Pass the Palava, Please

Everything is bland; have you noticed? Architecture, automobiles, and fashion, even the brands that claim to be couture/high-end are often poorly made and of the cheapest materials,  everything expensive and yet somehow so cheap, basic, boring. So, when I meet a brand that really does seem to care and it shows in the quality of their work, I'm absolutely on board to support them.  That's Palava, 100%.  

This Green Peas dress was my Mother's Day gift this year and I loved it so much, I decided to buy a few more things over the next few months.  Eeesh, I love it all.  So well made and so lovely, I can't get enough.  I've worn this Peas dress nearly every week to work since May, because it's just so darling.  These pieces are made to last and mine have held up beautifully to all the wear, but I can't help but be excited to see what new prints come out in the Fall/Winter collection.

Outfit Info:  Louise- Green Peas Dress from Palava, VIVAIA Flats, YeMak Sweater

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