fashion

Sartorial Saturday–Courtesy of Miss Candyfloss

Back in October, I entered a Miss Candyfloss giveaway on Instagram. I enter a lot of those giveaways, though, so I didn’t think any more about it. You can imagine my surprise and excitement when, on Moose’s birthday, they notified me that I was the winner of the Morie-Abalone dress, plus a hat from Mein Wunderbarer Hutsalon!

This was extra exciting for me because I had originally considered buying this dress, but when I narrowed my wishlist down, it got cut. I can’t believe it’s mine after all!

Here’s a closer look at the lovely wool felt hat…I’m ecstatic that I now own a hat from an actual hat shop!!!

In addition to the hat, I accessorized with an Erstwilder brooch and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles:

The bodice of the dress is fully lined, which is nice because wool can be kind of scratchy.

Here’s a closer look at the lovely cuff detail on the sleeve:

Between the warm fabric and the full-length sleeves, this is the perfect dress for late autumn/winter!

I’m beyond thrilled that I won something that I wanted to add to my wardrobe in the first place!

Sartorial Saturday…on a Friday–A Match Made in Accessories Heaven

It’s the day after Thanksgiving, which means it’s now socially acceptable to get my Christmas apparel and accessories out of my wardrobe! To kick things off, let’s take a look at a new accessory I added to my collection this year…a Daisy Duck “Deck the Halls” bag charm from Baublebar!

I love Daisy in her sparkly Christmas sweater all tangled up in colorful Christmas lights, and I love how well she goes with my equally sparkly red and green sequin Loungefly “‘Tis the Season” Christmas mini backpack I got last year. It’s a glittery match made in accessories heaven!

Sartorial Saturday–Revisiting the 90s

I don’t always wear retro clothes…sometimes I want to go more casual. And when I do, I often look like it’s still the 90s (so still retro, I guess, and now I feel old)! I have always loved super wide-leg jeans, and I’m really excited that they’re “in” again (this pair is from Lane Bryant, and they’re perfect)! I know, I know…they say if you wore a trend the first time around, you shouldn’t repeat it, but I am (obviously) not one to care about fashion rules!

Just because I go more casual from time to time doesn’t mean I don’t accessorize when I do. And what says 90s more than a bucket hat? I also added a stack of Homes Bracelets (that represent where I was in the 90s), and a RockLove Jewelry necklace from one of my favorite childhood Disney movies…The Little Mermaid.

I added a Disney tank and hoodie to complete the look…I love the color combination!

And my iridescent Docs:

I think I’ve captured the 90s in a pretty fresh way!

Maybe I’ll feature another casual look in the future!

Sartorial Saturday–The Double Collar Dress

Time to take a look at a dress in a rather unexpected color for autumn…the lovely Xanthe-Mai double collar swing dress in shades of wine and pink:

This dress looks very similar in style to the Minerva-Lee double collared blazer and the Cressida-Lee swing skirt, with the added bonus of being a single, easy-to-wear piece!

The Xanthe-Mai, like the Minerva-Lee blazer, has an absolutely stunning double collar in contrasting shades that I love:

The contrasting colors also appear on other bodice details, including the buttons, as well as the included belt:

I accessorized with a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles, an Erstwilder brooch, and the very first hat I added to my wardrobe many years ago:

I also added my black lace gloves and a statement ring:

I love that this looks like a skirt suit!

Miss Candyfloss does peplums exceedingly well, whether on a jacket, or on a dress that looks like a jacket and skirt:

This is bright and cheerful look for fall!

I recently won a Miss Candyfloss Instagram giveaway, and I can’t wait to share that look, too!

Sartorial Saturday–Lace Dirndl Blouses

I’ve been wearing dirndls long enough now to know what I really like in a look. While I do have a few other true dirndl blouses, and a few tops beyond those that also work well with a dirndl, I’ve come to realize that my favorite type of blouse to wear is the always-elegant lace dirndl blouse! I’ve built up a good collection of them in my wardrobe, so I have options for different occasions/events/weather.

