flower crown

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–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–Disney Bounding Rapunzel

I still haven’t done a lot of Disney Bounds, but I’m especially proud of this one I created for the Disney Princess who has the style I most admire…Rapunzel, and just in time for Halloween, too!

I used my purple dirndl dress from Rare Dirndl as the base of the look, and added a beautiful pink embroidered rosette apron and pink lacing ribbon, and a purple vacation blouse from Vixen by Micheline Pitt.

I accessorized with a flower crown and floral necklace (of course!), and a pair of Splendette glitter bangles in Rapunzel’s signature colors of pink and purple:

And I added a Loungefly crossbody bag themed for Tangled to complete the look:

I love that I was able to find so many floral elements for this Disney Bound!

I might not have Rapunzel’s hair, but I think I captured the spirit of her style!

Sartorial Saturday–A Breezy Floral Dress for Spring

Time for a look at my most-anticipated purchase from the Miss Candyfloss Chérie Bardot collection, the light and breezy Audrey-Naia dress!

You may have realized by now that this style, which has a lovely pleated bustline and row of buttons all the way down the front, is my very favorite Miss Candyfloss style…it is so easy to wear!

I accessorized with a flower crown from Rare Dirndl, an Erstwilder brooch, and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles:

This dress is exceptionally lightweight (to the point it is a bit sheer, necessitating either a petticoat, or, for summer, a pair of short underneath, with the skirt of the dress unbuttoned from the waist).

It does run a bit big…I almost wish I had sized down for a firmer fit.

The dress has a lovely twirl!

I love the beautiful floral print and soft colors…I’m looking forward to wearing it all summer long!

Sartorial Saturday–Falling for Frühling

It might be autumn, but I am absolutely falling in love with the Frühling dirndl from Rare Dirndl!

I’m actually a little late to the party with this one. Rare Dirndl released a new collection celebrating the four seasons, Jahreszeiten, earlier this year. The four-piece collection ranges from a summery mini dirndl to a longer-length dirndl for autumn as well as a glittery green for winter. The dirndl that caught my eye, however, was the one inspired by spring. The dress is a lovely shade of grey, with a small print on the bodice and a solid skirt. The apron included with the dirndl upon release was a pretty coral, grey, and white floral print, but what really convinced me that I needed to add this dirndl to my wardrobe was the lilac, mint, and white apron that was added as an option when the other fabric sold out. The coral was beautiful, but this is absolutely stunning!

I went with my standard accessories…edelweiss earrings, necklace, and wrap bracelet with a pop of color, plus a floral crown in keeping with the spring theme:

Speaking of accessories, the dirndl came with a lovely edelweiss zipper pull:

The cool grey of the dirndl is so beautiful with the lilac and mint of the apron, but it’s also a nice neutral backdrop that will look fantastic with many of my aprons!

I have gotten so much use out of this lederhosen handbag this Oktoberfest season!

My Docs plus my grey dirndl socks were great accompaniments to this look:

It might be fall, but it was a warm day when I wore the dirndl, and the lightweight fabric was very much appreciated!

Here’s a closer look at the stunning apron…I especially love the tiny print on the tie! And of course the dress has pockets!

I had a lot of fun wearing it for the first time to Oktoberfest in Soulard, St. Louis, MO!

The regal high collar neckline is a little different from my other dirndls, and I really love the fit.

I’m already looking forward to seeing what kind of collection Rare Dirndl might introduce next year!

Sartorial Saturday–Fusion Fashion

The Fourth of July is quickly approaching, and I have an outfit that reflects the red, white, & blue of America while honoring my Austrian heritage!

I paired a white lace dirndl blouse, the dress from “Die Heimat” dirndl with red lacings, and the solid red apron from my Everyday Dirndl for this look:

I added lots of red accessories, including an edelweiss bracelet, a beaded necklace, and a floral crown:

Here’ s a closer look at the lacing and the pretzel zipper charm, which is something that appeals to all cultures!

I think it’s the perfect fashion for the Fourth!

How do you mix your cultural heritage with your present-day life?

Sartorial Saturday–The 2024 Charity Apron

Following the lemon apron of 2022 and the sunflower apron of 2023, Rare Dirndl is back with another charity apron…this time, they’re supporting the Clean Air Task Force, whose mission is “to achieve a zero-emissions, high-energy planet at an affordable cost.” In keeping with the earthy theme, the print on the apron features mushrooms, flowers, and foliage in natural colors, with grey denim ties.

