Face It

Ah, at long last!  A fashion post!  I've had this one in the archives - or at least had the photos saved on my phone - for a longggg time.  That being said, this is more of an early fall look rather than a summer look. (Yes, it's been that long.)  This outfit, though, could definitely work for something like a breezy summer night on the boardwalk.  Alrighty, without further ado:

Look at that layout!  La-dee-da, gettin' fancy!

Your first thought may be, "Hey!  There's a face on your torso!"  Well, you're darn tootin' there is.  I love to be a little bold with my fashion choices.  I used to be a tad over the top (please see the About Me section), but I think I've found a good balance.  I can use fashion to express who I am and stand-out in a crowd without looking like I'm crying out for attention.  Truthfully, I believe that anyone can wear something bold and a little eccentric as long as they own it and wear it with confidence.

This outfit cracks me up because not one, but TWO items that I'm wearing are from the children's department - the shirt and the shoes!  The shirt caught my eye because... well, I just think it's cool.  I love the structured sleeves, and the sketch of the woman's face is super unique.  The shirt is also a hi-lo, but you can't really tell from this picture.  Originally, the shirt had a piece of lace with a bow at the neckline of the woman in the graphic.  I used a seam ripper to take it off because I thought it made the shirt just a bit too childish.  The shoes are just simple ballet flats, so no harm there.  Hey, I'm tiny and kids' clothes are cheaper... why not?

The pink jeans brighten up an otherwise totally neutral look.  The only other splash of color is in the blush on the shirt's graphic.  I also chose earrings with a purplish-pink hue to further bring out the color in the shirt.  I have since lost these earrings, and I'm quite sad about it.  The silver ballet flats are a simple shoe that go with most any outfit (unless you're wearing gold!).  I felt like I had a lot going on with the graphic shirt and pink pants, so I opted for something easy and non attention-grabbing.

This picture makes it look like the woman on the shirt opened her eyes, and that truly terrifies me.

So, it was a tad chilly the day I wore this (I think it was early September), so I threw on my [p]leather jacket.  When choosing a "leather" jacket, I purposely went for a cognac color because I think it goes with black, brown, white, pink, chartreuse... you get the point.  So pairing this jacket with the bright pants and the black and white top was a no-brainer.  The coolest thing about the jacket?  Bargain find at TJ Maxx!  Frankly, I think this look is pretty bad ass... especially with the jacket and sunglasses.

X's & O's
~VeeLynn

In This Outfit:
Graphic Tee ~ Beautees (Macy's), Spring 2013
Jeans ~ Ann Taylor Loft, Pre-Fall 2012
Jacket ~ Ci Sono by Cavalini (purchased at TJ Maxx), Fall 2012
Earrings ~ Betsey Johnson (Macy's), Fall / Winter 2012-ish? (pretty sure they were a Christmas gift)
Sunglasses ~ Ann Taylor Loft, Summer 2012
Shoes ~ Smart Fit (Payless), Pre-Fall 2013?

Sidenote: I know Ann Taylor Loft is a tad pricey and sort-of goes against my stance on bargain shopping.  I( used to work there... don't hate.

BOOTylicious

I thought I should share this sooner rather than later.  Remember the boots I was wearing in my last post?  You don't?  No need to scroll down, here's a refresher:

Hey, there's my floor!

I got these on the SUPER CHEAP.  They were originally $69; way more than I was willing to pay for a pair of black faux-suede boots.  My current pair, though, was in dire straights and I was in need of this winter wardrobe staple.  How much did I pay?  $14.  Yes, you read that correctly.  FourTEEN dollars.

The secret to getting super cheap shoes is to wait until the end of the season. The temptation is a killer, but all good things must go on sale.  Then clearance.  I have to admit that part of my savings came from my employee discount.  But even so, they still would have been only $17.

The danger of waiting until the end of the season is that there are slim pickings by the time things are 75% off.  I lucked out because I am a size 5 1/2 and not many people can wear that size.  It's a little more difficult if you are one of the more common sizes (7 - 9).  The good news is that not many people want to pay full price for things, so unless there are sales or coupons, there is a decent chance that there will be lots of leftovers for us bargain vultures.

Have a general idea of what you want (ie, black suede flat boots) and go from there.  I know that "black suede flat boots" sounds super specific, but in the world of women's shoes... it's not.  Being uber picking can be detrimental.  "I want black suede flat boots with three buckles at the top and two around the ankle," limits your options severely, even at the beginning of the season.  Also, don't be hung-up on your shoes being "so last year."  Would you be able to identify what year a pair of boots is from?  Unless you're Calvin Klein himself, I doubt it.  But just in case you were wondering, Mr. Klein, these boots are by Rampage at Macy's.  This is where less detailing can be helpful.  More on that in another post.

Stay BOOTiful!
~VeeLynn

Welcome!

Hey hey!  Welcome to Tatters to Trousseau!  I'm usually awful at keeping-up with blogs, but fashion is something that I have a great deal of passion for, so I think I'll be better with this one. ;-)

So, what is this blog?  There are literally thousands of fashion and beauty blogs out there in the blogosphere... how is this one any different?  I have more clothes than I know what to do with, and I'm probably about 3 steps away from being on an episode of hoarders.  I haven't grown since about 7th grade, so I never HAVE to get new clothes, but who can resist the call of the wild shopping mall?  Of course I have given some old things away to charity... something about glittery hearts and butterflies doesn't quite seem to fit my personality anymore.  Also, I may not have gotten any taller, but I have definitely gotten fatter since I was 13. :-/

Well, that was a lovely summary of my history, but I still haven't answered the question.  How is this blog different from other fashion blogs?  I always had an inkling that my clothes would come back into style.  So even if I hadn't worn them for years, maybe, just maybe, they would be wearable.  Even if you haven't been hoarding clothes for the past 15 years like some people (ahem), I can show you how to take some of your old accouterments and make them new again!

Not only that, but I'm killer at bargain shopping.  I will share some of my best bargain finds, and help you make your own bargain buys.  Sometimes "bargain shopping" gets a bad rep.  You can get great, brand name stuff for awesome prices, even at stores like Macy's.

Thanks for reading, fashionistas!

~VeeLynn