Power Outfit, Revisited

You saw this dress not long ago, but here it is again. I really like how these accessories came together, but it’s hard to make this dress look anything other than great. No, I’m pretty sure it’s impossible. Still, a red shoe is always fun. I don’t wear “fun shoes” – i.e. anything other than black – very often these days, but I am still fond of these old J. Crew suede heels. They’re still in good shape and still quite comfortable. I tend to forget that J. Crew still exists (and I used to be obsessed with it back in 2013/2014) so I don’t know what’s up with its merch or quality these days. Is it the same as before? Better? Worse? If anyone else can report, please share in the comments.

Notes: Issey Miyake dress (secondhand, $580); no name necklace (thrifted, $6?); J. Crew shoes (retail, $80).

Lord Commander of the Coven

I call this look: if Jon Snow was the head *itch of a stylish coven. You guys know how much I love my secret Stark-Targaryen, so you can imagine how stoked I was to find this faux fur vest thing. I even paid up for it at Value Village, a whopping $25. It’s from an old Neiman Marcus-Target collab, though shockingly in like-new condition. I don’t think it’s ever been worn. Don’t mind if I do. I paired it with a funky skirt from some weird Australian label I’ve never heard of before. Worked like a charm.

Notes: Skaist Taylor for Target vest (thrifted, $25); “i woman i love” skirt (thrifted, $8.50); Maje top (retail, $35); Napoleoni shoes (thrifted, $6).

Boho Goth

I wore this outfit on the second day of the Wardrobe Exchange secondhand clothing market; I feel like it represents well one side of my style personality which was the goal. The dress is eShakti Custom, which I think means that its original owner “designed” (i.e. customized) it from a menu of options. I dig their style. I like the sheer sleeves, and the tulle layers in the skirt; the embroidery adds a nice boho touch. I added a few more of my own with some beautiful chunky stone rings I bought in a back alley a while back. True story.

Notes: eShakti dress (thrifted, $13); Napoleoni shoes (thrifted, $6); rings (“boutique”, $50 each).

Layering Experiment

I guess I am fully embracing the 90s revival at this point; this vintage (like, for real) Dynamite vest-dress is a total throwback. I can’t quite button it up (down?) all the way, so I have to wear it as a long vest rather than a dress, but I still like it a lot. I haven’t figured out all the way I could layer it, but this first attempt is quite good. Next time, I think I need to go back to my Vogue runway edition for some sweet, sweet inspiration.

Notes: Dynamite vest (thrifted, $4); Banana Republic blazer (thrifted, $9); Tory Burch shoes (thrifted, $20).

So, the Fall FabFitFun box came and … it was alright. Honestly, I don’t feel like writing about it but I feel that I have to given my past posts. You know those people who write glowing blog posts all about “this cool new favourite thing I can’t live without” and then never mention that thing again? I don’t want to be that person, so I guess I’m stuck writing about FFF until the end of the year (when my annual subscription expires).

Alright, here goes:

I was predisposed to be disappointed with this box after some less than great interactions with the company over their communications regarding the Fall box. I hashed out that situation on my IG Stories, and don’t want to belabor it here, but suffice to say, FFF pulled the highest value item from the Fall box at the 11^th hour (after the customization window opened) without a real explanation; then, I saw it pop up on an influencer’s post as being included in the box she received. I guess FFF sends advance boxes to influencers, and this one went out before they decided to pull the item. I took me numerous messages back and forth with FFF to get that much of an answer out of them, and the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. Anyway. This box arrived looking messier (and emptier) than in the past.

I selected this hair towel as one of my customizations because I have a similar one, and find it useful. It’s not a “wow” product by any means, but the other options were even less appealing for me. (I’ve heard good things from friends about one of the other alternatives in this category, an eye makeup set. I don’t use eye makeup anymore, which is why I didn’t select that.) Retail value was listed as $18USD, but you can find similar towels at Winners for under $10CAD.

This Aveda hair product came in all boxes. The Ouai leave-in conditioner that came with my Spring box is about to run out, so I will use this as a replacement. I haven’t tried it yet, but it has good reviews, it seems. Retail $30USD.

This is supposed to be a lunch bag but, honestly, I might be able to fit my breakfast in there at best. It’s also a really blah colour, which is weird since it’s a Kate Spade product – you know, a company known for its bright, whimsical, colourful prints. Anyway, I plan to use this as a make-up travel bag. Retail $30USD.

This was another customization which I chose for lack of better options, but I ended up loving this scent. It has sandalwood in it, which I love. I don’t know that it does much for me in terms of relaxation, but I enjoy wearing it as a light perfume on weekends, or layered over my everyday scent, Maison Margiela’s By The Fireplace. I forgot to note down the retail price but it was probably under $30USD.

Same story here – my pick out of a disappointing selection. I have a good skincare regime for my face at the moment, and I don’t want or need to add more exfoliants to it, so I will be using this on my body instead. Or gifting it – haven’t decided yet. I would have preferred a different product, for sure. Retail value $32USD.

