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A Fashion History of Camouflage, 7 Ways to Wear It & Link Up On the Edge #214
Camouflage is one of those prints that people either seem to love or hate. I have always been a huge fan of this print in any style or color although I really do favor traditional military camouflage prints in the expected color palettes. Camouflage prints are fairly new in the textile world. The print itself was designed in the 20th century to help military personnel be less visible when fighting enemy forces. *Fun Fact #1: The word “camouflage” is derived from a French expression meaning “puffing smoke”. It “refers to a process of evading visual detection through some combination of blend-in coloration, cryptic patterning, and blurring of the silhouette.” (Source)…
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The Fab 40’s are Mixing Prints like Pros
Before I started writing this blog, I only admired outfits with quirky combinations of prints. I struggled with combining clashing patterns myself for such a long time, feeling somewhat like an imposter of sorts. Like who the heck was I to think I could possibly pull off these cool mergers between seemingly opposed patterns that you only saw on fashion icons and street style celebrities? I always have had eclectic taste when it came to fashion, but print mixing was something completely new and totally foreign to me in my styling choices just a few short years ago. I remember back in September of 2016 being inspired by my dear…
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Inspired by SpyGirl: All the Prints
This was by far my most challenging inspired outfit ever. That sounds kind of weird, doesn’t it? I mean, if it is an inspired outfit, it shouldn’t be a challenge, for the inspiration was already there. So let me explain. My very dear friend, Anne M. Bray of SpyGirl and other blogs, has been an inspiration to me in countless ways over the past few years. She is one of the funniest women I have ever met. In life. Ever. In my 45 years on earth. We get bantering on and on in blog comments, Facebook comments, and emails and I am always in stitches by the end of the…
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The Magnificent 8 in Animal Prints
While animal prints in fashion are often classified as trends, the fact remains that people have been wearing animal prints for as long as they have been constructing clothing. Granted, in ancient times, it was more a matter of necessity than style. When humans were hunting for the sake of survival, all parts of the animal were used for some purpose. The meat was nourishment and the skins were used as garments to protect from the harsh elements of hunter-gatherer life. With the evolution of human societies, adorning one’s self in decorative animal skins became a status symbol. As hunting became more of a sport than a necessity, it was…
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The Magnificent 8 Mix Patterns in Pastels
The Magnificent 8 is a collaboration among 8 stylish women from every decade of life showcasing our style one generation at a time. The mission of this collaboration is to show you just how ageless style is, how we can each dress however we’d like and in ways that make us feel fabulous. There are no age restrictions on style. So wear what you want, when you want, add a smile, and strut your style with confidence. And be sure to check out all 7 of these amazing gals! Every quarter, we choose a theme and each create an outfit that suits our own personal tastes and fashion choices and…
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The Best Slouchy Hat Ever & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #118
I am becoming obsessed with slouchy hats. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise. I become obsessed with most things related to fashion and style. Shoes and boots? Obsessed. All things velvet? Obsessed. Blanket scarves? Obsessed. Jeans? Yep, totally obsessed. Camouflage, floral, polka dots, stripes, leopard print, plaid? Absolutely obsessed. I could go one like this forever. But I will stop because I think you get the point. Anyway, my new obsession is slouchy hats. But not just any slouchy hat will do. Because Spring is finally arriving in the North Country (although it probably does not look like it in these dreary gray photos with spatters of snow still…
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The Fab 40’s in Plaid and Floral
I am always up for doing something a little unexpected. So when Mary of Curlybyrdie Chirps suggested mixing plaid and floral for this month’s Fab 40’s theme, I was enthusiastic to get to work creating my look. Not to mention that plaid and florals are two of my favorite prints and I have an overabundance of both in my closet. No trips to the thrift shop would be necessary for this theme like last month’s wild challenge required. The Fab 40’s is a group of six fashion bloggers from around the globe. Each month we choose a different theme and invite a guest blogger who is also in their 40’s to…
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To Dye or Not To Dye and #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #17
To dye or not to dye? That is my question. Do you or don’t you? I do. Oh, I do. And I have for most of my life. Here’s the scoop. I dyed my hair various shades of bright colors (green, red, blue, pink, purple) way back before it was cool. In fact, during my teenage years, I was labeled as a weirdo with my ever-changing rainbow locks. My genetically predetermined hair color was a boring shade of brown and I hated it. And as much as I hated it, I had an equal and opposite reaction in my love for dying my hair unnatural colors. Call it rebellion. Call…
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Mixing Up Patterns with Zaful & Link Up On the Edge #29
Lately, I have really been on a pattern mixing kick and I have been trying to add some brighter colors to my outfits, too. So when I saw this Paisley Printed Fleece Coat from Zaful, I knew it needed to be mine! *Coat and necklace were gifted to me from Zaful in exchange for a review. All opinions stated in this post are my own and are in no way influenced by the company. When it arrived, I was even more pleased with the coat then I was from the pictures. The colors are super vibrant and the print is so adorable and fun. The fabric is a light twill…
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Easy Way to Mix Patterns: Add a Scarf
Pattern mixing has been trending in the fashion world for quite some time now and I know that there are probably a million posts already published about how to successfully mix prints. But I figured I would go ahead and share some of my tips anyway. But first let me tell you that other than a simple combination of polka dots with stripes, I do not think I would have dared to combine two contrasting patterns until I started blogging. Now I find that I do it quite frequently. And I kind of like it. Mixing unexpected patterns definitely adds lots of interest to an outfit. There are so many…