Fall Is Here!

Well, it crept up like a thief in the night. . . Suddenly, it seems, there are golden leaves covering the ground, the high temperatures plummeted from 80 to 55 degrees, and I had to dig through my closet for scarves, mittens and wool tights. Fall is here. Summer is officially over, and while I'm a little bit sad- mainly because my long "to do" list of Summer activities was once again unfulfilled, I'm also excited about the changing season. Fall is the most beautiful time of year here in Wisconsin. Growing up in the South, I didn't get to see the drastic change in seasons that we have up here. Going for a drive out in the country to an apple orchard, kicking around in the piles of muli-colored leaves, having a bonfire with friends on a chilly Autumn night. . . these are things to look forward to. Also, Fall is my favorite fashion season. Layering is key and that means there are endless possibilities.
Even two weeks ago when it was 85 degrees outside, I was thinking about and planning my Fall wardrobe. Josh and I will be in the UK in a couple weeks, so unfortunately (well, not really. . .) I'll miss a good chunk of the season here, but I hear the weather there is sort of comparable this time of year. So, here is my list of my top 10 favorite Fall wardrobe items/looks, and a few outfits from my closet that pull these ideas together.

1. Boots- I have a bit of a boot fetish, with around 10 pairs from cowgirl to biker to ankle (yet I always come back to my favorite pair of beat-up old tall boots)
2. Tights- This is a no brainer. If you're going to wear skirts and dresses this time of year in Wisconsin, you need tights. Luckily, places like Target carry an incredible array of colors, textures, patterns. . .hooray!
3. Black & Brown-  My favorite color combination! It's no longer a taboo to mix neutrals. . .in fact, it looks pretty damn good.
4. Longer Skirts- On the runways this year we've seen a lot of "longer" skirts, from the knees to the floor. My favorite length right now is "3/4" or just-below-the-knees. . .with a high waist, of course!
5. Hats!- I'm obsessed. I feel like all these years my head has been naked, but now I've discovered an enormous love for hats. Unfortunately, my head is also enormous, so finding vintage hats that fit me is tricky.
6. Androgynous- Again, this look was all over the runways this season, and there are a myriad of ways to pull it off. I prefer Annie Hall meets Heidi Klum-- not too masculine, but I love a funky vintage tie- paired with a mini-skirt keeps it sexy!
7. Plaid- Mad for it, I am. What's more fall than a plaid wool blazer or skirt with knee socks?
8. Southwest - Funky Native American and Southwestern-style prints have been popping up everywhere, and I love it!
9. Feathers- If you saw the pics from my recent fashion show, you probably noticed the fabulous feather hair pieces, handmade by my friend Emily Neumeier. Of course, I had to buy a couple for myself and have been wearing them frequently. . .now I've commissioned her to make me feather earrings!
10. Belts- Almost any outfit looks chic if you cinch at the waist!

3/4 length skirt & belt, thrifted; t-shirt, Alternative Apparel; hat, vintage; leather shoes, for sale on etsy

black & brown skirt, vintage a la Good Style Shop; boots & bag, thrifted

plaid wool blazer, vintage Pendleton (part of two piece suit); 1960's skinny tie, my boyfriend's closet (really); vintage men's fedora, thrifted; bag, vintage Dianne Von Furstenburg (thrifted); skirt, Forever 21; top and boots, thrifted

Southwest-chic via prints and/or accessories
skirt, handmade using thrifted fabric (see tutorial); sweater top, thrifted; bronze eagle necklace, yard sale; handmade feather hair extension, Emily Neumeier (unfortunately, not yet for sale online)

XO,

Jess

Oh Lord, the last week has been such a whirlwind! On Wednesday we had the Vintage Madison Fall Fashion Show. All afternoon I was running around like a mad woman trying to finish up outfits and dress the models. Luckily, our friends Emily and Holly from Anaala Salon were there to do all the hair & make-up. Plus, Emily made some absolutely fabulous feather hair pieces! Surgeons in Heat, a fantastic local band, played for about an hour after the show. . . it was great to let loose and dance after such a crazy day. All in all, I think the night was a total success. It's so strange when you plan something for weeks, putting all your heart and soul into it, then it's over in 5 minutes! Ah well, at least there are great pictures to remember it by. . .

check out all the photos on our facebook page!

So, I took the entire day on Thursday and Friday to relax and unwind (and get over a little cold), but then on Saturday we were back at it- setting up our Fall Pop-Up Shop.  We had the grand opening party on Sunday, and are staying open all week! This is the longest pop-up shop we've done so far, and I'm pretty excited to have the entire week to hang out and play shop girl. I'll post some pics of the shop tomorrow.

XO,

Jess

Craft Project: Exposed Zipper Mini-Skirt

I know the exposed zipper look has been hot for a while- I still love it. And luckily, adding an exposed zipper is actually a bit easier than adding a hidden one. Yesterday I found this gorgeous piece of fabric at a thrift store-- I thought it was very on-trend, reminiscent of so many "Aztec prints" we've seen on runways this season. So I decided to make a very simple, 30 minute skirt with it. Here's the tutorial:

 

Voila!

shoes, belt, hat and bag: thrifted
t-shirt: Alternative Apparel

XO,

Jess