Maroon/Burgundy
Posted: January 6, 2023 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: brooch, brown, maroon baggy pants, maroon monk shoes, maroon plaid blazer, red, white, white lawn long-sleeve blouse 2 CommentsI didn’t realize how many maroon/burgundy pieces I have in my closet until I did a recent inventory. In fact, on the “warm” side of the color wheel, brown and maroon are pretty much all I have, with a few mustard yellow pieces here and there. But it makes sense though. I can’t wear primary colors without looking like a clown, and what is maroon/burgundy but an earth-toned red, right? And because I have so much of it, sometimes I just want to have fun and pair all of them together. Who says monochromatic has to be boring black, white, and gray?
Gray Scale
Posted: December 16, 2022 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: belt, brooch, brown, gray, gray houndstooth blazer, gray pleated wool skirt, maroon monk shoes, white, white short-sleeve sweater 1 CommentThis outfit is pretty straightforward. It’s another one of my attempts to lower the cost-per-wear of all the items in my closet by finding new ways to style them and wear them together. As the title suggests, gray (and maroon) is the main color scheme here, but I couldn’t help adding a touch of yellow with my amber rose brooch. The buttonhole of the blazer is such a perfect place for it.
Retro + Modern
Posted: May 27, 2022 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: black, black wide-leg jeans, brooch, brown, maroon monk shoes, plaid fold collar blouse, red Leave a commentThis outfit is a testament to how weird this summer has been: it’s inconceivable that I was still able to wear these pair of thick jeans, this top with its high collar and long sleeves, and these shoes, and all these dark colors, in May. I wanted to wear this top again because I’ve been struggling to style it – the collar gives me a retro, 1960s vibe, but it’s a bit big on me, and so far, the only way I can think of to wear it has been to tuck it into bottoms. Here I tried to match the maroon cuffs and stripes to my maroon shoes, and balance the slightly fussy design of the top with the simpler, more streamlined bottom. It works, but I’m still looking for more ways to make this top more versatile.
Safe As Houses
Posted: February 4, 2022 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: blue, blue house print sweater, brooch, maroon corduroy pants, maroon monk shoes, red 2 CommentsI’m continuing my casual, Lunar New Year break looks with this simple outfit. I don’t wear graphic prints that often because they don’t fit into my vintage-inspired style, but this sweater is so cute that I couldn’t pass it up. The style of the print is slightly Studio Ghibli-esque (it actually reminds me of this house in the train sequence in Spirited Away – such a beautiful and haunting scene; nothing happens yet it makes you feel so much), so I added my hot air balloon brooch for a touch of whimsy.
Stripes
Posted: May 31, 2021 Filed under: Clothes, Style Imitating Art | Tags: belt, brooch, brown, gray, gray striped dress, maroon monk shoes, style imitating art 5 CommentsFor this week’s SIA, inspired by Mary Cassatt’s “The Child’s Bath”, I built my outfit around this dress. The striped pattern perfectly reflects the striped dress of the woman in the painting, and I also added a cross-stitch brooch to mimic the floral patterns of the carpet and the wall.
The only part of the outfit I’m not happy with is the shoes – I wanted something dark, because there is a bit of dark red/brown in the painting, but this dress is so quintessentially 80s that if I wore heels with it, I’d instantly look like an extra in 9 to 5 or Working Girl. So in the end, I went with these monk shoes, hoping they can modernize the outfit a bit, but they’re too clunky. Oh well. Don’t forget to check back on Wednesday to see other outfits inspired by this painting!