Category Archives: STYLE

Tropical Maxi

By maggiebj | Published: August 22, 2013

I got this colorful, tropical maxi skirt for $5 at a consignment store in Asheville. I got a lot of other items, as well, for $5 at that store! I was pretty excited. I think this skirt was originally part of some outdated old-lady suit, but I definitely prefer it without the matching boxy top, haha. The colors are beautiful.

So I thought all the craziness was over after the first week of August, but it seems I have a crazy week ahead of me – traveling, interviews, babysitting, brother visiting, etc. It’s exciting though, so I can’t complain. I’ve had a good long week to relax…and work on some design projects, respond to client emails, start a quilt, read books, etc. Considering I only slept in my bed a total of eight times in the month of July, a week of not having to pack or unpack has been wonderful. The excitement starts back up again tomorrow morning.

Top: secondhand Gap
Skirt: secondhand
Necklace: secondhand
Shoes: secondhand Arizona
Belt: secondhand

Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, fashion, OOTD, secondhand, style, thrift, tropical maxi skirt, WIWT | Leave a comment

Denim and Dots

By maggiebj | Published: August 20, 2013

Wow. I can’t believe it’s been over a month since I last blogged. Life is crazy sometimes, and this summer has certainly been crazy for me! But I’m back, and hopefully now that I’ve gotten back into a semi-regular schedule, I’ll stick to it. Perhaps I’ll elaborate more on what I was so busy doing for the past month in a future post.

The past two weeks here in Virginia have been unseasonably cool. Lower 70′s (˚F) is NOT typical August weather here, but I’m not complaining. I’ve loved it! I took these pictures around 8pm, and I was actually a little chilly. It’s making me anxious for fall! I adore cooler temperatures. Perfect weather for hiking. With my brother living in the mountains of western North Carolina, I’m looking forward to some beautiful autumn hikes.

I bought this romper in St Louis summer ’12, and this is only the second time I’ve worn it. I think I prefer it with the denim jacket. Last time, I was wearing it in the heat of summer, sans jacket, but I feel like the jacket subdues the youthful look of it a bit. Being that people already assume I’m somewhere between the ages of 15 and 19 (4-8 years younger than I actually am), I don’t think a colorful polka-dotted romper works in my favor. And it’s about time this denim jacket gets some love. I’m pretty sure I’ve had it since middle school.

(Side note: check out my hair – it’s getting so long! I’m excited!)

Romper: secondhand French Connection
Jacket: secondhand Gap
Shoes: secondhand Nine West
Necklace: secondhand

Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, denim jacket, fashion, OOTD, romper, secondhand, style, thrift, WIWT | Leave a comment

Summer Outfits Favorites

By maggiebj | Published: July 8, 2013

It’s been a while since I’ve done any sort of round-up or favorites post, so it’s about time. I’ve gone through my outfits so far from this spring and summer and gathered up some of my favorites. Here they are. Keep reading to learn a bit more about why I like each. Click the image to go to the original post.

Row 1:

I love this top. It’s really artsy – reminds me of a painter’s smock with paint smudges all over it. I’ve never worn it with a dress before, but I love it.
This one might be the winner out of the bunch. I love stripes and florals together, and I think these two work great together. I like how summery and tropical the outfit is. I’m also wearing some fun, favorite accessories – my vintage hat, a leather flower bracelet, and sandals with embellishments that match the buttons on my shirt.
My first adventure with a high-low (a.k.a. mullet) skirt. There are lots of fun textures and patterns in this outfit that all somehow manage to work together without looking busy. Also, lime + black and white = amazing.

Row 2:

I’m completely obsessed with maxi dresses right now. I own three, but I want more (shame on me…I’m trying to make room in my closet, not pack it even fuller). I love the bright colors in this one.
This was a “costume” I wore for the Great Gatsby premiere. I worked with clothes I already had and was pretty pleased with the result. It certainly could have been more glitzy and more 20s-esque, but I love that this is an outfit I could still get away with not as a costume.
This was a risky pattern combo. The top is a geometric/aztec-y print and the skirt is abstract/paint strokes. I love the combination of structured prints with loose, artsy ones, and of course I wouldn’t have worn this if I didn’t like how the pieces look together.

