Redhead in Green

Green should be easy, right? I’m a redhead after all. But green is one of the colours with which I struggle the most. Many greens feel too strident to me; they set my teeth on edge, if that makes sense. But the right green … aah, that’s another story. I love blackened greens, bottle greens and mossy greens. Something with a bit of smoke, a hint of mysterious forest to it. The greens of this outfit, for example. The best outfits, to me, feel like an extension of your own skin and that’s how I felt wearing this one. I am not Wearing Green so much as I am a Creature of Green. And I am wearing my “witchy” pendant to let you know that there is a story there. These greens have seen some sh*t. Maybe started some too.

Notes: Selected Femme sweater (retail, $40); Zara skirt (thrifted, $11); Jimmy Choo shoes (eBay, $130); Rafael Canada necklace (eBay, $80).

In the Bag

Make no mistake: this outfit is just an excuse, a backdrop if you will, for this bag. It’s is wholly beaded (and in immaculate condition) and completely over the top. Borderline ugly, but in a most fascinating (to me) way. Lately, I have been really interested in art/things that straddle the line between beauty and whatever can be found on the other side of it. “Ugly” is perhaps an oversimplification. I am interested in things that evoke a reaction, something other than “so cute”. And one thing I know for sure is that no one would call this bag “cute”.

Notes: Theory top (consignment, $25); Maggie Walt pants (thrifted, $6.50); bag (thrifted, $10); shoes, Me Too (thrifted, $16).

Highlands Fling

Someone called this a Grown-Up Merida outfit, and I am not mad about it. Taking a vintage Ralph Lauren skirt away from its 80s Preppy roots in a different direction is all the fun. Also fun? A skirt that really knows how to twirl:

I mean, how could I resist this?

Notes: Eileen Fisher sweater (thrifted, $5); Gap top (thrifted, $5); Ralph Lauren skirt (thrifted, $6.50); Napoleoni shoes (thrifted, $6); Rafael Canada necklace (eBay, $80).

Patriotic OOTD

I don’t really dress to themes these days, but for Canada Day I decided to show some patriotic pride after all … with a red dress and rainbow-coloured sweater. (See what I did there?) It was also very “on brand” because Canada is, among many other more wonderful things, the land where summer is sometimes just an abstract concept. Which is why layering a mid-weight knit over a linen dress in July is not just a fashion experiment, but an actual necessity.

Notes: Lord & Taylor dress (thrifted, $8.50); Gap sweater (thrifted, $6); Barbara Barbieri sandals (thrifted, $10).

Graphic Visuals

This skirt was love at first sight, which surprised me at first as I found myself reaching for it. It’s a bit … loud. And “loud” isn’t something I associate with my current style. Except that maybe I should. Because I love the bold graffiti print, and the contrasting stripes, and the volume. It’s all “too much” in the best way. Fit ‘n flare skirts are not normally my thing, but I adore midis so that aspect was the foremost reason why I bought it. Since I’ve had time to play around with styling it, I have come to appreciate all its other merits. I think this will be a fun piece to keep for a while. Not bad for an $18 cotton skirt.

Notes: Floreat top (thrifted, $6); Lida Baday blazer (thrifted, $12); Orientique Australia skirt (consignment, $18); Cole Haan shoes (thrifted, $10).

The Anniversary Dress

My husband and I celebrated nine years of marriage (what? how is that possible?) on July 3, and in honour of the day I wore things that he recently gifted to me. The Marni dress we bought – I picked, he paid, marriage is a team effort, friends – in Calgary on our recent trip. The Rafael Canada jewelry we bought (same deal) in Edmonton at one of my favourite vintage spots, Swish. When I found the dress, I knew it needed a real statement necklace; its tailoring is impeccable but the lines are quite severe. I didn’t have a fitting necklace at the time, but I trust in kismet. Sure enough, this necklace found its way into my life about a month later and it’s perfect. Perfect for the dress, and also just perfect in general.

Notes: Marni dress (consignment, gift); Rafael Canada necklace & ring (secondhand, gift); J. Crew shoes (retail, $80).

Sugar & Spice

I feel like this outfit requires some weather-related explanation, but otherwise its genesis should be pretty obvious: what better juxtaposition than black leather and white eyelet? My BFF called this my “White Wedding” look, a nod to Billy Idol perhaps. As for the weather, it’s been all over the place lately – alternating warm and cool, sun and rain, usually all within the same hour. This outfit hedged all my bets. It is a rare largely non-thrifted look, courtesy of Nordstrom Rack. That rarely happens, but I am a sucker for BlankNYC jackets and this Ulla Johnson dress was a crazy good deal. Justifications, I gots them.

Notes: Ulla Johnson dress (retail, $12); BlankNYC jacket (retail, $35); Napoleoni shoes (thrifted, $6).

Chainmail Chic

This is the Clover Canyon top I purchased secondhand in Calgary recently, and I couldn’t wait to wear it. Up close, part of the print resembles chain mail which, from a psychological perspective, is perfect for a Monday morning. Talk about strapping on your (metaphorical) armor and tackling a new week’s challenges. Because the top is a cropped length, I paired it with my trusty Aritzia high-waisted midi skirt to avoid flashing my pale midriff at unsuspecting co-workers. (I also wore a tank top underneath as an extra layer because, not gonna like, the scuba-like material of the Clover Canyon top is not my favourite right up against the skin.) I decided to add an extra pop of colour with the red shoes because … why not.

