Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Black and/or White and/or Leather and/or reminds me of a Michael Jackson song

Lots of black and white patterns happening in the etsy shop right now: 


I live in my black and white polka dot scarf because it works with everything.  EVERYTHING.  Black and white patterns are easy because you can accessorize them with any color...and, more obviously, just pair them with solid black or white.  I usually like to add another color into the mix, like red.  Um, can we get a close up of that red leather jacket?


This red leather jacket was a great find.  I love the color and the snaps down the front and the zippers and the fit...it's fantastic.  I know I'm biased, but really.  It's red and it's leather and it's fantastic.  (Insert second Michael Jackson reference here.)  It was originally part of a skirt suit.  How cool was the lady who originally wore this red leather jacket (and skirt)?  Answer: Too cool.  Leather jackets make everything cooler and I love a cool leather jacket.  


A few years ago I thrifted this black leather jacket and I love the way it makes me feel.  It's collarless and really minimal without a lot of detailing like big zippers or pockets and it fits me perfectly.  I see a lot of leather jackets and coats in thrift stores but they're usually of the weirdly-cut and over-sized bomber variety or some kind of trench coat and blazer hybrid.  (Pssst!  And if you are still looking for that perfect leather jacket, spring is a good time to hit up those smaller thrift stores that don't discard/pack away their out of season stuff because it's priced to sell quickly and not take up precious space on the salesfloor!)  

Leather skirts are another item I always come across in thrift stores and I've amassed quite the collection of them in unusual colors and flattering fits.  Leather skirts are a great base layer for the rest of your outfit and have such a great texture/tactile feel that really adds dimension.  And, they can be styled to look luxurious or tough or bohemian or professional and can be worn throughout the year.  Just add a cool t-shirt and you're done.  


In the spirit of spring cleaning, and you know, trying to whittle down my closet to things I actually wear and/or can't live without, I'm selling some of my leather (and suede!) skirts.  While I don't follow a one-in-one-out rule when it comes to purchasing clothes, I added two new leather skirts to my personal collection.  They may seem like completely unnecessary additions, but I really love them:

    
I thrifted this dark green leather pencil skirt and it's the perfect color...it looks so luxurious!  I liked the way By Malene Birger had styled a darker green leather pencil skirt with bright green top from Summer 2012.  (Yep, summer.  I said leather skirts are year around...)  Above, I show mine with a striped thermal (and that diy pocket knife necklace I already talked about) but for spring I'm going to try it out with a brighter top.  (This look shows almost the reverse color scheme with a bright green skirt and a dark blazer and I love how it somehow works together.)


I came across the leather skirt above from Phoenix Vintage Design on etsy when I was searching for leather skirts comparable to this one:


Now obviously, they're not the same.  They're both leather and both black and they both have an asymmetrical zipper detail on the front but they're not the same...so it was a completely justifiable purchase.  The one I was selling didn't quite fit me decently and the one I bought sits higher on the waist and has the pocket and zipper detail on the front...completely justifiable.  One in, and one out!

Maybe you've realized I use (and wear!) that green army jacket a lot when styling looks for the shop; as seen above...in 3 different places.  I got it a few (?) years ago and it's from the Reformation.  It's like that black and white polka dot scarf in that I wear it with EVERYTHING.  It's great for layering.  It softens the look of leather.  And it toughens up a lace chemise:


And.  AND I was playing dress up and discovered a whole new way to wear it!  Underneath a vintage sequined vest!  Is this a do or a don't?  Pretty sure I'm going to be doing it...  


And, one more shot of the jacket in action, this time over a sequined and beaded dress.  Over or under something sparkly...it just can't be beat... 


Black and gold fit and flare dress and blue velvet bag are still for sale.  Speaking of black and gold and beaded...  This is the back detail of an awesome jacket (part of a 3-piece outfit) available in the shop.  The tank top has the sunshine and clocks/roman numerals and the waistband of the pants is beaded and the back has the huge beaded sunface patch shown below.


I know this post started with black and white, and I'm going to end it on a black and gold note because I've also been seeing and loving that color combination lately:


Okay, so the belt above is black and gold (it's the Mimi di N one I mentioned earlier) and the dress is black and white and tan.  The dress also happens to be vintage Liz Claiborne, and further proves my point that vintage Liz Claiborne pieces are treasures.  This is my go-to dress when I don't know what to wear...it's been to a wedding, a funeral, a dinner party and a few other random places since I've acquired it.  Compliments galore every time...  


Both of these black pieces would just be boring basics without the gold studs.  The eighties dress is fitted and so comfortable and the skirt is another really versatile piece.  And I almost overlooked the necklace: black and gold heart-shaped scorpion necklace (because I'm a Scorpio, just like Ad-Rock...)


To tie-in another Beastie Boys reference, the top picture features an idiom bangle from Kate Spade: I'd been eyeing it for a little over a year, freaked out when it sold out online, and immediately purchased it when it randomly reappeared.  The outside says 'No Sleep Till Brooklyn' and the inside reads 'Turn the Tables'.  The black and gold handbag is vintage and reptile-embossed and so small and cute.  

I got the gold sneaker wedges on sale from Anthropologie and love wearing them with black skinny jeans.  The black beaded, silver sequined, and (rose) gold embroidered khussas were a souvenir from...London, of all places: this was before they were everywhere in the US (2004-ish?) and I thought they were so unique when I saw them at a street market.  They came in a million colors but this was my favorite color scheme (of course) although they're a little small...and/or just really uncomfortable.  The lady at the stall assured me they would stretch a bit and conform to my feet (hence why I labeled them 'left' and 'right') but I think they're too pretty/precious to wear and otherwise come into any contact with the ground so I have them propped up on a picture frame... 

There's going to be a lot of 'gold' (more accurately, gold-tone) coming to the shop soon: I'll be adding some fun vintage pendant necklaces later this week!



Until the next blog post, stay gold reader(s), stay gold!   

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