Black and White with a Splash of Red

Hello, and thanks for stopping by my blog today!

It can be tricky to dress for spring

  April, as well as March,

 are considered bridge months where I live,

 anything goes weather wise,

☔️🌦️💨🌨️☀️🌧️

and we have had it all this season!

Today, I chose classic black and white,

 as you can hardly go wrong with this combination-

it is appropriate for any season

Do you like wearing the high contrast

 combination of black and white?

It's an occasional pairing for me,

I usually go for some color,

but black and white can be very chic,

and you know, Cloud Dancer for 2026

 

I put this outfit together as a challenge to myself,

with items that I rarely wear

 I want to see if I can breathe new life into these pieces,

or if it is time for them to go

 The outfit feels a little out of my comfort zone, 

but we'll see how I feel about it, after wearing it today

 The top is a soft white long sleeve tunic,

 trimmed in black on the collar, cuffs, and button placket

I rarely wear tunics,

  they usually just don't work for me,

 but I could try tucking this one in for another wear,

as it is not bulky

 Wearing the blouse with a textured,

 black and white scuba fabric skirt

 Scuba fabric is suitable for most seasons,

 except I avoid it in the summer,

 because it tends to be quite thick and warm

You can't really see it well in this photo, but the skirt is black

with a raised white honeycomb texture design

BTW, these are hot house sunflowers from the market,

it will be months before they bloom in this part of the country

It seems like overnight though, the nurseries and plant shops 

are full of flowers of all types to be planted,

and baskets of flowers of every imaginable color and type 

are suddenly everywhere! 

My patent leather handle bag

 is a vintage piece from the 1960s

 It makes a real color statement,

 in bright cherry red,

 with a red and gold curved handle

 Patent leather has made a major revival

 in shoes and bags over the past few years

 It's the perfect time for me to pull out

 this fun piece from the past!

 I chose a mix of old and new jewelry

 to complement this clean lined, modern look

The two current pieces are the bold gold tone buckle bracelet,

 and the geometric V pattern collar necklace

The fabulous oversized clip earrings are vintage,

 and very unusual

The two 3-D open wavy square pieces

 are intertwined and connected together

 I purchased these on Etsy, and even though I carefully measured the size against other earrings I own,

 I was surprised when I received them,

 they are quite a bit larger and bolder than I pictured them

 I still love them, though 

 Here are a few more patent leather accessories in black,

 to add more interest, if not color, to the outfit

A wide black belt and hairband

Black and tan slides sandals with gold tone heels

to finish the look 

It is unusual for me to wear sandals

 this early in the season

  I usually don't even have them unpacked, yet

 I left these out at the end of last summer,

because I barely wore them,

 and thought the colors might be better suited

 to early fall outfits

 But I didn't chose them in the fall, either

 So I'll see how well they work for spring

 I modified these from black, tan and reptile print 

 gladiator sandals. I paid quite a bit for them,

and since I haven't worn them for a long time,

 I thought it would be worth a try to change them up

So I operated on them, and cut off the gladiator strap 

It worked out pretty well!

Here are the sandals in their original form,

in an outfit from early fall, 2019

As Jodie from a Touch of Style says,

 be the boss of your clothes!

We'll see how this modification works out,

 because I really don't think I would wear these sandals

 as gladiators anymore

Hope you enjoy your week!

 

 

Coral and Floral for Spring

Hello, and welcome to my blog

It's April at last

🌧️=🌼🪻🌸!

Easter season is my signal

that it is time to switch out my wardrobe

to my spring and summer clothes,

 little by little, one box at a time

So out come the corals and florals!

During the past few years,

I have been keeping more things out year round,

as I find myself relying on layers for all seasons

Coral is becoming one of my favorite colors

 to wear year round

The color looks especially nice

 with other bright colors and neutrals like white

An added perk of shades of this color

 is that they look good on almost everyone!

Do you have any coral in your wardrobe?

