Holes in My Wardrobe

Everybody has them. Holes in their wardrobe. Things they need, basics that they don't have. Items that would make their clothing work together better as a whole. Mine are pretty simple. Basic black leggings, patterned cardigans (this seasons staple), and socks and tights. I have a wishlist on Anthropologie that I if I had funds I would buy from. I drool over these sweaters. They are soooo luscious!






I can just imagine cuddling up in these sweaters this Winter while the cold winds howl.

They will be perfect paired with the black leggings I so desperately need. My old ones were too big so I gave them away and never got another pair to replace them.


These from Forever21 may be just the ticket. The price is super sweet at $4.50!

As for the socks and tights. I have been looking at Target and Anthropologie for new pairs and I just got paisley ones from Target (see Friday Finds Oct23rd) and the ones from Anthropologie will be coming soon. My feet get notoriously cold in the Winter and nothing is more miserable than cold feet.

What is your "go to" item in your wardrobe that you can't live without?

Pel

Jacket Required

I really love jackets. I have a small collection of them. My daughter Tarah does too. Unfortunately she has had to put a few of hers on ebay since they do not fit her any more. If they fit me you can be sure they would be tucked safe away in my closet!


Faux leather jacket. Size Medium


Black and white tweed jacket. Size 6


Brown tweed herringbone with flower applique. Size 10


Black damask jacket.Size 10


Grey/dark taupe with metallic stripe jacket size 8.


Women's chocolate brown safari jacket size small.

She has other lovely clothes that she will be putting up on auction in the coming weeks so you may want to bookmark her :)

Pel

Friday Finds Oct 23rd

This has been a good week for me, our erstwhile trip to Buffalo Exchange notwithstanding. Other than that I finally got my wardrobe off layaway! Yay! It is now ensconced in my bedroom and I have filled it up with my clothing and accessories.
While my husband had tires put on the truck I nipped over to Marshall's and perused their sweater selection. I was a bit disappointed that there were not very many in my size, but I did find two that I liked.



This gorgeous plum sweater just needed one of my flower pins to jazz it up a bit. Only $24.99. (sorry I had no one to help me take this picture)



I totally fell for this lacy sweater by Kensie. It is a tad large so I used a scarf to belt it. $34.99


Over on Etsy I went shopping for a present for my daughter Keirnath who turned 25 this month. I found this wonderful hat from Whimsical Retro Style and when I got it I just HAD to try it on.


It looks so amazing I wish she had another one that I could buy for myself. $24.00

Now to wrap it up for her and not be tempted to keep it *grin*

Pel

Mis-Adventures at Buffalo Exchange

I had been hearing great things about Buffalo Exchange from Solanah a blogger who resides in Seattle. Determined to find one near me I went on Google and found one in Sherman Oaks near L.A. Only 107 miles away! So I gathered up two of my daughters and one of their friends. We got a pile of clothes that didn't fit us anymore together to exchange for store credit or money and hit the road! It wasn't too hard to find the store on Ventura Blvd. We were very excited to see what it looked like inside. We were a bit let down upon entering. I must admit it was like any thrift store inside. Overall I got an impression of brownness.
So we took our items up to the counter and the girl there went through them. She seemed nice, but as one of my daughter said, there wasn't a good vibe from her. She definitely did not "mesh" with us style wise. She was a tattooed, dreadlocked Kat Von D wannabe and we were either retro or casual. Needless to say she took NONE of our clothes. She said they were all out of style. Even though I had clothes with tags still attached. She tried very hard to get my youngest daughter to "donate" her items to their charity. I went ahead and donated the items I didn't care about, but now I really wonder if they are ending up at the charity. We walked around the store afterwards and saw on the racks items similar to what we had brought in but in MUCH worse condition! One dress there was ripped all down the side. I can definitely say We will not be going there again. I get much better deals and better quality shopping at Goodwill and I can always sell my clothes I am tired of on ebay or Etsy. In a nutshell, Buffalo Exchange did not live up to my expectations and I would not recommend it.
I will let you all know when my daughter puts her clothes up on ebay so you can see for yourself how "unstylish" they are *grin*

Pel

Friday Finds Oct 16th

Here is a look at my favourites on Etsy. Yes, These are what I am currently drooling over. I am having a love affair with dresses right now :)

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade TwistedBritches.etsy.com

What are you currently crushing on?

Pel

Style or Comfort?

I have been thinking about this the past couple of days after seeing this ad at Shopbop for cropped pants for Fall of all things.


