WIW: bootcut trousers and fluid knit

Today's orphan is a pair of bootcut trousers. They're taupe, I think - a mid-range grey-ish brown with just a tinge of pink in the color.  I tried to wear them a few weeks ago with burgundy, but there wasn't enough contrast in the colors to work, so I changed.  Today I'm trying them with a cream sweater and burgundy scarf and boots.  (And my cream/black/burgundy plaid belt barely showing in the pics). 

The trousers fit well, but aren't really heavy enough for winter (I added silk long underwear today and am fine), and are a little too stiff for me to want to wear in warm weather. Plus I find the color hard to work with - I can see it with white or black - would it go with anything else?

Does it work? Should these trousers stay?  Suggestions for improvement?

 

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WIW: Frumpalicious? (ETA: Better?)

After five days, I'm already tired of my orphan challenge.  I doubt I'll make it 40. Maybe I'll take a week or so in the middle to wear my favorites, and just pretend that they're orphans because I haven't worn them in a few weeks.... 

After Angie's fair isle post the other day, I decided to go for my one fair isle sweater.  It barely escaped the start-of-autumn purge, and I'm not sure it should have.

Paired with also-orphaned brown corduroys that fit really well, so I think they'll stay as a non-denim option, and tall brown boots that I'm not sure i like.

What do you think?  Are the sweater and the boots clutter than needs purged to give my more fabulous options room to breathe, or do we have a future together?

The one upside of this sweater is that brown really does look pretty good on me.  I just have a hard time wearing it because it seems to so easily veer into frump-dom.  

Also apologies for poor lighting - it's a dismal day outside, and the light just ain't happening.

ETA: Switched the white tee for a brown dolman-sleeved tunic, the cords for skinny jeans and unzipped the fair isle sweater.  Is it better?

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WIW: pink, orange and non-denim

For orphan challenge day 5, I was inspired by today's post on non-denim casual pants, and by October BCAM to dig out my pink cargo pants.  I think if I'm going to keep them, I should taper or elasticize the ankles, like those shown in the post.  The combo of cargo+flared is weird (and probably dated) to me.  

They are wrinkled from the box, but I don't feel like ironing, sorry.  I paired them with my coral sweater, which is warm and cozy, a white belt (but I might change that) and with orphan leopard clogs.  (Orphaned due to my not liking clogs nor square toes at the moment).  

I'm not sure if either the pants or the leopard shoes are worth keeping.  What do you think?

My kids really like the pants, by the way.  Ha!  (And I like how comfy they are, and sorta like the unexpected color for cargos... so maybe they're worth a salvage or keep?)

(Bonus pic of WIW to a meeting last night - loose, swingy sweater over jeans.  I think I still like this sweater enough to keep).

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WIW: Orphan Challenge pink/purple

It's still October, so I figured now is the perfect time to get in those pink and purple orphans, right?

I'm not sure whether today's orphan is pink or purple.  What do we call the color that's in between the two?  I've been thinking of this cardigan as a pinkish purple.  I like it's color - it's out of the norm for me.  But I don't like the gathered shoulders, and the entire shape seems kinda blah to me.

What do you think?  Does it earn it's keep?  (pic #3 is my pinspiration for this color.  The cardi is almost exactly the color as the inspiration shot - even though it doesn't show that way in my pics.)

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WIW: Orphan challenge day 3

Today's orphan is a gray-scale snake-print dress that's structured kinda like the magic dress of YLF fame.

Last year I felt like it didn't have enough color for me, so I wore it with a bright jacket once or twice.  This year, I'm unsure of the fit - I wish it were a bit longer (there's barely a half inch hem, so no real room to let it down).  

Worn with my Spiegel lemming jacket (but I removed it inside, and outside after it got warm), sheer black hose and black shoes, and a watch.  I also wore a multicolored pendant in the triangle of my neck showing, but it got heavy and I removed it around noon, and forgot to put it back on for the pic.

What do you recommend for hosiery?  I'm ready to buy a pair of sheer black that won't snag on their first wearing....

What do you think?  Is this dress something worth wearing several more times, or has it passed it's prime?  Or should it go on style exchange for someone shorter?

