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The Birdy can credit Pinterest for helping me find this lovely blogger, Glamor Guru -- I loved this outfit, from the red boots to the schoolboy blazer. I have a blazer very similar from J. Crew and I was looking to be Inspired over how to wear it and not look like a stewardess -- inspiration found! I love what a total mix-tape of looks this is, total preppy-rocker-cowgirl in all the best ways. Especially with the boots and jeans; usually I wear these short foldover boots with shorts or a skirt, but a tall cuff on a slim pant totally works. I'm also using this as an open letter to the Pacific Northwest's summer weather to make. up. its. damn. mind. For reals!! I'm picking out fall-appropriate outfits in June!
Anyways, weather gripes aside, at least I have something fun to wear. From the Jaunty Wardrobe: schoolboy blazer from J. Crew, printed top from Macys, jeans from Old Navy, foldover short boots from JC Penney, black satin handbag was a gift.
Jaunty Fine Print: photo from Glamor Guru, Jaunty Wardrobe photos by Denise Sakaki
The Bird is all about dressing-up the dressing-down, and vice-versa. Take a really basic, casual set of everyday clothing and throw in a wild card, like some metallic gold heels. Cargo pants and heels are one of my favorite pairings and the theme of today's Inspired post. It instantly elevates something rumpled and slouchy and the heels make the outfit look intentional. It's not a barrier-breaking fashion pairing, but something I consider one of the new Modern Classics. You won't be embarassed or look behind the times for wearing this look from season to season, and for more casual-friendly offices, it's a way to mix things up.
These days I'm more interested in relaxed, everyday wear. I think it's sometimes the most difficult thing to dress for, avoiding the "weekday uniform" look, where you're wearing the same t-shirt and jeans every day. This is something I'd wear out for a relaxed lunch with friends -- no muss, no fuss, but still put-together. Pulled from the Jaunty Wardrobe: jeweled cardigan from Ann Taylor, purple cotton shirt from JCPenney, cargo pants from Express, gold metallic peep-toe heels from Steve Madden, slouchy brown shoulder bag from La Redoute, silver heart pendant from Tiffany and Co.
Jaunty Fine Print: Inspired image from J.Crew, Jaunty Wardrobe photo by Denise Sakaki
Not everything has to be cutting-edge or with a wild and crazy look. Fashion can still be functional and there's nothing wrong with celebrating casual looks. I think about this when I look through my favorite magazines -- it's all glamorous times on red carpets or swanky parties, but let's face it, neither the celebrities nor us mere mortals live like that 100% of the time. How does one navigate through the day looking casual, fashionable and (gasp) comfortable?
The Magpie doesn't care that this Inspired photo is from Ye Olde Year of 2009. I ripped this photo from the pages of InStyle and kept it in my Crazy Hoarder Scrapbook, I loved it so much! I look back on it now and I still fawn over the feminine-sweet pairing of basics that actress Keri Russell is wearing. Of course Felicity would wear this!! (Team Ben, by the way.) I liked the combination of thin, layered separates and oh-those-shiny-Oxfords! It was one of the early photos that convinced me I needed to have a pair for myself.
And so, even a couple of years later, the Bird remains Inspired by an everyday, casual outfit, which honestly is so comfortable, you could just live in it. It's nowhere near as grubby as being in a slouchy tracksuit all day, wouldn't you agree? We don't have to be dressed like we're going to meet the Queen, just be presentable, with a little bit of fun. From the Jaunty Wardrobe: jeans from Old Navy, striped button shirt from Express, pink argyle cardigan from Forever 21, pink sleeveless undershirt worn beneath all that (not shown), brown Oxfords from Steve Madden, Champagne cork necklace made by the Magpie.
Jaunty Fine Print: Items from the Jaunty Wardrobe photographed by Denise Sakaki, Keri Russell image from InStyle
Blame the candy aisle of the grocery store on this one. With Valentine's Day coming up, I was faced with an endless stream of red and pink confections that lodged themselves into the Bird Brain, including the old classic, Red Hots. The little cinnamon-flavored candies that you can often find in heart shapes during February reminded me of a pretty necklace I have. It's a long silver chain festooned with heart charms and is totally a Valentine's Day kind of accessory. It got me thinking about what to wear on a sweetheart Date Night.
Rummaging through the Jaunty Wardrobe, I pulled some simple favorites. I love a basic color block and the rule about No White After Labor Day is just a silly thing. I picked some sweet, candy-Inspired things and put this outfit together that may come out around February 14th!