Notes: Clover Canyon top (secondhand, $24); Aritzia skirt (thrifted, $13); J. Crew shoes (retail, $80).

Artsy

I want to say this is very “art professor” look but, honestly, I have nothing to base that on except my own imagination. Is this how art professors dress? This asymmetrical Zara skirt is super fun, but the proportions called for balance, so I wore a lightweight turtleneck. I added the chunky stone necklace because it’s such a fun piece, and it works well with the skirt vibe (those big buttons!). I tend to avoid wearing necklaces with turtlenecks, but I think this worked; the top is almost more of a mock-neck, maybe that’s why it didn’t seem too clashy in my eyes.

Notes: Zara skirt (thrifted, $6.5); Oak & Fort top (retail, $40); necklace (thrifted, $4).

Brutalist Friday

I am mostly posting this outfit because I am obsessed with this necklace and will take every opportunity to show it off. I was originally going to wear this outfit with a purple necklace – monochrome for the win! – but after thrifting this one, I had to switch it up. This kind of muted plum (mauve?) colour is one of my favourites, and the pop of yellow works so well with it. Have I mentioned how much I love this necklace? Separate post coming up …

Notes: Moth sweather (thrifted, $7); Cartonnier pants (thrifted, $8); Rafael Canada necklace (thrifted, $8).

Over the Rainbow

I was inspired to thrift this Gap sweater by one of my favourite Instagrammers (@nitrochique) who has some amazing rainbow sweaters in her closet. [Which I want to steal in its entirety, ahem.] I’m not a huge fan of stripes for myself – I know that’s weird, am I even a blogger if I don’t love stripes? – but I could not resist this piece. It’s so playful. I am pretty committed to my Corporate Noir thing, but I do like a bit of playfulness now and then. This was, in other respects, a fairly “safe” outfit – just added some black jeans, and one of my ubiquitous leather jackets. Oh, and I cannot fail to mention by new-to-me Everlane shoes; I have been looking for a pair of simple, black lace-up oxfords for ages, and this pair fits the bill to a T. I am in love!

Notes: Gap sweater (thrifted, $5); BlankNYC jacket (thrifted, $7); Mother jeans (thrifted, $9.5); Everlane shoes (thrifted, $10); Mulberry bag (eBay, $600).

Leather, Pleats

You guys know how much I love (p)leather, so of course this Zara skirt is now a favourite. Last time I wore it, I paired it with a contrast colour (burgundy). This time, I decided to go for a neutral … with a twist. The back of this Moth sweater picks up some of the green of the skirt, and it’s also just a lot of fun. I added the green Jimmy Choo shoes because (a) it’s been far too long since I’ve worn them (and green leopard print deserves more time in the spotlight), and (b) they are also green. Once I go the matchy-matchy route, I tend to double down.

Notes: Moth sweater (thrifted, $8.50); Zara skirt (thrifted, $11); Jimmy Choo shoes (eBay, $130).

Leather Skirt Encore

Speaking of leather skirts, I simply had to get this Club Monaco number. It’s a totally different silhouette, after all. And besides, one cannot have too many leather pieces. Someone on IG commented that this was a very Joan Watson outfit, and I nearly died and went to sartorial heaven. Personally, I just dig all the different textures represented here; they add depth and visual interest, while hewing to a pretty minimalist colour palette.

Notes: Aritzia sweater (retail, $135); Cartonnier jacket (thrifted, $20); Club Monaco skirt (thrifted, $6.50); Tory Burch boots (thrifted, $20); Rebecca Minkoff bag (thrifted; $10).

The Birds

I think I’ve spoken of my inexplicable obsession with crane/heron prints. It all started with a Gucci outfit, years ago. I’ve never seen anything that comes close to replicating the gloriousness of the original, but this Anthropologie tunic is quite lovely. It is, indeed, a dress not a top but because it’s a very fine (unlined) silk, it’s easy enough to tuck in as a top. I still haven’t quite figured out how to wear it as a dress; it’s a little bit sheer, so it needs an underlayer, but it’s also quite snug in the hips so there isn’t a lot of room for maneuvering. It might work with black tights or leggings, but that wouldn’t work for the office so … this will do, for now.

Notes: Anthropologie dress (secondhand, $36); Aritzia pants (thrifted, $8); Cole Haan shoes (thrifted, $10); Kenneth Cole necklace (thrifted, $3.50)

The Iconoclast

Thrifting a piece from a designer you admire or covet is always extra special. Jil Sander, along with Dries Van Noten, Marni and a handful of others, falls into that category for me. So you can imagine my delight in finding not one but two pieces from her label: this beautiful wool-camel blend coat, and the matching maxi skirt. My delight was tempered somewhat by my realization that the skirt was too snug; but the jacket fits like a dream, and I couldn’t leave its pair behind. Hey, miracles do happen, right? Anyway, in honour of the jacket, I wanted to put together a very classic casual outfit. This was the result. Camel always looks so good next to light-wash denim, and I kept the colour palette light by staying away from black (except for the accessories). I loved how this all came together.

Notes: Jil Sander coat, (thrifted, $10); Aritzia sweater (thrifted, $8.50); no name white top (thrifted, $7); AG jeans (thrifted, $9.50); Everlane shoes (thrifted, $10); Rebecca Minkoff bag (thrifted, $10).