Très Chic Style Bits #3 | the little denim jacket…

And here we are again in time for our weekly Link Up Party “Très Chic Style Bits”.

Our Linky is still a baby and it’s just giving baby steps. But I trust that we will grow with the help of you all. I want to thank the lovely bloggers who linked last week.

So, if you want to participate, which I hope so, it’s very easy. At the bottom of this post is the button you must click to had your link.

**********************

I’m not a denim gal, I almost never wear denim in the office, so I tend not to invest much in denim. But I really love this little denim jacket which I wear on weekends and that is a great piece for in between seasons.

Have you any trick to transitional weather?

I also mixed some golden with silver bracelets. What do you feel about mixing metals?

So here it is my Saturday outfit to go to the supermarket to buy some groceries.

black booties - Seaside

black pants - Yessica

stripped top - Zara

printed scarf - C&A
denim jacket - Berska

bag - Seaside

Today I´m linking up with The Pleated Poppy’s what i wore, Isabelle Thornton’s Le chateau des fleurs , Glamamom’s Monday Mingle and Long Distance Loving’s Friday’s Fancies

************************

Ok stylish bloggers, it’s time to link up, just follow the guidelines:

1.  Please follow (if you aren’t already a follower) Searching the Inner Me in some way (Bloglovin,  Facebook or GFC);

2.  Please only link a new post, or fairly recent one;

3.  Please include a link to Searching the Inner Me somewhere in your post, picking up the button (or a text link), so others can get involved in “Très Chic Style Bits”;

4. Please link up your post using our weekly InLinkz button at the bottom. Linky remains open until Wednesday;

5. Please visit as many links as possible. Even a visit to one or two people ahead of you in the Linky can make all the difference in the world!

An InLinkz Link-up

being casual chic with jeans and orange pumps….

Hello my dear readers and blogging friends!! Today it’s such a shining day, one of the best we had in a few days…. I hope on your “corner” it’s also a great weekend.

Those who know me a little better also know that I’m not a denim person. I just tend to invest less money on jeans, because I don’t wear them for work and they usually are only for casual occasions.

But last March when I was in mainland I had the opportunity to go to a Primark store (the first in my life) and I was so lucky about finding the right pair of jeans for me that I even bought two pairs. The ones I’m with today and another darker pair.

I’m so in love with them that I might broke my rules and one of these days I will wear them to work. I feel very comfortable in them and they are straight leg which is good for my pear body shape.

I forgot to take my camera with me when we left home so I took these pictures at my home backyard. They aren’t too good, but I just had to do a post today trying to break this rout I’m in and hopping that this is the first of many more to come on a daily basis.

Oh, by the way did you notice my orange pumps? I finally wore them ;)

 orange shoes - Bershka

blue jeans - Primark

blue shirt - H&M

orange blazer - najma

my (un)friend the wind…….

Today the sun peeked and if it wasn’t for the North wind maybe we could have had a warm day…

I’m still with my home renovations which I expect to end by the middle of June, until then I haven’t much time to write long posts. Sorry my dear readers and blogging friends…..

I’m wearing my chambray shirt as a smart way to wear denim at the office, just peeking, like the sun, under my light pink blazer.

brown booties
navy blue pants
white t-shirt with flower prints
denim blue chambray shirt
light pink blazer
lavanda scarf
bracelet set

The Evolution of Blue Jeans

Chances are you’ve got a favorite pair of blue jeans in your closet. Hip huggers, skinny jeans, Western wear, you name it. Jeans have changed considerably over the years, reflecting American culture and attitudes.

That pair of jeans you love actually has a history dating back to the days of the California Gold Rush. Miners working in tough conditions wanted a pair of pants that could stand the wear and tear of the hard work they performed. Strauss used sturdy cotton fabric from France, which was called “denim” in America. He dyed the fabric an indigo blue and added copper rivets to the stress points. Eventually, his denim pants became known as “Levi’s,” and workers appreciated that they were made to last.

The 1930s brought Western movies, and Strauss’s creations were incredibly well-liked. Western clothing represented an independent, rugged lifestyle, and was popularized by people like John Wayne and Gary Cooper. Easterners seeking authentic cowboy experiences at Western dude ranches made sure they outfitted themselves with jeans right away.

