Blue Collar Red Lipstick

10
Oct
2017

Matching Blush

categories: style

Skirt, J. Crew (thrifted); top, Loft (thrifted); blazer, Loft82 (via consignment); shoes, Jimmy Choo (thrifted); bag, MbMJ

I admit it. I may have gone a little overboard with the matchiness this time. Things is, there is a lot going on here — bold print, bright colours. I tried a different, more colourful blazer, and it seemed too much. The greige felt more sedate, and it`s an almost perfect match for the background colour in the print. Since the pink is also represented in the print … well, it`s all next level matchy. Together with the more professionalish silhouette, it`s all very Old Adina. Hey, it still works.

I have a whole rainbow of these wool J. Crew pencil skirts — all solid colours, all very classic — that I rarely wear these days. It seems a shame to get rid of them, as they are decent quality and will probably never look truly outdated, but I kinda hate seeing them hanging in my closet, unworn. I think I am going to make this one of my style “challenges” this winter: finding fresh ways to adapt them to my current aesthetic.

Everything else here is varying degrees of “not new”, especially my shoes. These Jimmy Choos are one of my first true designer thrift finds; I think I got them sometime back in 2012. And they`re still kicking! I recently found an awesome new cobbler who fixed them up with new heel tips; he also suggested that I reinforce the soles on my next visit to keep them going for a few more years. They cost me $8 back in the day but they are basically priceless at this point. I am still hoping the universe is kind enough to send another (back up) pair my way one of these days. Fingers crossed!

09
Oct
2017

What I Wore: September 2017

categories: Capsule Wardrobe

I have gone on record before as hating September. I hate the changing of seasons this time of year. It means the days get short and cold, and there is nothing good about that. The trees look glorious for about 5 minutes, but that`s really no consolation at all. This September was your typical month otherwise — alternating between moments when I fear I`m failing at life and moments when I know it for a fact — only to get capped off with a bout of truly awful head pain courtesy of what was eventually diagnosed as occipital neuralgia. Let`s just say that I have a new perspective towards (and endless sympathy for) people who live with chronic pain. Horrible, horrible stuff.

I did manage to get dressed, which was a small miracle some days.

A surprisingly colourful month, which is probably a manifestation of my rebellion against the encroaching cold weather. There were quite a few mornings when I had to wear boots on my commute, but we shall not speak of that further. My fave outfits were probably 6, 9, 13, and 15 — perhaps not coincidentally, most of them featured some of my newest thrift/consignment finds. Number 13 was a repeat outfit, though, so novelty is not everything. In fact, I`ve found myself digging through my “archival” closet lately, and pulling out pieces I had retired earlier in the year; suddenly, I had the urge to revisit sentimental favourites, and see if I could make them feel fresh and bring them in step with my current aesthetic leanings. The marriage of twee and minimalist? It might be a tall order, but with winter just around the corner, what else do I have to keep me entertained?

Here is a look at what I wore in Septembers past: 2014 – 2015 – 2016.

06
Oct
2017

Black & Cream

categories: style, Writing

Blazer, Coquille (thrifted); top, BR Factory (thrifted); pants, Aritzia (thrifted); shoes, Ferragamo (thrifted); bag, MbMJ (via eBay)

This is a very simple outfit, but I like this recently thrifted blazer a lot so I figured that it deserved a post. A short post — because, really, I don`t have much to say here — but a post nonetheless. It`s Friday; who`s reading anyway? That`s mostly a rhetorical question, although … who IS reading blogs these days? I keep seeing articles about the death of blogs, and I wonder. Some days I feel like a dinosaur, an anachronism left over from the days when people took pictures of their outfits in the mirror. I never really evolved, and it`s too late to start now. I made my peace with that a while ago, but I`m still occasionally filled with nostalgia — not necessarily for the heydays of blogging, but for some of the old skool bloggers I still miss. To add to that, as old favourites leave, no one is taking their place. My own reading list is shrinking, though not for want of trying on my part. So help me out: who are some of your favourite voices on the internet?

As for the blazer? It`s a good one. A linen blend, but not the wrinkly kind. Structured, but not constrictive. Interesting cut, yet also classic. It fits true to size, if you want to hunt it down on eBay. The good news is that Anthro brand blazers tend to have low re-sale value so you should be able to snag this one for a song.