Mary Blair

Sartorial Saturday–A Colorful Suit Look Inspired by Mary Blair

Today I’m taking a look at an outfit with color styling inspired by the work of Mary Blair!

Every year, when Mary Blair March rolls around, I try to find new ways to combine pieces from my wardrobe based on the color combinations Mary Blair used in her book and movie illustrations. When I was going through my closet, I realized that the pink Terentia-Paz vest and Lucile-Paz trumpet skirt from Miss Candyfloss would make a bold and whimsical pairing with the orange Martane-Brandy blouse.

I accessorized with a boater hat from Vixen by Micheline Pitt, a RockLove Jewelry Alice in Wonderland spinner necklace based on Mary Blair’s illustrations from the animated Disney classic, a vintage brooch, and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles.

It’s so much fun to wear such bold colors together!

I love getting outfit inspiration from unexpected places!

Stay tuned for a few more Mary Blair March themed looks!

Sartorial Saturday–A Fresh Color Styling of a Custom Dirndl for Mary Blair March

Last year, I debuted my custom dirndl from Rare Dirndl just in time for Mary Blair March. This year, I’m wearing it with a lovely blue Vixen by Micheline Pitt Vacation Blouse, inspired by the bold color styling of Mary Blair herself! The dirndl was already bright and cheerful, but this extra pop of color makes it’s especially vibrant!!!

I accessorized with a an Erstwilder brooch worn as a necklace and a glittery stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles, plus butterfly earrings that are perfect with the butterfly print on the skirt of the dress:

I can’t think of a better Mary Blair March look!

I have another idea for a different styling of this dirndl that I’m hoping to wear before the month is over!

Sartorial Saturday–A Shrug Story

One of the oldest and most-worn items in my wardrobe is a shrug I didn’t even buy on its own!

This bright green shrug came with a dress I bought probably 15 years ago. I don’t even have the dress anymore, but I kept the shrug, and I wear it all the time. It’s an especially useful piece during Mary Blair March (which begins tomorrow!), because the shade is perfect for pairing in unexpected ways much like the color styling Mary Blair was famous for. I especially love wearing it with yellow, pink, and other shades of green, but it goes with so many dresses and skirts…I have worn it with just about everything it could feasibly go with, but I’m always on the lookout for new ways to wear it!

Sartorial Saturday–The Custom Dirndl: Part Two

I’m ending the month just like I began it…with a special outfit for Mary Blair March. As promised, here’s a look at the second styling of my Rare Dirndl custom dirndl, featuring the bonus apron I requested!

Like my blue apron, the green version is sheer, which allows the pattern of the skirt to show through. It has an extra-special feature, though…Erika made the ties in two colors instead of just one, so I still have an extra pop of blue!

This time around, I accessorized with blue hair flowers and my complete Meteor Jewelry Co. Starlite set…earrings, bracelet, and necklace, all in the same bright blue:

I added my edelweiss heart zipper pull again, too:

And I wore my new Dr. Martens Mary Janes with my dirndl socks:

As always, I love to twirl!

For this styling, I wore my black lace sparkle dirndl blouse…I like white better with this dress, but it was pretty chilly the day I wore it, and the black has the longest sleeves of all my dirndl blouses.

This is another great look for Mary Blair March!

Eventually I’m hoping to get another blouse (maybe in pale pink?) to add to this look…I love switching out the elements of a dirndl outfit!

Mani Monday

This week I have a very special mani just in time for Mary Blair March and inspired by the colors of my new Rare Dirndl custom dirndl! I started with a base of silvery Holo Taco “Circuit Breaker” and then did designs in the bright yellow “Hi-Def,” electric blue “Be Kind Rewind,” soft pink “Blush Monday,” and a custom green made by mixing “Wicked Potion” with a drop of “Hi-Def.”

Sartorial Saturday–The Custom Dirndl: Part One

As promised, here’s a look at my completed Rare Dirndl custom dirndl, and just in time for Mary Blair March!

