One-Dollar Wonders

Manspiration Month: Papa Rae

June 17, 2012

I don't think my dad wants his picture online, but this outfit is a tribute to him in many ways. Growing up, my dad may not have even known it, but he had a lot of flair. He was the first to suggest pattern mixing to me, his summer shoe wardrobe always contained a pair of woven leather loafers (and yes, he had a pair in white!), and the man did wear a lot of boots. Steel toe, western, beetle boots... some for work, but some for style, too. He also passed on his love of leather goods - he'd had leather jackets, vests, shirts, and pants. He was also a champion of DIY and BBQ long before I knew the acronyms.

Today, I'm wearing some of his favorite things: teal (the color of his bathroom in our old house), woven leather flats, denim, a skull, and a DIY dyed leather bag. :)

Happy Fathers' Day, everyone! I hope you are having a blast with your fabulous dads!

Posted in the What I Wore category
This post is also published in the youlookfab forum. You can read and reply to it in either place. All replies will appear in both places.

12 Comments

  • merwoman replied 11 years ago

    Love your outfit Rae, and all the layers of meaning - what a great tribute to your dear dad.

  • Jem replied 11 years ago

    That's a fun tribute to your dad and a great outfit!

  • Angie replied 11 years ago

    KILLER inspiration for a KILLER look!

    Happy Father's Day Papa Rae :)

  • replied 11 years ago

    What a sweet post and fab outfit!

  • Kari replied 11 years ago

    Rae, that's an awesome homage. Your father sounds like a real gem! No surprise as to why you can incorporate rugged items and boots into feminine or crisp outfits with such ease, or why you feel so comfortable and brave with your excellent DIY projects.

    What were some of the DIY projects that your dad did?

    While my mom was more crafty where art and clothes were concerned, my dad - an engineer - helped me with numerous mechanical school projects, including a really cool physics project when I was in high school where we had to build a contraption to lift a certain amount of weight a certain height without us touching it at all. After I wrote up a plan for what I wanted to design, my dad helped me construct a machine comprised of a bicycle wheel with plastic blades attached to the spokes - we pointed a fan at the wheel to catch the wind. The wheel was positioned at the top of a long ramp that we'd built. The wind-powered bike wheel had a crank that was attached to a small cart with a cord woven between several pulleys, and over a long period of time the cart would be pulled up the ramp to reach the required height. We had to bring our projects to a class-wide science fair in the evenings where we'd demonstrate our machine to our teacher, and see other student projects. I think my dad really loved it because helping me to construct this type of project really put him in his element, and we had a blast working together.

  • Transcona Shannon replied 11 years ago

    Great outfit with a great meaning Rae! Love it - your Dad sounds like a fine man.

  • sarah replied 11 years ago

    This is such a happy father's day outfit, Rae. I love the inspiration and the outfit!

    ETA: If I were to wear an outfit inspired by my dad, it would have to include black socks and very white legs.

  • rae replied 11 years ago

    Thanks, everyone! My dad loves to push the envelope with fashion, and I should add that now that his style has evolved, he can rock a sheer J. Crew polo with low rise bootcuts and plenty of vibrant tattoos!

    Kari, he really did it all. He worked in aerospace for many years, worked on his own car, painted our house, sanded and stained wood flooring, built much of our furniture, tinted his car windows, fixed all the drains... I guess it made me feel like dye and scissors were no big deal, lol. I LOVE your science fair story - what a great bonding moment!

  • Deborah replied 11 years ago

    What a touching tribute to your dad:) The outfit is so fab but particularly because of how your put it together.

  • ManidipaM replied 11 years ago

    Rae, you've outdone yourself and got me a little misty-eyed... and thinking of my own dad...

  • replied 11 years ago

    So sweet about your Dad! This is a great outfit-tribute. I love the color of your shirt, the white denim jacket all so fab with that tomato red bag. Love!

  • Meredith1953 replied 11 years ago

    Love the outfit! That denim jacket is so cute with the shorts!

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I'm just your average working stiff who loves nice things and hates to pay for them. This blog outlines my efforts to navigate that treacherous shopping/saving divide through swappin', thriftin', and even a little resellin'. Many of the pieces in my wardrobe cost me just $1! We've heard a lot about people "living above their means" in recent years; I'm championing the concept of living large *below* your means - whatever that means for you. :)