Love, Lydia - Notes from a geeky, plus sized artist.: capsule wardrobe
Showing posts with label capsule wardrobe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label capsule wardrobe. Show all posts

Friday, November 20, 2015

Cooler Coverings - Fall Fashions

Hello Friends!

This week has continued to be yet another crazy one.  I've been to doctor's visits and getting things done with Bryan while he's around.  And hopefully I'll be able to schedule a follow up for some of the tests next week too.  In any case I've been having trouble with my keyboard that's led me to several house of troubleshooting and very complicated systems of trying to work around it as I've written posts and anything else typed online.  I finally found that a separate keyboard fixes the problem, even though it's super awkward since I don't own a Mac keyboard.  My computer is apparently warped enough that the keyboard is having severe problems, and the trackpad is starting to as well.  At this point my laptop is over 6 years old, so it's done well to get this far, but another fix is probably too costly since it's almost to the point of being outdated technology.  (I had to stop updating my OS a couple years ago since if I moved to the next version I wouldn't be able to use Photoshop.  Of course now it's harder to do all the beautiful things I'd like to do with the tools I can find for Photoshop because they're all meant to use with newer editions, and I'm still running Creative Suite 3.)  But on to more fun subjects.

Poshmark

On another note I am loving selling on Poshmark!  I started selling most of my clothes that didn't make the cut for my capsules there.  I haven't even finished listing everything yet and have already had 7 sales totaling around $90.  If you haven't tried it yet go for it, and have a $10 off coupon on me by using my code to sign up - PYIHF at www.Poshmark.com and then just download the app.  You can buy on the site using any device, but selling and the $10 for signing up is only available by downloading the app.

Fall Fashions

Transitioning to Cooler Coverings

Fall is here in full force and North Carolina is finally nice and cool most days.  I woke up this past Sunday morning to frost covered grass and chickadees pecking at our backyard feeder.  I'm finally having to break out my jacket a couple times a week and we tested out our new home's heater too.  In terms of fashions I'm experimenting more to make the summery portions of my fall capsule wardrobe keep me warmer.  Here are some examples:


With this outfit I decided it was time to start pairing some of my fun tees with skirts.  this outfit is comprised of my Switchfoot shirt, bag from Target, skirt from Torrid, leggings from Target, and boots from Hushpuppies/Trendsetter.

 

For Halloween I wore this Doctor Who, 9th doctor inspired outfit.  Dress from Her Universe, bag from Amazon◊, leggings from ModCloth◊, boots from Hushpuppies/Trendsetter.


I'm really excited to get to reading our picks from Fight or Flight's Halloween sale.  And Miles Morales Spiderman is a new one for me, which so far I'm enjoying a lot!


I know I don't show my makeup looks often, because I don't wear as much.  But I have fun playing around with it and a couple weeks ago I donned a bit to go on a double date night with Bryan's parents.  I used Boe eyeshadow in Fun House, Face Stolkholm's Jeanann eyeliner, Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara, and Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Venizia.


This date night outfit is the Paige dress from Cherry Velvet, leggings from Target, and boots from Hushpuppies/Trendsetter.


Another thing I've been experimenting with is styling my dresses.  In this shot I paired my LuLaRoe "Nicole" dress (I'm hosting a LuLaRoe online party for the next 24 hours if any of you readers want to catch a sale with me! You can find it on Facebook here.) with my sweater from Target, plus leggings from Target, and flats from Payless/American Eagle.


I also threw in some Julep nail polish by using the color "Darby" with this outfit, well technically I'd been wearing it for 6 days before this picture was taken.  It just lasts so well!  As always you can try a free box from my affiliates at Julep by checking them out here:

Jingle Bells Welcome Box


I've been breaking out my jacket from Maurice's, and wore it with a top from Old Navy, skinny jeans from Torrid, and flats from Torrid.


And finally my last outfit I'll be sharing from my fall capsule includes the jacket from Maurice's, top from Target, zip ankle jeans from Torrid, and flats from Torrid.

This fall capsule has gone well, better than I thought it would when I was panicking that first week about how to style things.  Now I'm thinking ahead to winter and the next capsule.  However I'm going to be doing a mini capsule for December as I adjust when my seasons change.  I've found that grouping the months of October-December would have been a better choice with less need for both summer and winter items.  So next year my capsules will run from January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December.  I'll tall you more about what I'm planning for December in my next fashion post around December 4th.  I'll be taking a break from writing next Friday for the holiday and so I can focus on filling orders from my Etsy art shop at http://LydiasDesigns.etsy.com where you can find art like that in this picture below:


I'll see you all Monday!

Love,
Lydia

Saturday, October 24, 2015

October Outfits & Julep Unboxing

Hi friends,

I'm excited to share my latest Julep subscription box with you all, plus some recent outfits.

