that my lunch break was just enough time to read one story per day.

  I finished it in about a week, loved it, and knew I had to share.  In honor of this book, I  thought it only right that today's outfit combine a little soft summer gingham with the color yellow.

Outfit Info: Unique Vintage Yellow Gingham Dress Thrifted