GIVEAWAY || Win a copy of CHEAP CHIC! [CLOSED]

I consider myself to be a fairly literary girl; not only am I very wordy (and a stickler for grammar, spelling and punctuation), but I love the act of picking up a book and allowing myself to be transported to a different time and place. I think I've incorporated that philosophy into my personal style as well, since my favorite outfits harken back to a different era. So I was delighted to find out that CHEAP CHIC, the ultimate 1970s fashion bible, has been rereleased for its 40th anniversary! I had a chance to review this fun & informative style guide for myself – and one of my lucky readers will win a copy as well!

Although my personal style skews earlier than a lot of what's featured in this book, I love its message: namely, that your style should reflect what you love and how you want the world to see you. As the authors say, "Start dressing to please yourself, and in the process, you will please others." I always dress in a way that makes me happy and makes me feel great about myself, and it absolutely shows in how others see me. "Find the clothes that suit you best, that make you feel comfortable, confident, sexy, good-looking and happy... and then hang onto them like old friends." The book stresses the necessity for quality over quantity – which I find very relevant in today's influx of fast fashion – and the book made me want to have a more thoughtful approach towards the amount I spend on certain pieces and what I add to my wardrobe. These days, I try to buy high-quality, American-made pieces and vintage finds, but it can still be really tempting to purchase inexpensive, poorly-made pieces (or pieces made in terrible conditions) just because it's convenient and will do "for now." But it's so much better to have timeless pieces that will last a lifetime!

Outfit Details

Dress: ModCloth

Book necklace: Treasured Charms

Tights: similar  //  Boots: similar

CHEAP CHIC: c/o Crown Publishing Group

A couple of my favorite photos from CHEAP CHIC

CHEAP CHIC has a forward by Tim Gunn, which I personally think says so much about what a great resource the book is – after all, who doesn't love and trust Tim Gunn as a fashion authority?? The book has some fantastic vintage photographs, interviews from icons like Yves St. Laurent and Diana Vreeland, and a wonderful section on thrifting from the eras that I love most. Although I think some of the advice and "rules" could benefit from a bit of updating, I think it's a fascinating look into style from our past and shows how the current fashion landscape is so heavily influenced by everything that's come before. Great for a quick flip-through or careful perusal, CHEAP CHIC is a book that any fashion enthusiast should have on his/her bookshelf or coffee table. And you could win a copy of your very own! Scroll down to find out how!

GIVEAWAY RULES

One (1) winner will receive a copy of CHEAP CHIC, courtesy of The Crown Publishing Group and Penguin Random House. Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. You must be a follower of The Soubrette Brunette to enter, and you can earn additional entries (which means more chances to win!) in several optional ways. This giveaway is open internationally and will run until Sunday, October 4th at 11:59 PM (EST). The winner will be chosen at random through the widget and will be contacted via e-mail (so be sure to use a valid e-mail address!). The giveaway winner must respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for entering and best of luck!!

Bouquet

I haven't been posting during the weekend lately, but I couldn't wait any longer to post these! I'd been eyeing this beautiful bouquet print dress from Heart of Haute since it came out in the spring, and I'm so glad it finally made its way into my closet. This Mercedes style dress is the same as the one the wore in this post. I love the higher neckline of this style, but it also comes in the Milan and Marsailles styles – both of which are really pretty. The Mercedes fits a bit tighter in the bust than some of my other Heart of Haute dresses, but I love how versatile it is; just because it's a pastel floral doesn't mean it won't transition into fall! I just added a cute cropped cardigan (and a new Erstwilder brooch) for a sweet look that's perfect for early autumn.

The past two weeks have been very busy, but very enjoyable. The Rochester Fringe Festival ends tonight, and though it's been stressful, I've been able to catch some wonderful shows. I love Fringe because there's always such a variety of captivating art being created right before your very eyes. And it also gives me an excuse to wear all my wildest outfits! ;) This year's Fringe had it all: circus, burlesque, drag, musical theatre, improv, visual art, dance, music, film, and so much more that can't even be categorized... it makes me feel very fortunate to live in a community where this festival can thrive, and we are all the better for it.

Outfit Details

Mercedes Dress in Bouquet: c/o Heart of Haute

Fairest of Them All Brooch: Erstwilder

Cropped cardigan: Trashy Diva

Spectator heels: similar

Petticoat: similar

Don't forget: you can always get 10% off your Heart of Haute order with the code Haute10!

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

Summertime Outfit Roundup

Happy Autumn! I feel like this summer really flew by – but maybe that's because I managed to fit in so many fun things! Here are some of my outfit (and real life) highlights from the past few months:

June

Never Never Land  ||  Lilac Lane  ||  Sweet dresses + sweeter friends

When life gives you lemons  ||  Strawberry Patch  ||  Poppies + Popovers

In June, I went out in search of lilacs, poppies and strawberries! I busied myself with rehearsals and received dresses from my dearest friends. I even won an Instagram contest! It was very nice start to the summer.

July

Shortcake  ||  Barbecues + Boat Docks  ||  Choo choo!

