Alternate title: bowl of oatmeal, but make it fashion. My BFF hates beige/oatmeal colours, and I wore this one day that we were hanging out. I did it half on purpose (because I’m that kind of friend), and half because I really love a monochromatic outfit, oatmeal or otherwise. Anyway, that title was her suggestions, but I am appropriating it without shame. I love everything about this outfit, from the proportions to the “polished” slouchiness.
Notes: Oak & Fort sweater (thrifted but gifted); Oak & Fort scarf (thrifted, don’t remember $); Jessica skirt (thrifted, $8); Stuart Weitzman boots (thrifted, $25); MaxMara coat (retail, $450).
The Great Skirt Hunt
I’m exaggerating a little bit. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but I did low key hunt this skirt on eBay for a long time. Eventually found it at my local consignment store, which happens often enough that I have to start wondering why I even bother with online shopping. Anyway, it’s a lovely skirt from Anthro’s heydays. I love the felted wool texture of the floral pattern – a cool little detail. I kept things casual with a coordinated sweater. Because of its volume (it’s an XL, but thrifters can’t be choosers), I did a little side twist ‘n tuck. My secret? Tucking into my tights. The only time I had to adjust was after a trip to the ladies’ room. I feel like I’m now veering into TMI territory, so I will end this now.
It’s been a while since I last wore these Club Monaco culottes, and to be honest I’m not sure if they still fit as well as they used, but this is a reminder (to self and the general universe) that they’re pretty cool. I have tended to pair them with safe colours, like purple, black, white, cream, grey, etc., but I went outside the box for this outfit. This cropped sweater also doesn’t get nearly the amount of love it deserves. Shine, neglected clothes, shine!
It’s time for another FabFitFun box review – this time for the Winter 2019 box, which the last in my annual subscription. If you read my last review, for the Fall 2019 box, you know that I was less than enthused with it and was contemplating not re-subbing for next year. Well, this time around, there was certainly less reason to complain. I still haven’t 100% decided what to do about my subscription, but I am leaning more towards re-subbing than not. I would like to see some kind of discount, though, so we shall see what, if anything, FFF offers come January.
On to the Winter 2019 box.
It looked nicer (fuller) than the last box. I also ordered 2 extras, as I had a $25 credit which I wanted to use up in case this was my last box. Although those extras were packaged in the same larger box, they were separate from the FFF box itself (shown above). They were simply wrapped in a plastic bag and dumped into the larger box, which I found a bit odd. Luckily, the items did not appear to be the worse for it.
The first extra I ordered, from the Add Ons, was this R+Co hair spray. I’ve had rotten luck with hairsprays lately. I used to use L’Oreal Elnett, but over time it didn’t seem to have the kind of holding power I wanted. I tried a couple of other higher end brands from Winners (Sebastian and Redken, I think) and was underwhelmed. I had been using Tresemme because (a) it’s cheap, and (b) it’s quite strong, but didn’t like that it left my hair quite crisp-feeling.
I have been hearing good things about R+Co from my co-worker, who raves about it all the time, so I decided to try their strongest hold spray as a test. I paid $9USD for it (but $0 out of pocket). I have to say that I quite like it. It has good hold, but doesn’t cause any crispiness even after multiple sprays. The only potential downside is that it has a very strong smell. I am not scent-sensitive, and this particular smell doesn’t bother me, but I can see it being an issue for some people. Retail value: I forgot to check, but I think around $19USD.
The second extra I ordered was actually from the Winter Box itself; I ended up wanting 2 of the options in the first customization tier – the R+CO hair bundle (see below) and the Kate Sommerville Goat Milk moisturizer — so I paid an extra $15USD (but free after applying my credit) to get both. I wanted to try the KS cream because it’s one of those brands that influencers seem to love; since it’s on the pricey side, it’s not something I would normally buy for myself. So far, after a few tries, this moisturizer seems to be fine, if not exactly life-changing. I’m happy that I got to try it but, honestly, I don’t think it’s any better than my trusty CeraVe cream. Retail value: $65USD.
I don’t take baths so I decided to choose this product as a future Xmas gift. The other options were meh. Retail value: $16USD.
I was interested I trying this primer, but I’m not sure if I love it. Mostly, I can’t really tell if it makes a visible difference in how my skin looks. It doesn’t make it look worse, certainly, but I’m not sure if it makes it look better. I may not be a good candidate for primers in general, though, since I don’t have a lot of skin unevenness to contend with, and only wear powder foundation. Retail value: $55.