Row 3:

I had seen this color combo on other blogs and on Pinterest, so I was super excited when I got this skirt so I could finally try out the combination myself. Orange, mint, and caramel are beautiful together (and an intriguing sounding flavor combination)!
This yet another color combination I like – eggplant, grey, and turquoise. This is one of my favorite skirts, despite the fact that I don’t wear it very often, so any outfit it’s a part of I’ll probably be fond of.
The only outfit in the group that isn’t a skirt or dress! I’m just more comfortable in a skirt/dress, and I have a hard time finding pants that fit me well. I also avoid tunic-length tops because I’m short and they normally just make me look shorter. But I like this pants-and-tunic outfit…miracle? The belt keeps it from shortening me, and the snug fit of the pants balances the loose fit of the top.

Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, fashion, OOTD, secondhand, style, summer outfits, thrift, WIWT | 2 Responses

Yellow, White, and Blue

By maggiebj | Published: July 5, 2013

I love yellow and blue together. And after wearing this lovely outfit, I’m getting rid of both the skirt and the shirt. Neither of them fit very comfortably. I also desperately need some room in my closet, so I’m trying to get rid of some things I don’t wear very often. I have some ideas for this color combo with other items in my closet though, so no worries!

I hope you all had a fabulous, festive Independence Day! I’m at my grandparents house in D.C., but I watched the concert and fireworks at the Capitol on PBS. It’s too crowded and crazy to risk my life going. I was close enough to hear the fireworks though, so I got to watch the fireworks (on TV) with surround sound, haha! How did you celebrate?

Top: secondhand Gap
Skirt: secondhand American Eagle
Bracelet: secondhand
earrings: secondhand
sandals: secondhand Bandolino

Posted in STYLE | Tagged blue, consignment, fashion, OOTD, secondhand, style, thrift, WIWT, yellow | 1 Response

Barefoot Shoe-Lover

By maggiebj | Published: June 25, 2013

So I didn’t really wear shoes today. I intended to wear these shoes, but I only wore them long enough to walk to and from my car. I took them off while I worked. Going barefoot is my preference. That’s really one odd thing about me. I love shoes. I love getting new shoes. I just prefer not to wear them. If my post are scarce over the next few weeks, it’s because I’m traveling. I’m going to try to post at least a few times during my travels, but I don’t really know how much time I’ll have. I’m going to a conference in San Diego, then I’m going to stay with my grandpa for a few days while my grandma is out of town, then I’m going to a 48 hour film festival with some friends. SO MUCH TRAVEL…but that’s how I like it.

top: secondhand Old Navy
skirt: secondhand Gap
belt: secondhand
shoes: secondhand Kenneth Cole Reaction
hat: vintage via Etsy

Posted in STYLE | Tagged batik, consignment, fashion, floral, OOTD, secondhand, style, thrift, vintage hat, WIWT | 1 Response

No Curls, No Color

By maggiebj | Published: June 24, 2013

I finally wore a black and white outfit…and I won’t be doing it again anytime soon.
I’m not sure if it was the lighting or the fact that I wasn’t wearing any color (probably a combo of the two), but my pictures of this outfit turned out pretty bleh. I looked really washed out and the shadows were terrible. I managed to salvage a few with a bit of Photoshop work, though. I like black and white, but I think I prefer it with color, like in this outfit. And I still like the idea for home decor, in which case I wouldn’t actually be wearing it.
Also take note: I straightened my hair! That’s probably another reason I didn’t like how these pictures turned out. I love my curls and I think they flatter me more than straight hair does. But it was fun to do something a little different for a day. I haven’t straightened my hair for a couple months, so I was curious to see how long it is. I’m excited for it to get about 6+ inches longer than this. I’m at the stage where I’m really temped to chop it all off again…but I must persevere. I’m so anxious to have crazy, long, thick curls!

