Major Florals

I bought this military-styled cardigan while shopping with my mom this weekend, and I'm already overwhelmed with the many, many ways that I want to wear it. I decided that, on its big first day out of the closet, I'd highlight its more masculine structure by pairing it against my very feminine floral skirt.
Because there was only a hint of stripes between the floral skirt and military jacket, I thought it'd be fun to add an extra layer of pattern mixing with, again, just a small glimpse of striped tights between my skirt and boots.
Skirt: Gabes

Cardigan: Nordstrom's

Shirt: Target

Tights: Target

Boots: Gifted, Mom and Dad, Zappo's, Chinese Laundry
I can't wait to rewear this cardigan in a very menswear-inspired outfit! xoxo Anna Rae

Grey Sky, Grey Jeans

Spring seemed to have arrived, but sadly has gone back into hiding, so I chose a simple outfit for a showery day.

I love how this ladylike silk blouse is easily dressed down when untucked with jeans (rather than dressed up like here). I prefer to pair my black tops with contrasting bottoms like these grey jeans, as all of my jeans are classic dark washes. On my very long wish list for spring is a pair of classic blue jeans in that perfect mid wash between dark and light.

The best part about these shoes is surprisingly not their colour, but that fact that because of their patent leather, they, like ducklings, play well in small puddles. Although just as cute, my suede shoes, like kittens, do not.

Blouse: Femme de Carriere

Jeans: Paige Premium, Zappos.com

Heels: Coach, Ebay

My Cheatin' Heart

Photo credit: IMDB

Today, I blogged on a blog that wasn't mine. I know, I feel like such a cheater. My friend Gregg had requested that I guest blog about something that wasn't fashion, and I chose to write about Harold and Maude, and why it's my favorite movie.

I did restrain myself and didn't talk about the fashion in the movie or the movie's impact on fashion, but it should be said that Rodarte credited the movie as part inspiration for its line for Target and it's currently on Kate Spade's website of favorite things. And who doesn't want a bright yellow raincoat? xoxo Anna Rae

Crafty 'Staches

We're big supporters of Etsy here on The Tights that Bind, and I'm very excited to say that I officially am friends with an Etsy shop owner. Jill (seen above) is a fellow Etown alum and the proud owner of a new Etsy shop, Must Have Staches. If, like me, you love a little novelty in your wardrobe, you should check out her collection of mustachioed accessories.

They're not up on the site yet (it is brand new), but she makes mustache napkins. Finally -- the perfect addition to your Coen Brothers dinner party! xoxo Anna Rae

You Can Never Hold Back Spring

Despite the dropping temperatures, my experiment with wearing all bright colors at once during my first attempt at color blocking has strengthened my resolve to dress for the season it claims to be, not the one it acts like. This blouse is such an excellent addition to my wardrobe; I love how it works as a fun focal piece in an outfit otherwise full of neutrals.
The pattern on this skirt is so simple -- clean lines of navy on tan -- that I hardly hesitate when mixing it with a bolder pattern. The cardigan worked well in matching the skirt's tone and the floral theme of the blouse.
Shirt: Old Navy

Skirt: Purr, South Granville

Cardigan: New York & Co.

Shoes: Thrifted, Goodwill, Etown, Target

Necklace: Gifted, Erin

Sunglasses: Joe Fresh, Real Canadian Superstore
Now if only the temperatures could catch up with my wardrobe. How fun would this look with no tights and cute sandals? xoxo Anna Rae

Block by Block

As someone who loves a trend, I was excited to try color blocking. My wardrobe, however, presented some challenges. For as much as I love bright colors, I don't have that many solid pieces in my wardrobe. Once I decided to center the outfit around the red skirt and stick with warm colors, the whole process instantly seemed simple. Everything fell into place, and my favorite part was adding the small accessories that heightened the colored scheme: the red belt, the warm colored bracelets, and yellow shoes.
I think the next time I try color blocking, I'll go a little bolder and pair complementary colors instead.
Skirt: Thrifted, St. Vincent de Paul, Latrobe

