Coral Crush

Blazer, GAP (thrifted); top, Joe Fresh; skirt, Anthropologie (via eBay); shoes, Stuart Weitzman; bag, YSL
Blazer, GAP (thrifted); top, Joe Fresh; skirt, Anthropologie (via eBay); shoes, Stuart Weitzman; bag, YSL

I’m a redhead who is not afraid to wear pink, but coral is usually where I draw the line. Thing was, this Gap blazer fit so nicely, and seemed like such a great summer piece, I decided to set aside my prejudices. Well, coral is still not my colour, but this outfit turned out nice enough. The coral in the blazer picks up the same shade in the skirt, and my teal Muse II adds a bit of a colour contrast (along with the blue in the skirt). I defaulted to boring black for my shoe choice, mostly because navy pumps continue to elude me, and I’m afraid I need to add nude ones to the list too.

Are there any colours you guys avoid? Have you ever broken your own “rule” and been pleasantly surprised with the result?

redhead in coral ... a dicey proposition?
redhead in coral … a dicey proposition?
blue, white and black go with everything!
blue, white and black go with everything!

Tales from the Thrift: Once More, With Feeling

More, more, more. That’s my motto when it comes to thrifting, apparently. If you follow my IG, you’re not surprised. It’s the thrill of the treasure hunt that gets me every time. Following a bunch of expert thrifters on social media doesn’t help; seeing their awesome finds makes me all the more excited to go out there and thrift to my heart’s content. That’s what social media is for, right: encouraging questionable decision-making? #kidding #notkiddding

Let’s see what the thrift had in store for me most recently:

Liberty for Target ($6)
Liberty for Target ($6)

I love Liberty prints, but some of them aren’t particularly wearable — not for my current lifestyle anyway. This was a pass for me.

unknown brand ($13)
unknown brand ($13)

I’m honestly a bit sad I passed on this jacket. The sleeves were faux leather, and it’s a style I’ve actually thought about trying before. I ended up passing because I don’t really have much need for casual jacket options, and the price on this one seemed a bit steep at the time. With a 30% off coupon, it would have been around $10 and … actually, what was I thinking? I probably should have bought it. Oh well.

Dolce & Gabbana belt ($8)
Dolce & Gabbana belt ($8)

It’s too bad about the hideous buckle, because this was a nice red leather belt otherwise.

RACHEL Rachel Roy dress ($18)
RACHEL Rachel Roy dress ($18)

Passed on this RR dress. Every time I hear that name now, I just think of Becky With The Good Hair. Or, if I’m lucky, Bucky With The Good Hair. #TeamWinterSoldier4Evah

Lord & Taylor pants ($4)
Lord & Taylor pants ($4)

I almost got these; the fit was great and see above re my love of Liberty prints. I didn’t because I’ve accumulated quite a lot of pants recently, and I rarely wear pants to begin with; a floral pair simply wasn’t going to get enough wear.

Joe's Jeans ($12)
Joe’s Jeans ($13)

Value Village has wised up to designer denim. Thirteen dollars for a pair of jeans? No, thank you.

J. Brand jeans ($3)
J. Brand jeans ($3)

On the other hand, I’ll take $3 J Brand capris, even if they have a ridiculous star print on them. I cannot believe these originally retailed for over $300. Too ridiculous!

Adriano Goldschmied Stevie jeans ($4)
Adriano Goldschmied Stevie jeans ($4)

AG Stevies for under $5? YES, PLEASE. These looked small, but I tried them on anyway because … Stevies, duh. Surprisingly, they fit. What can I say, they are beyond stretchy. At home, I washed them and then accidentally put them through the dryer. Ugh. They came out looking like, frankly, kid’s pants. And still — somehow, miraculously — they fit. Definitely not work-appropriate skinny jeans, but perfect for weekends. They are unbelievably soft.

MaxMara coat ($7)
MaxMara coat ($7)

I found this trench before the Burberry, and bought it as an interim replacement while my trench search continued. It’s too large for me, however, so I’m definitely passing it on now. The material is very soft and luxe-feeling. I hope one of my friends is looking for a trench …

Boden skirt ($5)
Boden skirt ($5)
so pretty!
so pretty!

This Boden skirt was too pretty to pass up, even though it was also too big for me … so I bought it for my mom. She loves it.

Boden top ($4)
Boden top ($4)
pretty details
pretty details

Ditto with this Boden top. I’m glad to see more Boden pieces making their way into our local thrift stores.

