Month: January 2018

Last of the Peak Outfits, 2017: Casual Edition

Leather & Knits
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I call this Elevated Casual, Winter Edition. The whole thing boils down to a humungous sweater and an over-sized scarf, which should add up to the Abominable Kn-Yeti, except … leather pants. Cliché or not, there is a certain “cool factor” to leather pants. Even when they’re not real leather. Or even fully pleather. These ones have stretchy ponte panels on the back, so you have the coolness as well as the comfort. Or, put another way: rockstar-party in the front, Netflix-on-the-couch in the back.

Both the pants and the vest were on my Favourite Purchases List for 2017, no surprise there. The scarf should be on there as well. I have greatly limited my retail purchases in the last twelve months, but I knew as soon as I saw this scarf that it would be the perfect winter accessory. It’s big, and soft, and cozy – things I cannot get enough of when it comes to knits. And the colours! Perfection.

Backpack Chic

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My husband and bestie both made fun of this outfit, calling it 90s Teen Chic. I can assure you that this is NOT what I was actually wearing in the 90s; what I was wearing in the 90s was far more hideous, I’m sure. There is nothing particularly interesting about this outfit. Well, maybe the sweater coat. I love me an Anthropologie brand sweater, especially one that costs $5. I also love these Sam Edelman boots, which I thrifted for under $20 and which are pretty close to perfect. If your calves are on the narrower side, and you want a comfortable boot that still looks fairly stylish, these are the boots for you. The (small) backpack is, as far as I’m concerned, the most ostensibly 90s element here but, again, it’s a new-to-me trend so I don’t think that should count. I ought to do a review of it; there are things about it I LOVE, and things that kinda drive me crazy, but all in all, it has become a closet staple. So, to circle back to the beginning, there is nothing particularly interesting about this outfit except for the fact that it’s made up of pieces I really, really, really like.

Denim & Knits (are you sensing a theme)

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Another day, another Anthropologie sweater. I loved everything about it as soon as I clapped eyes on it – especially the colour – and I don’t back down from voluminous knits, ever. In fact, the opposite. Bring on the huge, chunky knits! They give me liiiiiiiife! For this outfit, I didn’t even bother to balance things out with slim-fitting bottoms; I went with my Madewell boyfriend jeans which might just be my new favourite pair of jeans. The fit reminds me a bit of my beloved Pilcros, except without the big knee patches which can be an acquired taste. (To be clear, I have acquired the taste and love it, but I can’t say the same for others – my husband, for example.) I had been looking for boyfriend jeans for ages before I found these, which is the downside of shopping secondhand – you can find anything, but not necessarily at the precise time you want it. I almost didn’t bother with these because they’re a size 25, and I’m not a size 25 … except Madewell seems to think I am. I will confess that these gave me a good amount of muffin-top at the beginning, but have since stretched out to a very comfortable size. Did I mention how much I love that the length goes perfectly with my Frye Chelsea boots? I always hated how these boots looked with skinny jeans – the shaft is too narrow to allow for pants to be nicely tucked in, and simultaneously too bulky to be tucked under skinnies – so this is a game-changer.

Last of the Peak Outfits, 2017: Work & Other Stuff

The Unicorn Dress

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Behold: one of my eBay unicorns. I can’t recall precisely how long I stalked this dress online, but we are talking at least 3 years. For much of that time, I was searching for the wrong (Anthro) brand, which surely did not help. More recently, it turned up for sale on a local Facebook group, and I missed out on it by mere MINUTES. Gah. But, all’s well that ends well – even though the happy ending did cost me a pretty penny. No regrets; it’s a lovely dress with lots of interesting (but not too quirky) details.

Someday, I will wear a classic little, black dress. Some day. Just not today. And probably not tomorrow either.

Cool Factor

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Words can’t quite express how much I love this Marni top and how much it tickles my sartorial fancy. It’s just so very … me. It’s different without being fussy or precious. Layered over a thin turtleneck, it’s seasonally appropriate even though we are talking about linen here. I have spent the last couple of months lusting after Marni pieces on eBay, but no dice; outside of thrift stores, it ain’t happening. Sigh. Getting back to the outfit, this is a 2017 Top 5 moment for me, for sure. It received very little love on Instagram, much like the majority of my Absolute Favourite Peak Outfits, which I find oddly hilarious. I am basically an anti-style blogger. I am kinda tempted to lean into that whole vibe – like the ManRepeller for basic suburban moms.

