One Skirt, Two Looks

My heart is thoughtful today, not really focused on fashion, but I know I've left you alone for too long, so I thought I'd share photos of a new skirt.

Two different ways to wear the same skirt! I bought this lovely FULL skirt (more than a full circle) at Good Will, to re-sell on my website. In the process of prepping it for the site, I began to wonder how it would look on me. I tried it on.....and the rest is history. :)

The way I justified my "robbing Peter to pay Paul" was in the fact that this skirt was really versatile. SO many colors! I've worn this skirt countless ways since buying it a few weeks ago - different each time. It must match at least half a dozen shirts in my wardrobe. I'd call that efficient, wouldn't you? :)

Look #1: Dressy/Office. I wore this to volunteer at the Pregnancy Center. Shirt is from a school sale, and I almost regret owning it, because it's the kind of thing I don't like to wear alone. It always needs something under or above it, or at least filling in the neckline. I keep it around because I like the color and it works when I'm layering things, or have a scarf on top, like in this photo. The scarf, which is like new, is from GoodWill. Jewelry from WalMart, shoes from Payless.

Look #2: Casual. I made this shirt from an old T-shirt. I "frilled" the sleeves, and used the extra fabric to make flowers with button centers. I also took in the sides a bit. I needed a black casual shirt! See how well the skirt goes with black? It also matches orange, various pinks, navy, yellow, green, white... ...:)

Anyway, I must go for now. But tell me - what's the most versatile item in your closet?

Modest Fashion Week

Julia, over at Sometimes Julia Writes? is hosting a modest fashion week, and I'm going to try to participate ("try" meaning I'll do my best to get a post up each day, but I may miss a few). I've never participated in a "themed week" of any sort in blogland, so this should be fun!

Because my camera batteries are dead and I can't find the charger, most of these pictures will probably be from the last couple of weeks. Good thing I have more pictures than I have time to blog about!

Well, I've already missed day 1, but I believe day 2 is supposed to be an outfit that is "so you." That's a great place to start, because we were just talking about that here, a few posts ago, weren't we?

I wore this outfit to church a few weeks ago, and it really couldn't be more "me." I'm wearing something I made - the dress - which is common. I'm wearing bright color "pops," which I love to do because I adore color. I'm wearing a scarf, which is one of a jillion I have. And look - my trusty ballet flats! Even the way I'm wearing my hair is typical for me.

So let's break it down.

Dress - This is made from a very heavy wool-like knit. I've never made anything with that kind of fabric before, but I like it. It is both comfortable and sturdy. It is a bit hot for anything but rather cold weather, though. I made it without a pattern so, sorry, I can't give a pattern number. The skirt is very full 50's style. You can't see the neck very well, but it has ruffles around it, and has a small "keyhole" in the front center. (Nothing too low. :) The sleeves are fitted, elbow length. Cost - $0.00 (fabric was given to me)
Cardigan - You've seen this before on In My Mirror. Gift from my Aunt. LOVE the color. I like that the texture is very different from the dress, which is important in an outfit. When combining or layering pieces, texture is very important. I'm just starting to get the hang of that.
Scarf - Fell in love with this. Got it from Good Will - $1.00. Don't hate me.
I almost didn't wear the cardigan and scarf together, because they are two slightly different shades of purple - a big no-no, right? That's what I thought. But when I held them next to each other on the black background, they just worked. I think the solid, simply background is the key to their mixing.
Shoes - yes, my trusty flats. Wear them all the time! Payless, on sale.
I'm also wearing a bit of jewelry, which is silverish and pearls. And I carried the black purse with the bows that you can just barely see in the edge of the picture. (Also a gift from my aunt; isn't she the greatest?)

I loved this outfit. Not only did it make me happy when I looked in the mirror, but it fit comfortably; no tugging to keep things up or down, no worries about flashing anything. I felt feminine and put together. I wish I had a warm-weather version of this dress!

Hmmm....I might just have to remedy that!

A Favorite Outfit

This is an outfit from a couple of months ago, but I just had to share it because I love it. This is another outfit that I wore to volunteer at the Crisis Pregnancy Center. (You'll probably be seeing a lot of those.)

Sorry about all the "stuff" in the picture - this was before Christmas, and I was hiding packages under bedsheets in my bedroom. Fun times!

Okay - outfit details.

Jean Skirt - one of my staples. You'll see this a lot in future pictures. I think it was a hand-me-down.
White Blouse - this is actually a tunic. I love the idea of using it as both a tunic (un-tucked) and a blouse (tucked into the waist). Because I'm long-waisted, I usually have trouble getting shirts to stay tucked in, but not when it's this long! This was from Good Will.
Purple cardigan - Christmas gift from my aunt. Love the color! I think one pop of color on a "plain" outfit like this is what really says "I put some thought into my outfit today." Don't be afraid of color! Haven't you ever seen wildflowers?
Scarf - speaking of not being afraid; plain outfits can benefit from a pop of pattern as well as color. This black-and-white leopard print adds just a touch of zing, but in a classic way, tied in a vintage way around the neck. I don't usually button my shirts all the way to the tippy-top button, but with this it works. Good Will - $1.00
Black Belt - Also Good Will. Took me FOREVER to find a wide black belt that fit! But I wear this one a LOT. Definitely a staple.
Can't see these very well, but I'm also wearing black tights and black ballet flats.

So, do you mind me analyzing each piece of my outfits? I think it's much more fun than just listing them and leaving it at that. It's nice to figure out why and outfit works, and what the strengths of each item are. After all, isn't knowing how to really use each item in your closet true efficiency?

So what's your opinion of pops of color and print? Are you afraid of them? Have a favorite way to incorporate them into your outfits? They truly aren't big and bad in and of themselves - it's all in the way you use them! They can be powerful tools for adding cheer to your day. :) :)

So smile and wear something that makes others smile!

Begin!

Well, welcome to In My Mirror! This is my first post, and I'll just jump right into things. If you want to know more about this blog, please read "Why Be Different?" and "How I Do Things," at the top of this page.

Today I was just doing things around the house, mainly computer work and music practice, and this is what I was wearing. In fact, it's what I'm still wearing, though I really should be wearing my pajamas. :) (Don't believe what time the computer says I'm publishing this!) Sorry for the poor lighting in the picture.

Meet five staple pieces of my closet:
brown skirt - made by me
red cardigan - ancient hand-me-down
white sweater - goodwill or K-mart (can't remember which)
Grey tights - K-mart
Brown ballet flats - Payless, on sale

I'm also wearing a new-to-me scarf, from Goodwill ($2.00)
and a statement necklace from Goodwill

The fun thing about this brown skirt is that, out of all the things I've made, it's the one for which I get asked the most often, "Where'd you buy that?" Nice achievement for a seamstress. :) I didn't use a pattern on this one.

The scarf, which you can't see very well, has red, white, black, and forest green in it, in a western print. It's folded diagonally and tied in a basic knot. Today is the first time I've ever worn a necklace and scarf at the same time, and it worked!

The thing I like about scarves is that they tie an outfit together. The separate pieces really had nothing in common until the print of the scarf gave them permission to reside next to each other, so to speak.

Here's a closer picture. If you look closely, you can see the black-and-silver necklace under the scarf. I have my hair straightened today. It takes an hour to straighten all my hair, so I don't do it very often, but it was fun for today, since I wasn't in a rush to go anywhere. :)

This outfit was comfortable, warm enough for the weather, and made me feel like I had a job to accomplish today. I love the deep colors, and the cardigan is cozy and makes me happy. :) :) :)

Now I shall go find those pajamas...