Personal Style: Casual Glamour

I love bumming around in casual jersey. And when I say "bumming around", I mean running errands while wrestling with my kids. Usuallly, I would wear flats, but couldn't find them so I wore these trusty shoes. My (sold out) Shade jersey skirt is a little baggy and a little frumpy. Actually, it doesn't look quite as bad in person as it does in these photos. The fitted American Apparel athletic vintage fit gym tee is one of my favorite fits of all time. Unfortunately, the shirt doesn't hold up to washings very well and gets a little too faded/ pilly for my liking, but I'll survive. Especially since it's my favorite (sold out) Ich Liebe Etsy print.

So, I did this somewhat 40's wave with my bangs and another messy side chignon. Since I made my Ivory Rose earrings  using (increasingly harder to find) vintage cabs from around the same era, and donned my red lipstick, I feel justified. Casey has some wonderful retro hairstyle tutorials, and there are many on youtube as well.

 skirt: shade/ shirt: etsy / shoes: thrifted / earrings: jeweled ambrosia

To learn how to REALLY glam up this look, visit my post here.

*Linked to Clothed Much's Rule Breaking Monday.

Personal Style: Elegant Wench

Another odd shirt tuck rescue. I adore the cut and ruching on this top, though when untucked it looks like a poofy maternity shirt. So, I took my favorite assymentrical, raw edged jersey skirt and high waisted it. I always thought I was too short (at 4'11") for this, but now, I have to say, this is one of my favorite and most comfortable dress styles now. Even though it looks a bit pirate wench like, I love it.

 I kept accessories minimal, just my handmade metal roses earrings, black belt, and my favorite red lipstick.

Concerning my legs. As my sister would say, "I'm not pale, I'm angelic." Really, I used to be obsessed with tanning. But now, even though I love a little glow, I am just fine with my pasty white self. In some countries in a much different era, the milky complexion was considered a mark of royalty, as only the laborers were tan from hard work in the sun.

 I did a sort of a side chignon... a loose bun. I just put my hair in a low side ponytail, pulled at the crown for some height. I took about 4 sections of hair, and wrapped each one up and secured with a bobby pin. Probably used about 5 pins total. Similar to the cinnamon bun tutorial.

 shirt: thrifted/ skirt: thrifted/ belt: ny &company/ shoes: steve madden/ earrings: me (jeweled ambrosia)

*linked to Rule Breaking Monday.

Personal Style: Modern Modest Pin Up

I love pin up style, so to keep it modern, modest and casual, I did it with boyfriend jeans and a skinny belt. And of course, black liquid liner, red lips and a multi leveled updo.

Vintage beaded collars like this are so glamorous. You can find them easily on etsy, ebay and antique malls for a huge price range. Mine was fairly cheap, like under $10. You can find similar styles in fur as well, they often close with a rhinestone brooch. Love 'em.

For the hair, I just made a fairly lose bun. Then, I pulled the top crown area up and out and used one bobby pin to twist a poof into place.

cardi: Target
beaded collar: vintage etsy
belt: vintage calvin klein thrifted
jeans: gap, thrifted
bracelet: wrapped vintage necklace
lipstick: Rimmel moisture renew in Red Alert 900
shoes: forgot
earrings: handmade by me, Jeweled Ambrosia

*linked to clothed much's rule breaking monday (necklace as a bracelet)
* rate this look on smashion
 

Personal Style: Rule of Three

I didn't go anywhere today. But I thought, "Why not get at least a little bit cute?" Normally, I would have worn this shirt with ratty jeans (okay, pajama pants) and flip flops. I thought, there must be something simple I can do to work this and still feel "at home comfortable." I did technically break one rule with the brooch. Aren't brooches for like cardigans, jackets... basically things with a lapel? Well, I've always thought so, but I enjoyed using it on an old tee, and I think you can do it too.

So, I invented the Rule of Three.

*Three minimal accessories to posh up an otherwise unremarkable outfit.*

1. Red lipstick Rimmel moisture renew in Red Alert 900... (will do a post on wearing red lipstick soon)
2. Vintage brooch
3. Awesome shoes.... ones that compliment your outfit but are still comfortable.

I had a belt and rolled jeans to make 5 things I normally wouldn't do while just lazing around the house in a few pics, but the 3 pieces work just fine for me to turn a boring outfit into something a little less boring.

I even jazzed up my mom ponytail, by making it a tad higher than usual, wrapping it loosely for a bit of a mess and pulling the top part out like a crazy woman and twisting in a bobby pin for a bit of 'oomph'.

Sparkles... old vintage brooches can be found anywhere. I got this at an antique mall for very cheap. Tip: Brooches can be heavy.. if pinning on a loose shirt, grab it through a bit of your bra strap to stabilize it better.

 I loved these shoes like a lot. Thrifted, of course. They were too big... so I just tucked the strap since there were no holes for my size. Maybe I'll drill 'em later, but maybe not, the tuck looks kind of cute.

 See, cute but maybe too much going on with the belt and the side tuck. You think?

 hubs told me to walk as I stood there cluelessly...

 He always manages to get a bum shot.

 

My pound puppy, rescued when she was 4 months old... before I even met my husband.

She's almost 9 now, I love my Jackie Chup, though it makes me sad to see her aging,
and even sadder knowing what this lady did to her dog!

This is what he calls a 'perspective shot" So people can see how low I am to the ground since I'm barely 5"

Love him too, such a sweetheart. When we were dating and first married, people used to stop and

ask him if he was a model. Made me feel like a toad... a happy one, but a toad nonetheless.

So ladies, remember the Rule of Three. What small 3 things can you do to jazz yourself up today?

*shirt: target/ jeans: delias thrifted/ brooch: vintage thrifted/ shoes: apt 9 thrifted/ belt: vintage thrifted*
*linked to Clothed Much's Rule Breaking Monday... visit for lots of other rule breakers

*linked to Mom of Two Boys Fashion Fridays