A Pretty Pickle
Posted: July 2, 2021 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: brooch, brown, brown clogs, green, green wide-leg pants, red, red gingham button-up Leave a comment
Red and green is a color combo I’m not brave enough to try often (I think I’ve only tried it once, way back when I first started the blog.) The Christmas association is too strong. Plus, in Vietnam, there’s a saying that translates to “Green pants and red shirt prove that you’re a boor”, so maybe that influences me somehow. But lately, I’ve discovered some red/green combinations that are more applicable, when the red and green are less saturated – like here, which is more like pink and green (the gingham tones down the red color a bit), or red and olive green. It would be fun to try more opposite color combos like that.
On an unrelated note, the post title is obviously a reference to my brooch, but it’s also a joke because my family, despite our large garden, has never been able to grow cucumbers. One year my dad started three pots, which grew and covered the entire trellises, but never produced a single flower, let alone a fruit. After that he got frustrated and quit trying to grow cucumbers again.
Booky
Posted: June 28, 2021 Filed under: Clothes, Style Imitating Art | Tags: beige clogs, brooch, brown, maroon dress, necklace, red, style imitating art 6 Comments
Here’s my outfit for this week’s SIA, inspired by Patty Carroll’s photo, “Booky“. It’s an outfit built around accessories. I knew I’d wear this book necklace (duh) and this eyeglass brooch (I count at least three pairs of glasses in the photo), but the rest of the outfit took some thinking. At first, I wanted to try some pattern mixing to mimic the chaos of the photo, but after some experiments, I decided on this dress instead – the color is similar to the curtains, and the print is a nod to all the prints (the wallpaper, the carpet, the woman’s dress, the lampshades). Still, I couldn’t give up the pattern mixing altogether, so I brought out my Kindle as an accessory as well. Besides, most of my books are on Kindle these days, so it seems natural to feature it in a book-themed outfit.
Don’t forget to stop by Terri’s blog on Wednesday to see other outfits inspired by this photo!
La Marinière
Posted: June 9, 2021 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: blue, blue linen skirt, brooch, brown, canvas monk shoes, red, red striped top, white Leave a comment
A horizontal striped top is one of the must-haves in my closet, and I can never have enough – it seems I’d buy new ones every year! This one, for example, is one of the few new items I bought last year (from Uniqlo). I’ve been wearing it casually a lot, but I wanted to try pairing it with something dressier, like this skirt. With its high waist and buttons, it makes me think Edwardian, and by pairing with this striped top and these canvas shoes, I could almost picture myself in the French Riviera in the early 20th century. When the pandemic makes it impossible to travel, I guess I have to rely on my clothes to do some traveling in my head.
A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood
Posted: April 23, 2021 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: brooch, brown, brown wool pants, red, red cardigan, saddle shoes, socks 1 Comment
When I first saw this red cardigan, it immediately reminded me of Mr. Rogers’ iconic sweater. Unlike many of my US friends and readers, I didn’t grow up with Mr. Rogers and only heard of him when I went to college in the US. Still, Mr. Rogers was such a major figure in pop culture that I couldn’t help but become familiar with him and admire him for everything he did. So for this outfit, I took some inspiration from the man himself and put together a Mr. Rogers-esque outfit with these pants and shoes. I don’t have a pair of canvas shoes like his, so I made do with my saddles shoes instead, and my cat brooch is a nod to the puppets on his show. Tom Hanks, eat your heart out.
Counting Lesson
Posted: February 8, 2021 Filed under: Clothes, Style Imitating Art | Tags: beige short-sleeve sweater, black, black baggy pants, black oxfords, brooch, brown, brown tweed blazer, collar, red, socks, style imitating art, white 5 Comments
For this week’s SIA, inspired by Albert Huie’s “Counting Lesson”, I knew I’d want to wear something with polka dots, but I haven’t worn polka dots in so long – it’s all about stripes and plaid for me now; polka dots just seem too twee for some reason – that I don’t quite know what I would wear. Luckily, I remember these polka dot socks that I bought earlier this year and never got around to wearing yet.
For the rest of the outfit, I wanted to mimic the colors and textures in the painting – the wall and the curtain behind the girl, and the chair she’s sitting in – so I went with this blazer and sweater. The bow of my trousers’ belt is a nod to the bow on the girl’s dress, and I also added a lace collar to mimic her Peter Pan collar, and topped it off with a red brooch to mimic her red bow. Overall, I’m happy with the outfit because it feels more “me” while still reflecting the inspiration, rather than being a direct copy of the inspiration without reflecting my style.
