Casual Friday is a thing at my new job (yay!) but I gave up the opportunity to wear jeans in favour of this slightly dressier combo during my first week. I *could* have worn this top with jeans, but I wanted to try a slightly more polished combination for its inaugural outing. This new-to-me top is the first Bailey44 piece that I’ve successfully thrifted. I have spotted the brand before, but nothing that worked for me style- or quality-wise. This piece was a bit crumpled but otherwise in stellar shape. The colorblocking makes it quite versatile for mixing and matching, and the triangle shape has a lovely bit of swish to it, plus a high comfort factor. It’s definitely a keeper.
navy, white & olivedressy tank
I even sprung for professional dry cleaning for it, which cost me a whopping $12 (almost double the thrift price of the top), because I liked it that much and didn’t want to take any chances cleaning it myself. Better safe than sorry but … ouch. I totally get why people would want to avoid clothes that require dry cleaning; the cost of maintenance can get out of control very quickly. I will say that, with the exception of very delicate silk pieces like this top, my Woolite home dry cleaning kit works very well in terms of refreshing clothes. I am looking to invest into a steamer next, which would complete my home laundering arsenal. If anyone has recommendations, especially in the under-$200 range, please leave them in the comments. Bonus points if it’s something I can Amazon Prime. Convenience is my middle name. One of them, anyway.
Change is good. As with all things that are inevitable in life, I think it’s best to make peace with change and look upon it with equanimity, but quite apart from all that … I like it. I don’t always enjoy the process of change — it is rarely pain-free and I’m someone who loves her comfort — but I thrive on it. I love stability, but I know I need what only change can bring. I think of it as a forest after a big fire: full of new possibilities, new perspectives, new life.
Being in the midst of change, as I have been over the last month or so, often feels like living in the middle of a blur. Everything speeds up around you, and shifts, and moves past and away from you, and your first instinct is to reach out and grab hold of it. Keep everything in place. Keep everything close. I always have to fight that instinct; to trust that, when it’s all over (and ready to begin again), the important things will still be with me, and only the things that rightfully belong to the past have been left behind. I’m getting better at that, with time. Practice makes perfect, they say.
hello, change!florals are always special
I wore this outfit on my last day at my old job. I worked there for 8 years and 3 months, give or take a week. I worked in the same office tower for over 11 years – almost my entire professional life. That last day marked a big milestone in my professional life, which now begins a new chapter — perhaps a whole new book even. It was also just a regular Wednesday; people come and go, it’s no big deal. I wanted to mark the occasion in some small, personal way so I decided to set aside the outfit I had originally picked to wear, and choose something a little more special. I figured this Etro tunic top and a favourite pair of pumps fit the bill. I built the rest of the outfit around them, and felt great in it. On a bittersweet day, it was a small comfort.
tunic lengthsall the special pieces
P.S. Today is my 37th birthday. It seems appropriate to post this outfit today. Change is always with us, even when we don’t notice it. Here’s to another trip around the sun!
A reader recently mentioned that she would enjoy reading a post that detailed my rationale for choosing pieces as part of my on-going closet purge. I aim to please! In fact, since my closet is a metaphorical revolving door – with things going in and coming out of it with some regularity – so this is probably a good topic of a recurring series. So, without further ado, I bring you: What’s Leaving My Closet, summer 2017.
Theory Blazer
red, red blazer
This was a hard decision. The blazer fits very well, is decent quality, and in very good condition. I originally paid $40 for it at a local consignment store, and I’ve worn it less than 10 times in the two years that I’ve had it. I do wear it … occasionally. The reality is that the frequency of wear is unlikely to increase. In my current wardrobe plan, bright red is reserved for accents – i.e. bags and shoes. This blazer stands out, and not in a way that works with the rest of my closet.
I am probably going to try to re-consign it, and if it doesn’t sell, then it will go into next year’s swap pile. I’m not planning to replace it, though I am sure I’ll be adding more blazers to my collection soon enough. I always do. #noregrets
J.Crew Pants
Green pants
I thrifted a pair of green J. Crew Minnies back in January-ish (or maybe December or March, I don’t even know, sigh) for $2, and I wore them twice. I am letting them go for a couple of reasons. One, I am not as fond of this style of trouser; more precisely, this style combined with the (stretchy) fabric. I now prefer a slightly looser cut, tapered to the ankle, as well as a dressier fabric with a bit of drape to it. Two, while I like this colour and it’s fairly close to the forest green I have chosen for my wardrobe palette, I have come to realize that I prefer black trousers over coloured ones. I am not sure why the “polarity” makes a difference, but it does. My preferred combo is coloured top + black pants.
This pair is going into my donations bag. I have no plans to replace them, though I did recently thrift two pairs of Aritzia trousers. Both of them are black.
J. Crew Sandals
J. Crew black sandals
I was sad to see these go, but their time had come. I’ve had them for about 3 years (bought new at the Factory store for $25) and have worn them countless times, most recently on my trip to Palm Springs. That proved to be their death knell. They went into the garbage, sadly, because there was nothing there to be salvaged.
I have actually replaced them with a new pair of (slide) sandals, also from J. Crew Factory (on sale for $30). Black sandals are a summer staple for me, so this was non-negotiable. I think the fact that this new pair doesn’t have an ankle strap will make them even more convenient for casual wear.
Imagine these in black
Old Navy Sandals
(old) Old Navy sandals
Same story here. This pair was even older than the J. Crew ones, and had also seen much better days. I wasn’t looking to immediately replace them but then I spotted this cute pair at the Factory store (on sale for $25), and I couldn’t help myself.
Mm, sparkly!
That’s it for now. Stay tuned for another thrilling instalment, coming your way … soon, probably.
