Pretty in Pink, Purple, and Teal | Hannah x Emily

When it comes to my style, I’m just making it up as I go along. I’d argue that we all are!  In fashion, the rules are set by others. In style, you’re in complete control of a look.

While I’m happy to be sporting a teal bow belt from Emily, this outfit was actually created around my peplum sleeveless top! In this post, I’d love to share with you one of my personal “rules” for getting dressed that tricks others into thinking that I know what I’m doing, in terms of clothes.

This top is my favorite kind of thing to style because it’s just so vibrant. It also has a bunch of colors that can help me put together an outfit. That’s where my trick comes in – you can just pull colors from a multicolored top and it’s almost a cinch that everything you wear with it will match.

By default, I think a lot of us just want to wear basic colors and call it a day. While I did do that by pairing my top with black jeans, I wanted the rest of the outfit to be fun.

This top has hues of blue and pink so I added my pepto pink jacket, Emily’s teal bow belt, a ridiculous cocktail ring (I don’t even know where it came from!) and matching teal shoes. Voila, it looks like I knew what I was doing when really all I did was match the colors of my outfit to my top. It’s elementary!

Outfit details: Jeans, Old Navy – Floral peplum top, ring, and pink jacket,  thrifted – Teal shoes, outlet store – Teal belt, from Emily

So did I trick you? What tips or “tricks” do you use to put together an outfit? Let us know down in the comments. Sharing is caring, after all. ;)

 

Print Mixing Maxi Skirt | Emily x Kristina

I may be a little late to the maxi skirt trend (can we even call it a trend anymore?) but this summer I am loving long skirts.

I swapped this skirt with Kristina months ago, and took the time to style it a few different ways while I had it. It is such a bright and cheerful piece, and the primary-color palette really makes it fun to play with.

Sometimes in summer I miss the layered looks of fall and winter, but then I remember that adding accessories can be just as fun as adding layers. And even with just two pieces, there is still a lot you can do with prints, shapes and colors.

The print on this dress makes me dream about creating my own textile by doing fabric stamping. Have you guys ever tried it? Merrick’s Art had a simple tutorial on it recently that got me thinking about what a fun project it could be.

What do you do to keep your looks interesting in the summer? Sometimes when it’s this hot I can’t even bear to wear necklaces! Give us your best hot-weather accessorizing tips.

A Summer Approved Blanket Scarf | Hannah x Emily

If you thought a blanket scarf was only for winter, think again! Today I’m going to show you how to get away with wearing a blanket scarf in the summer without overheating.

The scarf I’m using in my example is a lightweight patterned blanket scarf that I borrowed from Emily. (Fun fact: she previously explained how to wear a traditional blanket scarf in the winter. Worth a read!)

I was stoked to get my hands on this scarf during the time that I rocked lavender hair. It was a perfect match and made coming up with an outfit really easy!

Wearing a scarf in the summer seems a bit impractical but I imagined wearing it on a cool night for a dressy event.

To begin, I pulled pieces from my closet that were breezy basics. This lace crop top is in heavy rotation, while the cognac colored skirt is a good balance because it’s on the heavier side, as far as fabric goes.

My finishing piece was the blanket scarf that I draped like a shawl. Best of all? You can remove it and it wouldn’t change the structure of the outfit and you’d still look put together.

Outfit details: Skirt, thrifted – T-strap heels, outlet store – Lace top, Target – Necklace, gift – Scarf, from Emily

If you’re still looking for another way to get use of your wintry blanket scarf this summer, consider using it as a blanket for a picnic in the park. It’s not fashion but it is functional!

Hope you’re all having a super awesome summer!

Vintage Mauve Maxi | Noelle x Kristina

This gazebo has become my go-to “oops, I procrastinated and now it’s raining” picture taking spot.But, hey. I do not hate it. It works perfectly with the way I interpreted this lovely, vintage mauve maxi from Kristina. When I initially saw the photos of this dress I fell in love with the ethereal quality that speaks to my Pre-Raphaelite tendencies, but once I had it in hand another style came to mind.

Kristina had already knocked it out of the sartorial park with her boho inspired outfit. The boho look is definitely authentic to the decade that birthed this dress and depending on accessories, I could see it on either an earthy hippie or a glamorous disco queen. It even reminds me of a dress my ever-stylish grandmother wore in the seventies.

But, when you really look into the history of fashion and the different eras it becomes clear that many style associated with the later half of the 20th century, in fact, have their roots in much earlier decades. While we might associate flutter sleeves and flowing skirts with the hippies of the sixties and the dancing queens of the seventies, the look actually made its modern debut in the 1930’s-1940’s world of Hollywood glamour. As easily as this style could have been worn by Donna Summer, the great Bette Davis could have donned it, as well. The similarities exist in the draping and the pleating, the use of the lightweight, flowing fabrics, and the Grecian inspired cuts. I mean, see? The ancient Greeks even did Old Hollywood before Hollywood did.

So, while I was first drawn to the earthy quality of the dress, when it was my turn to take a crack at it, I decided to pay homage to a whole different decade. An intricate, metallic belt, t-strap shoes, flowing hair, and matte lips take this look to the allure and the romance of the silver screen.

