Eclectic Joy

I am very late to the dressy party but was away from home and had nothing appropriate with me. Here are a couple of dressy-for-me outfits. The first could be another version of the LBD, now dressed up more with a beaded jacket and black beaded bag. The shoes are the closest I still have to heels. About everything is old. The second outfit features and old taupe silk EF dress with the beautiful bone silk coat from Fabber tulle.
I am using old wedge shoes and should have painted my toe nails. Pretend they are silver to match the shoes and bag. I am wearing long pearls and pearl drop earrings. The coat is perfect with my bone EF items but I got lazy and ran out of time to play with the bone.

Thinking of color vs neutrals, I like wearing both but recently have made a small summer capsule or coral via consignment.  I have on coral .  pants, a coral Madewell tee and a coral, pink and brown poncho type topper.  My accessories are white ( loafers and bag and hair scrunching and mostly gold meal accents including tropical leaf dangly earrings, for a summery touch.  What do you think?  Too much color, to much volume?  Are the earrings too big for me?  Yes, I am wearing a med alert bracelet on my ankle.  It is huge on me and I need a couple of inches of chain removed to wear it on my wrist.  Does anyone have a source of attractive medical alert jewelry?  I would like to find something that uses gold tone metal.

I decided to participate in Sally’s black dress challenge be in August as that is when I am most likely to wear summer black.  I will mostly feature a black sleeveless Talbots dress from the Good Will store.  As it was popular during my battle of black dresses challenge but sometimes will wear a shorter more fitted version.  

ETA: today’s black dress outfit.  I needed red for courage to
say goodbye our dear doggie, Maggie.  The basic dress is topped by a colorful poncho topper that is like a scar.  The print has black and brown in its animal print.  Red shoulder bag.
More  black dress outfits.  #8 is the basic dress with pearls and shells and my white espadrilles for a hot day.  #9-11 are the same dress with different jackets in cotton or linen.  #12/13 is the dress with a white linen EF poncho.

I finished Sal’s challenge of 3 (ways) x 10 pieces ( Bottoms) I. 30 days.  

I have been using some dark bottoms…black silk Citron of Santa Monica clam diggers subs in for EF black Ponte pants that are now too warm, topped consignment pants that are black cotton with tiny white dots, and a black EF tube skirt.
The first outfit is the Citron ps to with a woven silk tee, cobalt with tiny black dots, a silk bead necklace, black and grey Bagalinni bag, and blue/grey Born Mary Janes. (#1-3).
Outfit 2 (#5/6 shows pants and under layer of an old thrifted Sweet Pea mesh top). (#7-10) shows the outer layer of silk dragon jacket worn open and closed. (#4 is a close up of medallion print with dragons).
The third outfit is the black Citron silk clamdidders worn another way, with an animal print woven silk tee skirt and a long black linen cardi and old DV ankle strap shoes., gold jewelry (11-13).
The next outfit uses the EF black tube skirt and an EF black silk tank with black sequins at the neckline. The topper is an old EF bone white gillet. Silver jewelry and AGL sneakers and a German leather bag finish the outfit.
#(19-22 i features the third wearing of the EF black tube skirt. #22 shows the top under layer of an aqua EF tank, aqua large bag and sparkly loafers with cobalt, red, black and brown. ( #19-21) the silk Citron of Santa Monica jacket, a floral on a black background. #19 also shows the little turquoise silk bag from consignment last year.. is the tank too long? Too clingy? I never took the jacket off. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions.
Are these outfits too dark?

Adding the rip skirt to Sal’s Challenge seemed like too much. It deserved its own styling lab. So here are the results. Some of the colors do not look true on my screen.
First up the shoulder pad top. (1 2) Imagine a variety of black tops with this skirt, Including a black swim suit top (longer, not bikini but tankini).
Next, a red- orange top/or jacket (3/4)’which picks up one of the colors in the skirt. (5/6): skirt with apple green cardi and olive tank.
Then, 7/8, peach top, 9/10, peach top with olive jacket, 11/12, olive sweater.
I don’t think 13/14 work. The top is a striped print. #15 is an aqua shirt worn out. Again it is close to a color in the skirt.
What do you like, if anything? Suggestions are welcome.

