Corduroy Knickers

 I watched in awe last winter when many younger bloggers paired tights with a pair of shorts.  I could never imagine pulling off this look until I visited a post by Carolyn at Handmade by Carolyn and took note of a pair of corduroy shorts she'd made for herself.  I added corduroy shorts to my thrifting shopping list...and looked for them and looked for them and looked for them.  As often happens, things appear when you stop searching.  I loved the deep chocolate color and the fit of these, but in July the tights weren't appropriate.  Here, is my very belated take on last winter's trend.

In the first styling, I paired the shorts with a pumpkin colored Henley by Mossimo, a rust suede belt, last season's brown tights, and woven sandals by Danielle.  The shorts are by Counterparts.  All thrifted.

I always loved it when E. at Academic Chic would wear stripes over the bulging evidence of her pregnancy.  To my eye, it created a wonderful optical illusion, but I felt differently about stripes when I tried this sweater with the shorts.  Though I shot take after take, I could never get the stripes to line up the way I wanted.  Hence, the frustration with the turtleneck at right.

At left, you'll see what looks to be a hokey pose. What I'm watching are a flock of our pigeons circling overhead on a glorious Sunday morning.
Tomorrow for the first time, a pair of our pigeons/doves will be released the the close of a wedding for the first time.

I'm trying the griege tee by Mossimo, the same belt, shorts and tights.  The cardigan is a sheer snake skin pattern by New York & Company.
Again, it's all thrifted.

I like the shorts and have deemed them keepers, especially for transitional times of the fashion year.  Can't imagine wearing these to campus.

Once again the end of the month has crept up on me and I haven't posted even half of the brown outfits.  Best get to work on the collage though as next week, I have three stacks of papers to grade and I will need lay low again.  How did I do this every day a year ago?

Texture

During this month of boring browns, I've found myself considering texture more than once.  In the photos, I'm wearing the same skirt that seemed so "off" in August, but styled with a different pair of shoes this time.   Though I'm happier with this look  I think I will pass the skirt along now.

While there's nothing remarkable about the colors in this look, I was pretty pleased with the mix of textures I pulled off.  You see the pattern in the skirt by W., the light knit in the Ralph Lauren sweater, and the embossed leather of the jacket by Brandon Thomas.  Everything, including the shoes by Soft, has been thrifted.  The nut necklace was one of a pair gifted to me months ago by Christina at Second Skin.  

Isn't it curious that this nearly year long meditation on color is only now leading me to think more about texture and weight.  I have long been a denim and t-shirt girl, so learning about the various weights of cotton, silk, satin, wool, leather, cordoroy and other textiles is a late consideration for me.

This white on white idea for fall has obviously been working on my brain since I turned down the page on several variations of it in the March Vogue. Took me a while to find the satiny shirt (Ralph Lauren, again) and when I did it was too big. I bought it anyway, initially thinking I might knot it. (Would that permanently ruin the blouse for anything else?) I paired it with this textured white skirt (Maggy London), which is also too big.  I tried to get a picture of the flowered texture, even visiting Picnik, where I belated discovered I could have been giving myself make-up jobs all these many months.  No luck trying to capture the texture.  I think I was hoping that texture would give this monochromatic look the oomph it needed.  I've added the belt and the necklaces to break that up.  I don't have a clue where I would wear a get up like this, but I think it would look great with my camel coat.

What do you guys think?  Is texture alone enough to carry a look?  It might mean that you are more noticeable up close than far away, that the look delivers a delayed rather than immediate response from those around you.  And how can a girl learn more about texture.  Please share your wisdom!

Mother of the Bride

This photo was snapped by M. just moments before the ceremony began.  K. was self-conscious about his red tie...thinking that it indicated something about his political affiliation and could hardly wait to be rid of it.  The hat was an afterthought, but necessary in the light mist that lingered in the air.

The evening of the rehearsal party the mother of the groom and I discovered that we'd purchased almost the exact same dress!  We had a good laugh at ourselves.  Her husband had selected it from a stack of dresses she tried on at Nordstrom's.