My first lace dirndl blouse (and still one of my favorites) is a lovely, elbow-length, v-neck style in white:

I love white, but sometimes, it’s a bit too stark (for example, with the harlequin dirndl pictured here, which has a background that is definitely not white), so I was really excited when I was able to add an ivory blouse to my closet:

I know lace isn’t a warm fabric to begin with, but sometimes in chilly weather, you want something that provides a bit more coverage, even in sheer lace, and this three-quarter sleeve blouse in white is perfect for that. It also has a crewneck, which is very different from anything else I have, and also adds a bit extra coverage:

I also have a three quarter-sleeve blouse in black, and not only does it have longer-length sleeves than some of my blouses, it also has some added sparkle:

Finally and most recently, I added a true short-sleeve, v-neck blouse in white, which is great for summer:

White is the most popular color choice in my wardrobe which makes sense because it goes with everything and is easy to wear in bright sun or on hot days. I love that even though I have three blouses in that shade, they’re all different, from three different sleeve lengths to different patterns of lace and even a special overlay on one. I also love that for the times I don’t feel like wearing white, I have some other good options, too. Thanks to the fact that Rare Dirndl imports beautiful blouses in a wide variety of styles, and more importantly, sizes, I wouldn’t be surprised if I added something else to my closet eventually!

Sartorial Saturday…On a Tuesday–Halloween Inspiration from a Dirndl

I thought it would be fun to build a Halloween look around a dirndl, so I decided to use my purple dirndl to create an Evil Queen costume!

I left off the apron since I don’t have a solid purple one to match the dress. I added a red ribbon lacing to echo the red belt on the Evil Queen’s dress. I also wore a black cape, which I secured with (what else) a mirror brooch from Erstwilder. And the Evil Queen wouldn’t be complete without a poison apple…luckily, we just happen to have a Lego poison apple in the school room!

I thought this was a really fun way to style a dirndl! Next year, maybe I’ll use this dirndl to dress as Jack, the Czar of Halloween!

Sartorial Saturday–Falling for Gingko

Today I’m taking a look at a Miss Candyfloss dress that’s very different from my usual style…the Kelly-Tara stretch dress in shades of blue with a stunning gingko leaf print!

I had to wear my Erstwilder gingko leaves brooch (of course!), and that set the tone for the rest of my accessories, including a stack of Splendette duchess bangles and a green belt that I really wish I had just left off because it kept slipping…live and learn!

My plan was to photograph this dress by my favorite gingko tree in town once its leaves turned that beautiful, buttery, gingko yellow and started carpeting the ground. But I’m not sure it’s going to happen this year (they’re predicting sparse fall color and the leaves aren’t looking so good), so I just went ahead and took the pictures while the leaves were still green. It’s the thought that counts, right?

As I mentioned, this dress is very different for me. It’s soft and stretchy, with no zippers or buttons at all. The skirt is also a bit more narrow than my usual twirly styles. But it’s lovely and easy to wear…kind of like a sundress for the cooler months!

I love how soft the material is!

This is going to be a dress that’s going to get a lot of wear!

I’m glad I tried something different…it’s fun to add a new style to my rotation!

My Authentic Self

A few weeks ago, I shared a behind-the-scenes look at my exciting day filming a news story with KSDK’s Rene Knott…now here’s a look at the actual news story that aired on Today in St. Louis this morning!

And just for fun, I even took a picture of the TV this morning, with my face right there on the screen!

It was such an honor to be featured on the news!

Sartorial Saturday–Everyday Red

I already shared how I styled my newest Everyday Dirndl from Rare Dirndl in honor of the Austrian flag…now it’s time to take a look at the Everyday Dirndl as it was designed, with its matching red apron.

I kept my accessories fairly simple…a black edelweiss bracelet, a red and white necklace, and an edelweiss hair clip:

I also added a new accessory for the first time. I’ve been looking at adding a charivari chain to my wardrobe for a while, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I could have had a chain lace-up sewn onto the Everyday Dirndl for an added fee (that’s another one of the personalizations Rare Dirndl offers like the “Surprise Me” apron), but I decided that with a charivari I would have more options, because I can wear it with my other dirndls. I love the charms on it, and it adds such a nice touch to the bodice of the dress!

I decided to wear my black lace blouse this time…black and red together is such a classic look. I almost wish I had a black petticoat to were instead of the grey one I usually wear!

I just can’t resist frolicking like I’m in the Sound of Music in a dirndl!

The Everyday Dirndl is such a great choice because there are so many different things you can do with it!

I still have quite a few other ideas for styling this dirndl, but the one I’m most excited about is wearing it for Christmas with the newest apron I ordered…stay tuned!