Thursday, July 12, 2018

Having Fun with Style


I wore this outfit a week ago, and I couldn't wait to share it with you - I love it so much!
(Insert many sparkly heart emojis right here!) It is one of those outfits when I truly and freely had fun both creating and wearing it! And I can see many different variations of it in the future.


I see dresses in this style in different colors on different sites. Mine is by Lane Bryant, and perhaps you can still find it online or in stores. It reminds me very much of a dress I designed and made myself when I was about 14 (that would be 1987-1988). It was red, with an unassuming pattern. (Now when I think of it, I wonder whether it was Indian - a small print all over the fabric, with a more elaborate border.) Cold shoulder was in style back then, and I got an idea to have several wide straps (3 or 4), connecting the two parts of the dress (the front and the back). I tried to find something like it on the Internet, to illustrate this idea, but there is nothing even remotely similar, and I honestly have no clue where I got my design idea back then! I think it just came to me - it really seemed pretty edgy. My dress had short sleeves (similar to a kimono or batwing sleeve) and drop waist with a self-tie belt. I absolutely loved that me-made dress and wore it all summer long (with any luck, even two summers in a row - you know us girls, we grow rapidly at that age).



Look at my accessories! To keep up with the playful spirit of the dress, I wore my hand-carved wooden parrots earrings (thrifted, bought on a jewelry sale in a garden last year) and this hand-made necklace with a painted rose in a sculpted frame, on a leather strap. It was a gift from IVANA of the art, style and travel blog A Little Place to Call My Own. At first, I thought Ivana made the necklace herself, since she is a very creative person and makes all sorts of arts and crafts, including costume jewelry, but Ivana mentioned that she bought it from another young woman. In any case, I love it and it suits me! Thank you, unknown artist! And thank you, Ivana!

TWIRL ALERT!!!




What else is curious about this outfit? The little wicker trunk is a Goodwill find (last year), probably about $5. I typically use it at home for storage, but it can also be used as a picnic basket, or, as shown here, as a purse, why not! I thought it went perfectly with the whole picture. The jacket is lots of fun, isn't it? It's another Goodwill find, made of a linen blend, and I wasn't supposed to wash it - yet I did! (We Russians wash pretty much everything.) When I got it out of the washer, at first it gave me reasons to panic...



"Thank goodness it wasn't an expensive investment," I thought to myself. Because the jacket certainly didn't look right! It looked like the outer (linen) part shrank, and the inner part (lining) was just hanging there as an unsightly bag! Yikes! But then I remembered some things I learned back in the days when I was sewing... they taught us to leave a little extra fabric for just such an occasion. I folded the  hanging lining fabric and ironed it - and it worked just fine! Everything looks right now! I'm happy that it does because I plan to wear this zebra print linen jacket in many different ways!



Have fun with your style! Do something unexpected! Take risks!
You will be surprised how rewarding it feels!

Dress - Lane Bryant
Linen jacket and wicker trunk -  thrifted via Goodwill
Earrings - thrifted
Necklace - gift
Hat - Old Navy (old)
Wedges - Clarks (last year)


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22 comments:

  1. Absolutely adorable. The red dress is so fresh and flattering. Love hearing about the one you made when you were younger.

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  2. what a lovely dress, particularly because of those happy remembrances of another one that you made and enjoyed!. And it fits you so nicely, You Look Fabulous!.
    Love the red dress with the zebra print and the hat, it looks really matchy, elegant and cool!. Always loving a red dress with some zing!
    besos

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    1. Thank you, dear Monica! I think every woman should have a red dress or two in her closet (and I generally don't believe in "shoulds")! The zebra jacket was a great find, and I heard it's trendy too! But it's that classic style which is never out of style, of course!

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  3. One Happy Lady in Red - Twirls on bridge. I had to smile at your joy.
    Nice to see you enjoying summer. JanF

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    1. Thank you Jan! Glad to hear you smiled!
      Hope your trip to Tacoma was a successful one!

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  4. That is such a spectacular dress, Natalia! And even if it's not an exact replica of the one you've designed when you were 12 (I am amazed!), I'm sure it will be the stuff of wonderful memories in years to come. What can be better than a red dress you can twirl in? I love the edgy vibe supplied by the black and white of your hat and zebra jacket (so glad you were able to save it) and the playfulness of the basket. Lots of love, and a happy weekend! xxx

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    1. Thank you, Ann! I used to design my own clothes and had some successes and some fails, but it was great fun! <3

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  5. we clearly flow on the same vibe!! yesterday i finished a post with the same "have fun with style" tone and scheduled it for sunday!
    gorgeous look!! that red dress is a stunner and your combo with black&white and a bit earthiness is genius. i totally remember the dresses from the 80´s - i know so exactly what you mean - i could sew it instantly :-D
    not only russians wash it all - east germans too ;-D
    much love! xxxxxx

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    1. Thank you, my dear! You and I are old school washing-wise, haha!
      I love that you noticed earthiness, I wouldn't know how to put it into words myself... You often surprise and delight me with your expressions - they are spot on!
      Lots of love!