Maeve blouse ($12)
Maeve blouse ($12)

Loved the colours of this Anthro blouse — so much so that I bought it at “full”, undiscounted VV price.

Reiss belt ($7)
Reiss belt ($7)

I’d loved to find an actual Reiss piece one of these days, but I’m happy with this belt in the meantime.

Diane von Furstenberg top ($4)
Diane von Furstenberg top ($4)

DVF for under $5? No brainer. I love the feel of the bamboo lining — it’s incredibly soft. Would love to find some pyjamas made out of bamboo, but it’s probably an expensive material. (Yes? No? Anyone know?)

BCBG jacket ($13)
BCBG jacket ($13)

I’m pretty sure I remember this jacket when it was in stores. Love the draping, the soft faux suede, and the lovely dove grey colour. Impulse buy, but no regrets about this one.

Ben Sherman pea coat ($8)
Ben Sherman pea coat ($8)

A black peacoat that fits like a dream? Sign me up! My coat game will be stronger than ever come fall. I’m pumped.

T. Babaton pants ($8)
T. Babaton pants ($8)

Black, cropped trouser-style pants that fit great? Even though I don’t love wearing pants, I had to get these.

Cartonnier blazer ($8)
Cartonnier blazer ($8)

Another black blazer, you say? Well, yes, I do have a few already. But! This one is a thick knit, with a nice lining, so it will be a nice, cozy option come fall. Also, it’s double-breasted and a bit of a loose fit, so it’s a different style than my other black blazers. Makes ALL the difference, I tell you!

Arnold Churgin shoes ($12)
Arnold Churgin shoes ($12)

Impulse buy because they were brand new and handmade (according to the label). Arnold Churgin is a well-known shoe store in Calgary, or at least it used to be. (C-town peeps, is it still around?) In addition to selling designer brands, Churgin also made its own shoes, and I believe the quality was supposed to be quite good. I may not end up keeping these, because the style is not quite up my street, but we’ll see.

Arcadia bag ($4)
Arcadia bag ($4)

Talked about this bag already. Love, love, love. Needed a bit of TLC, but I did manage to get the worst schmutz off with some rubbing alcohol.

before & after
before & after

Always be careful when cleaning a patent leather bag with rubbing alcohol or acetone. Test a small patch to make sure the leather is not affected; I’ve never had issues, but better safe than sorry. There was nothing to be done in this case about the colour transfer and small pen mark; both had sunk below the patent coating, making removal impossible. I understand that it can be possible to remove both provided you do it promptly, before they settle. Just a PSA.

colour transfer & pen mark
colour transfer & pen mark

Still, the worst of the colour transfer is not particularly visible. Here’s the “bad” side of the bag:

the "bad" side
the “bad” side

Not so bad, really.

Tadashi Shoji dress ($12)
Tadashi Shoji dress ($12)

Last but not least, I found this sparkly Tadashi Shoji mini dress which I simply HAD to buy, even though I have no idea where I’ll wear it. All I know is that WHEN I do, I’ll be able to pretend I’m a Hollywood starlet. #priceless

Nina Dobrev red carpet-ing it up
Nina Dobrev red carpet-ing it up

Have you been thrifting lately? Hit me with your finds in the comments.

L’Orangerie

Blazer, Theory (thrifted); dress, Anthropologie (thrifted); shoes, Stuart Weitzman; bag, YSL
Blazer, Theory (thrifted); dress, Anthropologie (thrifted); shoes, Stuart Weitzman; bag, YSL

I rarely wear orange, but when I do … I go all out, apparently. Thank goodness this greige blazer goes with everything because I was feeling rather stumped by this dress the morning I decided to wear it. I didn’t want to default to black again, but I also didn’t want to be too bright, even on a Friday. I do like that the blazer also “adults” this dress a bit, which is probably needed to make it a viable (albeit casual) work option.

Both the blazer and the dress were thrifted, and cost about $20 altogether. My cost-per-wear metrics are getting better every day, you guys. That’s another wardrobe stats post, for another day. (Two in one week? I wouldn’t do that to you.) The shoes and bag are closet faves, and proof that those two categories are worth upgrading. You can get away with a lot, when your shoes and bag are on point. That’s my theory, and I’m sticking to it.

watch, Swatch
watch, Swatch
orange creamsicle
orange creamsicle kind of day