A GYPSY SKIRT FOR A PICNIC IN THE PARK

Hi everyone,

Hope you are all well.

Last Sunday was the first really hot day when you can shed off a couple of layers and start to believe that summer is just around the corner and a group of us decided to have a picnic in the park.  I was quite excited about it since the last time we attended an outdoor party was back in February (Australian summer time).

Despite the fact that everyone around has momentarily jumped into cut-off shorts, mini skirts and singlets, I wasn't ready to take off the layers and show off my pale legs, so I opted for a mid-calf gypsy skirt instead.  It was light and breezy, besides I wanted to wear something comfortable to be able to sit on the grass and still look decent.

I bought this skirt a while ago from the market in Green Market Square in Cape Town while paying our scheduled annual visit to my father in law.  I love this market and never miss an opportunity to visit it.  I very seldom leave this market empty handed as it attracts vendors from all over Africa and the variety of goods on offer is amazing and getting richer every time we are there.  I simply couldn't resist the temptation to buy something.

Not looking for anything in particular, I was aimlessly drifting from stall to stall when I spotted a rack full of these gypsy skirts bellowing in the wind.  At first, I couldn't understand the way they are constructed but on close inspection, I realised that they are all made out of two layers of silk fabric in totally different patterns that are not always colour-coordinated but sewn together to a soft belt that you can simply wrap around your waist and tie up on a side with a bow.

Both layers are reversible which means that technically you get two skirts for the price of one.    It took me good 10 minutes to choose one during which my poor husband almost jumped out of his skin.

I can't say that I get into the gypsy vibe often enough to wear this skirt but today was a perfect day for it.  I paired it with a sleeveless black lace top so my arms would get suntanned.  A leather saddle bag and tan sandals completed my "Wandering gypsy" look.

We had such a wonderful time in the park, the food was delicious, the wine cold and crisp and the company was a delight.

Do you like having picnics in the park or by the beach?

Anna
xoxo

Linking up with Fashion Should be Fun, Fine Whatever Blog, Shelbee on the Edge

WHITE LACE SKIRT|INDIGO BLUE LACE TOP - I AM READY TO PARTY

Every December the same thought comes into my head that the amount of parties I have to addend during the festive season is probably far greater than the total of the parties I’ve been to in the previous eleven months, wouldn't you agree?

Office Christmas parties, drinks with friends, lunches with clients and dinners with the family all keep us busier then ever.  And let’s not forget the Christmas shopping, of course.  And it is not just the gifts and presents that we are spending a fortune on every year, we also need an injection of a few new dresses in our wardrobes, what with all those parties and all, and you don’t want to show up wearing the same outfit over and over again. 

I, like most women, was also caught in the whirlwind of the festive season and did a bit of clothes shopping myself.  However, rather buying yet another dress, I decided to go for separates this time.  I figured that not only I can get many more combos out of a skirt and a top then from a dress but even an old top will look different paired with a new skirt and vice versa.

This season it is all about the revival of a lace.  Don’t be alarmed, the new trend has nothing to do with the wedding gown, it is modern, sexy, sleek and sheer.  In other words, everything you need and nothing you don’t.  There is one thing, however, that the wedding dress and current trend do have in common, it is colour.  White seems to be the dominant colour on a runaways and in stores everywhere.  I like it because even though we are in the midst of the Antipodean summer, it reminds me of the beautiful delicate snowflakes softly falling from the dark winter skies.

After few trials and errors, I chose a stretch lace skirt from Bec & Bridge with an asymmetrical hem and a raffle detail running down along one leg that gathers right above the knee so when I turn my back, it innocently falls right below the knees, while the front view, thanks to the ruffle, sits slightly higher, revealing just enough of one leg for a sexy but not a slutty look.

I didn’t want to be dressed in white head to toe, so I chose Stevie May's sheer wildflower lace top in a contrasting indigo blue.

Sometimes wearing clothes which shows too much skin can pose quite a challenge if you don’t want to look cheap or slutty. This can be avoided by making sure that the garment in question has a rather modest yet feminine style and that what I like about this garment:  the high cut of the neck and the primness of the cup sleeves balance out the bare skin illusion of the fabric.  The other factor that won me over is that it is looks as gorgeous with a pair of jeans as with an evening skirt.

The lace is such a richly textured fabric that it does not require much of accessories.  However, one of them should never be ignored, understated nor forgotten – a pair of fabulous shoes!!!

Linking up with Elegantly Fashionable