All About the Bag & Shoe

Dress, New York & Co.; sweater, J. Crew Factory; necklace, J. Crew; shoes, Vince; bag, Arcadia (thrifted)
Dress, New York & Co.; sweater, J. Crew Factory; necklace, J. Crew; shoes, Vince; bag, Arcadia (thrifted)

As the title suggests, this outfit was mostly an excuse — or a backdrop, if you will — for wearing these shoes and this bag. Starting at the bottom, the shoes are Vince by way of Winners, for the bargain price of $28. I’ll be honest: I probably wouldn’t have bought them were it not for the price, because they’re suede and will likely get wrecked in no time flat. But! They are very nice, and the white sole adds a certain je be said quois.

the shoooooooes!
the shoooooooes!
bag & shoe love
bag & shoe love

The bag is an Arcadia bowler I scored at VV’s 50% off sale for $4. It had a bunch of scuffs (some of which came off with a bit of alcohol and some elbow grease, and some which didn’t but are luckily not very noticeable), but it was a fantastic find nonetheless. I used to be a huge Arcadia fan back in the day, and their bags are still pretty great. I’ve had a large black patent leather tote since circa 2009, which I use to schlepp my work crap (including the kitchen sink) during my commute, and it’s proven to be indestructible. So I have high hopes for this bag too. I would say that, if you’re in the market for a reliable, good quality work bag, Arcadia is a brand worth checking out; you can often find them at Winners for around $125-$150, and they are worth it, in my (unsponsored) opinion. Or you can keep an eye out for then at the thrift store, but then you’ll have to arm wrestle me first.

howdy neighbour, don't mind the blogger
howdy neighbour, don’t mind the blogger

Turquoise & Gold

Dress, Anthropologie (via eBay); cardigan, J. Crew Factory; shoes, Ivanka Trump; bag,. Marc Jacobs
Dress, Anthropologie (via eBay); cardigan, J. Crew Factory; shoes, Ivanka Trump; bag,. Marc Jacobs

I love this outfit a lot, you guys. The dress is an older Anthro piece I stalked, on and off, for about a year and, happily, it was worth the hunt. The gold jacquard fabric is lovely and a compliment-magnet, the silhouette is flattering and classic, and the overall construction is great (there is lining and a built-in camisole under the sheer-ish top). I paid CDN$60 for it on eBay, which might as well be a fortune compared to the thrift prices I’m used to, but I think it’s worth at least that much. (It does fit large, if anyone is interested in tracking it down.)

Let’s look at some details:

feeling the summer vibe
feeling the summer vibe
close-up
close-up
Nordstrom loot (Leah Alexandra ring)
Nordstrom loot (Leah Alexandra ring)
Banana Republic necklace
Banana Republic necklace

Something in the colour scheme (turquoise, cream, and gold) and the necklace makes me think of the Mediterranean — or maybe it’s simply my vacation-starved brain drowning in wishful thinking. I realized the other day that the last time I took a holiday longer than 6 business days was probably my honeymoon — almost 6 years ago. I know that’s pretty standard in some places, especially in a professions like mine, but, man, it makes me miss my university years something fierce. Oh, to have 4 months “off” every summer!

two-in-one dress
two-in-one dress
easy breezy
easy breezy

What I Wore: April 2016 Work Capsule

April, April, April. What the heck happened in April? The last week has been an absolute blur of work stress, terrible news, and family busyness, and I can barely remember anything that happened before. I’m pretty sure that my second book was published in April, and I went on a weekend getaway to Vancouver, and … that’s about it. Well that and work, and home, and life also happened. I think. I’m also pretty sure that the weather starting warming up like crazy in April, which will be evident in my outfits for the month.

Speaking of which:

one, two, three
one, two, three
four, five, six
four, five, six
seven, eight, nine
seven, eight, nine
ten, eleven, twelve
ten, eleven, twelve
thirteen, fourteen, fifteen
thirteen, fourteen, fifteen
sixteen, seventeen, eighteen
sixteen, seventeen, eighteen

I have been thrifting so much lately that I’m awash in new (to me) clothes, which is always fun. It does make it hard to pick favourite outfits though. I really loved #5, 6, 9, 12, 13, 17, and 18 … which might just be the longest list of faves I’ve ever had (and that’s not even counting some of the ones I simply liked a LOT). I won’t even bother attempting to list favourite pieces, but I will say that I’m proud that all of them came to me pre-loved. But you’ve heard me blather on about that before, so I’ll save the soapbox for another time.

I will say that I’m having a lot of fun with my work clothes at the moment, although I feel like I’m definitely moving closer to “business creative” territory and leaving “business formal” in the dust. Good or bad? Eh … I’m not sure it matters right now, to be honest. About a year ago, when I was still in the thick of transitioning to a new role with different responsibilities, I went through a phase in which I was acutely aware of/concerned with/obsessing over my professional image. Having settled into the role and gained a ton more experience/confidence/security, those concerns have lessened. I now feel like I’ve got a sufficiently good handle on the various expectations I may encounter in different situations to know exactly what image I want and need to present. And most of the time, I get to just wear whatever I like. Which is, honestly, a great perk of my job.

But enough blah, blah, blah from me — how was your April?