Last week, I took a look at one of the most popular Mary Blair prints in my wardrobe. Before Mary Blair March comes to an end, I want to take a look at the other pattern that makes multiple appearances…the trains print:
I love that I have this print in different styles (on the Aurora dress, the Jenny skirt, and the Natalie swing dress), and also in different colors. Like the planes, this is also fun to accessorize in different ways for totally different looks!
I’ve shared many Mary Blair outfits featuring pieces from Pinup Girl Clothing over the last few years, but I think this outfit might be the one that catches the “Magic of Mary Blair” the best.
Why?
Well, one of the things Mary Blair was most known for was her bold and unconventional use of color. One of her credits in movies like Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Cinderella, as well as the famous “It’s a Small World” attraction created for the 1964 New York World’s Fair (and later adapted at several Disney parks as a ride), was color styling. Her unusual color pairings were ground-breaking for the time, and she is credited with introducing Walt Disney himself to this unique style, as well as modernist art, and he became one of her greatest champions.
Getting back to this outfit…I think the addition of a bold green shrug to a primarily pink dress really reflects the way Mary Blair liked to play with color. The clouds on the dress are done in a similar shade, and pairing it with more of the same color really makes it pop. I often play it safe with over-pieces, sticking with white, black, and neutral denim when it comes to boleros, shrugs, cardigans, and jackets. But for Mary Blair March, going really bold just seems appropriate!
I also added an additional, more subtle pop of color with a blue necklace and bracelet.
It’s an unmistakably bright outfit, which I really hope pays homage to Mary Blair!
How do you embrace the “Magic of Mary Blair” in your outfits?
I had so much fun participating in Mary Blair March last month! Here is a wrap-up of some (but not nearly all!) of the outfits I wore, with a few favorites from other times thrown in for fun:
Next year, I’m going to choose a specific week in March to celebrate Mary Blair, and promote it. Hopefully, even more admirers of her work will join me then, in wearing lots of fun prints in different styles! And if we’re really lucky, maybe Pinup Girl Clothing will have added to their Mary Blair collection before then…I would love to add more items to my wardrobe!
It’s not news that I’m a big fan of Pinup Girl Clothing’s Magic of Mary Blair Collection, particularly the train prints. The yellow trains Jenny skirt was my first Mary Blair item, and I added the pink trains Aurora dress to my wardrobe earlier this year.
What I hadn’t mentioned yet was the coordinating train brooch from Deer Arrow, an Australian jewelry company:
I love that they made a brooch specifically to match this Mary Blair print. I’ve worn it directly on the dress, and it looks great, although it blends in a bit, but I love how it pops on this white bolero.
Pinup Girl stocks this pink brooch, but if you’re looking for one to match the other Mary Blair train print, you can also order a red version directly from Deer Arrow. I will confess that it’s a bit challenging to pin on just so, because each train car has its own pin back, and trying to get all three just where you want them can be a pain. The final result is worth it, however, and it’s a cheerful addition to an already cheery outfit!
It’s no secret that I love Mary Blair, an artist who created illustrations for Little Golden Books and also worked as an animator for Disney beginning in the 1940s, on films including Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. She even posthumously won the Winsor-McCay award for her contributions to animation, and a Disney Legend award for her contributions to the Disney Company. Pinup Girl Clothing has a collection that was made as part of a collaboration with her estate, and features her whimsical artwork and bold colors. It was thanks to this collection that I first learned about Mary Blair’s work and legacy early in 2015. I have added quite a few of these pieces to my wardrobe, and now I have transportation, animal, and other novelty prints in both skirts and dresses. While not all of my Pinup Girl  outfits feature Mary Blair, well over half of the skirts and dresses I’ve purchased do have her artwork. I don’t have every Mary Blair print Pinup Girl has produced, but I do think it has become a full-blown obsession for me!
When I first saw that Pinup Girl Clothing was going to make a pink version of the Mary Blair trains Jenny skirt that I love, I was really excited. And then I was a little disappointed, because practical person that I am, I realized that I probably couldn’t justify spending money on a skirt that was so similar to one I already owned.
Enter the Aurora dress (complete with pockets!):
I’ve thought about buying this style of dress in a different pattern in the past, but I never felt compelled enough by any specific pattern to go through with it. This pattern (and gorgeous color!), however, was beyond compelling, and it even came out sooner than I was expecting!
Even though I hadn’t worn an Aurora dress in the past, I was familiar with the size chart, so I was a little surprised to see that it had been updated for this print, and I would have to size up. And honestly, I think I would have been fine in my usual, size but I didn’t feel like exchanging it, so I’ll either deal with the spots where’s it’s big (although the belt takes care of most of that), or have it tailored. Even with the size being off, though, I really love this dress. The color is amazing, the print is (of course) fabulous, and I love the neckline. I am a little undecided about the black belt…I think swapping it out with a white belt might make it look a bit better for spring and summer. The black does go well with my favorite heels, though!
As is always the case with Pinup Girl, this is a great addition to my wardrobe!