Brick Red Velvet

Sometime in March or April, I was returning to the car from brunch when I came upon this paper bag full of clothes next to a trash can. I imagine the original owner wanted to get rid of them but didn't have the time to donate them or the heart to just throw them away. Enter the lowly scavenger...a.k.a the Unfashionista! "I don't have that much shame!" I announced gleefully as I began to pick through the offerings.

Many of the items in the bag were not my style or size, so I left them for some other passerby, but I did manage to find two things. One was a sleeping cat T-shirt (which I actually spent a lot of time improving and captioning, but unfortunately I never took a "before" picture, so I'll settle for sharing this one ordinary shot of the finished project).

 

The other was a button-down blouse in a punchy orange and yellow floral print. I doubt I would have ever bought it for myself (not a fan of button-down blouses, for one, which I'll explain at some later date when I'm feeling verbose), but since my wardrobe has a dearth of warm colors, I was eager to give it a try. 

The first time I wore it, I found it too baggy (labeled an S, it would have easily fit almost two of me!). It only took me all summer to get around to fixing it....When I finally did, it was a simple matter of tailoring the straight seam in the sides, and removing the front pockets.  It's still baggy as all get-out, but it looks presentable enough when tucked in securely (tucked-in shirts are another of my least favorite things, which I intend to discuss at more length too!)

I've worn it once or twice with a yellow skirt, but my favorite pairing thus far has been with this brick red velvet skirt I picked up recently at the thrift store. Velvet is having a moment, so I'm pleased I can ride the trend with this new (albeit somewhat dowdy in style) skirt! Ecru boots rounded out the look.