Today I’m very excited to show you my winter dress style! Yes, I wear my dresses all through the winter. I love dresses as we all know and it would make me sad to have to stop wearing them when it got cold. So I thought in today’s post, I would do two things:
Show you a dress I wore in the summer/fall re-styled for winter
Show you a few hacks to stay warm (as ladies, I know this is likely the biggest reason you think you need to pack those dresses away as soon as the temperature starts dropping)
Also today I am excited to be co-hosting another linkup. These days I seem to be co-hosting a lot of them, right? Well linkups are one of the first ways I really met and connected with other bloggers. I have learned so much from all the other fashion bloggers I regularly link up with. And I must say, they are all so nice! So why not co-host? Today’s linkup is called Start the Week Stylish. It’s weekly hosts are Michelle’s Pa(i)ge and Northwest Blonde. The theme is “winter chic.” And if you’re a fashion blogger, feel free to go ahead and link up with us below! Join the party!
I recently realized that I have a classic winter look. Furthermore when you add in that my current wardrobe in Spain consists of what fit in my suitcases plus a few things I’ve bought over here, this look is one I wear a lot. Little booties seem to be very on-trend over here in Spain. So while I brought my own boots over as well, I often prefer these with a dress.
When I think of my ideal winter wedding look, I think of something cute and warm. I always like to be warm and truly think that you can still look just as cute in the winter as in the summer. Furthermore, I think you can still wear your dresses all through the winter! As long as you have the right tights, shoes, scarves, sweaters and such, the cold will not be an issue!
I’m also excited to be collaborating with four other fashion bloggers from around the world. In the fall, Ada from Elegance and Mommyhood had approached me to be a part of the fall wedding collaboration. It was lots of fun and you can read about it here. So when she approached me about a winter wedding collaboration, I said sure! I had recently shot these green dress photos of a new photographer here in Granada. So it seemed to work perfectly.
Green is one of my colors. We all have a set of colors that look killer on us and green just happens to be one of mine. Our colors may be different than our favorite colors. For example, I absolutely loved pink in middle school and high school. In fact my old e-mail address was pinkchica474@fuse.net. And little did I know back then that Spanish would later become my second language. However pink, unless it’s a very dark pink, tends to just wash me out. I have fair skin and blue eyes, so lighter colors like yellow and pink are often a no-go.
So green was never necessarily a “favorite” color like pink, blue or purple. However I look amazing in it. I’m not just saying this because I have some big ego and think I always look amazing (because really, who does?). Whenever I put on green, I get lots of compliments. A royal green tends to be a nice, warm contrast to my fair skin, blue eyes and light hair. So because of this, I’ve sought out more green in my wardrobe over the years.
Do you know what your colors are? If you are a tad unsure, I’m here to help! When we discover what our perfect colors are, it makes shopping so much easier and worry-free. If we buy a cocktail dress in one of our colors, we are way more likely to wear it over and over again. So in reality, the biggest benefit to discovering our colors is that it makes us wiser shoppers. And more than anything, I’m a huge fan of shopping wisely.
Here are a few of my tips for discovering your colors:
1. Start by looking in the mirror
You’re simply going to want to take a close look at yourself. What is your skin tone? Is it dark? Is it more of an olive? Or is it incredibly light, like me? What color are your eyes and hair? Write all these things down!
2. Let’s look at colors!
Go through your wardrobe and start holding stuff up. For me, for example, yellow or beige just washes me out. Perhaps light green or blue look awful on you. Perhaps pink goes perfectly with your olive skin. Here are a few cheats that generally tend to work:
Blue eyes: blue or green
Olive skin, dark brown eyes: orange, pink
Green eyes: grey, light pink
Darker skin tones: yellow, beige, pink
3. Dress accordingly!
So blue maybe isn’t your color and it’s your favorite. That doesn’t mean you have to completely shut all blue out of your life. Perhaps you can add blue accents to your outfits. I personally love adding little pops of color here and there to my outfits.
Overall, no one needs to like buy a whole new wardrobe. That’s ridiculous. However knowing your colors can make shopping for new things a little more easier. I don’t know about you but the older I get, the more cautious of a shopper I become. I really take the time to think about what I’m purchasing and when I’ll actually wear it. I’ve found knowing my colors really helps when doing this.
