Back to September

Hello my dear friends and readers,

November has been a busy month so far, and to tell the truth I haven't even taken any new outfit photos yet. But I still have some unposted outfits from the past months, and why not use the power of our imagination, and instead of documenting what's happening right now, get into a time machine to travel a couple of months back?

5 Years and 500 Posts!

Dear friends and readers, join me in the celebration of 5 years and 500 posts of In The Writer's Closet! Some time back in the Spring, I noticed that I was getting pretty close to the big round number of 500. That presented an interesting opportunity and challenge to write the exact amount of posts to sort of happily coincide with my 5th year blog anniversary. But then I realized that to me, it would feel too restrictive to try to fit in a certain number of posts... What if I would not feel like posting so often? Or, the opposite of that, what if I would had so much to share that I arrived at the 500th post too early? So after questioning myself like that and not having any answers, as I don't possess a crystal ball, I decided to let go of this intriguing idea and simply allow things unfold naturally. If it happened organically, then so be it, and if not, then oh well, it wouldn't be the end of the world. And so I forgot about the idea. But some time in mid August, I realized that I am indeed arriving at the number 500 without any special efforts, and more than that - even though the actual date of my first post was September 9, I can choose to celebrate on the 5th as well, so here I am, 

5 years, 500 posts on the 5th! 

FIREWORKS!!!

Modish Matrons #21: Baroque

Hello dear friends and readers and MODISH MATRONS fans!

It is time for our new theme, and I thought that March would be perfect for BAROQUE!

Outshine the Sun

No worries, Pacific Northwest! 

When sun is hidden behind the clouds, I will come to the rescue. 

Modish Matrons #17: Art Deco

I am so happy to welcome friends to the new Modish Matrons party!

In November, the theme is inspired by my writer's imagination...and my writer's closet. I've chosen Art Deco, one of the most fascinating styles of visual arts that became truly international and dominated the world of art, design, fashion, jewelry, cars, trains, ocean liners, and of course architecture - for decades between the two world wars. I simply could not resist picking this theme for our Modish Matrons improvisations! I hope you are as eager as I am to read my beautiful co-hosts BEATE's and TINA's posts and see their visual/wearable interpretations of the theme.

Replace with Goodness

Sometimes, I get into a particular style (or rather it gets into me), and I just can't stop experimenting with it. This time, it's boho. I often hear that boho looks very organic one me - in fact, they say that it feels very me. To tell the truth, even though I love boho, to me it isn't very me, really. I appreciate its free-spirited vibe and whimsy, which does indeed feel like me. But I crave for a little more structure in clothes. And I think it is not only visually or how it literally feels on my body, but also emotionally, or spiritually, if you will. I think it's my inner craving for more structure in my life lately. I think that I am looking for a balance between freedom and structure.

Potpourri

 

A Merriem-Webster dictionary online defines the French word potpourri (literally: "rotten pot", a name for a meat stew popular in 17th century) as "a mixture of flowers, herbs, and spices that is usually kept in a jar and used for scent" or as "a miscellaneous collection". In the last September post, I decided to bring you a potpourri of my outfits, suitable for a transitional season. I wore these ensembles either in Spring of this year or in Fall a couple of years back, and even prepared photos for publication, but for whatever reason changed my mind and did not post them before, with one exception, when I posted and then changed my mind and deleted that post (yes, my mood can be that changeable - women, eh?). In this mix, I threw together a bunch of colors, shapes and styles; some leaves, petals, and even some bark; and a few classical paintings to make my potpourri more interesting and palatable. Have I stirred up your curiosity? No more introductions then - dive into my recipe!

Arboretum in Autumn

 

This Fall, when it comes to dresses (my favorite item of clothing), I am looking at budget options. I learned to trust my intuition, and when I feel a nudge to look at a certain store, even if it is not my usual shopping spot, I don't second-guess myself and don't ask why. This strategy pays off - I find plenty of beautiful, feminine affordable options. Perhaps the most unexpected find was the red dress from my previous post (HERE). Target started doing much more in terms of stylish plus size clothing in the last couple of years. The red dress that many of you liked so much is by Ava & Viv, Target's plus size line that they launched two or three years ago. At the price of $35, it won't break any pockets. It is my first purchase from this brand, so I really can't say much about the quality, other than I am pleasantly surprised. We will have to see how it holds up, of course. I can recommend to pay attention to the Who What Wear line as well, which offers both straight and plus sizes. I also found quite a few great dresses at Old Navy, including this beautiful Autumnal boho number. With a 50% discount, it came down to $32.50. So even if you are on a budget, there are wonderful options out there right now for us, plus size girls. Don't be afraid to experiment! Trying something new keeps our wardrobes and our lives exciting.

We'll All Become Mushrooms

It was a sunny, yet breezy day in Seattle, when Justin, Anya and I were walking through the streets of downtown which with all the tall buildings became wind tunnels, and I was wishing I had three, or better yet four hands to keep my cape that was trying to escape, and keep my floppy hat and flowy skirt down while also holding a purse and umbrella, in case it rained. We were walking to the most unusual event about which we got a recommendation just a week before, to see a presentation about bees and mushrooms - two subjects that we were curious about, but in a very separate-from-one-another way. I think that by now, many of you are aware of the critical situation with bees for the past several years, and you also might have heard that in January 2017, the first species (the rusty patched bumble bee) was officially declared under the federal protection (more about it HERE). Several more types of bees are potentially endangered in North America. Bees are the essential pollinators of wildflowers, fruit and crops, and it is pretty obvious that scientists are concerned and looking for ways to help the bees, and therefore plants, planet and us, people. But what does it have to do with mushrooms?

