Blue Collar Red Lipstick

10
Feb
2016

Tales from the Thrift: Hodge Podge Edition

I feel like I haven’t had much time for thrifting lately, which is probably a very relative assessment … since I still managed to squeeze in at least 2 or 3 trips. Ahem. And found a bunch of stuff. Surely, you are not surprised.

Ok, technically this wasn’t a thrift piece, since I saw it at the antique mall, but it’s cute and vintage so I decided to include it in the round-up. I’ve wanted a needlepoint bag for ages, even thought I am sure that I would almost never use it. They’re just so darn pretty! Anyway, this one was $40, which is too much for a whim … although, looking back, I’m kinda sad that I passed on it, did I mention that it was pretty?

MaxMara dress ($11) — MaxMara dress ($10)

This MaxMara dress had a fancy label, but the material looked and felt cheap. Pass.

vintage Pucci bag ($15) — vintage Pucci bag ($10)

I’m pretty sure this was authentic … and old. The outside of the bag was in good shape (the hardware was a bit tarnished), which is a testament to quality leather, but the inside was a bit rough (peeling, cracking, etc.). Passed on this too.

Not my style, and I’m still disappointed by the pricing trends at VV.

I love the quirky home stuffs/knick knacks you can find thrifting. This little sugar bowl appealed because of the green colour. At home, I realized it is a made-in-Canada piece from (likely) the 70s.

I collect milk glass/hobnail pieces, and this was a steal at $3. The antique mall prices these around $15-$20 a piece.

I don’t know what this is, but it’s adorable.

The leather on these ankle boots was super soft, so I bought them, even though they’re not quite booties (which is what I actually need).

You guys know that thrifted Anthropologie is my favourite kind of thrift score (well, that and Manolo Blahnik shoes), so I was pretty pumped about this Meadow Rue dress. Cute, comfy, and good for layering.

Another Anthro piece, which will be cute this summer.

Theory blazers are never amiss in my line of work, and for $8, this one was a no-brainer.

09
Feb
2016

Go Bold or Stay Home

categories: style

Blazer, J. Crew (thrifted); top, Elie Tahari (via consignment); skirt, J. Crew (via consignment); shoes, J. Crew; bag, Marc Jacobs (via eBay)

My husband usually doesn’t have much to say about my outfits, but he wasn’t sure about this shoe-skirt combo. In his own words: “I see what you’re trying to do there, but it might be a bit much.” Hah! It Might Be A Bit a Much is my style motto, after all. So, although I did try more sedate footwear as a back-up, you know which way I went in the end, right?

Right: teal all the way. And I threw on my new Alexis Bittar necklace, which is one of my current favourite pieces. It’s hard to photograph, but it’s really cool — asymmetric & kinda unusual. I found it in the clearance section at Holt’s, which has been a veritable goldmine (pun intended) this year. This necklace was only $60, down from around $250. It makes me feel very fancy, indeed.

08
Feb
2016

Blue Layers

categories: style

Blazer & blouse, J. Crew Factory; dress, Anthropologie (thrifted); shoes, Stuart Weitzman (via consignment); bag, MbMJ

I don’t know why, but as soon as I saw this Anthro dress, I thought: layering opportunity. The neckline is a bit on the revealing side for work, but I think it works nicely with a sleeveless shell. I was a bad blogger and forgot to talk photos without the blazer, but the dress has sleeves so it’s actually quite warm. I threw on the blazer because work, naturally. And also to de-twee-fy the dress. Did I work? Well, at the very least, I think I pulled off “librarian chic”, which is a win in my book.

feel the "geo burnout"? — feel the “geo burnout”?

I did try to play around the lighting in these pics so I could show you the details of the dress fabric, but no dice. The style was called “Geo Burnout” and I think is supposed to mimic velvet devore … also known as burnout. It’s got an interesting texture, and it provided a nice contrast with the tweed blazer.