Yet, bizarrely, in the last year or so, I really have gravitated towards it. Just taking a look in my wardrobe, I have several dresses with a navy background, albeit, mostly with a fun print, like my Poppy England (now Bryony and co) dress. Two navy print shirts/blouses are those I wear most at school- heart and balloon print. I wonder why? Is it now that I am almost 20 years away from having had to wear that uniform (in sixth form, we didn't have to wear uniform), that now it is ok?
I'm really curious to know- do you avoid your school colours at all?
Looking at this outfit, this Closet London dress essentially looks a bit like a school uniform pinafore dress, rather austere and puritanical you may think. I'm inclined to agree.
I picked it up in my beloved boutique Kush, which was a boutique in my home town who I bought clothes and accessories in for 17 years. It closed for the last time last week due to the owners retiring. They sold Closet London dresses so most of those I wear come from there. This dress was £5 in their final day sale so I took a chance on this thinking that it was the ideal base for pretty shirts, brooches and fun tights.
I tried to take away from its schoolish tendencies by the addition of this vintage print shirt (check out the dagger collar!), dog brooch, bright green tights and metallic oxfords! Oh and electric guitar earrings.
Do you think I managed to make it from Schoolgirl to something a bit more fun or are you of the same opinion as me that it still needs something.
I'd be intrigued to know.
P.S. I have a little giveaway running- see my Saturday post- feel free to enter if you wish!
Who can guess where the title comes from? No googling!
Linking with beautiful Patti at Visible Monday
I love the colour of your tights Kezzie, so cool, and those electric guitar earrings are brilliant. There's a bit of Clara Oswald about this outfit to me too, love it. - Tasha
ReplyDeleteI didn't have to wear a uniform in school, so I don't have any associations between certain colours and uniform look...but interesting observation. When we have to wear a certain colour or even a type of uniform (for example a suit) we tend to avoid it when we can.
ReplyDeleteWell, navy is a lovely colour and it is good that you don't find it boring anymore. Now, you can discover it again and have fun with it. I must say I really like the outfit you're wearing in this post.
I like how the colours of tights contrasts with the navy blue dress. In addition, I really like that colourful shirt and that wonderful brooch. You look fantastic! Really charming styling...very feminine and chic.
Thank you for that recommendation! I haven't been there, I yet have to visit that island but when I do, I'll surely visit that restaurant. Now, to answer your question about stone, I think some of the stone comes from Brac but there is also a lot of stone to be found in the area around Split so that is probably where the most comes from. I think the palace itself (its original structure)0 is made from stone found in Split because when it was settled 1700 years ago by Romans, it was probably too complicated to move it from Brac...However, the church in my grandmother's village on island Hvar was made entirely from Brac stone about a hundred years ago. The villagers transported it with boats and donkeys, every stone was maked seperately with a number so they could build the church quickly.
p.s. No googling but I can't figure out where the title comes from....
Kezzie this doesn't look like a school uniform, rather it's just a smart navy dress. The sweet blouse lifts it as does the brooch, but the bright tights and shoes take it way beyond anything you'd see at the school assembly!
ReplyDeleteKezzie do you have the Tresco Abbey Gardens on your itinerary for yout trip here in the summer? That's where I did my photo shoot this weekend. It's a beautiful place and I thought we could meet up there when you come?
Anna x
My primary school didn't have a uniform (which was pretty common at the time, but less common today), I went to two high schools and the uniform of both features navy heavily and I also steered clear of it for YEARS. My first school also had a gingham blouse in summer and a tartan skirt in winter and I didn't have any interest in wearing those either (kind of ridiculous). I have now gotten over all those hang ups - but it took a while. I kind of love your navy pinafore, its the kind of thing I could really do with in my wardrobe, but then I see something with a crazy pattern and end up with that instead! I love the blouse too - so cute xo
ReplyDeleteNavy certainly seems to be a friend to you so why not stick by it. Thankfully I had no uniforms in school, unless you count the sweater vests my mum made me wear for so long. As God as my witness, I will never wear a sweater vest again. Why? Say this phrase aloud with a stright face: "Look at the cool guy in the sweater vest." It is about the same as: "Isn't that the banjo player's Ferrari?" Very sweet shirt, brooch and shoes and yes indeed-a-roo to those bright, gorgeous tights! Wrapped around your wonderful legs they provided such fun and wow for me tonight :))) You are so exciting and sweet, dear!
ReplyDeleteOh, I really like this. The collar and the chick print on that shirt - amazing! I don't think there's anything school-uniformy about the dress. I used to wear grey skirts for school and we had a maroon sweatshirt, which was horrid. I guess I don't wear a lot of maroon now - perhaps that's why. Then again, I don't really wear anything plain.
ReplyDeleteI love navy at the moment, in fact I just bought a navy dress today. I was the same about school uniform colours, but mine was a terrible shade of bottle green. Your combination is gorgeous. I adore the shoes and bright stand out tights.
