Frivolous Universe

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Tag "vintage clothing"

Nicole: It’s officially getting cold here in the city.  No snow yet, but cold. Which only means one thing.  I finally get to wear the best thing I purchased before leaving Boise…the acid-washed, fur-lined denim jacket I bought for 35 dollars at The Lux.  I can wear a tank top under this baby and still be warm.  So. Wonderful.

Kelly: Viva la acid wash! A subtle, sophisticated color palette does wonders in modernizing this much-despised fabric of the 80s (even by some of our fellow bloggers. Gasp!) I love the muted blush, blue, and caramel with a jewel-toned pant.

N: I picked this outfit to go with the jacket: high-necked blush polyester blouse and teal jeans, both purchased second hand.  The jeans are originally from American Apparel. I got them for eight dollars. They usually run around $65.  Woo-hoo! I  love a good, frilly high collar.  So demure…that’s why I wear a black bra underneath.  You don’t wanna be too demure…

N: I love that this thrifted taupe belt has a taupe buckle, as well.  Belts that are one solid color are great because you don’t have to worry about matching gold or silver fastenings to your jewelry.

K: Word, and taupe is a much more interesting neutral than black or brown.

N: My good friend Jaime gave me this antique pendant as a going away gift.  On the back, she had engraved “fall down running.”  I paired it with this crappy old H&M tassle-chain necklace to add a little more texture. I love all the detailing on this blouse.  Pleats and ruffles and poofs, oh-my!

K: This blouse is one of my favorites of yours. We bought it on one of our first thrifting trips when the wide world of blouses first opened up to us. The racks in Savers were full of vintage blouses both ugly and lovely.  For some reason, instead of giggling at them and passing on to the next thing (because blouses are for grannies) we tried a bunch on and found a handful that worked. Not just for grannies.

N: I always aim to tell a good color story when I dress.  These multi-color knit socks have both the blush from the blouse and the teal from the jeans and they make the bottom half of my outfit 10 times more interesting than if I just wore my jeans straight with the black booties.

K: We’ll say it again – details, details, details!

K: Nothing says, “Why the eff won’t it snow?” like my 90s silver velour turtleneck and Christmas-present-from-Nicole jeans. This turtleneck is absurdly out-of-fashion, so I took pity on it at the thrift store and took it home. I bet I can work it into some divinely textural layered looks. Remember the floral shirt Nicole found at the yoga studio?

N: These jeans were in the same backpack.  My ass was too big for them, so I shipped them off to Kelly.  Maybe they were sad to part with the blouse, but it’s all for the better. Really.

K: These pants fit my ass like they were spray-painted on. I could have tried on 85,000-ish pairs of jeans at the mall and not found a pair that fit me this well. I feel that they were meant for me… and most importantly freeeeee.

K: I crocheted two more pairs of these alpaca mitts for gifts this year after making this pair for myself.  This belt buckle is too big to fit between the belt loops, so I improvised. Jeans not recommended for cowboys or wrestlers.

N: I love the mixing of so many textures.  Velour, wool, knits, plaids, denim…so cozy!

K: For some reason this masculine-inspired outfit cried out for a luxe, feminine shoe. When I wore these vintage purple suede pumps in a previous blog, it was with a sweeping skirt worthy of their old-fashioned charm, but I enjoy the contrast of wearing them with jeans and a flat cap.

N: A jeans and heels combo is usually so expected and boring.  Rolling up the cuffs instantly makes the line more interesting.

K: Plus a wool, vintage, thrifted jacket with a contrast color under the collar. Many thanks to Bethany for my pictures.

For us, frivolity and frugality go hand in hand.

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It takes skill to model a Ship’n Shore blouse. This pose took me 20 minutes to practice possibly more. Kelly made the comment that the model in the below Ship’n Shore ad sure worked the shit out of the blouse. Pretending to be elated and delicate at the same time is quite challenging. I couldn’t get enough elation in my expression. If you are interested, you might be able to find your own Ship’n Shore vintage blouse from the 1950s with lace collar and pintuck pleats from the Lux Fashion Lounge, a thrift store in downtown Boise, which is where I purchased this one.

