WIW to Potter About - YouLookFab Forum

I had a lovely relaxing Saturday, which mainly involved me pottering about my place, tidying, reading, and generally being a homebody. Then during the afternoon my mom was kind enough to walk me through getting the sewing machine set up (I had tried to do it on my own earlier this summer and after a prolonged battle, ended up in a stalemate with the bobbin). I'd eventually like to sew some of my own clothes, but I'm building up to that as I dread the fitting issues. As a beginning, I made a little drawstring bag that's the perfect size to hold a knitting project and quite enjoyed myself (listening to Toni Morrison read her novel Home probably helped with that: I love audiobooks).

Anyway, this was an easy outfit for an easy day: I came across this silk taupe sleeveless dress in July & was simply thrilled! It has princess seams down the body, which give a hint at waist shaping while still being loose & breezy and the skirt is made in such a way that it stands out on its own like a bell, even though it's not terribly full. I'm looking forward to styling it for fall too, but as this is high summer I thought a touch of white would work best. I suspect this cardigan is too bright of a white for me, so I added a scarf next to my face to mitigate things. I always forget to wear my scarves unless it's cold out, but I got this one on a trip in Guanajuato, Mexico, which is a wonderful little place, so it brings back good memories. I hope it looks ok tied like this: I wasn't really sure what to do (it's a rectangle but not that long). My feet were feeling cold, so I pulled on my hand knit taupe socks to match the dress. Since I was wearing a scarf, I kept the other jewelry simple: pearl studs for an extra touch of white and my silver rings. My arms are finally feeling better, so I'm back to being able to do my favourite braided summer updo: yay!

The cardigan came on and off during the day as the a/c dictated, but I forgot to take a picture of the dress on its own. Next time!

All feedback, positive and negative, is welcome: I'm not entirely sure of this cardigan, and scarves are a bit of a departure for me, so I won't be offended by any critiques. Time got away from me & I didn't get out for my evening walk, so no one other than my mom & the forum saw this outfit anyway!

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11 years ago

Tanya

Veteran

Ooh, I quite like this, including the scarf and the cardigan. The cardigan does not look too white, it is not super bright white, at least not on my monitor. You look wonderful in these soft neutrals.
The only suggestion I might have is to also try it with the cardi sleeves pushed up, but that is supper minor.

carter

Taupe and gray is one of my favorite combos! Love this. I also think you did a great job tying the scarf...very cute, and it mimics your braid.

Suz

(website)

Taupe! Silk! No wonder you were thrilled. It looks wonderful on you. And I agree with Carter on the scarf. It's a subtle echo of your braid and very pretty.

kerry

Pretty and looks comfy! I love Toni Morrison. I've never listened to an audio book but am think of trying them in September when the school year starts and I'm back to my car commute. You're also inspiring me to get a knitting project underway for the fall. Sewing, on the other hand, I'll leave to the experts

Neel

Too cute! The braids are very pretty and glad your arms are feeling better now. Taupe is a lovely color on you! I think I want to see the dress without the cardi ... Wonder how it looks.

Marley

Oh so pretty! I can see why you liked that dress - the color is lovely on you - and silk? How great is that???? The cardigan does not look bright at all on my monitor - and to me the color looks good on you. I also love the way you've tied the scarf - really interesting - how did you do that? I hope you post some more of your WIWs - I really like your style.

Alexandra

So pretty! I love how you tied the scarf and how it echoes your braided hair. And the cropped cardigan - great length. It looks a bit brighter than what you usually wear so good call on the scarf. If you're looking to bring the cardi more into harmony with your other clothes, maybe a little tea-dying would help.

MuseumGal

You look so grown up! Yes, I know you are grown up, but this reads soft and romantic and elegant, rather than gamine. I adore your gamine looks, but this is really lovely.

Golden

You look adorable and I love they way you tied your scarf!

tricia w.

Active Member

I love everything about this outfit; the colors, textures, the shape. I t looks so pretty on you.

catgirl

I absolutely love this length of cardi and wish I could wear it.... You look wonderful and comfy for pottering (my first thought was that you were reading Harry Potter!).

shedev

I like the way you tied the scarf, and I like the dress. I think it will fit really well into your wardrobe. I never thought to pair taupe and grey, but I like it.

