Month: April 2017

Cropped Lengths

Sweatshirt, J. Crew; top, J. Crew factory; pants, Club Monaco; shoes, Manolo Blahnik (via eBay); bag, YSL (via eBay)
Sweatshirt, J. Crew; top, J. Crew factory; pants, Club Monaco; shoes, Manolo Blahnik (via eBay); bag, YSL (via eBay)

I’ve been enjoying this culottes moment I’m having, even though it poses its challenges. Balancing all that volume at the bottom, while accommodating a high waist, can be tricky. My go-to solution has been a variety of slim, tucked-in tops … and then I remembered my cropped J. Crew sweatshirt. You know the one. If you’ve ever searched for it on eBay, you probably came across my face because I somehow became one of the top Google image search results for “J Crew dutch floral”. So I feel like we have history, this sweatshirt and I. I haven’t worn it in recent months because — funnily enough — I was having trouble balancing its cropped length in outfits. So you can say that this pairing was the answer to a couple of different style dilemmas. Kismet.

bag close-up
bag close-up
culott-a fun
culott-a fun

I added the jewelled collar blouse to “fancy up” the sweatshirt for the office, and it worked passably well. To keep the outfit from going into “overloaded” territory, I stuck with neutral shoes; in this case, my neutral was a dark burgundy that almost matches the colour of the pants. I forced myself to switch bags, from the Coach tote that has become my de facto everyday bag to my beloved but neglected YSL. It hurts me to say it, but I kinda missed the Coach. It’s just so darn functional! And, unfortunate monogram print aside, the camel colour is so, so versatile. I’ve come to love it a ridiculous amount. I mean, I’m talking about it and it’s not even part of this outfit. Oops.

sweatshirt at the office? yes, please
sweatshirt at the office? yes, please

Ballet Night

Dress, Vanessa Bruno (via consignment); jacket, Joe Fresh (thrifted); shoes, Sam Edelman (thrifted); turtleneck, Club Monaco; bag, MbMJ (via eBay)
Dress, Vanessa Bruno (via consignment); jacket, Joe Fresh (thrifted); shoes, Sam Edelman (thrifted); turtleneck, Club Monaco; bag, MbMJ (via eBay)

Ahh, spring: the great unshackling from the grip of my winter footwear and outerwear. It’s a game changer, folks. I can wear cute outfits to places other than work again! Like, say, the ballet. It’s hard to dress fancy when you have to take into account boots and/or a big coat; conversely, it’s much easier when you can wear a pair of heels and let your actual outfit shine. In fact, this was the perfect opportunity to finally wear the Vanessa Bruno dress I got from Mine & Yours in Vancouver a year ago. It’s whimsical in an unexpected way, which seemed a good fit for Alice in Wonderland (the aforementioned ballet). The hairband was a given, in the circumstances. Sparkly nails also seemed fitting somehow, although technically, sparkly nails need no excuse.

ring, Swarovski
ring, Swarovski
sans jacket
sans jacket

I added my trusty leather jacket instead of a dressier coat because I liked the juxtaposition with the elegant dress. This jacket is really good at juxtapositions. I never thought I could become so devoted to a casual topper, but here we are. Although I am loath to dictate must-have closet items — being a firm believer that there is no one-size-fits-all answer — I would strongly encourage everyone to consider a leather jacket. It doesn’t even have to be real leather; mine isn’t, but looks great anyway. Actually, I love mine so much, I nearly bought a back-up when I recently came across a similar jacket (also by Joe Fresh) at Red Pony. Cue the sad trombone: it was the wrong size. Thankfully, my current version shows no signs of wear yet, so I am sure I can get a few more years out of it before the need for a replacement becomes critical. However, much like denim jackets, leather jackets are tricky — they’re not all created equal, and fit can make or break the right jacket. Which is to say: if you find your magical unicorn, don’t hesitate to take it home, immediately.

P.S. The ballet was great. This was my second year getting season tickets, and I have loved the experience so far. I am a hardcore home-body, so it was nice to have the extra push to get out of the house once in a while, and the Alberta Ballet has never disappointed. I’m excited for next season … maybe I’ll see you there.

non-mime black & white
non-mime black & white
sparkly headband? check
sparkly headband? check
biker-ballet chic?
biker-ballet chic?