Glorious Sparkles Forever

I have a lot of clothes; please try to contain your shock and surprise.  I have a large amount of clothes even after I spent a year or two meticulously going through everything and getting rid of things I didn't love.  But because they have all been so carefully curated that I have trouble parting with anything because basically everything is my favorite.

With very few exceptions, I don't regret giving anything away, but I did nearly part with this beautiful skirt.  I am so glad I had second thoughts because I've gotten so much joy and wear out of this skirt, I'm glad I rethought my decision and kept it.  I've had this skirt since the height of the Printed Midi phase about seven years ago and I've made so many different outfits from it, I can't believe I ever nearly let it go.

 

Great pieces of clothing make us feel amazing no matter what age of size we are, bring us joy for many years, and have loads of possibilities for ways we can wear them.  Since the spring season is finally here and this is the time when people traditionally clean out their homes and their closet, I want to encourage you to go through you wardrobe and carefully consider each piece.  If you don't love them, let them go.  If you're on the fence at all, it's ok to take some time to think it over.  And when you have nothing but items you love in your closet, spend some time falling in love with them all over again as you create new ways to wear them. 

Collaboration with Harriseve Flats Outfit 2

Black ballet flats have been a standby and a staple of my wardrobe for over a decade now.  I think it's finally time to change things up a bit.  When the lovely people at Leiyuting-Shop reached out about a collaboration with their Harriseve Flats, I was thrilled to work with them, but I promised myself, whatever I chose, I would not get black flats.   If you've been stuck in a rut with plain shoes, maybe it's time for you to branch out too. 

There are more neutrals in the world than just black and beige.  Navy blue is an excellent neutral shade that goes with practically everything.  While I don't mean to diminish black flats, there is something about Navy that just looks like you put in a little more effort even though it was grab and go.

These Harriseve flats are lightweight and breathable, they fit true-to-size and they're so comfortable to wear indoors or outdoors, and with my promo code you can save an extra 10% off your purchase.  So, why not mix it up and treat your feet.

Shopping Info: Harriseve Women's Casual Fashion Shallow Mouth Pointed Toe Flat Shoe - Breathable Mesh Ballet Flats Use Code 4E292K39 to get 10% off at checkout

Are Printed Midis a Thing of the Past?

The year was 2016.  I was living in Japan and finding myself with a little more down time as my children could for the first time in their lives safely play in the neighborhood all day with friends and only come home when they were hungry or it was too dark to see.  I was already a fan of fashion at that time and the blog had been up and running for a year, and I had heard of chicwish but, in their early days, the website looked a little scammy and nothing really appealed to me enough to take the risk, so I hadn't yet done much if any shopping with them.  And then printed midis came out.

 

Suddenly chicwish and their skirts were everywhere.  I don't know if it was all a well orchestrated influencer campaign or if fashionistas the world over fell in love with these skirts like I did, but suddenly I couldn't browse fashion blogs or Instagram without seeing someone wearing one of these printed midis.  And they stayed everywhere for a couple of years before they slowly disappeared from both chicwish and the world.  This is what frustrates me most about the fashion world--all the fads and the scorn for anyone still wearing them after the fad has ended.  It takes some work to have style but it's a herculean effort to constantly stay "in-style."

Over the past year or two, I've been doing some serious whittling down of my wardrobe, keeping my favorites and timeless classics and parting with the rest.  When I arrived at the skirts section of my closet and my stack of printed midis, I had mixed feelings.  No one really wears them anymore on social media or in the real world...but, I still love them.  I had to ask myself how much staying on trend really matters to me.  

I still remember my grandmother and her sister wearing their polyester suits from the 1970s well into the 90s and thinking they were in desperate need of a wardrobe update, and now I find myself arriving at an age where I care less about other people's opinions on everything including fashion.  I do wish fashion were a little simpler.  If it's pretty, it's pretty.  Forever.  End of story.  But, when it comes to fashion it's a lot less about pretty and a lot more about new.  Sadly, printed midis are not trendy or new anymore, at least as far as I can tell.  So, should the stay or should they go now?

At the start of my Great Closet Cleanout I had quite a collection of printed midis (pick your jaw back up after that electrifying revelation!).  After a lot of thought I decided to keep my very favorite pieces and sell the rest.  While I still want my pretty things, I'm beginning to value space over clutter and cash over an overflowing closet, so I parted with about two-thirds of my stash.  Interestingly enough most of them were snatched up right away, so there must be plenty of people out there like me who still love them even if the trends have moved on.

