Isn’t this *such* a fall outfit? Blame it on the autumnal palette, plus the fact that I’m wearing a wool coat. A beautiful wool coat (thanks again, Nicole!), but a coat nonetheless. Our erratic weather patterns continue, but the mornings have remained decidedly cool. And getting darker by the day, which means that I will have to bid adieu to the garage door, and say bonjour to the basement dungeon soon. For those of you who are newer readers … well, you will find out what I mean by that shortly.

But enough lamenting from me, how did the rest of the outfit look?

Pretty good, if I say so myself. The skirt is ancient — and, in truth, infrequently worn (speaking of “quintessentially fall” pieces) — but I still enjoy it. I know the Queen of Spain is a big Hugo Boss fan, and I believe she once wore a dress of the same pattern; it always makes me feel extra fancy when I do wear this skirt. The blazer and top are thrift finds from earlier this year, both of which are quickly becoming wardrobe staples. I highly recommend the blazer, by the way — it’s comfortable and has a decent weight (for anyone else living in a cold climate), and I find it elevates my black/monochrome pieces in a way that a plain, black blazer doesn’t. The brand is Cartonnier, and I believe this style was called “Dashes”, for those who are interested in some eBay/Poshmark stalking.

Note: BCRL was recently awarded the first runner up spot for Best Fashion Blog in Vue Weekly’s Best Of Edmonton 2016, based on votes cast by Edmontonians. I am extremely happy and humbled, and would like to thank all of you (local and overseas peeps) for reading and sharing your love of fashion with me.

I took a couple of days off this week, and spent them recharging my batteries at home. It was all very low key — the highlight of my day was doing kindergarten drop-off and pick-up — but I did manage to squeeze in a pedicure and run some errands that required me to step out of my “around the house” leggings into something … um, less comfortable. Hah, just kidding — this outfit was pretty comfortable. A soft, knit blazer is usually a good bet for that.

This skirt was a favourite of mine a couple of summers ago, but I haven’t worn it much (or at all, yikes!) this year. I’ve come to realize that I just don’t gravitate towards skirts on my days off anymore, which is why I’ve been slowly winnowing down my casual skirts selection. I’m currently down to three, but I’m too attached to this one to let it go. I’m getting extra sentimental in my old age …

For those reading along at home, chapter 6 of A Temporary Engagement is up on my other blog today. Read it here.

Ok, so this is basically a casual, polar opposite iteration of my pants outfit from earlier in the week. Is this the last hurrah of the year for my Pilcro jeans? Who knows. Practical considerations aside, I’ve come to understand why some people are devoted to their white jeans; they are SO versatile. Not practical, mind you. Definitely not … especially when hanging out with small kids. Casual Friday at the office is a slightly more feasible proposition.

I like the texture (and interesting back) of this Design Lab sweater quite a bit. It’s not particularly itchy, but I played it safe, and layered a lightweight tank top underneath. As a bonus, the lace hem peeked through — a nice extra bit of texture. The outfit is otherwise as simple as it gets, but I also added a bright pop of colour because that’s how I roll.

Still, bright fuchsia bag notwithstanding, my BFF texted me (from her overseas trip) to inquire if I was feeling down — my outfits have been, to paraphrase, uncharacteristically somber recently, it seems. While her “BFF mood radar” is not exactly off, I still thought it was funny because, as much as I’ve been (intentionally) hewing to the minimalist side of style lately, I’ll forever be the “girl who loves all the colours of the rainbow and prints.” And I guess I’m okay with that 🙂