A Bauble and a Bow - OOTD: November 14th

This past weekend, I went shopping with my mom and my cousin, both of whom I look up to immensely.  We had a great time catching up, getting some Christmas shopping done, and looking for deals.  One of the deals that I found was a dress from Macy's.  It was originally $58, and I snagged it for $15.  Woohoo! 

I had reservations about the dress itself because the fit was just a bit odd, and I hated the belt that came with it.  However, once I got home, I replaced the belt with a vintage belt that's attached to a dress I have from the late '50s/early '60s, and I layered a shirt under it to smooth out the fit.  I added a long pendant necklace to draw the eye away from the weird shoulders of the dress and down to the fun belt, and I was good to go!

This is my pre-7:15 A.M. Monday smile.

Dress:  NY Collection, sz. small

Long-sleeved Shirt:  NY and Co., sz. small

Tights:  Merona for Target, sz. small/medium

Shoes:  Nine West Riane, sz. 7.5

Amethyst Necklace:  My grandmother's

Belt:  Vintage, late '50s or early '60s

A picture of the details:

Have you ever revamped something you bought on super-sale to make it work? 



Inspired: OOTD

About a month ago, when J.Crew's November catalog came, I sat around with some of my friends/J.Crew fans at school in the morning before the day started flipping through the pages.  When I came across one of the pages, one of the girls said, "You have that skirt!  You could totally recreate that look."  So, I was inspired to give it a shot. 

Here's the catalog page with the aforementioned outfit (a big thanks to Suzy at Bichonluvr's Closet for scanning this catalog for us!):

I loved how effortlessly chic this look was, and it was really pretty effortless to recreate and personalize.  Here's what I came up with:

Turtleneck:  J.Crew merino turtleneck sweater in black, sz. small

Skirt:  J.Crew liquid silk skirt in bright dahlia, sz. 2 (reviewed here, remixed here)

Socks:  Black trouser socks...honestly, I think I stole them from my mom (sorry mama!)

Shoes:  Nine West Riane, sz. 7.5

Heart and filigree necklaces:  Vintage

Here's a detail box I put together (Don't mind the awful look on my face or the crooked necklaces, it was preeetty darn early in the morning.):

Overall, I was pretty happy with the outcome, but the socks + oxfords made me nervous.  A couple of the sophomores made fun of the combo and said I looked "just like an English teacher" (duh), but I haven't ever taken fashion advice from 16 year-old boys, and I don't plan on starting anytime soon ;) 



I'll post the Polyvore for the outfit below, but before we get to that...

I know I have some new readers, so I want to welcome them to the blog!  :) 

J.Crew Catalog Inspiration with handbag options by alldressedupnoplace2go featuring knit tops

Have a wonderful day!

OOTD Nov. 6th: Testing it out

Do you ever build an outfit in your head for a long period of time before you try it out?  I often find myself thinking about how to style certain pieces in my wardrobe.  For example, for awhile now, I knew I wanted to wear an elbow-patch sweater from H and M with a vintage scarf, but I wasn't sure how to style the two pieces.  I knew I could just throw on a pair of jeans, but that seemed like a cop-out.  Eventually, I came up with an idea, but I wasn't sure how it would look on.  Sometimes, I have great ideas for pieces, but they don't translate well on a body.  This past Sunday, I went on a little shopping excursion with my mom, then the fiance and I had dinner with my family, so it was a perfect opportunity to test out my outfit:

Cardigan: HandM, sz. small; remixed here

Brown Cami: Nordstrom (I can't remember the brand), sz. small

Scarf: Vintage

Skirt: Puddle Pleasures Skirt, Modcloth, sz. small, remixed here

Tights: Merona for Target, sz. sm/md, remixed here

Boots: Etienne Aigner, sz. 8

Earrings: Truly Vintage (a brand that takes vintage beads and makes them into jewelry)

Ring: Vintage (it was my grandmother's)



I was also pretty excited about this outfit because it remixed several pieces much differently than I normally wear them. 

It was also a great cat-walking outfit.  Yep, I said cat-walking.  I bought a leash and decided to start training one of my kitties, Sassy, to walk on it with me.  She loves being outdoors, so I figured, why not? 

The fiance is horrified that I'll turn into that weird lady down the street who walks her cat every day.  No chance of that happening...at least not yet.  :)

Elton and the elders...a real hoot

Last night, the fiance and I went with my parents and aunt and uncle to...get ready for this...an Elton John/Jerry Lee Lewis cover concert and dinner at a senior center.  Yep.  Big date night.  My uncle knows the chef  who prepared the dinner pretty well, and he felt like he needed to make an appearance, so we were coerced into going tagged along.  When we got there, my fiance and I were the youngest people in the room by at least 30 years.  "Elton" took the stage, and we were the only two singing and dancing.  In fact, most of the others there looked like they were falling asleep.  Oh well.  We laughed quite a bit, and we gained an extra hour of our lives back thanks to Daylight Savings Time, so it wasn't a complete loss. 

