Blue Collar Red Lipstick

01
Aug
2017

Swing, Baby, Swing

categories: Life

Tunic, Etro (thrifted); sweater, Theory; pants, Aritzia (thrifted); shoes, Ferragamo (thrifted); bag, Gucci (via consignment)

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.

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.

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!

28
Jul
2017

The Closet Diaries, Volume 1

categories: Closet Diaries

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

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

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

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.

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.

That’s it for now. Stay tuned for another thrilling instalment, coming your way … soon, probably.

27
Jul
2017

The Blazer Vest

categories: style

Blazer, Zara (via consignment); dress, ASOS (via consignment); shoes, French Connection; bag, Gucci (via consignment)

I’ve been wanting a sleeveless blazer like this one for a good six months at least. At the beginning of the year, when I went through my Club Monaco phase, I had my eye on one of their pieces, but the price never dropped enough to meet my budget requirements. The thrift store didn’t yield any likely options either, so I put the search on the back burner … where it sat until a few weeks ago when I stumbled on this number at my local consignment store. It was on the very last rack I checked that day, too. Do you sometimes get the sense that there are clothes out there looking for you? No? You don’t anthropomorphize your clothing? Well, alrighty then.

I have a million ideas for this blazer (vest? vest blazer? blazer vest?) and there were no particular intention behind making this the inaugural outfit except that I had planned to wear this dress to work, and I hadn’t yet chosen a topper. Outfit kismet! I love the silhouette, definitely not the same old, same old for me.

For those interested, the blazer is from Zara. It’s probably at least a couple of seasons old, seeing as it made its way through to a consignment store. I am pleasantly impressed with the quality (I bought it for looks in the first place); it’s polyester, but the kind that looks and feels more expensive than it is. The tailoring is quite good; on par with the Club Monaco version I had earlier considered. It’s probably a piece that can be found on eBay with a bit of luck. (For sizing reference, I am wearing the Small and it fits very well.)