I ended up purchasing two pair of Donna Karan stockings, as Nordstrom's in my area only sells the Wolford's online.  One pair actually ended up going to a bridesmaid at the last minute.

I have press-on red nails and the only pair of red chandelier earrings I could find at Charming Charlies.


Stella, one of K's bridesmaids, treated both the bride and I to a professional makeup job the morning of the wedding.  It took several hours to get used to the false eyelashes and I finally abandoned my glasses altogether.  But I think it did the trick from keeping me looking all washed out in the pictures for posterity.

I danced just once in the 4 inch heels, then switched to flats.  And my body ached for days afterward.  When I spoke to the bride the morning after, she complained that her toes were concerningly numb.

K. seemed to be amused by the way in which many women at the party were prancing around "dressed up for each other," but judging from the pride I know my grandson felt in his very first, grown-up bow tie, I don't think it was just the girls who were primping.  And it was the father of the bride, who changed his clothes for the reception.

Many thanks to all my readers who helped put the finishing touches on my look for the day.  I'll have a post on my experience in getting "made over" at NoGuilt Fashion, during Dani's upcoming maternity leave.

The Wedding Party

You know you've been to a good party, when it takes a week to recover.  The happy couple returns today from their honeymoon to Curacao.  I really have to commend them on designing an event that was uniquely theirs from the moment they camped out at City Hall in January to reserve the Rose Garden at Loose Park for their ceremony in September.  The morning of the wedding dawned with rain pouring in buckets on roses in full bloom.   I know that the rain did not stop the bridesmaids, with whom I spent most of my day, having make-up done and false eyelashes applied.  I'm less sure what the groomsmen were up to, though one saved the day when the red sash on K.'s dress came up missing at the last minute.  The wedding began just 20 minutes late with a local DJ officiating.                                                 

The dress I know is a far cry from those I pictured on Rags in January. K. began shopping on Etsy and came up with this cupcake dress from a seller there. When it arrived it was tea length and the bride and I fussed a bit about the wisdom of alterating it to the length it is now. The resultant dress and all the girls' red shoes are much more like the funky bride.

DH and I got lost on our way to the reception and were among the last to arrive. Toasts were well underway as we took our seats. The lovely decoration in this old silent movie theatre was entirely the doing of father of the groom's wife.  D. and her sister were a quiet, diligent presence all evening as nearly 200 guests dined on the groom's father, C.'s, prize-winning barbecued brisket, ribs, beans, ceasar salad and rolls.  Toward the end of the evening, C. confided that he'd had to make three trips to a local liquor store to resupply!

About 8:30 the lights dimmed and a local band with a great Motown sound took the stage for several hours of live music.  The music was the young couple's idea and on their penny.  And it got folks of all ages up and shaking a leg.

                      C. breakdancing!

In addition, the happy couple had arranged for a PhotoBooth and this gave guests a souvenir of the lovely and lively event.

My mother, getting a little smooch!

It will be 6 months before I can publish any of the official photos, but stayed tuned...tomorrow, you'll get to see the how the parents of the bride turned out.

Chili Weather

I'm fairly certain that this may be my last post for a week or so.  Tomorrow, I'll have a manicure done by my oldest daughter, grandparents day at the school and the rehearsal for Saturday's wedding.  Saturday morning I go for my first ever professional make-up job, complete with false eyelashes, arranged by the bride-to-be.  (I'm sniffling already).  The wedding is Saturday evening and no doubt, come Sunday, we will all be in recovery. mode.

As if that weren't enough, I have two online classes turning in their first paper tomorrow...and subsequent grading to do.  Still, it's exciting to feel the nip in the air.  We've had temperatures in the 40's this week and all those wool skirts I've laid out for wearing this month may actually be worn before the end of the month.  We've sampled our first chili of the season.