Julep

Julep is my favorite subscription box and nail polish brand.  They also make some great makeup, though in this box I just ordered nail items.  The beauty of this box is you can either choose between 6 curated boxes and upgrades or pay $5 more to create your own boxes.  To me it's worth it to create my own boxes.  You typically get 3 items, and then can get additional add on items, with a free item if you've added on 3.  It comes out to about $5 per item if you go for the box with add ons.  You can also skip you box as often as you need to, which is great if you want the fun of a box on a budget.  Julep typically comes out with 8-12 new nail colors each month, so there's always something fresh.  And I find most polishes last 5 days without chipping, and 7-8 if you use their base and top coat.  So here's my October box:


It had several other colors I'd ordered for the giveaway, plus a little bag of candy corn.  It came with this instructional card.  It makes me wish I'd ordered one of the eyeshadows!  Maybe next time I get a box I will, though I'm skipping November's.



These colors are wonderful, and I've done some tests to give you all an idea of just what they look like.  I realized after the fact that I'd ended up with some fantastic Halloween themed shades!  From the top down there's Darby - huntsman green with microglitter shimmer, Jocelyn (new)- a cranberry shimmer with holographic microglitter, Nicola (new)- a transparent peach glitter that glows in the dark (works great!), Sherri (new)- a bright purple stardust finish (stardust finish is slightly more matte with lots of texture, and no need for a top coat), and Arielle, a smoked fig (dark muted purple) cream.


I tested the colors on a paper towel and also the mini plastic bag so you could see what concentrations look like and what the finish looks like as well.  On my nail you see Arielle, which I used as the darkest shade in an ombre look pictured further down.


I also tried adding a stripe of Nicola over all the colors,  it doesn't change their colors much at all, though it makes the stardust finish more shiny.


Here's a peek at that ombre look too:


I used Arielle as the darkest shade, then Nedra, Alexa, Elisa, and Joanna.

You can get a FREE welcome box with the brand new Metallic colors and eyeliner seen below by clicking the on the image and using the code MADLOVE.

Metallics Welcome Box Offer
And if that's not enough you can also get in an entry to my giveaway for these lovely colors and holographic decals seen below by midnight tonight!

Lydia, Lee, Florence, and Sandi!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now for the Outfits!


Top - Forever 21, Necklace - Phoebe Marie via Etsy, Bag - available here at Amazon◊, Jeans - Torrid, Flats - Torrid

Dress - LuLaRoe, Necklace - Marsha Elliott Designs via The Blue Ridge Parkway Craft Center, Leggings - Target, Boots - Trendsetter/Hushpuppies

This outfit is a deviation from my capsule wardrobe, but I was so excited about the new dress from LuLaRoe that I had to post it!  I've recently been introduced to LuLaRoe through my friend Nicole, they're pretty much all American made clothing that's super comfy.  Their collection ranges from casual to business casual in mostly soft cotton materials.  Their designs stay consistent from season to season, but the fabric patterns change regularly and are made in small quantities.  I got this dress plus a top, which will be in my winter capsule wardrobe.


Thanks all this time, but I'll see you all next week!

Love,
Lydia

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Announcement, 10 Wantables, and Outfits

Hi friends,

I'm so glad the weather here is finally better for wearing jeans, boots and sweaters.  Today I've got a bunch of outfits for you, plus a bit of a fun as I look at items I've seen and loved.  Perhaps some will become part of future capsule wardrobes, but one thing is for sure, they're on my mind today.

ModCloth Announcement!

Also I have a huge announcement that I'm incredibly excited about!  I am now a ModCloth affiliate!!  I love their clothes to death and am thrilled that they trust me to share their wonderful styles with you all.  What this means is when you click a link from here to ModCloth and make a purchase (any item, not just what I may link) you help support me.

Fall Wantables


1. The Intrigue All About It coat in Crimson from ModCloth *Affiliate*


2. This Batgirl shirt from Sons of Gotham!

3. A gorgeous Aaron tulle skirt from Whimsy Luxxe (I'm thinking lavender maybe?)


4. This Lace Front Button Tunic from Torrid

5. These amazing Pink Clove Metallic leggings from ASOS


6. The Coach Tour dress in Teal from ModCloth *Affiliate*



7. An adorable Shooting Star Shoulder Bag from My Lolita Dress


8. A pair of Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Lo Tops in Eggplant Peel

9. This Tee of the amazing new Thor from Her Universe

10.  These lovely Plum wash Jeggings from Torrid

Whew....Now for the outfits!

Top - Target , Shorts - Levis/Amazon, Flip Flops - Old Navy

Top - Forever 21, Necklace - Forever 21 (I couldn't find it to photograph, sorry!), Skirt - Target, Leggings Target, Boots Trendsetter/Hushpuppies

Not quite and outfit, but one of the examples of scarf wearing that is finally happening.  Yay fall!  Scarf - Dress Barn, Top -  Ocean Pacific/Walmart

Hoodie - Target, Top - Target, Jeans - Lane Bryant, Boots - Trendsetter/Hushpuppies

I was so nervous about wearing these palazzo pants out the first time.  I really love them, and they're incredibly comfy.  Top - Target, Necklace - Anthropologie, Pants - Dress Barn Woman, Boots - Trendsetter/Hushpuppies

Flannel Shirt - Walmart, Wonder Woman Tee - Torrid, Jeans - Torrid, Ballet Flats - Payless

Tell me folks, if you wear palazzo pants how do you style them to keep people from thinking they're pajamas?  That thought kept sneaking in while I was wearing them, so I made sure I dressed it up a bit (despite only wearing it out to get groceries.)  Also, what are your top wanted items?  Share it all with me in the comments!