The Old Formula

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Fundamentally, this is a very boring outfit. Top, skirt, accessories, done. There is nothing particularly interesting about this silhouette, which is the sort of thing I get excited about these days. There is nothing baggy, or slouchy, or chunky, or knitted here, bah! But! I do like a well-executed monochromatic outfit, and this one is made in matchy-matchy heaven. I also appreciate the quality of this lacy Club Monaco top, and the texture play with the wool skirt. So, fine, let’s call it Peak Outfit.

Unrelated side note: I remain deeply conflicted about my bangs, and specifically about how they look with my bob, but I have to admit that they have increased the versatility of my current haircut. I think they actually look better with my hair pulled back – either like this, or in a pony tail – which means I now have way more styling options, especially for third- (and fourth-) day hair. Perhaps the dreaded curse of the Every Two Years Pixie Cut can finally be broken. A girl can only hope.

Sack of Glory, 2017 edition

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Shut up, it’s amazing. Yeah, this dress makes me look like I’m gestating (I probably am, but it’s just a food baby). Yeah, it’s a glorified potato sack. But it is amazing all the same, and we’ll just have to agree to disagree if you have a different opinion. I want to wear this dress all the time. I may have worn this dress all the time over the holidays. Forget Thankgiving-dinner-eating pants; this dress doesn’t even have a waistband – it has pockets instead. A 125% improvement, if you ask me.

We are also going to have to agree to disagree about these loafer slides. They are exceptionally jolie laide, and I adore them. Insult them at your own peril. I paid a whopping $12 for them at Winners, and they will probably fall apart next week, but I will enjoy the heck out of them in the meantime.

Marni 2.0

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Marni does it again. Weird proportions (is it a top? is it a tunic? who knows what, who cares) and charming-though-extraneous details (that extra-long sash thing – who knows why, who cares) are just my ticket. They may not be yours, so you will have to indulge me. I wore this outfit for my big family Xmas party and what it lacked in festive spirit, it made up in Adina Spirit.

Goodbye, 2017

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I haven`t celebrated NYE for the better part of a decade; it was a last minute decision to do so last year, but it seemed fitting given everything my husband and I went through during those interminable 12 months. Celebrating the birth of a new year, surrounded by family and friends, was amazing. Also amazing? This Betsey Johnson dress. It makes me feel like a princess, and everyone should have a dress in their closet that makes them feel that way, IMO.

Keeping On

Well, hello there.

It’s a new year, and a fresh page, so to speak. I hesitate to declare that I am back because, truthfully, I don’t know that I am. Or what I am. Am I still a blogger? There is only one thing I really missed about the blog during my absence, and that was the comment section. Instagram is a quick and easy way of connecting with people, but it isn’t the same. There are many things I didn’t miss about the blog, and those include all the extra work that goes into a 5-day-a-week posting schedule. Okay, maybe I missed the writing a little bit – some of it anyway. I have found that I actually prefer sharing outfits on IG because, honestly, there is only so much I can say about the clothes I wear on any given day. I have been doing this for nearly 8 years; there are only so many words that can be written about an average person’s outfits.

There is a part of me that wishes she could unwind the clock and choose to blog anonymously on BCRL in the first place; had I done so, it would have made this next transition much easier – the things I would love to write about at this point in my life are more personal, not necessarily tied to style. But it’s too late for that now. I have been thinking recently about what the next best compromise would be; wondering if there is a way to keep this outlet for my writing (together with this community) going in some fashion — no pun intended. Because I don’t blog for money, the field is wide open … which is both liberating but also confounding.

So I don’t have a definitive answer yet.

What I’ve decided to do for the time being is to experiment a little and see if the answer presents itself through the process. Posting a little here and there, and seeing what feels comfortable. This is harder than it sounds because I’m not the type of person who does anything by half. In fact, my tentativeness almost made me decide NOT to re-open the blog. But I am trying to be a little more flexible, and a little more open to the uncertainties of life.

2018 looks to be filled with uncertainties. For the first time in a long time, I don’t have any grand plans for the coming year. 2017 was full of significant upheavals in my life, whose trailing waves are only now starting to settle. I have no idea what is going to happen in 2018, nor do I have a clear vision of what I would like to see happen. My theme this year is persevere. (Read about last year’s theme here.) I am going to just … keep on keeping on. I will also try to enjoy the small, interstitial moments of life and take fewer things (and people) for granted.

So, back to the blog – welcome. I hope you will check in again from time to time. In the meantime, I would love to hear from you. Were you as happy as me to see the last of 2017? Have you chosen a personal theme for 2018? What’s new in your corner of the world?