Fashion

The Partial Ingredients blog is Sunsetting.

October 25, 2021 by The Partial Ingredients

Hello friends!

After a great deal of thought, we’ve decided to no longer update the blog until further notice. We intend to keep the archive up, so all posts will stay available. However, due to personal life changes and goals, we’ve decided to no longer provide monthly updates. These changes are by no means a negative, the hobbies and interests that I currently engage in and enjoy just no longer fit the format of the blog anymore. It’s been a long road as this blog was kicked off in 2010, so this has not been an easy decision. Please feel free to search, find the recipes or outfit inspiration that you originally came here for, and feel free to ask questions here or on Instagram (@partialingredients). I will be around — just more quietly.

Cheers and much love,

Emily @ The Partial Ingredients

Summer in Blue

July 1, 2021 by The Partial Ingredients

We had a brutal heat wave the last few weeks, and on both coasts that heat has unfortunately continued. Now that it’s returned back to more milder temperatures, I feel like I can finally enjoy Summer again! Recently I stumbled across this 100% cotton midi dress from H&M (on Poshmark) during my pursuit for perfect Summer dresses. Cotton is definitely my jam in the Summer, just because it’s lightweight and breathable. Midi dresses are also great because you don’t have to wear any tights or leggings underneath to cover up. Speaking of which, does anyone else get annoyed by dresses that are so mini they might as well be long shirts? How am I supposed to wear those in the Summer without leggings? The last thing I want to wear on a hot day is leggings, so mini dresses are pretty much out for me in the Summer (kind of ironic, no?) I digress. This dress reminds me a bit of the #cottagecore vibe which may or may not be passe by now. Not really sure what the status is, but I don’t mind keeping a few pieces of that trend around in the future since florals and shirt dresses are pretty much a closet staple of mine. Just out of morbid curiosity, I recently read one of those “what’s OUT of style and will date you in 2021” pieces, and can I just say that the very topic of “what’s in” and “what’s out” feels really….dated to me? Expecting people to throw out perfectly good clothes for the sake of the latest trends is 1. horrible for the environment and 2. an exercise in futility as those trends will just circle back around in a couple years. It would be great if the internet just gave it up already, and let people wear and enjoy whatever they want without being slaves to the latest trends. Sigh, maybe one day.

On a totally separate note, the garden has really taken off this year (pics below). Gotta say I am pretty proud of the rose bushes, they are producing like crazy!

**Outfit** **Details:** Dress: H&M (Thrifted from Poshmark); Bag: Etsy; Hat: eBay (Unbranded); Shoes: Free People

Marigold Fields

June 12, 2021 by The Partial Ingredients

This Spring I have been kind of obsessed with the color yellow, but not just any yellow. It’s got to be a deep golden yellow, just like a field of marigolds or late afternoon sun. So deep that it’s almost orange, but not quite. While the days have gotten considerably warmer, the nights are still beautifully cool. Here in Colorado, as soon as the intense sun goes down, the temperature can drop into the 50’s even in the middle of Summer. My go-tos have been lightweight pullovers, like this colorblock sweater from Urban Outfitters. It’s perfect for late night walks or sitting around a fire pit.

I like to pair golden yellows with neutrals like cream, charcoal and black. That unofficial rule is actually true across the board for the minimalist at heart: pair one bright color with 2-3 neutrals. This “rule” actually comes from interior design, and it holds just as true with fashion as well! The yellow and cream are such a great match. If you love one bright color, build around that color idea with neutrals and you can’t go wrong! My one suggestion is keeping busy patterns or pattern mixing to a minimum, since the focal point is all about the color balance. If you do plan on introducing a pattern, go with the pattern in whatever your bright color is, then choose solid neutrals around it.

