Dress-up – Page 2 – Blue Collar Red Lipstick

21
Mar
2015

Clothes Swap 2015

categories: Dress-up, Life, Social events, style

NOTE: I was overwhelmed by the support and love that you guys sent my way after my last post, so I just wanted to write a quick note saying: thank you. THANK YOU. You guys rock. I’m still going through all your comments – and doing my best to respond to each one of them – and taking stock of your suggestions, and figuring out where the blog goes from here. I will probably do a follow-up post at some point, but it may take me some time to articulate all of my thoughts in some sort of coherent manner. In the meantime I’ve decided to run a few posts that have been kicking about in the drafts folder for a while. Hope you like them.

It’s March, and that means it’s time for another clothing swap. I host one every year (2014, 2013, 2012) and every year I am amazed by (a) how many clothes I manage to accumulate (despite swearing up and down the previous year that it would not happen again), and (b) how much fun the whole thing ends up being, despite my twenty kinds of unnecessary stressing beforehand. Truly, the hostess power is not strong with yours truly. It’s probably because I don’t have a Pinterest account. Or perhaps why. (It’s a chicken or egg thing, really.) But, I do try:

clothing swap party — Setting up (with a sneak peek at our living room remod)

This year’s theme was East Meets West (think sushi and hot wings), so I had to add some fortune cookies to the mix. On bunny plates that had absolutely nothing to do with the theme, because why not. (For the record, my husband picked those out at Winners. I bet you didn’t see that coming.) Anyway, it looked cute:

Some of my guests asked about the floral arrangements, so I’ll share my “secret” here as well, in case someone hasn’t yet discovered it for themselves: Costco flowers, peeps. Four hydrangea stems, and two dozen roses set me back about $30, and they are ridiculously easy to arrange at home. And here’s my mom’s tip for getting the roses to open up nicely: when you get them home, cut the stems down and add ice to their water. Easy peasy.

Also easy? Store-bought dessert. Keeps the party prep time to a manageable level, and is delicious to boot.

Since we’re talking about a clothing swap, I guess you might be curious about the clothes. Here is what left my closet (and my mom’s!):

And here is what came in:

The LOFT eyelet sleeveless top is perfect under my work blazers, and the cream colour will be very versatile, I think. I decided to take the AG jeans, despite not being a fan of flares, because they fit me incredibly well in the waist/butt/hip area. These jeans have a definite 70s vibe to them, which seems to be a big trend again this year, so I figured this would be the cheapest way to try a new look. Because they are also extra long, I decided to keep a pair of super high platform sandals I had planned on purging. To balance out the shoe equation, I also got a pair of strappy Zara flat sandals. Oh, and some ginormous Cavalli sunglasses.

And then, there was this:

I remember seeing this dress on Jean, two or three years ago, so obviously it made an impression on me. I don’t really shop at H&M for myself anymore (I do buy some kids’ stuff there), but I figured this one was worth keeping around … at least for a while, especially with St. Patrick’s Day around the corner (and a client event where we’ve been encouraged to dress to theme). If it doesn’t end up getting a lot of wear, well, there is always next year’s swap!

This marked the 8th year that I’ve hosted a clothing swap, and it has never not been a ton of fun. Getting some awesome new-to-me clothes is a big part of it, for sure, but it is even better to get a chance to catch up with friends, old and new. So, if you’ve ever thought about hosting (or attending) a clothing swap – do ittttt! I mean, you probably won’t have a terrible time or anything.

And if you’ve done it before, tell me what you thought about the whole experience.

18
Nov
2014

Channeling My Inner Audrey

categories: Bargains, Dress-up, style

Isaac Mizrahi for Target dress; Audrey Hepburn LBD; Audrey Hepburn black dress; boat neck black dress — Dress, Isaac Mizrahi for Target (via eBay); bag, Chanel (via consignment)

Gah, horrible lighting strikes again! Sorry, you guys. In the interests of authenticity, I never photograph outfits ahead of time, which sometimes leads to this. Sad, sad, sad OOTD photos. By the time I was ready to go (to a fancy schmancy client event), it was way dark and I was stuck taking photos indoors.

Which is a real shame, because I had a really cute outfit. Another cocktail party, another old Target designer collab dress. This one is an Isaac Mizrahi, and it is divine. I hate the ubiquitous references to Audrey Hepburn, but I truly feel this dress deserves one. The neckline nails it, yes? Anyway, as with my Lela Rose for Target dress, this one is really nice quality all things considered. I really, really wish that Target would go back to making designer collabs this good.

Valentino half bow pumps patent leather — shoes, Valentino (via consignment); earrings, J. Crew (via consignment)

Here’s an after-the-fact close-up of the accessories you can’t see. And here’s a look at the best part of the dress – the back:

11
Aug
2014

Hey, Baby

categories: Dress-up, Favourite things, Life, style

Edme & Esyllte Tulip Perspective mini; Banana Republic chambray chic tassel necklace — Skirt, Anthropologie (thrifted); top, Gap Factory; necklace, Banana Republic; shoes, Stuart Weitzman; bag, MbMJ (via consignment)

So, I turned 34. No big whoop, except that I’m now officially in my mid-thirties. It’s, like, odd … but only if I think about it. Don’t worry, I’m still shockingly immature. Moving on, how cute is this Edme & Esyllte skirt? I want to wear it constantly, and every time I do, I want to tell everyone that I thrifted it for eight whole bucks. Hey, here’s a fun game: guess how much the whole outfit cost? Go on, guess.

Answer: $89. Were you close? The necklace was a gift (thanks, mom & dad); otherwise, it would have been the most expensive item at $40 (on sale, you should really check it out). Yeah, I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself. It’s allowed on one’s birthday, yes?

Speaking of, my husband took me out for a date night to celebrate the fact I’m now a year older than him. (For the next two months.) We went to a joint called Meat.

The menu is well curated (read, short, very short), but everything we tried was delicious. As a pickle aficionado, I am telling you to order the pickle if you go. Best $1 I spent all week. Well, my husband spent it, but you know what I mean. The only downside of Meat is also, in a way, what makes it a really fun place to hang: it’s hipster heaven. We had a table near the door, which afforded us excellent people watching opportunities, and we marveled at the constant stream of hipster haircuts, hipster beards, hipster clothes, hipster babies. (We didn’t know this beforehand, but Meat seems to be a pretty cool place to bring your kids. Duly noted for future reference.) When in Rome … drink the hipster-approved soda. (It was delicious.)

edmonton meat restaurant — Knee deep in hipster

My husband decided to try to get me drunk, and damn nearly succeeded. I know what you’re thinking, but I haven’t had alcohol in nearly 4 years (it’s a taste thing, not a philosophical thing) and 2.5% beer might as well be moonshine. And, for the record, it was also delicious. I absolutely hate beer and refuse to drink it, but this stuff tasted entirely un-beer-like. Paired excellently with my garlic fries and BBQ pulled chicken, by the way.

Too soon, it was time to go home. Midnight? Pfft. Cinderella ain’t got nothing on us. Forget the magical pumpkin carriage; the baby-sitting clock is much less forgiving.

Category: Dress-up