Winter Boho

What is there to say about my outfit? I was charmed with this bohemian dress - its gentle floral pattern and lace make it stand out. The reversible wool poncho with a tribal pattern and fringe has been a favorite for some time (shown HERE, HERE and HERE; more ponchos, wraps and ruanas HERE). I also love the juxtaposition of the two garments. I called this outfit Winter Boho, but of course it's perfect for Fall and early Spring as well. And I just know that this dress will be in heavy rotation year round, with the exception of hot Summer days.

Bohemian with Fringes & Hipster with Records

 

When I introduced you to my genuine suede fringed skirt in THIS POST recently, I mentioned that I had an idea of a more bohemian looking outfit with that same skirt, and now... voilà! I present you another outfit featuring the skirt, a more relaxed and a little bohemian one (a bit pilgrim-ish even), though it isn't exactly what I had in mind at first.

The Last Chord

Hello my friends and readers, and Happy Halloween!

I would like to finish October with the outfit that feels quintessentially Fall to me. I wore it to a walk, dinner out and a movie this past weekend. It has many remixed pieces that I've shown before, and it just makes sense to include it with all those other Autumn ensembles I've shared recently. It's like a finishing touch, the last chord in my October music piece. I have a feeling that November will be different. We'll see!

Is It a Sofa? Is It a Bird?

This outfit is very me. The big and bright yellow poncho made of a thick heavy fabric with rich texture that reminds one of the late 1960s/1970s upholstery fabrics is most definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but I happen to love it. It brings much needed sunshine to gloomy days - in fact, that's usually when I want to wear it the most, on gray cool days, which we have in abundance this October. To make the impact even stronger, I tend to pair this poncho with yellow pants too. 

Playful in a Park

 

Parks are for playing! Whether you play sports, enjoy time with your family and friends, or go for a walk, it's all about joy. We've been experiencing rainy weather here for the past few days, but there was some glorious sunshine too, and we took advantage of a sunny day to play in a local park and enjoy Autumn leafage this past Sunday.

Tell a Different Story

My taste in fashion, as well as my taste in life, is very eclectic, and after a few whimsical and retro inspired styles, I got hungry for some cool casual modern.

Korean Influences

On the right: Portrait of a Beauty by Shin Yun-bok (born 1758), source

This was almost a month ago, back in March, so no fresh green leaves on the trees behind me, neither blue bells, nor dandelions by my feet just yet. Our two-week-long Summer which I was writing about a couple of times lately was not hot (even our real Summer is rarely hot, for which I am greatly appreciative), but we steadily had temperatures around 70 F (21 C) and glorious SUNSHINE, both of which make me insanely happy. It felt like having a mini vacation to restore both my physical and emotional health. But, we now have mild Spring temperatures again, clouds, sprinkles, in other words, all as usual, and while I am not having any new outfits to share from this week, I still have a few outfits and stories to share from the past month or so. Are you ready? Let's go.

Anthropology: Becoming an Artist

Anthropologie, the whimsical, artistic brand of clothing and home accessories was one I admired from afar, but hadn't bought anything simply because they don't carry plus sizes (I think the largest I've seen in stores was XL). That is, not till this season when I saw their ponchos and decided that they might fit me just right - and they did, despite the fact that they are marked as either L or XL, the cut is so generous, it easily will accommodate quite a range of sizes and body shapes, which are, along with the warmth and coziness, some of the great characteristics of this type of clothing.

What Is That Thing?

What makes us decide "today, I want to wear this and not that"? So many factors can be involved - the weather, the occasion, the way you feel, whether you want to be not just dressed up, but also comfortable, or you want mainly to feel at ease and not so dressed up at all... and so on. I still have days (will I always have them?) when I open my closet... and I don't like anything! The whole new closet to me please, right away! But today was not like those days at all. I opened my closet, briefly scanned my stuff and in a few seconds knew that the leopard print skirt was what I wanted to wear. Once you settle on at least one part of your outfit, the rest comes together pretty easily. At least, that's how it works for me.

City of Dreams. Part I

Earlier this Autumn, in September, we made a trip to one of our most favorite destinations around the Sound - Port Townsend. The town is located on the very northeastern tip of the Olympic Peninsula and is surrounded by the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Admiralty Inlet, by a harbor called Port Townsend Bay. The bay was named by Captain Vancouver, the famous English explorer whose name you can see all over the map both of the US and Canada - we've got Vancouver Island and Vancouver City in Canada, a town in Washington, plus mountains in Alaska and even New Zealand. George Vancouver originally named the bay Port Townshend after his friend Marquis of Townshend. 

Domino

This week is a bit hectic here, In the Writer's Closet, but I'm full of outfit ideas. I love it when one of my activities inspires another, and vice versa. One of my recent outfits actually inspired a character in my new story (pretty much all my stories start with a character, it almost feels like a character appears, introduce himself/herself to me and tell me their story). This outfit, on the other hand, was inspired by the piece of writing I'm working on now - all in its own time, but I will reveal that hopefully pretty soon.