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Writer's picturesallyinstpaul

Fall Colors in Spring Outfit for SIA: Fernando Botero + DIY Jewelry

Shelbee at Shelbee on the Edge is the curator for this round of Style Imitating Art (SIA), and she selected the 1987 oil painting "Four Women" by Colombian artist Fernando Botero. She discovered the painter's exaggerated human forms through Google and chose this particular work because "the figures of the four women in various colors and styles of dress offer lots of sartorial inspiration." I agree! But one thing that struck me was what an autumnal color scheme the painting has: deep rich tones in brown, maroon, russet, red-orange, mustard yellow, and soft green...the colors of fall foliage. So this selection offered an interesting challenge in styling autumn colors in a spring outfit. Challenge accepted!

Style Imitating Art selection
Source: shelbeeontheedge.com




The color choices immediately reminded me of a print skirt that I have in a fall color palette with a spring-like floral motif, which felt like a great place to start with this outfit given that the four women are wearing dresses. My skirt has black (like the seated women's hair) instead of brown and no mustard, but the soft green, orange, and maroon colors are well represented.

SIA outfit plan

I drew on various aspects of the four women in completing my outfit. My green open weave sweater was based on the woman in green (though I added an olive tank underneath for 100% less scandal in my outfit).  I left my tank showing as a band below the sweater to mimic the yellow frill on the maroon dress.  My scarf is a nod to the coral/red-orange dress. I was going to wear tights like the woman in yellow but it was too warm for them (to my surprise and delight).

Plus size outfit idea for women over 40
OOTD 4/9/24

My coral tie-dye scarf is the most spring-like aspect of my outfit, and I think it did a nice job of brightening and lightening the overall dark and muted color palette. I like the contrast in color and texture between the scarf and the aloe vera green sweater. And of course the floral print skirt + tie-dye scarf creates a fun print mix, which I always enjoy.

Plus size outfit idea for women over 40

A grey-and-black leopard print is not the most obvious shoe choice, but I don't wear heels so the wedge style is my closest approximation of the women's dressy heels. Since it turned out I didn't need to wear tights (WHAT???), I could have chosen my nude wedges instead, but I have no problem adding a third print to my look. I have also been prioritizing wears of these shoes to bring down my cost per wear (CPW), which reached $2.02 in this outfit.

Plus size outfit idea for women over 40

My daily bracelet stack is based on a paper bead bracelet set in black, beige, orange, olive, and silver that I made to coordinate with this skirt (page to bead examples in this post). This time I bolstered the olive green and orange colors in the bracelet set with my supplemental bead bracelets. The bracelet with the orange striped beads is a fun choice in this stack because it repeats the distinct stripes on the bottom paper bead bracelet. {bicone paper bead tutorial} {stretch bracelet tutorial}

DIY paper bead bracelet set

I made a pair of bead soup earrings to match the paper bead bracelet set, using the good ol' "3 beads on a stick" design. I chose three beads in different colors (orange, beige, black) and different shapes (round, short tube, twist) but the same material (wood). Wood beads are great for earrings because they are so lightweight even when the beads are on the larger side. Wood is a good material to work with the relaxed, natural aspect of my style personality. And wood is also a nice choice to go with paper beads, of course.

DIY bead soup earrings
DIY bead soup earrings

Now for the main event: selecting our Rabbit Imitating Art! To fit in with the rounded female figures in the artwork, a lady bun with a prominent dewlap was in order, and I thought this gorgeous New Zealand rabbit's red-orange fur coloration was perfect for the reddish-haired women standing in the painting.

Rabbit Imitating Art selection

So what's better than Four Women? Four Women and a Rabbit, of course! Our bunny has found a comfy lap to curl up on, and she looks ready to relax. The woman in the yellow dress is holding up her glass to her friends, saying "Will someone get me a refill? I have a rabbit in my lap." Is it just me or does she look a bit annoyed that her companions are too buzzed and spaced out to immediately respond to her request? Meanwhile the bunny is thinking "I should have known this bar would be BYOC [carrot]."

SIA artwork improved with rabbit
Four Women "improved" with rabbit

Thanks for joining me today for this Style Imitating Art + Rabbit Imitating (and Improving) Art post!


To see other outfit interpretations of this artwork, check out the review on Shelbee on the Edge.


Do the colors in this painting remind you of fall? Do you wear these colors only in the autumn or at other times of year too (or never)? How would you "spring-ify" a color palette of soft green, orange, maroon, and black? Is "I have a {insert pet type here} on my lap" a valid excuse for sending another person to fetch for you in your household?


Blogs I link up with are listed here.

13 Comments


Shelbee On The Edge
Shelbee On The Edge
Apr 23

Hi Sally! I am certain I commented on this post before but I don't see it here now. Sometimes I have issues on my end. Ugh. Anyhow, I am loving your interpretation of this artwork. That skirt is brilliant and beautiful for this challenge! Well done, as always!


Shelbee

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Emma Peach
Emma Peach
Apr 18

Your skirt is beautiful, I love the print! I always enjoy the artworks you choose for these challenges. Thanks for linking!


Emma xxx

www.style-splash.com

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sallyinstpaul
sallyinstpaul
Apr 19
Replying to

Thanks, Emma! The green and orange in this painting made me think of you.

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mlrbanks57
Apr 13

As I was trying to come up with something, I kept thinking, "What would Sally do?" Did it help? Well, I wasn't scandalizing anyone so it must have! I love the way you took autumnal colors yet made them springlike. I think it's the scarf that did it, but then the skirt seems like a year round skirt (depending on the fabric).


Of course, those tipsy women are ignoring the bunny holder. Poor girl...having to wait until she gets home to have a carrot or two. She may be waiting for a bit because I think this quartet is happy as they are (well, 3 of the 4 seem to be).


https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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sallyinstpaul
sallyinstpaul
Apr 15
Replying to

We both put together cute and non-scandalous clothing, so I call it a success! I agree that the scarf with the light tie-dye pattern gives a spring (or summer) vibe. "Waiting for Carrot" would be the rabbit version of "Waiting for Godot" I guess :)

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Melissa Cuentas
Melissa Cuentas
Apr 11

As a Colombian myself this post took me by surprise and I just smiled as I read this post. I am not going to say I am a very huge fan of Botero, but I saw his work in a family trip I made to Medellín back in 2015 and I just fell in love with it, looking at this post, the whole inspiration and the direction you all took has got me astonished and as a creative person I forgot that you could get inspiration from everything and anything, thanks for reminding me that.


Now onto your outfit, I love it and I love how you always have certain colors in your wardrobe. The coral tie-dye scarf is so…


Edited
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sallyinstpaul
sallyinstpaul
Apr 12
Replying to

Melissa, your comment has 100% made my day - thank you! I love hearing a Colombian take on the artist, and I think it's wonderful that you fell in love with the work after seeing it in person. There's just no substitute for that experience. I really enjoy how the SIA challenges introduce me to artists I may never have heard of/seen before, and looking at art through a different lens even makes the most familiar artwork look new. You are so right that we can get inspiration from everything and anything!

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jodie filogomo
jodie filogomo
Apr 10

I love the direction you went with this inspiration artwork and it reminds me of one of the stylists I follow on Instagram. He always states that colors are not seasonal. And I think you've proved this fabulously!

Xoox

Jodie

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sallyinstpaul
sallyinstpaul
Apr 12
Replying to

The association between season and color can be so strong, I definitely feel it myself. But it is very freeing to remember you can wear any color any time of year, and I appreciated this challenge helping me remember that!

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