Just to amuse myself and make the impending pain easier to handle, I dressed thematically.  I feel like Elton would be proud of my 70s-esque outfit:

Cardigan: H&M, sz. small

Blouse: Lemon Liftoff Blouse, Girls from Savoy from Anthropologie, sz. 4

Wide-leg High-waisted Cords: High IQ Corduroys, Cartonnier from Anthropologie, sz. 4

Shoes: Lake & Land Heels, Miss Albright from Anthropologie, sz. 7.5

Earrings: Target

Belt: Merona for Target, sz. small

I bought the blouse, cords, and shoes a few weeks ago when they all appeared in an Anthro sale update, and I couldn't be happier with all three items.  The cords are super-comfy, but I had to get them hemmed about four inches, and they're still too short!  Maybe someday I'll grow ;)

The blouse and heels are still available on Anthro's website, and I'm not sure how because they're both such great items.  I know the blouse has gotten lots of blogger love, and it appeared on Emma Pillsbury on Glee a few weeks ago.  The little owls all over it added to the theme of the night, because we all had a real "hoot" making fun of "Elton's" fake British accent (ha ha ha).  So that you can share in the fun, here's a poor-quality photo:

The rest of the night was just as blurry in real life.

Hope you all have a great start to your week!  I'll be off trying to get "Benny and the Jets" out of my head. 

J.Crew Review: Suzette Blouse in nightfall floral

When J.Crew ran their 25% off promo a couple of weeks ago, I decided to order a basic black merino turtle neck and the Suzette blouse in nightfall floral.  Not only was I enamored with the gorgeous nightfall floral print, but I've also recently become obsessed with neck-tie blouses.  Because I hadn't seen this blouse in the store and I couldn't quite make out the color or the print in stock photos, I was a little apprehensive.  However, as soon as the blouse arrived in the mail, I tore it open, put it on, and demanded that the fiance take pictures immediately so I could write a review for you guys since I feel so strongly about it and haven't seen any reviews of it from the JCAs.  Guys, I love it!  I can't recommend this blouse highly enough.

Price:  $138 originally, $103.50 with 25% off

Size:  2 (TTS)

Material:  Crinkled chiffon with a silk layering cami, extremely light and airy, perfect for layering

Colors:  Listed as "eggplant," nightfall floral print, but this blouse could be worn with black, navy, purple, green, peri, flame, you name it, it's probably in there somewhere (see the up-close photos below)

I sprung for the nightfall floral version of this blouse (an extra 10 bucks) for two reasons: 1. the print looked alluring, and it is, and 2. because the blouse is sheer, I wanted something to camouflage my bra straps if necessary.  With a nude bra, the straps aren't noticeable at all.  If the print isn't your style, the blouse is also available in newport navy, ripe melon, and dusty shale.  The ripe melon color looks beautiful.

Here's a close-up of the print and the sheer sleeve:

The detachable layering cami is a navy color:

A close-up of the neck-tie, buttons, and print:

J.Crew said this print is "adapted from an oil painting" they "nabbed at an estate sale."  It's pretty easy to see where they got their inspiration for their recent color palettes, yes?

Don't mind the tag.  I was THAT excited to get a review up for you guys!

I could easily see this blouse paired with the vibrant flame hacking jacket or the viridian green pencil skirt.  I plan on wearing it with a pair of navy Pilcro high-waisted cords as soon as they're back from the tailor (Polyvore set below).  Being a munchkin has its drawbacks.  :) 

The neck-tie could be tied up close to the neck or down further, as it is in the stock photos on J.Crew's website. 

Have you tried on the Suzette blouse in nightfall floral?  What did you think?

Secretary of the Seventies by alldressedupnoplace2go featuring a leather buckle belt

OOTD: Vintage Oranges and Browns

Because yesterday was the first day of November, I decided to dress the part in shades of autumnal oranges and browns:

Cardigan:  Merona for Target, sz. small

Dress:  Vintage late '60s/early '70s era

Necklace:  Vintage '70s marble beads

Bracelet:  Wooden '70s beads, compliments of MamaAllDressedUp's high school years :)  

Shoes:  Cole Haan Nike Air Lyric Bronze heel, sz. 7.5

I found this dress last spring in a vintage store in Pittsburgh called Eons, and I get compliments on it every time I wear it.  It looks like it could have come off right off the rack of Anthropologie or Modcloth.  The dress is sleeveless and cotton, and it has a pretty, yet appropriate, V-shaped back.  The construction of the dress is timeless; it's one piece, with a top that blouses out over the pencil-like skirt.  It came with a sash that can be tied on the front, back, side, or anyone else you please. 

I know I sing the praises of vintage clothing quite often, but it's a song I don't get tired of singing.  If I had the resources (namely, vintage clothing stores that aren't 45+ minutes away), I would source an entire wardrobe from vintage clothing.  Clothes just aren't made as well today, and it seems like clothes in the 40s-70s were made to fit women with curves.  Sigh.  /endrant.  :)

Well, I'm off to read this year's Pennsylvania High School Mock Trial Case.   I help the fiance advise our high school's team, and this year, the case is about saving endangered bog turtles from a pharmaceutical company's plant.  I wish I were kidding.  I will leave you with a picture of my inspiration for the trial:

Source

Isn't he cute?