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I'm seeing the signs of spring, and it's definitely giving my wardrobe Spring Fever. Even if I'm still bundling up in the mornings, I'm in the Mood to look at flowy dresses, watercolor floral prints and light, dewy colors. These pretty things might be covered in winter coats for a little bit longer, but it's Springtime, dammit.
It's a birthday for a most lovely and stylish darling, Anthropologie! Can you believe they've been around for twenty years? Well, their endlessly charming stores haven't aged a bit, nor has their perennial sense of twee fashion sense. To celebrate turning the big two-oh, Anthropologie has put out The Archival Collection -- 20 favorites over the last 20 years, and I have to say, these darlings are some of my favorites!
The Birdie refuses silly hats and goofy group seranades that end in "...and many moooore... on Channel Foouuur." Yes, the Bird is celebrating another year of older, but oddly, never any wiser. The biggest gift I gave myself was a little retail therapy after collecting all the "it's your birthday!" discount coupons that stores tempt you with when you sign up for everything under the sun. A nice thing about a springtime birthday is you catch a lot of midseason sales. It had been a while since I really looked for clothes. My latest wardrobe additions have been through clothing swaps, which I have to say are FANTASTIC. I fully embrace the "New to Me" phrase for previously owned goods, because "vintage" just gets overused to the max.
But this was a special shopping trip. I found some truly brand new things to add to the Jaunty Wardrobe. So new, I haven't had a chance to photograph and figure out ways to fully use them to their Inspired potential, but I couldn't wait and am letting the Jaunty Sketchbook give a scribbly sneak peek.
I did have two things on my list of spring must-have's -- colorful, bright denim, and a blousy, loose button down shirt. Colorful denim is everywhere and I like this trend because it's the same idea behind really wild and colorful pedicures. Bright colors are fun to wear and having unusual colors on the lower half, away from the face, is just more flattering, as it won't add or take away a healthy color on your face. I found these great minty bright green pants from Anne Taylor Loft, which are very wearable with just about anything. And I nabbed a simple, oversized button-down cream blouse, which I've been wanting forever. It's such a simple basic, but it's when you realize you have a closet full of crazy, you're reminded basics are a must. Everything was on clearance, even a cute boatneck sailor-striped sweater, and I'm not ashamed to say I got away with everything around $54 total, with the help of the 15% birthday discount. You have to use a store credit card to get the discount, but since it's their card, you can pay the balance off right there, which I did, so no unbirthday balance waiting for you later in the month.
My shopping indulgence was at one of my favorite stores, Anthropologie (of course). They send adorable birthday cards, you should sign up to get their catalogs and offers just to see what they send out every year. This year's card was precious, with a little clock on an orange string with "me" on the face, to imply the idea that it's "me" time. Amen to that. They offer an overall 15% discount off your entire purchase, so it's a good idea if you're getting several things. I considered getting a bunch of small items, but got drawn into a gorgeous orange and mint Twinkle by Wenlan wrap dress with kimono-style sleeves. It's stunning, I totally fell in love with it, and to top it all off, it was on sale. I'm over the moon about this dress, even moreso by the fact I will totally wear it in the fall and winter months with boots and tights, even a thin turtleneck layered underneath -- the print is strong enough to where it won't seem too floaty for autumn. The sketch doesn't even do it justice, but believe me, I felt like Indiana Jones finding the Lost Ark when I discovered this gem. And not a poison-tipped dart or pesky death boulder in sight. Happy Birthday to me.
So yes, despite getting old(er), I've got a smile on my face and some new things to brighten up the closet.
Jaunty Fine Print: Illustrations by Denise Sakaki
The Birdy was swept up in a moment of early spring when looking at the latest Anthropologie catalog! I like using it as an idea book, ripping out pictures and pretty things to put in my crazy collage book of inspiration. The trend I saw more of was the wear-cute-little-girl-socks-with-pretty-heels. I know it's a finicky trend, not everyone can pull it off as it can look downright childish and silly if not done right, but it's been on the runways for a while, showing up on fall collections. Granted, you need enviably long legs to really pull this off, but I think as long as the sock is thin enough and goes nicely with the shoe, it almost becomes like an ankle boot. This Bird really likes this look, as it lets me get away with not having a pedicure quite yet, and still be able to wear shoes that reveal the toes!
