Kelly Lynae Robinson | Frivolous Universe

JEANS, BOOTS, and a BLAZER: How to Keep it Snazzy on a Lazy Sunday

By: Kelly Lynae Robinson

13-02-2012

Kelly: Jeans and boots are easy, too easy…

Nicole: So easy that you can stumble out of bed after one-too-many beers (which in my case, is 2), throw them on and ride your mechanical pony to brunch in 47 seconds.

K: When I’m pressed for time to pick an outfit that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to be photographed in, I almost always default to menswear. In this case, a plaid wool blazer layered over a distressed denim vest. No, resorting to wardrobe staples is not brilliantly creative, so I added wow accessories. Both gifts from fellow bloggers, this Indian silk scarf and vintage Turkic pendant are precious to me.

N: My outfit was put together so that I could easily change into work clothes. I had to wear the black skinny jeans and Frye boots for work, so to make it more interesting I threw on this multi-colored floral blouse and navy blazer.

K: Ahem, we call this the gay pirate shirt, probably because it looks like Tobias would wear it.

K: Nicole’s navy blue blazer is by Luella Bartley for Target and used to be mine. The contrast stitching accentuates the tailoring and it has apple print lining! My jacket has a contrast fabric under the collar and the color palette of my scarf is repeated throughout the outfit. We never tire of saying it: Details, details, details.

N: The gay pirate shirt is vintage by Terry of Chicago, and has the most awesome colors and pattern and funky draped neckline. With so much happening I didn’t want to overwhelm it with too many accessories, so I just stuck to these red square studs from Idaho Youth Ranch.

K: Don’t forget the creepy baby ring. Creeeeeepy….

K: My bottom layer is a 70s vintage Sears blouse in red and black check(?) print.

N: Love, love, love all the print mixing.

N: I hate to admit it, but my boring work jeans are Forever 21. Please don’t judge me (too harshly). Boots are Frye, and worth every penny. Mine are finally starting to wear out a bit after 2+ years of continuous wear.

K: I’m on the Frye bandwagon too, even though we normally don’t advocate buying new.

K: My boo spotted my cowboy boots at the Idaho Youth Ranch on Chinden for $7.50 (holy shit) and she gave me these Levis cropped jeans after I repeatedly told her that her ass is too big for them. (It’s a spectacular ass, but that don’t make the jeans fit.) Also alpaca mitts, crocheted by me, and red leather purse, which was practically free at ReStyle.

N: Bundled up in my vintage wool coat (brand name un-readable…) and crocheted wrap made by boo.

K: Check out a different iteration of my outfit (jeans, boots and a blazer part 2) photographed yesterday by Thomas Lea at Boise Style. Yesterday was another lazy day. Bethany did a killer job on my pictures.

Breaded Cats make us happy.

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To Bibbles from Bobbles with Love: Vintage Clothing to Show You Care

By: Kelly Lynae Robinson

29-01-2012

Kelly, Kelly and Nicole, Nicole

Kelly: Jason and I went to Idaho Dance Theatre‘s winter show on Saturday night to see our dear friend Yurek Hansen dance. I wore a vintage Ma Grand sweater and Eight Degrees South tiered silk maxi skirt. This outfit reminds me of Nicole’s lace maxi skirt and merino wool sweater from a couple months ago.

N: Can I just say I absolutely adore what is happening with your hair here?

K: Thank you. I’m trying new things. Repeating motif – my thrifted sphere drop earrings correspond with the dangley pearls on the bow applique of my sweater. I got it for $8.00 this weekend at Lux. I love its rich saffron color and the waffle-knit texture – so cozy!

K: This Catholic saints bracelet is from a Catholic store in Kent, Wash. I’m not Catholic (or religious), but I love iconography. I bought this vintage Etra convertible clutch at Acquired Again Antiques in Hyde Park for $20.00. Their stock is always high quality with reasonable prices (for an antique store, not for a thrift store).

N: Kelly got me a similar bracelet, but sadly the elastic broke. It must have sensed what a heathen it was dangling from.

K: I wonder why this one hasn’t broken yet.

