Look of the Day: Black Vintage Wiggle Dress

Happy Labor Day! I hope, like me, you're sitting in your pajamas, blogging, while your beloved yells at a video game. Ahhh, so nice to have him home.

My plan for the day was to take more photos for Etsy, list stuff, get organized, etc. But is that really what holidays are for? No. We have dinner with the in-laws later, so I'll probably just sit around until the last minute, then rush to get ready.

About the dress: it's from the early 1960s and in impeccable condition. Beautiful black damask is sewn in panels, which, back in the days of tailoring, made it easier to adjust. It's so classy and it's for sale in my Etsy store!

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Look of the Day: Polka Dots & Peacock Silk

Big news! Well, at least for me! My husband landed a new job in San Francisco! It's only temporary, though, so I won't be moving. But it does mean more traveling for me! He'll be there till November and I plan on flying down once a month. I'm thrilled about the adventuring, but not so much about all the time apart. How have you handled a long-distance relationship? I know people do it all the time, so I'd love to hear any tips you might have!

About the outfit. I've been wearing this pretty regularly, except with one change: the top. I have two very similar silk blouses, but one is a tad greener. Since they're so similar, I've decided to sell one; the nicer one! It's from Classiques for Nordstrom, and if you're interested, you can find more info about it here!

Nordstrom Silk Top - H&M Cardigan - GAP highwaisted pants - thrifted belt & bag - Madewell cuff - American Deadstock sunglasses

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What I Wore: FNO in Seattle

I'm gonna be honest, Seattle really needs to work on its FNO. Fashion's Night Out is about encouraging people to come out and support local businesses, which seems right in-line with the Seattle lifestyle (we're all about shopping local), but every year the participation is lacking and the coverage is mediocre. Half the time I can't even find information on going's-on for the current year and a lot of the articles I read only mention a couple events or store promotions. One store I went into, which was supposed to be participating, had balloons on the door and that was it. There were no promotions, no refreshments, none of the employees even acted like anything was going on. How boring. Downtown it was $75 for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and a department store fashion show. Just exactly who are you trying to encourage to come to these events? It's nice the proceeds went to charity, but I still can't afford it!

Instead, I bought a delicious and stylish cupcake from Trophy Cupcake in Wallingford.

 OK, that's enough complaining. I still had fun, but I just want Seattle to try a little harder. I want us to be great; I want this city to be respected by the fashion world. We're slowly getting there. Nordstrom calls Seattle home and we have spawned some amazing, internationally-recognized bloggers and designers. For instance, Adam Katz-Sinding of Le 21 Arrondissement is from Seattle, and Stella Rose Saint Claire, who you may recognize from Lanvin's F/W '12 Campaign, grew up in our fine city. See, we're not born with a love of Polartec, we only succumb to Polartec. Don't give up Seattle!

There were quite few great businesses partaking in the festivities, Like Trophy Cupcake who made special designer cupcakes featuring Chanel, Hermes, Burberry and Louis Vuitton logos.

Madewell had a braid bar and gave me the opportunity to have my very first macaron! It was just as delicious as I had expected :)

Sensing a theme? My FNO centered around baked goods, as opposed to fashion. I did, however get pictures of what I wore.

My husband hates these pants, which doesn't bother me one bit. After reading a couple articles about pants and interviews with The Man Repeller's Leandra Medine, I've decided that ridiculous pants are my generation's burning bra. They're rebellious and with the right attitude, they project quite a lot of confidence and independence. Also, you can pretend you're in a secret club, because most people, both male and female, just don't get it.

Zara top - Madewell earrings - Vintage pants (similar)- Vintage Nordstrom sunglasses - Forever21 bracelet - Tortoise Shell cuff (similar) -Vintage Coach Station bag - MIA Limited Edition Audrey flats

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Summer-to-Fall: 1 Maxi 2 Ways

I'm divided right now. 

Do I let go of summer and embrace Fall in all it's layered glory, or do I soak up the last of these sunny days? Living in Seattle, it seems silly and wasteful to start donning caps or scarves when it's still in the 70s. No need to rush into that 9 months of clouds we have ahead of us!

Nevertheless, I'm still excited for Fall. I've been finding some amazing sweaters and scarves at garage sales, and I'm kind of excited to wear them. Especially the J.Crew cashmere turtleneck I got for $17 (that's like 92% off the original price)! This mix of guilt and excitement has inspired me to try my hand at transitioning Summer pieces for Fall. It's a good way to get more use out of seasonal items. For instance, this yellow chevron maxi dress from Gap. I found it on clearance for $17 (sorry the dress at the link I posted below isn't as cheap!) and was worried it wouldn't carry over into the next season, but I've found ways to make it work.

1. Casual/Work

 I always want to wear loads of black and grey in the Fall and Winter, but by the time January rolls around I've got fashion-induced depression. I've made it a goal this year to make color a part of my wardrobe year-round. It can seem tricky, but remember that most "Fall" colors are neutrals and go quite well with brights.

 A cropped sweater keeps the skirt looking long and lean. For extra warmth, layer maxi dresses and maxi skirts over leggings. No one will even know you're wearing them!

2. Fancy/Event

 Try some lush layers and textures to add some drama, as well as warmth, to any outfit. Here I'm wearing vintage fur and an oversized cardigan that my husband hates, haha. It's so thick, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to wear it as a coat this winter.

 A great thing about maxi length dresses & skirts is that you don't need to wear heels. That means, whether you're walking around at Fashion's Night Out or dancing the night away, you'll be comfortable.

 Again, neutral colors keeps this texture-loaded look from getting too wild.

 Don't forget to add a bit more glam with some jewelry. Don't overload, though. Do earrings or bracelets, but not both.

