brooches

Sartorial Saturday–My Favorite Festive Fashions

Now that even Epiphany has come and gone, I’m taking a look back at my favorite festive fashions of the 2021 Christmas season. I picked my favorite styling of each Christmas piece I have in my wardrobe (four skirts, a dress, and a dirndl apron), plus a photo of how I accessorized each:

Also, two bonus pictures that don’t really fit anywhere else…the dressing gown I wore on Christmas Eve, and a playful shot of one of my new Christmas brooches on my overalls against a candy cane-inspired background:

As much as I’m looking forward to mixing up my fashion a bit more in the coming weeks, I’m really going to miss my Christmas prints until it’s time to pull them out again!

A Care Bears Collection

I thought it would be fun to take a look at the combined Erstwilder Care Bears collection that we have in our house!

The majority of the collection is mine, but each of my daughters has at least one item of her own. We have brooches, earrings, a pair of cardigan clips, and even two scarves. I was also lucky enough to pick up the two free-gift-with-purchase brooches, one from each collection Erstwilder has released. I’m curious to see if they will have another collection in the future, but the most recent one contained the two items I wanted the most (the Cloudmobile and Grams Bear), so I don’t even know what I’d be looking for if they did!

Sartorial Saturday–Erstwilder x Pete Cromer

I love getting a parcel in the mail, don’t you?

And when it’s a parcel from Erstwilder, with pieces from the new Pete Cromer collaboration, it’s even more fun!

But first, let me back up. Last year, Erstwilder debuted their first collaboration with Pete Cromer, an Australian artist who was previously unknown to me. I was immediately drawn to his art style, and I couldn’t resist this adorable blue penguin.

Their newest collaboration launched last week, and it included Christmas pieces!

There were also non-Christmas pieces featuring Australian animals done in his distinct art style:

Even the boxes are cute!

These collaborations are especially fun for me because not only do they appeal to me, but also my three girls. In my most recent order, we each purchased at least one item each. I can’t wait to see what Erstwilder and Pete Cromer have planned for the future!

Sartorial Saturday-Christmas Brooches

Earlier this year, I shared a photo of my Erstwilder brooch collection. I thought it would be fun to share a picture of my Christmas brooch collection (which has grown quite a bit this year), too. I have mostly Erstwilder pieces, although there are also a few others in there, including my very most sparkly brooch, which was the first one I received. Some of the Erstwilder pieces in the photo aren’t specifically Christmas, but more general winter, but I’m still counting them. I love how many festive options I have!

Sartorial Saturday–Erstwilder: The Complete Collection

I had so much fun sharing a picture of my Splendette Duchess Bangles collection that I thought I’d do the same thing with my Erstwilder brooches. I don’t have a ton of them, and they’re not the only brooches in my wardrobe, but there’s something really special about Erstwilder products, from the adorable packaging, to the quirky designs, to the handwritten notes that accompany orders. And, yes, the flamingo scarf is an Erstwilder item, too!

Each one of these pieces is very special to me, because I always choose them carefully (something you must do when you’re considering placing an order from a company in Australia!). I love them all, but I do admit I have some favorites…especially the “Matryoshka Memories” set, which is the newest item in my collection, and the “Kiss Me Kindly” mistletoe, which I love wearing at Christmastime when I’m not wearing my fancy Christmas brooch!

The Subject of Brooches

I’m not exactly new to wearing brooches. I remember in the fall of 2004, when Bunny was just a few months old, they were quite popular in mainstream fashion. I had a few (very cheap) brooches then, and I loved wearing them on jackets and in multiples.

My brooch taste has gotten a bit more specialized since then, however. I do have two nice brooches made with Swarovski crystals…one that is a replica of a brooch worn by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and another that was a Christmas gift from Ryan several years ago:

I have quite a few vintage inspired brooches, from several different companies, as well.

Luxulite makes really cool 1940s style brooches that look like the bakelite models that were popular then:

Tangerine Menagerie specializes in handmade plexiglass brooches in a variety of styles:

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The Oblong Box Shop is selling a few styles (some in mirror acrylic) to coordinate with their skirts, made for them by Sparkle Monster:

Deer Arrow has a wide range of brooches in mid-century designs (including a cool Pyrex-inspired one), but my favorite is one they made to coordinate with a Pinup Girl dress I own:

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My favorite brooch company of all is Erstwilder. They have a wide variety of designs…animals, flowers, beauty, and novelty pieces. Their brooches are also available in pretty much every color imaginable, so they coordinate with everything!

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Many of these brands, as well as some others that I haven’t tried yet, are available through Pinup Girl Clothing. I’m always on the lookout for cool new brooch designs. They’re one of my favorite ways to accessorize an outfit!