Vintage Revival

This is a vintage Escada dress I picked up a couple of years ago and proceeded to set aside for a “special occasion” which never came. I was recently digging through my archive closet and thought, forget that noise, I’m wearing this now! To the office, even! On a Monday, no less! And, really, why not? This dress is fabulous – the details and workmanship are exquisite – and deserves to be worn. And it fits like a dream: flattering without being constrictive in the least. I am also digging midi skirts and dresses at the moment, so all in all, it was a no brainer. I received a ton of compliments on it which, while not a requirement for me to feel good about an outfit, is (let’s be honest) always nice.

Business Not So Casual

I almost never go to court these days, so I had to think a little bit about this outfit when the occasion arose unexpectedly. While my presence in the courtroom was purely of the spectator kind, I still felt the need to up the formality of my usual work attire a bit. Instead of a loose, linen jacket, I wore something a bit more structured; instead of vintage high-waisted velvet pants, trousers of a more, ahem, sedate nature. I added a bit of “flair” with the brooches because … well, “a little flair” is My Thing. Speaking of brooches, these actually started off as two ends of one of those cardigan chain thingies. You know, the thingie that holds a cardigan closed when there are no buttons. A friend gifted it to me, and while I loved the stars (so Deco!), I don’t wear a lot of cardigans. So I took the chain off, which was super easy, and hey presto: brooches.

Office Goth

Continuing the Dark Theme for Halloween week, this outfit is one I have been dying to wear for a while. Ever since I bought this Sarah Pacini leather vest, actually. I’m going through a late-onset goth period at the moment – only, oh, 20 years later than most – and this type of outfit speaks to my soul. And, also, is a fairly accurate barometer of my mood, which has been perma-set to “grumpy” for a while. It’s the weather, the lack of sleep, the news, the lack of a much needed mental break that won’t be coming until the Christmas holidays, maybe.

Anyway, this morning is a brand new day and a fresh start in more ways than one, so here’s a really cheerful outfit to end of a more positive note:

Natori Feather Strapless Bra

Yes, here I am: talking about unmentionables again. Ahem. I know I am not alone in loathing strapless bras, but sometimes they’re awfully useful. Scratch that; I pretty much uniformly hate all bras, and sometimes the strapless kind offer a bit of extra convenience when dealing with an unusual neckline. Natori bras are the least annoying, so I have been wearing them exclusively for the past 18 months. When I recently decided that it was time to reinvest in a new strapless bra, I naturally looked there first. As our Nordstrom Rack still hasn’t opened yet (side-eye, since it’s been advertised as “coming soon” since 2016), I did my looking on Amazon. And I lucked into finding my size in a neutral beige colour for under $60 (it’s this Natori Feathers Strapless bra). Not a bad deal.

When I say “my size”, I actually mean one band size down and one cup size up from my preferred size. I can wear 36B or 34C largely interchangeably, though I prefer the former in regular bras because I find it digs into my ribcage less. However, I chose the 34C in the strapless version because I wanted to be sure that it would stay up. I think that was the right choice. I haven’t worn it out in the “wild” yet, but it felt good while I was trying it on.

[Edited to add: our Nordstrom Rack just opened about a week ago. I haven’t decided how much I like it, but I did spot some Natori bras, so that’s a bonus.]

Triple Claw Ear Jacket

The credit for finding this gem goes to IG-er (and new blogger) M Gets Dressed. I admired this earring jacket on her Instagram page, and promptly ordered my own. Note: this does not come as a set, so if you want one for each ear, you will have to buy two. I purchased one to begin with, just to see what the quality was like in person. I was not disappointed; the jacket is made from stainless steel, not silver, but it looks more expensive that it is. I was also concerned about potential allergic reactions, but did not have any. [Note: I do not have known metal allergies, but my ears can become sensitive to costume jewelry at times.] I am debating getting a second one now, because I’m kinda old skool about wearing matching earrings.

