Monochrome

I love a good monochromatic look. The key to making it interesting, in my humble opinion, is to layer different textures for visual interest and “depth”. This outfit, for example, is all about subtle details. I love how the gauzy dress overlay contrasts with the textured sleeves. The lace-up shoes are also a little snazzier than your average pair of black flats. I wore these on my commute, then ended up switching to patent leather metallic grey pumps at work because I could not resist the extra bit of monochromacity (not a word, don’t care).

Notes: Rick Owens dress (secondhand, $133); YSL blazer (thrifted, $10); J. Crew necklace (thrifted, $10); Napoleoni shoes (thrifted, $6).

Weather Reversal

Ok, so here’s the thing you need to know to understand this outfit: mornings lately have been cold here. (I may also be turning into wimp as I get older, ahem.) But by midday, the temperature rises and it becomes quite warm. (Did I mention that I am a wimp at both ends of the scale?) This outfit was designed for temperature swings … and also because I love this coat and have missed wearing it lately. As it happened, I ditched it by about 10:30 but it was fun while I wore it. The rest of the outfit held up just fine for the rest of the day. It’s mostly made out of linen (both the tunic and the pants). The piece de resistance was, of course, my beloved Rafael necklace.

Notes: Cartonnier coat (thrifted, $21); Eileen Fisher tunic (thrifted, $8.50); Lida Baday pants (thrifted, $4.50); AGL flats (consignment, $67); Rafael Canada necklace (thrifted; $8); Anthropologie bag (swapped).

Cozy Friday

Last week, I came down with a terrible, horrible, no good cough which turned out to be bronchitis in the end. I had a pretty miserable go of it for most of the week, but after 48 hours of antibiotics, started to feel somewhat human again. Just in time for Friday, which was nice. (I usually start feeling worse, not better, before a weekend. Sigh.) I put some real clothes on for the first time in 2 days, but went with the most comfortable option I could find in my closet. This Ayrtight dress feels like pyjamas, honestly. The relaxed silhouette of the oversized Chevalier blazer from Wilfred works well with the drapiness of the dress. Not a bad effort, all things considered.

Notes: Ayrtight dress (consignment, $45); Wilfred blazer (thrifted, $6); Cole Haan shoes (thrifted, $10); H&M belt (retail, can’t remember the price from a decade ago).

After my original post on my FabFitFun subscription, one of the most frequent questions I received was “is it worth it?” After the first box, my answer was “yes” but I promised I would give an update with future boxes. Well, I received my Summer 2019 FabFitFun box recently, and here we go.

To recap, I paid for an annual subscription of 4 boxes (it was not gifted, and these posts are not sponsored) which set me back about $330CAD including shipping. This works out to about $80CAD, give or take, per box. That represents my frame of reference when deciding if the boxes are worth it or not. As an annual subscriber, I have the option of selecting a good chunk of the products in each box, which I appreciate and consider (for myself) a good trade-off for the upfront financial commitment to 4 boxes.

Here’s what I received this time:

As always, I do appreciate the presentation.

I believe this was a “mystery item” which was one of the customization options. My experience with the Dr. Brandt under-eye cream thing I got in my last box was meh. Having tried this luminizer primer, I have to say I am much happier. I don’t typically use primer, but I like how this one goes on and how it works with my Jane Iredale powder foundation; it does seem to make my skin look smoother. Retail value: $24+ (all prices given in USD).

I was super excited to try this Coola make-up setting spray with SPF. I like sneaking in SPF whenever I can. I’ve heard some people complain about the smell of this product (and question its efficacy) but I like it. On days when I know I’m not going to be outside very long, I use this in place of my Biore sunscreen. Retail value: $36.

I just cut my hair (long pixie for the win!) so these Invisibobble bands aren’t much use to me. I will probably see if they work on my daughter, who has waist-length hair. Retail value: $16.

This shower cream/body cream duo from Sol de Janeiro was my top pick for the box. I adore the Acai cream I received in a mystery box last month, so I was pumped to try to famous Bum Bum cream. Since I’m still using the other jar, I haven’t opened the Bum Bum, but I have tried the shower cream and it’s a-mah-zing!! Love the scent, love how soft it makes my skin. I would be happy with a SdJ product in every box, to be honest. Retail value: $45.