This spray came in every box, and it’s a bit of a “meh” for me. Again, it has a very strong smell. More importantly, I don’t have long enough hair to worry about tangling, nor do I blow-dry my hair. Out of curiosity, I sprayed it on (air-dried) hair before using my curling iron and didn’t notice any substantial change/improvement in how my hair behaved. I have also used it on my daughter’s hair as a detangler, and it worked ok but not significantly better than my usual go-to (L’Oreal Miracle Oil). I will probably end up using this spray for my daughter, but it’s not something I can see re-purchasing in the future. Retail value: $23USD.
There is a new feature with FFF boxes where an extra product is selected for you by the FFF team. For the Winter Box, the choice was between this body wash and a hand mask. I probably would have personally used the hand mask, but I will gift this product. Retail value: $39.95USD.
This was the R+Co hair product bundle that I was most excited to try because I’ve heard so many good things about it. I am not fanatical about shampoos and conditioners, and tend to use whatever “professional” brands I can find at Winners – like Joico, Redken, Frederic Fekkai, etc. I’ve now used the R+Co duo a couple of times and … it’s fine. Actually, it’s probably better than fine but I’m not sure I’m in a position to fully appreciate it. I have short hair and I never wear it “as is” (I always either straighten it or curl it) so the way it feels after a wash isn’t that important to me. That being said, the duo did leave my hair very soft but still able to hold a curl (sometimes, too soft is no good). It will be interesting to see what happens when I straighten my hair – whether it will lack volume or no (again, most products that make my hair soft tend to leave it pretty limp). Retail value: $64USD.
This was a product that came in every box. A lot of people seem to swear by it. I already have cloths that I use to remove my (minimal) make-up, so I’m not necessarily in the market for something like this. It may be a good option for travelling, however. Retail value: $20USD.
This was a customization and I’m quite happy with it. I’m an old school type who still uses a paper day-timer at work. This one has a decent weekly layout and the cover looks acceptably “grown up”. Retail value: $27.95USD.
Lastly, this was another customization which I selected as a potential Xmas gift. I have several friends who would love these slippers, but they are so nice, I may just end up keeping them for myself. We’ll see. Retail value: $45USD.
All in all, I am satisfied with my box and the value I feel that I am getting from it (between the items I have tried and plan to continue using and those I plan to gift). It was certainly a vast improvement over the Fall Box, and it made me much more interested in seeing what Spring 2020 has to offer. To be continued … maybe.
I have been getting more and more interested in vintage clothing, especially stuff from the late 80s and 90s. A lot of it is coming back in style/trending right now, and the quality is far superior to what you can find at trendy retailers like Zara and Simmons. Take these high waisted culottes. The tailoring is wonderful – the pleating, front and back, is truly a work of art. They are made out of mid-weight wool that has structure to it but doesn’t feel stiff. They were made in Canada by a brand called Aljean; my guess is sometime in the 80s. They have held up so, so well and fit my current aesthetic perfectly. I tend to wear pants less frequently these days, unless it’s pants that look like skirts. The high waisted silhouette goes well with a cropped jacket, like this ruffled Tabitha number. Overall, this is a simple outfit, but it’s the special details that make it, well, fun.
I know I said I don’t wear pants very often these days — literally above — but last week was an exception, okay? I am loving the pleating details of this Deletta top at the moment. I usually find gingham too “sweet”, but this black and white version doesn’t strike me as such. To match its avante-garde(ish) vibe, I paired it with this softly structured boucle Derek Lam jacket. The top also inspired the choice of colour palette: black, white and red. Not cutting edge but always a reliable standby.
Notes: Deletta top (consignment, $11); Derek Lam jacket (thrifted, $12); Aritzia pants (thrifted $8); J. Crew shoes (retail, $80).
Weekend Wear Woes
I have to admit to struggling lately with my weekend wear. I used to rock casual looks the last couple of winters, but since I’ve stopped wearing jeans as often, I feel like I’ve fallen into a rut. I can certainly layer up dresses and skirts to make them weather appropriate for my needs (I am rarely outside for very long), but I find it difficult to make them look interesting; at the end of the day, all you can really see is the massive coat on top. Blogger problems, y’all. Anyway, this outfit was clearly me giving up on that task and embracing what I know well: a fun outfit with jeans.