The drama of this Ship’n Shore ad is lovable. A group of men in the 1950s probably sat around in a room and wrote this copy together. Maybe this is an illustration of how the men wanted their women to react to the gifts received. I am pretty sure if I respond this way to the gift I receive from my man friend this holiday season, he’ll think I am mocking him. All the same, I am tempted to try it.

The warm gray almost brown color of the blouse inspired me to pair it with this Banana Republic pencil skirt (hand me down from Nicole) because of its similar coloring. The GAP navy sweater adds contrasting color and some warmth. Even though the skirt has no belt loops, I put on a thrifted brown leather woven belt. The more vintage I wear, I have been learning that belts draw attention to the waist,  add color contrast, and emphasize the shape of the silhouette.

Maybe it is cheating, but I can’t help but add a beret to just about any outfit I wear lately. This olive green beret is from Dillard’s clearance. It was only $14. All I had to do was hack off the wool rose on the side. I prefer simple berets.

Even as amazing as the Ship’n Shore blouse is, this vintage clutch shows it up. Its clear plastic handle and brown texture is amazing. But wait . . .

TWO BAGS IN ONE?! It is a vintage reversible purse from the 60s (I think). I looked inside the bag and I can almost read the brand and I can almost read where it was made but the words are worn away when it gets to the specifics. Blast! I purchased this purse for $15 at the Antique World Mall over on Overland. It is a wonderland of wants at the Antique World Mall. When I went there, I was shopping for a Christmas gift but ended up buying only this. Merry Christmas to me!

Before I end this post, I want to leave you with another Ship’n Shore ad since Valentines Day is just around the corner.


Happy Holidays everyone!

Photographer: Kelly Lynae Robinson

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Kelly: Olive is one of my favorite pseudo-neutrals. Pseudo-neutrals are colors that can stand in for neutrals in any outfit, adding more visual interest.  Khaki, black, and white are expected and do no favors for the skin tone. It’s more interesting to use olive, burgundy, camel, nude, or rust.

Nicole: If this skirt were black it would be soo boring! This is a work outfit.  On Wednesdays I host.  I don’t get paid as much, but the fact that I can wear whatever I want makes up for it!  This week I wore a vintage pleated skirt with sheer, flower printed blouse.  

K: I shortened this skirt by 12 inches. While I love it, I wonder if I would love it more longer. Thoughts?

N: When I wear full skirts and knits to work, the other host calls them  “Jane Eyre outfits.”

N:  Ms. Friday Bethany gave me these gorgeous vintage earrings as a going away present!  Thanks, Armor Bijoux! Also, look at the adorable embroidery on the collar of my cardi.

K: Vintage Middle-Eastern jewelry goes with EVERYTHING.

N: Vintage clothing has such great details.  Pleats for days, buttons, and an interesting waist-line.  Woven belt ties it all together.

N: Purple tights and purple boots to go with my purple cardigan.  These boots are Born, and were a prezie from my lovely Mama a couple birthdays ago.

N: My skirt, sweater and belt were all purchased second hand.  The shirt is an Urban Outfitters brand, but I actually found it in a free backpack…shh, don’t judge me.

K: A free backpack that someone left at the yoga studio. Okay, now judge her.

K: Same color skirt, totally different silhouette: vintage tie-waist jacket and olive pencil skirt.

K: Bethany Walter, our Friday contributor, found this union-made 70s polyester jacket at a thrift store for $4.00. I love the 70s. I swear clothes from that decade fit me better than any other. Runner up: 90s. I love the colors and pattern. It reminds me of linoleum.

N: Clothes from the 50’s definitely fit my figure best, with the 90’s being my second as well.  Who doesn’t love a good crop top?

K: I almost gave these department store shoes away in September, because I didn’t wear them all summer. They just felt too heavy with all of my girly, hippie summer frocks. But then I discovered them with socks. Socks have the power to make or break an outfit, and these chunky platforms with chunky socks make the perfect fall-outfit anchor.

K: I wear this wool wrap my grandmother made almost everyday. It is as warm as a winter coat and can wrap three times around my head in case of freak blizzard.

All clothing was purchased second-hand or rescued from the yoga studio.

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