K: I don’t remember which thrift store I got this skirt from (like it matters) but I do remember that it was a steal at $5.00. I let Nicole wear it once and she stepped on the hem and tore one of the ruffles.

N: I knew you would bring that up. I’m sorry! But I can vouch for the glorious-ness that is this skirt.

K: Michael Kors stacked suede heels and cable knit socks. I specifically chose brown shoes and socks over the expected black. Brown interacted better with the overall color palette of saffron, charcoal and forest green.

N: You look so tall!

N: Thursday was a day packed full of goodness. I got up bright and early to get some new headshots taken, which also meant getting my hair and make-up done professionally. I didn’t want to let my fancy face go to waste, so I scurried home afterward to take some blog pictures. I arrived home to two packages, one from an on-line vintage seller, and the other from muh Boo full of lots of vintage and thrifted goodies! My outfit contains some of my new scores, as well as me wearing more make-up than you’ll likely ever see on my face again.

Velvet crop top, skinny zippy pants, wool blazer.

K: I think I’ll start tagging your ass in its best outfits, so we can compile your ass-modeling portfolio. You know, just in case the acting doesn’t work out.

N: Thank you. I think I’ll start trying to always take pictures of my ass in my outfits. To appease the public.

N: The velvet embellished blouse is from A Little Wicked in the LES. It’s a strange little top, with elastic on the bottom and the sleeves, poofy shoulders, gold shoulder buttons and gold cording along the neck-line and shoulders. The tag is pretty old and worn out, so I think the brand is Zup Two Inc., but I can’t tell. I tried looking it up, but haven’t found anything…anyone heard of it by chance?

K: I love how strange this top is!

N: Paired with stretchy, skinny pants with zipper ankles and brown leather belt. Neither of these are thrifted, but leftovers from my Urban and Banana Republic sale-rack trolling days.

N: Gray and Maroon Argyle socks and platform wedges. Love the little flair I get when I leave the zipper open at the bottom.

K: The best thing about these platforms is they were left behind by your room’s previous renter, thus freeeeee.

N: Inspiration for zipper-ankle pants with wedges:

N: Can you spy the subtly slutty aspect of this weeks outfit?

K: Oooo, I know! I know! It’s your exposed midriff and the skin-tight pants, offset by the masculine shape of the blazer. BOOM!

N: Gold Star for Ms. Robinson!

N: Kelly sent me this sweet Cricketeer Wool Blazer in my care package. I got another vintage blazer from Bethany that I’m sure will be making an appearance soon.

N: My package also included our fancy new FU business cards and this creepy silver Gerber Baby spoon ring complete with ever-staring baby face.

K: Creeeeeepy…

K: Wow, those hair and makeup professionals really knew their stuff. You look great.

N: Aww, shucks.

K: Nicole just added something else fabulous to her wardrobe, with only a little encouragement from me.

N: This is what was inside the box from Etsy. It’s several yards of glorious 70’s polyester fabric made into a halter dress and feather-hooded coat that both fit me like a dream. Look out for this in the very near future.

70s vintage dress hooded coat jacket evening gown polyester feather trimmed hood

K: She’s not the only one who got some vintage fashion love in the mail. Also from A Little Wicked, also vintage 70s polyester, Nicole sent me this sequined tube top jumpsuit. She’s the bibbity-bobbity-boost!

Vintage fashion is extra-special when it arrives by post.

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Scanning for Soul Mates: 2 Antique Store Scores + 2 David Cronenburg Scares

By: Kelly Lynae Robinson

16-01-2012

Kelly, Kelly and Nicole, Nicole

Kelly: This is the face I made when I saw it.

Nicole: And this is the face I made out of jealousy when I saw it:

K: The vintage coat of my dreams at Acquired Again Antiques in Hyde Park for $40.00. Obviously the 70s are my spirit decade, but this gray leather, shearling-trimmed coat has a lot more going for it than its date of birth.

K: I love the high-drama silhouette. I wouldn’t have fallen for this coat if the collar was one inch shorter or if there were one panel of shearling on the hem, rather than two. An interesting neutral like this stone gray is also a huge plus.

