Style No. 5

Well my dears, this is it, the last Monday in August and so the final day of my fashion challenge to create styles using only Navy Blue, Fuchsia, and Ivory/White. Now, to be quite honest with you, when I decided to do this challenge, I didn't realize there were five Mondays in August instead of four and so I only planned four outfits. Mea culpa.  

Not to worry, I do have a pretty stellar outfit ready for today which deviates only slightly from the parameters of the challenge and uses another of those lovely RockSteady prints I've been collecting from thrift shops. This one is the nautical print and just as cute as the space prints. 

Today's outfit, as you'll notice right away, uses cerulean instead of navy, and magenta instead of fuchsia. (Ok, did you actually notice that right away?) Still pretty close and sometimes close enough is good enough. If it bothers you, just use your imagination a little and we'll work through it together.

This skirt is new. I love midi skirts, but most of mine have some kind of bold print on them.  Now and then I just need a few basic solid skirts.  I've been wanting to try one of those inexpensive styles from Amazon to see if they're as good as they look.  I bought mine from a shop called FACE N FACE. Sounds scammy, doesn't it.

Well, I read the reviews and everyone seemed legitimately pleased with their purchases so I decided to give it a try. It's only $20, right? I was pleasantly surprised by the nice thick (but not stiff) quality of the fabric. The skirt seems to be well made, has very nice pockets, and is pretty much just what I was looking for, although it is bigger around the waist than I'd like. I may have to take it in so that it will actually fit my waist instead of hanging below it. For today's photos I pinned it where I wanted it to fit; my sewing machine is on the fritz!

 

And that's that for my August challenge. The wheels are already turning for another challenge, but in the mean time, if you think of one be sure to leave me a suggestion below.

Shopping Info: Midi Skirt from Amazon, Freshwater Pearl Earrings from Natuloth, Dress by Rock Steady, Cardi from ModCloth, Flats from Charlotte Russe

Dresslily Collab: Vintage Flare

Today's post is the final installment in my collab with Dresslily. I've had a lot of fun styling these outfits for you and I hope you've enjoyed reading these posts as much as I have enjoyed making them.  Dresslily offers free shipping on orders over $45 and keep reading for your promo code worth 22% off your purchase at Dresslily.  Hopefully this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship between Dresslily and Bleu Avenue.

Why not close this collab with a vintage classic, the Little Black Dress. Dresslily's inexpensive women's fashion makes trying new styles fun and easy. For this Vintage Half Button Belted Flare Dress, there were just so many great vintage facets that I had to style it. Look at that collar and neckline! And, yes, those buttons really do unbutton.

The Vintage Half Button Belted Flare Dress is made of a thin stretchy spandex material, so you have some breathing room and it works for summer. Personally, I think this dress runs true to size, but, when ordering from a new company, I always recommend comparing your measurements with the store's size chart to make sure you get the correct size and fit. 

This little lovely Flare Dress comes with a some nice gathering at the shoulders, cuffed half sleeves, an adjustable belt and the full skirt is perfect for a petticoat. (Seriously, I have got to get a petticoat!) I styled this dress with black heels and pearl jewelry to give it that vintage housewife vibe. Move over, June Cleever!

Shopping Info: Vintage Half Button Belted Flare Dress from Dresslily. Use the code GBJKNO to save 22% off you purchase.

Quiet Your Chaos

Are you Ok being alone with yourself? How about alone with your thoughts? Some people find it terrifying; some people find it supremely comforting. I used to fall into the latter category. I relished my time alone; it was necessary for me to recharge, sort out the world and feel ready to face whatever challenges came next.  Without it, I was kind of a bear to be around—well maybe more like a grizzly bear who's had a lean summer followed by a long winter. You know what I mean, they're ready to rip apart the next living thing that crosses their paths. That was me if I didn't get a little time to myself. Then something changed. 

Life threw me way more than I could handle and suddenly my time alone was a torment rather than a respite. Being alone was terrifying and I found lots of ways to to fill the time. I worked extra hours, I tagged along to places even when I wasn't invited, I spent more time with family and friends than I ever have before. I just couldn't face the thoughts waiting for me in the silence.

Do you know how it feels to find yourself with a moment away from the chaos and then to be bombarded with painful memories and hard truths that you haven't had to think about much when life is moving by so quickly your head rarely stops spinning? What do you do when confronted by wounds you've tried to ignore?

A couple of months ago I had my first day alone in years. And, it went really well. I was productive in getting chores done around the house. I made time for rest, a chapter from a new book, t.v. show or two, and there may have been cookies that had been hidden from my family lest they devour them all without pausing to taste them instead of slowly savoring them as they are meant to be enjoyed over the course of an entire week.

