Three Autumn Outfits with Vivaia Collection Boots
In the last few years I’ve tried to switch to a more ethical wardrobe; cutting out as much fast fashion as I could and investing in more sustainable brands. When shopping more mindfully certain pieces have been easier to find—I easily discovered brands that specialized in dresses and skirts in linen (one of the most environmentally friendly fabrics). Accessories have been a bit harder, one sustainable solution is to shop more secondhand so I’ve made an effort to buy vintage boots for the winter months but spring and summer flats in my style and size were a bit trickier to place. Which is why I was so excited to find Vivaia Collection this year. Classic and colorful flats that can be thrown in the wash? Yes, please! And they’re made of recycled plastic bottles? I was sold. Vivaia Collection shoes work so well with my vintage inspired outfits and help me follow my goals of shopping more sustainably. When I saw they had some new boots for autumn and winter I knew I wanted to try a pair for myself.
wearing old blouse & pinafore dress, Vivaia Tammy boot, tights
I chose the classic Tammy boot in black (it also comes in brown). This lace-up style always gives me slightly Victorian vibes and I think makes it a good fit for vintage inspired outfits from a range of eras, as you can see from the three outfits I styled with these boots. The boots are made from a mix of ethically sourced wool and recycled plastic; which means they’re warm and with a soft slightly stretchy fit that molds to your feet and ankles. I found them very comfortable and the soles are anti-slip, so I had no problem wearing them out on walks through our piles of wet autumn leaves! I’ll probably wear them the most with layers of long petticoats and skirts for warmth this winter, but I think they suited this swinging sixties inspired mini dress as well. It’s been awhile since I wore one of my minis, but I still have several in my closet! This pinafore is one of my favorites that I never seem to be able to get rid of despite my preference for longer skirts these days. In fact, aside from the boots everything in this outfit is at least four or five years old.
wearing Nour & the Merchant Harvest dress, corset, Vivaia Collection Tammy boots
It always feels when November rolls around everyone is ready to focus on Christmas, but autumn is still lingering and golden in my region. There’s piles of leaves building up everywhere, jackdaws coming in to roost beside our lake and the smell of peat smoke lingers over the village in the evenings. So many days are still mild enough that you can get away with a few cozy layers rather than a full coat. As long as there’s still leaves around I’ll be embracing the autumn vibes. I always like to wear the colors of the season, so this deep orange linen is one of my favorite pieces for fall. I designed it with Nour and the Merchant and wanted to make it romantic and special, but still simple enough that you can style it a few ways, like with a corset as I’m wearing here. Corsets (or stays) have definitely become one of my favorite accessories to wear this year—they just make every outfit a little bit more special. This corset also features one of my favorite paintings from a second generation Pre-Raphaelite artist; it is the Accolade by Edmund Leighton. It’s hard to see in these pictures but the painting depicts a Queen knighting a young man. Perhaps one of these days I’ll have to try to recreate that painting in a photograph. 
wearing Nour & the Merchant Mists chemise, Michael Michaud necklace, corset, LinenNaive skirt, Tammy boots
This last outfit is more of my everyday look; it might be a bit more whimsical than the 60s inspired outfit, but I love these romantic sleeves, corset, and the bold color of the skirt. It’s very peasant princess for the autumn months and that style to me always seems not too dressed up or fancy. I think some people would find this look a bit theatrical, but linen is such a practical fabric I always feel like I can wear these clothes anywhere. Linen is pretty easy to clean and layers warmly, even my Vivaia collection boots can be brushed clean if I end up wandering off the beaten path. I like the way the lace-up details on the Vivaia Tammy boots echo the lacing of the corset, it really ties the outfit together for me. We haven’t had a hard frost in our region yet so our nasturtium plant in front of the how is still quite green. It’s always such a contrast to the trees around us that are shedding their leaves right now, but soon this garden will reflect the season as well.
P.S. If you like these boots and want to try Vivaia Collection for yourself be sure to use my code ACH for 20% off!
November has been a fairly mild month thus far, which means we're halfway through the month but the trees are still full of colorful leaves and I can get away in a cozy cardigan rather than a full coat. I try to hang on to my cardigan and jumper days as long as I can because I style them as part of my outfits, but coats (no matter how stylish) tend to just hide whatever "look" I wanted to wear. My knit pieces by 
While the temperatures are mild and many leaves are lingering you can still feel the approach of winter in the darker days. Already it is dark by five pm here and the days will only continue to get shorter, which means more and more evening walks by torchlight with Solomon into woods that are decidedly more spooky with the crunch of leaves underfoot. November seems a noisy month in nature. In addition to the sound of dry leaves stirred by the slightly bit of wind and rain, there's the piercing cackles of jackdaws coming in to roost each night. Recently we heard the sika deer making noises in the night as its their rutting season; they have a range of noises from whistle-sounds to screams that have been compared to banshees.
"It was November--the month of crimson sunsets, parting birds, deep, sad hymns of the sea, passionate wind-songs in the pines." LM Montgomery
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” JRR Tolkien
“There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” JRR Tolkien
I always like seeing the new collections every season from my favorite independent brands. It's fun to see the new pieces they've released, but it's also such good styling inspiration. 