N: Goldilocks’ dream coat…juuuust right.

K: I’m very inspired by menswear, especially of the 70s and 80s. This coat is an amalgamation of two coats that I love in David Cronenberg’s 1980 film Scanners.

K: With the collar down, it looks like the khaki trench with a rounded shearling collar worn by the protagonist, Cameron Vale, played by Stephen Lack.

N: In a perfect world, I will find a coat like Jennifer O’Neal’s and we can recreate scenes from the movie.

K: If you haven’t seen it, Scanners is a science-fiction horror film about a group of people (good and evil) who have telepathic abilities. It’s developed a bit of a cult-following due to it’s graphic special effects. Talk about gore galore.

K: With the collar up, my soul-mate coat reminds me of the camel coat Cameron wears to track down a fellow scanner in his art studio.

N: I’d also like to point out how similar your hairstyles are in these two pictures.

K: If you’re going to brutally intrude in the minds of others, you might as well match your scarf to your necktie.

K: Anna found these vintage Chanel crocodile pumps at a thrift store in McCall for $8.00 (no foolin’). They’re only mine because she couldn’t cram them on her feet, despite considerable huffing and puffing. I am very grateful.

K: Another Anna-sponsored accessory, I bought this vintage barrette at a cocktails-and-costume-jewelry party at Anna and Dustin’s on Friday evening. This is my first attempt to branch out into more interesting hairstyles (not that we don’t love a top-knot).

K: What would I do without Jason Andrew Willford, who takes my pictures when it’s below-freezing?

N: I wore this weeks outfit to be an extra in a film a co-worker of mine is directing/producing/co-writing/starring in. Her impressive resume also includes professional styling. I sense a potential Frivolous guest…

K: Ooo, I hope so!

N: The coloring and stripes of my vintage Summit Sportwear wool skirt remind me of the pinstripes on this suit from Scanners:

N: Instead of a boring white collared shirt, I’ll pair my pinstripes with a denim bustier that used to be a dress. (Note the pairing of the slutty top with the ultra conservative bottom.)

K: Perfect time to drop our newest FU-aphorism: subtly slutty!

N: I got the dress at Lux and wore it one time. It looked like this:

N: It was way too short and had a weird frill on the bottom. The decision to cut off the skirt to make full use of the awesome bustier was one of the greatest I have ever made.

K: Are you sure the weird frill was the only reason you couldn’t wear it after that night? Have you forgotten?

K: Or, dare I remind you?

K: Ahem, excuse us. It’s really not fair to show Jeff Goldblum like that. He’s really beautiful for the first half of David Cronenberg’s 1986 body-horror film, The Fly.

N: His hair is an inspiration.

N: Since I don’t have an awesome Scanners coat to keep me warm (yet…), I have to top my outfit off with this vintage wool sequined sweater, also from Acquired Again. This sweater is definitely a soul-mate piece. It’s 100% wool and sequined everywhere…such cozy armor! In spite of being made 50’s, it is still holding up pretty well. Or maybe I should say because it was made in the 50’s, when people cared about quality, it’s still holding up pretty well.

Here is a closer look, along with thrifted black and bronze belt and my bustier-ed boobs.

N: The Ladies Garment Workers Union label, size 8 tag, cut and detailing tell me this skirt was made sometime in the mid-to-late 70’s.

K: I love knowing that my clothes were made by someone making a living wage, even if it was almost 40 years ago.

N: The sweater is also vintage. The tag at the antique store said 50’s.

N: Check out the awesome detailing on the bottom of the skirt.

K: You should let me borrow this one, now that you’ve blogged it. I have a teal silk top that cries out to coordinate with that piping.

N: Details, details, details: black textured tights and black boots and black drop earrings and black and bronze belt When combined with the sequined sweater, the black accessories help make the denim and wool suitable for evening wear.

N: The bustier top may not seem winter-friendly, but paired with the heavy wool skirt, tights and the cozy wool sweater, I was sweatin’ before long indoors.

K: All black accessories could be boring, but the interplay of the different textures (denim, wool, suede, and sequins) is totally unexpected. Love the muted color palette.