Last week, you saw my quintessentially autumn outfit (see here). Today I'm keeping in that same vein with another brown and green ensemble, this time a bit more formal, but still with that comfy fall feel. The fall does seem to work rather perfectly for slightly more formal attire being worn out of doors. It isn't hot, there is less humidity, and it seems almost as if the trees themselves were clad in fancier attire with their golden green leaves rustling for attention.
This outfit makes me feel a bit like you would find me sweetly chatting with birds and butterflies in the heart of the woods somewhere. Almost like a feminine woodland key keeper. I think it's the mix of lace and flowers, leaves and a gossamer veil. This lace dress is actually the first and only vintage lace garment (or lace garment of any kind) in my closet. I only have one other dress that has an accent of lace (see here), but otherwise my wardrobe is severely lacking in this ladylike fabric. I love lace, so I was surprised too! I think it may just be that nice quality lace pieces tend to be out of my price range, which makes them immediately go in the "look, but don't touch" portion of my shopping list.
This demure brown lace dress is from the 1940s and was part of a double purchase from Dronning Vintage during a sale they had in early August. I already featured the other dress I bought, seen here, in a previous Sunday Snag. I mainly wanted the other dress when I went shopping, but this shy sweetheart asked to come home with me too. She is a deep chocolate brown, which I think makes having an entirely lace dress much more versatile. The lace, if you look at the close up photo, is such a darling floral design too! Also, bonus, the lace is a super soft and worn in cotton. Typically, the older lace pieces that I've come into contact with have a tendency to be stiff, starched, and a tad scratchy, I'm assuming from age. You may be able to soak and line dry some stiffness away, but I've never owned a vintage lace piece to give that a try. This one is nice and soft though, so luckily I don't have to worry about that. The bust is ever so slightly to large for me, but I didn't want to mess with altering such a pretty lace, and it really doesn't bother me that much. I may, in the future, try to add a couple of darts to help that out.
The original belt was missing, but it was rather fun deciding on what to use to take its place! You could use almost any color ribbon/sash with this chocolate brown and it would work. I just decided on a green because I wanted to pair it will my hair accessory. My green sash is just the spare bit of hemline from a bridesmaid dress I had and altered. I didn't want to use a belt buckle for this dress, so I decided to add a little decorative floral piece instead. These blue and green velvet flowers are actual 1940s millinery pieces from my personal stash (it may be used in a hair accessory for my shop in the future!).
My fascinator, coincidentally, has the same green velvet leaf color, so it paired perfectly. The belt doesn't match exactly with the other greens in the outfit, but I don't care. I've never needed things to be matchy matchy and often enjoy when colors "clash" ever so slightly as I think it adds interest and texture to an outfit. The fascinator is a 1950s piece that I bought from a wonderful vintage shop in Pittsboro, NC called Beggars and Choosers (I'll be sharing photos and an interview about the shop & owner this Thursday!). I picked it up on a mad 15 min dash through the store (see story here). It was only $8! It has an entirely leaf construction (no flowers), the base is a pretty velvet bow, and the smallest peek-a-boo of green veiling softens the entire look.
The jewelry is super minimal this time round. I wanted the lace and millinery to be the stars of the show. However, this tiny tiny deer ring, "Keeper of the Wood" needed an outing in the autumn sunshine. You may not be able to see him (like I said, tiny tiny), but he is a strong stag and I thought he could be my woodland protector for the afternoon.
My shoes are marvelous! Nuf said. Okay, I guess I can say a bit more... I picked these beauties up while visiting my most bestest friend in Colorado. I asked her if we could go to a local vintage shop, Goldmine Vintage, while I was there and she very generously said yes. I purchased these gorgeous early 1940s brown suede heels at the end of that shop visit. The double buckle strap is both adorable and makes the shoes more stable and comfy for me to walk in.
Note: I did eat a mega huge breakfast/brunch filled with syrup and gravy right before going to said vintage shop. I do not recommend this. Not surprisingly, the shoes were the only thing I could fit into at the shop. However, the shop staff were incredibly helpful and patient with me as I asked to see a billion things just out of reach behind counters and hanging high on the wall. One thing behind the counter was a GORGEOUS late 1920s/early 1930s dress that they didn't let people try on (understandably). I asked if they could measure it for me and it was SO close, but I didn't want to pay for something that expensive if I didn't know 100% that it fit. Luckily, the shop lady took pity on me and quietly let me try it on with the help of my friend and many promises that I would be really really really careful. It was unbelievably beautiful and I'm soooo glad I got the chance to have it on me for a minute or two, but unfortunately it was a smidge to small on the hip so it had to wait for another lucky, but smaller, gal to take her home.
Outfit Details
Dress: 1940s Cotton Lace from Dronning Vintage
Belt: Made by me with spare fabric & vintage millinery
Fascinator: 1950s Velvet Leaf and Veil from Beggars and Choosers
Shoes: Early 1940s Suede from Goldmine Vintage
Ring: "Keeper of the Wood" from my shop ChatterBlossom
Last Week's Sunday Snag:
