Category: Love at first sight

Going Out On a Lim

3.1 Phillip Lim silk pleated dress
Dress, 3.1 Phillip Lim; blazer, J. Crew; shoes, Stuart Weitzman; bag, Mulberry (via consignment)

OK, you guys: this one is special. I spied this 3.1 Phillip Lim dress on the (non-sale) rack at Holt Renfrew sometime last year, and immediately came down with a case of googly-eyes over it. You know what I’m talking about. I ooh-ed and ah-ed (internally), and thought about how much cooler I would be if only I got to wear something so chic. This is, of course, nonsense, but some clothes have that magic of making you believe that it is possible to be a cooler, prettier, more sophisticated, fill-in-the-blank you. But I digress. I looked at the price tag, and it was all, like, “LOL, nope. Move along, peasant!” And I did, because while I like pretty things a lot, I like my retirement account more.

3.1 Phillip Lim silk pleated dress
love at first sight

Cut to late January, and I’m back strolling through Holt on a coffee break with a co-worker. (Which happens more often than it should but … ah, let’s get back to the story.) I spot the dress again, this time on the sale rack, and pull it out to show it to my friend, who agrees that it is quite lovely. I get ready for more wistful oohs and ahhs, when … do my eyes deceive me? Is that … can that be the sale price? $157, down from $815?

Yes, yes it is.

Chanel dragon
manicure, Chanel Dragon

Now, $157 (plus tax) is still a lot of money. I routinely spend that much and more in any given month on clothes, but very rarely in one go. And almost never on a piece of clothing. (It’s usually a bag.) It’s above my psychological price threshold for impulse buys, so to speak. This story might have had a different ending than these photos suggest, were it not for a little deus ex machina action in the form of my annual Christmas gift card from work. Gotta love a happy ending, cliched narrative devices aside.

3.1 Phillip Lim silk pleated dress
so pretty!
3.1 Phillip Lim silk pleated dress
prettiest thing I own? may well be …

Have you ever fallen (hopelessly) in love with a piece of clothing or accessory outside of your budget, only to later end up being able to buy after all?

The Relic

Sweet Chemise wrap dress
Dress, Sweet Chemise; shoes, Jimmy Choo (via eBay); bag, Tory Burch

This dress has been in my closet since 2007 or so, making it the oldest garment I own, by a long shot. It has seen me through 2 pregnancies, and quite a few sizes, and it is still as beautiful as the day I first saw it. Call it a wardrobe match made in heaven. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that it’s a better constructed piece than my DVF wrap dresses. What?! I know, heresy. But it’s true. The neckline is cut so that it doesn’t gape around/over the bust, and the wrap is generous enough to accommodate a swing of 2-3 sizes without looking too tight or too loose.

I have one other Sweet Chemise dress (thrifted!) which is also a marvel of construction.

Sweet Chemise dress #2
Sweet Chemise dress #2

If you ever run into this Canadian brand (especially on the secondhand market), do give their clothes a try – you might just find a treasure of your own.

Sweet Chemise wrap dress
buy me!

Hey, look: cute bag. You can buy it here, before I change my mind and decide to keep it or something.

Cartier Trinity ring; Swarovski stackable ring
Rings, Old Navy, Swarovski & Cartier

Match Made in Wardrobe Heaven

Frye distressed Melissa boots; Zara chunky cardigan
Cardigan, Zara (thrifted); dress, Anthropologie (via eBay); boots, Frye; bag, Marc Jacobs

This cardigan was a total thrift store impulse buy. Can you have an impulse buy at the thrift store? Or, conversely (and perhaps more accurately), can you have anything but? Regardless, it was an unusual thrifting purchase for me, because I rarely thrift fast fashion brands, or knits. Thrift store knits are rarely decent, in my experience at least. As a result, I rarely look at that section of the store; luckily, I saw this one on the changing room discards rack and was immediately drawn to it. Someone’s unwanted (twice over) was my gain.

Frye distressed Melissa boots; Zara chunky cardigan
um … ahh … hey, what’s over here

I like it because it’s a chunky version of the open cardigan style I’m really liking at the moment. More importantly, it’s the sweater version of my Frye boots – from the texture and colour (heathered/distressed rich brown) to the vibe (boho chic, naturellement). So, of course, I had to pair them for the cardigan’s inaugural outfit. I even threw in a (poorly executed) side braid, because when it comes to a theme, I commit.

Frye distressed Melissa boots; Zara chunky cardigan
ah, yes, there you are (it’s sunneeee! don’t make me look at the light!)