How Green is My Valley

This outfit is all about casual comfort without the sloppy factor. Because I usually wear jeans, I always try to find special tops that can dress them up while being both work and every-day appropriate. Even everyday bottoms like these lighter-wash cuffed capris can pass muster with the addition of gold flats rather than sneakers.
This shell, which has been making many appearances on fashion blogs across the interwebs, fit the criteria perfectly. The unique print reminded me of impressionist blossoms in dappled sunlight, and the colours felt fresh for spring.
My green cardigan is complementary rather than coordinating. It works because its shade has a similar depth and tone as the hues in the blouse. A gold necklace adds additional formality and sparkle but doesn't seem out of place with the sunny print.

Blouse: Ann Taylor Loft

Capris: American Eagle

Cardigan: JCrew, Ebay

Flats: Tory Burch, Ebay

Necklace: Heirloom piece, my Grandfather's

Blooms in the Gloom

Yippee! The Tights that Bind is participating in its first every Everybody, Everywear challenge: floral. Of course I had to pick my Liberty Floral blouse as a shout out to Liberty's classic flower-based textile designs. Its bright blossoms brought the sun to an overcast day.

When I combine a floral print with a colour I usually pick either the most dominant shade or subtlest accent to bring out. If you want to add more colour, like I did with my turquoise necklace, just keep adding more of the hues you find in the print. More daring mix masters (Anna?) can chose coordinating or complementary shades not found in the pattern.
Although the voluminous ruffles of this blouse require toppers to be tucked under them rather than worn over, I like to think of the dramatic frills as more Elizabethan ruff than clown collar.
And, like all nutrient-rich soils, the neutral pants and shoes provided a solid base for the flowers to bloom from.
Blouse: Liberty of London for Target, Target.com
Cardigan: Gap
Pants: Gap
Flats: Tory Burch, Ebay
Necklace: Sam Moon, The Woodlands TX

Check out Everybody Everywear for more florals!

Digging a Trench

I'm so pleased to be able to debut my new spring trench on the blog! Lightweight and bright, it's everything I could ask for in a warm(ish) weather topper.
Underneath it all was the cardigan rind to the watermelon coat. Green and pink, especially when they are slightly chartreuse-y and coral-y, are as refreshing a pairing as the fruit they reference.

While I wear this cameo often, I thought it deserved a close up, along with the lovely edging and hook-and-eye closures of my top, last seen in a more formal iteration rather than with wide-leg jeans. If you are looking for a cameo of your own, I recommend the vintage section of Esty. Browse for 'cameo' along with the colour you want to narrow down your search. Even a costume cameo like this one can make a strong statement.
Trench: Vero Moda, The Bay

Blouse: Nanette Lepore, Ebay
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity, Hills of Kerrisdale
Cardigan: Gap
Cameo: Vintage, my Nana's
Shoes: Gianni Bini, Ebay

Leopards in Bloom

This outfit is definitely a transitional one: the black jeans and grey leopard say January, while the bright shoes and cardigan are asking when May is getting here. Black jeans are a great weapon to have in your wardrobe arsenal if you work somewhere with a flexible dress code. They are slightly more formal than regular denim, but not quite your standard black dress pant. These jeans originally had a flared leg, but I straightened the side seams to make them appear more like a trouser. Even if you don't sew, narrowing the leg of a pant is a quick and cheap job at any tailor that can resuscitate last season's leg line.

While I love my black cameo with any outfit, I am on the lookout for brightly coloured beads (yellow is at the top of my list) so I can add even more rainbow to rainy days.

Along with the solid pink cardigan, the bright turquoise shoes helped me make my first baby steps into color blocking. Look for more as the weather warms!

Cardigan: Banana Republic Jeans: Hudson, Hill's of Kerrisdale Blouse: Mia Via, Nordstrom's Rack Shoes: Banana Republic, Ebay Cameo: Vintage, My Nana's

Why Canada Needs Target

It's May! In honor of almost almost Summer, I wore my Liberty of London dress from Target. I love this dress, and it was worth all the hassles of buying it. Erin, her boyfriend, and I drove to Washington the day before the expected premiere of Target's Liberty of London line because the woman on the phone told Reece (Erin's boyfriend) that they already had everything on the floor. Well, that woman lied. If it hadn't been for the fact that Target was indeed attached to a mall where I spent lots of money anyway, that trip would have been a terrible waste. Even though Erin and I were exhausted from our day of shopping, we came home, stalked the website until the line was available online, ordered the items we wanted, had them shipped to my parents house, and I brought them back with me after Easter. Phew. Like I said, totally worth it.

