Lace and Seersucker

There are two reasons this is a mystery dress. For one, it only needs five buttons in the back. For another, the color is an optical illusion. It appears to have blue stripes from a distance, but when you get closer, you can see that they're actually brown. Seersucker - especially seersucker that appears blue - makes me think of the coast. I'm hankering to explore some historic lighthouses, watch the ocean sunrise, and spot wild ponies on the Outerbanks. However, I'm pretty excited about heading to the mountains this summer, where we'll be working for a month.

I'll be posting about packing for a month-long trip. I'll definitely be taking this dress, lace top and clogs. What wardrobe piece would you be sure to take along? And what are your best summer packing tips?
 

seersucker dress/lace tee: american apparel

clogs: zappos

satchel: thrifted

necklace: vintage

Autumn to May

I wasn't going to post this to the blog at first. Sometimes, when I like an outfit but I'm in a hurry, I'll snap a few photos and just post them to Chictopia. I wore this to a local academic event last week. I think it's an autumnal outfit and not exactly what people are thinking of for this time of year in this hemisphere. But the weather was flip-flopping from warm to cold and wet last week, and this is what I wore. I can't help flirting with Autumn, even in May - I love fall colors, and I'm pretty cold-natured. This outfit had so many favorite things - leather brogues, a cotton navy fair-trade blouse, a gray skirt and mulberry-colored tights, all happily working together and not fighting!

blouse: bibico

skirt: modcloth

tights: asos

brogues/satchel: thrifted

Da Do Ron Ron

I've been enjoying the sudden warm weather in this Bordeaux skater dress, sent to me by the great folks at Greenola. I've been searching and searching for the perfect simple fair-trade skater dress - with the emphasis on simple. I was beginning to it doesn't exist. But it does, and this is what it looks like. I love the knife pleats and soft cotton fabric. The back of the contrast bodice is a light pink. I certainly plan on wearing this little number all summer, and I'm already thinking of all the layering possibilities this fall. Hello, new basic! It's the sort of dress you can put on, slip into some flats, and you're dressed! And this is just in time because it seems summer arrived yesterday. This may sound weird, but I absolutely love how the air smells in summer. I wore this outfit all day and it was the first time I could go on an evening walk without a wrap.

This dress has a feature that I've found unusual for sleeveless dresses: small arm-holes. This was pretty exciting for me, but possibly a reason to consider sizing up. Anyway, please check out Greenola's online shop. They're fair trade, feminist-minded and have a great spring collection.

skater dress: c/o greenola
tote: gift (old) 

vintage necklace: local antiques shop

lace flats: jc penney (old)

Gray Pleats and Lace II

This lace top (American-made) is one of my new basics. Or maybe it's just a useful piece. Lol, I don't know any more, but I do love how versatile a white lace top is. Maybe this is too similar to my last Gray Pleats and Lace post, but I think this one has a different tone. I love how a high collar adds a hint of Edwardian elegance. Turtle necks have always been a favorite, but I've shied away from them for awhile because I used to hide behind them. I think this top is a nice compromise.

This outfit will probably be worn a lot this fall, but it's suitable for the current weather conditions. It's been a cold and windy May. One thing I want to strive for in this blog is to make it more user-friendly, so while I've been trying to add more links to places where you can find the pieces in these outfit posts, I also want to include some information on what this outfit is for, i.e. where I might wear it. For instance, I put this outfit together to attend a local academic award ceremony.

Anyway, it's hump day, so I'd love to share some links that made me happy this week so far:

❥ Lackadaisy, my very favorite online comic by the talented Tracy Butler, updated with a mini comic that starts with a conversation about breakfast food and quickly dissolves into an esoteric debate about art and who knows what else. It made my week.

❥ This has already made the rounds, but just in case you haven't seen it yet, check out this photographer who helped her daughter connect with real women who were movers and shakers.

❥ I love Tori's styling in this outfit post on Generations Collective.

❥ And a bear. From Kitsune-Kun. What more can I say? It's a bear. :-)

lace top // skirt: modcloth

tights: asos

camisole: second-hand

vintage necklace: local antique shop

Floral Blouse: Useful!

In my post about How to Curate a Successful Wardrobe, I talked mostly about basics and bells and whistles - the pieces that pretty much go with everything, and the pieces that pretty much stand alone. But I didn't pay as much attention to a third category: useful pieces. Useful pieces are between basics and bells and whistles - super versatile, but more complex than a basic. This fair trade floral blouse from Bibico is one of them. It amazingly goes with all my skirts (except the two print ones), all my shorts and both pairs of my jeans. The predominant colors in my wardrobe are neutrals, blue and red, so this sort of print fits right in!

A comment by Kristian on  How to Curate a Successful Wardrobe sparked some more ideas about wardrobe colors. I don't think you should pick a limited number of colors just to make your wardrobe more remixable, but it happened automatically with me. I ended up just going for the colors I loved and thought looked good on me, which turned out to be very limited. I'm picky about what I like! But it really helps stretch my wardrobe, so colors and wardrobe organization are definitely worth thinking about.

What are your thoughts? Do you carefully plan the colors in you wardrobe? Do you wear a happy rainbow of whatever you like? Or do your favorite colors automatically make a remixable wardrobe?

 blouse: bibico

shorts/belt: thrifted
sweedish hasbeens: zappos

One Fair Trade Skirt, Six Summery Ways

It's World Fair Trade Day, so it only seemed suitable to feature some different ways of styling this fair trade skirt by Mata Traders. This is definitely one of those special "bells and whistles" numbers and I love it to pieces. It was on sale on Modcloth awhile back, and since I was a little less wardrobe-savvy I had trouble styling it. (There were very few basic tops in my closet). After adding a few more basics, this cotton print skirt has all sorts of potential - especially for summer.

You should also check out this very pretty outfit post from British blog Dresses on a Clothesline, featuring People Tree.

Return of the Flour Sack Dress // A Review of Kandals

I recently claimed these canvas shoes by Kandals as a reward on Chictopia. I thought the description was intriguing - shoes that smell! Kandals markets their canvas shoes as having a "fresh strawberry" scented outsole, an eco-friendly design and a planted tree for every pair sold. I could really use a comfortable pair of summer shoes to throw on and wear all day without worrying about blisters, so I went for it.

 

I'm super pleased with them - they are very comfortable and have a nice, cushiony insole. I've worn them quite a few times already and plan on using them all summer. My feet are size 7 long and size 8 wide, so I usually go with 8, and these are a perfect fit in that size.

 

So, do they actually smell like fresh strawberries? No. Not to me. But the first whiff of them brought on a wave of nostalgia. As a tot I had some sort of princess cupcake doll that had a scented rubber component. I might have had a scented My Little Pony too. The smell of these shoes remind me so much of those old scented toys, and it's actually quite pleasant. The scent doesn't really add or detract from the quality for me. It's their simple design, cotton canvas construction and comfortable insoles that makes them ideal. If you aren't phased by scented footwear, I highly recommend them.

liz alig dress: greenheart shop

canvas shoes: c/o kandals

tote: second-hand