Sailors, miners, cowboys, and factory workers used blue jeans the most before the 1950s. In certain cases, those sporting men’s jeans weren’t really respected. Some school administrators, worried about the behavior of their students, banned the clothes as “motorcycle boys” and “juvenile delinquents” wore them in movies. Even the performer Bing Crosby was nearly turned away from a hotel after showing up in the lobby wearing jeans. In the 1970s, though, a fashion revolution took over and many groups of people took a liking to jeans. The pants were made in a bell bottom or flared style. Jeans became “play clothes” and were decorated to reflect attitudes. Embroidery, sequins, beads, and paint all added to the individuality people could showcase in their wardrobe.

Tight, designer jeans took over during the 1980s. People wore them everywhere. Even in upscale restaurants, where men’s and women’s jeans might have been banned before, the clothing staple was becoming more widely accepted.
Jeans have only continued to grow in popularity. In fact, the average American today has seven pairs of jeans, according to the PBS Web site. This trend is one that was predicted decades ago. An American Fabrics writer wrote in 1969, “What has happened to denim in the last decade is really a capsule of what happened to America. It has climbed the ladder of taste.”

References

http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/strauss.html

http://www.levistrauss.com/sites/default/files/librarydocument/2010/4/History-Denim.pdf

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/tg/levisadbanner.html

http://www.biography.com/articles/Levi-Strauss-9496989

http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventors/a/Levi_Strauss.htm

rainy and windy Saturday…. let’s go casual….

Hello my dear readers and blogging friends. Hope all is great with you.

I’ve been extremely busy and concerned at the office which makes me feel much tiered when at home and just do what is just priority.
And maybe this will continue almost until Christmas… so I don’t promise to post regularly (nor check your blogs, sorry).

And here we are already in the middle of the weekend, Saturday is almost over and Sunday I’m sure will pass so quickly that I will enter the working week with the feeling that I wish I had more time to all that I wanted to do.

But this weekend we have such a bad weather!!! Wind, rain and chill.
I didn’t even get a place outdoors to take some shoots because of the rain, so I had to do it inside, in my living room.

As some of you know I’m doing some renovations at home and one thing I did was to replace my cream curtains for some fuchsia ones, creating a brighter environment.
But just today I realize that we must take care when taking pictures, because the light trough the curtains gives the photos a slightly pink tone as you can see below in my casual outfit shoots.
Let’s pretend it’s on purpose, it’s arty…. (lol)

By the way I put this look on Chicisimo, since I’m wearing a Westrags piece I’m in for theirs contest. So if you find my casual look cool why not go there and vote on it...

brown boots - local store
dark blue jeggings - H&M (Toronto)
taupe shirt - Stradivarius
light brown belt - Vero Moda
animal print scarf - Zara
black jacket - Westrags
black hat - random

I wore double denim….

And here is the proof … a picture taken in the 90’s (I can’t remember the exact year) at Toronto with my Godson/Nephew.

(Note to self: how I look young!!!!)

I Love this picture!!!!!

the last but not the least.... Westrags 100% off last week...

I love my new tunic…. The colour, the cut, the embroidery….

And once again you can have one similar for free!

Vanilla tunic - courtesy of Westrags

Because we’ve reached the last of the three weeks campaign Westrags has been doing in which you can buy at a discount of 100% ... meaning totally free!

Well we just know that this week’s campaign will start tomorrow (Wednesday, August 4th) at any time and you must stay tuned to Westrags’ Facebook page because just Facebook fans will have the opportunity to know in firsthand when this all will begin.

These are the three references that you can order:

- Nut dress (http://www.westrags.com/pt/p-5728)
- Vanilla tunic (http://www.westrags.com/pt/p-5734)
- Cameron skirt (http://www.westrags.com/pt/p-5466)

But there’s more… another surprise item will also be placed. But once again only Facebook fans will know in time.

So be alert and hurry, because it can go on at any time and they can run out of stock as it happened on the other weeks.
Good luck to everyone and don’t forget to be a a Westrags’ Facebook page fan so you can enter!

it’s difficult to talk about fashion…

… so it seems Garance Doré took to her blog to opine about the difficulties of writing about fashion:

"You have no idea how hard it is to write about fashion! It’s hell! Not only are the terms just as seasonal as the clothes we don’t want anymore at the end of the summer, but new trends, materials, and cuts appear every three days and demand their rights: to be named! So you’d better not let an outdated word cross your lips, ok?"