My look and my colors
Dark green is one of my colors, so I was initially drawn to this dress. This was, oddly enough, the first dress I bought on Modcloth. While I have been a fan of the online shop for years and have spent lots of time looking through all their AMAZING dresses (they have so many), I had never bought anything. Perhaps it was the online plunge? I’ll admit that when buying things online, the sheer fact that it’s the Internet can be daunting. What if it fits funny? What if the pictures are misleading?
Well you know what? I actually had to send this dress back when I first got it. In a way, my fears came true. When I initially got my order in the mail, the slip stuck out from underneath the green lace part by about two inches. It looked awful. However if you’ll take a gander at the pictures below, you’ll see that this is not the case. That’s because their customer support is so ridiculously easy!
I often work in the evenings and return to my house around 8:30-9 p.m. It’s too late to call a call center and I’d honestly probably not have time the next day between the hours of 9-5. However Modcloth offers a customer support online chat feature. I chatted with someone and she right away put in to send me a new dress. It arrived just a few days later and was perfect! I love how easily accessible their customer support is and how friendly they are. I have also bought things from Modcloth since with no issues.
This dress was in one of my colors and it was on sale. I’m glad I bought it! I ended up wearing this dress to my friend Sara’s rehearsal dinner. And this necklace unexpectedly paired so nicely with it. I oddly found this necklace at a craft store for $6! Sometimes some of your most-loved accessories are found in the most unlikely places.
These photos were shot by a lovely photographer named Paige Dunn just as the sun was starting to set.
It’s that time of year where the sun is more or less out to stay. We no longer need tights or even leggings when wearing our dresses. We can also unpack those sundresses with bright colors and floral. Spring has arrived.
I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of sundresses. I often want to wear these dresses to my job, which is in an office. It can be perplexing … how do you make something with no sleeves and often no back appropriate for the 9-5.
I mean, you cannot necessarily waltz into corporate America like this …
Hey guys, I’m ready to work. Don’t mind like all the cleavage and my back. Yeah, no big deal.
Not.
So here are three simple things you can add to that sundress to make it so your co-workers don’t have to stare at your back all day.
1. The blazer
When I put on a blazer, I feel powerful. I can do all the things a man can and many things better. Blazers remind me that us women can kick a– in a man’s world.
This blazer has always been a favorite. In addition to it looking powerful, it’s simply comfortable.
While the red necklace does not necessarily hide the cleavage situation, it distracts it for sure.
2. The scarf
The scarf is probably my favorite cleavage fix. You may think that scarves are only for winter. You’ve thought wrong.
A well-placed scarf totally hides any cleavage. It’s an especially great trick if you work with children.
3. The sweater
We all have a cardigan sweater or two in our closets. These are perfect to make any sundress office appropriate. Here I opted for a belt to add a more polished look. You can also just leave the sweater open or button it half up.
What are your tips for dressing appropriately for work?
So 90’s fashion is now considered vintage. Does anyone else feel old? I for sure do! When I think back to the 90’s, Empire Records is the first thing that comes to mind. Then Blessed Union of Souls, the Gin Blossoms, Third Eye Blind and all the other great 90’s bands.
Today we look at Cece. Cece has been one of my best friends for just about eight years now. She currently resides in Chicago where she’s pursuing comedy and all things creative. When we’re together, we just laugh non-stop. In August, we’re taking a trip to Portland, Ore. together. That should be fun. We’re already thinking of calling it a “dresscation” and live tweeting, insta-ing, etc. You should check out Cece on Twitter here. Also she has her own website which you can check out here.
When my friend Cece and I got together several weeks back, she was in town from Chicago for about a week. She had 90’s dresses with her and she rocked them. These five things are so very classically 90’s.
1. The dress
While you do not have to wear a dress, we love dresses over here. Dresses in the 90’s often had an air of spunk to them. Perhaps that had to do with the influences of grunge and punk. Here are the two that Cece styled.
