Sartorial Saturday

Sartorial Saturday–Ethereal Evenstar

Today I’m taking a look at something pretty different for me…a velvet bell-sleeved dress in the most beautiful bluish-purple shade from Her Universe inspired by my favorite costume worn by Arwen in The Lord of the Rings!

I have had my eye on this dress FOREVER, but even when it went on sale, I wasn’t going to buy it Ladybug was ordering a different bell-sleeved dress inspired by Arwen however, and encouraged me to get this so we could each have a dress inspired by our current favorite movie series. It’s such a beautiful dress, I didn’t take much convincing!

For my first wearing of the dress, Bunny chose my accessories, including a floral crown and necklace (which is actually hers) from Rare Dirndl, and also a pair of twisted metal hoop earrings that came from her collection. She said they were the perfect accessories for an Elf!

She also added my ankle boots from Lane Bryant:

I love the drama of a bell sleeve!

The attention to detail is outstanding…I love the Evenstar embroidery on the sleeve, and the silver embroidery around the layered neckline.

Honestly, the only thing I would change about this dress is the skirt…I wish it was a few inches longer, and just a bit fuller, but I like the look so much I don’t really even mind that it’s lacking those details!

I hope Her Universe makes more pieces inspired by Arwen, because she has some of the most amazing costuming in Hollywood, even after all these years!

Sartorial Saturday–A Caped Coat

Thanksgiving was almost two months ago, but I’m just now getting around to sharing my one big Black Friday purchase, the Abiona-Juniper caped coat from Miss Candyfloss, which I got for an absolute steal!

I’ve had my eye on this coat since it first came out in the fall/winter Vintage Glamicons collection in 2024, but I just couldn’t afford it. In all honesty, it’s kind of a weird piece for me to fall in love with, because it’s a pencil coat, which doesn’t really go with my full skirts, and it’s double-breasted, which is not a style I normally prefer. But something about it really captured my interest, so I was super excited to be able to buy it for something like 60% off!

It’s hard to accessorize a coat, but I did add an Erstwilder brooch in a boldly contrasting color, a pair of Splendette Duchess Bangles, and a RockLove Jewelry necklace:

I love the almost military-style influence of the jacket, both from the olive green color, and the removable cape, which just screams “dress uniform” to me for some inexplicable reason:

It also has a luxurious faux fur collar and cuffs, plus a matching belt:

And did I mention the cape? I absolutely LOVE a cape!

While it has a slimmer silhouette than my other two Miss Candyfloss coats, it still has a nice, below-the-knee length:

I love a sale, and I’m really glad I had the opportunity to grab this coat before it sold out in my size!

Sartorial Saturday–Perfect Pleats

You’ve already seen the pinstriped Maryam-Lou blouse from Miss Candyfloss…now it’s time to see it paired with the coordinating Emeline-Paz skirt!

It’s a lovely and soft corduroy skirt in a dusty shade of pink:

My number one favorite detail about this skirt is the three sets of purple pleats inserted around the bottom…they give so much movement to an otherwise straight skirt!

I accessorized with a hat from Mein Wunderbarer Hutsalon, an Erstwilder brooch, a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles, and my newest necklace from RockLove Jewelry…I love how vibrant the color of the stone is!

This look was inspired in part by Maleficent…not the animated character, or the one portrayed by Angelina Jolie in the eponymous movie, but rather the Queen of Darkness played by Kristin Bauer van Straten in Once Upon a Time. I loved her 40s-inspired style when she was in Storybrooke, and everything about this look, from the hat to the skirt (and especially the “Maleficent Malicious” necklace, which is inspired by that original Disney villain), felt like something she would wear!

I added my wine-colored ankle boots from Lane Bryant, which I think added just the right pop of color to finish off the look:

I love finding outfit inspiration from unexpected places!

Sartorial Saturday–Dressed to InVEST

You’ve seen both the Cloe-Minty dress and the Terentia-Paz vest from Miss Candyfloss individually…now it’s time to take a look at how they go together!

If I hadn’t ordered these two pieces together, I’m not sure it would have occurred to me to pair them…I don’t think I’ve ever worn a vest over a dress before. But seeing them side-by-side right out of the package made me notice how well they looked together!

I accessorized with my original hat, gloves, a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles, and a vintage brooch from the antique store:

Here’s a closer look at the brooch…it’s absolutely splendid!

I love the pop of color the vest brings to the dress, and also that it brings out the subtle mint green stripe that can be overlooked if you’re not paying attention!

Any excuse to add a Miss Candyfloss peplum to an outfit!

This was a really fun way to play around with pieces in my wardrobe!

Sartorial Saturday–The Top Five Fashions of 2025

Time for one more look back at 2025…this time, my five favorite outfits I put together throughout the year.

First up is a look from April featuring a coordinating Miss Candyfloss dress and blazer, plus some pink accessories including a smart boater hat:

Next is a playsuit and overskirt from Her Universe that I wore on my birthday:

Here’s a surprisingly casual look, featuring a top and skort from Popflex…I love this color palette!

This might be my favorite Rare Dirndl combination from the year…I paired a velvet apron with “Die Heimat” dirndl, which has a suede bodice. I love all the textures and rich colors in this look!

