Dress, Allison Wonderland (thrifted)I know I am by no means unique in this, but I have been low-key obsessed with Alice in Wonderland for many years. I am not precisely sure why. When I was little, it was my fiercest wish to have long, blonde hair; paired with my fondness for Alice’s sartorial choices (that blue dress is on point, is all I’m saying) and admiration for her undefatigable curiosity, perhaps that explains the obsession. Perhaps not. That is actually neither here nor there; the point is that I was instantly sold on this dress because the brand label said Allison Wonderland.
To be fair, the dress itsef is aces.
blazer, J. Crew Factory; bag, YSLI blazered up for work (as you can see), but I’m going to post a bazillion blazer-less photos because this dress is worth admiring. It fits like a dream, which is actually a fairly tall order when you consider its silhouette; scratch that. It doesn’t just fit like a dream, it flatters like a dream too. I assure you, I’m not wasp-waisted. This dress makes it look like I am, while at the same time being insanely comfortable to wear. It’s practically magic!
i call it … the optical illusion dress looks good from the back tooI almost feel guilty telling you that I paid a whopping $8 for this dress … but well, I am anyway. Edmonton peeps, this is what your thrift scene has to offer — get out there and check it out, you won’t regret it. In this case, I got a beautiful, made-in-Canada dress … and I discovered a new designer, Allison Smith (the woman behind Allison Wonderland and sister brand Pillar — thanks, Google!) According to her website, her clothes are made in Vancouver in collaboration with local small businesses, and the (retail) price points are very reasonable for “slow fashion”. Based on how much I love this dress, I plan to keep an eye on her IG for future collections.
every angle is a good angle in this dress no, really — see? one more for the road
The dress is stunning, love the shoes you paired with the dress. Tell us about the shoes!
So, um, here’s the thing: I’d rather not. I’ve had them for ages, but they are a brand I would not choose to buy going forward. (You can probably figure out which one I am talking about). I’ve debated what to do with my existing pairs, but since they are still perfectly serviceable, I decided it would be a waste to get rid of them. However, I prefer not to discuss the brand on my blog anymore and thereby, even indirectly, give it any publicity.
Sorry, I hope that makes sense. I really don’t want to make a bigger deal out of this than it is, but I also thought it was fair to respond to your question.
ha ha – I think we can guess the brand! And I agree – I don’t even consider that brand any more!
Adina! That dress must have been SO excited as you worked your way down the rack where it was hanging; I bet it LEPT into your hands, thrilled that you had come to retrieve it! Doesn’t seem possible that it WASN’T custom-made for you… absolutely lovely, in every way, and so pretty on YOU!
THANK you for introducing me (us!) to Allison Wonderland and Pillar. Always thrilled to learn of a Canadian brand, MADE in Canada, that I wasn’t aware of… Very impressed with Allison Smith’s work!
And finally: I’m not proud to admit this, but I am a tiny bit jealous of the thrifting opportunities in Edmonton-area. I live in a community of approximately 80,000 folks in mid-Ontario. While I HAVE found some amazing things here while thrifting (including a stunning Hermes scarf!), the selection is definitely leaner than in one’s “larger metropolitan areas”!
But then, there’s always “vacation thrifting”, isn’t there! So I’ll cease any whining, and continue to DELIGHT in your outstanding eye–both for thrifting, AND for putting together ensembles!!!
Warmest Best wishes, Teresa!
It’s true, fit like this is hard to find. Honestly, the dress “jumped” out at me because of the fabric. The dress rack is always PACKED, so it’s hard to really tell what’s there except by a glimpse of fabric. It’s amazing how good quality stands out.
I get thrift envy all the time — it’s perfectly normal, haha. For example, I would LOVE to find a Hermes scarf — go, you! And, as you say, there is always vacation thrifting (aka my favourite part of vacations #kidding # notkidding)
This is, by far, my favorite of your thrifted dresses! Not only is it beautiful in itself, it also captures your personality and whimsy. For me, this dress is “you” in a beautiful and vibrant nutshell.
Thanks! It’s a very “me” dress, even though I generally prefer red as an accent colour. The style, and the floral print are perfect though.
The dress is stunning, love the shoes you paired with the dress. Tell us about the shoes!
So, um, here’s the thing: I’d rather not. I’ve had them for ages, but they are a brand I would not choose to buy going forward. (You can probably figure out which one I am talking about). I’ve debated what to do with my existing pairs, but since they are still perfectly serviceable, I decided it would be a waste to get rid of them. However, I prefer not to discuss the brand on my blog anymore and thereby, even indirectly, give it any publicity.
Sorry, I hope that makes sense. I really don’t want to make a bigger deal out of this than it is, but I also thought it was fair to respond to your question.
ha ha – I think we can guess the brand! And I agree – I don’t even consider that brand any more!
Adina! That dress must have been SO excited as you worked your way down the rack where it was hanging; I bet it LEPT into your hands, thrilled that you had come to retrieve it! Doesn’t seem possible that it WASN’T custom-made for you… absolutely lovely, in every way, and so pretty on YOU!
THANK you for introducing me (us!) to Allison Wonderland and Pillar. Always thrilled to learn of a Canadian brand, MADE in Canada, that I wasn’t aware of… Very impressed with Allison Smith’s work!
And finally: I’m not proud to admit this, but I am a tiny bit jealous of the thrifting opportunities in Edmonton-area. I live in a community of approximately 80,000 folks in mid-Ontario. While I HAVE found some amazing things here while thrifting (including a stunning Hermes scarf!), the selection is definitely leaner than in one’s “larger metropolitan areas”!
But then, there’s always “vacation thrifting”, isn’t there! So I’ll cease any whining, and continue to DELIGHT in your outstanding eye–both for thrifting, AND for putting together ensembles!!!
Warmest Best wishes, Teresa!
It’s true, fit like this is hard to find. Honestly, the dress “jumped” out at me because of the fabric. The dress rack is always PACKED, so it’s hard to really tell what’s there except by a glimpse of fabric. It’s amazing how good quality stands out.
I get thrift envy all the time — it’s perfectly normal, haha. For example, I would LOVE to find a Hermes scarf — go, you! And, as you say, there is always vacation thrifting (aka my favourite part of vacations #kidding # notkidding)
This is, by far, my favorite of your thrifted dresses! Not only is it beautiful in itself, it also captures your personality and whimsy. For me, this dress is “you” in a beautiful and vibrant nutshell.
Thanks! It’s a very “me” dress, even though I generally prefer red as an accent colour. The style, and the floral print are perfect though.