2. Combat boots
Okay so this makes me think of Liv Tyler in Empire Records. She wears that cute pleated skirt, sweater and combat boots. The 90’s was full of women pairing boots with dresses. And why not? I’ve always been a fan of that edgy-cute look and Cece rocks it so well!
3. Over-sized or button-down jackets
Again, 90’s fashion was full of grunge influence. With Seattle being such a cold and rainy city, people naturally gravitated to flannel and button-down shirts. Why not ditch that tiny cardigan and pair that dress with a larger sweater or a button-down shirt. If you have a boyfriend of husband, just steal one from him.
Here’s Cece and how she worked with layering and 90’s fashion.
4. Accessories
To recreate some 90’s fashion, you need the right accessories. Cece’s smiley-faced necklace was perfect. So were her sunglasses and polaroid camera.
5. The fanny
Okay confession: I do not think I’ll ever do the whole fanny pack thing. It just reminds me too much of sunblock and amusement parks. However they were apart of the 90’s. Here’s how Cece wore her’s.
Welcome to part 2 of The Dresses of Juliette. Today we look at an 1890’s dress. Juliette is a woman of many creative talents. Making costumes is what she does for fun. This week we take a look at three out of many … she has an entire room dedicated to the costumes she has made.
Today we go a little bigger and bolder than on Sunday. Today’s dress has bows, pastels and puffed sleeves. This gown resembles the styles of the United States and Europe in the late 1890’s.
The dress itself is bittersweet. She bought it the day after her cat passed away. One of her co-workers took her to a fabric shop to cheer her up. It was there that she felt this silk calling her name.
Any excuse to wear a tiara and hold a feather fan is a great day for me!
Juliette says her favorite part of creating costumes is that she gets to play pretend. When she puts these things on, she feels as though she can be someone else. There’s always a lot of fun to that.
I’m in awe.
The puffed sleeves are my favorite part. I just love how crazy and frilly they were. I would never want to wear puffed sleeves today. However I cannot imagine life 100’s of years ago.
Today, we take a step back in time. In this next three-part series, we will travel through time through the lens of dresses. Today, we start with the civil war era.
Meet Juliette Tebeau Bezold. She’s an Interior Designer, wife and mother. She also designs her own costumes for events such as the Ohio Renaissance Festival and the Old West Festival. Really, though, she makes her own costumes for fun. And she has an entire room in her house dedicated to them.
I initially met her at the Voodoo Carnival in February where her group The Horehounds Burlesque performed. I was introduced by a mutual friend and we got to talking about all the dresses and costumes she makes. I just had to come out and see them for myself.
This dress is a civil war era summer dress. She initially made it for Newport Vintage Dance Week, a week long gathering of people interested in vintage dance. During the day there’d be workshops and in the evening, there’d be dances and balls. There was always a seaside ball with a carousel, so she needed a light-weight, fluffy gown to ride the carousel.
It was quite an ordeal to put on with several layers. As I was helping Juliette with this process, I gave thought to dressing back then vs. dressing today. Most days, it takes me less than five minutes to put my physical clothing on. Then maybe I can add another 20 for fixing my hair, makeup and deciding what jewelry to wear. Back then, it was a process for sure.
First, it began with the under garments: bloomers and a corset. The corset would lace up in the back like shoe laces. Then there was the hoop skirt that would go under the actual dress, which makes it pouffy. Then the actual dress was put on over top and buttoned up. Last was the bonnet and gloves.
Even though this was a typical Spring and Summer dress of this time period, I cannot imagine how hot a dress like this must have been.
The detailing is also what strikes me. Juliette estimates that she spends about 200 hours on making a costume. Its simply amazing.
Costuming is one way in which Juliette connects with women of history.
“All that I can do on a machine, they had to do by hand,” she said. “Really a tailor was a man’s job. Women didn’t work on gowns a lot of times. The famous dress designers of the Victorian Era were men. There were female houses, but it was a man’s world.”
This week we will feature two more dresses as we move through time, ending in the Edwardian Era. I’m very excited and I hope you are too!
