Blue Collar Red Lipstick

16
Jan
2017

The One Where I Did Something I Said I’d Never Do Again

They tell you to “never say never”, and that is solid advice because, inevitably, “never” proves far shorter in duration than one expects. For example, in my case, “never” lasted about 5 years.

It was sometime in 2012 that I decided I would NEVER EVER get a pixie cut again. And you know what is happening on top of my head as I write this? That’s right, a pixie cut. Granted, it’s not as drastic a pixie as my last one. It’s really more of a very, very short bob … except at the back, where it sure feels like a pixie. Did I mention there is a touch of undercutting going on at the sides as well? No? Well, that’s what one gets for saying “never”.

As with all my hair decisions, this pixie cut was an entirely impulsive move. “Maybe I should get a pixie again,” I told myself one morning on the way to work, and by 10 AM that same day, I had a hair salon appointment booked. The appointment itself was not until the following morning, and I hate how life sometimes tries to make me reconsider my dubious decisions before it’s too late. Silly life! I always double down on dubious decisions. I did have a brief moment of serious doubt on the eve of my haircut (more on that in a moment), but I plunged on. As for the result … I’m pretty happy with it. A part of me wishes I had pushed myself a little further towards the “edgy” end of the spectrum; closer to, say, Michelle Williams’ do. I ended up compromising a bit, and sticking with slightly longer layers on the sides just so that, in the event of an immediate change of heart, the re-growing process could bypass the whole Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club-era Beatles phase. Depending on how I feel at my next appointment, I may ask my stylist to go a bit shorter on the (under)sides.

short hair don't care — short hair don’t care

I love long hair. I really do. I just don’t love my hair long; it’s not the right texture to be long (fine and kinda lifeless) and my hairstyling skills aren’t good enough to completely overcome that. I think I look pretty good with long hair … but I also look OK with short hair. And here’s the thing: I love a big change. Every few years, I need a big change. I stopped colouring my hair almost a decade ago, so now the only real impact-making change left within my control is, what else, a big chop. For better or worse, I’ll probably be on the “pixie-bob-lob, repeat” cycle forever. Is there also a saying, “never say forever”? I guess I’ll find out …

Blazer, DKNY (thrifted); dress, MaxMara (thrifted); shoes, Stuart Weitzman; bag, Gucci

As it happens, the one thing that did have me second-guessing myself was the question of how a new haircut would affect my style. Many of the women whose pixie cuts I’ve admired in recent years tend to have a more minimalist aesthetic than I do, often with gamine leanings. Like Michelle Williams. While I admire that sort of look (and will, on occasion, pick outfits with a similar vibe), I also know that it’s not my predominant preference. Would my favourite clothes look strange with a new haircut, I wondered. I ended up finding reassurance from an unlikely source; I adore Elisa Nalin’s sartorial exuberance, but have long come to terms with the fact that I’m nowhere near cool enough to pull off a similar aesthetic. However, looking at pictures of Elisa rocking a short pixie AND lots of colourful prints was all the proof I needed that getting a pixie would not require me to embrace black, grey and white as my everyday rainbow.

Ironically, the first outfit I wore after getting my hair cut? Black, white and grey. In my defence, I had a hearing that day. Also in my defence: I did wear a bold floral. And I loved rocking my pixie.

13
Jan
2017

What I Read: Growth & Progress

categories: Books, Reading

I mentioned in my last What I Read post that I’d been exploring the literature on Enneagram typology, and one of the best things to come from that has been my discovery of Constructive Living by David Reynolds. It’s a very short book, and as straightforward as they come, but it’s full of actionable prompts for personal growth based on/inspired by a form of therapy originating in Japan (with strong roots in Zen Buddhism). I found it through an Enneagram-focused blog, which recommended it as a must-read for Type 4s, but I think the takeaways would be relevant to a broader range of people. [Note/Warning: there were a couple of references to homosexuality that I found questionable, which may be due to the fact the book was originally written in the early 80s.]

For fellow parents, I would recommend All Joy, No Fun by Jennifer Senior. It is not — I repeat, it is NOT — a parenting book. You won’t necessarily learn new techniques for dealing with colicky babies or boundaries-pushing toddlers, but you will probably recognize yourself on every page … and laugh or cry depending on the chapter. It’s a book about parenthood: what it means, and what it does to us. After I finished it, I decided that it was going to be the only book I would ever give parents-to-be from now on; and then I changed my mind. I think it’s best appreciated by people who are (already or still) in the thick of it (whether with babies, toddlers, or older kids). One of the most important tools I had as a parent-to-be (maybe the only one, haha!) was my blind optimism. This book is for people on the other side of that optimism, who are probably wondering: now what? Or, perhaps, what next? It reassures parents that their struggles are universal and, most importantly, that they are doing just fine.

Moving on to some good internet reads. The Fashion Law concluded its series on the anti-laws of luxury marketing — you can read Part iii here. They also featured an interesting article about the “politics” of the (U.S.) First Lady’s wardrobe.