It looks just like I imagined it would. I love the yellow bodice against the grey background of the Mary Blair butterflies print skirt:

And the sheer blue apron pops beautifully!

You may have noticed this dirndl is slightly shorter than my other dresses…the construction of the original dress was kind of weird, and to even out the skirt, it had to made a bit shorter. With the petticoat underneath, though, it’s really not that noticeable, and I think the fullness of the skirt also creates the illusion of length.

I accessorized with a pair of SUGARFIX by Baublebar butterfly earrings that I got at Target last year (it’s scary how well well they go with this look!), an edelweiss wrap bracelet from Rare Dirndl, and a pair of necklaces inspired by Mary Blair…an “It’s a Small World” style from Crislu, and an Alice in Wonderland spinner from RockLove:

I also added one of my Rare Dirndl zipper pulls:

Keeping the volume from the skirt of the original dress makes it extra good for twirling!

Two of my favorite features of the dirndl are the trim around the neckline…not only did Erika include two different types of pink ribbon, she also added a beautiful ruffle made from the extra fabric from the dress…and the cool buckle on the apron, which is a totally new style for me!

I love how bright and cheerful this look is…it’s perfect for Mary Blair March and the happiness of spring!

I did actually send it back to Rare Dirndl to have it let out a bit because it was fitting pretty snugly in the bodice, but when it’s back, I’ll have another styling of this dirndl featuring the second apron I had made to go with it!

Sartorial Saturday…On a Wednesday–The Custom Dirndl Experience: Part Eight

We have made it to the final step of the Rare Dirndl custom dirndl experience!

On Monday (which just happened to be the 113th anniversary of my Austrian grandfather’s birth!), I opened the custom dirndl shipping box for the last time:

It has been about 11 months since I first inquired about having a custom dirndl made, and almost five months since the kick-off call that really began the process. It was so exciting to see the project come together, and a total thrill to see the finished product!

Since I last saw it (and since the post office tried to lose it!), the final elements were added, including the hooks (a new style for me!), and the lacing. I also got to see the second apron I requested (which has a really cool, new-to-me buckle!), for the first time. No detail was overlooked, including the “Hidden Mickey” I asked Erika to include somewhere on the dress:

Stay tuned for the first of two stylings of my new dirndl on Saturday!

Sartorial Saturday–The Custom Dirndl Experience: Part Seven

It’s been a while since I shared a custom dirndl update!

I received my dress sans apron this week for another fitting. For the most part, the uneven skirt length issues have been sorted out, and I was able to get a feel for how short the skirt actually is. My number one concern was that I wouldn’t be able to wear it with my favorite petticoat, but as you can see here, it works just fine! (It’s a good thing I always let my petticoat show a bit, though!)

The twirl factor is still good, too!

I’ll be sending it back for what I assume will be the final touches…I can’t wait to see how the whole ensemble looks together!

Sartorial Saturday…On a Wednesday–The Custom Dirndl Experience: Part Six

It’s only been a week, but I already have my Rare Dirndl custom dirndl in hand for a fitting, so here’s an early look at how it’s coming along!

It definitely needs some tweaks…the skirt on the dress I’m having it made from wasn’t straight (which wasn’t entirely a surprise to me in retrospect), so that’s going to need to be adjusted, and may end up being shorter than the dirndls I normally wear, so I’ll have to decide if I’m comfortable with that or if I want to add a border to it. The colors Erika picked are gorgeous, and the apron is especially lovely…I wanted something sheer enough to let the butterfly pattern of the dress show through, and she found just what I had in mind!

I’ll be sending it back so she can work on it some more…stay tuned for the next update!

Sartorial Saturday…On a Wednesday–The Custom Dirndl Experience: Part Five

I got a little glimpse at how my custom dirndl from Rare Dirndl is coming together and I’m so excited I wanted to share!