Love at first sight – Blue Collar Red Lipstick

27
Dec
2016

Rule Breaker

categories: Favourite things, Love at first sight, style

Dress, Club Monaco; shoes, Stuart Weitzman (thrifted); bag, Louis Vuitton

I bet you’re surprised that *this* would be the dress for which I’d break my rule against paying full retail price. (It’s more of a guideline, but still.) Yes, that’s right. I not only bought this dress at retail, but I paid full price for it too.

Even though it was definitely over-priced.

Even though Boxing Day was just around the corner.

I have been looking for this dress for years, and when I walked into Club Monaco and saw it, I knew this was it. Was it a smart purchase? Probably not. Not because of the price tag (which I can afford), but because I won’t be able to get the cost-per-wear to a reasonable amount before the dress wears out. Essentially, I will pay a premium every time I wear this dress … which is OK, because I love it. I can say without hesitation that I’d rather have this dress than 10 cheaper, random dresses. But since next year I will probably also buy 10 cheaper, random dresses (hashtag: thrift lyfe) I have made a deal with myself that I will wear this dress at least 10 times in 2017. Keep your eyes peeled for it in my monthly round-ups.

07
Dec
2016

In Wonderland

categories: Awesome red, Favourite things, Love at first sight, style, Thrifting

I know I am by no means unique in this, but I have been low-key obsessed with Alice in Wonderland for many years. I am not precisely sure why. When I was little, it was my fiercest wish to have long, blonde hair; paired with my fondness for Alice’s sartorial choices (that blue dress is on point, is all I’m saying) and admiration for her undefatigable curiosity, perhaps that explains the obsession. Perhaps not. That is actually neither here nor there; the point is that I was instantly sold on this dress because the brand label said Allison Wonderland.

To be fair, the dress itsef is aces.

I blazered up for work (as you can see), but I’m going to post a bazillion blazer-less photos because this dress is worth admiring. It fits like a dream, which is actually a fairly tall order when you consider its silhouette; scratch that. It doesn’t just fit like a dream, it flatters like a dream too. I assure you, I’m not wasp-waisted. This dress makes it look like I am, while at the same time being insanely comfortable to wear. It’s practically magic!

i call it ... the optical illusion dress — i call it … the optical illusion dress

I almost feel guilty telling you that I paid a whopping $8 for this dress … but well, I am anyway. Edmonton peeps, this is what your thrift scene has to offer — get out there and check it out, you won’t regret it. In this case, I got a beautiful, made-in-Canada dress … and I discovered a new designer, Allison Smith (the woman behind Allison Wonderland and sister brand Pillar — thanks, Google!) According to her website, her clothes are made in Vancouver in collaboration with local small businesses, and the (retail) price points are very reasonable for “slow fashion”. Based on how much I love this dress, I plan to keep an eye on her IG for future collections.

every angle is a good angle in this dress

18
Oct
2016

Detail Oriented

categories: Favourite things, Love at first sight, style

Blazer, J. Crew Factory; top, J.Crew (thrifted); pants, Banana Republic (thrifted); shoes; Ferragamo (thrifted); necklace, MaxMara; bag, MbMJ

Let’s be very clear: this outfit is simply an excuse. An excuse for me to wear an amazing recent thrift find: these Ferragamo block heeled pumps. The style is unusual and slightly retro, and certainly not my usual bag, but I couldn’t pass up those colorblocked heels — too cool (and on-trend, as it happens). The shoes are also basically new, and fit perfectly, and I’m a sucker for a good Cinderella moment so … here we are.

As I was building this outfit, I immediately knew which necklace I would wear. My giant MaxMara “toddler craft” necklace sports a rather similar vibe, and the exact shade of light blue, as the shoes. Kismet, I tell you.

I kept the rest of the outfit monochrome because I (a) sometimes like to mix things up, and (b) wanted a neutral “canvas” for my statement accessories. I have to admit that navy is not my go-to for monochrome outfits, but I eventually got used to it. I know it’s supposed to be a more flattering colour for my ghostly complexion, but I still feel more comfortable in black. Habits are hard to break, I guess. For a bag, I went with my trusty Mag bag since burgundy goes so nicely with navy, and also because I don’t have a navy bag at my disposal … yet.

Category: Love at first sight