Lace Dress in Autumnal Wine

 

Hello, and thanks for stopping by my blog today

The holiday season is fast approaching

and Thanksgiving is just around the corner, already!

Time seems to speed up, as the year comes to an end

 I like to be prepared, and plan some outfits

 for upcoming holiday events in advance

How about you?

Are you a pre-planner, or do you just know

 you can pull together

 the perfect outfit for whatever the occasion?

For me, it is good to check the closet for possibilities,

 to see if I am going to need anything special

This way, I am not as likely to be surprised

to find a hole in my wardrobe, at the last minute,

and impulse buy 

Last minute shopping for an outfit,

 of even a piece of an outfit, can be stressful,

especially at this time of year,

whenall eyes are on finding the perfect

 gift for others on my list!

I think this dress is just right for a get together

 during the holiday season

It is a rich wine color,

 which is a hue I associate with this time of year

 The dress is made of lace, and is completely lined

 with the same color fabric as the lace,

except for the sleeves, which are sheer

 The lace makes this dress special

I have had it for a couple of years,

but lace has re-emerged in a big way 

 for this fall and winter-so right on trend!

 I think the shirt waist style makes the dress not too fancy,

 so it has multiple styling possibilities

The bag I am carrying has been a little dream for years!

 It is very simple, and has been a go-to for me,

 in a metallic bronze color 

It is not too dark, so I use it all year round

It seems to blend in seamlessly with so many outfits,

dressy or casual, when nothing else seems to work

Subtle metallics can be magical!

 

The bag came with two straps, a short handle bag strap,

that could also be attached with both ends

on the same side, creating a wristlet,

 and a longer shoulder bag length strap

 Today I am carrying it without any of the straps,

as a clutch

It is a basic that I have had for a long time,

that has just turned out to be so much more versatile

 than I thought it would be-

I love it when this happens!

 Fortunately, it is well made of leather,

 and the metallic shows no signs of wear,

 after years of light use 

For jewelry I choose my large gold tone

 heart shaped post earrings,

 and a substantial asymmetrical bangle bracelet

 Other accessories for this outfit

 include a thin wine color reptile embossed belt,

to add some shape, since the dress is kind of boxy,

 and a gold beaded hairband

To lighten up the dark wine color a little bit, 

I chose my "I love you" conversation heart silk scarf, 

to wear around my neck,

in shades of pink and yellow with wine color lettering

Matchy wine asymmetrical strap heels to finish the look

Here is another item leaving my closet,

 with my fall and winter consignment

 It is an interesting piece (for someone else)

 It is a waterfall cardigan with black knit sleeves and back,

 and a black and white geometric printed chiffon front

  I purchased this back when waterfall cardigans were trending The style is very versatile, and has multiple styling options

  This is one of the few waterfall style

 tops or sweaters I purchased,

as I never really wore them very well

 It has hung around in my closet for years,

I think since 2018, and never got much wear

  I got creative with it and styled it several different ways,

 as well as hanging loose

I belted it and tied it,

but it was always a little swamping on me,

so off it goes to another creative soul

with different ideas for styling it!

Wearing the open waterfall cardigan

tied at the waist over a column of rust

back in the autumn of 2019

Here is a little seasonal porch decor-

Rusty tone mums for a change,

 and multi-colored gourds  

Hope you all enjoy your week! 

Sweater Dresses for Fall

 Hello, and thanks for stopping by!

Today, a decided on a sweater dress

 to showcase here on the blog

I am seeing a lot of sweater dresses

 in the shops and on social media this season,

 and more knits of all kinds, than even

Fall is generally the time of year for these,

but this year there seems to be an explosion of them!

Body con ribbed knit midi and maxi dresses,

as well as mini's that look like

 elongated chunky jumpers are everywhere

I may succumb to a long straight knit dress eventually,

but the knee length and flared skirt

on my green one today, is much more my style

It is a light heather green color,

 and is very soft and cozy

It has a faux wrap bodice and a sweet ruffled hem

It seems just right for a chilly November day

 

I usually get out my knit sweater dresses

 and wool items later in the season

 Generally too late, actually!

It seems January is the time to start wearing them,

when the weather here is the coldest

Funny thing is, this is about the time

   I am starting to dream of spring,

and am tired of looking at,

 and wearing my cold weather clothes-lol!

This year, I decided to sort through

 and get the winter knits and wools out to wear

 earlier in the season, to see how that goes

How about you, do you start pulling out your woolies,

and relish wearing your boots and bulky sweaters

at the first hint of fall?