This body cream came in all boxes, and I wish it had been a Sol De Janeiro product. I received some DMs on IG telling me that it’s surprisingly good. I haven’t tried it yet, but I will eventually once I finish my current jar of SdJ cream. Retail value $18USD.

These scrub cubes also came in all boxes. They’re a fun product to try, but I found them too rough for use anywhere except my legs and feet. Retail value $16USD.

Last but not least, this hair straightener ended up being the highest priced item in the box (and available in general, I believe). I don’t need a new straightener yet (my old BaByLiss is still working just fine) but I figured I could always use this down the line. Someone told me that they use one for “ironing” creases out of clothes on the go, so to speak, which is the kind of life hack I’m all about. On the other hand, another IG follower DM-ed me to warn me that there some potential safety issues reported with this particular brand/model of straightener. Duly noted. Retail value $80USD.

Overall, I was very underwhelmed by this box, and it’s the first case where I didn’t feel like I got my money’s worth. To be clear, there are enough products in the box to make up the $80CAD that I spent on the box including shipping (even accounting for the inflated retail values), but not enough that I personally needed or was excited to receive to make up that value. I could have spent $80 at Winners on random beauty products, and been happier.

As I mentioned above, my subscription includes one more box; after that, I will decide whether to continue my subscription or not. I am currently leaning towards “no” after this most recent experience, but we shall see how the Winter Box fares.

If you’ve got questions or comments to share about FabFitFun, let me know in the comments.

Slytherin

I am not really a Potterhead but I took the official quiz and I’m House Gryffindor. This came as a surprise because, honestly, I feel like I am (at best) Ravenclaw or maybe (realistically) Hufflepuff. The stuff of magical realm heroine, I am not. Anyway, this Zero+Maria Cornejo dress is making me think that I’ve been sleeping too long on the best house of all: Slytherin. You can’t see it in these pics, but these Poppy Barley shoes have an embossed snakeskin finish; a colleague called them “dragon shoes” and I was, like, HELL YES. Dark, moody green dress, swamp witch pendant, dragon-creature shoes. It is a look, and that look says one thing. The hat was wrong.

Notes: Zero+Maria Cornejo dress (thrifted, $19); Poppy Barley shoes (thrifted, $27); Rafael necklace (eBay, $150).

Here is a close-up of the dress which shows its colour better:

Vest is Best

Alternate title: vest on repeat. The other one sounds better, but this is more factual. I have been wearing this blazer-vest a lot lately. The small houndstooth print is a nice neutral and the elongated line of the vest allows me to play with the proportions of my outfits, which I always enjoy. What’s not to like? Also really, really good? This skirt. The brand (Suno) was unfamiliar to me, but I knew it was quality just from touching the fabric; it’s a thick, smooth silk with beautiful drape and weight to it. My friend Google tells me the brand is now defunct but was originally quite pricey. I can believe it; one look at the way this skirt carries its tulip shape (all those little pleats around the waist!) is enough.

Notes: J. Crew Factory top (retail, $40); Elizabeth & James vest (thrifted, $18); Suno skirt (thrifted, $9).

Here are a few more ways I’ve worn the blazer vest:

An Explosion of Colour

Funny coincidence: I used to own a Ted Baker top in this very same print 3 or 4 years ago. OK, maybe that’s not so funny, but it’s a coincidence to find the matching maxi dress all these years later. I got rid of the top a while ago because it had ruffles and I don’t do ruffles anymore. As for the print itself, I’m a bit torn. On one hand, I love all the colours. On the other hand, it’s … well, a lot. The fabric is polyester not silk, which is disappointing but par for the course for this brand, in my experience. Ted Baker does eye-catching prints, but the quality is meh. Anyway, I will hang on to this dress until next year when I’m planning another family trip to Mexico (it will be a good resort dress), and then evaluate whether to keep it or not. In the meantime, I’ll keep playing around and seeing how it works with the rest of my wardrobe.

Notes: Ted Baker dress (thrifted, $13); Line sweater (thrifted, $8.50); Wilfred blazer (thrifted, $12), Arnold Churgin boots (thrifted, $20).

White After Labour Day

This dress was made for breaking old fashion style rules because who can wear a sweater dress between May and September? Well, ok, I probably could because Edmonton summer is a theoretical concept only. Ahem. On one hand, the fact that the dress has a substantial turtleneck but no sleeves is a bit odd – how warm is it meant to keep you? – but on the other hand, it’s perfect for layering. I love layering! Ergo, I love this dress. Well, mostly. It is rather bodycon, about which I have mixed feelings. But it goes well with this leather jacket, and that’s an important point in its favour.

Notes: Moth dress (thrifted, $5); BlackNYC jacket (retail, $38); Tory Burch boots (thrifted, $20).