Chain-and-rhinestone tangled necklace: Forever 21

Green multi-button cardigan: evie (thrifted at Goodwill)

White modal tee: Old Navy

Coral Pleated Pegged Trousers: handmade by me (from BurdaStyle Marilyn Trousers #6065 pattern)

Platform Wood and Canvas Heels: Old Navy

Hair: claw clip shoved through one of my half-wigs so it looks like a ponytail.  I didn’t try too much today.;-)

As I wrote waaaaay back in January, brights are on my mind this Spring!  Bright colors are in fact way, way out of my comfort zone.  I default to blacks and grays habitually (probably due to seeing too many clashing brights growing up in the 80’s).
But clashing is now IN and I am trying it out!!  This lovely cardigan was an amazing thrifted find at – where else? – my local Goodwill.  I was going to pull of the buttons and glue and sew bits of fabric to it last week for a DIY tutorial I was writing for another site…but after I got it home and gave it a real good look there was no way I could alter it at all.  Why?  One word: QUALITY.  The sheer amount of buttons (all covered buttons, btw!), the tight-knit, the cuffs and hem attached to the bodice and sleeves with no seams at all (woven straight into the knit), 55% silk fabric…this is a piece of amazing quality, for a mere $4.99.  (I was unfamiliar with the brand evie, and googling turned up nothing definitive, so I am at a loss.)  Often when I’m going through racks of clothing at the thrift store I just run my hand down them – you can tell in an instant if something is silk-blend or high-quality wool or jersey, or thick-woven cotton, or slubby boucle…and this cardigan stood out from the racks of rumpled lightweight cheap cottons like a daisy on a hillside.  Plus I was drawn to its crazy Spring green color – and would you believe it?  I’ve never owned a single item this color in my entire life!  Right now, I’m loving it.

I’ve also been lusting after a pair of 80’s style pleated pegged pants after altering my black thrifted trousers to that exact shape…but this time I wanted something in a colorful coral.  (I know, another HUGE departure for me!)  Though I couldn’t find exactly the right style of trousers in the stores, I did at BurdaStyle – and bought the Marilyn Trousers pattern, and sewed up a pair of trousers in this bright coral hue (in brushed cotton twill that has just a little bit of stiffness to it).  I’m going back on forth on whether to fix the front zipper placket, which doesn’t lay quite right…and I feel there’s just a bit too much extra fabric in the front legs of this pattern to be flattering on my frame.  Maybe I should sew down the pleats?  In any case, they’re bright and fun and such a departure in my closet I can’t help but slip into them lately.  Today I even got two compliments from random people about my outfit.  That’s enough to put a Spring in my step LOL!

Canvas “I’m Not a Self-Important Canvas Tote” Totebag: designed by me for my CafePress store

Manicure: Maybelline Express Finish “Orange Blazes”

Kept with the theme of brights for my nails, but forgot to do my pedicure.  Next time!

I also thought that I should go neutral for the shoes and just slipped on a pair of my trusty ol’ Old Navy platform wood heels.  Neutral shoes said to use a neutral bag; the only thing I have is my self-designed snarky little tote, that I carry around all my school stuff in (I did remove my FireWire drive before taking photos, since that drive is abnormally huge and looks like I have an encyclopedia in my bag).

Where do you store your FireWire?  Again, I’m at a loss to figure that one out.

Hope everyone’s having a great week!!

xoxox

Carly

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