Tanya, that’s a good idea re: the sleeves! I’m so glad you liked it general. I lurked for quite awhile before becoming active & I was always in love with your style.

Thanks Carter! The scarf is actually a silvery, very greyed green, so I’ll have to fix my camera settings. But it probably reads at grey at a distance. I’m glad the tying works too!

Suz, I completely thought of you when I came across it. The Taupe Brigade! hehe

Kerry, audiobooks are *great* for driving as well as crafting, in my experience. If you tell me what kinds of books you enjoy, I might be able to recommend some good audios! I hope you enjoy your knitting; I didn’t really get into knitting until the 3rd time I picked it up last year. But now I’m fully hooked.

Thanks Neel! Next time I wear it I’ll get a pic of it on its own: it has a sweet neckline, if a bit lower than my usual style.

Thank you Marley! As for the scarf tie: first I looped it around my neck, with the ends towards the back, crossed them and pulled them back to the front. Then I twirled each end around the loop a few times until the ends were short enough to look ok sticking out. I hope that makes sense, otherwise I’ll try to rephrase. Thanks so much for the boost! I posted more this past fall/‘winter’ (I live in Texas so not super wintry), but I’m trying to get back into the habit of regular WIWs.

Thank you Alexandra! The cardi is rayon, so I’ll have to see if tea dying would work. I have considered throwing it in with my darks load to see if that would make it a little, well, dingy.

Ohhh, interesting MG! Hopefully this is still storybook, if not gamine. It sounds like between this & the skirt/blouse yesterday, I have a good idea for how to mature my style over the next decade.

Thank you Golden!

You’re very kind Tricia: thank you.

AG, lol! I think I’d want a sturdier outfit for that kind of Pottering. Or at least something more broom friendly.

Thank you Shedev! The scarf isn’t actually grey, but I do wear taupe & grey frequently. I really enjoy mixing neutrals.

Alassë

I was excited to see another Eva outfit pop up on the forum! I'd like to see the dress by itself, too, though I can already tell the colour is lovely on you. Neat idea with the scarf, too. (I commiserate - bobbins are my bane.)

CocoLion

Arrrghhh… typed in my response, but my log in expired so I lost the entire post!

This is so pretty and I do admire how you dress for your at-home days. The crinkled texture of the scarf works with the crinkles in the dress. And the touches of cream in the scarf coordinate with the sweater. This is so well thought-out, but not in a forced, over-done way. And the way you have mixed warm brown with cool gray is masterful.

So that's my critique. A critique is just as useful, pointing out the successes, as it is pointing out the less effective aspects of an outfit.

Gigi

I really love this outfit! The colors are really beautiful on you, and the fitted cardi with the flared skirt of the dress is a great silhouette. I even like the coordinating socks.

My only suggestion would be to try rolling the cardi sleeves up a bit at the ends; they look a bit long. But maybe you like them that way? Leaving them long does create a laid-back vibe; maybe rolling them would make the look too preppy.

Thank you Alasse! And I think sewing would be even more fun if bobbins somehow disappeared.

Denise, you made me laugh with your critique of a critique! You're right though, and thank you so much for taking the time to point out the successes. Especially since you had to type it twice (I hate it when that happens)!

Thnx Gigi! Learning to knit has brought out the matchy matchy monster in me & now I want to eventually have a drawer full of socks in my favourite colours/neutrals so I can always match them. It makes me giggle. I do like my sleeves too long compared to proper fitting rules, I'm not sure why. But I can definitely try scrunching them next time: I don't think it'd be too preppy since nothing else in the outfit says 'prep.'

Beth Ann

So softy and lovely -- I like the scarf particularly. I like the length and flare of the dress -- nice when you're curled up on the couch. The sleeves look a bit on the longish side, so I'd consider pushing them up some.

I'm itching to sew, too, but my Western Adventure trip comes first! I can't wait to see your projects!

Jaime

The dress looks so pretty on you and I like the texture. I am sure you will be able to wear it year round with the right layers. Like Una I did think you were up to mixing spells and reciting incantations though.

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