Pattern Overload

Dress, Judith & Charles (thrifted); blazer, Cartonnier (thrifted); shoes, Sam Edelman (thrifted); bag, Gucci; necklace, J. Crew Factory
Dress, Judith & Charles (thrifted); blazer, Cartonnier (thrifted); shoes, Sam Edelman (thrifted); bag, Gucci; necklace, J. Crew Factory

It’s the “difficult blazer” again! Admittedly, it works pretty well with this dress because of the colour palette. It IS, however, a lot of print, if you take into account the subtle heathering pattern on the blazer. Nonetheless, there is enough black in here to balance it all out. When in doubt, add black. That’s my motto. Or, at least, one of them. It’s hard to commit to just one, you know?

from the side
from the side
print on print action
print on print action

I am still not convinced that this blazer is a wardrobe star, but I will admit that it’s pretty comfy. The dress is also stretchy, and therefore comfy, which is as good as it gets for an office outfit. Spending 8 hours in a chair in front of my computer really calls for all the comfort I can get. It also probably limits my ability to reach new sartorial heights but … ah well.

In completely unrelated news, Rimmel has decided to suddenly discontinue my beloved Color Rush line of lip crayons. To say that I am devastated is not a huge exaggeration. I have been using these almost exclusively for at least 2-3 years, and nothing else I’ve tried from time to time has even come close to comparing in terms of the quality-cost equation. So I need your help. Tell me your favourite lip products, but please keep in mind: (i) drugstore brands preferred; (ii) lip crayons or similar, not lip glosses; (iii) the cheaper the better. And go!

colourfully corporate
colourfully corporate

Slouchy Chic

Dress, Rick Owens (thrifted); sweater, Elsamanda (thrifted); shoes, Zara; bag, YSL (thrifted); necklace, Tiffany
Dress, Rick Owens (thrifted); sweater, Elsamanda (thrifted); shoes, Zara; bag, YSL (thrifted); necklace, Tiffany

I mean, this is probably more “shapeless” than “slouchy” but the latter sounds better somehow, so let’s go with it. Because, boy, I love this outfit a lot. Is it gauche of me to say that, as the person responsible for said outfit? I don’t know, but I stand by my pronouncement: this outfit is awesome.

Awesome to wear, at any rate.

Which raises the question: is the awesomeness of an outfit measured by how it feels to wear it, or by how it looks? Since I wasn’t wearing this particular outfit at the office, I’m going to vote for #1 … even if, as a blogger, I probably should pay more attention to #2.

sunglasses, Quay
sunglasses, Quay
shapeless and loving it
shapeless and loving it

Weird tangent aside, how about that outfit? The dress is by Rick Owens, which makes me feel extra cool even while looking like a garbage sack-wearing person because we all know that RO is impossibly cool, and some of that coolness is surely transferrable. The sweater is Elsamanda, which is a brand that sounds vaguely familiar to me though I can’t put my finger on why. Previously spotted at Winners, perhaps? Google suggests that there is some connection with Anthro, but I am skeptical. The tag says “made in Italy” which is also a nice bonus. Also nice? The colour. I love it. I love me a chunky knit too; it’s one of the few things I miss when the summer comes. Luckily, in Edmonton, I can count on chunky-knit-appropriate weather for a little while longer. Hashtag: always looking for that silver lining.

am i a minimalist now
am i a minimalist now

Madame Butterfly 

Shirt, Equipment (via Ebay); pants, Pilcro (thrifted); shoes, AGL (via consignment); bag, Coach (via eBay); sunglasses, Quay
Shirt, Equipment (via Ebay); pants, Pilcro (thrifted); shoes, AGL (via consignment); bag, Coach (via eBay); sunglasses, Quay

Sorry, this post has nothing to do with the opera of the same name. I have simply run out of titles, and this was literally the first word association with “butterflies”. Sorry, Puccini. Anyway, the outfit is pretty good, my lack of title creativity aside. And, well, simple too. But simple can still be good, right? And simple can certainly be excused on a (casual) Friday. I chose the silk shirt because I was getting my Lasik surgery, and was told not to wear wool or other fibers that might shed. The cotton chinos were pure comfort. As for the metallic loafers … well, they need no explanation, I think. They’re just bomb awesome.

close-up ... on my kids' chalk art
close-up … on my kids’ chalk art
b-b-b-butterfly
b-b-b-butterfly
yeah, i don't even know, you guys -- what is happening here
yeah, i don’t even know, you guys — what is happening here

One of my fave things about this outfit, though, is the fact that it’s a perfect embodiment of my current shopping habits: part thrift, part consignment, part eBay. Only the sunglasses are retail, and that’s because I’m sometimes a greedy, impatient person. With that said, they’re pretty awesome and I would definitely recommend them. The brand is Quay, and I bought mine through Simons (with free shipping!) because they were cheaper there than on (Canadian) Amazon. Not that I`m trying to enable your (retail) consumption but … well, maybe I am. Nobody`s perfect.

okbye
okbye