This older HuffPost article has a click-baity title (She Divorced Me Because I Left Dishes by the Sink — dun, dun, dun) but is an excellent reminder about the importance of expressing the love and gratitude we feel for our partners in ways that are meaningful to them, not necessarily to us. My husband and I don’t fight very often, but when we do it’s almost always over really dumb, minor sh*t involving household chores. I think the writer’s point that you don’t have to understand *why* something (you think is irrelevant and/or illogical) is important to your spouse; you just have to understand that it’s a question of feeling valued and respected for them, and pick your battles accordingly.

Lastly, I’m stealing this post from Xin’s news round-up because I found it really interesting as well: Refinery29 rounded up a bunch of people and asked them to share their most expensive purchase of 2016. I found the answers fascinating in the variety of both the items bought and the stories/rationalizations behind the purchases. I love reading people’s stories about money, and I often wish it wasn’t such a taboo subject in our society. For what it’s worth, my family’s most expensive purchase of 2016 was a king-size bed frame for our master bedroom (approx. $1,700, paid for with a cash-back credit card, with the total balance cleared each month). Feel free to share your stories in the comments if you’re feeling up to it.

12
Jan
2017

Tales From The Thrift: New Year’s Tidings

categories: Thrifting

The end of December and beginning of January were a bit of a thrifting wasteland, to be honest. I always enjoy checking out my local thrift stores, whether or not I find something neat to buy, although after a series of “busts” a bit of fear does creep in — what if I never find anything awesome ever again? Pure silliness, of course, but I’ve been spoiled with thrifting luck too long, I suppose.

So many shoes, so many Cinderella’s-stepsisters moments. I was particularly sad about the Frye boots being several sizes too small. The west end Goodwill is a treasure trove of cool shoe finds. Speaking of which, let’s take a closer look at those gingham flats in the top left corner.

That’s right. My first time thrift-spotting Bottega Veneta — sadly, not in bag form.

In the spotted-not-thrifted category, we have a couple of tunic dresses, including the Theory number on the right. The tunic silhouette is not my favourite, and both of these pieces had other drawbacks for me. The one on the left was too cutesy for this 36-year old, with the bow and the whimsical bird print, but would look darling on someone with a different aesthetic and/or age bracket. The sweater dress was a great colour, but I tend to avoid long, heavy sleeves, and I hate dropped waists.

Guinevere (Anthro) cardigan; cashmere cardigan

Two more pieces that had potential, but did not come home with me. I loved the colour of the Guinevere cardigan, but the condition was pretty woeful. The vintage cashmere cardigan was cool just for the origin story, but it was shrunken (either deliberately or through some laundering accident) and I don’t wear that style typically. Also, it had mismatched (and missing) buttons, which would not be a huge problem except that I’m lazy; this is the sort of thing that would become an unfinished project at my house.

These cute shakers were at the antique mall, and I tried to convince two of my friends to buy them with no success. In retrospect, I deeply regret not buying them for myself. The kitsch is strong with me, what can I say.

I did buy this pretty butterfly brooch at the antique mall. (The pink Wedgwood box was a gift from my friend — thanks, J!) It is not secret that I am obsessed with butterflies, so this brooch fills a very important niche.

Talk about a blast from the past! Who remembers the heydays of those Juicy Couture velour track suits with writing on the arse? I am going to reconfirm my basic bitchness here and confess that I really wanted one of those for a hot minute back in the early ’00s, but was too cheap/poor to buy one. Thank goodness. This charm bracelet is pretty cute, tho.

I’ve mostly sworn off pony/calf hair pumps because they always end up shedding like crazy and going bald (no matter the original price point, it seems), but I could not resist this CK pair. I love the black/white combo, and the fact that the “animal print” is very subtle and unusual. The pumps were in like-new condition, which should buy me a few extra months before they start to disintegrate. For $10, that’s a bargain I’ll happily accept.

I also got these cool Tod’s loafer-style kitten heels for my mom, who is lucky that my “Cinderella’s big-footed sister” syndrome struck again — otherwise I would have kept these for myself.

I remember the Phillip Lim for Target collection — it was the first Target designer collab we ever got in Canada, and I ran to the store early on the first day it arrived to see it for myself. I still have the cotton pieces I bought that day, although I only use them for loungewear around the house these days. I’ve been seeing more and more pieces from the collection turn up in thrift stores recently, but I’ve avoided the 100% polyester ones. This dress, on the other hand, is 100% cotton and struck my fancy for some reason. The orange will probably clash terribly with my skin tone, but I decided to indulge my $7 whim anyway.

These J. Crew Sydney sandals fit perfectly and may be just classy enough to wear to the office come summer. Maybe? I’ve never done open-toed footwear in a work setting before, and will probably chicken out and save these for fancy date nights and such. If you work in a semi-formal business environment and you’ve taken the plunge, so to speak, tell me all about it.