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  6. I love te zebra print with the hat. And the straw basket blends with the straw hat.
    You just exhude happiness in this dress. The story is there in every twirl.
    Is this your new red lipstick?
    xo Jazzy Jack

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    1. Thank you, my darling!! This is one of oldies-but-goodies - it was before I bought new lipsticks, but I realized later that one of the new ones is the same as this color! :)))
      Love!

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  7. Natalia how amazing is this dress please! You look stunning in it. So a wonderful look. I love everything, the parrot earrings, shoes, bag, necklace and this jacket... you choose so well. Have fun with your style, this message is great!
    Much love and a huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you, dearest Tina! Parrot earrings have a bit of your vibe I think! :)
      Lots of love!

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  8. Wyglądasz cudownie:)))piękna sukienka i fantastyczny koszyk:)))Pozdrawiam serdecznie:))

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  9. Hi pretty twirly girl! :-)))
    Did I ever tell you that I love red? And that red is my favorite mixing-color with animal prints? If I did, you can certainly understand that I love this combination. And the sweet accessories, too. You look great in this mix!!!
    Hugs, my dear and best wishes!
    Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2018/07/anl-31-loblied-auf-ein-feines-fruchtchen.html

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    1. Dear Traude, I am not surprised you love red - it has so much energy, just like you have!
      Thank you!!!

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  10. What a beautiful look! From head to toe, it's absolutely perfect. That red dress looks divine on you and it is such a pretty dress. This shade of red looks amazing on you, and the cut of the dress is so feminine! I'm getting vintage vibes from the design of this dress, but it also looks modern. So interesting to read about the dress you made when you were 14. I loved playing with clothes at that age too...and now I think of it, I still do. I would have loved to see that dress you made and I can imagine how happy it made you feel. Really, creative projects are always good but when we are young perhaps they are especially important because they direct us into creative spheres when we are adults? Truth be told, I think we were actually lucky that in time when we were teenagers, there were no online shops and we often had to improvise. Today it is so easy to find anything we want online- and it's as much as blessing as it is a curse!

    The accessories you picked up to go with this dress are wonderful. The first thing I noticed was that hat. It's so beautiful and ladylike. The straw bag is so pretty. I like the fact that it can also be a picnic bag. It's amazing how trends can make us realize that we can use things in a different way. I love the straw bag trend, but I don't want to buy a straw bag, I keep looking for items that I always have to follow a trend- as you have. That's the most creative and fun way to follow trends, if you ask me. Much more fun than just walking into store and buying something. Finding new uses for things we have is also good because it saves us from cluttering. I love to hang onto things, so reusing things is my way of making sure I don't pile on things. Anyway, that bag matches your espandrilla looking wedges nicely. Natural materials are always perfect for summer. The other accessories are wonderful as well. The parrot earrings are adorable, and the necklace looks like it was made for this dress, I love it. Thanks for the mention:).

    The zebra jacket is fabulous...glad to see that washing it didn't ruin it. I tend to wash everything too. From sneakers to tote bags, I just ignore that 'dry clean' only label. I feel like something isn't really clean unless it has been washed in a washing machine. I might be wrong, but such is my custom. I used to be obsessed with ironing everything, from socks to underwear, but I can tell you that I've fortunately got over that obsession. Now I iron clothes only when I can't avoid it. In summer, Mostar is really dreadfully hot, I don't think I could survive much ironing.

    Have a wonderful day!!!
    xoxo

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    1. You, Beate and I are old school girls!! I used to iron bras and bed linens when I lived in Russia - imagine that? Crazy!!! Now, and totally over it, and just like you, I avoid ironing every time I can. Clothes still wrinkle - such is life, why even waste time on it, haha?

      I think our upbringing in poor countries had its pluses and minuses, just as anything really. I am glad I don't have to come up with the ways to find, buy, reuse etc. constantly only a few things in my wardrobe. I am very much for abundance, variety and affordable fashion! But at the same time, my daughter now (15) has a hard time to find things she loves - out of all this crazy variety! It's also a state of mind or the age of being especially picky. So now she wants to learn sewing (which is great)!

      Lots of love!

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  11. A perfect dress for twirling - it looks so crisp and fresh! Fab hat, too! xxx

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