Category: style

Favourite Outfit 2016, Take One

Blazer, Banana Republic (thrifted); top, Joe Fresh; skirt, Anthropologie (via eBay); shoes, Ferragamo (via consignment); bag, Mulberry (via consignment)
Blazer, Banana Republic (thrifted); top, Joe Fresh; skirt, Anthropologie (via eBay); shoes, Ferragamo (via consignment); bag, Mulberry (via consignment)

First fave outfit of the year? May be, may well be. Needless to say, I love how all these pieces come together in this outfit, even though they’re a mix of brands bought at different times. It’s definitely not in the “business formal” category, but I think it’s a really lovely, polished look nonetheless — it makes me feel professional, while still allowing me to express my style. And by “style”, I mean my undying love of florals. But of course.

close-up
close-up
four-eye!! (Orla Kiely frames via Costco)
four-eye!! (Orla Kiely frames via Costco)
when favourite pieces come together ...
when favourite pieces come together …

I also love each of the individual pieces, but perhaps none more so than this Moulinette Soeurs skirt. It fits like a dream, which is rarer than one might think (pencil skirts and my waist-to-hip ratio are only infrequently on friendly terms). It also doesn’t wrinkle as easily as one might assume, considering it’s made of cotton. It’s a truly lovely skirt, well worth hunting down on eBay, where it pops up regularly. If you can snag it for under $60, I would recommend it.

... favourite outfits happen
… favourite outfits happen

Florals to the Max

Dress, New York & Co (via consignment); necklace & shoes, J. Crew
Dress, New York & Co (via consignment); necklace & shoes, J. Crew

I saw this dress in the window at Red Pony, and I had to try it on right away. Lucky for me, it fit perfectly. Very lucky, considering it was NWT, and only $30. For someone who loves florals as much as I do, this one was a no-brainer. And, of course, I couldn’t wait to wear it. Since I was wearing it to work, I had to throw on a blazer. But, look — still cute (and now, office appropriate):

blazer, J. Crew (thrifted); bag, Marc Jacobs (via eBay)
blazer, J. Crew (thrifted); bag, Marc Jacobs (via eBay)
close up
close up

I love how easy it is to accessorize bright prints like this one; there are so many options. The sage bag and jade shoes were a nice, non-matching but non-clashing option. These J. Crew Dulci pumps are quickly becoming favourites, and I really wish I had bought them in more colours when I found them on sale. I’m afraid to look online to see how much they cost regularly… #sadface.

As for the dress, I’m not super familiar with the New York & Co. brand, but judging from what I’ve seen online, they have a ton of cute dresses in this “scuba-like” material in a variety of lovely prints, and reasonably priced. I will be keeping my eye open for more, both on eBay and consignment stores. One can never have too many loud florals, after all.

holy florals, Batman!
holy florals, Batman!
going undercover at the florist ...
going undercover at the florist …

Ballet Night

Dress, Ted Baker (via consignment); cardigan, Theory; shoes, Bandolino (thrifted); bag, vintage Chanel (via consignment)
Dress, Ted Baker (via consignment); cardigan, Theory; shoes, Bandolino (thrifted); bag, vintage Chanel (via consignment)

I have a *lot* of dresses, which I periodically feel guilty about, but I have decided to embrace my “collector” personality and, rather than pare down, make an effort to cycle through all my pieces more regularly. I love this Ted Baker silk A-line dress, and paired with cream and black, it looked great for a night out with girlfriends. And, oh hey — look, I finally got a decent picture of my newish Alexis Bittar necklace (excuse the cleavage shot).

necklace, Alexis Bittar
necklace, Alexis Bittar

This year, I joined a group of friends and got a season pass to the Alberta ballet. Once a month, we get together, have a nice dinner out then enjoy a show. I haven’t had a lot of time for socializing outside of work in the last 5 years, so this has been a nice change.

Dynamic Directions @ Alberta Ballet
Dynamic Directions @ Alberta Ballet

The Dynamic Directions show was very interesting; there were parts I loved, and parts I didn’t understand at all, but the talent on display was phenomenal. I’m looking forward to next month’s ballet, Romeo & Juliet. I haven’t seen a “traditional” ballet since I was a kid.

girls night out-ing it
girls night out-ing it
black & tan all over
black & tan all over