Yes, just what I want is an icy breeze swirling around my exposed ankles!

So what are we willing to put ourselves through to look stylish? I for one I am not some silly Regency maiden wandering around in dampened muslin getting consumption. In Winter and Fall I want clothes to keep me warm. No flimsy tees and cropped pants or sandals. I want cozy sweaters, warm boots and pants that actually cover my legs! On the other extreme is clothing that is painful.


Alexander McQueen showed off 12 inch heels on the runway that looked like raptor claws. They may be art, but there is no way they were comfortable or wearable.

I like pretty shoes. Maybe a bit more than like. However, I am not putting up with blisters or bunions or hammertoes because of tight or ill fitting shoes. No way. I love my feet too much to do that to them.



Too tight jeans or tops are other items fraught with danger.

I like jeans as much as the next person. The news I am hearing about the super tight, super skinny jeans is a bit scary though. A lot of women have had paralysis of the nerve in the leg so that after wearing them they can not walk temporarily! Wow, that would scare me half to death if it happened to me. I make sure now that my jeans are not too tight. I am not willing to have that happen.



I have worn tight corsets to the Renaissance faires and I can say that I do not want to deal with that pain in real life.

I have seen pretty, corseted tops and you can get ones that are not tight, really! Breathe, ladies. We need to breathe! So while I might wear a pretty corset like this over a white blouse like it was a vest, no tight lacing for me!

So tell me. Are you willing to suffer for fashion?

Pel

A New Purpose

I love it when I find a new purpose for an everyday item and when I also find a use for something I might have thrown away. Especially when that use saves me money! Here are a few things I have repurposed. I hope they give you a few ideas too.



I was going to buy drawer organizers at the container store when I noticed that the inserts that held these little strudel cookies was perfect for organizing items in my drawers and on my vanity tray! What is even better is they stack so they take up so little space. So I've kept plastic out of the land fill and saved myself a few dollars in the bargain. I am pretty happy about that.



At Target I saw this adorable bathroom set that was so cute. The wheels started turning in my head and I realised that the toothbrush holder would be better off as an earring holder. It holds my longer earrings tangle free.


The soap dish keeps my large "knuckle duster" rings close at hand.


This hand soap dispenser is waiting to be filled with my favourite body lotion.


They all look so beautiful sitting on my vanity.

So tell me about the things you have repurposed. I have just started and it is fun!

Pel

Friday Finds Oct. 9th

Here we are at Friday again! This week has gone by so fast. I had a horrible start with 13 hours in Victorville with what was supposed to be just a doctor's visit that turned into being sent to a specialist who actually got me in on a same day appointment and having lab work done and a lovely wait at the pharmacy. I now am sporting a massive hematoma on my arm! It was not all bad because I did have a lovely lunch and dinner out with my husband to make up for it. He treated me to sushi which I hardly ever get. Another good thing this week was I got to make a payment on my wardrobe. It is on layaway and I am pining for it so! I cannot wait for it to be paid for and installed in my bedroom. While I didn't get to do much shopping I do have two new things, both from Target.




This beautiful teal, ruffled cardigan is so cute! Just $9.98 on clearance.



Yay! I finally got the black dress I really wanted. $39.99 and I did wince a bit as I paid up. I really love it though!


Here are a few things that I am drooling over:


This dress is so out of my price range, but I am head over heels about it!



Another dress that makes my heart go pitty pat!



A sneak peek at my wardrobe! I am grinning like an idiot.

A bien tot my dears!

Pel

Hat Crazy

There used to be a time when I didn't wear hats. I felt that I didn't have the face for them. That I looked awful in them, that I was unattractive. I learned over the years that I actually look good in hats if I have the right hairstyle and the hat is place "just so" on the head. A hat almost never looks good worn squarely on the head. They need to be tilted, tipped back or forward. Some need the hair to fall to the front, or to be brushed to the back. You just have to experiment! That is half the fun of hats, fussing with your hair and tilting the hat in different positions. I now have a small collection of hats, most of them vintage that call for vintage hairstyles to make them work. This can be a challenge as I can do other people's hair quite well, but have a harder time working with my own. But that is okay. I am learning. *smile*


Black hat from the 50's I believe. I got this last month at an antique store in Ocean Beach. There were so many lovely hats it was hard to choose. I wanted them all!



Brown straw hat that I have had since the very early 90's. The dog chewed on the edge so I had to cover it with velvet ribbon to repair it. I actually think it looks better this way.



