Good Buy/Good-Bye Book: Nautical Theme - Sailor Pants Worn Five Ways

Hello, my friends! Today I have a special post for you, based on Nancy (of Nancy's Fashion Style) and Shelbee's (of Shelbee On the Edge) "Good Buy/Good-Bye Book" theme of Nautical. 

Naturally, my thoughts went straight to my Jean-Paul Gaultier 1990s snap-up jeans that I found in a vintage shop in Vancouver years ago, but instead of a single outfit, my mind went racing - how many ways could I style my sailor pants? 

Turns out, I can think of Five Ways, so I thought I'd share them with you - maybe you have some sailor pants that you're feeling uninspired by? 

I'll dive in-depth into each outfit below, along with shots of the shoes/accessories.

These jeans are definitely a Good Buy, as I paid $55.00 for them second-hand, and (including these five outfits), I've now worn them 13 times. You can view the last time I wore them here, where there are photos of the previous 8 outfits in Flashback.

This shape of trouser is coming back into vogue after being overtaken by the skinny pant trend for the last 15+ years...and it's a very tricky shape for many people to wear. High-waisted, wide legs, cropped length: this is a difficult shape if you are short or curvy (I'm both, and I'm 5'4"). It's literally taken me years to find a pair of cropped wide trousers that actually look good on me - I have bought a few pairs and these are the only pair I've kept! 

Full disclosure: I did style these outfits only for this photo-shoot - I did not wear them "in the wild." But I would! 

Outfit #1: Pink and Bold Gold

The jeans are actually black, but read as navy blue as well. For this look, I liked the bold choice of hot pink. 

The bomber jacket's pattern is keys; the shoes are fabric and have woven flowers in the pattern. 

• Jacket - Le Tigre, thrifted; last worn here in July 2020
• Sweater - Daniel Hechter, vintage 1980s, thrifted; last seen here in April
• Shoes - Forever 21, consignment; last worn here in April 2020

Jacket off: 

I tend to style warm colours (orange, pink, brown) with the jeans as the stitching is all in orange, and the snaps are copper-coloured. 

The stuff: 

These shoes are "so five years ago", but I don't care! I like how the bold gold chain is echoed in the jewelry. 

• Necklace - Givenchy, vintage 80s, vintage fair
• Earrings - vintage fair
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes
• Gold/amethyst ring - Frances Jewelers, Dad's, c. 1965

Outfit #2: Cardin Scarf as Top

I remember the more daring women doing this scarf trick back in the 80s and 90s (I was not one of them!). This is a regular ol' square silk scarf, folded on the diagonal and then tied just above my boobs (I tied it in front and then slid it around back). 

I don't usually like labels/brand names showing (they should pay ME to advertise!), but in this case...vintage Pierre Cardin...so KLASSY. 

• Blazer - Emporio Armani, vintage 90s, thrifted; last seen here in April
• Shoes - Chie Mihara; last worn here in August 2020

Rear view: 

This plain blazer is a pale grey; it worked well as a neutral with the scarf and jeans. 

Jacket off: 

I would normally never leave my bra straps hanging out like this (I'd wear a strapless bra), but as noted, this was just for this photo-shoot. 

The stuff: 

These platform shoes are practically "flat-forms"! 

• Scarf - Pierre Cardin Jeunesse, vintage 70s, purchased here for $21.00
• Steel cuff - thrifted
• Silver cuff - vintage, thrifted, Powell River
• Wood ring - Dots
• Amber/silver necklace - vintage mall, gift from L
• Silver/amber earrings - vintage mall, vintage 30s, gift from L

Outfit #3: Leopard and Booties

Playing with the proportions here. In the first outfit, the tops were at my natural waist; for the second outfit, the tops were to my hip. 

And for this outfit, the outer layer is mid-thigh. Note that I've tucked in my thin sweater, though, to ensure that my legs don't become stumpified. 

• Cashmere cardigan - Charter Club, thrifted; first worn here in February
• Sweater - Banana Republic, thrifted; last seen here (2nd outfit) in April
• Boots - Kope Tiam Coffee, Fluevog; last worn here in February

Back view without cardigan. 

I quite like how the boots went with these pants - I hadn't considered booties with them before now. 

The stuff: 

I've had these booties for over 10 years! I chose turquoise accessories to pop against the orange top. 

• Necklace - thrifted
• Earrings - Mangos
• Silver/turquoise ring - local
• Silver/brass Mexican ring - Karen's

Outfit #4: Lavender and Rose

Back to a cropped topper piece. The fullness and trapeze shape of this jacket are tricky to wear. 

I like how the voluminous shape of the pant-legs go with the jacket's width. Sometimes two tricky things paired together actually work! 

• Jacket - Burberry, thrifted; last seen here (2nd outfit) in July 2020
• Sweater - Melanie Lyne, thrifted; purchased here in April for $12.00
• Shoes - Down to Earth Hadfield, Fluevog; last seen here in April

This top is new-to-me, thrifted new w/tags.

I like the mix of rose-pink, lavender and copper in my jewelry and in the details on the pants. 

Rear view: 

The pattern in the shoes works well with the other colours in the outfit and helps tie them together. Motto: It doesn't have to match; it just has to go!

The stuff: 

I have a big collection of copper jewelry, much of which dates from the 1960s and 1970s. I've been collecting it since my grandmother gave me a set of hers in the 80s - most of my pieces were found at vintage fairs and events. 

• Necklace/bracelet - vintage 70s, vintage expo
• Cuff - Karen's
• Earrings - vintage expo

Outfit #5: Sailor Strips and Orange

This is probably the most traditionally nautical of my five outfits with the stripes, the jaunty contrasting orange and my version of a Captain's hat. 

Grooving on the white accents here from the stripes, the shoes, and the lining of the rolled-up sleeves of the jacket. 

• Suit jacket - InWear; last seen here in January
• Top - Bellessa, thrifted; last worn here in April 2020
• Shoes - 5YMedio; first worn here in April

This is the best look at the snaps that are used to do up the pants - there are a total of 10 snaps (one is hidden inside), and every one of them has to be done up/undone when using the washroom!

Jacket off. I actually have two slightly different striped tops like this - the other one is navy/white stripes and has a tie at the neck. This top is a black and white stripe. 

Rear view. 

As orange and black can often come off as "Hallowe'en", the addition of another colour (white) helps lessen this. 

The stuff: 

I carried the white theme into my jewelry too. 

• Hat - Delux, Saanich Fair
• Bracelet -vintage fair
• Earrings - vintage fair
• Parrot brooch - thrifted
• Silver/onyx ring - Toccara, vintage fair

And there you go - five looks from one pair of pants! Ta-dah! 

What's your favourite look? Would you try any of these outfits yourself? How do you feel about wide-legged trousers coming back in fashion?