**Outfit Details:** Sweater: Urban Outfitters; Jeans: Levi’s; Shoes: Solovair; Necklace: Urban Outfitters

Charcoal & Sienna

May 17, 2021 by The Partial Ingredients

When it comes to personal style, where do you get your color palettes for your outfit or closet? When I’m in need of some aspirational color goals, I usually turn to nature for guidance. This look was inspired by a recent early Spring hike in the canyon. This marled mini dress from TopShop (now sadly closed/absorbed by Asos) was a perfect addition for my neutral color scheme in my closet. Where I hiked in the canyon was just beginning to turn green due to recent rainstorms, and the reappearance of wildflowers added an injection of whites, purples and yellows to the landscape. The overall appearance of this landscape was mostly a mix of reds, blacks, greys and browns, hence the color scheme for this dress. The area I hiked was also home to a wildfire several years ago, and there’s still a lot of evidence of that in the landscape with the blackened trees on the hillsides. Yes, if you were wondering I am a total dork when it comes to colors.

Now back to the ‘fit: these vintage Bruno Valenti shoes add such a beautiful pop of color into any neutrals based ‘fit. Do you ever look back at your thrifting finds, and think how lucky you were to stumble across them? These simple lace-up booties look great with just about everything — from skinny jeans, to skirts, to dresses. They have been an A+ addition to my closet recently. Also love the added vintage vibes to every outfit without looking dated or “costumey.” That’s one thing I try to be aware of and actively avoid when shopping for anything vintage. Does it make you look like you’re an extra in a period movie? If the answer could possibly be ‘yes,’ avoid at all costs!! Or not, you know, whatever floats your boat, lol.

**Outfit Details:** Dress: TopShop; Tights: Target; Shoes: Bruno Valenti; Necklace: Vintage/thrifted; Bag: LeatherStrata

Garden Party Florals

May 1, 2021 by The Partial Ingredients

It has really started to feel like Spring again and it seemed fitting to bring some Spring vibes to the blog, like this lovely floral tea dress from TopShop (which FYI has since closed down). This dress is perfect for any kind of outdoor occasion, and can be easily dressed up with heels or down with sneakers. On this occasion, I styled it for a more casual “garden party” look with the classic Converse All Stars because you can’t go wrong with a pair of chucks. The fit and flare shape of this dress is also a timeless and flattering shape that looks good on just about everyone. This floral pattern along with the blush color is such a pretty combo and has such delicate/romantic vibes. Blush is such a perfect color for Spring! If you want to find out more on this one, check out my Poshmark as I currently have a duplicate of this dress for sale!

For Spring, I couldn’t resist bringing out the woven circle bag again lol. In the back of my mind I have second thoughts that maybe I have worn this a little too much buuuut…oh well. It’s just a great bag that looks perfect with so many outfits–especially in the warmer months. Speaking of which, can we ditch the “this was so last year” mentality? For one, it’s a useless attitude and bad for the environment, and two, as long as the thing isn’t completely heinous, keep rocking it! But that begs the question, if it’s heinous in the first place, why was it ever trendy to begin with?! I digress. My general philosophy on trends is to pick and choose the ones that you actually like that have some staying power in your closet and have a classic look that won’t look stupid in one year’s time (looking at you extra wide leg pants). If it’s “in” for you that is what matters! Plus it helps slow down the fast fashion cycle which is a +1 for the environment too.

**Outfit Details:** Dress: TopShop; Shoes: Converse; Bag: unbranded; Jewelry: Forever21; Hat; Unbranded

Vintage Reds

April 2, 2021 by The Partial Ingredients

I’ve been all about neutral tones lately, so it seemed fitting to mix things up and go with a little pop of color for early Spring! I have also been just a tad obsessed with shirt dresses, like this vintage Laura Ashley dress thrifted from Poshmark. Poshmark has such great vintage finds — gah! I want them all. >.< These lace-up Bruno Valenti shoes are also a vintage find from Poshmark, which have been featured in a couple of posts already because they go with so many looks. Maybe it’s me but I find shirt dress styles with a fit & flare shape to be the most flattering of all dress types. Gonna have to give a hard pass on all those trendy, shapeless “shift” dresses thank you very much! I’ve tried to make those work and have always failed, and you know what — I feel pretty okay about it. It’s more important to dress how YOU look best, not what the latest trend dictates. I also love how vintage dresses tend to offer a little more in length, unlike a lot of modern styles that are usually mini dresses. It is always a letdown when you find a dress you love buuut it’s so short that the only way to make it respectable is with tights or leggings, waaah. It’s just not that practical at least for the hotter Summer months.