ReplyDeletePrimary school - bottle green [with custard yellow shirts and HIDEOUS green gym knickers] Secondary school navy [with navy/white fine striped shirts, and navy tie, blazer and felt hat] - and these were state schools, not private ones, back in the 60s. I was wearing a navy jumper on Saturday and bottle green tights yesterday - so I suspect the wheel has turned full circle for me! I was never allowed black in my youth - Mum had lived near an orphanage as a girl, and the children there were all in black - so she didn't ever put me in it. PS is a sweater vest a sleeveless v-neck top?
ReplyDeleteBoth my primary and secondary uniforms were navy but that hasn't put me of. I love navy, it features a lot in my wardrobe. I think it goes well with almost all colours and can make a change from black. I have 3 navy cardigans, 2 dresses, a jumper, 2 pairs of trousers and a bag, and several breton tops that I count as half navy. Which doesn't sound like much but I have more than halved my wardrobe recently!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love this dress you're wearing, although I think the shirt might be making it more uniform-ish, perhaps a different colour in a softer style would do the trick (that said I think this is a very nice outfit).
ReplyDeleteMy high school uniform was a black blazer and trousers with a white shirt and a striped tie. In middle school it was a navy jumper but I've never really been put off black or navy because of uniform, I've never been a fan of navy especially, but I do have a couple of navy items (I rarely wear them!). I think the dress and shirt look great and really suit you. I'm not so keen on the tights, but that's just my personal opinion, which is irrelevant!
ReplyDeleteReally cute outfit and I love your shirt! I like wearing navy as it's still dark but it's a bit lighter and warmer than black :) I usually stay away from anything in gingham, especially light blue as that was the colour of our summer dresses haha :) xx
ReplyDeleteI love pinafore dresses and this one is fab with it's flippy skirt.
ReplyDeleteMy uniform was grey and bottle green. I've never really thought about it before I didn't wear green for years, blue was my colour and yet there is more green creeping in now.
Lisa x
i don't think "school uniform" when I see this, Kezzie. I like the color and shape of the dress, and the brilliant tights. thanks for sharing, xo
ReplyDelete-Patti
http://notdeadyetstyle.com
My school uniform was navy too with a green and navy checked shirt. Someone saw a girl wearing the shirt at a disco because she thought it was FASHIONABLE!! The mind boggles. My favourite part of your outfit is the shirt - so cute. x
ReplyDeleteYou will never get me into maroon ever again! I wear grey and green tho'!
ReplyDeleteTell you what, not only do I love that pinafore, but it really shows off your teeny tiny waist!
Those green chickies are so cute.
Zxx
This is such a great look. The dress with the tights. Prim yet a bit crazy. I love it. We didn't wear uniforms in school but I really wanted to. I think school uniforms are wonderful. Especially those that include navy blue and pleats. Lucky you.
ReplyDeleteThis post made me laugh as YES! for years I avoided bottle green as that was the colour of my sixth form uniform. Up until then it had been navy and I love navy so I carried on wearing that colour but somehow the green uniform turned me right off bottle green. I do now wear it but it took about 20 years for me to do so too!
ReplyDeleteOh I love the colour of the tights with the dress and those silver brogues. It might be a little prim as Connie said but I kinda like that in a way. But the tights, brooch, fun blouse (wow, serious collars there!), brogues but prim in a good way!
http://petitesilvervixen.blogspot.co.uk
I didn't go to a private school which is the only ones where you wear uniforms in Canada.
ReplyDeleteI did however have a few jobs that forced me to wear uniforms I HATED. To this day that is probably why I still dislike most reds. Working at one of the ice cream shops I had to wear a red uniform. Bleh.
Also when I was a pharmacy assistant I had to wear a white lab coat. You'll notice I never wear white next to my face on my blog. It is the WORST colour for me. Pharmacy assistants don't get to be fashionable though.
I ADORE that vintage blouse!
bisous
Suzanne
If I tried to avoid my school uniform colours there wouldn't be a lot of colours left ;-) Let's see... my first primary school had a blue uniform, then I went to one with a maroon and grey uniform, then a junior school with red uniforms and finally both my secondary schools had green uniforms, but different shades of green. All of them had white blouses though - and I will never again wear a white blouse under a plain jumper!
ReplyDeleteYou look good in navy and I LOVE that blouse!
This is a great outfit! I especially love the shirt ^_^
ReplyDeleteOur school uniform was awful - polo shirts, frumpy black trousers and fleeces. All I wanted was to be in a pinafore or skirt, tie and blazer with long socks >.< Sadly they deprived us of the smart scholar experience :) As a result, I quite enjoy outfits inspired by school uniform so I think you've done a great job :D It's a shame about the shop shutting down :(
Sarah xxo
The dress/tights/shoes colour combo is brilliant! I was definitely like that about my school uniform colours- but thankfully they were maroon and primrose yellow, neither of which I particularly like anyway. Far too 70's for me xxx
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing shirt! I love how you have styled this dress, beautiful look Kezzie :)
ReplyDeleteLove the pinafore and love that blouse! So cute!
ReplyDeleteMy uniform was navy and although I hated school, I am not opposed to navy per se, I just prefer reds, pinks, oranges and purples xxx