Fabulous Fashion

[Meltintalle]

Speaking of fashion websites to browse... are you familiar with Cabbages and Roses? I don't know if I like the clothes or just the photoshoot styling, but I like just about everything from Autumn/Winter 2012...

(Pssst, hey Valia! 42 in Spring/Summer 2014 reminds me of the girl in The 39 Steps... )

[aileth]

Oh, heels! The one time I tried them--they were Mom's--they were far too big and I wobbled like crazy. Haven't tried them since. Well, that's not quite true. I tried those same shoes a few months back; they were too small and I still wobbled. And we're not talking about 6 inch stilettos, either. I am tall as well (5'9) and the only benefit to wearing heels is for the relief of wearing flats afterwards

Sorry, Rosie, I should ask before coming up with extra nicknames. After all, you might not have liked it. Note to self: do not post i)when tired, ii)late at night, iii)in a hurry. The strangest things come out.

That Autumn 2012 collection is amazing, Melty. I feel a story coming on just looking at it. Oh no, I didn't need more story ideas. Now how am I going to tie them all together? Hmm...

[ValiantArcher]

(Oooh, it does, Mel! How cool!)

I went shopping a couple weeks ago, and actually found several new pairs of shoes (which is super exciting because my feet are hard to fit and then there aren't very many options when I do find shoes in my size ). I got a pair of flat brown sandals (I don't usually like backless shoes because of the gap between heel and shoe that is created when I walk, but this pair actually stays on really well and only a tiny gap occurs), a pair of wedge brown sandals (I almost never get heels and think wedges usually look pretty ridiculous, but again these are pretty comfortable and the wedge actually looks decent; I haven't figured out an outfit to wear with them yet though...I'm not sure blue and light brown go together so well?), and then a pair of black boots (I'm looking forward to wearing these when it gets cooler!).

I really need to sort through my wardrobe and get rid of stuff that I don't wear or that's worn out. I like the idea of repurposing/refashioning/remaking clothes but have never done it and am not good at figuring out what looks good. Has anyone else refashioned clothes?

[Gymfan15]

Blue and light brown go together awesomely. I have a navy blue lace dress that I wear with a thin brown belt and oxford-style heels and it's super cute.

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

Speaking of fashion websites to browse... are you familiar with Cabbages and Roses? I don't know if I like the clothes or just the photoshoot styling, but I like just about everything from Autumn/Winter 2012...

Oooh! Those are lovely photographs. I love ensemble with the plaid skirt and the dark gray sweater; it looks so cozy and the hairstyle they paired it with is just adorable. The picture of the girl with the single braid wearing a beret reminds me a little bit of Jill Pole; perhaps what she'd look like at the beginning of The Silver Chair. I think it's the expression and color palette; that outfit looks as though it would fit nicely with a "dull autumn day".

Sorry, Rosie, I should ask before coming up with extra nicknames. After all, you might not have liked it. Note to self: do not post i)when tired, ii)late at night, iii)in a hurry. The strangest things come out.

No worries, I love nicknames! Receiving them and giving them.

Those brown sandals look so cute and comfortable, Valia! I love the style of the boots, too. They look like they would go really well with some nice leggings or a pair of colored tights and a skirt. Perfect for fall and winter!

I really need to sort through my wardrobe and get rid of stuff that I don't wear or that's worn out. I like the idea of repurposing/refashioning/remaking clothes but have never done it and am not good at figuring out what looks good. Has anyone else refashioned clothes?

Lol, usually when I re-purpose clothes, it means that I've turned them into pajamas. Over-cloroxing things is about the closest I get to remaking stuff. Sometimes I run denim through with a little clorox on the first wash after I buy it to keep the dye from leeching everywhere; one time I forgot that I was soaking a pair of shorts and they stayed in the clorox solution all night. They're kind of pinto-colored now, like a horse, and I think I actually like them better: I call them my "don't care" shorts. They're a fashion statement, to be sure.

Blue and light brown go together awesomely. I have a navy blue lace dress that I wear with a thin brown belt and oxford-style heels and it's super cute.

I concur on the topic of blue and light brown! I love that color combo. If you ever get a picture of that outfit, you should post it on here.

[Meltintalle]

That Autumn 2012 collection is amazing, Melty. I feel a story coming on just looking at it. Oh no, I didn't need more story ideas. Now how am I going to tie them all together? Hmm...

*hangs over aileth's shoulder to get a peek* That'd be a cool story, I'm sure.

Gymmie, you should post a picture. That sounds like a lovely outfit.

Has anyone else refashioned clothes?

Yes. I cut down some old skirts of my mom's and made a couple dresses and a skirt for my little sister. I have two more waiting for the same treatment. I've also got a man's suit coat that I want to cut down into a lady's blazer, but that project has been sitting around for a couple of years now so it doesn't count yet.

[aileth]

I've also got a man's suit coat that I want to cut down into a lady's blazer, but that project has been sitting around for a couple of years now so it doesn't count yet.