Shirt: Ross Dress for Less

Cardigan: Anthropologie

Shoes: Old Navy

Belt: on Thrifted dress, Salvation Army, Lancaster

Bracelets: Gifted, Jenna
I didn't wear these yellow sunglasses out of the house because I wasn't wearing my contacts and it was raining all day, but I thought they added a fun, over-the-top touch. Will you be trying color blocking this spring? xoxo Anna Rae

House Pet

I wanted to title this post something very punny that mentioned cheetahs and alluded to how Erin wore a very similar dress a few days ago. But, as you may have noticed, it's best to leave the puns to her.

When I bought this dress at the Goodwill, it hung past my ankles and had oversized sleeves that tapered into a wide cuff, a dress that, without its animal print, would have been seen on Chloe Sevigny on Big Love. I had great ambitions and a talented seamstress mom who took over when my ability couldn't keep up with them. I'm very please with the house-dress type result. I'm still considering change out the buttons to brightly colored ones, but for now like the bright pop of color in the bright tights and vintage brooch.

The shoes require a close-up to see the adorable floral pom on the top of each toe, but it's the sort of detail that requires some sort of 3-D effect to really appreciate its greatness. I loved how all of the accessories in this piece where very feminine and floral, a fun contrast to the animal print and compliment to the classic shirt-dress I (Mom) created.
Dress: Thrifted, Goodwill, Etown

Tights: Hue, Macy's

Brooch: Gifted, Erin, Vintage, Salvation Army, Kerrisdale

Shoes: Old Navy
And as an apology for having indoor photos despite the return of Spring, here is photographic proof that I was indeed wise to stay indoors. The hailstorm situation in Latrobe was a little outrageous.
Libby, can we convince you to now wear a black and grey animal print dress? xoxo Anna Rae

My Lips are Sealed

Today was the first day it actually felt like spring in Vancouver, so I was especially glad I choose to wear my favourite blouse. I love watching people figure out what the print is and realise that what looks like a very twee blouse has a rebellious side.

For this outfit I chose to dress the top down with cropped pants and flats while bringing out the print with a pink belt and cardigan. Top buttoning the cardigan under the collar emphasised its petal-like detail.

The finishing touch was a pair of polka dot flats, a print that is neutral enough to play well with other while also maintaining the quirky vibe of smoking lips on the blouse.

Blouse: Kate Spade, Ebay

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Pants: DKNYC, DKNY Outlet

Flats: Jessica Simpson, 6pm.com (Zappos' clearance site)

Belt: Joe Fresh, Real Canadian Superstore

Cheetahs always prosper

Another day, another permutation of my fashion formula. Despite the potential for reader boredom, the more uniform my wardrobe (black and white, basics, bright colours, and fun prints) the easier it is to shop, get dressed, and combine pieces. I want to continue trying to cultivate a signature 'look'. Even when working within a formula, I still want interest. On top of the monochrome cheetah print, the ruffled sleeves and crystal necklace provide that extra flair.

Dress: Zara

Tights: Gap

Belt: Mexx

Wedges: Cole Haan, Freedman's South Grandville

Necklace: RW&Co

Honey Bee

I think you'll fully appreciate the yellow and black color palette of this outfit if you listen to Zee Avi's Honey Bee while looking at it.
For an extra special weekend of warm weather, normally far-away friends, and (what I thought to be) non-heartbreaking basketball games, I knew I needed an outfit that would work both for teaching and for looking my best to see my favorites.
I found this dress at Ross dress for less and loved its shape, its floral design, and the thin yellow belt that came with it. Really, is there anything better than a bonus belt on a dress? I immediately wanted to pair it with my new yellow sandals and vintage yellow brooch, but was then feeling very anxious about the idea of being too matched. Did I look like a bridesmaid? Should I switch out the shoes? The belt? Skip the brooch?
In the end, I went with my original instincts, adding a fun complementary color with the when-needed cardigan and a very fun detail with the earrings, which are almost a perfect negative of the dress.
Dress and belt: Ross Dress for Less

