To Be Adored is definitely one of those labels whose collections I look forward to seeing most each season, and after seeing little hints of their collection scattered around I’m so happy to get a look at more of it. Especially since it’s so bright and cheerful and sunny Friday afternoon good.  There are a lot of different looks in this collection, which I like.  I like how it goes from quintessential TBA Edwardian children type dresses to simple sun dresses to a dress you’d expect to see in the pages of an old ’70s British Vogue.

Credits: . . . . Clothes: TBA . . . . . Photos: Harley Weir . . . . . . . Stylist: Lyson Marchessault . . . . Photos found via HPR London.

Samantha Pleet’s collection at spring 2012 fashion week was one of the ones I really fell in love with.  I’m a big Samantha Pleet fan anyway and usually end up liking all her collections, but this one especially drew me in and made me excited about new seasons and new kinds of clothes.  Clothes with lots of cut-outs (probably scary on me, but adorable on the models), subtle prints, and pale desert colors that give simple sundresses and Ruby Keeler-worthy playsuits a really modern feel.  And isn’t that jewelry amazing?

Necklace: Vial Element Necklace from Natalie Joy
Blouse: Madewell (gift from Jamie)
Skirt: Secret Squirrel (from Silent Sundays)
Sunglasses: Karen Walker
Belt: thrift store
Shoes: Ferragamo, from Kudzu Antiques.

This weekend it was sunny, but not warm, and definitely not as warm as it might look in these pictures.  I was too stubborn to bring out the black tights, wanting to wear things that were halfway spring-ish instead.  After we took these pictures I threw on a coat and boots to go eat veggie burgers at FarmBurger and then brave the always crazy (but good) farmer’s market.  It was sunny and cheerful the whole weekend, though I stayed inside for most of it, baking, reading, Downton Abbey-watching . . .  I didn’t get much done, but it’s ok, because this week I’m going to try to catch up on just about everything I’ve been slacking on.  Running, email writing, blog/work stuff, and most important but most scary of all: go to the DMV to get a new license.  (I finally got my name changed last week, a good three months after I ought to have done it, ugh).

So nothing interesting to write about my weekend at all, but I did like this outfit because I like wearing longer skirts lately and because I’ve worn this blouse Jamie got me lots of times since I got it but not on my blog yet.  The shoes are practically flat, and I think I had Hannah of Foxtail and Fern in mind when I bought them, because she finds the best vintage Ferragamos.  These may look sensible, but they dig into the back of heels still, which explains why I had to change into less sensible but more comfortable boots when we went to the farmer’s market.  And the necklace is one of my new favorites.  I’ve loved the jewelry line Natalie Joy ever since Natalie collaborated with Anja on a gorgeous lookbook, so when Natalie offered to send me a necklace I was really excited.  This particular necklace is one from the spring line and has a tiny little dandelion seed in it (though if you’re looking for one similar that’s in the shop right now this one is pretty close).  Natalie’s stuff is so good and modern, and would go just perfectly with the clothes in my dream wardrobe that I’d like to overthrow my current one for.  More grown-up, for sure.

PS, is anyone else as excited as I am about the 4th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race?!

So I think that the reason why I spent the last part of 2011 pretty bored with fashion and too bored to blog much about it was that it was cold and I just don’t like cold weather clothes as much as warm weather ones.  Because now that the spring collections are out I want to blog more and am somewhat excited about taking pictures again, or will be once I can ditch the black tights (ugh) and sweaters.

Mostly I want it to be sunny out, and warm.  And I want to wear pale colors and light dresses like the ones in Frances Baker’s new collection.  Frances Baker is a label run by the blogger Josie, who I got the chance to meet a few years ago when she stopped for a day in Atlanta.  She was super, super nice, and I remember that she wore a great vintage dress and Swedish Hasbeens, and that she had that sort of Australian summer style that is pretty much my favorite.  So I’m excited that she’s designing, and her new collection is my favorite of hers yet, with its simple and light dresses and separates.  I love the shorts and blouses, but my favorite has to be that dip-dyed dress . . . so good!

Credits: Photos: Hannah Kelly . . . . Model: Louisa Kitchin . . . . . Hair and Makeup: Sarah Townsend . . . . Clothes and styling: Josie Ryder.

Can I just go ahead and scrap all my pretend travel outfits from yesterday and substitute these ones instead? Steven Alan is good at designing good, practical clothes, and his new collection is filled with things that would be just perfect for wearing on trips around the south.  It also has plenty of things I want to wear in general this summer: sundresses that aren’t obscenely short, pale colors, and sensible sandals.