Today, I am wearing a coral color blazer,

 with an ivory blouse layered underneath

 My skirt has a dark background,

 with a popping coral floral print,

 that has green and white in the mix, as well

 This style of flared skirt has had a resurgence, 

and has been very popular over the past two years

 The triangular inserts for extra fullness are called godets

and add even more flare to skirts and dresses when added

 Naturally, I took an immediate liking to this style,

and have added a few of this style of skirt to my wardrobe

I am taking advantage of their popularity

 while there are more available to purchase

 

This skirt is made of rayon

 Since rayon is such a soft and drape-able fabric 

   it is not too overwhelmingly full,

until you twirl!

Even though this heart-shaped bag is off-white,

 it stays out all seasons

It adds a touch of whimsy and lightness

to just about any outfit 

For jewelry with this transitional look,

 I am wearing my gold tone initial necklace,

  an open design cuff bracelet,

 and white enamel half daisy earrings,

 with yellow pave rhinestone centers

Black low heel Mary Jane slides

 with grommet and bow details

to finish the outfit

Below is a photo from when I first purchased this blazer,

 way back in spring 2020

Hope everyone is enjoying their spring!

 

Easter Season

Hello, and thanks for stopping by my blog today

Wishing you all a very happy Easter season!

🌼🐣🌼

This year I am going for 

a little change in this Easter season outfit

 Normally it is full on florals and pastels

 to welcome the new season

 Today, I decided on a bit of an atypical dress

 It is a batik like print of bright pinks and purples

The dress is sleeveless,

so I am wearing a white peplum jacket/topper

 with elbow length puff sleeves

 Things are warming up,

 but not quite warm enough for a sleeveless dress, yet

The jacket has lots of nice details,

including a square neckline and princess seams

Also a wide waist sash that can be tied

into a big bow 🎀 

With April is just around the corner,

 and I can hardly believe that spring is finally here- 

and it is actually starting to feel like spring!

 The temperature is warming up,

 and at last the daffodils have bloomed

Our whole neighborhood has come to life with yellow flowers

 It definitely lifts my spirits

How about you,

does the weather effect your mood?

I can't imagine living in a climate with a constant cloud cover-

but I guess you find ways to adapt

Dopamine dressing maybe?

For accessories, I decided to go with

 an ivory embossed fold over clutch

 This season, many women

 are probably realizing 

that white is not just white, as with all other colors

 There are so many shades!

With Cloud Dancer as the color of the year

 this fact has become very apparent to me   

I think I will just be trying for blending 

I am really ready for my summer accessories,

 so today I chose a 1950's vintage necklace

 of white flowers and painted leaves

 Each flower has a rhinestone center

The gold tone open cuff bracelet,

 and hoop earrings are current

I long age nixed the

 "no white shoes until after Memorial Day" rule

 Wearing off white woven ankle strap

low heels to finish the outfit

From 2022, a more typical full on floral for Easter! 

Some garden color, at last!

Hope everyone has a lovely holiday!

 

Our Wedding Anniversary

 Hello, and thanks for stopping by

my blog today!

 In celebration of our wedding anniversary, which was March 18, Roger and I decided to get out our wedding clothes, 

and take some pictures of us in them now,

for fun and memories 

Our outfits were relatively simple for a wedding,

 as the ceremony was held on the beautiful beach at

 Cane Garden Bay, on the British Virgin Island of Tortola

My dress is not of the time, (1997) but is vintage,

from the late 30s or early 40's

    I  don't think it was meant to be a wedding dress

 I guess it could have been, during the war years

 Most likely, it was first worn by a young woman

 to a very special party or occasion,

 or possibly to her coming out celebration

Of course, I would love to be temporarily transported back

 to all of the previous times this dress was worn,

to learn all about it's previous life

before it came into my hands

I purchased it at an estate sale and at the time,

 had no idea it would become my wedding dress

Below, Roger is in light neutral colors in cotton and linen

It was hotter than usual for March in Tortola

A tie would have been suffocating,

and we certainly didn't want the groom

 to be passed out in a faint, 

so we left it behind

Boxy oversize cuts in general,

 as well as pleated trousers were in fashion 

at the time, and are pretty classic

 His look has come in and out of style several times 1997,

and if he wore it on the street today,

 no one would know it is nearly 30 years old

 

 I love all of the attention to detail and feminine touches,

and the overall modesty of my sweet dress 

It is made of ivory color rayon taffeta,

 which is an amazingly durable fabric

 Everything had to be carefully washed by hand

 after we got home, due to the hem of the dress and long veil 

literally being doused in salt sea water

Thankfully, everything came out

 looking as well as it did before

Hitched after six years of dating

(I had very cold feet, but made the right decision, at last!)

