Month: September 2015

OOTD On Autopilot

Skirt, J. Crew (via consignment); blouse, J. Crew Factory; blazer, Aritzia (via consignment); shoes, J. Crew; bag, MbMJ
Skirt, J. Crew (via consignment); blouse, J. Crew Factory; blazer, Aritzia (via consignment); shoes, J. Crew; bag, MbMJ

Sometimes, by the end of the month, I’m all outfit-ed out. Know what I mean? I just run out of creative steam, and throw together whatever pieces from my closet catch my eye. In this case, this beanstalk print skirt. Until now, I’ve paired it with its matching top, but I decided to bust out the separates this time. It works, I guess.

step this way
step this way
obligatory blogger "look away" pose
obligatory blogger “look away” pose

I realized that I don’t like wearing these ruffle-collared blouses in the summer (I have 3 different colours), even though they’re sleevesless, because something about the high neck just screams “cold weather” to me. I’ve been on the hunt for plain shells (in navy, white and black) for ages, but still haven’t found any likely candidates. I didn’t think that my requirements were unreasonable – cotton or some breathable synthetic blend, not too sheer, not too heavy, solid colour, scoop neckline preferably. Well, these things don’t exist, apparently. Everything I find is either polyester hell, or tissue-thin, or the wrong colour, or too casual. Gah! I guess the silver lining is that fall is just around the corner, which means my trusty ruffle-collared tops will come back into regular rotation. Sigh.

oh, but I am versatile
oh, but I am versatile

The Afternoon Date

Dress, Ted Baker; hat, Aritzia; shoes, J. Crew Factory; bag, Longchamp (thrifted)
Dress, Ted Baker; hat, Aritzia; shoes, J. Crew Factory; bag, Longchamp (thrifted)

So, yes – we are those lame people who out go for “date nights” in the afternoon, and have dinner at 5. Secret’s out, peeps! I mean, it wasn’t much of a secret, but now you have confirmation. Since we rely on the kindness of our parents when it comes to babysitting (and are lucky enough to enjoy it on the regular), we try to minimize the number of late nights that we spend frolicking around town. And by “frolicking”, I mean grabbing some sushi at our fave joint down the street, and puttering around in my husband’s 1974 Beetle. Have I told you lately about my glamorous life?

Ahem.

Getting dressed up for the mid-afternoon is a dicey proposition, but fortunately, I’ve never had too many qualms about being over-dressed. Throwing a snazzy hat into the mix makes things (like this silk Ted Baker dress) seem more casual and laid back, no?

sans hat
sans hat
all the leopard printed details ...
all the leopard printed details …

And speaking of the dress, wasn’t it a great find for $18? I’m loving the black, white, mustard yellow colour palette going on (I must have fall on the brain already), and the vaguely Art Nouveau-ish print is interesting too – and a nice departure from my usual print suspects (stripes, florals, repeat). Pairing it with leopard print flats was kinda bold, but I’m digging the results.

... now you see it ...
… now you see it …
... now you don't ...
… now you don’t …

Meowww

Dress, Calvin Klein (gift); sweater, Joe Fresh; shoes, Anne Klein; bag, Mulberry (via eBay)
Dress, Calvin Klein (gift); sweater, Joe Fresh; shoes, Anne Klein; bag, Mulberry (via eBay)

I know … the title is lame, but when you’re rocking two different animal prints, what else are you going to go with? This dress was a birthday present from a dear friend, who apparently knows my style better than I do.

brown on brown on brown
brown on brown on brown
pretty bag ... also brown
pretty bag … also brown

Jersey sheath dresses like this one are a godsend for hourglass shapes, and comfortable as heck as long as they’re not too tight. You can kind of see what the dress does for my figure in the picture below: hello, tiny waist illusion – I heart you!

candid camera - thanks, husband!
candid camera – thanks, husband!

You know what else I heart? This Joe Fresh oatmeal coloured cardigan. I was gutted when I accidentally ripped a hole in it last year, and desperately hunted for a replacement; it was long sold out, and I ended up buying a cream Theory cardigan at Winners for double the price (on massive sale!), but I still come back to this one, every time. Luckily, the hole was fixable, and boy am I glad. I will definitely be crying hot tears when it eventually disintegrates from constant wear. Joe Fresh might be hit-and-miss, but the hits are pretty darn fantastic.

but seriously, all the brown
but seriously, all the brown