I 

For a bag with this outfit, 

I chose a light tan quilted half moon style

 The short, chunky gold tone chain handle is tucked inside,

and I'm carrying it as a clutch today

 

For jewelry, I am wearing some pieces that I don't wear often

A bracelet that is a triple strand of faux black pearls,

 and a distressed metal bib statement necklace

 The necklace has organic,

 circular shaped discs interlocked together

Maybe I will wear these more in the coming months,

as both pieces seem wintery to me

 

A few more accessories,

wearing the sash tie belt that came with the dress in my hair,

and a green pony hair belt

Classic light tan with black toe cap sling back

block heels to finish the look

This is one of those pairs of great fitting shoes (for me)

that I wish I could go back and buy in all the colors!

I have similar styles, but have yet to find one

 that fits my foot, and the straps stay in place as well as these

Another sweater dress in my wardrobe 

that I wore during the winter of 2022 on the blog

 It looks black in the indoor photo,

 but it is actually a dark bluish purple

and has a subtle metallic thread

running through the knit

In sorting through my winter things,

 this skirt is one of the pieces that will be leaving my closet,

 with my fall appointment at the consignment shop

Here I am wearing the skirt way back in 2019,

shortly after I purchased it

 My hair is extremely short! As short as it has ever been.

 I had just gotten a new hair stylist and she did not follow  directions, or my photo

(I did not go back to her again)

Anyway, I think I will be consigning several

 of my heavier, wool skirts and other wool items,

 like this one, as I rarely wear them

  I am more inclined to layer for warmth these days

 Wool is a great natural fabric, but I have to layer underneath  For instance, a slip with a skirt, or a blouse under a sweater

  I cannot wear wool against my skin-too itchy and irritating!

I do like the interesting draping detail at the waist

on this piece, though

Fall is definitely in the air!

Mums-every time I will ponder,

and end up picking the yellow ones

Hope everyone has a good week

I know many of you are gearing up 

 for the upcoming holiday season

It will be a difficult one for some

I hope none of my blogging friends

are in need this holiday season

We plan a smaller Thanksgiving celebration

 this year, and have decided not to travel

I hope there is improvement for all

by the Christmas holidays!

  

Chocolate Brown with a Pop of Color

Hello, and welcome!

 Thanks for taking a moment to stop by my blog today

All of the brown tones are trending like mad this year,

thanks to Mocha Mousse being named

color of the year by Pantone

This really put brown back on the map 

after a fairly long hiatus!

Have you purchased any brown pieces this season,

 or are you wearing some neglected things in your wardrobe?

I have not seen one color

 so completely take over for many seasons-

brown is everywhere!

🤎🟤 🟫 🐻

I have been putting the few brown pieces

 I already have in my closet into rotation,

and this chocolate brown skirt is one of them

This outfit formula is an infinitely variable go-to for me, 

all year round, but especially for fall

 A jacket or sweater, layered over a blouse or top,

 with a skirt or trousers

Today I am wearing a beige cropped weskit style jacket

with a dark brown sleeveless top underneath,

paired with a chocolate brown button front knee length skirt

The jacket is structured and somewhat fitted,

 going along with the current revival

 of the eighties nipped in at the waist silhouette

A professional combination that never fails!

Just adding a few key accessories can make it special

I chose, an unusual bag

 to add interest to this basic combination

The bag is decorated in various shades

 of blue and green applied strips,

 with a square gold tone handle 

For jewelry I chose an enamel

  teal green color hummingbird in flight brooch,

 It is decorated with aqua rhinestones 

Other jewelry is a gold tone bar hinged bracelet,

 and cushion fossil post earrings dyed blue-green

  A long rectangular soft teal scarf is

knotted around my neck and tucked into the jacket

For shoes, I chose my reptile embossed

 Mary Jane sling backs, with contrasting tan trim

 I have had these for a long time,

and wore them frequently when I first bought them,

 and then rarely for a while

 Now they are back in style, and rotation!

I also styled a chocolate brown skirt

earlier this season,

 back in September with a short sleeve sweater,  

for a post titled "Classic Sweater Girl" 

These are two different skirts,

 they look more similar than they really are in the photos

 Both are button front styles, this one is linen,

 and the one I'm wearing today is a rayon blend

Funny how the linen one lived in my summer wardrobe,

 and the rayon one, with my fall and winter clothes

What do you think?

Maybe I don't really need them both!

  

A lesser worn skirt that is leaving my closet

in my fall/winter closet cull,

 is this wool plaid midi

You know I love a swingy, full skirt,

 but this one is a lot of skirt to handle!

  It is lined, which is good for wool, but heavy to wear

  I am ousting it, along with some other wool things

in my winter wardrobe for lack of versatility,

 that I can really only wear a small part 

of the winter season

A photo from a post 

of me wearing the skirt in the winter of 2022

This must have been a really freezing cold day,

because I am wearing boots, which is a rarity!

 Hope everyone has a good week!