Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Wardrobe Remix: Lavender Vamp

After eight years in Los Angeles, land of year round perfect temperatures, it's taken me a while to readjust to the idea of seasonal wardrobes. And since we don't have a cedar closet like the one I grew up with for storing off-season clothes, I've mostly just pushed my sundresses to the back of my closet rather than packing them away entirely.

lavender vamp top bernie dexter winter wonderland skirt

Ok, fine, I'm still sort of terrible at seasonal wardrobes. With the exception of undeniably Christmassy prints, I believe in wearing the clothes you love all year round, with additional layers as needed to prevent you from freezing and dying. (To be honest, I'll be wearing some of my Christmas dresses in summer, and calling it Christmas in July.)

Exhibit A: this lavender Vamp top. This was one of my summer wardrobe MVPs last year, since it's a super versatile color that goes with a lot of things in my closet. It even got the One Piece, Three Ways treatment! I couldn't quite bear the thought of putting it away for six months or so, so it's been hanging on the back of my bedroom door for months.

green banned peter pan collar cardigan
Bernie Dexter Winter Wonderland Skirt

When I picked up this Bernie Dexter skirt for a song from a Facebook swap group, this top finally had its opportunity to experience winter. Since I already have a dress in this print, I knew it had lavender undertones that would work well with the Vamp top. All I needed was the right sweater.

So the Vamp top sat on the back of my door, now joined by my new-to-me winter wonderland skirt, waiting for a cardigan-related epiphany. White just seemed too washed-out with the rest of the outfit, and black was too harsh. Red, for once, wasn't an option either. Finally, though, it hit me as I was eyeing a hunter green pullover and thinking about possible outfits: green! I grabbed my Banned cardigan from Modcloth and bam: instant wintery goodness! By closing the top few snaps of the cardigan, it was even a work-friendly outfit, which is quite a feat with the Vamp top.

purple Splendette bangle

A few Splendette bangles, a pair of my trusty Atomic Lucite earrings, ivory leggings, and an old pair of grey boots finished this look. I'm glad I kept these boots in the move to Chicago, since black shoes would've been far too harsh with the colors of this outfit!


I'm pleased with how this wardrobe remix came out, and extra proud of myself for resisting the urge to buy a lavender sweater to wear with this skirt. Given how many wonderful sweaters and cardigans I've accumulated or rediscovered since moving to Chicago, there's really no reason I can't wear my warm-weather tops and dresses all year round! I suppose the real challenge will be finding a way to summerize a winter print. Would you wear this skirt in the summer months?

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4 comments:

  1. Love this skirt with the lavender top! I would never have noticed how much purple was in this print. So cute! <3

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  2. I NEVER would have thought to pair lavender but now that I see it, I don't know what else would go this well! This top really pulls out the lavender tone in the skirt! Clever girl! ;)

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  3. Wow, what a wonderful skirt! I'm new to your blog and see many beautiful outfits with styles similar to mine. Love your adventures in fashion.

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  4. Heck yeah I'd wear this puppy in the summer. I LOVE your Christmas in July idea <3

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