Before you go and get any ideas, the risk I’m talking about here has to do with thrifting clothes that require substantial alterations. I’ll come back to that in a minute. First, let’s talk about the outfit in general terms. I wore this for a client conference, where I had to make a presentation, take part in a networking lunch, and then host a client reception. It was a long, exhausting day, and I had to look good for all of it — professional and polished but not boring.

I think this outfit hit all the marks. It has a classic, elegant silhouette, an appropriate neckline and hem length, and a lovely print for some visual interest. The shoes are the most comfortable pair of heels I own, perfect for hours of standing around. The bag is big — the better to carry my huge conference binder and other materials — and not too fancy; I need to be able to toss it around without worrying about it. All together, my standard professional conference package.

Ok, let’s go back to the risky bit. As I mentioned earlier in the week, I thrifted this Yoana Baraschi dress for $11 because I loved how it looked. Only one small problem: it was a size 14. I am not a size 14. I knew it would take a significant amount of alterations to make it fit. Normally, I don’t advocate buying clothes that need a ton of tailoring (or, ideally, any at all). But I figured it was … wait for it … worth the risk in this case because the price was so low; even with a substantial amount set aside for alterations, it was still cheaper than buying it on eBay, for example. So I took the plunge.

Luckily, I had just gotten a recommendation for a new tailor, who turned out to be fantastic. For $50, she slimmed down the sides of the dress, as well as the back, and took up the sleeves at the shoulder. The dress fits like a glove, you guys! It is basically a new, made-to-measure dress now, and I couldn’t be happier. I know $50 is quite a bit, but for the amount of work involved and the result, I think it was money well spent.

Yep, I went off to Van recently … with the husband, minus the kids. It was a once-in-five-years kind of deal, and my face reflected that pretty accurately, I think:

The extra exciting thing was planning my travel outfits. Yep, I’m a wild one. When traveling with kids, I have to think about practicality … which doesn’t leave much room for style. This time around, I knew I could wear dressier clothes with impunity. Well … almost. The thing is, when in Van as a tourist, you have to consider comfort no matter what, because you will be walking A LOT. Usually in the rain. So, I compromised. I wore lots of dresses, and sensible shoes.

This thrifted Eileen Fisher muumuu was a wonderful choice for traveling in — it’s incredibly comfortable, warm enough for the plane but not so warm that you end up over-heating. The faux leather jacket (also thrifted) was a life saver since it turned out to be pretty much impervious to the rain. Oh, of course there was rain. And my old Ferragamo flats are THE best option any time I have to walk for several miles.

By the second day, my hair gave up its valiant fight against the humidity, and I surrendered to the permanent-frizz. But my “leather” jacket still held strong.

I don’t have a good photo of my first “date night” outfit, but here’s the second. The cape was a permanent loan from my mom, who bought it second hand. The dress is a thrifted piece with a cool retro vibe, thanks to the midi length.

Here’s a better look at the dress:

Finally, I wore my thrifted William Rast jeans on the last day (and plane ride home). I also layered pretty much every warm thing I brought with me because it was wiiiindy.

Here’s a better look at my recently thrifted Vanessa Bruno sweater, over an AllSaints top I got for a song at Red Pony consignment. Love that asymmetrical neckline.

Till next time, Vancouver!

Personal note: As some of you may know, the town of Fort McMurray, located in northern Alberta (my home province), is currently besieged by out-of-control wildfires. The entire town has been under a mandatory evacuation notice since yesterday. 80,000 people are displaced, and many will likely have no homes to which to return. The photos and stories that have been coming through on social media and the news are truly heartbreaking. If you are able to, please consider making a donation to the Canadian Red Cross to help the victims.Thank you.

When it comes to clothes, I don’t have many regrets — and I’ve lived through some really questionable moments in fashion. Probably my biggest regret is selling my purple YSL Besace satchel a few years ago. It taught me an important lesson: when it comes to special pieces, don’t rush to purge — even if you think you’re sure you won’t come to love it or use it again. After I sold my Besace, I started to fall back in love with its aesthetic. (To add insult to injury, I got hosed selling it on Kijiji, which is another lesson entirely.) I have been stalking eBay for over a year now, waiting to find another Besace within my price range. The purple has eluded me, but I was finally able to snag a great deal on this lovely grey version.

The other special piece I was recently “reunited” with, thanks to eBay, is this mustard yellow Tabitha wool jacket. Years and years ago, I fell in love with it in the Anthropologie store, but it was too expensive for my then-budget; I waited and waited for it to go on sale, and was, unfortunately, only ever able to find the grey version in my size. I bought it, somewhat reluctantly, but never truly got into it until last year — thank goodness I never managed to sell it in the interim as I had planned. Seeing how versatile and lovely the grey version turned out to be, it got me thinking about the yellow again. Yup, I now have two identical jackets — save for the colour — and I couldn’t be happier about it.

The rest of the outfit … well, it’s there. You can’t go wrong with stripes, and I’m glad I finally found a striped top that satisfies my finicky specifications. This one was a cheapie from J. Crew Factory. My flared jeans are thrifted Paige, and I have to say that the cut is growing on me, although I wish the rise was a little bit higher. Still, no major complaints — this was definitely an easy-peasy casual Friday outfit that made me happy.