I go to campus just three days a week and that remains my primary reason to "dress up." 
I wore this to teach American Literature to 1865 last week on Wednesday evening.  This Liz Claiborne "shirt-dress" was probably intended to be a tunic.  Check out the placement of the bottom button!  However, it was an excellent excuse to wear my Cole Haan penny loafers.  And while I know that heeled loafers are all the rage this season, the flat version is better for the classroom...particularly when one is on their feet for three hours explaining how Disney based their Pocohantas film on ONE LINE in John Smith's report on Jamestown.    Students were further surprised when we discussed William Bradford to learn that Samoset and Squanto, the indigenous people, who came to rescue of the Pilgrims, already spoke English.  Wednesday Addams had the right idea.

This would have been last Thursday's ensemble.  My English 102 section gathered for a discussion of an article on how economic class rather than marital status ought to shape public policy.  I'm not entirely sure that most students grasped the argument.  The authors presented data to show that African-American and Latino/Latina families tended to rely on extended networks of family to help one another out, while "whites" are more likely to give money to their relatives.  My students, most of whom would have been born in 1993, were so busy "attacking the stereotypes," that they missed the argument.  See The Beloit Mindset list for a sense of the differences between them and most Rags readers.

I received many more compliments than usual on this dress by Patricia Jones.  I wore a long black light wool blazer over it while coming and going from campus.  I wonder if my readers think it needs some jewelry.

This week I began to dig out my light gauge sweaters.  This pleated brown skirt by Vittadini gave me fits...as it is almost a mauve tint and actually looks grey in this morning photo.  I continue to have a love affair with pleated skirts, especially with my loafers.  On this teaching day, a discussion of an article by Evan Wolfson entitled "What is Marriage?" was on the agenda.  It proved to be an argument in favor of gay marriage and though I anticipated that two thirds of the class would FAVOR gay marriage, the discussion was lively and fairly evenly divided.

I broke out the brown tights and this checked wool skirt by Express for THIS week's American Literature class.  I wore another of my light gauge sweaters and called it good.  John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charitie" was on the agenda, as well as Anne Bradstreet's accomplished and incredibly earthy poetry.  Students really struggle with the non-standardized English of the time, but students who are familiar with the Bible recognize Winthrop's argument that the "common good" be placed before the individual good.  We had debate about what Winthrop might make of modern-day America.  I suspect that three of the students in this class are theologians in training from a local seminary.











I'll save today's outfit for Visible Monday over at Not Dead Yet Style.  I want to thank everyone who made suggestions on whipping me into shape for the wedding.  I found a pair of stockings at Nordstrom's.  Believe me, I was so busy considering  ALL of the suggestions I received that my daughters finally took matters into their hands!

Welcome to new readers.  All clothing featured in this post has been thrifted.

EBEW: Colored Jeans

Wouldn't you know that the gals at EveryBody, EveryWear would select colored jeans during a month I'm doing browns on Rags?  I considered not participating at all since I did the red ones and the yellow ones in July.  And then, I bucked up and muddled on through...

These brown jeans are by Compagnie Internationale Express and the gold toned vest by Reba.  The white jacket reminds me of something a person in a Salvation Army band might wear--I love the stand-up collar.  The booties are by Soft.  (all thrifted)

I've searched for green jeans all summer and recently snagged a pair at Savers Labor Day holiday sale.  Imagine by surprise when I got them home and realized that they were honest-to-goodness skinnies.  The distance from my belly-button to the top of the waist band is a full 5 inches.  Yikes!  I had intended to save these for my "green" month in October, but decided to snap photos on Sunday.  DH was terribly excited to shoot the photos...and tells me that they are now his favorite pair of jeans.  I agreed to wear them around the house and then had to make an evening dash to the grocery for a gallon of milk.  It was amazing to guage the reactions of my fellow shoppers and the help.  My cashier, who is usually so friendly, was decidely aloof, while the sacker was suddenly very friendly.

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Jeans by Wet Seal, black tee by Gap, silver metallic belt, black flats by Naturalizer (all thrifted)

Still, I can't help thinking that when women my age begin to wear bright green skinnies, the day of both skinnies and bright jeans must be numbered.