Instead of the blue ribbon that comes with the dress, I once again wore this belt; I'm pretty much wearing it everyday. Hopefully, the next time I'll be able to wear this dress without tights and just a ribbon belt --summer weather. Only 2 more days and I'm officially done with school! I just have to keep wearing the bright colors for motivation, I think.

Dress: Target

Cardigan: Thrifted, St. Vincent dePaul in Latrobe, Zara

Belt: Gifted by Erin

Tights: Kohl's (They're swirly! I love them!)

Shoes: AE

And apparently we're now using the blog as an excuse to pose with men in uniform.

Like mother, like daughter. xoxo Anna Rae

Long lost Watson twin?

Sometimes, I just want to dress exactly like Jenny Lewis. I'm not sure if I exactly succeeded today, but I think I came close. Maybe more Acid Tongue than Rabbit Fur Coat, but not nearly as cool as she is here.

The belt, a classic Value Village find, really helped to make this look more interesting than the usual sundress with a cardigan outfit. Also, the boots have made a return! I sometimes forget just how much I love a slouchy boot, a cowboy boot, or anything resembling either of those options. But, as you can probably tell, it's a lot.
I often wear this cardigan backwards because it's so off-the-shoulder that it looks less strange as a boat-neck sweater with a deep-V back and it's hard to pull off when worn as one normally wears cardigans - over short-sleeves shirts or button-downs. The sweater over the sundress look is pretty perfect, though. When I first bought this sweater I would wear with a long, black and white hippie skirt that I wore as a strapless dress. Speaking of, are hippie skirts still in style, because I might still be in love with them?

When you try and dress like an indie folk singer, you realize you need some good accessories. I bought these sunglasses in London, and while they certainly aren't the most face-flattering pair that I own, they are absolutely the coolest. The jewelry -- the amazing bracelet that I save for special, bohemian occasions and earrings made from coconut wood -- are just the kind of things you wear when it's sunny and warm outside.

Speaking of lovely Spring weather, today was the first day of the season where I went tightless. A bold but exciting move, I'd say.
This white trench, bought on my first (okay, out of two) trip to Paris is a favorite to pull out of the closet after a dreary, grey winter. When I wear it with these glasses, I always feel like a 1970s housewife emerging on an affair. I need a really glamorous shift dress in muted greens and yellows to really complete the look, though.

Coat: Some store in Paris (I'm so annoying, I know)

Dress: Target

Belt: Value Village

Boots: Shoe Warehouse in Kits

Sunglasses: Top Shop

Earrings: Market in Belize

Bracelet: Gifted, Mom and Dad's trip to San Diego

Tomorrow is my last day of class, ever (well, for a year at least). I haven't decided whether I should dress extremely scholarly or extremely American, since it's an American lit class. Such suspense! xoxo Anna Rae

Spring and All

I had no idea that I would be wearing this outfit when I woke up, in fact I had no idea that I'd be wearing it when I came to school. Instead, I was wearing a very similar outfit, but with this skirt. Luckily, the outfit took a turn for the better when Erin, the personal shopper, gave me this skirt that she thrifted for me last night.

Since I didn't actually plan this outfit, I don't have much to say about it, but I do love when outfits contrast, like the Springy tunic and skirt with the winter vest, blazer, and Doc Martens. Or the very feminine skirt with pretty masculine pieces.

I can't wait to wear this skirt again when I've actually planned an outfit around it.
I think I might have to put the Doc Martens away for the summer soon -- the most reluctant move to storage for my wardrobe.

Blazer: Target

Shirt: AE

Vest: Old Navy

Skirt: Thrifted, Salvation Army, Tahari

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Doc Martens

This new skirt was certainly the best part of my day, high praise for someone so eagerly awaiting the long-anticipated arrival of a new Glee episode. xoxo Anna Rae

Stop Mumbling, Seth Rogen.

Why am I laughing? Because Beth - my friend, past roommate, and today's photographer - directed a lengthy photo shoot on Granville Island today in an attempt to spy on maybe Seth Rogen.

