Dress, Vanessa Virginia (thrifted); shoes, Jeffrey Campbell (thrifted); necklace, no name (via consignment); hat. AritziaCan you believe I almost didn’t buy this dress last year? It’s so cute; I’m glad I came to my senses. And it’s the embodiment of summer in dress form, dontcha think? This is far preppier a look than my usual weekend style, but I enjoy the relative simplicity of it. I say “relative” because there is an awful lot going on here, visually. Practically speaking, though, it’s the easiest of outfits. Put dress on, you’re done. It doesn’t really need any accessories — what with the print and the embroidery and all — but I added the necklace because I had just bought it and was excited to wear it. It adds a touch of boho-ness, which I like.
hey summer, I see you one hand in my pocketThe hat was also technically new, although you’ve seen it plenty of times before. My beloved Panana took a beating on our trip to Mexico earlier this year, so it was time to get a replacement. Luckily, Aritzia stocks these hats every year, and thankfully, the price is still a reasonable $28 (plus tax). I love this hat, and wear it constantly in the summer; I would highly recommend it if you’re in the market for some sun coverage. Between this and my trusty Biore sunscreen, I am well covered for my (admittedly, rare) outings into the “wild”.
Speaking of Aritzia, I used the hat-buying trip as an opportunity have a bit of a browse around. Once again, I was unable to find my favourite style of T. Babaton trousers, and I am starting to think that they’ve been discontinued. The Cohen style looks like the closest thing, but it’s not the same. Bummer. That disappointment aside, I was pretty shocked at the prices I saw. I know a lot of younger women favour the brand and I couldn’t help asking myself: how can they afford it? I would struggle to justify paying the full retail prices, and even the stuff on sale didn’t strike me as inexpensive — and I’m a 30-something with a good chunk of disposable income. It reminded me very much of Anthropologie, a brand I only started buying once I was able to get it secondhand. From what I can tell (judging from the pieces I have thrifted), the quality does not line up with the prices Aritzia is asking (nor is there a ethical fashion aspect as far as I am aware), but their retail strategy must be working nonetheless. Is there something about Aritzia that I’m missing?
There is something very 90s about camo to me. Ditto for super acid-washed jeans. Like something that would turn up on a background dancer in a Britney video, pre-KFed era. Hopefully, my take was slightly more “office-bound professional” than “background booty shaker #3”. I hedged my bets by wearing this on a long weekend, when my office was basically deserted. Side note: aren’t those the BEST times to go in to work? My productivity magically soars.
close-up
I’ve been on an olive kick lately. I know I’m late to the game, but how awesome of a neutral is olive, you guys? I’m currently hunting for an olive silk camisole, which is proving elusive (no, Aritzia, I am not paying $60 for a thin, spaghetti-strapped strip of cloth, thanks), but I happily settled for this blazer. I have learned to avoid 100% linen toppers because they wrinkle like mofos, and I ain’t got time to deal with that, but I made an exception for this blazer; somehow, wrinkles don’t detract from its vibe. I dig the slightly disheveled look. It helps that the blazer is cut within an inch of its life; the sharp fit stops it from looking more shabby than chic.
I can’t tell you how much I love these quirky jeans. It helps that they’re very comfortable, of course, but that doesn’t fully account for the depth of my devotion. It doesn’t make sense. I mean, huge knee patches? A strange hybrid of skinny and peg-leg styles? Somehow, it all works for me. And it also works with a nice, chunky knit. Luckily, I have a few of those.
patched watch (Skagen)patched knees and toes
Somehow, sometime in the past year, I became a sweater lover. And not just any kind of sweater lover. The chunkier the sweater, the better. Who knew texture could be so much fun? Almost as much fun as a good floral print. (Yes, I did just write that. Are you shocked?) Now, of course, this particular sweater has other stuff going on to recommend it. Like, say, patches. More patches? When I had a closer look, I realized that I had unconsciously developed a theme. The shoes also have patches of a sort, if you consider the contrast toe. And the watch face looks like it’s made up of mother-of-pearl puzzle pieces … or patches, if you will. Funny how that happens.