Styling notes: I thought the suspenders were a nice touch and fitting since 
Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson follows Kazi, a former street thief turned queen’s guard on a secret mission to find (and steal) a war criminal who has disappeared and to make him stand trial for his crimes. She believes he’s hiding in Hell’s Mouth a city ruled by the Ballenger family. It’s already a complicated mission but when Kazi accidentally insults the new Patrei of the Ballengers, Jase, things start to spiral out of control and there might be more than one sleeping dragon hiding in Hell’s Mouth.
I really enjoyed this book and the second in the duology is just as good—definitely one of my favorite reads this autumn. This story does follow another series by Mary E. Pearson, but I read this book before that series and it wasn’t necessary to know the previous stories to follow this one. Kazi and Jase are both dynamic and interesting characters torn between their loyalties, responsibilities, and a growing affection for one another—both realize misplaced trust could very well cause deaths or the end of kingdoms. There’s a real weight to all of their interactions and decisions and I enjoyed how thoughtful Kazi is while processing everything. While there are lighthearted moments and humor to the characters, I love how serious they are as well; no matter what else is going on both never forget their responsibilities and it makes for a more complicated and intriguing story.
One of the aspects I enjoyed most of Dance of Thieves is the length of the book which allowed for a fuller, more unpredictable plot. There were many points when I felt the story was about to wrap-up but instead the book continued on and as a result it made me wonder where the “end” would be for certain storylines and characters. There was a chance to follow side storylines and allow real growth and progression that wouldn’t normally happen in a faster-paced book and as a result as a reader even though the book isn’t super fast-paced you’re still given unexpected twists and developments that you don’t see coming. I also loved that this meant the characters got see and experience things with their own eyes, instead of one character "telling" or explaining something to convince the other, the character lived the experience and saw it for themselves, which also meant as the reader we get to experience that development too. The made the development of the relationships was more realistic as well; you can’t build trust in a few days and stories, or throw off old loyalties so easily, so the length of the book really allowed for proper character development. 
It's been months in the making but my autumn capsule collection with 
Harvest dress & Bramble apron: One of the first pieces we started designing was the Harvest dress. The big sleeves and apron are a nod to peasant princesses and traditional folk costumes, but done in a very clean lines for a more modern feel. The embroidery on this dress is pretty special as it's all inspired by heraldic symbols; I liked the idea of mixing a traditionally feminine garment like an apron with swords and arrows and twisting brambles, like a way to wear your shield on your dress. Each of the figures on the apron has a different meaning and you can choose one of the symbols to be embroidered on the bodice as well. I have a golden wheat sheaf (or garb) here which symbolizes prosperity but also the generosity of the wearer; they are someone who has the promise of a full harvest and shows willingness to share it--plus I love little wheat sheafs as symbols of autumn myself!
Other details you won't see immediately in the pictures--buttons down the cuffs of the sleeves, pockets, and the skirt is lined for added pouf and warmth! Since it is an autumn collection I really wanted some lining which adds to the warmth and means the skirt is less likely to get caught on your boots/tights--plus pockets are always a good idea! This is the orange shade of the dress (a deep lovely orange that isn't too bright) but it also comes in beige, black, navy, and dark brown. There's also a few other limited edition colors you can choose for the dress and the Bramble apron comes in black or beige. You can shop the 
Mists chemise: One of my dream pieces to design is this deceptively simple chemise dress. We really thought about every detail and the fit and fabric to create this special piece that can work as a blouse (see below) or alone as a dress and will look flattering no matter how it is styled. The fabric is slightly sheer and not lined (you can sort of see my tattoo showing through in the first picture) by intention, I wanted it very "misty" and soft, the slight sheerness gives it the loveliest airy quality and clean silhouette means it layers nicely without being too bulky but also looks nice when worn plain. The sleeves can also be styled down long or pushed up more (as you'll see in some of my images below). You can style it with a corset as shown here, or under a skirt or pinafore or really a dozen other ways. It's one of the most versatile pieces in the collection. The Mists chemise can be made in this cream linen or black. 
Dusk waistcoat: While I didn't actually set out with hobbits in mind when I started this collection, this waistcoat came out so hobbit-y! My inspiration was more vintage dirndls and classic waistcoats but with a feminine twist. Rather than a v-neck as you see most traditional waistcoats I wanted a square neckline that paired with more feminine dresses and blouses, the slight v at the front and ruffle trim also gives it a nice feminine silhouette. I'm really looking forward to styling this waistcoat more ways this autumn--layered on top of dresses, belted at the waist, etc. The Dusk waistcoat is shown here in brown and also comes in prune (purple) and teal. 
Conker skirt: A perfect cozy autumn suspender skirt. This style has a lot of hidden details, such as a lined skirt, pockets (!), and you can remove the straps to wear it more simply. There's also a number of embroidery options you can choose from or you can get the skirt plain; there's a full wheel of fabric in the skirt so it's so full and swishy and fun even if it's just in a simple linen. This embroidery is wheat and crow; the wheat as I said before is used to symbolize prosperity and generosity while the crow traditionally symbolizes someone who is clever and observant/watchful. The combination implies this might be a person who is generous with their friends, but also cautious to let someone into their inner circle. With all the symbols as well we were thinking of aesthetics, so I also just like the way these two look together and how folk inspired it looks. There were so many birds in the traditional embroidery pieces we were looking at for inspiration so I knew I wanted to include at least one bird in my collection as well. The conker skirt comes in olive green (pictured here), beige, dark brown, navy, black, maroon, and orange linen. 