Most of these will be a white bottom worn 3 ways. The first outfit is my EF heavy linen crops with a Japanese airline cobalt blue cotton jacket, white Vionic flats and pearls
The second outfit is the same linen pants with a black linen shirtover a white EF silk shell, silver EF espadrilles from last year.
The third version is the same pants with a Target white cotton tank under an EF small white linen poncho. My 3-year old granddaughter called me a white ninja. I used Coach silver loafers and silver bags, pearls and silver jewelry.

Probably my last festive outfit WIW for the season as I have included What I Plan To Wear for Christmas and New Years if there were parties and get together as usual. Photo 1: this is the Indian garment I love for this time of year. I wear it over a column of black, a black dress or pants and black top, black silk for warm weather, a black sweater or long silk underwear or Heat tech when it is cold. I add gold jewelry and party flats or even dressy black boots.
2/3 is a favorite New Years Eve outfit that can also be tweaked for the weather, if I do not take off the jacket, Heat Tech or wool can be layered under the sequined shell. And footwear varied depending on the weather. I tend to wear shiny accessories.
Photo 4 is EF bone that can be worn with bone casual or silk lantern pants with different weights of tops depending on the weather and bone suede booties or dressier patent shoes.
Photos 5-8 show today’s outfit the red sequined top and scarf are being worn casually with jeans and long denim blue cardigan but they are favorite part of a Christmas Eve outfit with dressier bottoms or for a concert on a cold night.
8 is a close up of the sparkly earrings.
This is getting long. I will share some outfits I have been wearing on another thread.

I have been trying to put together some new outfits but have not often been able to get a picture wearing an outfit. I managed it today (1st photo). The white Madewell jeans, ( Not the best fit but wearable with my monitor right now because the “high rise” is really below my naval.), the cotton striped sweater and striped Sak bag are all second hand buys. If I had worn my pink loafers, the whole outfit would have been consignment. I may need to add a topper for more warmth indoors.
The second outfit pictured, was inspired by Angie’s blog post on casual wear. It is both a bit luxurious and sporty. The pants are never worn Cupcakes and Cashmere black velvet joggers. The last photo of it was lightened to try to show the ribbon stripe down the sides. Top is a black silk shell and topper is an old black cashmere cardigan. Shoes are my old dressy black patent near flats with a fabric bow. This outfit was worn casually for sheltering at home on a cold day.
The orange outfit is another casual at home one featuring a never worn EF sweater, old NYDJ blue denim pull on jeans and my trusty white/pale grey snow boots over striped Smart Wool socks. For dog walking I added an EF orange coat. The scarf is old. I used the floral instead of an orange one that matches the sweater for a touch of spring although there is lots of snow.
Thank you, Brooklyn, for starting this challenge to use never or little worn items. It was a nice distraction and I have been surprised at things I found.
ETA: last 2 photos are today’s outfit. It is an experiment with combining navy and black, although it may be hard to see the difference. Pants are very old EF black pull ons. Sweater is a new cashmere replacement from 360 Cashmere. It is a think ribbed knit that so far has not pilled. Scarf is a Vince Camuto find that combines navy with black and white, mustard, emerald and rust in a floral pattern on navy. Shoes are slip on athletic Ann Klein in navy with black soles. Earrings are sparkly deep blue stone dangles.

Joining those who are shopping their closets. My “events”
* teaching ( need to be able to bend over and sit on the floor or on little kid chairs, take off shoes (1/2)
* daily home life. Must be ready to run errands, go to lunch or a movie, dog walking, babysit grandkids. (3-5)
* church/ ladies’ meetings/ to a play or symphony (a bit more dressed up) (6/7/9)
* wedding, neighborhood cocktail party
(8,10). (8 I would wear to top part with a bone pencil skirt.)