Tag: seasonal

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Outfit of the Week: Easy Black Cat Halloween Costume

Laura Byrnes Janelle Dress
Here, kitty kitty! My black cat Halloween costume is centered on Laura Byrnes’ Janelle dress.

This year, I’m revisiting my black cat Halloween costume from elementary school. I’m still wearing a kitty-ear headband, but I’ll be trading in my old black turtleneck for the Janelle dress in black from Laura Byrnes Black Label!

Its slinky black stretch satin and knit fabrics and cute buckled collar make the Janelle a perfect cat costume, but it’s also wonderful cocktail wear for any fancy occasion. Drawing inspiration from the art deco and futuristic aesthetics incorporated into the science fiction/film noir classic, Blade Runner, Laura’s created a beautiful dress suitable for an impressive Halloween ensemble, holiday parties, or a special date night! For those who want a little variety in their colorways, the Janelle is also available in a vibrant red, a deep blue, and a lustrous pewter gray. Continue reading “Outfit of the Week: Easy Black Cat Halloween Costume”

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Happy Hallowe’en!

NPG 6903; The Three Witches from Macbeth (Elizabeth Lamb, Viscountess Melbourne; Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire; Anne Seymour Damer) by Daniel Gardner
The Three Witches from Macbeth (Elizabeth Lamb, Viscountess Melbourne; Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire; Anne Seymour Damer) by Daniel Gardner

Hallowe’en season is here! To commemorate spookiness’ return, I’ve adjusted my blog theme to feature Daniel Gardner’s “Three Witches from Macbeth.” This pastel triple-portrait from 1775 features Lady Elizabeth Lamb, Viscountess of Melbourne; Georgiana Spencer Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire; and Mrs. Anne Seymour Damer, the artist, portrayed as the famous witches from Shakespeare’s play.

The famous Duchess of Devonshire was about eighteen years old when she posed for this piece. It was created not long after her marriage to the Duke, at around the same time she became a rising star in Britain’s most fashionable set, the bon ton. Following in her friend Lady Melbourne’s footsteps, and owing to her marriage into a powerful family of Whig partisans, she would also become the most celebrated political hostess in England.

The three friends make awfully cute sorceresses, don’t they? For more on this piece, check out its official entry at the National Portrait Gallery.

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Outfits of the Season: A very vintage autumn!

1920s Dress
Embroidery detail: 1920s cotton dress

When the 100+ degree weather finally subsides, I suddenly remember why fall is awesome:

  1. I don’t have to run the AC at night
  2. Halloween is coming
  3. Christmas isn’t far behind it
  4. I can wear nifty dark colors and heavier, fluffier, more luxurious fabrics

I just so happen to have a crap-ton of spiffy fall fashions from some of my favorite vintage purveyors. Continue reading “Outfits of the Season: A very vintage autumn!”

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Autumn colors, autumn wishes: Fall 2012 Pantones and more!

Yeah, it’s that time again. With autumn starting…tomorrow…the moment’s arrived for me to dig up the official Pantone fashion color report for fall, 2012. You may remember my dismay at last year’s muted, somewhat muddy palette. This season’s colors are a welcome change, incorporating clearer, cooler, crisper colors:

Pantone Fashion Color Report Fall 2012
Pantone Fashion Color Report Fall 2012.

Continue reading “Autumn colors, autumn wishes: Fall 2012 Pantones and more!”

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Outfits of the Season: Blue and white wiggles!

Custom Mad Men dress by Morningstar84.

While not as comfortable in super-hot weather as their swing-skirted cousins, wiggle dresses can still look sharp in summer colors!

My current favorite is this stunning version of the blue and white linen dress worn by Christina Hendricks as Mad Men‘s Joan Harris, created for me by Esther of Morningstar84 on Etsy: Continue reading “Outfits of the Season: Blue and white wiggles!”

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Outfits of the Season: Surviving summer work

Ginger in Circus Print
Pinup Couture Ginger dress in Circus print.

Since I live and work in a region where temperatures shoot well above 100 degrees Farenheit, it’s always difficult for me to balance summer comfort with professional elegance. Some days it just isn’t possible to trudge across scorching hot parking lots and up four flights of stairs in uncomfortable heels and sweltering Spanx, so I try to mix things up with lightweight fabric swing sundresses, white summer cardigans for coverage and for their reflective and sunscreening properties, flats, and “flatform” shoes. Continue reading “Outfits of the Season: Surviving summer work”