Her Universe

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–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!

2025 in Outfits

Over 300 unique outfits later, 2025 is coming to a close!

I really enjoy this outfit of the day photography project, because it forces me to think through my outfit choices. I have so much fun styling my favorite pieces new ways (the most drastic restyling of the year came when I cut the bodice off of a dress to turn it into a skirt!), and adding some new pieces to my wardrobe along the way. And now I’m left to consider what my first outfit of 2026 will be, because I want to start the new year strong, sartorially speaking!

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–Tiki Time

Today I’m taking a look at one of my very favorite styles for summer…a romper with an overskirt, in a fun Finding Nemo tiki print from Her Universe!

I love a skirt over a romper, (or even shorts under a skirt or dress), but I don’t have very many of that style in my wardrobe. When I saw this set on the Her Universe website, I fell in love. The colors are absolutely beautiful, and the tiki print is so fun for summer! I did have trouble getting the fit right…I ordered a 2X, which is my normal Her Universe size, and it was so tight, I couldn’t even zip it. I returned that in favor of a 3X, which was laughably huge. Since I did get it on sale, I decided to see how much tailoring the romper would cost (I moved the button on the skirt myself), and when I found out it was about the same as the money I had saved on the set in the first place, I decided it was well worth it. I had it back just in time to wear for my birthday last weekend, too!

I love how high-quality the fabric is…it has a great amount of structure and really holds its shape!

I went with bright and bold accessories, including a pair of blue hair flowers, a Hula Lula Tiki Girl brooch from Lipstick and Chrome by Miss Fluff, a Meteor Jewelry Starlite necklace, and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles.

It’s such a gorgeous look with the accompanying skirt!

But the romper is also stunning on its own!

I really love this particular style, because unlike many vintage-inspired rompers, it isn’t excessively short, and I also like that it has straps that cross and hook in the back instead of having a halter tie (although it does make it a little more challenging to put on and take off!).

It’s the perfect tropical look for summer!

Her Universe had a similar set in a different print last summer that I have wished I had gotten…now I’m just hoping that I might have a set like this to look forward to every year, because I would happily add more of them to my wardrobe!

Sartorial Saturday–Tiki Mouse

Summer time is tiki time! I’m really loving all the tiki-themed prints Her Universe has right now, including this adorable retro Minnie Mouse tiki dress!

It’s such a fun print for summer!

I added predominantly red accessories, including Splendette beads and Duchess Bangles, an Erstwilder brooch, and my Disney Store Minnie Mouse hoop earrings:

I love the grey collar and belt on the dress:

In addition to the traditional tiki motifs, the print also has palm trees and Minnie Mouse doing the hula…very tropical!

I love that I can accessorize with a completely different color palette in the future, because anything will go with this beautiful dress!

There’s also a coordinating Mickey Mouse button-down shirt, which has a similar print in grey, plus some pops of color with bold red flowers…it’s perfect for a matching look!

Sartorial Saturday–Fashion for Star Wars Day

Tomorrow is Star Wars Day, and I have just the outfit for it!

When I saw that Her Universe had a beautiful yellow Padmé Floral Filigree Cardigan and Floral Retro Skirt set, inspired by what I think is the most beautiful outfit in all of Star Wars, I knew they would be the perfect addition to my wardrobe. The embroidered details add a touch of elegance to the look, and the retro style is perfect for me!

I accessorized with a bold yellow hair flower and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles. The embroidered Naboo crest means I didn’t even need a brooch for once!

It’s such a bright and cheerful look!

For this styling, I added a peasant top just a few shades lighter than the dimensional flowers on the cardigan and skirt:

I also wore a pair of ankle boots that are a little redder than I would have liked, but still go nicely with the floral details on the outfit:

May the Fourth be with you!

Sartorial Saturday–A Super Plush Cardigan

Today I’m taking a look at something very different for me…a cardigan so plush, it feels like a stuffed animal!

Ryan gave me this beautiful and fun Her Universe Mickey & Friends cardigan for Christmas, and I’ve been wearing it pretty much constantly since. It’s soft and warm and just the right amount of oversized.

I love the patchwork pattern!

And all of the little details, including these darling flower buttons:

And of course my gal Daisy!

The pastel shades are so pretty…just right to brighten up winter!

I love a comfortable cardigan, and when it’s as cute as this one, it’s even more fun to wear!

Sartorial Saturday–A Subtle Tribute to My Favorite Ducks

Tomorrow is Donald Duck’s 90th birthday, and I have just the dress for it!

This sundress is from Her Universe, and with its tiered skirt it’s lovely and flowy for summer, plus it has the cutest print which features Donald’s sailor hat and Daisy’s bow…I love that it references them in a subtle way!

I chose primarily blue and pink accessories to go with the Donald and Daisy theme, including my stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles and Meteor Jewelry Co. Starlite necklace, but I also borrowed a floral Erstwilder brooch in yellow from my youngest daughter to go with the flowers on the dress:

Speaking of accessories, Baublebar released two special bag charms just in time for Donald’s birthday…one of the birthday boy with a balloon and party hat (which I actually didn’t buy), and one of Daisy, complete with sparkly shoes and a cake she baked just for him!

The ties on the shoulders give it an extra summery feel:

And I love how soft the material of the dress is!

Other than the back of the bodice, which is smocked, the dress is fully lined, so you don’t have to worry about the light color being too sheer:

I don’t have a lot of fashion featuring my favorite Disney ducks, so I’m really excited I was able to add this cute dress to my wardrobe!