And finally, another pretty different look for me, featuring a sweater from Lane Bryant I’ve had for YEARS and a new denim tulip-hem maxi skirt from the same store. I also added an Erstwilder neck scarf (that matches my Spiffy the Sausage Dog brooch) as a belt:

I love that these five favorite looks quite unintentionally showcase the five basic styles in my wardrobe. The Miss Candyfloss outfit is obviously my favorite retro style, the Her Universe set covers my love of Disney Style (and also crosses over with the retro, which Disney styles almost always do for me), the Popflex look is my standard athleisure style for playing tennis and going for walks, the Rare Dirndl pairing shows my love of national dress, and the casual Lane Bryant look is a little modern and little 90s throwback.

Coming up with new ways to style my favorite pieces in my wardrobe continues to be one of my favorite hobbies, and I’m already working on some new ideas for the new year!

Festive Fashion and a Fashionable Gift

It’s already time for a look back at this year’s festive fashions for Christmas Eve and Day!

My Christmas Eve outfit is often the same…a red, white, and green dress with a velvet bodice and full skirt with a harlequin print. It’s probably the most festive pieces in my wardrobe! I added my standard Christmas Eve accessories including a sparkly brooch and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles.

After church I changed into a Miss Candyfloss dressing gown:

For Christmas Day I wore a dirndl with my newest Rare Dirndl apron and a Miss Candyfloss Clarisse-Gia blouse, plus a different stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles, an Erstwilder brooch worn as a necklace, and my sparkly brooch (again):

I changed into a different Miss Candyfloss gown when we got home:

And then I had to change up my accessories, too, because I received a gorgeous RockLove Jewelry necklace for Christmas, and I couldn’t wait to wear it!

I love that I have sartorial traditions to look forward to every Christmas!

Sartorial Saturday–Suits Me

You’ve seen the Miss Candyfloss Terentia-Paz vest, Arien-Minty bishop-sleeve blouse, and Lucile-Paz trumpet skirt separately…now I’m putting all three pieces together for a great suit look!

I added a pair of ankle boots from Lane Bryant in a slightly darker shade than the suit separates:

I love a Miss Candyfloss peplum!

I accessorized with a fascinator that’s perfect with the blouse, a vintage brooch, a RockLove Jewelry necklace, and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles:

I love a vest/skirt suit! I think it’s a lot more fun than a jacket/skirt combo, because you can get a better look at the blouse paired with it.

I was initially unsure of trying out a trumpet skirt, or a vest for that matter, because they’re pretty different from what I usually wear, but they’ve become some of my favorite pieces!

Sartorial Saturday–The Pluto Skirt (And Letter Sweater!)

You’ve heard of that famous 50s wardrobe staple, the poodle skirt…today I’m taking a look at a PLUTO skirt!

Yes, that’s Pluto as in Mickey Mouse’s pet. When I saw this adorable skirt and sweater set by Her Universe celebrating Pluto’s 95th anniversary on the Disney Store’s website, I knew it would make all of my vintage dreams come true, because it was a rented poodle skirt way back in the 5th grade that made me fall in love with retro styles in the first place!

The combination of collared cardigan and full skirt (complete with Pluto on the iconic twisted leash) are exactly what you would expect from the recognizable style, and I added my Dr. Martens Mary Janes to complete the look:

I went with classic accessories, including pearl bow earrings and some Splendette Duchess Bangles in red and white. No need for a brooch since the letter on the sweater is in just the right place!

The sweater has lovely pearlized buttons and a pretty ric rac trim on the collar:

Here’s a closer look at the lovely details:

I feel like I just stepped out of a 1950s movie!

This is such a fun outfit, and I have another look planned for the skirt with a different sweater, too!

Sartorial Saturday–Winter Florals

Getting a new Christmas apron from Rare Dirndl has become one of my favorite holiday traditions, and this year is no exception! The winter floral apron was made in very limited quantities, and I almost missed out on it…I’m so glad there a small second run, because this is one gorgeous apron!

To really lean into the Christmas theme, I paired it with my red Everyday Dirndl:

Here’s a closer look at the beautiful embroidery. There are so many beautiful colors in the flowers, and even though it’s called a “winter” floral apron, I know I’ll be wearing it all year!

I accessorized with a flower crown and a pair of necklaces from Rare Dirndl, plus an Erstwilder brooch (and a bonus mini brooch worn as a zipper pull!), a pair of Splendette Duchess Bangles, and sparkly hoop earrings from Lane Bryant in red, green, and white:

Instead of a dirndl blouse, I styled it with the green Clarisse-Gia blouse from Miss Candyfloss, which is the perfect Christmasy addition to the look!

It doesn’t get much more festive than this!

I’m already thinking of how I might style this apron slightly differently for Christmas Day!

Sartorial Saturday–A 40s Blouse and 90s Jeans

Today I’m taking a look at a different outfit combination…a 1940s-style pinstripe blouse and 1990s-fashion wide-leg jeans!

The Maryam-Lou blouse from Miss Candyfloss is actually a very natural match for my favorite wide leg jeans from Lane Bryant. The 1940s were known for ultra wide legs, as well, so the silhouettes of these two pieces are perfect for each other!

I went with somewhat dramatic accessories, including a sparkly pair of earrings, Splendette beads and Duchess Bangles, and a mirrored Erstwilder brooch:

I also added wine-colored ankle boots for an extra pop of color that is perfect with the blouse!

This is a fun way to wear my clothes in a slightly different style!