The Tweaked Formula

This is a very similar silhouette to an outfit I posted last week, which I suppose is a testament to its versatility. Or to my laziness. The cropped jacket is, as last time, by Rebecca Taylor but it fits much better which is why it’s a keeper. (For now. That ominous caveat is necessary given the purge upheaval currently happening in my closet. I was going to make a Stalin joke here but, um, maybe not.) I would love to find some more high-waisted pants – of the non-culottes variety – but they are tricky, tricky things. I like the look of the ones I’ve spotted on ASOS, but I have concerns. One, quality – there is nothing worse than polyester pants that make you feel like you’re wearing a garbage bag that might burst into flames if your thighs rub together for too long. Two, the danger of polterwang. I recently learned that delightful term thanks to FFA on Reddit, and it perfectly captures the awfulness that is an unintentionally baggy crotch.

So.

I have to actually go out there and try high-waisted pants if I want to find a decent pair, and I’ll be honest: unless I find these magical unicorns at the thrift store, it ain’t happening. The thought of going to the mall is exhausting even before I lift a digit off the couch.

The Tweaked Formula, Part 2

This sweater+dress combo is one of my faves, and my thought process in putting together this outfit was simple: how can I wear this combo to work? Add a blazer, duh. Boom. Done. Did I mention how much I love working in a business-casual office? Before you @ me, please note that the dress is lined to the knee, so the devoré overlay does not actually reveal anything scandalous unless you are a time-travelling Victorian, in which case – welcome to the 21st century, but also, why are you wasting time reading this blog? There are far more exciting things of which to partake these days, like Tinder, sky-diving, and watching Black Panther in 3D.

Rust-ic Casual

Yeah, ok. There is nothing rustic about this outfit, per se, but it was the only pun that came to mind. Sorry. The outfit is A-OK, though; 10 out of 10, will wear again. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have been caught dead wearing a shade even remotely close to my hair colour, but times change (see above). This rust/brick red is growing on me. I also dig the deconstructed look of this blazer, so it has that going for it as well. This is almost head-to-toe Anthro, but without a heavy dose of twee which I take as a kind of personal triumph.

The loafers/bag combo is also great, though possibly a little too matchy. But wait! Have we gone all the way back around to the point where matching your shoes to your bag is a cool thing or nah? I guess, sometimes, the more things change (in fashion), the more they stay the same.

Hey, look: time for another community trading post. I noticed there hasn’t been as much activity on these posts as in the past (though, to be fair, the blog as a whole is quieter in terms of traffic than before) so I am going to invite your feedback again on whether these should stick around or not. Another alternative, would be to use these as a forum for just random discussion in the comments – with me, or among yourselves. If you have questions, rants, whatever – this could be a chance to unload. Let me know what you think!

For now, a reminder of the disclaimers/ground rules for Community Trading:

One, while I believe in the BCRL community, I do not know each of you personally, so I cannot vouch for any person or item. Please use your best discretion, both when buying and trading. While I think this idea has great potential, its success is premised on trust and the honour system – please be fair and respectful of others. If anyone becomes aware of concerns over another poster/reader’s actions, please let me know. I do not have time to police people, but I also don’t want anyone to be using my site to rip others off, so should something of that nature happen, I will shut down these posts immediately.

Two, I would ask that people at least consider international shipping, provided the other party is willing to assume the costs. I say this as a Canadian who often feels shut out of trading sites where the members are predominantly from the US. Of course, I can’t and wouldn’t force anyone to do something they feel comfortable with, but I know there are BCRL readers all over North America (and the world), and I think it would be nice if everyone had the option to participate.

Three, please feel free to include links to specific items you are selling/seeking as long as they are not affiliate ones.

Four, please be clear about the specifics of what you are looking for and/or are offering, including payment, shipping, etc. Alternately, you can include an email address for inquiries, but please note that this would be visible to the public/anyone visiting the blog.

See you in the comments!

Clothing swaps have been a constant in my life for a long time (as the title of this post suggests), and while I still enjoy hosting them, this year I was not able to devote as much time to my preparations as in the past. I had no theme picked out in advance, and I scrambled to get everything ready at the last minute. Life, man – it gets in the way of all the fun stuff. Anyway, I threw together a bunch of décor things I had around the house, bought some flowers and a bunch of cheeses at Costco, and called it a day. It’s never a wholly terrible party if there’s cheese, amirite? (I didn’t JUST serve cheese, but let’s be honest, it was the highlight.)

Besides, people don’t come to this sort of gathering for the food or the décor – they come for the clothes. And there were plenty of clothes to go around. This was just my batch:

The tower of shoes:

These photos are embarrassing when you consider how much of my own stuff I have been selling lately, but let me take this opportunity to make the same pledge I make (and break) every year: this is the last time I will have so much stuff to contribute to the swap. But, really, this is the year that promise will stick. I have a good feeling. Maybe.

As always, a good time and lots of laughs were had all around. There were tons of goodies, and it’s safe to say that no one went home empty-handed. Here are some of the clothes that were there for the taking:

I tried really hard to get these Frye boots on but it was no-go. Sad trombone. They found a good home, don’t worry.

My bestie got this awesome cape that matched her glasses.

My friend K got a bunch of gorgeous dresses including this slinky number.

My friend T found tons of colourful pieces to complement her bold style including this Ted Baker floral number that I (reluctantly) let go.

The lovely S (IG uincolour) found some real gems like these Anthro pieces that actually look great together.

Cassie (The Minuteglass) rocked this Moulinette Soeurs dress (and her pixie – jealous!)

Jenn (Life Preloved) was delighted with this Mackage jacket (and a To did For Tadashi Shoji sequin mini among other things including, ahem, a certain pair of boots).

My friends L and O — who somehow managed to avoid my photographic efforts – did not go home empty handed either. Miraculously, each of us found things that seemed like they had been meant for us all along.

Speaking of which, here’s a list of the stuff I took home – stay tuned for photos coming to a blog near you soon:

– DVF “Aurora” wool sheath dress
– Talula “shrunken Exeter” purple blazer (this is my fave style in a gorgeous colour)
– Zoa grey tie-waist shirt
– Vanessa Virginia teal cardigan
– Rebecca Minkoff green bag (yes!)
– Fluevog monkstrap pumps (yes!!)
– Tara Jarmon silk pleat pants
– Colorpop lipsticks

Have I convinced you yet that a clothing swap is a most fun and excellent idea? I hope so … and if you have already tried one yourself, tell me all about it.