All Things Vintage: Vintage Ensemble 4: Full-on Spring

In most places, the sweaters are already off, the rain from earlier in the season is gone and we can fully enjoy the wonderful season that is spring. We still have a little breeze, which is a welcome respite from the heat that seems to increase by the day. Maybe that's just in Texas. I wanted to put together a little more colorful than the last VE that I did back in April and bring out a few more colors that I like wearing in spring. I'm big on pastels for springtime wear as they show off a lot of beautiful hues in lighter hues to accompany the re-emerging of color in the atmosphere. I also love teal, coral and yellow shades; these are also a few of my favorite summer colors but I'll cover those next month. Now that I'm thinking about it, this post is more of a smorgasbord than an ensemble...I don't think I've put this many pieces in one post before but....there's a first time for everything and I do what I want. LOL Hope you enjoy!

Playground of Style, $32.99

I love dots, and I love the light feel and colors on this shirt. I think you might be able to get away with wearing this top to work, and I think it's just one of those shirts that's no fuss and loose. You could bring some variety into the top if it's a little sheer by wearing a spaghetti strap tank underneath in either the teal/coral colors on the shirt and your choice of jeans or capris or even shorts. I think these would look good with dark denims, so I went with capris.

Moto Photoshoot, $59.99

I like how both coral and aqua/teal looks with dark denim and I didn't want to go all the way with shorts but I didn't feel much like wearing full jeans with this either. If you do, though, I think skinny jeans would look fine. These also remind me of the vintage floods/capri pants that I see in '50s and '60s flicks, so I thought they'd look cute with the tank and give your shins some shine. lol

I was kind of stuck when it came to choosing a good sandal, so I've included a few below. I was originally going for a coral colored flat but couldn't quite find what I wanted. The sandals I did find, however, were all easy to put on and no-fuss like the rest of the outfit so the entire ensemble has a laidback feel to it, something I think a spring outfit should be. I also think wedges and capris pair together really nicely, so that'd be a cute shoe to finish off the outfit.

Garden Garland Sandal, $27.99

Tasting Tour Wedge, $34.99

Book-Binding Bash Sandal, $39.99

Bow Along For the Ride, $22.99

I included a pic of the back instead of the front because I thought the back was really cute and wanted to show it off. I also think it would look fine if the back and front were reversed, and you could use this keyhole style back for the front of your shirt instead.

Bold Blossom, $34.99

This outfit when put together reminds me a bit of something a teacher would wear LOL, but I like the lighter feel of it, I like using red aside from the holidays and Valentine's day, and I think this is bold without being overpowering. It also reminds me of apples. lol

How Do You Feel? Heel, $64.99

Dainty Dramatist Heel, $79.99

Dresses

Cherry a Tune, $109.99

This vintage inspired dress and the tie on the side kind of reminds me of those '50s day dresses, I think they're called wrap dresses but don't set that in stone. I think the cherry print is so simple and demure but colorful and interesting that it would be good for spring and enjoying a day out with a light breeze. I live in the desert, so stockings underneath dresses is more of a fall/winter thing for me. I'd go barelegged here and enjoy the air on my legs.

The Story of Citrus, $47.99

This citrus dotted dress is so fun looking and light and I just love it. It's got a cute neckline that I think is different and would really give emphasis to a cute necklace, and goes right with the pastels and citrus colors that I usually associate with spring. The bottom is fun, won't cling to the legs (and hopefully won't fly up with the breeze because that would be bad), and can still be covered up with a light sweater, something that I think is important to springtime clothing since the weather can be a little unpredictable.

Bing Your Praises, $272.99

Not only do cherries remind me of vintage wear, but this particular cut of halter top does too. I think the cut is very free and loose, everything a vintage springtime dress should be to me. You can dress it up with a cardigan and white/red heels or you can dress it down with flip flops or flats. It's light colored and looks like it feels light as well.

Skirts

I usually don't really go for skirts, but for some reason my eye's been drawn to skirts lately. I think especially for springtime that flouncy and printed skirts are fun and I'm starting to like them. Maybe the prints aren't exactly vintage, but they're vintage-ish, and I like the cut of them.

A Brushstroke with Fame, $54.99

Geometric and diagonally striped prints are '70s prints to me and I think that you can do so much with this skirt in terms of color pairings. I'm more of a simple gal myself, so I'd probably stick with a color that's already in the skirt. Bolder chicks will use a bold color or printed shirt on top. I love my vintage, but a bold chick I am not. lol

Outta This World Skirt, $62.99

A swing skirt! I believe this skirt has a lot of potential in terms of variety with pairings, ModCloth has a matching top but you don't have to wear the top with it. I think swing skirts are fun, ladylike, and very versatile in terms of being dressed up or down as well as being worn for day or night looks. I think they're beautifully vintage and I adore them.