Love,
Lydia

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Capsule Wardrobe Woes

Hi friends,

This week has been a busy one for me.  And maybe it's just the season, but it seems like I've got more on my plate and mostly that's great.  I'm finding myself able to deal with more stress and getting better organized too.  I finally found a planner to carry with me that I really love too!  I heard of it though Scruffy-Little Nerdherder's Blog and I can't wait to get it in the mail from Ruskerville's Etsy shop!  This is the planner I went with:


I love it because not only is it awesomely Harry Potter themed, with quotes and lovely details put into it, (and Ravenclaw!!) but it also consists of just monthly calendar pages and notes (he makes other kinds with days too).  I find that looking at a whole month is much easier for me than trying to do things day by day.  Which might sound a little funny, but I think it's because I'm detail oriented enough that it makes me crazy to try planning every second of my day.  Plus all the times I've tried to plan out my days I feel discouraged because they never go as planned anyway and I feel doomed to fail before I even start if it feels too busy.

Capsule Wardrobe Woes

Anyway, I wanted to start off this post with something more positive because I can't help but feel like I'm going to be more negative than I'd like as I assess the failings for my fall capsule wardrobe.   (Which you can take a peek at here!)  Maybe it will turn out to be in your advantage that things haven't worked as well.  So, the biggest problem I've had is with my tops.  I feel like I don't have enough variety or perhaps enough flexibility with them.  I think going forward than means I need to have a couple more basic pieces, which is something I managed to do much better in my summer capsule wardrobe.  Here's a quick comparison:

                                              Tops                 Layering                   Bottoms
Summer                                14                      3                               11
Fall                                        16                      3                               10

As you can see things look pretty good if we're going by the numbers.  But let's break this down some more and see if we can make sense of it.  Of the 16 tops 3 can only be worn in colder weather.  So that puts me at 13 tops the can be worn and layered.  I've found that this layering piece from Forever21 really only works with 4 of my tops, and it's not very useful.


So it will be one of my first pieces to go up on Poshmark! (an app/site for buying and selling new and gently used clothing)  I'll be replacing it with this Old Navy Perfect Henley:



My other problem, which doesn't feel so bad, but is still in need of change is that I added these corduroy Toms to my capsule wardrobe without first checking to see if they fit properly.  *facepalm*  They don't fit me, they're a half size too small and will be finding a new home via Poshmark!


So I'm left without a sneaker or other warm shoe other than boots.  And boots aren't for everything....plus as much as I now love my boots I don't want to wear them out too fast.  I think I'll be replacing the Toms with some Converse Chuck Taylors in purple as my first Purchase on Poshmark.

I'm hoping the one new top will make all the difference, but I think in some ways my problem is simply the wild weather here in North Carolina.  I may reconsider this later, but right now I feel like I could-

  1. Have smaller summer and winter capsules, and larger fall and spring ones, rather than the typical capsule.
  2. Try my changeovers at a different time, so that summer might be July-September, fall October-December, winter January-March, and spring April-June.
  3. Have two main capsules and two mini transitional ones.  Summer would be in use April-September, and winter October-March.  The mini wardrobes would be laying pieces and pants in fall, and tanks and shorts in spring.
For now I'll still be planning my winter capsule wardrobe to start in December, and I may do a whole year before trying to change my methods.  My problem may be that I have too many unique pieces less suitable for laying.  If so spending a whole year on this project will help me cull them at least.  I'm really not sure what I'll end up doing, but writing down my options allows you all to give feedback if you have any ideas.  So please feel free to send any tips my way!

Love,
Lydia

Friday, September 25, 2015

Fashion Inspiration

Hi friends,

So today I wanted to talk about some of the fashionable folks I'm inspired by and soon I'll also examine some of the recent frustration I've had with my fall capsule wardrobe, but that's enough for a whole post of it's own.

Fashion Inspiration


I know she's got the whole manic pixie dream girl thing going on in most of the acting she does, but her style is just great!  She rocks the retro inspired looks hard and stays adorable while she makes music, helps run the website she cofounded, and acts.  The link above goes to her site Hello Giggles!

 


Ms Monae writes brilliant music that crosses genres forming a commentary on society as well as singing about love, and even science fiction.  Bryan and I both really enjoy her music and her style draws from retro and menswear styles, though these days she's doing more feminine looks too.




Liz is a blogger like me who has a fun and girly sense of style that I love!  I used smaller images here because I really think you should stop by her site and check out more pictures and her own writing as well.  I've been taking some cues from her blog and will soon have an option for folks to shop my closet as I try out Poshmark! (A site you can buy/sell new or gently used clothing)




Felicia is kind of nerd famous, and I love her.  She's written a book and been in numerous TV shows and such.  Along the way she's great at finding ways of staying true to herself.  Her style is the most casual and in many ways the most like my own.


Who inspires your sense of fashion?  I'd love to hear more and be inspired by you too!

Love,
Lydia