But the Bird can't skip painted toes forever -- also wanted to say that this will be the last post before I head on a well-needed vacation. Flying off to tropical breezes to visit family, as inspired by the incredible Greenfynch Settee that totally caught my Jaunty eye in the catalog. It's like having a piece of furniture that went somewhere tropical and came back with a little of it! What a colorful, whimsical piece -- as much whimsy as socks with heels! But don't fret, the Bird shall return the second week of March, refreshed and rejuvenated. Until then, Aloha and dream of early spring days!
Jaunty Fine Print: images from Anthropologie.com Feb catalog
This Bird was window shopping at one of her favorite shops, Anthropologie, and was inspired by their latest looks that evoke an afternoon in Italy, strolling around in a pretty fitted floral dress and jumping into a time machine to land in the late 60s. While I don't think the time machine part is possible, everything else still seems to be available.
Some particular favorites include: {1} Ein Plein Air Dress, {2} Baru Necklace, {3} Diamond Weave Slingbacks in Wedgewood Blue, {4} Voluminous Scarf Necklace (scarf/jewelry in one!)
These were the items that wove a picture of la dolce vita in my mind, allowing myself a lazy summer afternoon, wandering through the city square, with the only difficult decision needing to be made being what flavor of gelato to get! Amazing how fashion can evoke such a Fancy-ful notion!
Jaunty Fine Print: photos from Anthropologie.com
Sometimes a Bird just can't decide what to wear... so she'll throw everything on at once. Such a Drama Queen -- hence the brooch. Thank heavens for the Inspired looks from Anthropologie's website to help justify this lack of impulse control! I know Anthro's getting a lot of play in recent posts -- it's true, I likey them to the max. More to the point, I likey their Pinwheel Tights to the super-duper max, so this Inspired look took a cue from their textured stems. I like how both outfits manage to combine textures, a raised and flirty hemline, but the covered legs help keep everything demure. And warmer, since baby, it's cold outside!I've had this pair of textured/spotted tights for a few years, and I love them to bits. I especially love how tights are staying in the style headlines and getting featured in wide-scale campaigns, like the recent J. Crew catalog, featuring a pair of fabulous herringbone tights.I believe these tights were purchased from Victoria's Secret many moons ago. The satin burgundy dress and brown belt were from JC Penney (You down with JCP? Yeah, you know me!), brown lace cap sleeve blouse was Macys, the white sweater was from The Limited, suede/satin flats are Nine West, and the scarf and jeweled pin were gifts.
So, color me obsessed, I know -- if there's any nationally-known store I'd spend my paycheck on, Anthropologie would be it. Well, either that or Target. But the way Anthropologie presents itself, you'd think they all lived in some magical, imaginary land, full of inspiration and ideas, and everyone knows how to crochet lace and mix a perfect gimlet. So what if in reality, it's a total cubicle hell like the rest of retail corporate America -- I can live in my dream, can't I?Where I'd really like to live is Anthro's latest catalog. I'm such a print hound -- I'll save catalogs from favorite stores and keep them for years, and this 09 November one is a keeper. Dr. Zhivago dreamlike salons filled with snow, hand-cut paper silhouettes made from book pages, overcast misty country hills whisked from a Bronte novel... who wouldn't keep this to moon over? If you want to take a look at it online, do give it a peek here. Wanting another dose of inspiration? Their microsite, The Anthropologist, features several artists of written word and image, creating visual, intellectual mood boards that features objects of inspiration. Director Jane Campion is personal favorite, and her collection is comprised of things that made her go "hmm" while she was making the film, Bright Star, chronicling the affair between poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne. As our fickle autumn days ebb into the lull of winter's dearth, it's all the more important to keep the candle of inspiration alight.
This Bird is calling it -- it's official: Fall is Here. At least in the Pacific Northwest. But there's no reason one can't combine the punchy prints of summer with the midseason textures of fall. Whoever said mixing prints and textures was a bad thing? They clearly didn't see the works of Tuleh's fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear collection, nor did they browse Anthropologie's rotating collections of outfit stylings. The Inspired results from the Jaunty Wardrobe procured a printed jersey top with a very Jaunty zipper in the back (Macys), a tweedy pencil skirt (Express), and a plummy quarter-length button-up cardigan (New York & Co). A collection of colorful, tribal-inspired jewelry, all given as lovely gifts over the years, and a bright clutch (JCPenney) for pop, and a simple nude heel (BCBG) finishes off this mix of color and texture as we roll into the "liquid sunshine" season of Seattle.
This Bird's been aflutter all week and wanted to share just a short peep about the new shopping/restaurant center, The Bravern. Per the Neiman Marcus preview post, I had promised to do a recap of the overall tour. We were given a sneak peek at the shops prior to the grand opening weekend, and several of the stores were still getting their final touches, as were the restaurants. It's amazing what a few days can do, as the whole complex looked completely finished upon returning over the weekend. The Magpie was treated to an evening event, after the grand opening crowds had gone, and had a chance to leisurely wander the floors again. In the calm of night, the structure felt like a sleeping giant, with the soft glow of finished storefront windows bathing the walkways in light. It had been filled with people only hours before. I confess to a strange, jaunty love of walking through an empty space that is normally full of crowds. A bewitching hour, indeed, being able to quietly commune with the displays and quietly admire all the pretty baubles.I could wax poetic over the luxury brands that now reside in Bellevue, and the fact that we now have an Anthropologie within a few minutes' drive from work (danger!), but the Magpie would instead rather say that it was the invisible things that impressed her the most. Having seen the construction crews working so hard only days before, still hanging signs and finishing up the facades and interiors, stores with no shelves, much less the merchandise to place on them -- so many people worked amazingly hard to give everything a proper finish. Having seen the "before" stage, and then being able to see the "after" state in such a quick turnaround, the people who worked on these stores and got them up and running deserve a Jaunty nod.
Boots were made for walking, or in this Bird's case, a leisurely saunter through the fading glow of a late sunset. Not quite ready to fold away the ruffled hues of summer, but already pulling out some autumn favorites (like my beloved patent leather fold-over blue suede booties), this outfit was Inspired by a seasonal wardrobe feature on Anthropologie's website. Its unique choices of heavier fabrics layered over warm weather delicates speaks of the in-between magic hour, when an Indian Summer ebbs into the deepening ambers of fall. Floral notes, sturdier fabrics, but still a showing of a bare elbow and knee to take in whatever is left of the setting sun.
This Bird was blessed by a most jaunty and thoughtful gift recently, from friend and fellow stylish blogger, Radish and Rose, who is quite a fabulous bird herself. I make no secret that my heart's aflutter for the little big shop called Anthropologie. The retail darling of thoughtful gift-givers everywhere, it always manages to charm us into perusing their website and stores to share in the discovery of each vintage-inspired treasure. It's noteworthy how canny Anthropologie is about the attention to detail they place on presenting an item that leaves their store. The simple kraft paper boxes have their logo stamped on the inside, their tissue paper has a custom pattern that goes with their elegantly simple bags, and their gift cards come with a little patchwork bag and the company statement, extolling the virtues of how truly special this store is. Not to forget the beribboned bonbon that was enveloped in all this lovely ephemera -- it's a goldenrod fabric flower necklace, adorned with small gems in the center of each bloom. It's a bit like wearing a modern lei, and I feel as though I have plenty of Aloha spirit when I wear it, thinking of the kindly gift-giver. I will wear this long into the chilly months when it will be the only cheery colored bloom amidst a winter wonderland.
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