style – Page 22 – Blue Collar Red Lipstick

06
Jul
2017

Keen as Mustard

categories: style, Success stories, Thrifting

Coat, Oak & Fort (thrifted); sweater, Babaton (thrifted); jeans, Pilcro (thrifted); shoes, J. Crew Factory; bag, Coach (swap)

Oh hey, it’s the same coat from yesterday. It’s my first Oak & Fort piece, and I quite like it. The material is neoprene-like, and very lightweight, which makes it a nice coat for the warmer months. The cocoon shape is very Adina 2017, as is the medium grey colour. It pairs nicely with my colour palette, including mustard yellow. Speaking of which, I need a better descriptor because “mustard” ain’t cutting it. Back to the coat, its tag says “One Size” which … mmkay. It’s roomy enough for me, but I am a size 4-6. Does Oak & Fort not conceive of sizes above, say, 10? I had a quick peek at their website, though, and I like the aesthetic, which seems similar to Aritzia. Don’t get me started on how weird it feels to realize that my aesthetic is more Aritzia than Anthropologie these days. [Though, to be honest, Anthropologie now is not the same as Anthropologie circa 2010 or so, which is when most of my old fave thrifted pieces were made.]

Let’s talk about the sweater for a moment too. I am not a “Law of Attraction” devotee, but I’ve been trying out the whole visualize-what-you-want thing in my thrifting, hoping to fill some very specific wardrobe holes. One was a mustard yellow top. I had found a nice silk one from Aritzia, but it was too low cut for my work environment, so it was a no-go. And then, a few days later, I found this lightweight sweater, also an Aritzia brand. It’s a bit too low cut in the back, but I can live with that more easily than the reverse. I wish it wasn’t a knit, but … thrifters can’t be too choosy. I will eventually find a silk or crepe top, and in the meantime, I can enjoy this sweater. Luckily, even our summers are not all that hot so I can get plenty of wear out of it.

Speaking of wardrobe holes, another thing I really want to find is a plain, olive camisole or sleeveless top (dressy not casual). No luck so far. I am also looking for a specific Anthro top that is selling for a bazillion dollars on eBay (le sigh). Also no luck. Honestly, this whole Law of Attraction thing is kind of a bust. Bah!

05
Jul
2017

Non-Steel Magnolias

categories: style

Top, LOFT (thrifted); pants, Cartonnier (thrifted); shoes, Zara; bag, MbMJ

Are these supposed to be magnolias? Who knows? They make for an excellent floral print, that’s for sure. With my move towards a less “girly” aesthetic, florals are starting to be tricky. It’s hard … scratch that, it’s impossible to pinpoint exactly which florals are in, and which are out, as far as my evolved aesthetic goes. All I can say is: I know it when I see it. And this print is IN.

Also, I kinda went overboard with the whole matchy-matchy thing. I literally could not help myself. This is exactly how things went down, in my head: “Self, that necklace is enough. You definitely can’t pick that A England polish that perfectly matches the blue in the floral pattern. Self? Are you listening to me, self? What the –?! AND that ring too??? Ah jeez.”

No regrets.

Oh look, I also wore this coat. Thrifted, natch.

now you see it, now you don't — now you see it, now you don’t

03
Jul
2017

Impulse Control

categories: style

Dress, Phillip Lim (via eBay); cardigan, Nougat (thrifted); shoes, Prada; bag, YSL (via eBay); necklace, J. Crew Factory

I should not be allow to eBay after certain hours. I’m not even kidding. I mean, this dress probably isn’t the *worst* thing that could have ended up in my mailbox, but it’s also not exactly something that *needed* to end up in my mailbox. It is quite pretty, though. I’ll give my late-night-zombie self a partial pass. I adore the print, although I could have done without the ruching at the waist. Sigh.

The biggest problem I have with this dress is finding something to wear it with. You would think it would be easy. Black, after all, is always a safe bet. Somehow, none of my eleventy million blazers looks smashing with the dress; they look ok, but … meh. The dress absolutely needs a topper, by the way, because the back is completely sheer. Oh, did I forget to mention that? #latenightzombieebayingatitsfinest

I ended up picking this old Nougat cardigan because the colour is pretty and goes well with the dress, and the rest of it is … unobjectionable as far as a style pairing goes. The shoes might push the whole thing into “gamine” territory (those bows!) but, dang it, I don’t wear them often enough so they had to stay. And the bag … oh, the bag. I still love it so. I wish it was more practical, but it’s one damn fine-looking bag.

Category: style