I think you should take a look, it’s very interesting!!!

Also today I read this quote:
“It’s taken me years to discover my look. I used to change it all the time, but that’s because I was trying to find out who I was. I’m thrilled that I finally found out.”

Lucky her…. I’m still searching…..

blue sandals - La Redoute
brown pants - C&A
light denim vest - Venca
light blue printed with stripes and flowers shirt - Mango
brown bracelet - C&A
long blue and silver earrings - C&A
sunglasses - Pull and Bear
hat - local store

I don’t wear shorts…. but I wear bermudas….

No, no, no…. it’s not what you’re thinking about, I’m not going to say that is because of my age, but just because I have no legs to pull them off… lol

So as I’m on vacation (for 3 weeks and I’m on the first one) I now can wear casual, weekend, holidays’ outfits and denim is part of them.
It’s a huge trend this Spring and can be worn in so many ways. Oh, yes, denim is having its day.
All across the world, women are working, playing, living in their denim pieces and so am I… lol
I have these bermudas for such a long time, but they are really good for now.

Now that we’re on holidays I would like to take many pictures. But the first rule of photography techniques it’s the one we miss the most… Carry your camera all the time… of course, dah!!!

(I’ve published the photos slightly smaller not to overwhelm the smaller screens, what do you think?)

brown sandals - Zara

denim bermudas - C&A

white tank - H&M

blue floral printed cardigan - Stradivarius

sunglasses - Pull and Bear

blue head rose - local store

blue bag - Westrags

making it work for me...

For any fashionista a denim shirt is a must-have for this season!

So besides my vintage Levi’s medium wash shirt I also have this chambray shirt in light indigo blue, very alike denim that I bought some years ago on a mainland store that used to sell things from Paris and what makes it unique are the sparkles embellishes it has on the collar.

Hence as I said in a previous post I’m firm on my purpose to surpass that some kind of office dress code (not spoken) that doesn’t enable me to wear denim when working at the office.
So I thought that my denim shirt would work best when matched with dressy items. That way I’m dressing the denim shirt up and dressing the rest of the ensemble down. This is also a great way to stretch the wear of dressy pieces in our wardrobe.

That way I’m making denim working for me…

beige summer boots – Bata
blue fishnets - Calzedonia
floral printed skirt - local store
white tank - Zara
button down denim shirt - Caldas da Rainha (mainland) store
brown belt - Parfois
"turquoise" necklace - Westrags
turquoise ring and bracelet set – mainland store
brown cuff - gift
brown fringed bag - Friday's Project sunglasses - Pull and Bear

Next week I'll start my vacations... just imagine my satisfaction... lol ;-)

at last some warm weather… but I have to do my pedicure…. home renovation and remodeling with Feng Shui…

Yesterday was the first day this year that I felt some warmness… Yeah, maybe we can start wearing our lighter clothes and new kind of shoes and sandals. That’s why I’ve to do my pedicure as I think that uncover your toes without a pedicure is a big no no.

You probably have already notice that I’ not much of a denim wear person. Well, there’s a reason for that, because I don’t invest much on denim clothes due to some kind of office dress code that doesn’t enable me to wear them when working at the office.
So I tend to use denim clothes just on casual looks on weekends or holidays unless it’s something dark denim, like this “jeggings” I bought when I travelled to Toronto early this year.
But as I’ve told you already I have a trendy fashion persona, so I’m excited to give it a try – my way - enjoyed the challenge of making it work for me.
However I must confess you that I’m having some inner problems, because I’m still wearing my mourning attire, about dressing other colours than black or grey.

I guess I’ve never talked here that I’m doing some home renovation and remodeling. I know, one more thing to still make me very busy. But I guess that in the end we will finish with that sensation of well being.
Balanced space for each family member, location of the kitchen, figure out the lighting, among other things, are very important if you wish to follow Feng Shui guide lines.
I do believe that Feng Shui guide lines are important to change the flow of energy which is always a good thing, but there can be some limitations because of the environment that is already created.
Nowadays you can find some home remodeling contractors who are believers of this practice and they can help you arrange your rooms and furniture the right way, thus you will be attaining good energies in your home.