Cherry Orchard  ||  Gingham girl  || Painting the roses red

In July, I went cherry picking and visited a rose garden right in the middle of the city. I also visited a transportation museum, watched fireworks and performed in an awesome show. July was a pretty memorable month!

August

Rose of Sharon  ||  Pals + Pastels  ||  Anchors aweigh

Garden Royale  ||  Popcorn Love  ||  Aeroplane

August was filled with friends on both the west and east coasts! I finally met both Kate and Ashley in person, and it was wonderful to find out that our friendship extends beyond the Internet. I also got to see old friends, and it was nice to know that time and distance doesn't change real, lasting bonds. Plus, I saw a few great movies, went to Disneyland and the Renaissance Faire, and ate a lot of yummy food!

What was your favorite thing you did this summer?

Peaches and cream

Even though this week signals the end of summer, I just had to post my peach picking photos from last month. I made it my mission to pick as much fruit as possible this year, and since peaches are my favorite fruit in the whole wide world, I insisted that we go this year – especially since I had the perfect dress, purse and pin for it!

When Pinup Girl Clothing announced all of the pieces in their Junebugs & Georgia Peaches collection, this peach gingham Dee Dee dress was my #1 have-to-have-it pick. It's just so darling, and though I know some people have experienced slight fit issues, I have to say that this style fits me perfectly. I love it so much that I now own it in three different colorways!

The peaches we picked were absolutely delicious, and we devoured them with vanilla frozen custard and biscuits. I have plans to go apple picking next week (in a corresponding outfit, of course), and I can't wait for all things fall. It's been very summery here, and although I'm sure I'll regret it later, I'm very eager for things to cool down a bit. Bring on sweater weather!

Outfit Details

Dee Dee Dress in Peach Gingham: Pinup Girl Clothing

Peach purse: ASOS (similar)

Peach brooch: vintage (similar)

White flats: similar

Have a peachy start to your week!

PS: Don't forget that you still have time to enter our Blogs, Besties & Brooches giveaway! You can enter to win 1 of 5 $100 AUD gift cards to the all-new Erstwilder.com! Get all the details and enter here. The giveaway ends this week, so hurry! <3 

Friday Favorites #105

TGIF... except I'll be working all weekend, so no break for me! We are in the throes of the Fringe Festival here in Rochester, and there's no rest for the weary. I'm actually surprised I was able to get this Friday Favorites post up today! Here are some things I've fallen for this week...

It's still pretty hot here, but I am SO ready for fall. I'm even getting excited for Halloween already! And these Disney-inspired brooches from Femme De Bloom are definitely on my All Hallows' Eve wish list:

a   ||   b   ||   c

I kind of love this kitschy Halloween print dress:

Isn't this purse just out of this world? It would be pretty great for a Miss Frizzle costume...

I don't usually like separates, but I have to admit that I love these two skirts from Pinup Girl Clothing! The monster print one is so much fun, and I may have ordered the fetish print one for myself!

a   //   b

If you haven't seen the video of the new Halloween nighttime show at Disney... you need to take 20 minutes and watch it immediately. It's everything I've ever wanted.

This harvest print blouse from Tara Starlet is beautiful!

I already have the ring version of this necklace, and I might need it to match.

The prints on these dresses are so fun! I think I'm drawn to dresses that could easily double as Halloween costumes with just a tiny bit of imagination...

a   ||   b   ||   c

These Irregular Choice shoes make me smile every time I see them!

This coat is so cute! (It comes in black, too!)

This blouse from Book of Deer is lovely:

And finally... is there anything better than kitty cats + produce? 

(via)

Have a great Friday!

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For the record

Since I am a self-proclaimed queen of kitschy prints, I don't often gravitate towards neutrals or even solid colors. But now that summer has given way to cooler weather, I found myself being drawn toward this classic 3/4-length sleeve dress from Unique Vintage. I'm slowly trying to add some more subtle, versatile pieces to my wardrobe. I expected to like this dress enough for it to become a staple, but I wasn't prepared for how va-va-va-voom-amazing it would be!

The sizing for Unique Vintage brand pieces can vary a lot depending on the dress. I've found myself in between sizes quite a bit, and luckily they're really good at listing exact measurements for each garment on their site. Some dresses have fit me better than others, but this one fits true to size and truly exceeded my expectations. I was absolutely thrilled when I put it on! It's so incredibly flattering, and I feel like a million bucks in it – both of which are imperative in my approach to fashion. It hits me in in all of the right places (plus it has a built-in crinoline hem and hidden pockets!), and it's almost as if this dress were made especially for me. For more retro clothing, be sure to check out the huge selection at Unique Vintage.

I can think of a thousand ways to style this dress, but since I think black is anything but basic, I decided to incorporate little pops of hot pink with a vintage hat and my new Erstwilder brooch. It was a stroke of luck that they happened to match so perfectly! And If you're a fan of Erstwilder like I am, don't forget to enter our Blogs, Besties + Brooches giveaway – you can enter to win 1 of 5 gift cards for Erstwilder.com!

Outfit Details

Diana Swing Dress in Black: c/o Unique Vintage

On the 45 Brooch: Erstwilder

Vintage hat: Straylight Vintage

Heels: similar


Have a wonderful Wednesday!