On a related note, I also recently got in touch with the dance wear brand, “We Love Colors,” and they were generous enough to provide a sample of their tights. The ones I’m wearing in this post are their Microfiber Nylon/Lycra tights in Charcoal. It is a bit ironic that a brand called “We Love Colors” reached out to collab since I happen to be a neutral fanatic with an aversion to bright colors. So of course I chose their least bright color available, duh. But if you are a color fan, they have SO MANY options — and so vibrant too! Just check out their nifty guide of color options. But alas, I’m more of a black or charcoal gal myself with tights and leggings (which is perfectly fine because they have plenty of neutral options too). As for the product itself, I like the material of these tights. They seem to be made with a more durable material and are overall better made than other brands. Unlike most tights, which fall apart in like minutes it seems, these ones have held up! It’s also cool that this brand also makes most of their styles in men’s sizes as well. While I have more leggings than I know what to do with, I might try out their leggings next. If those work out I am officially sold on this brand! All styles are dyed in the United States, and are reasonably priced, so check them out if you’re looking for new tights, leggings or even workout/dancewear.

**Details**: Dress: Vintage, Laura Ashley; Boots: Vintage, Bruno Valenti; Tights: We Love Colors; Bag: Leather Strata (Etsy); necklace: Etsy

Bell Sleeves // Sweater by Madewell

March 18, 2021 by The Partial Ingredients

A lot has changed since these pictures were shot! Northern Colorado got like two feet of snow last week which means the winter slog shall continue. In any event I am glad to have this super warm sweater from Madewell in my closet for such an occasion. I am a fan of the subtle 70’s vibes with the bell sleeves and earth tones. Maybe it’s just me (or maybe it’s the block colors) but I feel like there’s a little bit of a 60’s mod thing going on too. The thing that drew me to this one was the colors — I just love the neutral and warm tones! I feel like I’ve gotten more and more into tonal dressing recently and I’m feeling pretty okay about it. Super trendy ideas like exaggerated bell sleeves, ruffles, etc., I’ve never really been a fan of but since this one is on the subtle end I’m all about it! Have you gotten into anything lately that isn’t really your style?

A brand I have been all about lately is Madewell (owned by J. Crew, FYI). Their denim lines are fantastic and their sweaters are usually made with a decent percentage of wool which ups the warmth big time! I also find tons of Madewell items on Poshmark to sift through and you can find some fantastic deals. The fast fashion problem has been something on my mind lately, so my goal has been to source the majority of my new closet additions through sites like Poshmark to cut down on my consumption. So far it’s worked out great, and I actually like the interactions more since you’re dealing with regular people selling. Sellers will often package your item thoughtfully and leave handwritten notes which is pretty great. I’ve all but canceled forays into thrift stores since COVID so Poshmark has filled the gap seemlessly — I highly recommend downloading the app and trying it out!

**Outfit Details:** Sweater: Madewell; Jeans: Levi’s; Boots: Sutro Footwear; Necklace: Etsy

Winter Pastels & Starting a Capsule Wardrobe 101

February 23, 2021 by The Partial Ingredients

Okay, that polar vortex thing last week was wild! It seemed like everyone I knew across the U.S. was experiencing bizarre winter weather. Here in Colorado we had temperatures as low as -15 degrees for several days, and some friends and family were dealing with -35F. Yikes. Good lord, is it Spring yet?