Maybe Seth Rogen, you say? Let me elaborate -- Today while sitting outside of the Public Market, Beth and I noticed someone sitting behind us who looked exactly like Seth Rogen, but it was a little hard to tell as he was covering his face with his newsboy cap. Beth was pretty convinced, but I was skeptical -- then we heard him laugh. Yes, it was that odd, distinct laugh we all know and love. Now, if you know me at all, you know that anything Judd Appatow touches, especially in the world of television, immediately fills my heart with glee, so now that Beth was completely convinced and I was 85% convinced, we wanted to geek out big time. In an attempt to be cool, native Vancouverites, we refrained, and instead sat still hoping to hear what he was talking about, in an effort to find out if it really was him. But, man, let me tell you, maybe Seth Rogen is a mumbler. Speak up, Seth Rogen (if it indeed is you)! Let your fangirls geek out in public.

But on to the outfit, a celebrity in its own mind...
I really based this outfit on the day's activity and the weather, which is I guess how most people dress all the time. Because it was so springy outside, I wanted to wear some pastels, like my pink tights and this new summer cardigan (bought on the super clearance rack, oh yeah).
I wanted the outfit to be casual but kind of cool and interesting, since Granville Island, while essentially just a cute area to wonder and eat and enjoy the view, can also be a collection of strange and artsy people. And who doesn't want to dress to impress the street performers and to fit in with both the art students and the tourists? In an attempt to be fun and interesting, but also casual, I wore my all-time favorite flower headband and mixed patterns in a, I hope, slightly subtler way with the stripes and the tweed. None of the colors in my outfit actually matched, but I thought they worked well together anyway, playing up the idea of spring (even the black and white tweed jacket worked with that because of its pink ribbons).
I really liked how this outfit turned out. It worked perfectly for a day by the water, some thrift shopping, and sushi dinner.
Skirt: AE

Sweater: Off the Wall, downtown Vancouver

Blazer: Target

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Value Village

Necklace: Gifted

Headband: Walmart

Sunglasses, Gifted by Erin, part of the giveway

Something to look forward to: Today, Beth and I did a little bit of vintage shopping at Mintage on 4th, where all vintage was twenty dollars or less. I bought a coat that makes me feel like such a sleuth. Look out for it soon!

xoxo Anna Rae

Just Like Libby

Hello, readers! Today, The Tights that Bind is celebrating the one-week anniversary of daily wear posts. Yes, this blog will treat anniversaries like any respectable 7th-grade couple would. And when you break up with us at the Valentine's Day dance because that girl who was only a friend because you're so hip to have best friends of the opposite sex wants to date you, we will spend the rest of the evening crying in the bathroom. But, until then, happy one week!As promised, I am wearing a new acquisition - the beautiful purple skirt you see pictured. Now, my natural instincts are to match the skirt with color intensity - yellow tights or cardigan, colored jewelry... you know the drill. But, since it is only March 15 and my skirt is the color of an Easter egg, I thought I'd winter it up with the black and white cardigan and my all time favorite sweater tights.
The hair bow is from Hot Topic. Yeah, that's right. I entered Hot Topic as a 24-year-old. I know, I know -- I betrayed the trust of 19-year-old Anna Rae who was so cool with her Bright Eyes vinyl, Freaks and Geeks DVDs, and Frank O'Hara poetry (yes, I like all of those, and yes, I think it's a little weird myself), the 19-year-old Anna Rae who moved to the bottom of the pile any evidence that she ever shopped at Hot Topic -- well, except, of course, that Smiths t-shirt (which may work with this skirt someday). I'm sorry 19-year-old me, but this $10 headband was so worth it. There is a shiny, puffy bow AND a lace bow.

I love the textures of the skirt and the tights against each other. The polka dots on the skirt are so delicate especially in comparison to the oh so wintry sweater tights and the bolder stripes on the cardigan.

Erin took these pictures in one of UBC's small patches of Spring. We both get dorky-excited when it comes to bright colors, so the idea of yellow daffodils as a background for a purple skirt seemed completely ideal. I love dressing like it's Spring!

Sweater: Jacob (Olympic sale -- which I keep saying and am not sure if the sales were actually tied to the Olympics or just for the change in seasons. We'll never know. Unless you already do.)

Skirt: Target

Tights: Kohl's

Boots: Kohl's

Headband: Hot Topic (I know, it makes me smile every time too)

Necklace: Gifted, and all the way from New Zealand

Remember readers, it's Monday -- go watch Gossip Girl and some ABC Family original TV programming, if you haven't done so already.

xoxo Anna Rae