If you are married, did you wear

 a traditional wedding dress?

Do you have it packed away for sentimental reasons or have you sold or given it away, I wonder?

 

Recently, I watched a British reality TV show

 called Second Chance Dress

The premise is that a broker brings together previous brides

 who want to sell their wedding dresses,

 with brides-to-be who want to purchase

 a previously owned dress

 I am fascinated by this show,

 but I don't think I could ever part with my dress,

 it has so many lovely memories

My original hat and veil are pictured at the bottom of the post

They proved to be too cumbersome for this indoor photo

Here is the stand-in headpiece and veil

For jewelry I am wearing a 1950s vintage necklace

 of pink heart shapes, and a three strand creamy colored

pearl bracelet from the 1940's 

Also, current pink pave flower shaped post earrings 

Another accessory is this metallic gold bow belt

Neither of us kept track of our wedding shoes, though 

 Substituting a nude suede slip-on with a double tuxedo bow

 My original veil has three stepped layers of tulle

 and a long train

  I modified it by attaching it to a vintage 

1940's ivory straw cartwheel hat

  It was so much fun to play with on the breezy beach,

 it made some very fun photos

Hope you enjoyed our re-creation,

a few film pictures are at the bottom of the March 2024 post 

titled "Wedding Anniversary", if you are interested

in seeing them

 Have a good week!

Happy St. Patrick's Week-May the Luck 'o the Irish be with You!

Hello, and thanks for stopping by-

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all,

whether you are Irish, or not!

Today, I am wearing a bit of green, in honor of the holiday

🍀

I chose a forest green faux suede,

A-line dress, and in an attempt

 to lighten up what would be a darker winter outfit,

I chose an ivory belted asymmetrical vest

to layered over it

Roger has joined me today,

 in black trousers and a white dress shirt, plus

he has chosen a forest green, blue and black print tie

 to compliment my dress

 Unfortunately, I am standing in the way, in this photo,

and most of his tie is hidden,

so it's pictured below-

interesting seafaring print! 

Do you like to dress in the colors of the holidays?

It provides me the opportunity to build an outfit 

 that I might not have tried without the prompt 

For instance, I really hadn't thought of wearing 

short sleeves under this vest!

I chose a two tone faux suede camel colored bag

 to further brighten up this outfit,

with a red, green and navy plaid scarf

  tied to the handle for a little pop of color

Scarves have been a staple for me for years,

and all of a sudden this season they are everywhere!

Bringing in a little more color  

with a vintage red rose leather brooch

Other jewelry includes a bold, gold tone open cage bracelet,

 and 50's vintage abstract design clip on earrings 

More blending colors, with the silk scarf in my hair

 This scarf is so easy to work with,

 the silk drapes and folds so beautifully

 It is a very grand design, a print of jewelry

 festooned with diamonds on a background,

 in tones of teal, red and navy blue

I chose camel tan d'Orsay buckle detail,

 kitten heels for shoes

 I thought they complemented this outfit well,

 because they are very structured 

 Also, tan is a little different for me in the

winter to spring bridge season,

 because I so often go with a navy blue shoe

Plus, they match the bag-win,win!

I have found a photo of one more item I consigned

 with my fall and winter consignment

 This open cardigan has never been a favorite of mine

It is very heavy and bulky and a bit of a rusty red

that does not very mix well with the rest of my wardrobe

 I have mixed it in with my colors somewhat successfully

 over the years I have had it

 I thought I would wear it more as a jacket

 last September and October,

 but it just didn't work out well that way, except for with jeans,

so on it went to a new, happy home

Wearing the long cardigan in the winter of 2021

I discovered it is a perfect match for this skirt

 and this is the way I mostly wore it,

 with different tops and accessories

  It is very warm for wearing inside though,

 except for on the most freezing cold days of winter

I popped into the shop with a few

 non-clothing items to consign last week,

and am glad to see it has been sold 

 I hope it kept someone toasty warm this past winter!

Hope everyone enjoys the St. Patrick's day holiday

and has a good week!