As for this beautiful skirt, the name of which escapes me but seemed to be called something like "glorious sparkles," I've done so many different kinds of outfits with it, this work-casual one being my current favorite that it made the cut for a probably permanent place in my wardrobe.  Even if the rest of the world has moved on and one day my grandchildren just don't get it.

No Dreams Can Compare

 The best days, the very best days are the ones where I have no where to be and nothing demanding my attention. 

My imagination is free to roam and what better place than here in all this natural beauty. 

I'm a dreamer by nature, preferring my own thoughts and the stories in my mind to anything the waking world has to offer  except on a day like this.

 

I could be curled up by the fire now, warm and lost in a book.  And maybe in an hour or two, I will be, but this sort of winter day deserves a little attention.

 

With just enough snow to muffle the world sounds of traffic and make these bare gray woods seem crystalline and hallowed, these woods become a winter cathedral.

There are moments in life to which no dreams can compare.

Shopping Info:  Crop top from Shein, Skirt from Chicwish, heels from ModCloth

Victorian Modern

It's FemmeLuxe collaboration week! Once a month, I work together with the lovely people over at FemmeLuxe to showcase some of their most unique and stylish new releases and classic pieces for you.  I hope you enjoy this month's collab, because I have planned something special.  At the end of the week, be sure to comment below on your favorite pick of the week: Past, Present, or Future.  

I know things are stressful right now.  There is a lot going on in the world everyone is feeling the pressure, and we're all stuck indoors or pretty close to home right now.  Just know that I am right there with you, but this is important, so let's hang in there and all do our part.  In the mean time, allow me to provide you with a little bit of delightful distraction.  And, I want to note that I was able to stay close to home to do these outfit pics, although I will definitely be taking some cityscape pics as soon as possible because I love these looks so much!

I have had the pleasure of trying so many new styles during my time working with FemmeLuxe and I've found so many body positive styles that have helped my self-esteem while simultaneously expanding my fashion wheel house.  If you've read any of my past collaboration posts with FemmeLuxe, you have undoubtedly heard me mention phrases like vintage-modern, retro, or Victorian-modern, especially when talking about their Corset Dresses and high waist Jeans.  In that vein, this time I thought I'd do a little theme of past, present, future.  

I'm crazy about vintage styles.  I always have been.  They are so feminine and flattering that I just can't help myself.  Being such a fan of Victorian, Edwardian, and so many other vintage styles, I had to start with the Past for my themed collab.  There are so many great design elements to be gleaned from antique and vintage clothing that I always appreciate clothes that are not afraid to borrow classic design elements and bring them into modern styles.

Today's post has a definite Victorian inspired feel to it but with a modern twist, of course. For the past six months, I've been steadily posting about the resurgence of velvet in fashion trends with the hash tag #velvetcrush, so I was already on the look out for great velvet pieces when I saw this Blue Velvet Puff SleeveHood Eye Crop Top--Ashlynn at FemmeLuxe.

This Ashlynn velvet top is made in Italy of a thick, good quality material.  It's so plush!  It has a wonderful deep blue color which the light really picks up.  Crop Tops paired with Midi skirts are a decidedly modern style trend and one that I love and have done a number of outfits with, because showing a little is so much more tasteful than showing too much.  I do want to mention that I normally order a size 6UK or XS in tops from FemmeLuxe, but for this top I ordered a Medium and it fit perfectly!

As for Victorian elements, notice the puff sleeves at the shoulder that descend into a fitted arm.  The hook and eye front closure is suggestive of corsetry, and the fitted bodice with a full skirt below also give a nod to Victorian era dresses which gives this outfit the overall fairy tale romance that I adore.

What else might you pair with this top besides a printed midi skirt?  I am so glad you asked.  In addition to a midi skirt, I love to pair high waist jeans with crop tops but I also think that some nice high waist trousers would look great with the Ashlynn top. Because of the deep blue color of this velvet, I would look for other deep rich tones to go with it although I would not mind trying a bright yellow with it as well.  Hmmmm, that may be the first thing I try when I go out to shoot these pieces against a city background.

Tomorrow I will be bringing you something a little more modern and decidedly more edgy.  See you then!

Shopping Info: Blue Velvet Puff Sleeve Hook Eye Crop Top - Ashlynn from FemmeLuxeFinery.co.uk, skirt from Chicwish, flats from Charlotte Russe, jewelry is handmade by me.

Glam & Glitter

FemmeLuxe collaboration week continues and today's post is by far the girliest. In some of my previous posts, I mentioned that Femme Luxe has some lovely glitter bodysuits and this month for our collaboration I thought it would be fun to try one and do an outfit post about them. I've promised to be a little more thorough about breaking down my shopping and outfit making process, so to that end, I'll tell you how and why I decided on the Pink Glitter Puff Sleeve Plunge Bodysuit-Roxina. I chose Roxina because I love the romantic style with all the ruching and the sweet heart neckline. I also adore this pale pink color; it is just too, too pretty.

