After Angie's blog post on this I could hardly wait to see what I had to make this outfit. I learned that tops I thought were quite cropped when paired with pants were not cropped enough with a skirt. First up is a dark navy jean skirt, then a white skirt. The tops are all boxy and, I had thought, cropped. The striped one is cropped. The plaid and black ones, not as much as I thought. Are the proportions too far off? Comments and suggestions welcomed.
Should I release the hems of either or both of the skirts? Both are at least 3 years old.
Archive: July, 2017
- Denim Skirt Ensemble X 3
- Utility Dressed Up
- Final WIW of 30x30: Out with a Bang or Fizzle?
- K/R: EF Casual Shoes
- What I Learned from the 30x30 Experience
- 30X30 Week 3 (Added Friday and thoughts)
- 30x30: Week 2 plus fringe earrings for Inge
Denim Skirt Ensemble X 3
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Utility Dressed Up
Inspired by Angie's blog post today. I was going to wear the denim pencil skirt ensemble and then realized that I would be entertaining a 2-year old all day. With this outfit I can sit on the floor and hopefully still look pulled together. The first photo is more dressed up with kitten heeled pumps. Photo 2 is reality with gold loafers. Photo 3 is a closer look at gold jewelry... not as cluttered as it looks. What do you think?
Brown utility pants, old Michael Kors top, assorted old jewelry, Kate Spade gold tote.
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Final WIW of 30x30: Out with a Bang or Fizzle?
For July 8-18. I tried to make new combinations from my 30 items, but the only thing nMew is that my fussy feet needed a third pair of flats. The black/white D'Orsays were added for 2 days.
July8: (1) EF bone white pants and EF navy silk shell, white flats and sun hat.
July 9: (2-4). A Sunday outfit of 2 black dresses, one over the other. I tried to lighten 3 to show them but the black on black is difficult. 4 is the plain EF dress without the other dress as topper.
July 10: (6-7). Wide Gap cropped jeans with EF striped linen top tucked in front. Web belt, tassel earrings, white athletic Cole Haan flats.
July 11: (8-9). Black EF pants rolled, Citron silk jacket buttoned to be a blouse, black ankle strap flats.
July 12: (10-11). White Target tee, navy EF pants, athletic white shoes.
July 13: (12) wide Gap jeans, this time with EF long sleeved striped linen tee over plain white layering tank, black ankle strap flats.
July 14: (13-14) EF linen striped tank and skirt with new necklace (14), white flats
July 15: (15) not a good photo. This time the EF navy pants were paired with a silky print blouse, white athletic flats.
July 16: (16-17). EF black dress with white jean jacket, sun hat, black and white flats
July 17: (18-20) wide Gap jeans now with EF navy silk top and knotted small scarf in cream and navy (20), white athletic flats.
July 18: (21-22). EF bone white pants with EF black asymmetrical top, black and white flats.
Comments and suggestions welcomed.
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K/R: EF Casual Shoes
You helped me decide about a pair of EF pumps that I ended up returning. I come again for help. I found these at the Rack in my size this time. They are very very comfortable and good colors for my wardrobe, but are they too clunky for my body? I really like the thick sole and think they will be comfortable enough for lots of walking. I could see myself wearing these nearly all year as they have a stable non-slip bottom. I hope that the white on them will keep them from being too dark and heavy on me, but I want your honest opinion. These are not styled but shown with pants I had on shopping rolled up to shoe the shoes. What do you think?!
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What I Learned from the 30x30 Experience
Thoughts on my 30x30 experience.
Where to begin? This was a valuable exercise and I want to do it again, especially before changing seasons. It really helped to see what I wore, wanted to wear, what direction I wanted to go. As said before, it is helping me get rid of items that I realize that I don't want to wear any more.
1) I found out that I want to look current. Just classic pieces seem boring. I liked my released hem and wide leg pants and jeans better than a more classic pair right now.
2). I found that I am done with low rise jeans but not skinny jeans.
3). I wore color and pattern and needed both. What I missed most was a variety of color and pattern.
4). I don't mind repeating items or outfits that have a high happiness factor. My EF pieces and comfortable shoes, my black and white bag...all pleased me. Even when I removed footwear and accessories from my 30, I still kept using the same ones.
5). Continuing that last thought, I learned that I could live with a much smaller wardrobe than I thought, if it has only pieces that have high happiness factors and variety.
6). That said, frocks...summer dresses and skirts were missed the most. My 30x30 included only one skirt and one dress.
7). Fussy feet need a deep footwear wardrobe. I learned that easy off and on footwear works best for me.
8). I definitely plan to repeat this exercise, maybe even in September. Capsule building is an art and takes practice.
9) This was especially challenging as the weather turned warmer and i'd not planned well enough.
10). Light colored pieces and white got less wear because of laundry back ups.
11). I am not a traditional tee shirt wearer and should only own a very few.
12). I need to get over saving expensive items for only special events. Perhaps special occasion clothing should be exempt from my 30x30 until I am more practiced at this exercise.
My final set of item photos will come later. I am keeping to my capsule for 2 more days. Thanks to all who read my posts, looked at the outfits, and encouraged and made suggestions.