I kept expecting the fear to set in, that at any moment all those dark thoughts would rush in and depression would come crashing down on me leaving me a sobbing heap in the floor. I had a moment or two where I felt that fear lingering at the edge of my mind, but for the first time, I was able to shake it off, to put it away and return to enjoying my quiet time again. 

I've missed this. I've needed this. I've missed this part of the old me and I'm glad that it's back in any capacity. I may not be able to go days with seeing another soul like I did in my younger years, but I'm not sure that was a healthy way to live anyway. Whereas after this victory with alone time, I know I am getting healthier in my emotions again. It's been a herculean battle to get to this quiet place, but it was worth every second of struggle to be back here again, and you can get there too.

I believe we all need the quiet, it is rest for our hearts and minds from a wearisome world. But in order to find that rest, you have to begin with the chaos inside you. Do the work. Untangle your knots. Learn to be alone with you. And find the rest you need.

Shopping Info: Charter School Cotton Cardigan by ModCloth, Toucan Dress is from The OtherSparrows, Flats from Charlotte Russe, Book from a very dear friend is by Anne McCaffrey.

Convertible Dress/Tunic Top with DressLily

As mentioned earlier this week, I am collaborating with the lovely people at Dresslily to showcase a few of their items. Dresslily's inexpensive women's fashion is something I've wanted to try for a while now and I'm so excited to share these posts with you.  You know me and my love of vintage style dresses, so of course I chose two dresses to showcase for you, but I also wanted to try out this Asymmetrical Cinched Heathered Convertible Dress.

I've see these Convertible Dresses for a few years and have wanted to try one to see if they are as comfortable as they look. This particular Heathered Dress is quite nice. I chose the size Medium, which is two sizes larger than I typically wear. It fits true to a size small-medium. The fabric is quite soft and the fit is comfortable.

It's a basic scoop neck slip on shirt and you'll notice that I'm wearing it more like a tunic today. The ruching at the side is adjustable. You can wear it fully extended or even shorter than I've styled it. Since I'm feeling quite casual-chic in this top, I decided to wear my snakeskin print leggings and some ankle booties. I also thought a long chunky charm necklace would suit this look quite nicely.

The only thing I am lacking from this outfit is a belt. Because I have a pear shape, I need some definition to my waist. Otherwise the overall effect is to draw more emphasis to the widest part of my body which is my hips and thighs. A belt and perhaps even a long slouchy vest would help to offset that for my shape.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the quality of this dress. I think next time I'll style it with ripped capri jeans and sneakers and the time after that will be black alligator skin leggings and heels.

Shopping Info: Asymmetrical Cinched  Heathered Convertible Dress from DressLily, Remember you get free shipping on orders over $45 and Use Code GBJKNO to save 22% off your purchase.

The Last Splash

I thought I'd better get out here one last time before the summer ends and it's another eight long months of chilly weather before I can be here again.

My favorite thing to do in this quiet spot is to take a picnic lunch, you know the kind with fruit and cheeses and smoked almonds, maybe a little wine and a few chocolates, and then spread out a blanket and just sort of laze around for the afternoon.   The kids come, we bring the dog who suddenly remembers her wild ancestry and disappears into the water and among the rocks for the whole time.

Sometimes we go down to splash in the water and splash each other with the water, and sometimes we bring a tiny little grill and cook sukiyaki beef with slivers of raw cabbage and sesame oil vinaigrette.  But mostly, we just enjoying being together.

This is what summer was meant to be, a quiet restfulness and togetherness with a little bit of splashing in the water in the mix.  I hope you've made some wonderful summer memories this year and if not, start now.  Plan a picnic, a little time away from it all to dream in the shade in the company of someone you love.

Shopping Info:  Shoes & Bag from Shein, Pink Owl Dress from ThredUp.  Use my link to sign up and save $10 off your first order.

New Collab with DressLily

New Collab Time! Huzzah! You may have seen ads for Dresslily floating around the internet and wondered what the clothes were like? Well, wonder no more. Dresslily's inexpensive Women's Fashion is something I've been wanting to try for a while and the lovely people at Dresslily sent over a few things. Dresslily offers free shipping for orders over $45 and keep reading to get a code for 22% off your purchase at Dresslily. For this collab I'm going to feature two vintage style dresses, which you know I adore, and a casual tunic top, which was so comfortable. I had a lot of fun styling these looks and I'm excited to show them to you and tell you all about each piece.

I thought we'd start things off with this Frilled Button Gingham 1950s Dress. This is a single layer dress made of a cotton/spandex blend, so it is lightweight for summer. The print is crisp and the color is bright. This dress features a faux belted waist and a zipper down the back. I would say that this dress runs true to size, but as always, be sure to compare your measurements with the website so you will be sure to get an accurate fit.

