Links

Home     About     Contact     Press     Yellow Skirt     SKETCHES

Sunday 3 June 2012

My hot pink peignoir takes me for a walk

Wooo, I was feeling psychedelic today. Can you tell? I was on the cusp of culling this vintage Karen Millen green dress with the "England" label, but I won't now having discovered how groovy it feels paired it with this hot pink peignoir - I felt like doing the twist. There is excessive amplitude in the upper reaches of the dress and with the flare of the skirt I consider it slightly too short to wear just tights with, so I paired the dress with these riding-pant jeggings and threw on a hot pink silk top to colour block the green field. I was also hoping there would be a greater clash of pinks between the peignoir and the top, but you can't have everything.


It was windy today so the peignoir billowed and fluttered brilliantly with the lightest, feathery  swish of my hands. That feeling brings back memories of sheer curtains wafting in my bedroom on a summer evening, crickets singing, and the passing of the distant night train. 


Can you see the pink satin ribbons? This was the peignoir's inaugural outing; I'm glad it took me along. The top part of it is shirred and stretchy and has three little pink buttons.

Details of the outfit
  • vintage Karen Millen green dress, thrifted, True Value Vintage end-of-business sale, $5 (?)
  • bright pink peignoir, thrifted, Salvation Army, $10
  • bright pink silk top, hand-me-over
  • caramel riding-pant jeggings, new, Hue brand, The Bay

Here are some close-ups of the dress. I love the label. The dry-cleaner said when I brought it in, "That's a really old dress," but I don't know if he thought that was a good thing or a bad thing. I think this dress is made of lightweight wool crepe, and it has a light-green satin lining. Perhaps I subconsciously chose this "England" dress with the Empire waist to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee.



I'm tired of hearing my hangers scape hard over the bar when I dig for a piece of clothing - my closet is packed. There was a time when the aubergine outfit in the previous post felt the edge of scandal. How things have changed, the result of hanging around with so many fabulous bloggers. So it's time to do a serious weeding of my wardrobe according to my new standards, which sometimes include opera gowns and peignoirs as daywear. There are too many as-yet undiscovered "favourite" pieces in the shops and not enough hours in a day to devote to "meh" clothing. Wish me luck in The Big Clean! 

Of course I'm heading over to Patti's Visible Monday. I sure felt visible in this dreamy, lava-lamp outfit. I hope I'll see you over there!

P.S. Playing squash like a worm is like playing with a racquet made from silly putty and running with noodle legs, all wibbly and ineffective. 


34 comments:

  1. The second photo is so adorable I can't stand it! You look like a little girl, all excited because you know something that no one else knows about. Love the colors!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love love love it! I also wear my vintage nightwear as daywear and I absolutely love this fab layering. And the green dress is gorgeous. Happy culling! Sarah xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, stop that playing like a worm!!

    That dress is wonderful. I love tags like that too. In the past I have wanted to collect them and frame them somehow. But sometimes they're not so easy to remove. Especially the more expensive items.

    This pink and green combination reminds me of one of Reva's recent posts. The colors together really compliment nicely. I like how you added the brownish ridingpantleggins. It gives the outfit a sort of abstractness to it. Something you're very good at!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I LOVE this look! You are so inspiring with layering, shapes and color mixing! I love tunic style dresses all layered up! This is perfect-the best outfit of the week, I'll bet ya!!!!
    Hugs
    Reva

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm a big fan of wool crepe and the color of the dress itself is very nice. I can just imagine the pregnoir on the streets--fluttering super heroine like behind you. In fact, since you wore the last one on your blog, I find myself studying nightwear in the thrifts in a new way.

    ReplyDelete
  6. oohh i love the green!!

    www.trendinginfashion.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. You are so creative with your outfits! I love this look. Would never have guessed that your outer layer is a peignoir. What skilful combination of colours.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a wonderful clash of pink, mint and the best of all, you gorgeous smile.
    have a brilliant week, my friend.
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    ReplyDelete
  9. So much fabulosity! There's nothing preppy about that pink and green combination. BRAVO!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ooh, you're at the perfect angle with that green stripe of tape on the back drop! And kudos on concocting a candy colored confection for today!

    ReplyDelete
  11. ohhh so 70's love all that colors in you... happy week Melanie

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh, I love looking inside a dress - the label looks so posh. And *you* look fabulous in those colors and shapes! Great tights too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Those colours just suit you so well! The green dress is a true gem, and perfect for the peignoir!

    ReplyDelete
  14. What an utterly fabulous outfit, high end British high street fashion mixed with a racy peignoir. You are a style genius! I'd love to have a rummage in your over-stuffed closet. Can you even imagine what fun us bloggers could have if we lived closer and could share each other's wardrobes? xxx

    ReplyDelete
  15. This outfit is sheer genius, according to me. The blocks of color, the addition of the leggings in that color, the overall propotions, textures etc.

    There's a Karen Millen shop in an upscale mall here with lovely things, but I like yours the best!
    Vix's vision of a blogger-closet would be heaven! I love the shoes as well.

    ReplyDelete
  16. A slice of refreshing watermelon on a summer's day.

    ReplyDelete
  17. LOVE this!!! Definitely a fave. Those leggings are amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Pink and green is definitely my favorite color combo. This is so bright and fresh!

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a cool look! I just cleaned out my closet as well...it is liberating! have fun!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Woo, this is so pistachio, day-glo, 70s love with ice cream cone leggings!

    I would love to dig in your closet - you have the best stuff! Make sure to send some of your cast-offs to the Vancouver Island thrift stores, please!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Your mix of colors is brilliant! Beautiful use of a pink peignoir as outer wear. How I would loved to have seen you fluttering down the street! Wishing you the best with The Big Clean. I'm with you on that one!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I am ridiculously jealous of every style blogger who has ever gotten to wear her peignoir out and about. You look like eye candy as always.

    I've been in the midst of a Merciless Purge of my teeny closet, and *still* managed to break the spare rod yesterday. Ugh. Which resulted in even more purging. Which sounds violent, but ended up being rather soothing :P

    ReplyDelete
  23. You look like a cross between Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. Oh I DO believe in fairies.
    Connie*

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh my absolute favourite colours together!!!!! You look so very pretty. I know lots of people comment on it but your eyes are beautiful mirrors of light.
    All the best for the wardrobe clean out.
    Love v

    ReplyDelete
  25. Melanie, I'm running out of words for your fabulous outfits. Just know that I think this one is absolutely divine.
    The other thing I really like about your photos is how the light casts two shadows.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Well, if anyone can wear a peignoir set as daywear, it's you, my dear. Honestly, I don't know who else would even think of it!! You are so creative and imaginative, you don't even know it. (That's a play on a British TV advert.)

    I, too, have to do The Big Clean. Unfortunately, all my clothes and I are still in love. So it will be a case of enforced goodbyes.

    Much love from England, where the Jubilee has just had its last hurrah,
    Rosemary www.foreveronthecatwalkoflife.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. this is a superb color combination, i myself couldn't have think of a better combination - I do clean my closets, but still have too much
    The shoes are a real mess, that i should do- but it is so overwhelming i tell you, so many!
    I have to find a title for my painting, someone ask me what was the title -

    Take care gorgeous!

    Ariane xxx

    ReplyDelete
  28. The fabrics of the past were so much nicer than those today. I adore the colors in this outfit and that you made the peignoir look so perfect with the dress. Love those leggings too!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Oh Melanie, pink and pistachio green are one of my favourite colour combinations and it looks just wonderful on you, especially with your hair colour. I can't wear it with mine. I LOVE the second photo of you with your impish smile! I have also found that things I would have never thought to wear outside (like a pegnoir) are now creeping into my daytime wardrobe, all because of the influence of other bloggers like you. YAY for happy clothing choices (like pink and green), NAY to anything that is "Meh"!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh the colour combination of green and pink is just lovely! I love that your peignoir is getting some daytime wear, it's far too pretty not be out and about and admired!
    The frock is lovely, but I don't think it can be that old - Karen Millen started in the 1980s but I think it was in the 90s that stores opened all over the UK and beyond. I have a Karen Millen dress from the late 90s which I still love, I'll have to wear it for a post to show you. I never shop there now, it's too expensive!
    You look very happy in this outfit, it obviously made you feel GOOD! xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  31. This is such a fun and colorful look. How old is that dress? I want to know how old is old to a dry cleaner.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Curtise said that Karen Millen started in the '80s and I have to keep reminding myself that clothes from that decade now qualify as "vintage" which means...I'm vintage too! Aak! I thought it was '60s because of the cut, colour, crepe wool, and the slight discolouration on the shoulder-tops from dust. This dry cleaner works in a part of town that I thought would see lots of vintage clothes.

      Delete
  32. Delightful! Looking at you in that combo brings me joy!

    ReplyDelete
  33. I love love love pink and green together! how gorgeous! Although unfortunately I do agree with curtise that the dress isn't very old, Karen Millen is an upmarket high street shop, which sells rather glam clothes sometimes in older repro styles. It is gorgeous, I wonder if it's mid 90s when the 60s revival occured. Still it looks absolutely gorgeous on you and it's a stunning dress! more please! xxxx

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...