Sweater Girls | Kristina

Every summer, I lose my way in the blogging world just a bit. Summer does not inspire me. Today as I shot these photos, smelled the cool pine of the needles beneath my feet, felt the slight chill of the breeze, and reveled in the cloudiness of a typical Washington day, I realized that my element is in Fall. In that perfectly in-between season, when it is neither too hot nor too cold, when one only occasionally requires a coat, but could comfortably wear tights all day. That is my season, as cliche as it is in the blogging world to admit.

This outfit very much feels like fall to me; the plaid of the skirt, the sweet softness of the sweater, the booties. Yet, it is a perfect match for our summers. The skirt is a lightweight cotton, the sweater a comfortable thinness, and the booties are not designed to keep out too much cold. It emulates my favorite time of year, my favorite self in fashion, and my favorite era. It is on my shelf of perfect outfits.

Hannah sent me this skirt for my birthday, and I’ve put it up on our board for all the girls to swap. As I flounder around in the summer, not quite knowing how to put myself together to combat a cool morning and a hot afternoon, this skirt saves me time and time again. I would love to see the other girls style it, and put their own personality into the outfit!

I’ve been researching more and more into the 40’s and 50’s era clothing, hairstyles, makeup, and etc., and found one interesting tidbit about a movement similar to the pinup girls: the sweater girls. The sweater girls were, as the name suggests, girls akin to pinups who went around wearing tight sweaters to better show off their figures with wasp waists and bullet bras. They were alarming to the elder generation, some of whom suggested “what kind of mothers and wives will they be?”

Actresses such as Lana Turner and Jane Russell were the Hollywood icons of this trend, known for their curves and tight sweaters in the popular films. At one point at the height of the trend in 1968, a young woman named Francine Gottfried, a simple secretary, gained notoriety as “Wall Street’s Sweater Girl.”She took the same route to work every day, and people began to notice her. At first it was young girl gangs, then mobs of men, then their colleagues and co-workers until the word had passed so far around that two weeks later a mob of 10,000 people swarming the streets just to see her walk to work. She thought they were all crazy, but enjoyed her fifteen minutes of fame and left her job as a IBM 1260 keypunch operator to become a go-go dancer.

Finding this pretty vintage sweater while thrifting the other day reminded me of my research, and while I’m not wearing a bullet bra and I certainly don’t have a wasp waist, I think it’s a fun interpretation of that trend. Of the housewives, bobbysoxers, pinups, and sweater girls, I think I could most easily settle into something that is a mix of the first and the last look. While it was most certainly meant to titillate the eye, something that I’m not really trying to do, it’s a safer way to resonate with a trend of the past while still maintaining my personal comfort level where modesty is concerned.

Sweater, thrifted | skirt, gift from Hannah | heels, thrifted | belt, thrifted | headscarf, vintage | Whovian pin, gift

What vintage trend do you identify with? Who would you have been, in the 50’s? A housewife? A pinup? A bobbysoxer? Or a sweater girl?

I hope you’re all having a beautiful Monday!

 

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Vintage Vibes and a Deceptive Headband | Hannah x Noelle

Believe it or not, this is not a hat on my head! What this actually is, is a nifty style of headwear that’s a hat attached to a headband. Noelle graciously lent it to me to style and boy did I have fun!

I wore this outfit during my purple hair days in the winter but I’d like to think it can transcend seasons. That’s what’s so good about vintage.. among a million other things.

I’ve worn this dress before in an outfit that was also a nod to the past so I guess it’s just getting typecasted. And if you’re confused about my dress looking like a top and skirt, well, it’s just another illusion in my outfit.

To style it this time around I added a shrunken navy colored cardigan and the cutest feminine spectator shoes. To me, it feels like a way to wear vintage everyday without being over the top or in your face. In fact, if I removed this hat, you probably would mistake this outfit for something modern! (None of it’s actually vintage, so there’s another fun fact about this look.)

Outfit details:  Dress, thrifted – Cardigan & necklace, gifts – Shoes, outlet store – Headband, from Noelle

I’m so glad I got to take this headband/hat for a whirl. My head is actually too small to fit traditional hats so this technology is kind of blowing my mind. Just in case any of you have a hard to fit noggin, definitely try to track something like this down!

Thanks, Noelle, for sending this beauty along and challenging me to add a little bit of glamour to my everyday outfits. :)

Sunburst | Noelle x Kristina

As promised, here is my colorful, retro inspired interpretation of the famous horse print dress! Last time I wore the dress (which you can see here), I brought this crazy print into our century and toned it down with some edgy, black accessories to show how wearable the dress actually was. This time around I’m embracing all it’s nutso, retro vibes and crazy colors because…just look at it’s awesomeness!

Using the dress as a jumper layered over these billowy sheer sleeves harkens back the era the dress was born in. I feel like a secretary on the later seasons of Mad Men that just decided to go hang out in a field for the fun of it. Obviously, a true to era interpretation and a sunburst color palate isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it sure as heck is mine!