Shoes: Old Navy

Cardigan: Old Navy

Earrings: Giveaway, Erin

Brooch: Vintage, Etsy
Thank you Will for taking my pictures and to all of the other amazing people who made the weekend so lovely. (Members and fans of the Butler basketball team, that does not mean you.) xoxo Anna Rae

Thursday's Real Holiday

I didn't wear any green on St. Patrick's Day. I just couldn't make it a priority this year, not with Thursday being the first (not officially, but I think we can all agree that the Big Dance still starts on Thursday) day of March Madness. Instead, I wore my best blue and gold to help cheer Pitt onto their first victory in the tournament.
When you have a great piece like this yellow blazer, outfits tend to fall into place. Pairing the blazer with this dress was bit of a no brainer because of the overwhelming blue and gold theme. I didn't want to distract too much from that color combination, choosing a simple brown belt and this plain gold chain necklace that I bought second-hand at a Saturday Market, which might actually be a belt. That fact hasn't really deterred me, especially today -- the official colors are blue and gold!My white tights and brown sandals pulled the outfit together, keeping it light and fun. I was, after all, dressing in my very own version of a player's jersey (a habit I cannot support).

Dress: H&M

Blazer: Thrifted, Value Village, Vancouver

Tights: Target

Shoes: Thrifted, Alabaster's Church Thrift Store, Greensburg

Belt: Fashion Bug

Necklace: Stand at Saturday Market, Etown

My Final Four for the tournament? Pitt (of course), Kansas, UConn, and Kentucky

My even more important Final Four for Fug Madness? Taylor "Little J" Momsen, Leona Lewis, Paz de la Huerta, and Aubrey O'Day. Little J will, of course, take all. xoxo Anna Rae

Undergraduate

There's one episode of Gilmore Girls where my favorite mother-daughter team takes a road trip to Harvard, and Lorelai, mistaken for a student, is invited to a frat party. Last night, while visiting my cousin Natalie at RMU, her roommate's friend asked what college I went to, and I felt a strange sense of Lorelai-like pride. To be fair, most of the excitement may have been a result of her, even after finding out I was not only old, but just the kind of person to hand out essay assignments, complimenting my outfit, especially my shoes. The outfit, I admit, may have been a bit of pandering to the I'm-in-college-and-listen-to-indie-music-in-coffeeshops crowd.
I bought this dress at Target, thinking it would seamlessly fit into my wardrobe, but it's been a bit of a challenge. I think it's working here, so I suppose that I really just need to work the 90s vibe to truly highlight its Courtney Love, babydoll dress merits. The plaid and the Doc Martens, to me, are sort of the easy way out for looking both casual and cool.
Since the outfit already felt pretty fun, I added two more of my favorite quirky accessories: my Xena warrior princess belt and hodge-podge Anthropologie necklace.
Dress: Target

Shirt: Giveaway, Forever 21

Belt: Thrifted, Value Village, Vancouver

Shoes: Gifted, Mom and Dad, Doc Marten's

Neckace: Anthropologie

Photos: Julie

Thanks for being such a good host, Natalie, and good luck with the rest of Greek Week! xoxo Anna Rae

Connect the dots

Wearing pink makes me feel good. While I love the whole Roy G. Biv, pink seems to have special mood-elevating qualities that other colours just can't touch.

Needless to say, I was enchanted by this fuchsia shirt dress with great detailing. I know it will be a versatile three season piece that can be dressed up or down.

For now, with a chill still in the air, I wore my favourite tights (which I have to seriously ration because they snag so easily) and workhorse striped cardigan. As you can see by the many ways both Anna and I combine a black and white striped cardigan, it really is a piece worth having.

And I still can't get enough of these shoes.

Dress: Nanette Lepore, Ebay

Cardigan: Club Monaco

Necklace: Vintage, my Nana's

Tights: Joe Fresh, Real Canadian Superstore

Shoes: Bass, shoebuy.com