Vintage Vardrobe Vednesday

See what I did there?

Maybe one day I'll give a blog tutorial on how to be perfectly witty on a regular basis. Until then, you should just try to smirk nonchalantly when you recognize my exercise of such skill(z). (See that! I just did it again! Ha.)

Where was I? Ah, right... a good vintage.

Let me tell you a bit about my good friend Blair.

Blair is a Southern belle, through and through. She has a husband, a dog, and an open door policy to friends and family looking for dinner, a glass of wine, a place to crash, or really anything else she can offer. Southern hospitality? She haz it.

She was born and raised in this here small town, and that fact is ridiculously obvious any time she is in public. ANY TIME. She will see someone she knows every single time I'm with her. This gives her a sort of local celebrity feel. She knows our waiter. She gets called out in checkout lines. We were kayaking (OUT OF TOWN), probably saw a total of 10 people other than ourselves, and she knew three of them.

She was proposed to about 8 times by 8 different people before she gave in to the right guy. And though 8 proposals surprised me, they don't anymore. She's quite the catch. Anyway... What's so vintage about Blair?

Her dress-up clothes. That's right. Doing some moving, reshuffling, reorganizing, Blair rediscovered the dress-up clothes that she'd been given by grandmothers and great grandmothers and great great great (I'm being serious... check Blair's comment on this post!) grandmothers to play with.

Luckily for me, this discovery was made while I was sitting on her couch. She unzipped a garment bag of goodness and my eyes got huge. She flipped through each of the dresses, showing me the different fancy bits, and telling me about the woman who wore them or what she used to pretend to be when she had them on. And, for a minute, I just stood and looked at them. In my head, I was wondering if I grabbed them up and ran if she'd be able to catch me before I got to my car. But I was also thinking, maybe these are the kind of vintage dress that people appreciate but don't actually wear anymore. Turns out both thoughts were silly (should have known) because when I timidly said, "Can I try one on?" Blair said, "Of course you can! Why do you think I pulled them all out?!"

So... between teacher training workshops, on a Tuesday, I played dress up at the age of 25.


The first one I grabbed was the most beautiful, in my opinion. I don't know what it is about me and a shiny blue dress, but I just can't help myself. When Blair pulled this one out, I wanted to die. She told me her grandmother felt very edgy in this number because of that flesh toned panel, and you know, I can see that.

I myself felt edgy for a number of reasons. First, it's not often that I wear something that fits so... glove-ish. Second, the corseting effect of that panel is a-ma-zing. And third, butt bows. Need I say more?

There were other dresses in the bag. One was a very pale pink, embroidered number that put young Blair in a very Alice in Wonderland place. That one did a similar here-is-my-waist-at-the-closest-it-will-ever-be-to-Scarlet-O'Hara's thing but the length was all wrong and my black bra was too.

There was a red number that was just not having any of my measurements, and there was a mink stole that... well... I don't know why we didn't get a picture of that stole. But I do have one last look to share. This... believe it or not... is a bathing suit.

(That dark circle below the armpit is a patch... not a sweat stain. Sorry... just couldn't let that go out into the interwebs without mentioning it.)

Blair and I don't know what decade this one comes from, but it was her great grandmother's great great great grandmother's bathing suit. Her great grandmother great great great grandmother wore it on the beach, her grandmother great grandmother wore it as a costume, and I would wear it as a dress. And a darn cute one at that! I would probably forego the bloomer like pants that accompany it, but those sadly aren't around anymore anyway.

While I was trying on each of these dresses, my first reaction in each of them was to laugh at myself. It cracked me up to put on such legit dresses that Blair used to play in as a kid. Well... for one thing... I was surprised that I could pour myself into them. For another, these dresses are so classily pretty. Even the bathing suit.

So... now I'm sitting on my bed, eyeing my dresses and wondering if 70 or 80 years down the road anyone will even look twice at my ratty old dresses. I don't even know if my T.J.Maxx filled wardrobe will last 50 years honestly.

What has happened to our clothes?! Where have all the flowers gone?!?

(Too much?)

Week of Wardrobe: Inspiration Strikes!

Last week I found a new-to-me blog that soaked up a full two hours of my Monday. Was it worth it? Absolutely. That amazingly inspirational blog is Skinny's FitforaFemme. Skinny's wardrobe is perfect. It's inventive, chic, retro, and saucy, all at the same time. The same could be said for the blog layout itself too. I'm beyond jealous.

So while I looked through the archives on Monday, I decided that I needed a bit more style in my life. Now, if I tried to go from zero to Skinny in no time flat, I'm pretty sure I'd pull something. I mean, come on, the girl wore this outfit on moving day. But... I did my best. I pulled the skirts and dresses to the front of the closet and dusted off the heels. I also embraced the jewelry I usually eschew.

Monday

In all honesty, this outfit was put together after my workday for Happy Hour with the girls. But... this was my first attempt at a FitforaFemme inspired look. And Alicia told me I looked "very pin-up." Alll-riiiight.

Tuesday

On Monday, while looking through the blog, I promised a friend that I would wear a skirt the next day, come hell or high water. Well, wouldn't you believe it, we had torrential downpours all. damn. day. But... a promise is a promise! So I took my car to the shop in the pouring rain in a light pink denim skirt and paisley rainboots.

Wednesday

Nothing says, "I got this" like a DIY obi belt. Nothing says, "Don't mind me" like a Biology teacher necklace and a Joseph Smith approved shrug. Combining these stuffs for final exams just seemed like the right thing to do.

Thursday

I felt very hip and femme in this multi-patterned, multicolored look. And it's a good thing... because I completely lost all color on...

Friday

Blair picked out this cheetah patterned, Mad Men inspired, Calvin Klein number for me. I added the bow flats and bold bracelet to pull together the Flintstones feel. What do you think, Kate? Is a Starbucks cup still the perfect accessory?

(Friday continued...)

One of my students broke bad on Friday. And it was absolutely hot as blazes in GA. I got home around 5pm, exhausted and aggravated as hell. But... I have a feeling that one last accessory can improve both the outfit and the outlook...


Ahhh, yes. Much better. No offense, Kate, but I think this jewel encrusted flask of scotch is better than any Starbucks cup I've ever seen. This girl is now ready for the rounds: Happy Hour, a birthday party, and a graduation party. (You've seen the birthday cake. Keep an eye out for the graduation one!)

Saturday

See what I mean about the color waving goodbye on Thursday? I didn't realize it until I was putting this post together, but boy was the end of my week a drag. I'd like to defend myself by pointing out that Friday's shirt has a silk bow collar that you can't see in the poor lighting, but you and I both know I wore the same jeans both days. Stuff happens.

To buck up a bit, I took the clippers to my hair Saturday morning. But... I bet you can't even tell. Most every day this week I ended up pinning my bangs back or under so they wouldn't be driving me crazy, so the visible change is more subtle than the piles of hair on my bathroom floor would suggest.

So... some conclusions on my FitforaFemme inspired Week of Wardrobe:

+ Purposefully dressing like a girly girl is hard work.
+ I need more clothes. And shoes. And jewelry. And eye makeup.
+ Dresses are the GA girl's best friend. A friend let me in on this conclusion, actually, but I plan to run with it.
+ My kitchen posing leaves A LOT to be desired. A. Lot.

Annd... if you missed them, here are my previous Week of Wardrobe posts, complete with links to my sister's WoW posts.

Wardrobe Wednesday: Saddle Shoes

**Note: Week of Wardrobe will be posted the first Wednesday of the month. All other Wednesdays, I'll post something related to my wardrobe (because I just love writing about myself, let's be honest).**

This past week, a new pair of shoes arrived at my door. For the moment at least, they complete me. So, I wrote a poem for my new loves. And not just any type of poem... a sestina: six sestets and a tercet, all ending with the same six words in a different order each time.

Make sense? Of course not. Just enjoy...

Perfect Pairing: A Sestina on Saddle Shoes

Some uneducated types might call them “shoes”
But to me this pair is a whole lot closer to love.
If you’ll allow me a minute to explain in fierce
Detail, I’ll try to make it not feel like school.
The non-slip soles are rubber but the sides are black.
The white toe and laces are truly things of beauty.

And sure, fine, I get that when it comes to beauty
Everything is up to the beholder, but when shoes
Are the beholden, then things are a bit more black
And white. (The same cannot be said for our friend love
Who comes in more colors than an elementary school
Coloring page that can only be described as fierce.)

But back to my new footwear. What makes them so fierce
Is their crazy attempt to redefine what counts as beauty.
Many people would pair these babies with a school
Uniform or perhaps even relegate these classic shoes
To a poodle skirted Halloween costume. Luckily, I love
Wearing things others wouldn’t. And they’re black.

If there is any color with which one can risk, it’s black.
Show me a way to wear this color and look fierce
Instead of uninspired or drab and I'll be in love.
This slimming shade gets a bad rap when it comes to beauty
Because it’s considered safe, I guess. But my shoes
Are not at all safe. They’re actually too cool for school.

“Wait a minute,” you say, “don’t you wear them to school?”
Yes! I do! And with pride. Because these little black
and white diddies are so much more than a pair of shoes.
I put these things on in the morning and I feel fierce
Immediately. I know that my day will bring freedom, beauty,
truth, and (sing it if you know it, my bohemians!) love.

The best part is, I really do believe in a thing called love.
And though I don’t believe they teach it to you in school,
I do think it’s something you have to learn. The beauty
of this whole thing is that though at times it seems black
bleak, you can find l.o.v.e. hidden in an especially fierce
especially epic, non-slip, non-marking soled pair of shoes.

Exhibit A: While neither beauty nor really even love
was my topic, saddle shoes ended up playing school
with my cold, black heart. So. Ridiculously. Fierce.