GAP chevron maxi dress - H&M blazer - Vintage sweater - Handemade circle scarf - Vintage leather satchel (similar) - Madewell Meshbound Earrings - Thrifted cat eye sunglasses - Thrifted wool cardigan (similar) - Gap clutch - Chloe flats - Vans Classics

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Look of the Day: Birthday Suit

 

Here is an outfit I've created mainly from birthday presents and other new items. I bought myself the blazer at H&M and my sister picked out this gorgeous silk blouse. It's so delicate, I'm sure I will have destroyed by the end of the weekend. Isn't the pattern pretty? It's sort of half floral, half abstract, and I love that the roses are brown.

...Dang, I just realized I forgot to wear the Madewell earrings I bought for myself as a birthday present! Oh well, next time.

 Other new items: The sweet high-waist shorts I found at Value Village for like $1.50 (!) and the clutch was on clearance for $5 at Target. The shorts seem to have shrunk a bit in the wash. Glad I didn't put them in the dryer, because I can barely sit in them, haha. Will have to do the old lunge-and-stretch trick to get them to ease up a bit. They look so much like the American Apparel high-waist jean cuff short, minus the cuff.

H&M Blazer - Vintage silk blouse - Vintage high-waist denim shorts (similar) - Felicee leopard print belt - Target embroidered clutch - Cooperative canvas wedges

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Look of the Day: Stripes & Sun

Holy cow. It got HOT here. It's been in the nineties. Now, that is actually, really hot, and not just wimpy Seattle hot. By the way, I'm posting this in absentia. As you read this, I'm probably out in my mom's garden, taking pictures, or holding a bunny, or something. Wherever I am, I can guarantee you, I'm getting lots of sun!

GAP sunhat (similar) - Vintage sunglasses (similar) - Forever21 striped dress (similar) - Bianci for L.L.Bean belt - Vintage leather purse - Steve Madden wedges

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Madewell Style Sessions

As many of you may have heard, last night, I had the privledge of co-hosting a styling event with Madewell and Fabsugar. I got to spend the night with lots of stylish young ladies and the awesome staff at the University Village Madewell store (who are all stylish young ladies, as well!). Here are some photos and highlights from the night.

New for Fall: Skinny Skinny Ankle Cords and Skinny Skinny Ankle Jeans

I wore the red Sheer Shapes Tee with a beige tulle skirt from Forever21. You'll have to just take my word, as I have no pictures and managed to destroy the skirt when I got home (zipper sewed to tulle is quite possibly the worst idea ever). At least I didn't wreck the shirt. I love it and am excited to add more red to my wardrobe.

On my wishlist!

This is Caitlin, the marketing specialist for Madewell at U Village. She is lovely and so easy to get a long with. I really enjoyed working with her.

Esther: pattern mixing specialist and Madewell employee

Leather bracelets

We had a live DJ!  (name coming soon, sorz)

I want ALL the Sidewalk Skimmer Flats!

Featherfan necklaces

Artdot shorts and cute boots

My friend Tara stopped by to check out the sale racks and the Highriser jeans (my fave)

my picks from Madewell by fleur-d-elise featuring a long pencil skirt
This is my Madewell wishlist. If I were slightly less poor, I would own it all right now! Instead, I'm probably gonna go back next week and buy the Screencard shades, at least. Not shown: The Artdot Blazer, which is beyond adorable and fits perfectly!

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Look of the Day: Cats & Dogs

 Finally jumping on the peplum bandwagon. It's not that I hated the trend, it's just that I hadn't found the right one yet. This spotted one from H&M is The One. It fits like a glove and cost $16! What more could you want?

And how about this amazing Coach portfolio?? I found it at Crossroads Trading Company in the U District. Technically, I didn't pay a cent for it! I just used my store trade-in credit and half-heartedly planned on giving it to my husband, but I love it too much. Now it's just a point of contention between us, haha

Thrifted GAP denim jacket (similar) - H&M Peplum top (similar) - Forever21 skirt (similar) - Thrifted cat-eye sunglasses - Classic Coach leather portfolio - Cooperative wedges - Forever21 bracelets - Vintage cocktail ring (similar)

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Fall 2012 Color Trends

I hate to say this, but Fall is just around the corner. I'm trying to get myself excited about it, so I've been looking into trends and checking out F/W 2012 lookbooks. I always use color as my starting point, so it goes without saying that I've been referring to Pantone's Fashion Color Report a lot.

I needed a place to collect my "thoughts", so I started a collection on SocialBliss. Here are a few of my favorites:

"French Roast" Pantone 19-1012: Polka Dot pants from J.Crew

Honey Gold and Ultramarine Green at Kate Spade

"Olympian Blue" Pantone 19-4056: Viv Patent Flats from J.Crew

Rose Smoke" Pantone 14-1506: Chloe F/W 2012

"Tangerine Tango" Pantone 17-1463: As seen at VersaceF/W 2012

Note: Tangerine Tango is Pantone's Color of the Year!

Update: Cee brought up a good point in a comment on this post: Are these really Fall colors? They seem too bright. Well, my argument is that, yes, I think these work for Fall. Maybe not all together, and maybe you won't really feel like wearing them till later, but when you get sick of black and brown, these colors will be a nice pick-me-up for your wardrobe. Still having trouble imagining how to wear them? Think mod-meets-cocktail-party, like at Kate Spade in the F/W 2012 collection. 

Personally, I don't like how the colors look all grouped together, and I'm not a huge fan of Pink Flambe or Rhapsody (the pink and purple circles), but I know, once I've had my fill of navy and burgundy, a shift dress in Tangerine Tango will be just the thing! 

For more Fall Color Trend reading:

Color Trends: Fall/Winter 2012