All Ears

I love the idea of wearing brooches in place of bow ties or bib necklaces. Obviously with this outfit, a bow tie would look ridiculous because there is no collar, but you get what I'm saying. A brooch right in the center of a sweater or collared shirt (or even better: a collared shirt layered under a sweater) is a pretty eclectic style statement. 

I had my doubts on whether or not this outfit was too much (the headband, the beehive, the dotted tights, the giant elephant brooch) but then I was all, "Grow some big ole' balls, Ash! Who gives a care?!"

I'm glad I listened to myself. I encourage you to do the same when feeling shy about that muumuu you're wanting to wear out on the town, or even something less statement-y like pattern mixing, or simply wearing heels! It feels good to reach your toe (even ever so slightly) outside your comfort zone. 

On the brooch: I found it on eBay through an arduous process of typing "GIANT ANIMAL JEWELRY" in the search engine, then flipping through pages of results. This highly difficult technique is also how I obtained my birdbath ring, which you might recall from this post. 

{Vince Camuto Boots: Nordstrom Rack} {Belt, Hair Scarf: Thrifted} {Shorts: Vintage, Girbaud}

{Free Press Dot Tights: Nordstrom Rack (similar)} {Elephant Broach: Ebay} {Sweater: Vintage} 

{Lip Gloss: Estee Lauder, Plum Divine}

She Might Go All The Way

This is one of those looks that would be nothing without accessories. Sometimes you just want to be completely comfortable yet still stylish, and I think you can achieve that by layering on gobs of ridiculous accessories. I think the rule is actually only to have one pop to keep it classy, but I just went for it from head to toe. Thankfully it worked. You could probably just pick ONE of these and be good to go...

50's inspired scarf to feminize an otherwise ordinary pony tail.

Giant statement necklace for a solid shirt or camisole. (In this case my carousel horse which is one of my favorite pieces that I just don't wear enough).

A bright clutch/shoulder bag in place of the usual black or brown.

A HILARIOUS rhinestone belt inherited from my NaNa. (I have to be careful what I choose to pair this bad boy with or else I end up looking like a cougar trolling at a sports bar).

Bright green suede shoes I found at a thrift store. I like to call them Harlem Church Going Shoes. 

And of course, three watches....none of which work. What I'm doing here is making an ironic statement about the irrelevance of time (no I'm not).

Scarf, Necklace, Watches, Jacket and Shoes all vintage or thrifted, Belt: Gift, Jeans: F21, Pink Cami: H&M, Glasses: Cotton On