So you can probably tell from the flowers behind me…these pictures were taken in late July, not September. Sorry? I really liked this outfit and considering September here is still one of the hottest months of the year (and since I didn’t have to go back to school, I’m still in denial that summer could possibly be ending), I figured it would still be appropriate to post. I’d still wear it this month.
I used to look at Lucky magazine for fashion inspiration, but then I discovered Real Simple. My life doesn’t REVOLVE around fashion, so I found Real Simple to be a lot more engaging. It has a style & beauty section (that’s a lot more realistic and achievable than the stuff in many fashion magazines), but also food, books, home, and more. PLUS, the graphic design is beautiful.
Anyway, to the point, I recently did the displays in Your Stuff based on an article in the September issue of Real Simple. It was fall trends for under $100, I think. If you shop in consignment and thrift stores, though, you get much better deals than the outfits presented in the magazine. Here’s what I came up with:
Both of these materials are kind of timeless. You see them every season, though the shape and style may be different. So this look should be easy to put together. I had plenty to choose from here. Real Simple suggests pairing them with jewel tones – such as deep blues, greens, and purples.
Once again, a blazer is a timeless piece. Pair it with a button down shirt (the magazine used a striped shirt, as did I), a scarf instead of a tie, some cute loafers, and a fedora.
For fall try a dark lace, like black as pictured. White or off white lace may be too summery for fall, but I personally am going to still wear my off white lace shirt and just try pairing it with items such as jackets, sweaters, boots…we’ll see how that goes. Real Simple suggests sticking to structured lace, rather than loose and drapey.
Not a difficult trend at all. Cobalt – it’s a color. Here it’s paired with black , but the magazine suggests also trying grey. I personally think it would look great with a camel brown color.
And last, equestrian. This wasn’t really part of the same article as the others, but it was in the magazine as a trend for fall. Whip out some riding boots (or cowgirl boots if that’s more your style) and pair it with some structured plaid.
If you’re a more adventurous fashionista, maybe you should take a look at this article mocking highlighting trends from New York Fashion Week.
Well, my day was busy, and my night was occupied by Shark Week, so I’m going to direct you here so Sydney can tell you about her favorite fall trends and how to wear them.
I’m not a dancer, but I love watching them…and I love documentaries. I really want to see this. Too bad I already missed most of the screenings near me.
The title really has nothing to do with the post (other than lace), but you SHOULD watch that movie if you’ve never seen it.
In honor of yesterday’s pattern/texture how-to, here’s an outfit where I mix some patterns and textures. This outfit follows rule 1 – one subtle, one that pops. My top has intricate lace detail, but it’s still simple enough to not clash with the shorts. The shorts, on the other hand, are bold and vibrant. I’m also am wearing a faux ostrich belt (another subtle pattern). The hat…is good at hiding messy, growing-out hair.
Really, the best rule to follow when mixing patterns and textures is to use your judgement. If it looks good to you, go for it.
I failed to mention this yesterday, but I have a new “schedule” for this blog. Rather than doing outfits everyday, I’m mixing it up. Monday is random day (thoughts, tips, tutorials, etc.). Wednesday is an outfit, and Friday is weekend links. Hopefully this will keep things a little more interesting (and keep me blogging – sorry for the long absence!)
Today I’m going to give you some tips on mixing patterns and textures. Most of the photos I’m giving as examples are pulled from my Pinterest board, so take a look at that for more inspiration. Also, each image below links to the original article/blog where the image was published, so click on them to see more.
1. Keep one subtle, make the other pop. This way one works as more of a solid than a pattern. For example, these two skirts have a pattern/texture, but they’re one color so you only see it when you’re close. It’ll add interest but it won’t clash. The same with the sweater—it’s a solid color with suble knitted patterns, so it still works with the bold floral pants.