From the Jaunty Wardrobe: white skirt from Macys, nude heels from BCBG, straw and ivory belt from Banana Republic; jewelry, red blouse and clutch were all gifts.
Jaunty Fine Print: photo from Martha Stewart, photos of the Jaunty Wardrobe items by Denise Sakaki
Hap-hap-happy 2012! Did you have a fabulously festive New Years weekend celebrating this bright and shiny new year? Are you probably still nursing a wicked hangover and putting off that pesky ol' resolution thing until the aspirin kicks in? Yeah, yeah, this Birdy gets it, we've all been there.
Of course, one of the big reasons I love New Years is the excuse to get dolled up and be a fancy Birdy. This year was no different, bringing together old favorites that give a bit of sparkle and shine. I was Inspired by a vintage 1930s photo of a swimsuit that was actually crocheted, if you can believe it. I liked that it had the look of a jumpsuit, almost disco-like. I have no crochet skills, but I need no prompting to find an excuse to wear sparkle-sequin shorts! A 1970s whim made me pull my favorite purple halter tie-neck blouse out. It's a Jaunty Wardrobe outfit that's made appearances before, but this Birdy doesn't care that it's been worn -- gasp -- a couple of times. We wear what makes us feel festive and fun. And really, when else is a good time to wear sequin shorts, but New Years??
From the Jaunty Wardrobe: fabulous sparkle-sequin shorts from Express, silk halter top from Macys, boots from The Bay, jewelry and handbag are vintage. BYO party attitude.
Jaunty Fine Print: photo from Vintage Home Arts, Jaunty Wardrobe photos by Denise Sakaki
Design darling of the year, Issa, was behind this Inspired look, mostly because I saw this runway photo from this fall's London Fashion Week, and thought of an old printed wrap dress I've had forever. It was something I picked up on a clearance rack years ago and worn it season after season, but liked the layering idea with a turtleneck. And the push towards mixing patterns has been encouraging -- love how old fashion "rules" are getting thrown by the wayside and it's more about doing what suits you best.
To celebrate fall, the Bird is looking forward to wearing this pattern-filled combo, maybe for a cool cocktail at the end of the day: printed wrap dress (clearance rack find at JCPenneys - fancy!), suede boots from The Bay, gray purse from The Limited, brooch is vintage.
Jaunty Fine Print: Jaunty Wardrobe photos by Denise Sakaki, runway photo from London Fashion Week
Magpie... Jaunty Magpie. A recent rewatching of some James Bond favorites got this Bird thinking, if 007 were to be restyled as a female secret agent, what would an outfit look like? You want to be one part smooth operator, but not just look like a gal in a tuxedo. I wanted to create an outfit from the Jaunty Wardrobe that was Inspired by the spirit of James Bond, but not just look like a sidekick Bond Girl. While there's no room to stow a Walther PPK, I could at least carry a spare lipstick in a little snakeskin clutch, so really, that's all that matters, right?
For this double-o-mashup, I grabbed my favorite sparkly sequined tank from Express, grey shorts from Macys and blue suede and patent leather booties from Piperlime. The jewelry and clutch were gifts that seemed to fit with this oh-so-groovy look.
Jaunty Fine Print: Jaunty Wardrobe photos by Denise Sakaki, James Bond photo from imdb.com
So, the Birdy decided to forgive Summer for being such a brat this year, especially as we enter that lovely period of in-between, where the weather isn't too chilly, but it's cool enough to start layering or wearing items that maybe felt too stifling on an 80-something degree day. I was Inspired by the best of things, good old-fashioned Mother Nature. We're losing the light earlier these days, but I do take time to catch the sunset more often. When there's clouds in the sky, we're given one heck of a light show, and it made me think of colors, seasons and just some of my favorite things sitting in the Jaunty Wardrobe. I wanted to give some of those pieces a swan song for the season, wearing some that I knew won't be long for this soon-to-be dreary, chilly world.
Not trying to copy or recreate any runway look in particular, let this be a reminder to pull out your favorite summery pieces and wear them while you can! From the Jaunty Wardrobe came forth a blouse from Target, skirt from Macys, aviator sunglasses from Banana Republic, jeweled sandal wedges from Romy, bag from la Redoute (I think?), and the necklace is actually an orphaned chandelier earring, fashioned as a pendant!
