harlequin print

Sartorial Saturday–Colorful Harlequin

Late last winter, Rare Dirndl announced a new collection that they were offering in a new way. The Zirkus collection, which was introduced with five dirndls plus a dirndl vest, was crowdfunded before it was put into a production…like a Kickstarter without the middle man. The full collection was funded fairly quickly, including my favorite piece, the Harlequin!

This beautiful dirndl, which was “inspired by the playful and colorful world of harlequins…is full of energy, fun, and whimsy.” As soon as I saw it, I fell in love, because I had been dreaming of a harlequin print dirndl which would reflect not only my love of German national dress but also vintage patterns. It’s even more beautiful in person than in the sketches, with a bodice featuring shades of green and orange, a lovely copper-colored skirt, and a pretty, sheer apron. It was designed with a mini skirt, but Erika at Rare Dirndl kindly offered to make mine in my regular mid-length, instead!

I accessorized, as I so often do, with lots of edelweiss:

I also added my first-ever Rare Dirndl brooch, which is a fun pin with, you guessed it, more edelweiss and a charm in the perfect shade to go with the dress!

To start, I paired it with a black lace sparkle dirndl blouse…I think the darker color adds a bit of elegance, and is also great for fall (if fall ever gets here!).

It also looks great with an ivory blouse!

This may be my prettiest dirndl yet…it’s definitely the most colorful!!!

I can’t wait to see what Rare Dirndl comes up with next!

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!

Sartorial Saturday…On A Sunday–Fashion for the Fourth

It’s been a while since I shared an Independence Day outfit! I’m really happy with the look I put together today, featuring a red Harley top and blue harlequin circle skirt from Pinup Girl Clothing and a red, white, and blue Splendette duchess bangles stack. The Starlite necklace from Meteor Jewelry and star brooch from Erstwilder are also a perfect fit, and let’s not forget a bright blue mask, because there’s still a pandemic going on. My favorite part of the outfit, however, might just be the red and blue PUG hair flowers I added to my Unique Vintage bonnet.

Happy Fourth of July!

Purple and Yellow

Normally, I save fashion posts for “Sartorial Saturday,” but today I want to take a moment to look at one of my favorite color combinations…purple and yellow (with a little grey thrown in for fun!):

This outfit was inspired by two things…my new purple peasant top from Pinup Girl Clothing, and the “Chasing Fireflies” brooch from Erstwilder. I knew I wanted to pair the top with something today, but I didn’t get the idea to combine it with my yellow house harlequin skirt until I looked at the colors in the brooch. As soon as I did, though, I realized how perfect the skirt would be with the top (and matching belt), and I had just the right accessories to make the outfit look intentional. Isn’t it funny that even though this was already one of my favorite color pairings, it wouldn’t have occurred to me to wear these pieces together until I got a little bit of inspiration from a brooch?

Sartorial Saturday–Festive Fashion in the Time of COVID-19

Even festive fashion in the time of COVID-19 is different! This year, we went to an outdoor Christmas Eve service, and it was pretty cold, so I got to break out my best winter wear to pair with my Pinup Girl Clothing Genevieve holiday harlequin dress…my cape, muff, and a new pair of embellished earmuffs!

Of course I added a Splendette Duchess bangles stack and Old Navy mask in red and green, plus my favorite Christmas tree brooch, to complete the look.

All things considered, this is probably one of the better things to come of COVID-19, because I really enjoyed putting this outfit together and wearing it out!

Sartorial Saturday…On a Sunday–The Third Sunday of Easter

It seems like all we’ve had lately are grey, dismal days, so today, I went with what be the most cheery outfit I own!

I don’t know why this dress photographed so…almost purple, I guess? But even though the photos make the colors look a little weird, it doesn’t change how cheerful it it!

Sartorial Saturday…On a Sunday–Easter Dressing

Here’s a look at this year’s Easter outfit:

I wanted to wear the classic 1950s harlequin print Long Jun skirt I got on sale from Pinup Girl Clothing after Christmas, so I started looking for a new pink top to wear with it. I looked…and I looked…and I looked some more. Pink tops that work with a retro look are apparently hard to come by. I finally found one at Lane Bryant, and I think it goes perfectly, especially with the fluttery sleeves.

Of course accessories are a must. I’ve been wearing the same Easter hat for years, so I got a new headpiece. Yes, it’s technically a fascinator, but it’s big enough that I think it’s hat-like. I added my favorite necklace and brooch, a springy bangle stack from Splendette, and, for the very first time, gloves! I’ve wanted Easter gloves for pretty much my entire life, so I’m very excited about this addition to the outfit!

I have now worn high heels for the first time since I broke my ankle in November, but it wasn’t what I would call a comfortable experience (although, are they ever, really?), so I went with my favorite sandals to finish off the outfit:

I really love how soft and springlike this whole look is!

How do you dress for Easter?

Sartorial Saturday–More Harlequins!

It’s been a while since I took a look at my Pinup Girl Clothing harlequin prints collection, my favorite PUG pieces after Mary Blair. Since my last post about them, I’ve added a few new designs, and styled some of the old ones in new ways. Don’t worry…there’s a few old favorites here, too!

Sartorial Saturday–1950s Harlequin

My favorite type of print from Pinup Girl Clothing, (after their amazing Mary Blair pieces), of course, is a harlequin. I was super excited when the classic 1950s Harlequin Long Jun skirt was part of the New Year’s sale, because I had had my eye on it for quite a while. I have to say, I love it even more in person…the colors are outstanding!

I love having another way to wear my green peasant top, too (although, I have tons of shirts that go with the various colors in the skirt!):

And my pink flower brooch is the perfect finishing touch to the outfit!

This skirt is an early frontrunner for the foundation of a possible Easter outfit…I already have a few ideas how I might style it!

Sartorial Saturday–Magically Made

I’ve had the Celestina Reversible Capelet from Pinup Girl Clothing’s Magically Made collection since September, but between the broken ankle and all of my festive fashions, I haven’t really had a chance to share it…until now!

I love the shape of the cape, even from the back:

It’s easy to accessorize with my Hufflepuff pin from Universal, and my Duchess bangles from Splendette:

The best part is the fact that the caplet is reversible, so it’s really like having two pieces! Even just unbuttoning it gives the outfit a totally different look:

And completely reversing it is even more fantastic!

Just for fun, some pictures with Nymphadora Tonks’ wand..she’s my favorite Hufflepuff!

I’m so glad I was finally able to add a cape to my wardrobe, and one that makes me feel like Minerva McGonagall is even more amazing than I could have dreamed!