2. Mix patterns and textures that are the same color or in the same color range. Be careful with this one. The color needs to be a near exact match or different enough to look intentional. Also, keep the patterns or textures pretty different—don’t mix a small pink floral with a different small pink floral. Megan from feathers and Freckles wore this dress that mixes 2 ivory patterns—a pleat and a lace. This could easily be recreated with a pleated skirt and a lace top. The above outfit (floral pants) follows this rule well, too. Both the top and the pants are muted colors, and the pattern/texture of the sweater is very different from the floral of the pants.
3. Mix patterns and textures that suggest the same season. Don’t wear an autumny tweed (olives, burnt oranges, browns) with a bright summery floral or, say, yellow gingham. Follow this lady’s example. She’s wearing a autumny tweed with floral, but the colors of the floral are more autumny as well—navy, mustard yellow, plum(ish) purple. The large size of the floral paired with the suble texture of the tweed also follow rule 1 nicely.
4. Tweed/wool is a good place to start. Most tweeds have a subtle pattern or color variation that looks solid when you blur your eyes. Work with them as a solid and they’re easy. Tights are another fun thing to try. There are lots of options with patterns/textures, but most are just one color—try ribbed, dots, or lace. Lastly, scarves (or any add on accessory, really) are great. Pair a knitted scarf with a patterned top to add some texture, or add a floral or striped scarf (or purse) over a sweater or tweed to add pattern.
Yesterday, I went online to calculate my carbon footprint…just for fun. I tried about four different calculators that varied in terms of thoroughness. Though I’m sure all of my scores were inaccurate since I completely guessed on how many miles I drive in a year and how much I spend on heat/electricity, ALL calculators were missing one component that I feel is a pretty big deal. Clothes, or material purchases in general, really, are completely left out of the equation.
I think it’s really interesting to know how much buying a new shirt, say, or a new pair of shoes, contributes to this “footprint.” There’s a book called Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things that I once snatched from my brother to read. As the title suggests, the author John Ryan gives a history of many everyday items—how they were created (how the materials they were made with were created), and how they got to the store that you buy them from. So I grabbed the book and looked up the chapters on a t-shirt and shoes and here’s a summary of what Ryan says:
Polyester comes from petroleum. Not only does drilling the oil cause pollution and require a lot of natural resources (for example, to power the equipment used to get the oil out of the earth), but the refining and processing of the oil to make polyester is an industry that contributes to pollution more than nearly any other industry in the U.S.
Consider the weight of the polyester garment. Well, ¼ of its weight’s worth in air pollution is released during creation. 10x its weight in CO2 is released.
Most cotton fields are doused in extremely toxic pesticides, and wind and water spread these to places where they shouldn’t be. 10% of the world’s annual pesticide use is on cotton. The machines used to pick the cotton and make the fabric require fuel/oil.
Many toxic chemicals are used to finish and dye the fabric. With toxic chemicals comes toxic run-off, i.e. pollution.
Shoes are a similar story. The synthetic materials are made from petroleum, coal, and toxic gases (Ethylene). Even leather, a natural material, requires tanning which is normally done with toxic chemicals (vegetable tanning takes too long). Creating and refining these materials generates a lot of pollution and requires a lot of energy.
Packaging requires lots of resources as well (think of all the paper stuffed into those shoes, all the plastic your mail-ordered clothes are wrapped in). In addition, most clothes are imported, requiring fuel powered vehicles.
SO, in conclusion, buying used is always a better choice. Of course, we will all need something occasionally that we’ll end up buying new, but just think of how much less of an impact you’ll have if you have a mostly secondhand wardrobe with a few new essentials (…which you could always get from somewhere like Patagonia. Since you spend less money on used clothes, splurging for a few high-priced items wouldn’t be so bad).
And conclusion #2, someone needs to make a new carbon footprint calculator that factors in this important component.
I found a neat little interactive carbon footprint tool on edenproject.com. If you click on “wearing a pair of trousers a day,” you can see the impact that things such as manufacturing, washing, and drying have on the environment. It’s pretty interesting, so take a look.
