Category: Uncategorized

Turtleneck Encore

Dress, BR (via swap); sweater, Club Monaco; shoes, Clarks; bag, YSL
Dress, BR (via swap); sweater, Club Monaco; shoes, Clarks; bag, YSL

Did you miss my turtleneck(s)? Fear not, they remain a staple of my weekend arsenal, especially since the weather remains colder than frigid. On a (relatively) warmer day, I ended up pulling this old BR slip dress into service, and my (purple, though it’s hard to tell) turtleneck was its perfect complement. Don’t worry, I also wore a coat outside. No matter what retailers are saying, it is NOT spring out there, or anything remotely resembling any season except winter.

jacket, Ben Sherman (thrifted)
jacket, Ben Sherman (thrifted)
ruffles galore
ruffles galore

My Clarks booties are also still going strong, some 4 months (and 40 odd wears) later. Although I tend to baby my work shoes, I’m not very kind on my “outdoors” shoes so I am amazed by how well this pair has held up. The only problem I’ve had was a lace snapping, which is probably not surprising given how much abuse (cold weather, snow, slush) these booties have taken. They remain my most comfortable pair of heeled boots, and can easily be dressed up or down. They are, however, definitely not “freezing weather” shoes, so I save them for those occasional days when Mother Nature takes pity on us. And spring. When it finally comes.

not boring black
not boring black

Peplum Philosophy

Blazer, Philosophy (thrifted); pants, DVF (thrifted); shoes, Sam Edelman (thrifted)
Blazer, Philosophy (thrifted); pants, DVF (thrifted); shoes, Sam Edelman (thrifted)

One of my favourite things about thrifting is finding, from time to time, some truly unique piece. This Philosophy blazer definitely falls into that category. The construction is impeccable and plain to see; this blazer is tailored within an inch of its life. Were it not for the weight of the fabric, it might almost be a top rather than a jacket. Needless to say, I love its aristo-quirkiness. Incorporating it into an outfit was rather challenging, however, because I had to find pieces that would let it take centre stage. A plain black tank (not visible) and simple black cigarette pants ended up doing the trick.

J. Crew Factory necklace
J. Crew Factory necklace

I also added a short statement necklace to keep things from looking too severe. I would love to use a large statement brooch as accessory next time, but none of my current pieces seem like a good fit for the style and vibe of the jacket. I’ll either have to MacGuyver a suitable brooch bouquet, or … it will be time to go brooch shopping. Twist my rubber arm, why dotcha?

olive & black
olive & black
all the ruffles
all the ruffles

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Strange Beast

Coat, J. Crew (swap); dress, Target (thrifted); boots, Seychelles (thrifted)
Coat, J. Crew (swap); dress, Target (thrifted); boots, Seychelles (thrifted)
If I had to guess, I’d call this “leopard”. But a rather psychedelic one, hmm? I remember this dress from back in the day when the Phillip Lim collab hit the stores, during that brief but glorious time when Target had stores in Canada. I didn’t buy it at the time, but I was tempted by its funky colour palette when I spotted it at the thrift store 3 years later. It’s made of cotton, and for $7 I figured it would be a good throw-it-on-and-go kind of dress for an upcoming trip (more on that soon). I was in a rush, so I just eyeballed the dimensions and bought it without trying it on. As it turns out, the fit is kinda weird. There is a lot of asymmetry going on, which is probably what’s throwing me off, but it somehow feels both too big and not big (or long?) enough. It looks really good with my blue-purple J. Crew coat, though, so I couldn’t resist a quick weekend test-drive. I don’t think this will turn out to be a wardrobe staple for me, but it will surely spice up my vacation outfits.

making waves
making waves

bright combo
bright combo