Fruitful Endeavors, $89.99

The reason why I selected this skirt is firstly because I love gingham prints. I usually go for more of a preppy light blue gingham, but I loved this red because it reminded me of a picnic blanket. LOL A springtime picnic with fruit, which is also what those little colored dots are that you see on this skirt. The length is flirty and I love the fruit accessories on the skirt.

Prism and Her, $62.99

Probably the most colorful garment on here so far, this completely '70s printed skirt has too many possibilities. I know I said that about two of the other skirts, but I mean it this time. LOL There are so many bright colors popping out at me in this skirt that it shouldn't be hard at all to put together an outfit around this piece but whatever else is selected should complement the skirt; I think this should definitely be the centerpiece.

Now I want to move on to a few things that have been jumping out at me for some reason since spring started. Kind of like skirts, I never much cared for maxi dresses but apparently my mind has opened itself up to many things this year that I had not considered before. Now that I want some, however, I'm seeing them everywhere, on racks in stores and chicks are wearing them everywhere, so I guess they're 'in' again. I can see why; they're adorable!

Maxi Dresses

Grow Along With the Flow, $69.99

Now I know the photo is pretty small so you can't see all the details, but this is a wrap-tie dress that is a little similar to the first cherry dress above with a scoop kind of cutout in the back, an unexpected addition when you first look at the garment. I believe in looking cute coming and going so the smaller details caught my eye. This dress is so light and airy and I like the hints of yellow throughout; you can accessorize with any of the three colors but I wouldn't go too bold or it'll overwhelm the dress.

Take a Sand, $59.99

This dress answers two trends--the maxi dress and the short in front/long in back trend that I've been seeing everywhere, all while giving me a vintage, free and loose type of vibe. The light colors could work for spring or summer and the light material will be comfortable for either season as well. The dress also comes in a yellow/brown version.

I must be on some '70s kick or something, because this maxi dress jumped out at me the minute I saw it. I actually bypassed it for awhile because I think it would look good for summer too, but I really like it so I said bump it. This is more form-fitting than the other two maxi dresses above it and I love the '70s print. It just looks comfortable, season appropriate and interesting...to me, anyway. I also like the belt at the middle.

Personally, I'd play up the orange in the outfit through my shoes and accessories, but I also like the all-over tan look, which is why I featured the tan sandals. Who says sandals have to be boring? The outfit is extremely simple, which gives you a blank canvas and two great seasonal colors to play up in the pieces you choose to pair with it. A wedge would look good as well though.

Coral That Jazz, $32.99

Garden Garland in Peach, $27.99

Jewelry & Accessories

I'm not usually too good with putting vintage accessories together, so bear with me. Again, these are just a few pieces of jewelry or other accessories that I think go well with the lighter theme of this post.

$24.00

$44.00

I'm a late in life convert to scarves, I used to see them as a fussy little accessory that blows away in the wind. LOL I kinda like that it blows in the wind now. Don't ask. Anyway, I think a bold-colored scarf can bring some personality to an otherwise neutral outfit, double for a stylish headcover or cover for your face on a windy day in a pinch. Light colors that have a unique print on it like the ones above are the ones I've been drawn to lately, but no reason why you can't go bold with the smaller details and keep a simpler ensemble. I told you I was on a '70s kick, so I'm including a couple of smaller scarves below because I like those too and you can also use them in an outfit, as a belt for example. I like them better as scarves though. lol

$9.00

$16.00

This bag isn't necessarily vintage, but I do like the mix of modern and vintage in the wardrobe; I think it puts a fun spin on an outfit. I chose this bag because I don't know if I'm the only one, but as I've gotten older I've carried more things with me so reluctantly, I've had to upgrade the size of my bags over the years. I think this bag is large enough to hold all of my things, doesn't have to match my outfit (yes, I'm anal about stuff like that) and has that pop of color that is spring appropriate. I still think jewelry should be feminine and pastel-colored, although I'll mix it up and add something bold every now and again. I love a good cat eye with my sunglasses, but that's because I just have a love for cat eyes anyway. Not too many other styles of glasses look okay on my face, but cat eye glasses feel good and give me a constant throwback feel when I have them on. I also have a love for tortoiseshell glasses, which is why I included the glasses on the right.