sallyinstpaul
- Aug 25, 2021
- 4 min read

OOTD: Yellow & Brown

I purchased this floral button-up shirt from Coldwater Creek last summer for $42, which is about as much as I ever pay for this kind of thing. But I just fell in love with the soft medium-pastel colored flowers on the light navy background. These accent colors are ones I like to wear (and ideally, would wear very often) but aren't easy to find, and I knew that the shirt would coordinate with so many things in my wardrobe.

Since I work to get my cost per wear to under $1 for everything I buy, that meant accepting that I needed 43+ wears from this shirt...which is a lot for me, especially with a somewhat stiff cotton button up shirt, no matter how lovely the print. But since I can wear it on its own, layered like a lightweight topper over a tank or T, or layered underneath a sweater, cardigan, or jacket, I hope that I will be able to wear it more than just at the height of summer.

One of my first ideas for this shirt was to wear it with yellow, and earlier this month, I put that idea into action with my light yellow tank and ankle pants column from CJ Banks. Because my brown and rose gold Slothlórien necklace is, strangely, another $42 purchase I've put in heavy rotation, I thought I'd try accessorizing the outfit in brown even though the clothing has no brown in it. (Given that 42 is the answer to "the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything," perhaps these $42 purchases have a deeper meaning...) Of course, I had to include one of my very favorite pair of shoes, these brown pointy-toed flats by Frye (also on the pricey side at $111) that I've had since 2014. Although the brown is a deeper shade than the dark blonde/light brown parts of my hair, the brown sloths and the brown beaded necklace at the top of my body seemed to counterbalance the darker shoe. I liked the result, which feels coordinated but not matchy, But yes, it was a tad out of my comfort zone. I know, brown is a neutral, and neutrals go with everything, so what's the big deal? Well, for me, this really was a bit of a stretch, even though it's a very simple application of Jodie's "neutral color that isn't in the print" color recipe.

OOTD 8/3/21

I liked the result, which feels coordinated but not matchy. The brown is somewhat unexpected and makes the outfit look a bit fresher to my eyes as a result. But yes, it was a tad out of my comfort zone to use brown here, and it would never have occurred to me were I not wearing the Slothlórien necklace every chance I get. I know, brown is a neutral, and neutrals go with everything, so what's the big deal? Well, for me, this really was a stretch, even though it's a very simple application of Jodie's "neutral color that isn't in the print" color recipe.

And since this is the Summer of the Layered Necklace around here, I had fun putting 7 strands together for this look. I started with two focal pieces: the sloths and the brown and white wooden bead necklace (which is another of the many really wonderful pieces a friend made me over 20 years ago that have been given new life with the layering trend). I then selected some gold-tone chains: the herringbone chain necklace from my mom and the rather delicate curb chain and chain-with-bar duo that I purchased this past year specifically for layering. That looked pretty great as is, but I wanted to add some more length to the look, so I put on the delicate station necklace and my DIY faux pearl/tassel necklace, which repeated the gold and white from the top part of the look. I've noticed that in a layered necklace situation (rather than a #neckmess) I like to put a statement piece near the center and then build up and down from there. This isn't my invariant practice, but it's a common method I use to build my layers, particularly when I have "balance" on my mind.

Seeing this head shot photo, I've realized that I have still not gotten used to the fact that my new glasses are a rose gold + medium-light brown combination! With these glasses and my current overall darker hair (from never going into the sun), there really has never been a better time for me to wear some brown. But my reason for taking this photo was to show another of my world's easiest DIY earrings with yellow glass pearls and gold spacer beads on gold hoops. I have made 21 pairs of these beads-on-hoop earrings so far! I'm wearing a different lipstick than usual--this is the MAC Diva color that I got in a freebie sample from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (I didn't buy clothes; just a set of Olaplex bond strengthening products for my hair). It's a bit darker than my usual, but I do like the extra depth with the brown.

Do you like wearing brown? Are you a warm brown or cool brown person? Is there a color (neutral or accent) that you have found yourself more attracted to lately?

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)

Claire at Claire Justine (Mondays, Weds, Fridays)

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)