Remedy for too much pattern

This dress had too much pattern for my liking so there was only one thing I could do: add more pattern. I desperately needed a distraction from the florals, and I found the solution in my lovely satin Oriental top with its own groovy motif. I added the little velvet tie belt to disrupt the red field on my torso and unify the overall flow. The pattern riot is then anchored by black shoes and Trusty Beret.

When I thrifted this dress for about a dollar it had big stiff ruffles lined with bright pink satin around the cuffs and hemline - hideously fun but seriously too hideous. I ripped them off immediately but kept them for future projects. This dress was obviously lovingly hand-made. The fabric is a polymorphoid blend, which is most probably water-resistant by the old feel of it.

Details of the outfit

• polymorphoid thrifted maxi dress, True Value Vintage (gone now), about a dollar
• red satin Oriental top, Wildlife Thrift Store
• stretch pointy heels, new some years ago
• black T underneath to shield myself from the rainproof fabric

This outfit looks much better in motion that it does static. As I kicked down the sidewalk this outfit seemed to say, "Howdy, howdy, would you like to join me for tea?" I wore this on Friday, July 6, just before summer descended at precisely 10:03 Saturday morning. 

And today I am happy to join everyone over at Patti's Visible Monday gathering. I look forward to seeing you there! Everyone always looks so brilliant. 

Other News

I gave my encore artist talk on Sunday at Baron Gallery and it went very well! The capacity audience was incredibly supportive so I felt very relaxed. An art critic also wrote a review of my work and my talk, which was published Friday in an online award-winning newspaper - it gave me a shock...and a huge grin! If you're interested, you can find it here. I wore my muu muu and beret, and of course Grushenka, my magic wand/pointer cast a lovely bubble of safety and goodness.

It's Hitchcock in 3D!

If you stare at the coat and skirt together long enough, kind of cross your eyes a little bit, you will see a 3D image of Alfred Hitchcock! It's uncanny!

It's a good thing I don't have a bejeweller because I think I would go wild on this little outfit, it makes my hair go all sproingy with excitement. I bought the red Oriental top about a week ago and had been saving it for a nice day, which was Saturday (sorry, this outfit is stale but I really wanted to share it with you!).

I have realized that you can throw almost ANYTHING on your body and make it work if you frame your hands/arms, legs/shoes, and head in the same stable colour, in this case black. It's like framing abstract art, which is how I stumbled across this miraculous discovery. The dark tips contain or cap all the exploding stuff on the central canvas. Who knew art could be so practical?

Details of the outfit:

• bias cut wool skirt with wide suede waistband and suede along the hem, thrifted for almost nothing (I forget how much). The main body of the skirt is vanilla with a houndstooth pattern in black, brown and white.
• red silk Oriental top-jacket thing, thrifted $6
• patterned coat, thrifted, repeat item
• shoes were new from The Bay department store about 8 years ago

My camera captured that vivid red so well above. And below, a little weirdness, trying to keep it real but for the ghoulish-stare face.

I am happy to include this in Patti's Visible Monday. Yay, Patti!