Shades of Gravender

I backed the camera up in an attempt to avoid the lens flare and backlighting. MISSION FAIL.

I made this outfit for Spygirl's 52 Pick-Me-Up challenge: layers. Also because it is freezing in my room. Man, I look so proportional when sleeves are the correct length. Japanese clothing all the way.

All the dangly pointy bits of cloth made me feel like curtsying.
I hope I did patron saint of masterful layering Shawna proud.

Where to begin?

Purple heattech undershirt: UNIQLO (gift from Mom, Japan)

Grey bamboo dress: Natural Life (Purre at The CAMP)

Double layer vest: MOUTH valley (thrifted, Japan)

Outermost long vest: LUX (clothing swap)

Wide belt: pellemelle (thrifted)

Jodhpurs as leggings: Ariat (thrifted)

Boots: ALDO (thrifted)

Cloisonne necklace and enamel earrings: unknown (thrifted)

If you haven't seen these before, that's right, jodhpurs! (Thanks, Excelsior Goodwill!) They are by the company Ariat and so comfortable and warm. They also have deep front pockets. Rich people really know how to live!

The wide leather belt is one I thrifted a few weeks ago in SF, by pellemelle. The end has a tendency to start slipping out of the buckle, but otherwise I am really happy with it. It's comfortable, the right size, and the soft leather has enough stretch that I don't garrote myself in the midsection when I sit down.

The outfit was so neutral that I tried to add a little color with the cloisonne jewelry, but overall I think it's still pretty "Look, ma! I'm greyscale!" That isn't to say I don't like it; purple and grey is one of my favorite combinations*! I'm just obsessed with trying to up my color game recently and I don't want to feel like I was backsliding.

* In fact, know what I'm gonna call it? Gravender. Shut up. Clever! ᕦ(ಠ_ಠ)ᕤ

Sheer for Sear

Someone left Southern CA on 'parboil' again. This is the second thrift piece I picked up for simmer-I mean, summer.

Amboy Aces dress/tunic: Salvage (thrifted)

Long vest/cardigan: LUX (clothing swap)

Sandals: Clark's (gift from Cathy)

My friend noted with approval that this is summer clothing. I kind of felt like I was wearing underwear all day. It might be the light colors, it might be the thinness of the material, or, as I now realize looking at the photos, it might be because I'm clearly wearing a tunic, not a dress. Dangit. Blog and learn.

On the plus, it's a size up from what I normally wear, and I found out when I went to brunch that I can eat a pound of food and it is not evident. Hooray loose!

The thrifted tunic's brand is Salvage, and it reminds me of the brand Treasure Rock that I also have some pieces from. I looked it up online, and man, this brand is pricey. I like all of the cool details and grommets, but $139 for this thing new? Half the damn thing isn't even opaque!

Speaking of, this light lavender long vest or cardigan or thing by LUX proved its usefulness, even as it continues to defy categorization. The back of the Salvage tunic is actually sheer, leading me to wonder who exactly this garment is meant for. Is this a misguided attempt to be sexy?

If a question is going to form in the mind of the folks I pass on the street, I'd like it to be along the lines of, "Where did she get those clothes?" rather than, "Dear god, are those her underpants visible through the back of that thing?"

Then again, when temperatures are regularly nearing 100F, my brain shorts out and all bets are off. Small wonder I forgot to wear pants.

Too hot for pants and Couturgatory giveaway winner

Seriously. 30 pairs of jeans and trousers with cool detailing might as well be clown shoes for all the good they do me. What to wear when it's 90F/32C inside the house?

Tank top hoodie: Skinny Minnie (defunct online store)

Skirt: LUX (thrifted)

Platform sandals: Born (gift from Cathy)

Necklace: (thrifted)

I've had this shirt for several years but I realized I've only ever worn it in Brazil and Taiwan, so it's making its U.S. debut on this blog.

Before, I would have heaped scorn on a hood attached to a tank top, but in this heat I now see the genius: it acts like a stillsuit from Dune and protects me a little from intense heat and water loss.

I was afraid to wear jewelry that was too big, lest I attract the wrath of Apollo.

The fabric is a little sheer, but I'm way beyond caring. I talk a good game about trying to be tasteful, but crank the heat near 100F and all bets are off. I wore a shirt that was a glorified handkerchief once, when it was 110 in Paris, until some dude followed me through three floors of a book shop.

And now to the giveaway! The winner, via random number generator, is :

Beth, of The Melodic Stylings of Bethie the Boo! Thank you all for entering, and of course, for reading. I'll be in touch shortly to get mailing address info, provided the heat doesn't leave me lying supine on the floor like a sack of laundry. :D

Sunday Best

  Obvious things first: I have a ♪ parasooooool ♫!

  It was a gift from my friend Mo. Unused, from Korea, gorgeous.

Parasol: Korea (gift!)

Vest: Free People (eBay, size S available)

Pink overskirt: Fei (thrifted)

White petticoat skirt: LUX (thrifted)

Boots: Naya Lightning (old, gift)

Gloves: Japan

Locket: vintage (Etsy store feltinmyheart)
Hair clip: Taiwan
Skirt clips: DIY (my tutorial)

Earrings and watch: CostPlus World Market (watch link, earrings not online)

  I do not know why I'm not smiling more. Sorry! I think I didn't sleep well last night.

  Have you ever built an outfit around an unusual item?

  I wore a lot of accessories today. The parasol had me excited so I just started piling them on. Here are some close ups.

  I'd never worn these gloves before. My mother bought them for me several years ago in Japan. I had no idea what to wear them with, but I knew I loved them so I waited. :D I wanted a lacy petticoat look to go with the parasol, so I layered two skirts and hiked up the pink one a bit (oh la la!)

  It took sewmuch2learn to point this out, but I have a considerable number of vests. I've added the new label 'vests' to sort them out. I have not decided what to do with the ties on the back of this one, because they're super long. They brush the tops of my boots!

  Lastly, I've been thinking about something odd this last week. I laughed about "rage shopping" on the Twitter and mentioned it on this blog, yet I've been really shy to talk about my rage donating. So um, here are some very good causes where I gave my funds:

  Lynne of The Good Will Hunting Paralegal has a brave and lovely teenage daughter who has severe sickle cell disease. She is receiving a bone marrow transplant, and the medical costs are very high. The donation page is here.

  Nancy Le (a friend of a friend) received a successful bone marrow transplant and is currently starting chemotherapy for myeloid leukemia. Medical costs are also very high. The donation page is here.

  My friend Brenda Hatley made the US Wushu Team (again!) but there is no financial support for team travel or expenses. She is raising funds to travel to Malaysia for the World Wushu Championships. The donation page is here.

  The UN Refugee Agency helps refugees who have been displaced from their homes by war. Right now there is more exposure for the cause because of the human tragedies along the Syrian border. The donation page is here.

  Thank you, as always, for reading. (: 

Plum, on the balcony, with the candlestick

  I don't think this one turned out.

  I've had this LUX blazer (thrifted) for a while, and I was going for another Ye Olde look because the cut reminded me a bit of a waistcoat, and maybe a bit of a bodice, with its wide collar opening. Also it has pockets. Important!

  I like the color and the material, but the fit is funny. It is very tight under the chest (so tight it's pulling the buttons askew, haha) and loose from there down.

  I went with the Bow & Arrow shirt I wore in my very first blog post, for its pearl buttons. I would like to try a slightly foofy shirt or one that buttons all the way up plus a cravat, but I own neither. I added a box of stuff* I'm on the lookout for at the bottom of my gadgets, like a reminder to myself.

* I can't title it "wishlist" because then I'd have to put "unicorn"

  I'm entertained by the ends of my shirt ties hanging out the back. It's like my jacket is pooping. Because I'm twelve.

  Overall, I think the pinstripes on my trousers are not very visible, and the 3/4 cuffs on the blazer look like I'm going to a board meeting rather than adventuring with brass goggle adorned rabble-rousers. A longer bustle/hobble skirt might go well with the blazer too, but alas, something I also don't have.

  I did take out my purse, though. I don't often use purses, but this is one of those items I always have people telling me is cute. It even came with a long crossbody strap thoughtfully tucked inside!

  Your thoughts, dear readers? Should I alter the buttons and store it back in my closet for some more months until I find some things it goes with? Do you ever get things you want to style but find you don't have the right items to go with it (closet orphans)? If so, what do you do?

Plum blazer: LUX (thrifted)

Pearl button shirt: Bow & Arrow (thrifted)

Pinstripe trousers: Banana Republic (thrifted)

Platform shoes: Candie's (thrifted)
Denim purse: Giudit (thrifted)

Necklace: H&M (Paris, very old)

Investigating Vestments

  Last week I had a question about the ruching on the back of my cardigan that reminded me of an Austrian drape. This week I have another style vocabulary question.  It might even become a regular bit on this blog. I can see it now! The music plays, the camera pans over the stage and you hear the voiceover announce, "You know what time it is, folks! It's time to plaaaaay..."

*studio audience chants* "WHAT... is that thing?"

  And the curtains would part dramatically and I would come out to a burst of applause, wearing the latest weird thing I found at the thrift store.

  I got this thing at a clothing swap some years back, actually. It's a size L, which is probably part of why it is very drapey on me, but I get the impression it's just meant to be super long.  It has a random bit of pintucking and the hem material curves up in the back.
  What *is* it? Is it still technically a vest? I tried adding a wide cinch belt I thrifted in Japan over it. To stay with faded blues and purples and a few pops of black, I added my rhinestone button bracelet (another thing I don't know the correct name for!) I liked the look so much I added my favorite hoodie and a hat later:

  It's the first time I've used the double zipper, and I enjoyed how I could let the layers underneath show. I love this hoodie so much. The impression I get from my friends is they find it underwhelming but know it's my favorite color and they are happy for me. My friends are nothing if not polite lovely people. :D

  The concept of power in names, and that naming something gives you power over it shows up in several cultures throughout history. I don't know what it means that I have things I don't know the names of all over my wardrobe, but I'm not going to let not knowing what something is called stop me from wearing it. (:

Mystery vest thingie: LUX (clothing swap)

Cincher belt: unknown (Japan)

Long cloak hoodie: Prairie Underground blue suede

Rhinestone button cord bracelet: unknown (old, The CAMP)

Women's houndstooth cabbie: San Diego hat company (product link)