Most of the time when I'm searching for new items to add to my closet, I look for things that pair nicely with at least one and typically many things in my existing wardrobe. That way I can get lots of outfits with the new item without spending a ton of money. Occasionally I will buy an entire outfit from a shop just as they have it displayed, but that's rare. I do recommend doing this if it's part of your shopping style to only shop once a year and get a complete outfit or two and then wear them over and over until their spent. That's one method, it makes sense to me, and it works quite well for some people. For the most part though, I buy a single item at a time that I really like and have in mind to wear with things I already own.

For this Roxina Bodysuit, I knew right away that it would be the perfect thing to pair with my colorful, feminine ChicWish skirts. This watercolor print immediately came to mind because I knew it had the same sweet sugar plum pink in it as Roxina. Watercolor prints offer lots of options for outfits and in the past I've worn this skirt with yellow, orange, navy blue and dark purple, but the pale pink/purple is the color I have really been looking for in a top to go with this skirt because it is my absolute favorite. So, when I saw the Roxina bodysuit I knew it was just what I had been waiting for.

In the past I have typically worn this skirt as part of a wear-to-work style, but truly a skirt like this deserves a little glamour. No only was it the color of Roxina that I loved, but the princess style sleeves, ruching, and glitter really drew me in. A glitter bodysuit is just a little to stylish for the office. No, a top like this instantly adds the kind of glam I knew the skirt deserved. This look now feels like something I would wear to a formal event or special occasion. But, it doesn't end there. Imagine this glitter body suit with a lace pencil skirt or even a pair of dark wash jeans. No matter what you pair with it, the Roxina bodysuit is going to make it elegant.

I wanted to take just a moment in this post to discuss the fit of the Roxina bodysuit. As you know, bodysuits extend down and snap together to create a form fitted silhouette. What this can also mean is some discomfort when the bodysuit rides up, or it it is quite snug against the body. This is not the case with Roxina. It is very breathable and stays comfortably in place, no ride up. Even the sleeves were not too snug at the shoulders or cuff. This is definitely one of the more comfortable bodysuits I've ever worn.

FemmeLuxe has some great Corset Dresses which I hope to wear in the coming months as part of my collaboration with Femme Luxe, and I always love to wear their Jeans because they fit like a dream and give me such a confidence boost, but for tomorrow's post we're going to change gears a little with a glam Trousers outfit. I'm so excited to share it with you, so visit the blog tomorrow for my final Femme Luxe outfit of collaboration week.

Shopping Info: Pink Glitter Puff Sleeve Plunge Bodysuit - Roxina from FemmeLuxeFinery.co.uk, Watercolor Impressionist Midi Skirt from ChicWish, Purple Heels from Amazon.com

Experimental At Times

The thing I love most about blogging is the way I can experiment with fashion before I wear it out into the world.  I currently live in a quiet little corner of the planet where the people dress in a very casual homogeneous way and nothing much ever changes.  So, I can pretty much count on getting a few looks when I step out my door in anything beyond jeans and a t-shirt.  I used to mind--a lot--but now it's no big thing.  Although it is hard to gauge whether the looks are from admiration, confusion or contempt.  And sometimes I wonder, how does this really look on me?  It's nice to try something on, snap some pics and post them here to get a little feedback from fellow fashion lovers.  So, how about it, what do you think of this outfit?  Post your comments below.  Be honest,...but be polite <3

Shopping Info: Top from: SHEIN, City Scene Printed Midi Skirt from Chicwish

Print Mixing Pinks

Can you mix prints?  Um, yes and you definitely should.  Today's post is a very simple demo on print mixing.  Done well, mixing prints makes your outfit standout in a positive way.  The key is to use colors from both pieces in your ensemble.  This simple dusty pink stripe top has two of the colors that feature in this Balloon My Day printed midi from ChicWish.  If you're nervous about print mixing, start small like the stripes in this top.  The stripes add some visual interest that would be lacking in a solid color top, but they're not so loud that they overwhelm the eye.  Here and here are the links to check out all the ways I've worn this skirt, but this one is my first attempt at print mixing with it and it is by far my favorite.

Outfit Info:  Vero Viva Women's Striped Knit Stretch T-Shirt Cold Shoulder Basic Short Sleeve Top- $13, Balloon My Day Midi Skirt from ChicWish