Getting Sherlocked

Cardigan & shoes, J. Crew; top, James Perse; pants, Anthropologie (thrifted); bag, Mulberry
Cardigan & shoes, J. Crew; top, James Perse; pants, Anthropologie (thrifted); bag, Chanel

Let me relieve your (likely) confusion right now, and tell you that the title is a reference to the Sherlock Holmes exhibit I saw recently at the Telus World of Science … wearing this outfit, natch. Before I spam you with photos of the exhibit — so, so cool — lets talk a little bit about the clothes.

These Cartonnier pants were a total gamble. They’re so far outside my comfort zone, I may need a passport to wear them. (Ba-dum-tish) However, since I thrifted them for $6, I figured it was a gamble worth taking. I did have to invest an extra $20 to have them hemmed, but I still think I came out ahead. While this silhouette will never be my go-to, I can see myself wearing these pants every now and then. They’re a nice wool fabric, and lined, and they fit quite well for being high waisted and all.

self-made pin
self-made pin

I paired them with my yellow cardigan, because I’m all about yellow at the moment as you know, and added a homemade pansy pin because why not.

feeling sunny
feeling sunny
getting ready to be Sherlocked
getting ready to be Sherlocked
bag detail
bag detail

Ok, on to the interesting stuff. I highly recommend going to check out the Sherlock Holmes exhibit if you’re in Edmonton. It offers a little bit of everything — biographical background about Arthur Conan Doyle and his inspiration for Sherlock, historical info about the Sherlockian era and I’m particular its forensic science, and stuff about all the various incarnations of the most famous of private detectives in media over the last 100+ years. There is also a murder mystery to solve! I would say that the exhibit is geared more to adults, but older kids might enjoy it too. Definitely not the under 5 crowd, in my opinion. Here’s a whack of photos — the exhibit is beautifully set up, and I could hardly do it justice.

Carriage from RDJ Sherlock movies
Carriage from RDJ Sherlock movies
beautiful creepy crawlies
beautiful creepy crawlies
Baker Street interior
Baker Street interior
Watson's desk
Watson’s desk
amazing attention to detail
amazing attention to detail
of course, the violin
of course, the violin
Sherlock's desk
Sherlock’s desk
one more for the road
one more for the road

The Amazing Cardi-Dress

Dress, Joseph Ribkoff (thrifted); shoes, J. Crew (thrifted); bag, Mulberry (via eBay)
Dress, Joseph Ribkoff (thrifted); shoes, J. Crew (thrifted); bag, Mulberry (via eBay)

I don’t know what the technical name for this kind of dress might be, but it’s always going to be a cardi-dress in my books. It’s basically an outfit-in-one. And a blank canvas to boot, perfect for showcasing accessories. Case in point:

Necklace, Banana Republic; earrings, J. Crew Factory
Necklace, Banana Republic; earrings, J. Crew Factory

This BR necklace might be a bit “much” for a regular day of work, but with a plain outfit, it’s almost passable. I got a lot of compliments on it in any case, and for $20, I’m calling it a great buy. The earrings are from the JC Factory store, but they match some of the iridescent stones in the necklace, making them look almost like a set. Since they were a recent gift from my better half (thanks, honey), I couldn’t resist wearing them as well. The more bling, the better — according to my inner magpie.

It's a cardigan! It's a dress! It's a ... cardi-dress!
It’s a cardigan! It’s a dress! It’s a … cardi-dress!
blingy!
blingy!

Keeping It Simple

Skirt, Anthropologie (thrifted); top, Joe Fresh; cardigan & necklace, J. Crew Factory; shoes, Zara; hat, Talula; bag, Longchamp (thrifted)
Skirt, Anthropologie (thrifted); top, Joe Fresh; cardigan & necklace, J. Crew Factory; shoes, Zara; hat, Talula; bag, Longchamp (thrifted)

This outfit is the definition of keeping it simple, yes? But I loved the idea of this beautiful, crisp green next to black and white, and it looked even better in real life, I think. It was the perfect thing for a beautiful summer day. Oops, did I say summer? In April? It sure felt like it, though. Plus 22 (Celsius) — I’ll take that any day.

happy spring day!
happy spring day!
hat weather
hat weather

I actually just wore this to pick up groceries (Superstore’s Click & Pick Up service is amazeballs – such a time saver for busy families, and no, I’m not getting paid to say that), but I felt very chic doing it. Sometimes, that can make even the most tedious errand feel like a grand adventure. Know what I mean? Here are some more pics to convince you.

matte lips
matte lips
green + white + black
green + white + black
fave outfit contender fo' sho'
fave outfit contender fo’ sho’