Summer Neutrals

Floral mood on the eve of the winter

Nature has given us a few warm days after a week of fairly cold weather (when I didn't want to go out because I froze, even when I was dressed warmly). So today I hurried to undress because, compared to 30 degrees earlier in the week, today's 60 seemed like summer.

I wore my favorite floral skirt with a plaid button-down shirt and an Aran sweater. I didn't dare go out with bare legs so I add sheer tights.
Other outfits with this skirt can be seen on the labels 'floral skirt'

Sunday Outfit

Midi skirt + 'Birkenstock' sandals

In the late spring I wanted to try to put on my floral midi skirt with a 'Star Wars' t-shirt and 'Birkenstock' sandals. It's hard to believe, but for a long time after a trip to California I couldn't find that shirt in my own  closet. I even considered buying a new one on-line (the last one I bought was at 'DisneyWorld' in Florida) but finally the old 'Star Wars' t-shirt got accidentally discovered. So in the beginning of fall I was able to make this outfit up.

Celebrating Labor Day with stripes

 Fall is right around the corner so I celebrated the final days of the summer season.

Sunday outfit

This weekend was my stepdaughter's baby shower and since her bun in the oven is a boy, I wanted to wear something that is a bit 'boyish'. So a nautical style worked well.

The loose drapery style

I brought this striped top home from Japan, where I visited about five years ago. I really love the unique fit and style of this top - the drape and stripes combination provides an unusual look. I think I'll miss this Japanese style top when it's time runs out and it'll be thrown in the trash.
Actually, during most summers I wore this top just with shorts, but this time I decided to wear it with a maxi-dress. So it's something new for me. I think it has an even more Japanese look this way.

Fun day

I hope everyone had a nice Father's day weekend.

Be cool at the pool

Cargo vest + Shirt-dress

I think we can all agree on that shirt-dress never going out of style. 

It's easy, comfortable and casual-sexy.

You can add a belt,  hat or even a cargo vest and it will look totally different.. 

Be bright. Be you.

Sometimes if you are going somewhere and want to blend in, you could wear normal clothes, but if you want to visually stand out, you could wear a bold outfit. This time I chose "bold" as the opposite of "shy". 

I  rarely wear these neon pink jeans because I'm usually too shy and want to be age-appropriate. 

I hope I have "class, not trash" and no one will say "from behind that women has a teenager style but from the front she has a geriatric face" or even worse, "body off Baywatch, face off Crimewatch".

Cargo vest+ maxi skirt

In recent years I have often read that cargo vests are very versatile items that can make almost any simple outfit have a funky edge, also that this piece is ideal for layering and dressing an outfit up or down. 

My opinion is somewhat different from the usual. I don't see a cargo vest as a versatile article of clothing. If it's too cold why not to wear the same kind of jacket? If it's too hot why do you need to wear the vest with your tee and shorts? So for me it is more of a decorative element, because it doesn't add any benefit to the outfit, except for camping or safari-hunting.

I didn't buy a cargo vest for a long time, but this spring some madness overcame my mind and I bought one, so now you'll be tortured with my cargo vest outfits pics:) because I challenged myself to come up with at least 5 different looks wearing it and have fun styling it away! I hope you will enjoy my ideas too:)

Style guide: Layer a cargo vest over a lace top when wearing a maxi skirt and add a watercolor scarf to complete the look.

Sunny but breezy on Sunday

You can stand under my umbrella

Transitioning Into Spring

At Friday I went on a short trip to NYC and had planned to wear this outfit, but as usual the weather presented a surprise, the day was cold and windy. I hate to be cold anywhere, especially in NY because you never know how long you'll have to walk. So I changed my mind about this outfit and dressed as a cabbage and put layers upon layers under my long coat. I didn't take any pictures of me in NY.

As you can see here, my transition into spring began with floral sneakers. I'm so ready for the flowers to be blooming. 

Maslenitsa - imminent end of the winter!

I don't know if you ever saw the movie, "The Barber of Siberia". It was screened out of competition at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.

The love story of Jane Callahan (Julia Ormond), a beautiful American lady and a handsome young cadet Andrei Tolstoy (Oleg Menshikov) that she met on her travels to Russia.

I just want to share one video from the film about Maslenitsa, a week long festival literally translated as "Butter or Pancake" week, that inspired my outfit.

 

Maslenitsa - a religious and folk holiday- is celebrated during the last week before Great Lent—that is, the seventh week before Eastern Orthodox Pascha (Easter). So it started this week. 

Actually, this video just shows how it was in the old days. Trust me, right now it is not so wild, just one more  opportunity to prepare crepes (bliny) with all sorts of fillings and coverings, and to eat them with friends, as well as have some outdoor celebrations.

Maslenitsa has its origins in both pagan and Christian traditions. In Slavic mythology, Maslenitsa is a celebration of the imminent end of the winter. On the Christian side, Maslenitsa is the last week before the onset of Great Lent. It is the last week during which milk, cheese and other dairy products are permitted, leading to its other name of "Cheese-fare week" or "Crepe week". During Lent, meat, fish, dairy products and eggs are forbidden. Furthermore, Lent also excludes parties, secular music, dancing and other distractions from the spiritual life. So Maslenitsa represents the last chance to partake of dairy products and those social activities that are not appropriate during the more prayerful, sober and introspective Lenten season.

Pop Art

In the age of pop art, a dress could just be a dress, and speak for itself without all these layers of identity (C)

Creature on the shoulders

Don't freeze to death

French accent

I know it's a myth and stereotype that French people wear beret a lot, it's like thinking that all Americans wear cowboy boots. But the French definitely love black clothes a lot.