Glad to know that I'm not the only one who does that. We had a box of "mending" that got moved three times over 6 years, and I finally opened it up and went through it, discarding most of the stuff in it. I mean, if you haven't even seen it for fifteen years, you probably aren't going to get to it. I have this bad habit of taking things apart to alter, and then never quite getting them back together. (I love seam-ripping, provided it's not the fifth time I'm taking out the seam I just sewed )

Thank you for sharing that pattern, aileth! It's lovely! My favorite is the one on the left... that pattern in a lovely gingham fabric would make for one very happy Rose

The dress I have in mind (and the material in the closet) will use the bodice from that pattern, but with short sleeves and a square-cut neck. Black on black, with a bright yellow under the chiffony layer for the skirt. I do still have the first dress I made from that pattern; I rarely wear it. It is quite hot, and though I can still get into things I made when I was 16, they don't really fit anymore

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

The dress I have in mind (and the material in the closet) will use the bodice from that pattern, but with short sleeves and a square-cut neck. Black on black, with a bright yellow under the chiffony layer for the skirt.

That sounds lovely! If I'm envisioning it correctly, will it end up looking a little something like this, or perhaps this? (Ah, Recollections. ) Or maybe a cross between the two? Given my limited knowledge of sewing and dresses, there's a good chance that my mental image is way off base here.

[aileth]

I'm not quite sure what it'll look like, either seeing that I'm going to try to piece several patterns together. Hopefully it will look pretty much like the first example you have there, though with sleeves more like the second, only filmier. I'll see how it turns out; sometimes these ideas work and sometimes--they don't!

[Meltintalle]

(I love seam-ripping, provided it's not the fifth time I'm taking out the seam I just sewed )

Well, you can come rip seams for me and I'll sew your seams back up again for you.

That second dress, Rose, is lovely. I think I want one almost as much as I want a dress like this.

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

You'll have to keep us posted on your progress with the dress, aileth!

I love that dress, too, Mel. I think that, if I could only wear fashions from one decade, it would be the 50s.

And that dress! The collar, the double buttons...! I love sailor-inspired dresses. I've been admiring this dress over at ModCloth for a long time. (That bright red bow against the navy! *swoons*) This one is also pretty, though subtler.

[Lady Arwen]

* blows the dust off of the fashion thread *

A moment of silence for the nearly year that has gone by with no fashion comments.....

Ok, moment's over.

I thought I would pop in because I am going to an intensive conference for which I will need 1) a new suit and 2) a cocktail dress. I know that I at least want both to hit my knee, and that the cocktail dress should be black or red (because...I'm built to wear black and red. ) I like this piece from modcloth, but I can't seem to figure out what that weird fabric fold is about in the middle of the dress. Does anyone else see it? Another part of me really wants to go with this dress because it is amazingly beautiful, and I know that my friend who went to this conference a couple years ago, said a good number of women were wearing long dresses. I also feel like I could make it a little less dressy and more professional dress by throwing a black blazer over it.

As for suitings...well, so far, I'm striking out. -_- I may end up having to go to a Nordstrom Rack or something. I desperately need a new black one (my old one is falling apart), but I can't find one in my price range. And here I thought that I might be able to fill some basic summer holes in my closet this month....

[aileth]

It looks like a sideways sort of dart, Wren, with the dart on the outside instead of inwards. There's stitching along the top, and then the ends are tucked into the middle seam. The vertical darts are as usual -- never seen anything like that before.

Either one would be nice, I'm sure, though I'm not a bare shoulders person myself. But paired with a blazer...hmm, could look really nifty.

[IloveFauns]

The first one looks more suited to a conference in my opinion. I do like the green(mainly because i am pale with orange hair(died)) and colour coulers go better than warmer ones.

I have recently bought this dress from modcloth: http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/so ... bout-dress

It actually a good fit for me, though many in the comments say the neckline is too high from them.

I also purchased these shoes http://www.modcloth.com/shop/shoes-boot ... -in-cognac

I do love them, I can't wear thin heeled shoes because i end up tripping.

[Lady Arwen]

Glad you could figure out what it is, aileth. I don't think I like it poking out like that...it makes me feel like the dress is unfinished.

I'm not really a bare shoulders girl, either, mainly because I have to wear supportwear, but it is quite pretty...I'll have to think about it, but think fast, too.

Suit hunting isn't going too well, mainly because it's right when everyone is switching styles, so there are hardly any suits that aren't in clearance or that are in clearance and look nice. I found this number, but it is unfortunately unavailable in my size...sigh....

Anyway, I'm pretty much frustrated with shopping, and wish I had enough time to cut and sew one myself, because then it would be properly proportioned and it would actually fit me. -_-

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

I ran across an article today that was really helpful for determining body shape. I thought you guys might find it useful! I've used online calculators in the past and would sometimes get "body type unavailable" after putting my numbers in, and that was always a bit dismaying.

While not exactly high fashion, I got a new fleece jacket for winter and I really like it. (You can find it for better prices/more colors on Amazon.) I'm 5'8" but it's still long enough to wear with leggings and I love that. I bought it in the "Quill" color and it's sort of an aubergine shade of purple. (I do feel a little bit like a Teletubby when I have the hood up. )