This post is all about the layers and layers of pretty pastels and neutral tones. The great thing about those combinations is that even if you do add a million layers, it will still look good together! Just pick a neutral palette and roll with it. For this one, I went with a color palette consisting of black, charcoal, tan, blush, cream and sage. Picking your color palette is a great way to get a capsule wardrobe started! The next step is identifying pieces that can be used for multiple occasions. For example, this camel trench coat from Zara will go with just about anything. I also can’t tell you how many times I’ve featured these skinny jeans and these chelsea boots on my blog, but it is A LOT for a good reason. They go with just about everything and are staples in my closet. For my capsule wardrobe, the name of the game is minimalism, so I try not to go overboard with accessories, so I pretty much just stick with the basics like a few nice scarves and bags to complete your looks.

**Outfit Details:** Coat: Zara; Sweater: Asos; Jeans: Levi’s; Scarf: MM LaFleur; Bag: Frye – Melissa; Shoes: Marc Fisher

Charcoal & Plum

January 31, 2021 by The Partial Ingredients

It’s funny how fashion can transform something kitsch to vintage cool seemingly over night. Growing up in Small Town, Wisconsin during the 90’s, I saw A LOT of camo and some variety of these wolf t-shirts. It was basically the Wisconsin uniform unless it was hunting season — then you’d wear blaze orange whether you were actually hunting or not. Indeed, a full uniform of blaze orange at the grocery store was pretty normal from September to December. The hunters can keep that look but I am fully on board with incorporating these graphic tees into my wardrobe. I’m not even sure what you would call this style? I’m sure somebody has branded it somewhere — let me know in the comments what this style is!

The one I’m wearing from American Eagle is clearly inspired from vintage wolf t-shirts. However, if you’re not fond of wolves, you’re in luck because these t-shirts offer a menagerie to pick from. The ones I’ve seen most often (usually on Etsy) have some combination of eagles, bear, bison, or deer. Some are new and some are vintage on Etsy, so if you’re after the real thing check them out. While I do love the vintage ones, I thought the graphic on this wolf tee from American Eagle was really well done. I would call it more kitsch-inspired than full on if that makes sense. I think this one translates a little better to modern taste while still providing a bit of 90’s nostalgia.

Another vintage item featured in this look are these fantastic Italian leather lace-up shoes that I stumbled across on Poshmark recently. That app is such a great way to find vintage stuff during COVID, even though I do miss going into second hand stores. These arrived with some light scuffs so I polished them up with Lanolin, a byproduct from sheep’s wool. Lanolin is such an effective leather protector. If you’re looking for a natural leather protector and waterproofer for smooth leather (not suede), this is the product you want!

**Outfit Details:** Tee: American Eagle; Cardigan: Madewell; Jeans: AG Corduroy Jeans; Shoes: Bruno Valenti – Vintage

Burlap & Flannel

January 10, 2021 by The Partial Ingredients

For the New Year, I decided to actually complete a project that was lying around for months — this messenger bag! I had a few burlap pillow covers tucked away under the couch, as well as a leather strap that wasn’t getting used so I figured why not make a crossbody bag out of it? It took about three days to hand sew since I had a couple extra details in mind: an inside pocket fitted with a smaller space for a phone to live, as well as a zipper closure at the top. I didn’t go with any kind of template or guide really, just what I wanted as the end result.

It was a pretty cool project to do for the New Year and was strangely empowering in a lot of ways. For one, it’s satisfying to finally get something done that was hidden away, half done, for months. And two, this bag has turned into my go-to for everyday errands and shopping! It’s a great feeling to finally accomplish a long awaited goal, and it’s a solid way to start off the New Year even if you’re not one for resolutions (I’m personally not). In other news, I paired this bag with some of my latest Winter favorites: these excellent Lace-Up Thursday Boots and an extra cozy boyfriend flannel shirt from Abercrombie. In my opinion, there’s no better time to rock some flannel than January!