Navy Blue Pleated Skirt with Grosgrain Hem

Meet the worst purchase decision I've ever made.

Yes, it's an orange sweater t-shirt.  It went on clearance while I was working at Banana Republic in college.  "It would make a great addition to your work wardrobe," my manager said.  Yes, I thought, I should definitely buy this since I make minimum wage and pay out-of-state tuition and it goes so well with black (Halloween), khaki (zoo worker), and brown (70s...and not the cool retro kind of 70s).

Oh, wait.  It doesn't go with anything.  It's neon-freaking-orange.  Besides, there's no fall or spring in Florida--just summer and February--so you never really get the chance to wear a sweater t-shirt.  So this item has been sitting in my closet with the tag still on for four years.

Until last week when I saw this skirt in Ann Taylor and a light bulb went on.

That's right!  Color blocking is in style and I can now wear neon-orange without looking like I'm going hunting or helping children onto the school bus.  So I whipped up this skirt to wear to work with my worst purchase ever.  (Well, actually it was more like I drug out the project over two weeks than "whipped it up.")

And I love it!  I used Crafty Cupboard's pleated chevron skirt tutorial for the skirt's form, but opted for a solid navy blue linen paired with an orange grosgrain hem instead of a chevron print.  And, oh yeah...

I installed this awesome bright orange zipper. :)

Add some navy blue beads and slingback heals and you've got yourself an outfit.

I just love how awesome the zipper looks.  Like the tutorial said, the details are what make a project great.

The review will (hopefully) be coming soon if you want to know the low-down on do's and don'ts for this project.  Until then, happy crafting!

Thanks for stopping by!

--CC