Velvet And Fur And Feather
Posted: January 24, 2022 Filed under: Clothes, Style Imitating Art | Tags: brooch, brown, brown lace-up boots, burnt orange wool jacket, gray, gray sweater, maroon jeans, red, style imitating art 2 Comments
This week’s SIA, inspired by Rembrandt’s portrait of his wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh, took me some thinking. I have several velvet pieces, but none in this exact color. I don’t have any fur or feather things in my closet either. In the end, I went with this sweater again – the pleats and the pearls remind me of the collar and undershirt of the lady’s dress. For the colors, I chose my trusty maroon corduroy pants (plus, corduroy is kind of similar to velvet too – indeed, in Vietnamese, corduroy is called “striped velvet”) and burnt orange coat, and as a nod to the feather on her hat, I accessorized with my feathery brooch. The final outfit is not as close to the original as I would’ve liked, but I’m happy with it.
Don’t forget to check Terri’s blog on Wednesday to see other outfits inspired by this classic painting!
Tapestry Waistcoat
Posted: December 15, 2021 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: beige tapestry waistcoat, brown, brown houndstooth blazer, brown lace-up boots, maroon jeans, red, white, white scallop collar button-up Leave a comment
When I first started my hunt for vintage waistcoats, I had three specific ones on my wish list – a velvet one, a tweed/plaid one, and a tapestry one. The velvet and tweed are included because they are classic staples, and the tapestry, while it may be screaming late 1980s-early 1990s, appeals to my “grandma” heart for some reason. Out of those, I have managed to find two – velvet and tapestry (still keeping an eye out for that perfect tweed waistcoat so I can fulfill my dream of dressing like a British country squire.) The velvet waistcoat is going to make an appearance soon, but here’s the tapestry one. I was super happy to have found it – after searching several secondhand/vintage sellers, I see that when it comes to waistcoats, people tend to favorite minimalist designs that look more modern, so I wasn’t even sure if I could ever find one that fits my maximalist aesthetics. Luckily, there is always something for everybody in the secondhand market!
Why I’m Not A Vintage Style Blogger
Posted: December 1, 2021 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: belt, brooch, brown, brown heeled loafers, brown plaid baggy pants, maroon short-sleeve sweater, red 1 Comment
Despite my love for vintage fashion (especially 1940s style), I’ve never called myself a vintage style blogger, mostly because I don’t dress exclusively in vintage style, and because my outfits are far from authentic. I’m not talking about authentic pieces – I mean, if I had an authentic 1940s piece, I would wrap it up in tissue paper and put it away, not wear it! – but rather the whole look. I can achieve the authentic silhouette easily enough, but my hair and makeup can never be up to spec. I don’t care about makeup much, but I’d love to be able to try some simple 1940s hairstyle to elevate my outfits. Unfortunately, my hair is so straight and thin that it refuses to be styled in any way other than “away from face and neck” (seriously, neither bobby pin or hairspray sticks to my hair – even the headscarf look on Monday took me a while, because the scarf kept slipping off), so in the end, I just don’t bother. Ain’t nobody got time for that! I guess I just prefer to keep my hair and makeup minimalistic so my outfits could be more versatile.
Short Sleeve Sweater And A Slice Of Pizza
Posted: November 19, 2021 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: brooch, brown, gray, gray pleated wool skirt, maroon heeled oxfords, maroon short-sleeve sweater, red 3 Comments
This fall/winter season, I’ve been loving the short-sleeve sweaters/knit tops. I’ve worn them last year too, but this year I’ve found several secondhand/vintage ones that really help to solidify my 1940s-inspired style. I’m aiming for tops like these or these, but those can be difficult to find. I tend to look better in something more streamlined anyway, so a simple cut like this one works well – it can look vintage or modern depending on how I style it.
As for the “slice of pizza” part? Well, my niece and nephew said that my brooch looks just like a slice of pizza, and I haven’t been able to unsee it since :)) I actually don’t know what my brooch is supposed to be, probably just an abstract design, but a “golden slice of pizza” certainly sounds better.
Picnic Girl
Posted: November 3, 2021 Filed under: Clothes | Tags: beige, beige v-neck sweater, brooch, brown, brown lace-up boots, red, red plaid skirt 1 Comment
There’s a whole reference behind this post title and the outfit, so please bear with me. Anybody here a fan of Taskmaster (the British comedy show, not the Marvel comic book character)? It’s my latest obsession – I spent both lockdowns, last year and this year, binging all 11 seasons of it (it’s on its 12th now.) It’s absolutely hilarious, and if you enjoy British comedy, it’s a must-watch. The term “picnic girl” came from this exchange between the host, Greg Davies, and one of the contestants, Sarah Kendall, in the season 11 finale, in which he made fun of her supposedly “tough” apocalypse backpack by calling her “picnic girl” (you have to watch the whole thing for it to make sense. And if you feel like watching the entire episode after all, no problem. I’ll wait.)
Anyway, as I was putting this outfit together, I looked at the skirt and thought, hey, it kinda looks like a picnic table cloth (yes, I know the traditional ones are red checkered. That’s why I said “kinda”). Being obsessed with Taskmaster, my thought immediately jumped to “picnic girl”, and I decided to stick to the picnic theme by wearing my racoon brooch – because what’s a picnic without some trash pandas, right?
14 Shades Of Grey 
