Category: Uncategorized

Plum & Gold

Jacket, Wilfred (thrifted); top, Theory (thrifted); pants, Club Monaco; shoes, J. Crew; bag, Marc Jacobs
Jacket, Wilfred (thrifted); top, Theory (thrifted); pants, Club Monaco; shoes, J. Crew; bag, Marc Jacobs
Alternate title: Culottes Strike Again. To be honest, I think I like them even better paired with this blazer than the one I wore before. The cropped length keeps the emphasis on the waist, which is key with culotte silhouettes I find. I still feel a little strange wearing trousers this voluminous, but the novelty is slowly wearing off. To keep things looking sleek, I chose a base layer and shoes in the same colour family to elongate the line and all that — column of colour, back for another outing. Speaking of shoes, I love how chameleon-like these J. Crew pumps are; the colour somehow works with both cooler and warmer shades, which means they go with almost anything that passes for purple in my wardrobe.

Thrifted brooch - Chanel-esque?
Thrifted brooch – Chanel-esque?

bag & shoes
bag & shoes
The one thing I will say about high-waisted trousers — at least this specific pair — is that they’re kinda high maintenance. To make them look flattering, I find that I have to make sure to eliminate all “lumps and bumps” between my waist and hips, an area naturally prone to the aforementioned features. Wearing nylons under the culottes is my solution, but it’s not one I’m happy to have to embrace. I’ve made my peace with wearing nylons with skirts and dresses (all year round, more or less), but pants are another thing; I always wear nylon socks (it cuts down on foot perspiration, in my experience), but pantyhose … shudder. Obviously, this is an issue related to the fabric of the trousers; I don’t have the same problem with high-waisted jeans, for example. It’s definitely a big reason why I haven’t gone back to buy more of Club Monaco’s current trouser offerings. If there’s going to a high maintenance diva in my closet, that diva better be me.

plum as far as the eye can see
plum as far as the eye can see

Pyjama Chic

Jacket, BCBG (thrifted); turtleneck, Club Monaco; pants, Aritzia (thrifted); shoes, Prada; bag, MbMJ; belt, BCBG (thrifted)
Jacket, BCBG (thrifted); turtleneck, Club Monaco; pants, Aritzia (thrifted); shoes, Prada; bag, MbMJ; belt, BCBG (thrifted)

Ok, I’ll admit it. This is a very slight tweak on an outfit you’ve seen before (more than once, if you follow me on Instagram) but I’m posting it anyway because this jacket is one of my favourite things, and I love the total pyjama-chicness happening here with the turtleneck combo. Some day, I will wear this jacket with a colour other than black … but today is not that day. #sorrynotsorry

pink, black & burgundy
pink, black & burgundy
outfit details
outfit details
palette on point
palette on point

Speaking of which, the burgundy bag (always my go-to when I want to brighten up black without going full-on “pop of colour”) gave me an idea for a future outfit. It just so happens that I recently acquired some burgundy pants so … stay tuned. Going back to this outfit, everything is old but let’s recap it anyway. My Aritzia pants are still wonderful and amazing, and I still haven’t been able to find their style name much less a back-up pair. The hunt, it continues. The belt came with a thrifted BCBG dress which is sitting in my “swap” pile, all ready for my upcoming clothing swap. I actually bought the thing *for* the belt, which is totally feasible when you’re talking about Goodwill prices. I love me a stretchy, embellished belt. (I’m confident the dress will find a new home too, and a new belt to complete it.)

Also loving? My black Club Monaco turtleneck, natch. It remains one of my best recent purchases, as my OOTDs this winter can attest. Last but not least, these low Prada wedges are old (circa 2013) and I still remember how obsessed I was with the 50s-inspired collection to which they belonged. Those skinny bows! I lusted after them for months until I lucked out and found these shoes on the clearance rack at Holt’s — last pair, my size — right before I went on maternity leave with my daughter. Ahh, memories. Not gonna lie, it’s a bit of a shock to realize that was almost, gasp, 4 years ago.

Time flies. Good shoes are forever. Or something like that.

belted & turtlenecked
belted & turtlenecked

Floral & Leather

Jacket, Joe Fresh (thrifted); dress, Anthropologie (thrifted); sweater, Club Monaco; scarf, Winners; shoes, Clarks; bag, Gucci
Jacket, Joe Fresh (thrifted); dress, Anthropologie (thrifted); sweater, Club Monaco; scarf, Winners; shoes, Clarks; bag, Gucci

I was really happy to re-wear this dress a couple of weekends ago, and even more happy that the weather was nice enough to allow me to pair it with my fave leather jacket. (Having that extra layer of cotton/cashmere came in handy. Those Club Monaco turtlenecks are gold, I tell you.) I wore this jacket to death last fall, and I’ve been missing it terribly ever since. You guys, I am so ready for spring to come. I know you’re probably sick of hearing that, and if you’re not then you will be by the time spring actually does arrive to this part of the world. But, oh, the struggle is real. I don’t want to see my wool coats again for a very long time.

all the patterns
all the patterns
leather & florals
leather & florals

Back to the outfit. There’s a lot of volume going on here, I know, but there’s also quite a bit of leg showing and, to be honest, some days I just don’t care about flattering proportions at all. This outfit feels great, billowing fabric and all. It is also quite a bit “louder” than my current work style, but I still like to mix things up from time to time. Never fear, I am not giving up my prints. And to convince you, I am prepared to wear them all at the same time. Oh yeah!

volume, volume everywhere
volume, volume everywhere
mad for prints
mad for prints