Occasion: A Garden Party

It’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere, which means: it is time for outdoor parties. And the invariable moment or several standing in front of one’s closet thinking What in the world do I wear? Below we present you some options from the amazing closet of my friend Joy, who also agreed to model them, and some odds and ends from my accessories drawer.

First up is what Joy and I refer to as the “horse dress” which is an example of an article of clothing that is so fabulous it constitutes an occasion all by itself. It’s also lightweight and reasonably unfussy, two key components of successful backyard party-wear. The jacket is a vital addition if your party is an evening party, or is anywhere that you might encounter a cold breeze.

Dress: Hand-made vintage, thrifted in New York, NY 2011
Jacket: Vintage Double D Ranchwear, thrifted in San Francisco, CA 2011
Shoes: Vintage Etienne Aigner, found.
Hair clip: Sunburst pheasant hair clip, www.etsy.com/shop/katemariethompson

And without the jacket:

Close-up of the hair clips:

Next: a romper. Also lightweight, also unfussy, and less formal. Here Joy is trying to coax a rabbit out of hiding, but alas he did not want to visit with us.

Romper: Vintage Jessica Stevens, Ebay
Shoes: Vintage Etienne Aigner, found.
Hair clip: Guinea feather hair clip, www.etsy.com/shop/katemariethompson

More hair clip; also, the bike-chain bracelet in this picture is one of mine that I bought years ago now at a festival, but you can find a similar one here: www.uncommongoods.com/product/chain-bracelet

Finally, a hostess dress option. Dark backgrounds and a simple prints are good for hiding the evidence of the occasional kitchen mishap. Here is where I made Joy pretend to grill some chicken:

Dress: Trollied Dolly, winter 2010
Shoes: Vintage Etienne Aigner, found.
Hair clip: Tigerlily feather, www.etsy.com/shop/katemariethompson

Next time, we’re headed to the beach!