Sunday, January 29, 2017

My Sunday Best: Accessorizing!

Here I am, again, talking clothes and shoes and hats and whatnot.

That's right, it's another "My Sunday Best" fashion post, and I'm linking up with sweet Rosie at a blog for my mom to show you what I wore to Mass today.
So...I guess I'm becoming a fashion blogger.  And String of Pearls is becoming a fashion blog.  Mmm hmmm.

Yeah, I know. That was a good one.  But if you're finished laughing at with me, I'll continue now.

As you might have surmised from previous fashion link-up posts, I favor wearing some kind of head covering while in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.  Normally, I wear a lace veil or mantilla.  But sometimes, I wear a hat.

Today, I donned a boiled-wool cloche that my daughter-in-law Regina had specially made for me at the greatest online craft store in the world, Etsy.  (And no, this is not a sponsored post!  You're welcome, Etsy!)  This extremely lovely one-of-a-kind hat was a Mother's Day gift from her and my oldest son a couple of years ago.
Regina knows me well; she knows how much I love vintage-inspired styles like this one.  She also knows how much I love the blue and gold color combination--thus her choice of fabric for the decorative band (making this hat the perfect thing to wear to a Notre Dame football game on a chilly fall day).
I must have a slight allergy to wool, because when I wear it I always get itchy after awhile.  But this hat is fully lined with high quality cotton fabric, and it is exceedingly comfortable to wear.
I'm not even going to show you my Mass outfit, because it's just too boring: the usual black skirt, black tights, and black leather flats, topped with a bright-colored cardigan sweater.  This is seriously a uniform for me, practically.  You don't need to see it.  Today, it's all about showing you my awesome accessories instead.

Aside from the hat, I wore a pair of Alex and Ani stackable bracelets that are special to me.
I have six of these popular bangle bracelets, and they were mostly gifts.  The one with the wing charm on it was given to me by my older brother's wife back in November, just before my dad's wake and funeral.  (She gave my mom and two sisters the same bracelet.)  Whenever I wear it, I think of Dad and pray that if he isn't there yet, he will soon be among the angels and saints.  The one with the Miraculous Medal on it is actually one I bought for myself.  (I have trouble resisting when it comes to images of this particular devotional, and I consider this bracelet well worth the $30-ish price tag.)

So that's it for me today.  I may not be the most fashion-forward lady on the planet; but I think I may be one of the most lavishly blessed, and I loved visiting God's house today wearing tangible reminders that there are people in this world--and in the next--who love me.

Now head on over to Rosie's for more fashion fun.

16 comments:

  1. I love that it's a Notre Dame hat! Perfect! I've been meaning to look for more Mass hats - my veil is a spit up target, and I'd rather that not happen...

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    1. I love that it's a Notre Dame hat, too--because it seems like every time we go out there for a game, it's brutally cold. (Or raining!)

      I don't have the spit up issue to deal with (unless I'm lucky enough to be holding a grandchild!); but sometimes I feel like I just need a change from the veil. It's nice to have some hats that are pretty enough to wear for Mass.

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  2. Your Miraculous Medal bracelet is so beautiful! The particular medal that I wear was blessed in the chapel of the apparitions and given to me by my brother-in-law; after a recent health scare from which I'm still recovering, my doctor affirmed me for wearing it and praised the graces that flow from it. Indeed, I'm so grateful for Her maternal care throughout this suffering.

    God bless you! ❤

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    1. I hope you're okay--I will pray for you! And boy, I'd like to have a doctor like yours, who recognizes the graces that flow from the Miraculous Medal!

      Your medal blessed at the chapel of the apparitions is so very special! I wear a gold one around my neck, always; it's one that my husband bought for me and had blessed here. But he and our youngest son actually got to visit the chapel in France, too, and to see the incorrupt body of St. Catherine Laboure (our boy was doing a summer internship in Paris, and my husband flew a trip over there to meet up with him). That is something I would dearly love to do one day. I also have an authentic relic of the saint (bone fragments) that I inherited from my grandmother about five years ago. I had been wearing the Miraculous Medal for a very long time before the relic came to me. I cherish it.

      God bless you and may you have a speedy recovery.

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  3. I was *just thinking* of a hat during Mass today - I passed by someone wearing a beanie, and wondered if I would ever be brace enough to ditch the veil and wear a hat. I think your hat is absolutely adorable!! And, so completely versatile - could be worn for church, or with a pair of jeans and flats.

    Also, I love bracelets and earrings - those bangles are right up my alley - perhaps when my daughter gets old enough to leave bracelets alone, though... 🤔

    I enjoy your fashion insights and accessories. 🤗

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    1. Thank you for stopping by, and for your kind and supportive comments! I just noticed one that you left on a previous My Sunday Best post, and I'm sorry I missed it and didn't respond.

      It took me a long time to get brave enough to wear a veil; very few people at our parish here in New England wear them. Hats are tough, too. Because it's not really the norm to wear hats (like it was in the fabulous '40's and '50's--I would have loved that era!!), I sort of felt like an imposter at first. Like someone wearing a costume. I hate calling attention to myself, and I felt like hats sort of did that. But I've gotten over it (mostly!).

      One of the first times I wore a hat--a fancy straw one, with a big silk flower on the brim--to Mass, on an Easter Sunday, an older gentleman commented, "It's so nice to see a woman wearing a hat!" I'm sure he remembered back to the days when women routinely wore them, not just to Mass but all the time. It was very sweet, really.

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  4. I was just watching a style tips video, and it discussed how to balance interesting/unique pieces with more neutral/quiet pieces. That way you don't end up looking like either a clown or like a nun. :) It sounds like you employed that fashion concept without trying!

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    1. I love it--I was following a fashion "do" without even trying! Maybe I do have some fashion sense after all.

      But not enough to become a fashion blogger--I'll leave that to the professionals!

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  5. خرید اینترنتی لباس فروشگاه اینترنتی لباس خرید اینترنتی لباس زنانه خرید اینترنتی لباس مردانه
    خرید اینترنتی لباس

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  6. You look so like your mom in that gorgeous hat! It looks like something she would wear -adventurous!

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    1. I'll take that as a compliment if you think I look like Mom! She could really pull off hats. I'm still a little shy about them, but working on it.

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