This was a product that everyone received, and it’s meh for me. My feet need help, but a foot mask is simply not something I can get excited about. I’ve tried this one once, and had no adverse reactions, but also experienced no extraordinary results. I’m not sure I’ll get much use out of it. Retail value: $32.

Another meh (also came standard in all boxes). I love my Mario Badescu facial sprays, and this product probably won’t replace them. But I will probably get some use out of it – I took this to the office to have on hand during the work day. Retail value: $26.

I don’t use mud masks, but I am intrigued to try this. My biggest concern is a possible allergic reaction. I don’t think I need brightening products but maybe this will just be a nice moisturizing mask. Note that this was another product included in all boxes. Retail: $36

This was a customizable option, and I chose it because I didn’t like any of the alternatives more. That being said, it looked more appealing to me in the stock photos than IRL. It’s much daintier than I was expecting, which is not really my jam. The quality is lower end costume jewelry – along the lines of what you’d find at, say, Target or H&M. Retail: $52 (inflated, IMO).

This was the final customizable option, and I am very pleased with it. I love the aesthetics of these bowls (white and blue colour scheme, Japanese-inspired prints) and I find them handy to have around the house; you can use them for display, for storing trinkets, and for dinner parties, etc. To be honest, I wouldn’t spend the retail cost to buy them new, but they are a nice addition to the box. Retail: $39.

Overall, between the SdJ stuff, the primer, the setting spray, and the bowls alone, I feel like I got my money’s worth from the box. Quality-wise, everything seemed quite good with the possible exception of the necklace. It seems to be a trend that there is an item that disappoints in every box; I will definitely be more cautious with jewelry options in the future (same as with bags, based on my last box).

Sugar & Spice

I feel like this outfit requires some weather-related explanation, but otherwise its genesis should be pretty obvious: what better juxtaposition than black leather and white eyelet? My BFF called this my “White Wedding” look, a nod to Billy Idol perhaps. As for the weather, it’s been all over the place lately – alternating warm and cool, sun and rain, usually all within the same hour. This outfit hedged all my bets. It is a rare largely non-thrifted look, courtesy of Nordstrom Rack. That rarely happens, but I am a sucker for BlankNYC jackets and this Ulla Johnson dress was a crazy good deal. Justifications, I gots them.

Notes: Ulla Johnson dress (retail, $12); BlankNYC jacket (retail, $35); Napoleoni shoes (thrifted, $6).

Chainmail Chic

This is the Clover Canyon top I purchased secondhand in Calgary recently, and I couldn’t wait to wear it. Up close, part of the print resembles chain mail which, from a psychological perspective, is perfect for a Monday morning. Talk about strapping on your (metaphorical) armor and tackling a new week’s challenges. Because the top is a cropped length, I paired it with my trusty Aritzia high-waisted midi skirt to avoid flashing my pale midriff at unsuspecting co-workers. (I also wore a tank top underneath as an extra layer because, not gonna like, the scuba-like material of the Clover Canyon top is not my favourite right up against the skin.) I decided to add an extra pop of colour with the red shoes because … why not.

Notes: Clover Canyon top (secondhand, $24); Aritzia skirt (thrifted, $13); J. Crew shoes (retail, $80).

Artsy

I want to say this is very “art professor” look but, honestly, I have nothing to base that on except my own imagination. Is this how art professors dress? This asymmetrical Zara skirt is super fun, but the proportions called for balance, so I wore a lightweight turtleneck. I added the chunky stone necklace because it’s such a fun piece, and it works well with the skirt vibe (those big buttons!). I tend to avoid wearing necklaces with turtlenecks, but I think this worked; the top is almost more of a mock-neck, maybe that’s why it didn’t seem too clashy in my eyes.

Notes: Zara skirt (thrifted, $6.5); Oak & Fort top (retail, $40); necklace (thrifted, $4).

Brutalist Friday

I am mostly posting this outfit because I am obsessed with this necklace and will take every opportunity to show it off. I was originally going to wear this outfit with a purple necklace – monochrome for the win! – but after thrifting this one, I had to switch it up. This kind of muted plum (mauve?) colour is one of my favourites, and the pop of yellow works so well with it. Have I mentioned how much I love this necklace? Separate post coming up …

Notes: Moth sweather (thrifted, $7); Cartonnier pants (thrifted, $8); Rafael Canada necklace (thrifted, $8).