· April Showers ·

For our trip to Europe a few years ago, I knew I'd need a lightweight water-resistant coat.  I toyed with the idea of making my own, but the fabric I found online ended up being totally not what I expected- either in color or content!  I ditched that idea and turned to Etsy- I ended up finding this coat which is maybe not my first idea but it's turned into an essential part of my outerwear wardrobe!

It's a London Fog trench coat (from maybe the 1970s?) with classic styling that helps keep it timeless!

This April was unseasonably cold for us and we actually had more *snow* showers than rain showers, so I got more use from my wool coats than this one! Now that it's the last day of the month, we are finally settled into glorious spring weather and my! does it ever feel glorious!

What do you do for water-resistant outerwear?  I'm always up for recommendations for another coat- maybe next time with less structured, military styling and with a hood!

· Photos by Kathryn Grace Photography ·

· Keeping it Quiet ·

This outfit is quite a bit more subdued and quiet than my normal, but I love the play between brown and black and honestly, I'm surprised by how much I like wearing dark colors!  I've noticed this mood coming around every fall/winter and I've started sewing some things to accommodate it.  I used to scoff at the idea of wearing lots of black... now I'm starting to understand the allure!

I've always loved Simplicity 3673 and I made the flared skirt view several years back. This time around, I was looking for a more tailored secretarial look and we had just enough of this thick wool suiting left for a classic neutral jumper.

This project turned into such a warm, cozy outfit and I really do love this pattern!  It might be a bit over-represented in the vintage sewing community, but I think it's got enough redeeming qualities to earn its place as a classic. I really like the empire waist accented with the band, and a boat neck is universally flattering! The faux bow at the front is finished off with a vintage buckle.

This vintage double-strand necklace dresses up the outfit a little more than maybe it deserves- this jumper is so warm and cozy that it makes me feel like I'm wearing a vintage-styled, office-appropriate version of sweatpants.

Granted, it's been a loooong time since I've worn sweatpants.... so this notion is just a bit suspect. ;-)  The fact remains that it makes me feel like settling in with a good book!

More shoe clips! I feel like Marilyns are perfectly suited to shoe clips and I got both this set and my buckle pair at an antique mall last summer.  I'd never specifically looked for them before, but this makes me want to go on a little online shopping spree for more additions!

This vintage purse has become my standby- it's sturdy and it's just the right shape to hold massive amounts of things very efficiently so it doesn't look bulky!  Gum, sewing kit, tape measure, pad of paper, wallet, checkbook, pillbox, mirror, 4 colors of lipstick... you know, just the essentials. ;-)

Plus the black/brown combo makes it an ideal match with this ensemble!

· Photos by Kathryn ·