Dec 8, 2010

Curve-ball: Plaid Flannel and Chambray Conundrum

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Hello Everyone!
While the Sunday night blues started to set in this weekend, a mild desire to indulge will take some of us to gilt-ridden delicious food, anything luxurious or anything good and in excess.

The Sunday blues is also tempered by a curve-ball from
ma cherie mere. Perhaps excited about mon new job prospects, she handed me over a dozen new button down shirts all in different styles. Among them were a chambray and a plaid flannel shirt. Oui, I am more of a cashmere and silk kind of girl, with the touch of wool for practicality. Plain old plaid flannel? For moi? No cashmere?

Normally they would have been gracefully accepted and secretly donated to charity or, perhaps semi-politely but firmly refused. Style curve-balls are not always my specialty, as, by definition, they are hit only 20-30% if you are good, for me about 90% would be miss. Since I am no style major league pro, I fumbled. What about me says "LumberJane"?

Then I tried on the wooly shirt. It is so warm and cozy despite the lack of cashmere. I decided to give it a try. The first Idea that popped into my head was to remove the color with a chemical kit, but, given my skill, that would leave me without the shirts at all.
Then it occurred to me that these are the styles worn by the majority of this town's population. Um, not me. Was that a hint to try and blend in? Maybe it is a tropical weather mom's first reach toward practicality come this NE winter?
Here are some of the outfits that inspire me, incorporating the pieces chic-ly, not grungey-ly.

I think that the chambray can work tucked into a flowy skirt, a suit, or dress trousers. But the flannel seems resistant to such styling! Why? It is too thick to tuck in comfortably. It is also too thick to layer under a nice, delicate knit (Chunky sweaters don't go well on my petite, busty frame. Yes, I am a DD/E ! but I digress). It only seems to work with a suit... maybe! But that is just one not-super-practical option.

We can conclude that Chambray and flannel are simply 'not me'... Or are they? The shirts feel nice! How to we de-rugged-fy them?

XOXO
-The Lumber-jane at the Atelier's Closet

8 comments:

  1. I love to mix up plaid. Cool post.

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  2. Its that time of year for this kind style.

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  3. great blo! i follow you!

    xx

    fashionbit

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  4. Flannel has always been one of my favorites, but I have never mixed them with other than a girly grunge look. It fits perfectly well under a open knit cardi, but I feel you on the DD part. :)

    Feel free to stop by sometime!

    xx T

    Myideaofstyle.blogspot.com

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  5. Thank you Tonje. It seems like I might have to bite the bullet and try to bleach the pattern out.

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  6. hey thank you so much for dropping by :) love your comment! ps. love the outfits shown here :) esp. those shirts! look really pretty! :) come visit me more :) HEEHEE big kisses!! XXX

    http://theglamorousmess.blogspot.com

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  7. I know what you mean...I love flannel but I feel like I just can't pull it off but I love it on other people
    http://aclosetfashionista.blogspot.com/

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  8. love the camel pants!!!!xxx

    www.zscloset.blogspot.com

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Merci.