Jaunty Fine Print: photographs by Denise Sakaki, styled from the Jaunty Wardrobe
This Bird was rummaging through the Jaunty Wardrobe recently, setting up the next collection of Inspired outfits and shooting photos. I realized how funny it was, my little "home studio," and all the little tricks that I need to rely on to get these posts done. As I've said before, I don't use online collage software and the items being photographed are actual pieces I own and regularly wear. That means you see things show up multiple times, but hopefully worn in different ways. Taking cues from magazines who put together outfits on their pages, I wanted to do the same, but with a working wardrobe and a very limited budget (I hardly clothes shop anymore -- criminal, isn't it?), and because all these articles of clothing come from different sources, there's no way to use the internet to find existing photographs of pieces, so I knew I'd have to shoot every piece either individually or layered as an outfit. I've been doing this now for almost two years, and luckily I've been able to reuse photos of individual pieces when creating Inspired-themed posts, but I'm always reshooting or re-layering things in different ways, so I'm constantly reshooting items.
I thought for the last round of outfit shots, I'd take a few of my glamorous "studio." When I say "studio" I mean "bathroom." Why the bathroom? Because the lighting is bright and easy to control, and I have a row of hooks normally used for our bathrobes, but it's the perfect height to hang items on a curved suit coathanger. I don't have a dress model which would give the clothing proper dimension (but if anyone wants to donate one to the Jaunty cause, give me a holler!). For now, I use a curved-shoulder suit jacket hanger works pretty well to at least get the upper structure of a shirt or blouse, and putting the clothing on backwards on the hanger actually gives it better volume for photos. If something's too flowy, I use hairclips to pinch back excess fabric from behind. For pants or skirts, I can usually put them on wide hangers to mimic the stretching of hips. For the most part, the pieces are shown flat and it doesn't have to show volume. And the most helpful tool of all is, of course, Photoshop. It helps even out lighting issues, balance colors, and get rid of the background that clearly shows I shot everything against a bathroom door. I'm also a big fan of the tools that let you push and pull the shape of items; sometimes you don't realize a shirt was shot in an uneven way, so it's nice to have a hefty post-production tool to really fix up an image. You can see in the above "before" and "after" work on a striped Eiffel Tower t-shirt I just got ($4 find!) -- from bathroom photo to potential Inspired post. Voila -- like magic!
What about you, when you're styling an outfit to be shot for your blog, what are your tricks and tips for making it look magazine-ready?
Jaunty Fine Print: photographs by Denise Sakaki
Seriously, Summer?! You show up late to the party, don't even bring a hostess gift, be cranky and full of mood swings for the whole season and only now you put your party game face on?? We were wearing parkas in June. The rain didn't seem to end until mid-July. And the temperature swings have been more like hot flashes, with the numbers jumping from one end of the spectrum to another in a matter of days. Summer, the Bird has to say, she has had just about enough of you...
But the crazy last hurrah of summer over the weekend, with a burst of heat on Sunday put everyone in a particularly Inspired summer spirit. I hope you took the opportunity to wear your cutest shorts, your flowiest blouse and biggest sunglasses. As a late-to-the-party summer celebration, the Jaunty Wardrobe put forth this collection of seasonal-specific pieces, as there's no way a lot of this is going to be re-purposed when the cold months return, try as this Birdie might! The blouse and sunglasses are from Forever 21, shorts are either Gap or Old Navy (I can never remember!), silver bangles were a gift, brown and gold wedges are from Alloy, and the necklace was made by the Magpie herself, but the pendant was a Jaunty gift from a friend's trip to Venice.
Jaunty Fine Print: photographs by Denise Sakaki, styled from the Jaunty Wardrobe
This Bird appreciates being able to wear pieces from the Jaunty Wardrobe all season, but it's tricky to get perennial with tweedy, fall-appropriate items. I was particularly Inspired by the lovely Emily Blunt, seeing a red carpet snapshot wearing a lovely combination of bright turqoise and a neutral skirt, all in a lovely, ladylike silhouette. Of course her outfit is a single dress that's meant to look like separates, but as always, the point of these posts is to pull something together from an existing wardrobe, without buying anything new.
I liked the idea of pairing something totally summery with something on the opposite end of the seasonal spectrum. I hadn't worn my high-waisted grey tweed skirt in a while -- why would I? It's so fall/winter, right? But I was pleased to say the light, fluttery blouse lightened things up and balanced the skirt out for summer wear. I wore this combination to a cocktail party and the flat silver sandals made it friendly for all types of terrain, be it grass or concrete, plus comfort to be able to walk about for a few hours. The statement necklace had a similar color range with the blouse, so they spoke in unison for a pleasant overall hue.
Cheers to perennial menswear and tweed! From the Jaunty Wardrobe: blue blouse from Forever 21, grey tweed skirt from Express, silver sandals by Tommy Hilfiger, faux croc green handbag from JCPenney, vintage charm bracelet, glass jade necklace from Macys.
Jaunty Fine Print: image from InStyle.com and wardrobe photos by Denise Sakaki
Don't lie, you've always wanted to pretend you're someone famous, wearing sunglasses indoors, trying to conspicuously look inconspicuous. And after all, we're Inspired by the best, as whenever you see pictures of famous actresses trying to "blend in" they do about as good of a job of being unnoticed as a giraffe standing in a crowd of field mice. But a fabulous giraffe.
So the Magpie proclaims a Pretend Day, where you wear some of your favorite things with sparkle, ruffles and shine, and keep those sunglasses on indoors. Keep 'em all guessing, wondering, Just who the hell does she think she is? Jaunty, of course.
Some of the Magpie's favorite "LOOK AT ME, DAMMIT!" items from the Jaunty Wardrobe include: a bright pink clutch given as a gift, evening sparkle worn in the daytime from Betsey Johnson, silver glovelets from Nordstrom and a ruffle-collared jacket from Ann Taylor. And don't forget those sunglasses -- even if it's cloudy outside.
Jaunty Fine Print: photo from Instyle.com and jaunty wardrobe shots by Denise Sakaki
Whoa, did you just feel that? I think the Jaunty Wardrobe just took a ride through the Way-Back Machine to the grunge-tastic 1990s. Blame Netflix for the ease of getting nostalgic with favorite movies of our wasted youth.
I can clearly remember wearing worn-out flannel shirts over message t's, surplus-style boots and Chuck Taylors work with shredded leggings and tights -- it all paired well with my aimless sense of the future and perpetual teen sneer. This Bird was clearly a rebel without a clue, but don't judge -- you've got some Hammerpants or forlorn-looking legwarmers hiding like some skeleton in your closet somewhere. This mishmash of an outfit was Inspired by some of my favorite movies from years past -- Empire Records and Singles. What can I say, this Bird is a sucker for teen angst/young adult nostalgia, and these are two exemplary slices of that Gen-X pie.
Hopefully it's more nostalgic than homeless-chic, but my reinvisioning of 90s Grunge includes a hand-woven sweater cap, black sequin feather tee (Target), velveteen crop jacket (Forever 21), brown leather hobo bag, vintage denim skirt, grey knitted scarf, and to balance out the suede brown boots (Macys), a layering of red knee-high knit socks over black-striped tights. And don't forget to really get into the era by having a few favorite CDs handy, like Nirvana's Nevermind and Temple of the Dog. Generation-X icing on the cake, don't you think?
Jaunty Fine Print: photographs from IMDB.com and wardrobe photos by Denise Sakaki
I always joke with friends about the saying, "Ladies who lunch." For some, it's the privileged life of not having to do the 9 to 5 and only have to wonder what restaurant to meet friends at for the daily gossip. Or in my parents' case, that's just called the joys of retirement. For this Bird's inner-circle, Ladies who Lunch is code for, "Unemployed with Oodles of Time." But on a recent rare occasion, I really did get to be a lady who lunched, heading to a lovely luncheon event and needed something ladylike to wear.
Like most people, this Bird looks to the world of celebrities for fashion ideas, especially daily wear. Red carpet photos are stunning, but that's too perfectly styled and formal -- I just need a pretty, yet casual idea for lunch! So this Inspired look came from one actress who always channels classic Hollywood, the ever-outspoken Katherine Heigl. This was an old photo, but I liked the pop of color and the mix of modern and classic elements. From the Jaunty Wardrobe, this ladylike luncheon look emerged: a grey drape cardigan (Macys) over a flouncy, eye-catching blouse (Forever 21), tailored black pinstripe slacks (Kohls) with a peek of nude pumps (BCBG). Vintage jewelry, a silver Victorinox watch, and a large black and white tote (Nordstrom) finish the pretty look with business modern touches.
Jaunty Fine Print: photograph from InStyle.com and wardrobe photographs by Denise Sakaki
Not long ago, this Bird was Inspired by the drawn-on elaborate necklace art on t-shirts that were showing up in all the stores. They were elegantly imperfect and with a sly sense of humor, combining the look of formal jewels with a simple t-shirt. Plus, how clever is that -- you never have to think about throwing on a piece of jewelry because you're already set with just the shirt on your back.