Black wool hat bought at a thrift store in the mid 90's in Redlands with my sister-in-law Kathy. That was such a fun day!



White and navy hat from an antique store in Ocean Beach. I think it will go well with my new navy, brown and white plaid sheath dress.



Black hat with roses bought from a retail store in the early 90's. Probably Wet Seal or something like it.



Red velvet 1940's vintage hat bought at an antique store in Redlands. I also bought a gorgeous vintage argyle cardigan that day that my daughter now wears. I sort of wish I hadn't given it to her! LOL!



Lovely beige cloche hat that I have crushed the top in to give a fedora look to. I believe it is a 50's remake of a 20's style. I bought it on Etsy a month or two ago.



Another look at the red crocheted hat. This was made for me by my friend Sherry Fitzpatrick. It took a while for me to wear it since it was red. The same with the red velvet hat. I had bought it because it was pretty, not because I ever thought I would actually wear it. Now I plan on wearing all my hats! I have stopped thinking that people look at me because I look odd. I now attribute their looks to admiration of my lovely hat. I hope that is not to vain of me?

Pel

Packing It Away

A chill wind she is a blowing and it looks like it is time to pack away those summer shorts and skirts. I have seen a few girls styling shorts with tights, but I fear I am way too old to sport that look. So they will be lovingly packed away for the winter along with any cami that is not appropriate for layering and skirts that are too thin even with tights. Out now out will come all my sweaters and coats. Being in the high desert we get extreme temperatures and it can be hard to dress for them. I resort to much layering!


Skirts and capris to pack away.


Moths can be a problem with long term storage so I have cedar balls to put in my bins and lavender sachets to help keep the clothes smelling sweet.


I have missed my turtlenecks and cozy cardigans!


Many items from my Summer wardrobe will be kept since they can be layered with tights, turtlenecks, cardigans, leggings, skinny jeans, etc. This way I make more use of my clothes and if a cold morning turns to a warm afternoon I can peel off a couple layers and still be comfortable.

Now to organize my closet. *grin*

Pel

Friday Finds Oct 2

As promised I have the rest of the goodies I purchased at Goodwill here to show you. I also went grocery shopping at SuperTarget and some how made my way over to the clearance section (oopsie!) and found a couple items I couldn't live with out. Tom did a lot of eyeball rolling that trip. LOL! I found another great vintage shop on Etsy as well and bought a dress that just needed to be in my closet. All my new purchases fit perfectly into my Fall wardrobe! I am really pleased. So without further ado:


Pale yellow silk blouse with Express label from Goodwill for only $3.99. A great color for Fall it will go with browns and greens and greys beautifully. I love the pintucking detail on the bodice potion, it looks so dainty.


This Liz Claiborne cable knit cardigan was also from Goodwill. It was too big but at only $4.99 I bought it and altered it down as soon as I got it home. So cozy and a great layering piece. The headband is from the SuperTarget and was on clearance for $3.98. I just couldn't resist it!


While I rarely buy blue this striped shirtdress caught my eye on the clearance rack at the SuperTarget and when I saw the price of $7.98 I bought it! By wearing it layered it is practical for Fall.


Last but not least is this amazing 1940's Apron dress from heybird on Etsy. It was only $22.00! It fit like a dream and the color brought out the little bit of green in my eyes! I will add tights and a cardigan as the weather gets cooler.

Poor Tom! He is saying enough is enough so I may have to post a wish list next week. We shall see :)
Until later,

Pel

Fall's Plaids- Style Them From Your Closet

We have all been hearing how big plaids are for this Fall. Now you may have been tempted to run out and buy something new, but if you are on a budget this isn't going to happen! A much better idea is to interpret what you already have in your closet to make it look new and on trend. I am going to show you how I do it starting with this plaid top I bought last Summer.



How to make it fresh for Fall? I started by pairing it with a denim pencil skirt, bright tights and a cardigan. Both Fall trends gave it a new look.



The classic wool plaid skirt, I made this years ago. This can be a big yawn. Paired here with platform boots and a short sleeve mock-turtleneck it looks anything but dowdy!



Plaid pants in a high waisted cut I bought on ebay about three years ago. Topped with a little sweater vest this bridges the plaid and menswear trends quite nicely. I used a velvet ribbon as a tie to complete the look.


Three key pieces for three unique, on trend looks and the only new items were the sweater vest I bought on clearance for $4.99 and the stockings for $2.98. Not bad for a day's work. Now look in your closet and see what plaid items you can restyle!

Pel