Even though there is still snow on the ground, it was a glorious, sunny, and relatively mild day up here in New England, and I almost got up the nerve to wear a lightweight, flouncy, flowery sundress to church.
Almost.
I tell you, it's such a bummer to live in an area where it's still so cold at this time of year that the church is filled with blacks and browns and tweeds and down-filled outerwear at Easter Mass! I thought I'd at least wear a spring-like hue under my coat, so I chose a pink (raspberry? Magenta?) sheath dress, and I broke out my favorite fancy hat--one that my husband picked out for me as a Mother's Day present several years ago, after I'd decided that I was going to begin covering my head when in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.
It was a good day to wear a hat rather than a chapel veil, because I love the whole idea of Easter bonnets--on little girls especially. I was tickled to see a handful of pint-sized fashionistas in church yesterday, wearing pink straw sunbonnets with ribbon streamers, flower-print dresses, white ankle socks trimmed with lace, and patent leather Mary Jane's. Adorable!
Anyway, on to the outfit!
Breakdown:
~Crepe sheath Dress: Jones New York, from Dress Barn
~Knit ruffled topper: Dress Barn
~Nude-colored opaque (flaw-hiding) tights: Wal-Mart
~Black leather pumps: Kohl's (from about a million years ago)
~Pearl earrings: inherited from my maternal grandmother on my 16th birthday (I don't know why I told you about those; you can't really see them in these pictures.)
~Pearl necklace: inherited from the same grandmother on the occasion of my college graduation
~Awesome hat: from a small local shop called "Puttin' on the Ritz," a gift from my sweet husband
I thought I'd try to get a close-up of the hat's big old silk flower/bow embellishment, as well as the cute ruffles on the jacket. (Please note that the shadows on the right add about 10 pounds, as does the camera! And as for that weird "Do I look stupid doing this?" expression I'm wearing...let's just say I'm not 100% comfortable doing these WIWS fashion shoots yet and leave it at that.)
Today I'm linking up with the usual suspects here:
You should head on over and check out Grace Patton's awesome blog, and while you're there you can see all the stylish Easter outfits that were on display in churches across the country yesterday.
(Hey, I just checked in at Fine Linen and Purple, and it looks like they postponed the link-up until today anyway--so I'm not late for it after all. Phew! That was a close one, huh?)
Hope you had a blessed Easter!
You look absolutely beautiful. I love that hat!
ReplyDeleteThis hat is my favorite! I have a couple I bought for myself at T.J. Maxx; but my hubby got this one at a sweet little boutique-type shop over in Portsmouth, and it's really special to me.
DeleteI'm in ND, so I completely understand the "cold weather Easter bummer". Thankfully, I happened upon a great floral coat a couple months ago, so I too found a happy medium. I love hats! This one looks so great with the rest of your outfit.
ReplyDeleteKinsi, I was talking to Katie T. last night, and we mentioned again how small a world it is--that you two went to school together, she's dating one of my sons, and now I've "met" you through blogging!
DeleteLove the bright pink dress and the hat - perfect for Easter even if it is still cold in your neck of the woods!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beth. And I am beginning to feel some hope. The snowbanks by our driveway are shrinking, and there are some patches of grass visible as well. :)
DeleteThat color is divine! I would dub it raspberry. And thanks for the comments on my blog. : )
ReplyDeleteRaspberry it is! And I love stopping by your blog, because it's such a happy place. You must be a very fun and happy person!
DeleteLove the Easter hat! I've been trying to find more for me, but my head is on the big side and trying on hats with kids in tow? Probably a bad call :P
ReplyDeleteI love seeing all the little kids in their Easter outfits as well :) We used to sing professionally at an Episcopalian church (and hit an 8 AM Mass beforehand, ouch!) and they REALLY went all out with their Easter hats and kids' clothing - definitely have us Catholics beat!
I know, it's sad--I don't think many people go all-out for Easter like we used to in the old days. And in general, Mass fashions are a lot more casual than they were when I was a kid. That's why I particularly love checking out these Sunday blog link-ups, to see not just what the moms are wearing to church, but also what the little ones are wearing (and yours always look so cute). It's refreshing to see the care that goes into the outfits.
DeleteAnd by the way, where did you get the hat you wore yesterday? I'm coveting that hat! I kind of prefer styles like that, because they sit on top of your hair and don't give you "hat head."
I think it was an online hat store - village hat shop, maybe? It was one of the most affordable - there are some INCREDIBLE hats out there but no way can I justify the cost of most of them!
DeleteThanks for the tip.
DeleteLaura, you look lovely! I LOVE your hat! My hair is too thick for hats. They never fit right.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, my hair is about as thick as Gollum's...:)
Delete(Did I spell that right? Is it Gollom's?)
Laura you made me laugh! I think we have the same hair thickness :)
DeleteI have yet to find a volumizing/body-building shampoo that makes any difference whatsoever!
DeleteWell, it's been said a lot already, but I LOVE YOUR HAT!
ReplyDeleteI aspire to be Grammy, the Crazy Hat Lady! (Oh no, I'm taking after my mom...)
DeleteI'm about the tenth person to say this but: the hat is awesome. You look great! Happy Easter! (And I like that you included the deets on your heirloom jewelry. I have a few pieces from my grandparents and I've been thinking when to pass them down to my girls.)
ReplyDeleteIs this my WIWS twin? :)
DeleteYour Easter dress and sweater were so pretty (for some reason I couldn't figure out how to leave a comment on your post). That pink embellished cardigan is just my cup of tea.
I love your outfit, especially your hat!
ReplyDeleteYou look beautiful!! I love the hat, the gentle drape of the sweat and the fabulous POP of color with your dress. Happy, Happy Easter to you and your family!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kate and Mary!
ReplyDelete