That got this Magpie's noggin-gears clicking away, thinking, "How hard would it be to just make one myself?" Despite not having any screenprinting materials, that was easily solved with the magic of the almighty Sharpie marker. While it meant each shirt design would be one-of-a-kind, that made the designs all the more special. And it also meant this Bird needed to be on her drawing a-game as there's no erasing of a stray mark when it comes to pen on cotton fabric. But the scribble gods looked kindly upon this crafty venture, and these are the shirts that were produced.
I had some fabric paint from another old project. The jewel toned gold, silver and bronze were a nice bit of color to add to the simple pen drawings. Although the drawings could have been fine on their own, even without the paint. An extra flourish of sewed-on ribbon bows were added to some, to add a little extra bit of dimension. I'll have to remind the recipients of these gifts to wash gently in cold water. Even though t-shirts are meant to be rugged, these ones have been made delicate with the Jaunty power of faux jewelry!
Jaunty Fine Print: photo by Denise Sakaki
This Bird saw this simple look on actress Piper Perabo from a recent issue of InStyle Magazine and immediately thought, that is sparkle-comfort! I also thought, what a keen way to repurpose an old chunky sweater that had pretty much been relegated to comfy at-home wear or something I threw on when I wanted to curl up on the couch and do nothing.
The sweater was literally under $10, something I bought years ago in some clearance section of a tween clothing store, thinking it would never see the light of day beyond a very casual-shlumpy Friday. But trends change, belts come back into style, and the next thing I know I'm wearing it over a sequin-collar dress for a date night with Mr. Magpie. It was a nice reminder that even the simplest (or schlumpiest) of pieces from the Jaunty Wardrobe can be repurposed if paired with the proper pieces. And yes, I'm fairly certain I didn't look like a homeless bag lady at date night.
Jaunty Fine Print: wardrobe photos by Denise Sakaki, photo of Piper Perabo from InStyle magazine
A starlet whose style has caught the Bird's eye over the years is Keira Knightley's. She could be wearing some overly-glammed up dress, bedecked with jewels and wearing big hair that takes way too long to style, but she doesn't. Her choices are always smart and sartorial, appearing like that one girl you went to school with who would go to silent film festivals, could speak French beautifully, and would always offer half her cucumber and herbed goat cheese sandwich to you. Unlike Sienna Miller, whose style I also admire, but I'm fairly sure she'd be like the girl who'd have her minions shove you in a locker if you even looked at her for longer than ten seconds. I may be wrong about this, but that's just my initial impression.
Anyhoo, this Inspired look raises a Jaunty glass to Ms Knightley and her wily style choices. The menswear and multi-accessoried look pulled from the Jaunty Wardrobe include: black blazer from Benetton, printed knit dress from GoJane, hat from a shop in Ballard that I can't remember the name of, brown Oxfords from Steve Madden, and accessories and handbag are all gifts or vintage.
Jaunty Fine Print: wardrobe photos by Denise Sakaki, photo of Keira Knightley from InStyle.com
This Bird had to re-upload this little Inspired post because strange post-Halloween happenings are clearly afoot. The post showed up on Nov 2, and then it disappeared! Clearly, the ghosts of bad fashion choices have somehow come back to haunt me. Or perhaps it's just the gremlins of the internet at work.
Either way, crisis averted, I wanted to at least have the image of the Inspired look, even if I can't remember what the heck I wrote. And really, who reads this stuff -- admit it, you just want the pretty, pretty pictures, right?? I know you're nodding your head.
Jaunty Fine Print: wardrobe photos by Denise Sakaki, photo of Sarah Jessica Parker from InStyle Magazine
Ever take a wandering gaze through the closet and literally just grab whatever tickled your fancy and - voila - crazy thrown-together outfit? This Bird meandered through the Jaunty Wardrobe and pieced this kooky getup together. A mix n' match of menswear, textures and patterns, it's combining the use of masculine fabrics and the rebel yell of mixing different prints.
The original thought came from putting together something with my favorite pair of grey tie-waist shorts after seeing this simple style from Tommy Hilfiger. And then it all went to crazytown after picking some different favorite pieces from the Jaunty Wardrobe. Outfit includes: ruffled tie-waist jacket and printed top and tights from The Limited, tie-waist shorts from Macys, brown oxfords from Steve Madden, jewelry and handbag are vintage.
Jaunty Fine Print: wardrobe photos by Denise Sakaki, Tommy Hilfiger runway photo from Elle.com
fame. But of course it took the undeniable style of Faye Dunaway in the 
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