A New Riff
I’ve always worn this skirt with a tucked-in top. I mean, that’s what you do with pencil skirts, right? It’s a silhouette that works well with my body shape, but feels a bit “boring” now. Maybe “predictable” is a better word? Pencil skirt fans out there, don’t @ me. This Bailey44 top is also a bit of a one-noter; the combination of color-blocking and trapeze shape doesn’t do much for its versatility – you pretty much have to treat it almost like a tunic. I was pondering what else I could do with it, when a light bulb went off and I put these two pieces together. I think it works? The volume of the top plays off the volume of the skirt in an interesting way … to me at least.
Also, can we talk about this J. Crew necklace for a moment? I first spotted this years ago on Lisa from the blog/IG Respect the Shoes, and fell in love with it on the spot. I had no luck hunting it on eBay (not at a reasonable price, anyway), and gave up after a while. Out of the blue, a few weeks ago, I found it at my local Goodwill. It’s in great condition, only missing a little ribbon that used to be attached to the pendants. The coincidence just blows my mind. As if I needed more reasons to be devoted to thrifting …
Metallic Monochrome
I love a subtle metallic. I don’t love brown, but the redemptive qualities of a bit of shimmer are surprising. This outfit was anything but blah. It was definitely comfortable, on the other hand. Linen culottes and a relaxed knit sweater are a great combo for our maybe-summer-maybe-fall weather. It’s been basically September here since May, which I kinda love. As much as I love hot weather when I travel, I think my ideal everyday temperature is somewhere around 25 Celsius – warm enough for bare legs, cool enough to add a cute jacket for aesthetic appeal. I like layers, what can I say. Speaking of which, though not pictured here, I wore my trusty (faux) leather jacket with this outfit on my commute to work, and it was the perfect final touch.
Blast from the Past
This Gap skirt is almost 20 years old. It’s the closest thing I’ve personally purchased new that might qualify as “vintage”. I wrote about it in my last post, but suffice it to say that my reasons for hanging on to it all these years are mostly sentimental. Writing that post made me want to pull out the skirt from storage and give it another whirl. A handkerchief hem skirt is not the easiest thing to style – and it’s not really my current style – but I went ahead and treated it just as another maxi skirt. With a loose sweater and some simple metallic accessories, it’s not half bad.
A couple of words about my cuff bracelet. It was a $4 find at Value Village, and it’s a bronze piece signed “Al Smith”. It looks to be from the 70s and 80s. I haven’t found out much more yet, but I am fascinated by the history of objects I find when I’m thrifting, so I love little “mysteries” like this.
Tucking a top into a pencil skirt is very predictable and I do it all the time, ha ha. No shame. To be honest, when I look back over my blog archives, I do feel more polished these days than when I started out in 2012 but I was more experimental back then as well. Now I am completely predictable but it’s also a lot easier getting dressed these days too.
I love all three of these looks on you and the Gap skirt still works, all these years later…
The formula works! Not knocking it, I just need to find a new one for myself. I love formulas because they do make thing so much easier, don’t they?
I’ve always loved your style and how well it works for you – until recently , I didn’t feel like I had it worked out as well for myself. I always had this sense of almost, like, “I’m wearing someone else’s (beautiful) clothes” — if that makes sense.
Likewise on 25C being perfect weather! I live where it can get too warm, and I don’t enjoy sweating except when running. I try not to get too complain-y about it b/c I think so many others would kill for the weather here. Do you think though that it is difficult find ‘summer’ colours in fall-temperature
styles? I guess I always prescribe white, black and light colours for summer. And double likewise on the sentiment from your comment above about feeling like you are wearing someone else’s clothes, I understand that feeling and your description is spot on!