accessories

Sartorial Saturday–A Collection of Daisy Duck Bag Charms

I think by now, my love of Daisy Duck is pretty clear. So last year, when Baublebar finally added Daisy Duck to their bag charm collection with a lovely summer version of her in a swimming suit, I was ecstatic. And when they added a Halloween edition of Princess Daisy complete with hennin and wand, I started think maybe they were planning to make Daisy a staple in their collection. Since then, they’ve also created a Christmas bag charm and a extra sparkly Daisy in her typical uniform of pink bow, purple top, blue bracelet, and pink shoes.

At some point, I decided to make it my goal to purchase every Daisy Duck bag charm they offer (thank you occasional sales and coupons!). I’m still hoping for a winter (maybe ice skating to go with the Minnie they’re currently selling?) variant, but it’s probably too late for that this season. I do know that I’m looking forward to whatever they create next! I’m glad to see my pal Daisy finally getting the attention she deserves…it is all about her, after all!

Sartorial Saturday–The Splendette Stack

For as long as I’ve been shopping with Pinup Girl Clothing and other retro brands, there has been one thing missing from my wardrobe…a good bangle stack in the bakelite style. I have admired the stacks that other vintage enthusiasts wear, often made by another retro brand, Splendette, who makes tons of “fakelite” bracelets, but there was no bangle stack for me. I have big hands and large wrists, and there was no bangle that would fit over my hand, much less around even the narrowest part of my wrists. No matter how great they looked, I always felt like my outfits were a bit incomplete, because to me, bangle bracelets, especially stacks of them, are a huge part of the overall look, and I couldn’t wear them.

A few months ago, I saw Splendette tease a new “Duchess Bangle” on Instagram, and I immediately perked up. As more information came out, I realized that I would finally have my chance! The bangles, which have a wrist hole of about 7.5 cm, would fit me! They were testing out the response to them, so they only produced six colors, in large and midi widths…three pastels, and three brights. Even though it meant international shipping, I ordered the full set of each when they came out, and I was not disappointed! Finally, I have the arm accessories I have been longing for! This is the pastel stack, which goes especially well with this Pinup Girl Butterfly dress:

The details on the bangles are amazing. They each have a different pattern, and the patterns are of different depths, which gives them a great visual texture. I love mixing the colors and widths to create new stacks. I’m really going to need Splendette to make some new Duchess Bangles, though, because I need more colors (purple, white, black, and clear would be a good start, plus GLITTER!!! All of the glitter…I’d buy one in every color they make, and I know they’ve done the whole rainbow in standard sizes!). Until that happens, though, I’m just happy that I can finally wear an awesome bangle stack with my retro fashions!

Pinup Girl

OK, so I’m totally not claiming to be a pinup girl myself, but I do love shopping with Pinup Girl Clothing, and that’s what this is really about…their amazing, well-designed, well-made, made in the USA clothes, which are available in a large range of sizes, so every woman can dress with a cool, retro vibe!

My love affair with Pinup started last year, with the purchase of a petticoat, because I had a skirt that needed a little extra oomph. I was nervous about buying a petticoat, because it was my first real jump into retro fashion, but I love it, and I really love the way it makes my skirts look!

My favorite thing I’ve purchased from them is the gathered Jenny skirt…but, of course, one wouldn’t do…not when they have so many amazing prints! So, I have four Jenny skirts, in different patterns (including one highly-prized Mary Blair train print), that I wear with regularity, because they’re so amazing.

I have to admit, Pinup shirts and I don’t seem to get along. I’ve tried two different styles, in different sizes, and I’m just not comfortable in them. They were both beautiful shirts, however, and well made, so that’s more my issue than theirs. Because of the difficulty I had with Pinup shirts, I was reluctant to try one of their dresses…and then I saw the Amanda dress in red, white, and blue. Something that special was worth taking a chance on, and I’m glad I did! The fit is still not quite right, but I can get it taken in if I decide to.

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I’ve even branched out, and tried an awesome, space-themed skirt from the Oblong Box Shop! I’ll admit, the fact that it’s a polyester skirt scared me a little…one of the things I like best about Pinup Girl is that everything I’ve purchased from them so far has been made of cotton…but the print is so quirky and vibrant, I don’t even mind the material!

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I also have a pair of Crescent and Aurora SparkleLux lucite earrings from Pinup Girl, the Starlite necklace and earring set, which is available from Pinup in a gorgeous retro pink color, but I went straight to the source (MeteorJewelry), so I could get it in blue instead, an Eiffel Tower brooch from Tangerine Menagerie, and a cool flying saucer brooch from Luxulite. I’m really loving vintage-inspired jewelry done in modern ways!

I’m not going full-on pinup or anything, because I don’t have the talent to do retro hair and makeup, or the money to have a full pinup wardrobe. I would eventually love to add another dress or two, like the Mary Blair Nancy dress, or the Mary Blair Lydia dress, and some more jewelry like the SparkleLux Crescent Drop earrings, or the antique-inspired Enchantress Bow earrings. I love including the items I already have in my regular rotation that have a vintage look, but in a totally modern way!

Baseball Accessories

The Cardinals 2014 post-season run begins today!

Lately, I’ve been sharing a lot of my favorite fashion accessories, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention some of my favorite ways to accessorize my various jerseys (three of them!) and t-shirts while supporting my favorite team. There are so many fun options, from the obvious plethora of hats, to handbags, jewelry and pins, socks, and even nail polish in team colors:

Now all I need is a pair of red Chucks, and I’ll be all set…

Black Accessories

Silver is my go-to color when it comes to jewelry, but you can’t forget black accessories, especially when it comes to shoes and handbags. A little black jewelry is fun and different, too!

Rose Gold Accessories

I don’t wear a lot in the way of yellow gold, but I absolutely love rose gold (when I can find it). Sadly, I don’t have much in the way of rose gold accessories…just a watch, and a clutch with beautiful hardware. But I think it looks so pretty and different, and is much more flattering to my skin tone!

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Maybe if I’m lucky, someday I’ll find a really cool rose gold necklace, too!

Blue Accessories

Blue is one of my favorite colors, so there’s no shortage of it in my wardrobe. An abundance of blue options doesn’t mean that it’s not fun to add some blue accessories to an otherwise simple outfit, though!

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