Saturday, January 30, 2010

A Winter Week in Feminine Dress, Day 1

Since my last week in feminine dress was in Spring, I thought it would be a fitting time to do another, and also a good revival for my poor neglected blog.

I'm often asked about how to dress femininely and warmly in wintertime. Granted, our midwestern winters are not quite as frigid as northern Wisconsin or Canada, but we do get our share of cold! I hope to share tips, ideas, and inspiration this week for feminine (plus stylish and frugal) winter apparel.

Today's schedule: The SpeakOut Illinois 2010 Pro-Life Conference

Today's oufit...


Skirt: A favorite I've had for a number of years (probably a thrift store find). The colors and weight make it a three-season piece. It actually has a second layer attached, which is helpful in warding off static-cling and chill (I do wear an additional slip as well). The dressy print of roses in deep red, dusty purple and deep goldenrod went well with the pro-life theme today.

Shoes: My super-comfortable Maryjane-style Sketchers in deep brown, worn with nylons. These are the most brilliant combination of pretty and practical, especially if you will be all day on your feet. I have wide feet, so a few good quality pairs of wide-width shoes are pretty much all I use. I was able to get these for a great sale price at Famous Footwear this fall. Beautiful footwear does not have to be painful — nor need comfort be dowdy! :)

Top: A v-neck sweater with 3/4 sleeves in deep red ("carmine" according to this...it appears a bit brighter than actuality in the photos). I found this one at a recent thrift store excursion. Layering is great both for warmth and modesty — underneath my sweater is a black tank with sequin accents at the neckline.


Necklace: The same rose necklace I wore here.

Shawl/Scarf: Purple "pashmina"-style ($10 from Burlington Coat Factory). This last season, I've discovered how much I enjoy these scarves! Not only do they bring a classy touch, but worn this way it feels as warm as wearing another sweater. There are many ways to wear them, but the two I use most frequently are demonstrated in this video (my first photo today features the first method shown here):


Todays' hair style: A fairly simple but becoming method I devised in the last few months. It is achieved by starting a side part, then turning it into a "box" part. Leave that small section of hair hanging in front, and draw the rest of your bangs (upper hair) back into a barette, smoothing the top with a comb. Put a braid or twist into the small section of hair, drawing it back and joining it into the barette. This style could work on shoulder-length or longer hair. If you find my directions confusing or need assistance, let me know. :) It takes about 3 minutes to do this on myself.


Today's femininity quote:


"When men wish to be safely impressive, as judges, priests or kings, they do wear skirts, the long trailing robes of female dignity."
-G.K. Chesterton

3 comments:

Victoria Rose said...

Aw Claire, you look so pretty. :) I love your outfit and I have those exact same shoes, only mine are black.

~Vicki

Ardhoniel said...

Beautiful Claire! I especially love your hair style. The small braid adds a very nice feminine touch. ~Ardhoniel

Claire said...

Thank you, ladies!

Ardhoniel, thanks for visiting!