The skirt for this dress is nice and full so you could wear it with a petticoat if you choose, but as you can see from the way I have styled it, it looks great without one too. I love that this dress is accented with black belt, ruffle, and buttons. It really stands out against the green and white gingham.

I decided to wear chunky black jewelry and heels to further emphasize the black accents It's been a while since I've done this vintage hairstyle I thought it would be fun to do it again for this post since this is such a great vintage style dress. If you like today's style, there's more vintage goodness on the way from Dresslily. And save 20% off your purchase at Dresslily with the code GBJKNO . Check back with me daily for my next Dresslily post.  

Shopping Info: Frilled Buttoned Gingham 1950s Dress from DressLily. Use Code GBJKNO to save 22% off your purchase.

How to Shop for Antique Clothing

September is the season we traditionally put away our white dresses and shoes, but I prefer to hang on to mine a few weeks more at least.  The summers often stretch well into October here with no relief from the heat until sometime between thinking of costumes and planning large turkey-centric meals.  And so it only makes sense to me to let my white cotton dresses linger on their hangers in easy reach a while yet.

This beautiful dress is the dress of my girlhood dreams and I bought it on a very difficult day about ten years ago.  I don't exactly know when I first fell in love with antique clothing, but I am starting to suspect that I was simply born just the way I am and haven't wavered much since birth.  At some point, around the age of nine or ten, I began to desperately pine for an antique white cotton eyelet gown of my own.  It was a blessing and a gift to find my perfect antique dress of my dreams on a birthday that I was celebrating far from home and anyone who cared.  I won't spend lots of time combing through that day so long ago, but since I spent my birthday this year going antiquing with my family, it has put me in mind of my dress and I want to give you a few tips for finding your perfect antique dress.

First things first, Condition Carefully examine the article of clothing. It's easier if it's on a mannequin, but if not, really give it a thorough looking over. Look for places that are thread bare, rust spots, and particularly for mold. Small areas may be patched if there are some rips or thread bare spots, but stains like rust aren't likely to come out. If there is mold, it will not come out. Mold doesn't usually come out of clothes that can withstand a thorough cleaning and a little bleach, so a dress that's over 80 years old, definitely is a lost cause if it has mold.

If your item needs a bleaching without the bleach, you may want to try a trick that women of my great-grandmother's generation used. I got this information from her first hand when she visited us and promptly informed us that we were doing our laundry all wrong. This salty old broad, and I use that term in the most admiring way possible, said to hang your whites up on the line early in the morning and the rising sun would bleach them as it evaporated the dew and moisture. It worked on our cotton sheets, but tread lightly on clothing you really love.

Wearability Ask yourself what your plans are for this dress. If you intend to wear it, it needs to be in really great shape or in lousy shape and you don't mind it ripping or snagging. If you want a show or display piece, consider the fabric and how to properly keep it away from sun damage and moisture. I would recommend only displaying it for special occasions. I've seen far too many historical garments in the hands of local “museums” run by staff who know little about garment preservation rotting on the mannequin. Fold your garment with pieces of acid free tissue between the folds and store it in a box with silica to prevent moisture.

Price In my experience, the price is based on three factors: age, condition, and frivolity. For a dress in excellent condition you'll pay more. For a dress with lots of details and frills, handwork, or made from materials like silk or velvet you'll pay more. You can expect to pay an average of a dollar to $1.50 per year of age. It's quite common that I see a hundred year old dress running at $100-$150. While dresses from the 70s and 80s typically run between $40-$70.

If you've been pining for an antique dress, do not despair, dear friend. Like mine, your dream dress is out there waiting to be discovered and perhaps, like one of my favorite movies lines says, it has “crossed oceans of time to find you.”  

Style No. 4

 

It's week four of my August fashion challenge to create styles using only three colors: Navy, Fuchsia, and Ivory/White, and yes, the beehive hair is back!  Only one more week left after this and I have enjoyed this little challenge so much I may make it more of a regular thing here on the blog. 

I'm still working on getting the beehive just right, but it's becoming a favorite easy style.  Plus it's been a nice change and a little challenge all on its own.  I know we tend to hide from challenges, but it's good for us to mix things up, try something new, and test/improve our skills.

Today's outfit relies pretty heavily on the Navy and White and less on the Fuchsia, but it still fits the bill. Next week on the other hand is flirting with the rules a little.   It's not outright cheating, but I it pushes it a little because I just couldn't resist the outfit.

So, for today's outfit, I'm wearing one of Unique Vintage's Hamilton dresses. This one is in Navy/White stripes with pink floral accents and of course I added the fuchsia heels to go along with it—not just to fit the challenge, but because I think they bring out the pink in the flowers.

So, since we are nearly at an end to this challenge, it's time to sound off. If you want to see more posts like this, be sure to comment below and list three colors for my next challenge.

Shopping info:  Dress from Unique Vintage, heels from thredup