Casual Friday: Naive Floral

 
September! The gateway to my favorite time of year: Autumn.
 
September in Washington D.C. is a tricky time of year. It is often still summer-hot, but there is something a little odd about wearing really summery clothes. And so we have the challenge of dressing for a temperature, time, and mood that aren’t squarely in sync.

 
 
We’ve been here before, literally.
 
I wear cotton and linen into the fall, but look for long (or longer) sleeves and pants. I also stop wearing sandals and most open-toe shoes.
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Jacket is trying to shake off vacation mind-set, focus on work

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Naive American
 
 
Under my jacket, a summer top — just in case it’s really hot when I go out for lunch.The darker color transitions well to fall.
 
I love this type of print. It’s sort of like a bandana print, but maybe it’s more accurate to call it a naive or figurative floral. Not sure. Perhaps the art history majors will weigh in.

 
 
A khaki jacket and jeans is a no fail combination. I would generally wear it with a white blouse, but red is one color that adds to the combination.
 
What am I saying! Pale pink also looks terrfic with this combination as seen here.
 
 
 
 
I might wear a navy blue top, too. Maybe.
Unbuttoned
Thinking about Naive American portraiture


Buttoned
Still thinking, but thinking has turned to 18th Century more generally, and how difficult it would be to read and work by candle-light, and how much less appealing that would be if your candles were made of pig tallow instead of beeswax
 
 
 
Just including a few photos to show how the jacket looks buttoned and unbuttoned. I like it equally well both ways; it looks slimmer when buttoned.

 
 
 
Part of the reason that I wear this jacket so often is that it is well-designed. Button tabs at the waist create shape. It’s also a wonderful shade of khaki — very pale and buttery, which may mean that it isn’t really khaki.
side
Jacket located somewhere in the khaki rainbow

 
 
Finishing things off: a Marni bag that I bought in one of my rare forays on eBay.
Lucky find
Intrepid Directrice rewarded when she places faith in fellow man

I periodically get an idea about vintage jewelry or scarves and have purchased a few such items through eBay. Designer handbags seem like more of a risk to me; they’re expensive and the counterfeit industry is so insidious. But I took a chance on this bag and it is a genuine article.
 
I am very curious if any of you have purchased high-end labels through Vestaire Collective or TheRealReal. They seem to be well-organized, consignment mediators. If you’ve had good experiences, please share them!
 
Jacket: Benetton; Blouse: Anthropologie; Jeans: JCrew; Bag: Marni; Shoes: Coach

8 thoughts on “Casual Friday: Naive Floral”

  1. Directrice, I love your website and your attire, and your arch yet kind writing style, but I must raise one objection: I think you wear your jeans too long and too baggy. I believe going down a size and/or lopping an inch or two off the bottom will make the overall look sleeker. You are so adorable. Don’t hide your light under a barrel, as my mom used to tell me.

    Reply
    • Thank you Missanthrope (great handle) for the generous praise! You are not the first to take issue with my loose jeans — which I had thought were sort of fitted, demonstrating that I am prone to delusion as anyone. In today’s post (9/5/16), I am wearing my skinny jeans — except I’ve been told readers that they aren’t really skinnies. But perhaps my version of skinnies will come closer to your vision for me? I will keep your advice in mind as I search for a new pair of jeans this fall.

      Reply
  2. Surely to be deemed khaki something must have at least a green tinge? I know monitors vary, but I would have thought against the red the green would show… If not stone, then I would have called that jacket buttermilk.

    Still loving your blog; for the writing as much as your excellent style!

    Reply
    • Hello Ursula — I’m not sure about whether green is a necessary part of khaki — think British army uniforms c. 1900, which read pretty straight tan — but buttermilk is a good name for the jacket and now I want a chocolate cake made with buttermilk. I guess khaki is technically a fabric and not a color, but I associate it with a range of tan colors that are often made of khaki.

      Reply
  3. I think the pink with that jacket looks pretty springy. If you wanted to wear the pink in the fall I think I’d go with a brown jacket.

    I do like Fall in DC. If the temperatures would settle into the 70s it would be perfect for my large wardrobe of dark cottons and scarves.

    Reply

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