sallyinstpaul
- May 28, 2021
- 3 min read

OOTD: Tropical Coral

One of my new pandemic hobbies is making very simple bead jewelry. I started with glass seed beads on stretch cord for bracelets, as you may recall from my capsule wardrobe posts, and glass seed bead strands on FireLine jewelry thread for necklaces. These were all single strand pieces that could be combined with each other or with other pieces to make bracelet stacks or layered necklaces/neck messes.

But I finally completed a multi-strand bead necklace using 6/0 Czech seed beads in the "aqua mélange" color that I'm enjoying. (I also showed this necklace in the May additions post for the #2 Navy & Beige, Darcy capsule.) I kept things simple in its first outing by combining it with a delicate silver chain and small crystal pendant that my mom sent me from her own closet.

One thing I learned wearing it that day was that I had made one of the strands just-enough too long that it irritated me, so I cut that strand off at the end of the day, leaving me with a 7-strand necklace. Much better!

This outfit was based on some of the "sandstone coral" items that I purchased from Christopher & Banks (plus size brand CJ Banks) online last summer during my (kind of crazy) stock up of merchandise being sold at increasingly low prices as the company took a pandemic nosedive and eventually closed all their stores. (Which is actually quite sad as the company is a Minnesota institution and it's become one of my most reliable sources of plus size clothing that works for me. But at least the online retailer continues to exist.)

So other than a refresh of warm-weather exercise clothes (now 100% ready to go), the purchase of a few extra pairs of bike shorts for wearing under skirts (done), and a need (not yet desperate) for new bras (waiting for things to settle down before braving Nordstrom at The Mall of America for a fitting), I have entered my spring/summer sartorial season with a wardrobe that is in great shape with a ton of novel possible outfit combinations.

And because I purchased a bunch of coordinating items from the same retailer/same season, these outfits practically put themselves together. I was pleased to be able to wear these new suede flats with the outfit; it's quickly reaching the point at which suede shoes will get put away until the weather cools down again in the summer/fall transition period.

OOTD 5/10/21

Navy sleeveless tropical birds blouse - CJ Banks - 2X - $20.09 - 6/2020

Dusky sandstone coral pants - CJ Banks - 24W - $10.00 - 9/2020

Sandstone coral knit jacket - CJ Banks - 2X - $14.83 - 5/2020

Silver/crystal geometric pendant necklace - gift

Aqua mélange multi-strand necklace - made by me - summer 2020

Teal suede smoking flats - Nine West - $33.59 - 2/2021

Do you like to purchase multiple coordinating items from the same collection? Or is that too boring/predictable/matchy-matchy for you? Or does it just not align to how you do your shopping? I wouldn't want to build my entire wardrobe this way, but I have to confess that I do like the easy mix-and-match possibilities here. And if I ever travel again, on a vacation that I don't spend entirely in technical fabrics, these coordinating separates might really come into their own. (Perhaps purchasing coordinating separates is an intermediate step between the thinking in outfits and thinking in separates divide that Liz discussed in a post earlier this week.)

I link up with:

Shelbee at Shelbee on the Edge (Mondays; 3rd Thursday)

Mica at Away from the Blue (Mondays)

Debbie at My Random Musings (Mondays)

Leelo at Beauty by Miss L (Mondays)

Roxanne at Glass of Glam (Mondays)

Laura at I Do deClaire (Tuesdays)

Emma at Style Splash (Tuesdays)

Jess at Elegantly Dressed & Stylish (Tuesdays)

Gail at Is This Mutton? (Wednesdays)

Shelly at The Queen in Between (Wednesdays)

Carrie at Curly Crafty Mom (Thursdays)