No curls, no color…there’s just no fun in this outfit!

top: secondhand Old Navy
skirt: secondhand New York & Company
necklace watch: The Disney Store (a relic of my childhood)
earrings: secondhand
shoes: secondhand Nine West

Posted in STYLE | Tagged black and white, consignment, fashion, maxi skirt, OOTD, secondhand, style, thrift, WIWT | 1 Response

Tropical Colors

By maggiebj | Published: June 20, 2013

Two items in this outfit I’ve been anxious to wear for some time and just have yet to incorporate them into an outfit: this top and the hat. I love the bold floral of the top and I knew I wanted to pair it with stripes. It’s just SO BOLD I was a little hesitant to finally go for it. I love how it turned out, though. It seems very appropriate for a summer party (I look like some sort of fruity beverage)…I just wore it to work, though. And this hat. I adore it. Enough said. It’s funny. This outfit (I wore yesterday) is the total opposite of what I’m wearing today. This outfit is a color explosion, and today I’m wearing black and white. No color.
top: secondhand Living Doll
dress: secondhand New Directions
shoes: secondhand Nine West
hat: vintage via Etsy (Village Vine)
bracelet: Eastern Market, Washington D.C.

Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, fashion, OOTD, secondhand, stripes and florals, style, thrift, vintage hat, WIWT | Leave a comment

Sister Time

By maggiebj | Published: June 13, 2013

My posts have been so sporadic lately…I’ve been spending a lot of time at my sister’s house, and I don’t think about taking pictures while here (I’m at her house now). I think my mood/overall happiness improves when I spend a lot of time here because when I graduated from college, my friends and I all went back to our respective hometowns and aren’t close enough to spend a lot of time together (we do meet up sometimes…I love them too much to lose them!). My sister is one of few friends I have that is close enough to hang out with regularly, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know her friends – they’re all fun, friendly folks (alliteration!). I’ve been spending way too much time cooped up working on freelance design projects lately, so it’s really nice to socialize. My sister is out of school for the summer, so she has a lot more free time. Of course, I do still have work to do so I have to be careful to prioritize, but I think my happiness is just as important as my work, so it’s worth the effort.

top: secondhand
dress: secondhand Talbots
belt: secondhand
earrings: gift from a friend (from craft fair)
shoes: secondhand Nine West

Posted in STYLE | 1 Response

Summer Rain Shoes

By maggiebj | Published: June 10, 2013

I think it’s about time for me to get a haircut…have it layered a bit more. I can sense triangle -head coming on. I haven’t straightened my hair for over a month. I used to always resort to straightening when I couldn’t get my curls to lay right, but I’m learning to work with my hair, and I finally have a routine that’s quick, easy, and no-fail (well, normally). I’m kinda curious how long my hair is straight now, though…maybe I’ll straighten it one day just to see. I normally avoid cheap flip-flops, but it was a very rainy day (torrential downpours), and flip-flops are pretty much summertime rain shoes as long as you don’t mind having wet feet. I saw a little girl in the Apple store the other day wearing a pleated skirt the same color as these sandals (which are a lot more of a neon coral than they appear in these pictures). It was adorable and I wanted it!

tee: secondhand Mossimo (Target)
skirt: secondhand Free People
necklace: handmade
sandals: secondhand Old Navy

Posted in STYLE | Leave a comment

I’ve Got a Mullet!

By maggiebj | Published: June 6, 2013

Ever since this whole high-low skirt trend started, I’ve been kinda on the fence about it. Sydney (The Daybook) covered that in a recent post…perhaps they have some magical leg-lengthening powers on tall people. I’ve never tried on a high-low skirt that I’ve liked, until this one. I think the pleats are what drew me in – I love pleated skirts. I also think it’s one of the first of these skirts I’ve seen that’s not made of a chiffon fabric. I guess I like it because it’s different.

I love the way lime green looks with black and white, so I paired it with this tee. The texture and beading on it – it’s so artsy! I like the contrast of the artistic, organic shapes on the tee with the geometric pattern on the skirt. The pattern on the skirt is subtle enough to where I didn’t feel like they conflicted.

And yes, I prefer to call it a mullet skirt. Because that’s what it is.

top: secondhand Chicos
skirt: secondhand American Eagle
shoes: secondhand Kim Rogers
necklace: secondhand Betsey Johnson
earrings: secondhand

Posted in STYLE | Tagged consignment, fashion, high-low skirt, mullet skirt, OOTD, secondhand, style, thrift, WIWT | 1 Response

Search
Hey! I'm Maggie, a graphic designer, crafter, devoted secondhand shopper, Doctor Who fanatic, and dog-lover. Stick around and explore!
- ABOUT ME
- GUEST POST
- CONTACT
- SPONSOR
Subscribe

Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email.

Category Archives: STYLE

Search

Subscribe