The Tiny Closet

The only time I've ever worn a two-piece swimsuit in my adult life was back when I was visiting Boracay in the Philippines.  I had been exercising a sizable amount at the time and wanted to show off my upgraded physique.  The suit wasn't necessarily meant to be as stylish as it was meant to be skimpy!

Normally, I feel most fashionable and classy when wearing more clothing than just two itsy bisty pieces but since the Lanvin one piece I wanted was considerably outside my reach (it's a shame too...I would've rocked it, humph!)  This Summer, I decided to upgrade the pieces I already owned.  I kept the teeny tiny bottoms but found a more compelling topper: 

a Bollywood bustier.  

Take that, Lanvin.

I had been spying this sequined bustier for a while at one of the many costume design shops I pass by in L.A.'s downtown fashion district.  I didn't buy it for the longest time as I just couldn't figure out where the heck I would ever wear it....  I soon realized though, as I began planning my Summer swimwear, such a glitzy glam top would be absolute perfection for laying out and dressing up poolside ensembles.

I also used the remnant fabric that was left over from when I designed a muumuu/swim cover up and tied it over my shoulders for a shorter, wispier cover up.  The original muumuu is below.

coverup: The Tiny Closet Collection / bustier: Perial Company / bottoms: Aqua / earrings: Karla Deras for Roman Luxe

As the second installment of my mix and match style adventures, I am loving all the gold!  I was excited to put on Karla Deras for Roman Luxe's gold and lapis earrings again.  They were fitting for the occasion yesterday evening as I melted into the hot tub watching the sun go down.

I'm just getting started with this mix and match show and tell so 

Visit me again next week for another look into my experiments with swimwear!

Have a great weekend :)

I've decided to finally work to materialize, one by one, all of the random clothing design ideas I've been thinking up.  One random idea being a hybrid version of a muumuu.

If you followed me during my trip through the Philippines, you know how in love I am with muumuus, or, house dresses.  Also, since I'm in permanent pool weather now, I have been settling my attention for the first time on swimsuit coverups.  Coverups have never appealed to me before, I think because the concept of them was just never applicable to my lifestyle (stepping from the pool into some glitzy sandals and a coverup to grab a drink at a nearby beach bar or to take a stroll on the boardwalk - yeah, I can say I've literally never needed to do that before) until now.

So - with our rooftop pool and 90 degree weather in the shade, I am finding my beloved muumuus to be a bit overbearing with their full coverage and heavier fabric.  And while I like the sexy femininity of a sarong or coverup, it has no place in the city at dinner or happy hour.  

I  wanted something more transitional and multi-purpose than a suit coverup or a muumuu.

So I created this:

I wanted something sexier, prettier, something elegant to look at.

So while I am definitely still attached to all the more traditional muumuus I've collected over the past year, creating the muumuu 2.0 gives me a more transitional piece to wear stylishly everywhere.  In fact, I went to dinner in this particular piece.  Popped on my cropped jacket and oxfords and headed out to celebrate a bday.  I love when clothing is dynamic!  Don't you?

Such is the Tiny Closet way...

I will definitely be wearing my new and improved muumuus all Summer long so if you're needing to see more pictures, come back next week!!  
I will surely have more for your viewing pleasure :) 

 duster: Philippines / jacket: Free People / sandals: Seychelles / earrings: Forever21

Ah, but I changed it up this time can you tell???  I admit, while the ensemble was not thaaat creative off the bat, I am giving my fine-wine ideas more time to...age (wah wah) for later when I'm feelin it.  Ideally, I would have loved wearing a long black blazer - but the weather was bright and sunnyand I was on my way to a matinee so it wouldn't have fit the occasion.  I would have also loved wearing a pair of strappy stiletto sandals to juxtapose the shapeless gown up top buuut again, my stiletto sandals were just too "evening" for mid day.  So there you go - two main pieces I had to knock down a notch for the sake of weather and current events.  It cost my outfit a drop in the "wow" stock but it was still a wonderfully comfy, feminine outfit for hanging outside during the day and running errands, no?