{ the jaunty magpie }

No, the Birdy has yet to read The Book that has most of America's housewives and moms all in a blush. I just couldn't resist a play on words with a neutral that is provocatively perennial, no Safe Word required. We're coming into that period of in-between seasons where it's not quite fall, but not exactly the heat of summer. You can wear open-toed sandals one day and throw on a light sweater the next, and all we can do is wonder when we can pack away the summer wear into storage and pull out the winter wardrobe. It's a veritable mid-seasonal 50 Shades of Gray-Area for what to wear, so I wanted to celebrate this in-between time with one of my favorite neutrals. 

One of the reasons I love gray is because it comes in so many subtle variations, whether it's a warm, minky hue or a cool, silver neutral. With bright, bold colors everywhere, it's tricky to find a neutral to balance those out, and I think gray is the perfect shade; it's elegant and a very complimentary neutral. Black makes neon colors look  too retro-80s. As much as we may dream, life is not one big Robert Palmer video. White makes bright colors feel like you're on a permanent vacation, which is fine if you live somewhere tropical, but no one wants to dress like you're set for the beach when living in the city.  

So here's to the Shades of Gray, and much like the aforementioned book, it's hardly vanilla: {1} Eileen Fisher Shibori knit scarf in stone, {2} Big Buddha clutch in grey, {3} Gray and orange crepe de chine three quarter sleeve sheath dress by Tahari {4} Silk strapless mini by Parker in houndstooth, {5} Vanward enamel rings in mint and gray from Anthropologie, {6} Kahel leather jacket by Rebecca Minkoff, {7} ThinkSpot faux suede covered notepads in gray, {8} Amanda by L.A.M.B in grey leather, {9} Blouson jersey dress by Graham and Spencer, {10} Gold rung glass earrings in grey from Anthropologie, {11} Symone by Calvin Klein in mink suede, {12} Heather gray ombre cashmere creneck boyfriend sweather by Hayden

Jaunty Fine Print: images from shops listed above