Truth be told, I’ve always been a little intimidated by hats. For years I’ve struggled to find ones that suited me (and I still say I have an abnormally large head). When I do venture into the Land of the Great Chapeau, I tend more towards fascinators and headbands, which feel like the perfect mix of whimsey and glam (especially if they involve glitter).
I was a full-on theatre girl growing up (and why am I speaking in the past tense? I still am VERY much a theatre girl now). But, while these days my world is full of schedules and students and all of the science, I spent so much of my teen years and early 20’s on a stage. There is still something about the smell of a costume closet, or fresh paint and plywood, or the whooshing sound of a heavy velvet curtain that brings me right back. As strange as it may seem, I really found myself in the act…
When most people style an outfit, they probably start with the base: The dress. The skirt. The cigarette pant. They build from the foundation and find shoes and accessories to match. Now, while I’ve been known to be inspired by a dress a time or two, more often than not, I start with the perfect handbag…
There is no season I welcome more than Spring. I love the scent of azaleas and honeysuckle that hits me when I step out of the house. I am here for the sunshine that starts to peek through and hang around until early evening. But, most of all (and I know my fellow educators can relate), I’m pretty sure I wait for Spring with baited breath for the simple fact that I can see the light at the end of a very long semester…
There is nothing more important than self-care. After the kind of semester I’ve just had (and let’s face it, the kind of 2 years we’ve all just had), I’m looking for it more than ever. And self care can take a variety of forms: either spending some time to yourself getting lost in a good book, heading to the beach for a girl’s weekend, or a splurge on the cutest new handbag range from Vendula London.
I’m sure we all have our favorite seasons – wrapping a scarf on your neck during snowy white winters or the feeling of an ice cold beer on a sweltering summers. But, mine has always been late autumn. That crisp in the air that brings out the light layers and inspires cuddling under down comforters at night. Hats and gloves are not out of place, but you still feel at home on an afternoon stroll, without Jack Frost beckoning you inside.
Probably the most common question I’ve gotten since I started this blog (other than, “Are those your real clothes?”), is “How do you get your skirts so gloriously full?? I have my standard response, which is that I have always been a two-crinoline minimum kind of gal. But, much like every vintage huntress out there, I’m always in search of the next magical solution to the full-skirted glory I crave….
One of the reasons why I love vintage so much is because I feel like, in many ways, it finds me. Although I am always on the hunt, finding the perfect dress in the perfect moment never feels like an accident. Rather, it always seems fated that we would meet. Like I was somehow cherry picked from the crowd to be her temporary guardian, before she gently passes to the next chapter of her story.
As clearly evidenced by my love of appliqué, I’ve always been drawn to 3D elements in clothing. Features that hint at worlds hidden in the layer of a garment. Embroidery, appliqué, solids on sheers. It’s probably why I seek out tromp l’oeil prints and love layering – it creates parts of an outfit that stand in sharp relief to the backdrop of the day.
We have most certainly entered a time honored autumnal tradition: Sweater Weather. And I am happy to report, this delightful time of year even occurs in the South. While I love the gentle breeze of Spring and the warm evenings of Summer, there is something about weather that encourages you to bundle up and get cozy (minus the risk of frostbite) that gets me so excited. So, this time of year I inevitably start to scan the horizon for the perfect autumnal sweater.