This week we’re popping in the closet of a woman who designs things. Jena Russo is the owner of Imbue, a local business that makes custom-designed dresses and jewelry. Her focus is on brides but she all welcomes women who want to add a little color and fun to their life. Also everything she makes is 100% vegan. Oddly enough, she’s said, there’s a strong vegan Instagram following that has brought new followers to her business. She herself is a committed vegan and loves that her business fits right in with her morals.
Jena studied fashion design at the University of Cincinnati’s school of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning. She started her business in 2013 as a place where brides could get unique and locally-made dresses. All of her dresses are not the typical white. The idea to name her business Imbue came from that idea.
“I was looking for a single word to sort of incapsulate what I was trying to do,” she said. “I wanted to inject a little more color and personality into the whole world of bridal wear. So the meaning of the word is to enliven, so I thought it seemed to fit.”
One of the dresses she made, in fact, is her own wedding dress. Here are a few shots of her modeling it for me:
Jena didn’t decide on dresses, however, until her last semester of college. It was at this time that she decided she wanted to put together a show for her final thesis project. The over-the-top fashion for the every-day person is bridal wear, so she decided that is where she wanted to focus. So for her project she made a collection of colorful bridal wear.
Over the course of the last two years, she fully designed 12-14 dresses. She also designs jewelry and hair pieces for brides. The accessories can be purchased on her website and the dresses are custom-made. So if you’re a bride who wants a unique dress, you can work with her to design the entire thing, start to finish. It’s the best way to ensure that no one else will have your dress!
She likes to think of her jewelry as “for the big day and everyday.” She thinks it’s neat that people can wear something that celebrates love as part of their everyday wear. Here are a few of her jewelry pieces:
Jena, like me, described herself as a dress nerd. So we had a little shoot in some of her other favorite dresses. It was neat for me to see how she weaved her accessories into her dresses.
This is what she calls her “power suit” of her dresses. It’s super comfy, she says.
Thanks to her husband for allowing his amp to be a prop in the shoot.
I urge you to go look at Imbue’s website. She also writes a blog all about fashion and her business on this site. It’s definitely worth checking out! Thanks Jena!
Becki Griswold has been a good friend for a little over seven years now. It’s crazy how time flies. Back in 2008, the two of us met through attending the same church. I had felt led to work with homeless people for some reason and Becki would go take food to homeless people Sunday afternoons with a group of friends. It was almost a little too perfect. So every Sunday for about a year or so, I’d go do this with her. While our group no longer does this (kids, marriage, moving away, life, etc.), I’d most definitely say this was one of the things that shaped my world view, prompted my passion for social justice and led me to work in the non-profit sector. I currently work with Latino immigrants at Su Casa Hispanic Center and absolutely love it. So thanks Becki!
Today, though, we take a look at her personal style. She has always had the cutest dresses!
Dress: vintage from Nvision
Becki now resides in Walnut Hills with her husband Jeremiah their family. Their home is a beautiful three-story building they bought to run their small business out of. Jeremiah is a tattoo artist and so their business is called White Whale Tattoo. The first floor is the tattoo space, the second floor are several apartments for rent and the third is where they live. These photos were taken in and around this beautiful space.
Becki’s proposal dress
This is a significant and special dress for Becki. Her wedding proposal happened in New York City in Central Park. Jeremiah and her were on a trip there and walking through the park when he decided to pop the question. One of her friends was also apparently hiding in the bushes taking pictures. This dress, she said, she bought that same day at Anthropologie. I remember that she also wore it to their engagement party at Neons, a fun local establishment with a nice upper room for parties.
That is what she said this dress feels like. It’s vintage.
Dress: vintage; Shoes: Urban Outfitters
Dress: from her friend Betsy; Shoes: Urban OutfittersDress: H&MDress: H&M; Hat: Target; Shoes: Steve Madden
The tattoo parlor
Then we decided to venture out of the cold for some shots inside the tattoo shop. If you are in the market for a tattoo in Cincinnati, White Wale is the place to go. Their simple and clean layout makes you feel right at home. Also Jeremiah is an amazing artist. He does amazing custom-designed work.
Dress: vintage
Thanks Becki! And happy Christmas eve to all!
Also, today I’m linking up with some of my blogger pals and their Christmas posts. I have recently started following Jersey Girl, Texan Heart. See what other style bloggers are posting here.
