Persimmon lace adventure and other party and style tryouts

Several of the recent posts have dealt with style directions and goals and also with developing holiday/festive capsule, both which I think are issues for me, trying to get those 2 issues to jive.

Right now I'm posting some outfit maybe's, and under there somewhere may be a style direction, though a present there is more randomness.

First are a couple of photos of one possible festive outfit (again, goal for me is more casual than "cocktail" and actually wish I had appropriate dressy pants) from SYC--pairing an existing poly knife pleated skirt, a silvery T-shirt from BR ( "festive" but it does read as a T-shirt, I think) and, good heavens. a J Lo ruched sleeve jacket that is black with black sparkles. Hose are still fairly dark, though more sheer tights, as I didn't have any patterned. I don't like my booties with regular jet sheer pantyhose but could wear the semi-flats in the photo.

That outfit reads a little better IRL (that's what they all say!) due to the skirt movement but overall it's a lot of black. It may be the closest option I had on that day.

Next is a random adventure that at first I had no plans for targeting toward said party event because I did not think I had any tops that could create an outfit and I have not time to shop before the event, at this point. All my black tops are just wrong for it and really I like adding more color. This is a Tracy Reese lace skirt I tried on as a lark. I tried it with an existing burgundy-ish cardigan I have. First photo is full length, then closer, then fabric detail. It reads more persimmony and less tangerine IRL but has navy lace over very dark red background fabric + the persimmon lace, so the dark color can read burgundy, purplish, blackish, etc.

I tried it on and it fit really well, so I think, without any alterations, and I liked it a lot, just one of those things, you know? And now I'm wondering, might'nt this be fun, and can I use some fun that is a bit less practical than my usual purchases, or am I nuts and this will be a closet orphan? Will I be happy if it is not truly an orphan but has a high CPU because I might only wear it ? 10 times and have a lot of fun, and then find it's no longer "right" to wear?

The capsule would be, unfrumped's adventure dressy/semi-dressy capsule, and this skirt itself would not be worn to work, so would have to be church, party, plays/dinner and so only a small part of my lifestyle. Probably most of the time I would be most comfortable with a "de-bombshelling" approach with a larger silhouette on top--boxy short sweater or silk top or something (not that I'm going to be mistaken for a bombshell, but to make it more "approachable"). Then I'm also rationalizing about how I think it can be paired with lighter neutrals like camel/cream color tops and nude hose & shoes to make it more daytime or less intense, and would also look good with denim shirt or jacket for a fun more casual vibe.

Even if that works, footwear is an issue. I've shown it with black booties which is all I've got except my slightly pointy-toe almost-flats, also black. Black I think works but might be a bit harsh. Probably not a good idea to have to get a whole line of footwear for it. Would be most likely to get worn if it is wearable with flats/flat booties because heels are a nightmare, and anyways, I think heels may tart it up too much, for me.

Would you wear the outfit as shown, to a holiday party? Or the skirt, ever? Other thoughts?

This post has 5 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

13 years ago

Sara L.

Veteran

From what I can tell, both outfits work. The dark tank under the burgundy cardigan helps anchor the dark tights and shoes. Unfortunately, it's hard to see much detail because for some reason your pictures are really small.

Thistle

I can't really see much as the pics are quite small.

The metallic clutch looks quite fun!

Jaime

(website)

Agree that is hard to see when the pictures are so small and far away, but from what I can see both outfits look good.

Suz

I try to expand the photos on my screen (with a Mac I can do this a bit) but it's still tough to see really well. My overall feeling is that both outfits work. #1 reads as more sedate and conservative; #2 reads as more lively and fun.

I LOVE the lace skirt, and would love to see it with more sheer hose...ditto for the other outfit. If you swap the hose for something lighter and/ or more sheer then you can also change the cami to something lighter in outfit #2 which will bring light to your face.

unfrumped

Thank you for the suggestions! Sorry my photos are small.

I'm struggling with the combo of hose and footwear especially for the lace skirt, since I would not wear patterned tights/hose. So I am wondering what to combine with black suede booties or if the outfit demands some other footwear. I just cannot bring myself to wear the sheer-er hose with this particular black bootie--it makes my legs just seem to stick out of them. Would I have to get some dressy flats, I wonder? That would make it more likely not to come out of the closet for awhile.

Can you wear a more sheer hose with the black flats (not the booties?) I didn't necessarily mean a patterned hose (not sure I would go there with the lace skirt myself, but I have a sort of unnatural fear of patterned hose because they don't look that great on me). I meant a plain sheer hose. It wouldn't have to be nude (though it could be). Could be a smoky grey, for example, with some grey up top.

missvee

I love the lace skirt on you - such lovely colours and a great fit. Can you play around with navy, or burgundy, or dark purple tights with your booties? I think it has a lot of possibilities - maybe with a cashmere pullover, or more casually with a denim shirt.

fern

I love the second outfit - great holiday spirit!
That skirt is beautiful on you - I can see why it got to you.
I think the booties & tights are fine, especially if it gets you wearing this sooner, but lightening up as Suz is suggesting would give you more options.

catgirl

Love the second outfit but I think it needs a less heavy tight - perhaps more sheer or even a burgundy? This is not my area of expertise though. I really like the fun color combo - it's holiday without being cliche.

Anne Boleyn

Active Member

I really like the persimmon skirt outfit - I'd probably try it with tights in a darker version of your cardigan color. That way the leg line would be maintained with the black booties, but it would read more subtle.

It would also look great with grey tights and a lighter topper (like the denim jacket) and a pair of flats (or other shoes with a low vamp so that the color isn't too distracting).

cobaltblue

I love that lace skirt! You've gotten some great advice above - I can't wait to see what you put together.

I am seeing the vision in these suggestions!

I have 2 possible footwear options at this point, and each to me dictates the direction a bit. If I could get by with my almost pointy-toe/almost flat low-vamp shoes—that is, if they’re so outdated they are back in style—then I feel that those can be worn with anything from sheer nude hose to opaque tights and have a lot of options to try out with the skirt. Could try barely black, for example.

If I wear the booties, I feel I need to keep a closer match between the depth of the bootie and the legwear, but I I’m fascinated to try some different colors and “weights” of tights to achieve that effect. As long as I don’t look like a maroon elf !

So many possible options; so few shopping hours left!

Category