I accessorized with a floral crown, my stag statement necklace, and an edelweiss wrap bracelet and clip, which I wore as a brooch:

I felt like my Herbology dirndl and Birkenstocks were the perfect folksy pieces for this look!

This was the outfit I chose for Maifest at Grant’s Farm…I got tons of compliments (and was also mistaken for one of the dancers!)!

Here’s a closer look at the print and lovely bow:

I love that Rare Dirndl supports charities, and also that I get introduced to new charities I hadn’t heard of before!

I’m already looking forward to seeing who they’ll support next year!

Sartorial Saturday–Inspired by Austria

I have shared quite a few looks featuring dirndls, aprons, and blouses (not to mention accessories!) from Rare Dirndl, but my new red Everyday Dirndl is extra special, because my inspiration for styling it came from the red and white Austrian flag, the flag of my grandfather’s birth country!

My accessories are also inspired by Austria, with a red flower crown, a pair of Rare Dirndl necklaces (one an edelweiss, and one inspired by the Austrian flag itself!), an edelweiss clip in place of a brooch, and a red edelweiss wrap bracelet. I’m also wearing edelweiss earrings, but you can’t really see them.

The Everyday Dirndl comes with an apron in the same color and fabric as the dress, but you have an option of adding a “Surprise Me” apron to your order, and Erika will choose something from her stock that she thinks will look great with your dirndl. This was my first experience with this apron, and I asked her if she’d be willing to find me something special in white to complete my Austrian flag-inspired look, and she obliged. I couldn’t have designed something more perfect myself!

The “Surprise Me” apron is so lovely…it has gorgeous flowers embroidered on it, lots of sparkle, and a tie that is red on one side and white on the other.

I feel like I could go frolicking in the Alps in this outfit!

I added a new white lace dirndl blouse to my wardrobe, as well. It has an absolutely gorgeous neckline!

This whole look is everything I dreamed it would be, and I like to thank my grandfather would be happy to see me in it!

I continue to be impressed with the quality of Rare Dirndl’s products, their fabulous customer service, and the way they help me honor my heritage in a fresh, modern, unique way!

Sartorial Saturday…On a Sunday–A New Apron for Easter

I had such a fun time wearing “Heiligen Tracht” for Easter last year, I decided to do it again! I knew I wanted to wear my “Everyday Dirndl” from Rare Dirndl, because it’s such a beautiful shade of blue for spring, and when I saw that Rare Dirndl started offering their Embroidered Rosette Apron in a new medium length in addition to the mini version they already sold, I knew that I had to pair the magenta apron with the dirndl!

It’s an amazingly vibrant color, especially with the blue shining through, and the embroidery makes it feel extra fancy:

I feel like a beautifully colored Easter egg!

Of course I had to wear my flower crown again:

In addition to my standard edelweiss accessories (I even borrowed Bunny’s pink wrap bracelet), I also added an Erstwilder Pysanky egg brooch…I think it’s the first time I’ve worn a brooch with a dirndl, and it’s perfect both for the holiday and for my color scheme!

I’m so happy with how the whole look turned out!

I’m already planning on the next way I’m going to wear this apron…luckily, it will go well with two of my other dirndls!

Sartorial Saturday…On a Sunday–Festive Fashion in the Deep Freeze

Merry Christmas!

Time for a look at this year’s festive fashion, heavily influenced by the Arctic weather we’ve been having. The chill made warm clothing a must on Christmas Eve, so I added a cape and beret (and red tights), to my usual Christmas dress. I also added a Christmas Splendette stack, my favorite sparkly Christmas brooch, and equally sparkly silver shoes.

Even at home, I had to dress with the cold in mind, so I threw a cardigan on over my Miss Candyfloss dressing gown:

The faux fur collar on my cape is removable, so I changed up its look on Christmas Day. This time I wore a Rare Dirndl and my new Christmas apron, plus a flower crown that arrived just in time for Christmas. I accessorized with edelweiss, a brand-new Homes bracelet, and some Erstwilder brooches:

I kind of enjoyed having truly cold weather for Christmas, especially since it allowed me to dress a little differently this year!