These pictures were taken in our city garden. It used to be such a beautiful garden… but now is very poor with just a few flowers and not so well presented. I felt sad about it, I had the feeling that one more thing from my childhood has disappeared…

beige summer boots – Bata
dark denim jeggings – H&M (Toronto)
light gray top with big flower – Mango (on-line)
navy blue blazer (from a suit) – mainland store
necklace – Mango (on-line)
bracelet - gift from Hubby (Tie Rack)
turquoise ring and bracelet set – mainland store
sunglasses -Pull and Bear
blue handbag - Westrags

WOW, this was a long post… I’m not very much used to it :-)

TO – 11/21 - inspired by the country-folk style… because it’s cold…

Does anyone remember from when is the folk style fashionable? I am no longer able to put an accurate date to it.

Some keys to wear it are earthy colours combined in boots or booties worn with jeans, long shorts or miniskirts. Then a nice cardigan or a coat achieves the high point.

With these in mind I worked my today’s outfit with a mix of grunge, because after yesterday’s storm the weather got cold.

A nice weekend to all.

brown booties - Zara (new collection)
black leggings - Calzedonia
blue navy skirt - was mother's
printed and sequined shirt - local store
button down denim shirt - Caldas da Rainha (mainland) store
beige deconstructed cardigan - Westrags
black scarf - United Colors of Benetton
blue gray bennie - La Redoute
“chandelier” earrings – Stradivarius (new collection)
black cocktail ring - gift from Hubby
bracelet - gift from Hubby (Tie Rack)
sunglasses - Pull and Bear (new collection)
lipstick - Esté Lauder
perfume - Paris from YSL

TO - 10/30 - reflecting our identity through clothes... Is this me?

Lately I’ve been through some kind of a crisis, which put together so many questions in to my mind about the way I’m presenting myself.
Do I have my style, something that one could say it’s my signature? If so what is it? Why do I like to dress different ways? Not that I disliked to wear colours, I still love them and want to wear them, but why am I feeling so comfortable with black? In the very end “Who am I right now?”…

There’s a fabulous line early on in "The Devil Wears Prada":
“Fashion is not about utility. An accessory is merely a piece of iconography used to express individual identity.”

What do our clothes say about who we are or who we think we are? How does the way we dress communicate messages about our identity? Is the desire to be "in fashion" universal, or is it unique to Western culture? How do fashions change?

Much of what we assume to be individual preference really reflects deeper social and cultural forces. Ours is an ambivalent social world, characterized by tensions over gender roles, social status, and the expression of sexuality.

What we wear and how we look is our only way to communicate who we are to people without dialogue. Clothes are indicators of our personalities, likes, values and subcultures we may be a part of. We are in a constant stage of reflecting our identity and the only way we can do that in the physical world is through our bodies. Our bodies are physical representations for defining how we choose to be perceived as individuals.

So when the very talented and lovely Sally from Already Pretty posted this quotation I just had to ask her if I could repost it as I felt so related.

"Long before we're old enough to do anything on our own, we're old enough to dress ourselves. When we stand bewildered in a closet or a department store dressing room, what we're confronting is one of life's fundamental questions: Is this me? And: Would I like this to be me? Under what stretch of the imagination might this possibly be me? And finally: Who am I? ... Clothes are a constant act of self-definition ..."

~ Nora Ephron, Elle Magazine guest editor, October 2009

black oxford shoes - from mainland through a local store
black pants - Vero Moda
black shirt - La Redoute (new collection)
denim vest - Venca
two laps black studed belt - Parfois (new collection)
animal print scarf - Tally Weijl (new collection)
bracelet - gift from Hubby (Tie Rack)
red bracelet - gift from Hubby
rubi brooch - gift from Hubby
red stone cocktail ring - Bijou Brigitte
black cocktail ring - gift from Hubby
“chandelier” earrings – Stradivarius (new collection)
sunglasses -Pull and Bear (new collection)
gray bag - Mango
lipstick - Esté Lauder
perfume - Paris from YSL