Unrelated sidenote: if you’re into capsules and wardrobe analytics, you really should check out M’s blog. She goes into a lot of detail, and her posts are incredibly thoughtful and well-written.

Leggs Nylons

I used to be quite loyal to the Calvin Klein CK brand of nylons, which I could find at Winners for about $8 a pair. I stopped wearing nylons this summer, but even before, the CKs were getting increasingly hard to find. With winter on its way, I had to come up with an alternative. I’d had good luck with the L’eggs nylon socks (10 pack for $7CAD) I bought last year on Amazon, which I always wear with trousers. (I find that nylons socks/knee highs are less slippery/fidgety than those little shoe sock thingies, and help to cut down on foot odour.) So I decided to give their regular pantyhose (ugh, that word) a try as well. I got the L’eggs Women’s Energy 3 Pack Control Top Sheer Toe Panty Hose in “Nude”, which is a pretty good match for my pasty skin tone. The 3 pack cost about $17CAD, which is a great deal. So far, so good. They’re sheer but seem quite sturdy, and the control top doesn’t feel like it wants to strangle my inner organs. I’m pretty sure I ordered the Q size (second largest), but somehow ended up with the Q+ (the largest). Other than being a little bit long — not so much that they sag, at all — it’s fine. For reference, I am usually a size 4-6, and 5’7 (though I have a borderline petite-size inseam). Most of the reviews suggest sizing up, and I concur. I will probably go with the Q next time, but I’m happy with the Q+ too.

Paint by Sticker Books

I like to look on Amazon for book and craft ideas for my kids, which is how I came across the new version of the colouring book craze: paint by sticker books. They work precisely as you might imagine: instead of colouring the areas per numbered directions, you apply the appropriate numbered sticker. I got a bug version for my kids, and also tried an adult version with vintage travel posters. The sticker books weren’t a huge hit with my kids, but I have to say that I quite liked mine. To be honest, part of the reason why I got it was because I wanted to see if I could hack the templates for my embroidery. I haven’t tried it yet, but I think it’s doable.

October just flew by, didn’t it? We have been lucky to get a taste of real fall for a change – cool but mostly dry, and best of all, no more snow. Somehow, I can’t really account for this month; I was busy, but I don’t feel like I have much to show for it. I keep wanting to stop and take a moment to enjoy this season, but the days just keep slipping through my fingers. It’s nice when the weekends seem to come so quickly (though they also go just as fast) but there is a part of me that worries about all the time flying away from me. Is it just a sign that I’m getting older.

Hmm, maybe let’s leave that as a rhetorical question.

As promised, this month’s outfits make a nice little collection:

A lot of muted colours, admittedly, but it’s what feels comfortable these days. With that said, I know that the pendulum can – and probably will – swing again as I (hopefully) continue to grow and evolve. The biggest lesson I’ve been learning these last few years is that nothing is static. Nothing should be static. Life is dynamic; it’s a constant state of change. So I’m trying to be smart about how I edit my wardrobe to suit my current needs in a way that won’t leave future Adina completely bereft of options. Who are we kidding? I’m never not going to have things to wear. Unless the thrift shops close down …

For fun, I did a composite of the past 4 months (starting from the top row, July, August, September, and October respectively).

I see more cohesiveness developing, and certain silhouettes emerging as new favourites. Nothing remarkably out of the ordinary, but at the same time, a marked departure from, say, 2016. To wit:

Way different, right? And I know … most people prefer the old stuff. Which is cool. All fine and good. It is a little weird when they make a point of informing me of that fact but OK, thanks, Janet. I don’t know what to do with that information which is one of those aspects of blogging I’ve never really figured out.

I will leave you with this public service announcement: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is currently streaming on Netflix, and it is delightful. If you are looking for some visual “comfort food”, I highly recommend you check it out.

This scene, by the way, is the precise moment at which I realized that my dream man is a sensitive, literature-loving pig farmer with a penchant for strategically ripped fisherman’s sweaters. Better late than never.