30X30 Week 3 (Added Friday and thoughts)
My 30x30 week ( I will add Friday when I get a photo) was built around my 30x30 pieces and the July 4th holiday. I especially need input on the Long sleeved topper on Saturday and Sunday. It is a perfect weight for summer but I don't want to keep it if it is too short. I invision more high waisted bottoms in the near future and hope that it will work with those. I bought it thinking of Sunday's striped skirt outfit, it is a very similar fabric but wider stripe. Does this work? The same piece is worn on Saturday as a topper over a column of navy and as a "scarf" as the day got warmer. Does this look ok?
Saturday: (1-4) EF midnight (navy) pants and silk she'll with EF striped top as topper. 3 is just pants and shell. 4 is black linen dress worn as a topper.
Sunday: EF linen stripe shell and skirt with tomato red cardi, white flats, red bag, narrow white with black dots scarf, white web belt. Please look at #7. Does the stripe topper work?
Monday: (8/9). Tomato red knit top with EF navy ankle pants, white jean jacket, athletic white flats.
Tuesday July 4th: (10) EF navy ankle pants, Tahari silk top in red, white and blue, white D'Orsay flats.
Wednesday: (11/12). Denim shorts with EF black linen assemmetrical top, silver sneakers, sun hat
Thursday: (13-15): Gap wide leg crops, tomato red tee, white web belt, polka dotted scarf, white athletic flats.
Your comments and suggestions are welcomed!
ETA: Friday: (16-17). The butterfly patterned top and released hem jeans, black ankle strap flats. 17 is not what I wore but included to get your opinion. I have on an open shirt waist dress as a duster over the outfit. Does it work or have possibilities? I wear the dress buttoned up over skinny pants as a casual outfit. The dress is not part of my 30 items. I will add musings separately.
What I have learned this week: (1). I have been tracking wears and have seen some surprises. By far my most worn shoes are the silver sneakers, then the white athletic flats. I thought it would be the black ankle strap flats but they are the least worn. I think this is because the ankle straps are fussy to put on and take off and are not as casual as the most worn. We are often in houses, including ours, where outdoor shoes are not worn inside. I would slap rather wear more casual shoes for walks ( usually on gritty gravel trails). I need quick off and on to empty out sharp stones that get inside the shoes. Before the challenge, I was planning to add more ankle strap flat. Now I don't think so.
(2.). I really do need color and pattern to be happiest. Adding the bright tomato red tee last week, I see that it was worn 5 times! It is the color, not that it is a tee. My white one was not worn at all in this time. I also used a red bag once.
(3). I hesitate to wear white/bone pieces in my 30/30 and seem to want to save them for events. Most of these have not been worn at all. I am glad that I have them but may remove them from the 30/30. Maybe event clothing should be exempt for me. I am not even wearing them smart casually, I think to keep them clean.
(4). I am missing a third piece on these warm days and have been using some jewelry or small scarves exempted from the 30x30, but am trying to use only a couple in the spirit of the challenge.
(5). With the changes I made last week, I am not yet bored and don't mind repeating what I like.
Applause to anyone who makes it through all this description and musing!
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30x30: Week 2 plus fringe earrings for Inge
You have seen Sunday's outfit which I posted as a kimono jacket outfit. The rest of the week was quite casual with mostly hot days turning cooler the last couple of days.
This week starts with Saturday (1). I started out with the white cropped Joe's Jeans and EF striped linen pullover that I wore on Monday the week before, but decided that I was done with those low rise jeans and they are out of the closet and my 30. I replaced them with Gap wide leg crops. Do they work with the cropped top?
Sunday ( 2/3) I wore from the capsule the EF black shift dress, the silk patterned jacket and black ankle strap flats. I did sub in a different belt from the white web belt. The photos show the outfit with and without the belt. I am always happy to wear this jacket.
Monday (4/5): my released hem cropped jeans, black tank and black bomber jacket. Because I'd worn the black flats the day before, I wore the white ones from the capsule. This worked well for yard work and babysitting.
Tuesday (6-7): some more capsule changes. I learned that I craved color and added a tomato red tee. I also needed more casual bottoms for hot weather due to laundry bottlenecks. These are an experiment, Lee Rider denim Bermuda shorts on which I have undone the hem to make them longer and more interesting. Do these look acceptable to your eye?
Wednesday (8): another addition to the capsule ( I decided to remove accessories from my 30x30). I wanted to wear this hot weather DIY chop job of a top near the 4th of July weekend. It was made by cutting sleeves and bottom off a thrifted tee and worn over a grey layering tank (not counted in my 30). Everything else is from the capsule.
Is the tee ridiculous on me? It is as close to gear as I get, so used for exercise.
Thursday (9-11): the Gap wide legs again, this time with the EF black linen assemmetrical top. Photo 9 is the length from the store with frayed hem edge. Photos 10 and 11 show hems turned up 2 lengths. Which is best?
Friday (12-16): for a visit to a wildlife sanctuary where we walked over 3 miles. EF bone pants, tomato tee ( different in 12 and in 13/14). Which do you think I should keep? And I added a tomato red short sleeved cardi to the capsule for more color.
For Inge: 15-16: showing my fringe earrings. These were much longer and I hacked off a bunch of fringe to this length. Should I cut off more? Are these silly on an old lady? They were very inexpensive, probably marked down because they were so long.
I will return with what I learned this week from this challenge.
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