I really, really, reeeelly don’t need another hobby. But, if I were to pick up a new one, it would be mosaic making. It fits right in with my other ones, like beading and embroidery. I would love to have a large mosaic piece in my backyard, but I don’t really have the budget to commission one nor the time or materials to make my own. But it’s a project I can dream about as I move closer to retirement.
Two. White-crested tit warbler
I have found my bird twin. Fluffy and unicorn-coloured. The white-crested tit warbler, c’est moi.
Three. Caliban & the Witch
I have been dipping into Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation by Silvia Federici a chapter at a time, and it’s simply fascinating and so thought-provoking. It looks at the patriarchal underpinnings of capitalism, and how the exploitation and oppression of women paved the way for what she calls the patriarchy of the wage. It is not a light read, but it’s interesting commentary in our late-stage capitalism milieu.
Four. Abstract embroidery portrait
Inspired by a post I saw on the Embroidery sub-Reddit, I’ve been working on a Picasso-inspired abstract portrait hoop design. What drew me to it was the use of colour (naturally) and texture — I am using French knots to create a texture similar to rug-hooking. It’s soooo time-consuming, and a bit of a gamble (I haven’t done anything similar before so I’m not sure how it will turn out), but hopefully it will all be worth it in the end.
Five. Concrete art
My friend, Anna, makes fabulous everyday objects from concrete and I love the juxtaposition of the hard, industrial medium and the soft, dreamy colours. I have a few of her pieces, including this lidded jar which is the newest addition to my collection.
Details: Marimekko dress (thrifted), vintage granny square coat (thrifted and upcycled), Zara shoes (consignment)
Thoughts: This is pattern overload, I know, but I love mashing two really bold graphic prints like this. It works for me. I also like how the shape of the dress plays against the coat.
Details: Club Monaco turtleneck (retail); Minkha cardigan, Pilcro pants (both thrifted), J. Crew shoes (retail)
Thoughts: This outfit happened by chance. I was pulling out a bunch of pieces from my closet which I wanted to use; these two sort of fell in proximity to each other on the bed, and I thought “huh, that kinda works”. I wouldn’t normally think to pair 2 floral patterns. I think there is something about the beige that pulls it together.
Details: J. Crew shirt and vest, Comme des Garcons cardigan, Everlane pants, Ferragamo shoes (all thrifted)
Thoughts: I love finding new ways to do a “three piece suit” outfit without the traditional suit part. Cardigan + vest is a combo I am loving these days. It feels more contemporary but also more laidback – perfect for WFH. This is a bit of a dandy look, more masculine than the outfits I’ve been putting together lately but I enjoyed it a lot.
Details: Marni top (Poshmark), Maeve skirt, Pilgrim necklace (both thrifted)
Thoughts: It was the yellow/beige background of the patterns in both these pieces that made me think to pair them. Also, because the blouse is already a pattern bomb, adding another print in the mix felt intentional and surprisingly cohesive. It’s just extending that Marni vibe, head to toe.
Details: Marimekko x Uniqlo top (thrifted), Club Monaco turtleneck (retail); Pilcro pants (gift); Stuart Weitzman shoes (thrifted).
Last week was a very heavy week. Like you, I have spent a lot of time glued to news updates since last Thursday, hoping for good news from Ukraine. I cannot imagine the toll on the people in Ukraine, Russia, and surrounding countries, who have no say in and want no part of this war. To find the world on the brink of global conflict, after 2 years of a global pandemic, feels overwhelming. I am going to try to continue posting my usual content here, focusing only on the usual frivolous topics, because that has always been the intent of this space; however, I understand if you feel you need to turn to other content at this time. Stay safe and well till next time!
I love thrifting for many reasons. One of them is the chance to find special/cool/unique things I might otherwise never come across. When you go to a retail store, you generally know what you can expect to find there. At a thrift store, the surprises never end. The story of the pink dress is one example of that.
I have been almost exclusively thrifting my clothes since around 2017 or thereabouts. Thrifting as often as I do (and you do have to go often if your closet is thrift-sourced), I have seen a LOT of clothes during that time, from different eras, different brands and designers, different styles. I have learned a lot about fashion and design, in a passive but nonetheless useful way. I’ve learned by sight, by feel, by trying things (sometimes with success, sometimes not). I have learned what I like, what works for me, and how to spot it (with increasingly high though not perfect accuracy) in a store packed with random things.
But enough singing of praises for thrifting.
Back to the story: the pink dress.
It was a fairly unassuming find, insofar as a bright pink dress can be unassuming. The colour is what caught my eye, and my heart, immediately. It’s almost Schiaparelli’s hot pink, but lighter and softer. It reminds me of roses and sunrises. There is some blue in its DNA, which always appeals to me because I love the cool end of the colour spectrum.
I was sold on the dress by the colour, but I still cast an eye on it before deciding whether to put it in my cart. The material was very light and felt like silk (there is no fabric tag). The shape was hard to gauge from the way in hung on the hanger, but at least it looked long enough to suit my preferences. The brand tag told me nothing; I didn’t recognize it: Myne by Ashley Ann. There were some subtle signs of good quality in the finishes (mostly around the neckline) but nothing determinative. I felt I could rule out a high end designer piece; for one thing, the dress wasn’t lined which it would have been, given the lightweight fabric, if it were a true designer dress. But it might be anything from a mid-tier contemporary label to a well-executed fast fashion piece, such being the state of the fashion industry these days. The dry-cleaners’ tag still attached to the label was intriguing, and did make me lean more towards the former; my assumption is that, in general, people don’t spend money on dry-cleaning inexpensive clothes.
At home, my first attempts to research the dress proved ineffective. I’m usually pretty good at tracking down brands and even specific pieces, but I struck out in this case. Then, I posted the dress is one of my weekly thrift round-ups on Instagram and a couple of followers pointed me in the right direction.
It turns out that this *was* a boutique brand, and this particular dress had in fact been (famously?) worn by Kim Kardashian at one time. I Googled and, sure enough, found the photos.
Based on the blog posts that discussed it, it looks like the dress was originally sold sometime around 2012/2013. It’s almost a decade old! Yet, to me, the design doesn’t feel especially dated. When I tried it on, I was struck by the draping in particular — it’s definitely the kind of thing I enjoy wearing now.
When I was deciding how to wear it (for the first time), I went with something simple: a belt and some jewelry.
This suits my updated Artist avatar almost to perfection. Coincidentally, around the same time I took the photo, I came across some outfits from the most recent Tory Burch runway collection and was struck by how similar the belts used in some of those outfits were to the belt I wore with this dress. Another thrift find, of course: a vintage Caleche by Anne Klein asymmetrical wrap belt. Out of curiosity, I did a side-by-side and realized that the whole outfit, in fact, bore similarities to the runway look:
Of course, it isn’t a literal copy; far from it. But the lines and the draping are similar, so they have a similar vibe/feel to me. What old is new again? That’s always the way that fashion goes, and it’s why thrifting remains enormously exciting for me. You can experiment with fashion exclusively by secondhand means and still engage with trends (if that appeals).