While these jeans were loads of fun to wear, they shall remain "at home" wear.   I'm not willing to reveal a plumber's crack or the thong underwear that used to jut out of backside of such jeans and drive returning male students bonkers with distraction in class.  You'll have to imagine the imaginary tattoo on my tail bone.

Wedding Jitters: Plan B

In practice, DH and I have not had to do much in preparation for next Saturday's wedding.  Early on, we shopped for K.'s dress and then went rounds about the alterations she wanted done to the dress.  We agreed to pay for the photographer and for the rental of the reception hall (an old movie theatre).  I helped address the invitations.    With three sets of parents involved and with this being the first wedding of this generation in the groom's family, I've been surprised by how little I've been called upon to do.

DH is not K.'s biological father, who is deceased.  Since she was ten years old, he has been a part of her life and watched her grow from a finger-sucking step-daughter into the beautiful young woman she is today.  They have gone a few rounds and yet, it will fall to him to give her away.  He realized this in a panic about three weeks ago and suddenly we had to go suit shopping.  Having received no directive from the bridal couple, we debated about renting a tux or purchasing a new suit.

DH is tall, with a narrow torso, and very long long arms.    He is obliged to shop men's suit in the big and tall department though he weighs just 175 pounds.

Other than a haircut and his worry about the father/daughter dance, he is set for the big day.  The mother of the bride is a different story.  I have met the mother of the groom just once, but on that day, we agreed that we did NOT want to purchase a typical "matron's" dress for this event.  I had found a beautiful Susan Bristol skirt in a heavy black taffeta on a thrifting expedition and spent all summer thinking this tea-length skirt was the basis of my outfit for the day.  I had K.'s permission to wear a red crinoline underneath and had managed to thrift that as well.

I set out last Sunday to shop the formal evening blouse I thought I needed to complete the ensemble.  And I found one appropriate, but they did not have the size I needed.  I realized after shopping a couple of additional stores that I no longer no HOW to shop retail.  I switched into shoe-shopping mode and tried on several pair, but the heels that would look perfect for the ceremony, were not particularly appropriate for dancing.   And there WILL BE DANCING as the young couple has hired live music with a Motown sound. I trudged home with a pair of shoes and no blouse, thinking I would cobble together the look I had in mind from pre-existing pieces in my wardrobe.

M. pronouned the outfit decidedly dowdy! And furthermore, it made me look fat?! All my plans to "echo the profile" of the bride were dashed. The alternative was an Adrienne Papell gown I had found in a Salvation Army in Topeka the previous day.

 

And if there is a chill in the air, I'll add this tuxedo jacket.

These are trial run photos. 

• I plan to wear my hair up somehow and I think I need a pair of dangly earrings.  
• I'm pondering whether to do my own make-up or to make an appointment with a professional.  I worry that if I have a professional make-up job that I'll look unnatural since I seldom wear make-up.  In either case, I will wear the bright red lipstick (with lip liner and a product to set it) that my readers helped me win at Feminine Bravery months ago. 
• The final dilemma would be the stockings.  The store where I purchased these 4" Bandolino pumps in grey suede did not sell sheer stockings.  I want a pair with a low denier rating, preferrably silk.  Do my readers know where I might find these?

In many ways, I'm glad that I have a solid "Plan B", but I am disappointed that after a year of color I've settled on this charcoal gray for this special day.  Help!  I am entirely open to your suggestions.

The Browns

Brown is the designated color of the month at Rags. I began to buy brown items last winter in an effort to wean myself from so much gray, but once I had it all gathered together in the guest room, I realize I have far more than I can possibly style in 30 days. And frankly, I'm a bit worried that it doesn't do much for me without bright accessories or make-up or hair color to set it off.

