Best of the Vest

I love this outfit!

I know, I always say that. But I do!

I found this totes adorbs owl purse on sale at Cato for about $7. I KNOW! I was very excited that it went great with this scarf vest (and completer piece), also from Cato, about twenty bucks.

I put them both with this very old black pencil skirt and even older black matte jersey top, but I also have a black t-shirt dress from Walmart ($10) that works great.

You can add tights with the dress/skirt or put the vest with other neutral garments. I love my footless black tights with it--makes me feel hip! I also wear the scarf vest with a black t-shirt and tan pants.

Shoes vary--these are white canvas peep-toe wedges, Payless, ~$20.

Remember to pull neutrals from your stash of "classic pieces" in your closet!

The Blanky Vest - Wait. What?

This is a silly garment.

I know that. It's silly. And I made it. And it's still silly. I have yet to actually wear this outside of my house. Because it's silly. BUT...

But it's so soft and cozy.
But it's cheap!
But I made it myself, Mom.
But I love the colors.
But it's kind of a cool shape, right?

I was inspired to make this "Blanky Vest" by some scarf vests I saw at the fabric store. I looked at them closely and saw how simple they were--a simple rectangle with armholes cut in them. The edges were all hemmed neatly. And they were made of... chiffon. Oh. I do not have the sartorial skill to do that with chiffon. Or to do anything with chiffon.

So I started ruminatin'. What fabric could I use with this same simple pattern to create a scarf vest without wanting to slit my wrists because CHIFFON?

Then it hit me--fleece. Fleece doesn't ravel. It doesn't even have to be hemmed. And I could make FRINGE around the edges if I so desired! Brilliant!

All my ruminatin', engineerin', and plannin' led to this: the Blanky Vest you see before you. Cost me about five bucks and forty-five minutes of crawling around on the floor, measuring and cutting.

As the Blanky Vest is as yet untested in public, I cannot announce whether it is a success or not. But I like it. Maybe you'll see me wearing it around the streets of Houston soon.

Variations on Summer Whites, Ocean Blues

I actually created this outfit late last summer, and dubbed it "Summer Whites, Ocean Blues". I love this outfit! First, lets break it down into the Cheap-Cute Scoop:

White denim leggings, Walmart, $12
White lacy sandals, Payless, ~$15
White lace scarf, Charming Charlie (I think), <$15
Sleeveless top, Walmart, ~$15

Right? Okay, the other day, now that it's February, I paired this same top with dark blue skinny jeans, and topped it with my white crocheted cardigan (Woman Within) and white canvas peep-toe pumps with cork wedge heels (Payless, sugar).

Let's talk about white in winter: It's perfectly fine. There used to be a hard and fast fashion rule that white was not to be worn from Labor Day until Easter every year. Some time in the 1970s, "winter white" appeared on the scene, but it was not quite white and it was worn in very limited ways, like only one garment and never a purse or shoes or a whole dress.

That old rule died several years ago, according to the experts. However, being the Good Southern Girl I am, it took me quite some time to embrace the white-in-winter. Of course, living in the South also means that winters are typically mild, so whites are even more practical. If you happen to live where there is dirty snow and slush, like Chicago, you will probably want to save your whites for summer, or just have a peep of white here and there--maybe a white turtleneck sticking out of your parka!

Okay, get out there and Shop Cheap, Look Cute!

Old Faves + New Faves = Cheap Cute

Have you read my post on Closet Shopping? It means going into your closet to see what old clothes you might have forgotten and/or you might not have tried with newer things. This is an outfit that is almost ALL old stuff, with just one newish piece acting as a "completer piece".

There's another definition for you: a completer piece is one that--well, yes, completes an outfit. Usually a jacket or vest, a completer piece typically "makes" the outfit, pulls it all together.

In the case of this outfit, the ivory crocheted vest completes the outfit. Yes, I could wear this without it, but it's much more interesting with the vest.

Now, what you really want to know: where and how much? Starting at the bottom, the boots came from Payless, naturally. You know I get most of my shoes there. (Not all!) I probably paid $25 or less for them, although I have had them so long, I honestly don't remember.

The skirt, a washable linen that crushes but doesn't rumple, came from a store in Austin called CP Shades about 12 or 15 years ago. I want to say I splurged a bit and paid $40-$45 for it, but if cost-per-wear counts for anything, it was actually really cheap.

The t-shirt came from Kohl's? I think? I probably got it about 2013 to go with something in the teal family, but it turned out to go nicely with this old favorite skirt. 

Now, here's the nice completer piece: Unearthed at Walmart some time last summer, I paid $10-$12 for this lovely vest. It has a hood, which is "eh" to me--I could take it or leave it, but I don't hate it, and I love the shape of it. I searched high and low for a white one, to no avail. (I did finally find a white crocheted cardigan at Woman Within for about $35. See it in this video.) 

You know I don't actually endorse any store, but you also know I talk a lot about certain places where I love to shop and always find good prices. But this particular outfit came from the recesses of my closet, only with the completer piece added. Now you can update your own wardrobe with a simple completer piece. Go for it!

Another example of a completer piece, this scarf vest, about $20 from Cato. 

How to Wear Colors Without Looking Like a Clown

I had a lot of fun with this video--it's totally amateurish, but I give good info! And I almost flashed the camera!