Military Glam

This piece was such a fun unexpected addition to my wardrobe. I used to wear jumpsuits, but it was years ago! The very first one my mom (a beautiful, elegant and stylish woman herself who influenced my sense of style a lot as I understand it now) offered to have tailor made for me when I was only 12 or 13. No, I am not from a wealthy family. We lived quite unpretentiously, a family of four, on two very modest salaries of an elementary school teacher (mom) and an electrician (dad), in a tiny town in the depth of Siberia and the very center of Russia, near Krasnoyarsk. It was that era (mid 1980s) when being Soviet citizens offered few benefits, one of which was what we called ателье (atelier) where we could order clothes inexpensively tailor made for us (providing we could достать (get) precious fabric in the times of total deficit). Being a very style conscious girl herself, mom used to order tailor made clothes from time to time for herself, and from that historic moment on, for me. My first jumpsuit was a deep dark red (burgundy or wine?) color, with very similar lines as this olive green one, the only differences were long sleeves and a zipper which went all the way to the top. It even had a very similar collar! No pockets though. And no brass buttons.

 

I found this jumpsuit on Ashley Stewart website in tan at first (they call it Off Road Tan), but when spotted the little green rectangle near the word "color", I knew it was made for me. Do you know anybody who loves green more than I do? I'd like to meet this person!

  

 

Here you see me pairing this gorgeous piece with red mocassins by Pikolinos, one of my long time favorite shoe makers from Spain (some of the most comfy shoes I've ever owned). I own this pair for 7 or 8 years, and they still look and feel great! Sorry the photo above is from another day, but I just wanted to show off the intricate embroidery and rich colors. (I had a similar pair in golden yellow, but they got bid up, unfortunately.) I thought that my new purse (bought just a few days ago for around $100, discounted as always at TJ MAXX) by B Makowsky would be a perfect addition to the rich colors of my outfit.

 

 

And the final touch, of course - my бижутерия (bijouterie, costume jewellery). These are all very inexpensive pieces from various places: earrings made in India and bought in a boutique for $10 a few years back. The froggie is one of the newest additions to my ring collection - bought on final sale at Lane Bryant for something between $4 to $6. Bangles are from old Chico's collection - I wear them a lot since they go well with almost everything in my closet. Finally, my latest antique mall find - the "golden" chain for only $10 (new pieces like this one may cost around $50 or more, so I was very happy to get a vintage one for such a good price).

Sunny weekend with my beloved one (and the talented photographer of my blog :).

Here you can see not only my froggie, but the fabric of the jumpsuit better. The mix of a few threads is actually a bit shiny which gives the outfit a definite glamorous appeal. I have to say that I was buying кота в мешке (a cat in a sack) as we say, not being familiar with Ashley Stewart quality. But I think I will be back for more of their fun and very playful outfits! I haven't washed the jumpsuit yet, but I wore it the whole day, and the few subtle wrinkles that appeared through the day seem to look very natural here. I would recommend to wait for a sale - I actually got this piece for 30 to 40% off.

A few words about sizing. I read feedback carefully and realized that the jumpsuit runs a bit on a small side, so I got size 20 instead of my usual 16/18, and I do not regret it a bit. It is a bit roomy, but it gives me a freedom of moving which I love!

And at the end of my post, a quick recipe for a lovely picnic in a park or by water. Mixed greens, poached chicken breast, cucumber, orange, smoked almonds and your favorite Asian flavored salad dressing (I had new Bolthouse Farms' Miso Ginger). Fresh, healthy and satisfying, especially if you do not have any reaction to Sesame seeds like myself. No Tahini sauce or Baba Ghanoush for me. Oh bother. :) 

Have a lovely day!

Jumpsuit - Ashley Stewart. Shoes - Pikolinos (old collection). Purse - B Makowsky via TJ MAXX. Jewellery - Chico's (old), vintage and boutique finds.

Link to 52 Pick-Me-Up: Go Green!

Location: Cottage & Ruston Way, Tacoma