What I Wore: January 14-20, 2019

Headmistress Chic

I really loved this outfit. It doesn’t scream “look at me”, but I find it to be lovely and chic in its own way. It helps that it features a few of my current fave pieces, like this Theory belted blazer and the Johan (?) skirt from Artizia (both thrifted, natch). The shirt is old, and it’s a piece that’s fallen out of and risen in favour with me several times in the years since I purchased it. I’m glad I held on to it because it works very well with my current aesthetic; I’m actually sad that I got rid of the white version a while back. [In my defence, white tops are a challenge for this clumsy klutz. It’s always a minor miracle when I don’t spill something on myself as soon as I wear white, and the stress just gets to me.] Speaking of the shirt, here are a few past outfits:

Casual Thursday

Here, I’m repeating a combo I first tried at the thrift store when I bought this Zara blazer. I was wearing the same olive AllSaints sweater (a men’s, and just about the warmest article of clothing I own) and some black jeans (not these Mother chinos, but close enough), and I loved how those colours worked with the dark brown of the blazer. For this office version, I added metallic loafers because … well, actually, they don’t need any justification. They’re simply awesome.

This kind of menswear-inspired look is becoming a big favourite of mine, to the point that I would happily wear some version of this (mixing up the sweaters and blazers from time to time) any time I’m going for a polished-casual vibe. Is that a blogger faux pas? If so, it wouldn’t be my first.

Mermaid Inspired

here’s the story with this H&M skirt: I thrifted it last year because, hello, it is perfection. I am a magpie at heart, sartorial evolutions notwithstanding. I love anything iridescent, and the hues here – ranging from green to blue to purple – are my favourites. Moreover, it was in perfect condition; no missing sequins, no unraveling seams. But! There was a but … or, more precisely, a butt. My butt. It didn’t quite fit into the skirt.

I could do up the zipper, but was also probably 5-7 pounds away from fitting in comfortably. I couldn’t even think about sitting down, lest I sent a shower of sequins flying in every direction. Now, normally, I don’t buy clothes that are too small, even a little bit. Not worth it; I have no plans to lose weight. But … ahh, it was such a nice skirt, and I thought “but what if it just happens that I lose a few pounds, without trying, oh what if?”

Spoiler alert: did not happen.

The skirt just sat in my closet. And then one day I decided enough was enough. I tried it on again, and realized that the problem was the lining; the actual sequins are sewn onto a mesh that has some give to it and could accommodate my hips and behind. If I were more skilled, I would have tackled this problem myself, but instead I took it to a tailor. For $20, she let out the sides of the lining. And, voila, it fits!

And so concludes this story time.