This first dress is actually a blue and camel seersucker gingham, hand-stitched by some woman in the late 50s. Frankly, in this photo it looks grey! But it was fun to give it a whirl, especially since we've been discussing family sit-coms in my sophomore writing class. Last Thursday, we viewed clips of "Leave it to Beaver", "The Crosby Show", a segment from "George Lopez" and finally, "Little Mosque on the Prairie." When I asked students today to design a family sit-com to reflect the values of 2011, they drew a blank. Modern day students are much more comfortable with a diversity of family styles and situations, and while some still have stay-at-home mothers, I haven't yet sensed that this choice stems from some religious or political notion about the 1950s nuclear family.  After reading an article by Stephanie Coontz, "What We Really Miss About the 1950s," I realized that I was the beneficiary of almost everything that was good about the fifties...while "The Browns" were not.

We've had a delightful shift in the weather the past few days.  It has produced excellent sleep...and a general reluctance to get started in the mornings.  In scanning the possibilities, I came up with this Urban Cowgirl look that I somehow sensed was "wrong" from the moment DH exclaimed that he liked it.  The shirt feels like a thin buckskin (shammy) though it must be a high quality polyester of some sort.  The label reads "Double D Ranch, Yoakum, Texas" and I'm wondering if that might be a location gobbled up by the horrific fires there this week.  The skirt is by Sigrid Olson and though I wore this stretch denim all day, my self-consciousness told me it was too much.  I've worn the booties here before, but I think the bolo is a first, a signature of Zoe at Haiku Ambulance.

 

Leave your ideas about the perfect family sit-com, let's call them "The Browns."   And I beg you to return on Friday, when I seek your advice on whipping the mother-of-the-bride into last minute shape for this wedding.

Toilet Paper Couture

Here M. and I are dressed up for K.'s first bridal shower two Saturdays ago.  I didn't quite know how to dress or what to expect as K. had sternly warned that there should be NO CORNY GAMES.  My dress is a thrifted Banana Republic, styled with a tasseled curtain tie-back.  I've wanted to try this bit of styling for so long and yet found that women at the party wanted to touch it.  Not sure that's what I'd want in mixed company.

The venue was the party room of a local bar & grill.  The bridesmaids had tried to soften the effect with tablecloths and fresh flowers, but there were large screen televisions on three of four walls, tuned to ESPN, and the Kardashian nuptials that day.  M. and I proved to be overdressed when K., the guest of honor, showed up in her classic blue jeans and killer heels.  Rounds of Bloody Marys (bacon infused vodka?) were ordered up and then the guests got down to decorating cupcakes.

I don't recall now who won that or the clothes pin game in which the words wedding, tattoo and baby were struck from our vocabularies for the duration of the shower.  A book of advice was circulating...and I would be very curious to read what various women, ages 15-80, might have advised K. on keeping her marriage healthy and vital.

By the time, we were divided into teams and each one given a roll of toilet paper to fashion into a gown, perfect strangers were mingling comfortably.    The Grecian design on the right held together the best.  The gown in the middle looks very much like the dress I will actually wear to the wedding.  My sister, mother and I tried to come up with a mermaid design, just like K. originally shopped for in January.  And, we added a turban veil.

This weekend was the bachelor and bachelorette weekend.  The guys are in Las Vegas and the gals traveled to St. Louis for a blues festival.  DH and I keep muttering under our breath that it is past time to watch "Father of the Bride." 

Out of the Mouths of Babes

No, I haven't forgotten that I keep a blog. Two weeks ago, while I was at a bridal shower, DH ordered up fiber optic Internet service for us. Before it was all said and done, we had lost all internet signal for 5 days, during my first week of class with four online classes. Life was chaos...as I spent extended hours on campus to reassure online students that they were doing everything just fine.

The grandson C. three times asked me why my eyes looked funny... There were several possible reasons: the extended time online, seasonal allergies, and lack of sleep. Life with a 6 year old is anything but dull, as the following videos will attest.  I've made an effort to correct the problem.

While C. loves to watch this video, he said while watching, "Why am I watching myself?"  And the blogger in me began to ask the same.