Today I'm sharing two recent outfits featuring white rabbits. Not the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland...just white rabbits...in time for spring.
My first outfit doesn't have a very spring-like vibe, does it? Well, it was technically still winter both on the calendar and in the weather so let's be kind about this dark outfit. I started the look with this black cotton sweater I wanted to wear one more time before the end of the cold season and added a pop of color with the teal pencil skirt.
The spring aspect of the outfit is the black scarf covered with white rabbits that was a birthday gift from my husband in 2018. For a contrasting vertical element, I wore it with this chain + fan/tassel necklace that was a gift from my mom in 2019.
I added a DIY black headband (aka Alice band, appropriately enough) and doubled down on the rabbit theme with a pair of white faux pearl stud earrings with silver rabbit ears, another gift from my husband.
My daily bracelet stack (all DIY) follows the neutral set + accent color set formula. The black glass bead bracelet with cat charm (discussed here), the white + black line drawing paper bead bracelet, and the black + clear bead bracelet form an ad hoc "black and white" set that I can readily customize by adding colorful bead bracelets. Here I added the two 6mm teal glass bead bracelets I have shown many times before. I am definitely getting my wear out of them!
March is still tights season in Minnesota, so I completed my outfit with simple black tights and ankle boots. I absolutely LOVE these ankle boots...they have such a kick-ass vibe to them while being sleek rather than clunky. If life were a role-playing game, these boots would give a bonus of -5 to my Frumpy stat. Sam Edelman boots purchased for $69.90 in November 2014...85 total wears and $0.82 cost per wear...and still going strong!
My second outfit is definitely a "celebrating Spring early" outfit with white rabbits and flowers! Unlike the black sweater, this is NOT going to be my last outfit with the bunny sweater for the season. I will continue wearing the rabbits all spring until the weather gets too warm for it.
In place of a no-show layering T that I typically wear with this sweater, I pulled out my white button up shirt that is a tunic length that sticks out under the sweater. I paired this with my green-olive skinny Starfish knit pants. I tied the sheer silky watercolor floral scarf in a square knot near the neck and twisted it to the side to leave the rabbits uncovered.
Do you ever wonder how to wear a scarf with a button up shirt and sweater and not have it look weird? I really didn't know how I was going to wear this, but since I wanted the scarf off-center because of the rabbits, I gave this quick-and-easy tie a try. I really love the result! It has something of that effortless French vibe with the scarf haphazardly placed over the collar of the shirt. I wore a DIY oatmeal headband and the same rabbit pearl studs as above.
My daily bracelet stack is a combination of a DIY purple + mint paper bracelet set, the two DIY amethyst/silver bead bracelets I usually wear with the set, and a green jade chip bead "bracelet" (my husband bought me these beads as a gift but as they came on a stretchy elastic loop that fits me perfectly as a bracelet, I just wear them that way). I've never worn the jade bracelet with this set, but I thought it was a nice way to repeat the color of my pants. I really like the eclectic vibe that the irregularly-shaped chip beads lend this stack.
As I was staying in to WFH, so cold/snow/slush wasn't an issue, I finished my outfit with a pair of dark purple thrifted ballet flats (and no socks!). It kind of cracks me up that ballet flats are a trend for spring 2023. I just have such a strong classic element to my personal style and a preference for shoes that are sleek/dainty that ballet flats are authentic to my style in a way that always works for me, regardless of the trends. Target flats purchased at Goodwill for $5.24 in January 2016...28 total wears and $0.19 cost per wear (!!)...and still in good shape.
With the current oversized trend in clothing like button up shirts and blazers in play, you may be wondering where this leaves us with rabbit styling trends for spring 2023. Whether you prefer a lop-eared rabbit or a tall-eared rabbit, oversized white rabbits are the perfect accessory for spring! The most fashionable bunnies for spring 2023 are completely lacking in pigmentation for the freshest white-with-pink look, and they display graceful curves and timeless elegance from haunches to dewlap.
In my first outfit, a large white lop rabbit adds brightness, lightness, texture, and a complex European emotional vibe (ennui? Weltschmerz?) to this transitional look.
In my second outfit, a classic white Rabbit of Unusual Size perfectly coordinates with the rabbit motif of the sweater following the Rule of 3. You might be tempted to wear the floral scarf on her ears to mimic the sweater even more, but that would be taking the matchy-matchy look too far. The unadorned, minimalistic rabbit is the more stylish choice for spring 2023.
Finally, let's take a moment to see how this very unpromising Fire Mountain Gems catalog page turned into the purple paper beads in my second outfit. I loved the intricate details in this image of a necklace with seed bead bezels, but it covers such a small area of the page. What to do? First off, I knew that I would need to make tube beads, for which we cut straight rectangular strips that we roll up so only one end of the paper shows [tutorial]. But my strips still had an awful lot of white on the ends compared to the area with the desired image...these beads would roll up as mostly white, which I didn't want.
So I took each strip and trimmed the end so that the strip shows the purple necklace and not the white area. Each strip had a different amount trimmed away based on the layout of the image, so the strips were no longer uniform length. But I was able to make the strips all the same length by trimming as needed from the other end. These strips rolled up wonderfully into 10 0.5" wide tube beads, which I painted silver on the ends.
Other posts in this series:
Have you started transitioning your wardrobe for spring (or fall, as the case may be!)? Are there any enduring elements of your personal style that you wear regardless of the trends? Do you like the trend for oversized shirts/blazers? Are you ready for the Season of the Rabbits in the Year of the Rabbit? (Not to be confused with Wabbit Season!)
Blogs I link up with are listed here.
I love the teal bracelets with the black and white bracelet stack! I think both of these are good spring outfits too - it's a fun bunny theme, and I have to say that I wear black year round. Although I think that our weather in Brisbane is a lot less varied than yours! It's the second month of autumn here and I'm still wearing summer clothing and will for some time. Just too hot!
Thanks for joining the Weekday Wear Link up :)
Your bracelet stacks are gorgeous! I like the black-and-teal color combinations. Also -- the spring colors in the scarf really look good on you. Love the bunnies, too. Thank you for sharing this post in the Talent-Sharing Tuesdays Link-Up 58.
Carol
Your paper beads are always amazing! I love the quirkiness of rabbits in clothing. They are fun!
www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Looking fab! #PictorialTuesday
Some day, I'll have to dig deep to find out where your love of bunnies comes from! But, for now, I'm just going to enjoy both of these hare-raising outfits! I admit to loving the lighter version only because I really like that pink sweater! And, your bunny visitors are so voluptuous! I am still amazed by your ability to look at a random page and envision the beads to be made!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/