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WIW: Orphan challenge day 2

My second orphan (actually a couple of them) is a real basic, and I'm looking forward to wearing it lots.  It's a black sweater, with a cowl neck and a silver thread.  It's just a bit heavier than light-weight, but not really heavy, and I like the way it fits.  I think it'll be one of those things that is basic enough to go with everything.  The danger is that it's boring...

I tried, and most of my jackets will fit over it (though some interfere with the collar).  I think I haven't worn this yet because it looks really bulky in my drawer, and I've been worried that it would just be dark, heavy, and un-layerable.  

But I think it works anyway, and I'm looking keeping it.

Just for fun, here it is with yesterday's lumberjack vest, and an assortment of other toppers (red vest, and olive utility jacket).  I'm wearing it as in #1 so far.

These teal snake-print jeans are also in danger of orphaning - I wore them lots last winter, but this is their first outing this season.  I think I still like them.

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WIW: orphan challenge day 1

A friend of mine is running a Facebook challenge to get rid of 40 bags of clutter in the next 40 days.  My home has way to o much clutter, so I decided to join.  

Then this morning I noticed that Imogen over at the InsideOut Style blog is running a "No Repeat November" style challenge - to not repeat an outfit all month.  Her point is to wear a greater percentage of your clothes

It seemed to me like the perfect combination - to make the next 40ish days ones of going through my closet orphans, and deciding which are worth keeping and which aren't.  I've already eliminated two tops, and three bags of kids toys.

So here's my orphan challenge day 1.

Gray jeans, black long-sleeved layering tee, black moto boots and belt, and red lumberjack vest.

The orphan is this lumberjack vest.  I tried it with white jeans last week, but haven't worn it successfully yet.  It's very puffy, which makes it strange to style.  But it's wonderfully warm, and delicious feeling for winter.  So it makes the cut - even if only for "slob wear".  

And it reveals wardrobe hole #1:  A black long-sleeved layering shirt.  I thought this one worked, but it has a hole in the elbow.  So it's on the chopping block, and I'll be looking for a replacement.

What do you think?  How should this lumberjack vest be styled?  Would you keep it?

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WIW: pink in process (eta: process continues)

I knew that I wanted to wear pink today (after yesterday's blog post, and the "blush goes with everything" post from a week or two ago.  And I knew that I wanted to try it with my tomato red skinny jeans.

I didn't realize how complicated it was going to be.

Here's my attempts so far:

#1 bubblegum pink sweater, red jeans, black boots and jacket, white belt, plaid scarf.  Maybe ALGO.  Hmm.. And maybe I should try a black belt?

#2 blush tee, everything else the same as #1.  I think the pink looks better on me than the blush, but I'm not sure.  What do you think?

#3 Just the pink and red - red plaid cons for sass, but it clearly needs something else (especially with the neckline of my undershirt peeking out).

#4 So I added the scarf.  I think this one is okay, but not great.

#5 I felt like the proportions were off on the ones with the red plaid shoes in this one - not enough bottom weight - that's why I changed to the big heavy eyelet boots.

#6 (added) White, pink and red - only pattern in the shoes.

#7 (added) traded the white undershirt and belt for black undershirt and belt to make a little less going on.

Now:  Do any of these work?  Or even sorta work?  I need layers today - it's chilly.  But I'm just not convinced that this whole idea is working.

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WIW: black, brown, cream

I've been waiting for it to get cold enough for a while so that I could try out this copycat.  Today our heater turned itself on, signaling that our house has cooled to it's "winter" temp.  So I felt justified in dressing warm.  I'm glad I did too - my body isn't used to it quite this cool, and I'm enjoying the layers.

It's a pretty simple outfit - black jeans, cream cabled sweater, brown leather jacket, boots and belt.  Does it work?  What should be improved?

Bonus shot of my really cool and dramatic inspiration. 

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WIW: Orange and blue

So thankful for Angie's posts - they always inspire me!

Today I'm trying out one rendition of orange and blue.  This one has a  coral-ish sweater over mid-dark wash narrow jeans.  It felt a bit dull, so I added my mis-matched converse to give it a little sass.  

(My current philosophy on the mis-match: if I wear it intentionally, everyone will think that it is.  I get compliments from teenagers most every time I wear these.)

Does it come anywhere close to working?  What would improve it?

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