And now I have to say farewell to the most amazing dress ever so Kristina can be reunited with it. I can’t wait to see what it’s next adventure is going to be.

Long Sleeved Dress: Thrifted | Horse Print Dress: Kristina | Shoes: Thrifted | Brooch: Antique Store | Lips: Colourpop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Beeper as a base and LA Girl Matte Flat Velvet Lipstick in Oh, La, La on top

Cruisin’ | Emily x Hannah

Sometimes you just have to spend some time with a piece before you know what to do with it. Such was the case with this awesomely colorful poncho I swapped with Hannah. She sent it to me a few weeks ago, and it took me a while to get a good vision of how to style this unique and distinctive piece. But I love a good challenge!

I jumped at the chance to swap this poncho because I have literally never worn a poncho until now. How did I make it to the ripe old age of 30-noneofyourbusiness without wearing a poncho? Well, it just happened that way. So I had to give it a whirl.

I realize this may seem like an odd choice for the beginning of summer, but let me tell you, upstate New York is tricky like that. You’ll be sweating it out in 90-degree heat one day, and the next day, bam! Low of 42. So you’ve got to be prepared for anything. This was actually a genius way to chase away the morning and evening chill, but it was easy to throw off when the day warmed up.

I can’t pinpoint my exact inspiration for this outfit, but when I put it all together, I had the general feeling of “Someone’s Grandma going on a cruise.” Which, you know, I’m OK with that! I wrote a couple of blog posts about being inspired by the different styles of my two grandmothers. So, #grandmastyle4life, I say.

Note that I am being a total rebel here and mixing my gold sparkly nail polish with silver sparkly earrings. What can I say, I like to live on the edge.

Thanks to Hannah for letting me tick “wear a poncho” off my life list! This was super comfy and fun to wear.

How We Wore It: Denim

Thank you for taking a break from your Memorial Day festivities to see what we’re up to! Today we’re going to share with you a round-up of outfits featuring denim, as worn by the members of Shaped By Style. From vintage inspired to modern romantic, we’ve got them all!

Noelle takes the cake for the sweetest outfit of the bunch. Her “Candy Shop” series included this look with high waisted denim shorts and a colorful top to sweeten things up. To get treated to more of this outfit, click here to visit The Classy Junk blog.

If modern romance is your thing, then Lyndsey has the outfit for you. She balanced out her basic dark wash jeans with a flirty floral top and then made our hearts melt by featuring her sweet pup in her photos. Gush over this outfit on Lyndsey’s blog by clicking here.

If anyone can take a vintage aesthetic and make it work with modern pieces, Kristina can! She’s all vintage bombshell on top and ’50s greaser on the bottom. Overall, this is one happenin’ look, daddi-o! Get the deets of this outfit on Eccentric Owl by clicking here.

If you think denim only comes in the form of pants, think again! Emily shows us that denim can be made into anything, even a dress. While this wasn’t one of Emily’s sewing creations, this outfit does have her personal touch with details like a wide black belt and nude wedges. Do yourself a favor and view this look in it’s full form on Emily’s blog, Breads and Roses Vintage.

As for me, I took double denim to a whole new level when I rolled out my “Fashion Flashback” series. My outfit was copied straight from the pages of a 1970’s magazine. The only change from then and now is my far out hair color. If you’d like to see more of this look, click here to go back in time on The Outfit Repeater.

What’s your favorite denim outfit inspiration? We’d love to know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and have a great start to your summer!

Swingin’ Sixties | Kristina x Hannah

Happy Thursday! I hope you all will forgive me for an incredibly short post, but as I write this I am sitting on the couch with a stuffy nose and sore throat, desperately hoping that this will be short lived and I’ll be well enough to go camping this weekend. Thankfully, I snapped these photos wearing Hannah’s darling striped dress a few weeks ago, and they’ve been sitting in my queue waiting to be blogged!

I’ve had this dress from Hannah for a while now (sorry,Hannah!) along with a few other things of hers, and I’ll be honest: I am getting a bit stumped as to how I should style certain things as my own style gets more and more focused on vintage and retro housewife themes. But as soon as I put it on I felt very sixties, and it became a fun little game of black and white patterns with a retro feel.

If you follow my blog, you’ll know that I’m really generally not a neutral colors person (I mean, hello, pink hair!) but when it comes to black and white, there’s just something so classic about it that I cannot resist. Nothing I’m wearing in this outfit is vintage, but it all works so well to give off that classic sixties vibe and I really want to secretly integrate this dress into my closet forever. You won’t miss it right Hannah? 

And how cute is this hedgehog brooch? I’m constantly trawling the jewelry counter at my local thrift stores because they never fail to produce fun and unique brooches — and come to think of it, this may actually be vintage. I’m not great at dating jewelry, though, so I really don’t know.

Dress, Hannah’s | Shoes, scarf, and brooch, thrifted

I hope you all have a fantastic memorial day weekend! I am determined to go camping, even if it means that I’ll be sitting with a sinus cold by the fire under a tarp because it’s supposed to rain all weekend. Sounds fun, right? ;)