Backless Casual, Mustard and Olive, Black and White Party, and Shopping with the Hostess

Hey! I'm back! It's been a busy weekend, but I'm looking forward to a quiet week and I'm feeling good. I didn't find the missing copper Renoir earring, sadly, but eh, it's just stuff. I don't get too upset about it (not even when Vizzini eats a pair of Fluevogs).

Where were we? Oh, yes, Friday.

It's getting dark in the mornings now

First wear of this amazing dress, which I purchased on consignment last weekend (here) for $24.00. The denim softened up considerably over the day; I don't think this dress has ever been worn!

It's hard to see, but I have white striped tights on. I love them dearly, but they are getting old - I've had them since 2010. Check it out, here - all I have still have from that outfit are the tights and the jewelry. I need some new tights!

Vizzini's been cranky this weekend because of the cold

Bam! And then you see the back! That's my new-to-me thrifted blouse (also purchased last weekend).

The stuff:

Best Shoes Ever. Sorry, they just are. I last wore them here in October while being an empress.

Silver bling:

I like the "heartbeat" pattern of the steel one, and the radial design of the other one.

Dress (Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti, consignment), blouse (Cleo, thrifted), shoes (Poetic Licence), steel ring (vintage 50s), silver ring (The Bay).

I headed to the mall after work to buy tights. It's extremely difficult to find tights secondhand that haven't been worn, and it's also tricky to find basic ones that are ethically made. I sucked it up like a big girl. I really hated being in the mall, though. Ugh.

This should last me up for a year or so, at least. I loved some of the patterned tights (aren't the polka dot ones fun?), but was disappointed to see that apparently bright-coloured tights are out. Good thing I stocked up when they were in style!

On Saturday morning, L and I went for brunch, then ventured out to power-shop for Christmas gifts for our families. We're done! We just have to get each other gifts now - we just do stockings, but we tend to spoil each other.

It is still frigidly cold out, so I'm layered up with a slip under this and nice thick tights. It was sunny out for most of the weekend.

I last wore this mustard sweater here in March with my tiki skirt.

I adore this skirt - it's such a great cut. Plus it flaps around marvelously. Bizarrely, I last wore it the same weekend as the sweater, here in March. The boots are my Fluevog Mini Babycakes, last worn in November ,here.

Outerwear:

This Betsey Johnson jacket is turning into a weekend jacket. I've had the brown faux fur scarf and matching cuffed gloves for a few years (made in Canada).

Jacket (Betsey Johnson, thrifted), gloves/scarf (Parkhurst), sweater (Pria), skirt (Danier Leather, thrifted), boots (Babycake Mini, Fluevog), leather cuff (Catalyst Leather), leather cuff (SkinZnHydez).

After a mid-afternoon nap, I got ready for my company's annual Holiday Gala - although I said I was going to wear the same outfit as I wore to the Unlimited Woman Awards, I did change up a few things.

That look on my face is "Dang! I'm freezing!"

I liked it with blue even more! I last wore this dress to the awards a couple of weeks ago, but this time I layered both my blue and my black Noa Noa floofy underskirts under it. I was Ultra-Swooshy! I last wore the black skirt that night, and Cat wore the blue skirt with her outfit that night.

The belt is one that I bought for the Victoria Steam Expo here in April 2012 - I paid $5.00 for it at the WIN thrift store. The back of it is elastic.

My coworkers checked out my ink.

The shoes are all kinds of fabulousness. I danced in them all night!

I wore my black feather fascinator instead of a hat, and wore my Grandma J's faux pearls.

And my blue lapis lazuli ring by Wendy, of course!

Dress (Planet, consignment), underskirts (Noa Noa), shoes (Listen Up O'Hara, Fluevogs), fascinator (Heart's Content), belt (vintage 80s, thrifted), necklace (Grandma J's), ring (Wendy Brandes).

Today, I walked to town to get groceries then over to Fairfield to meet Leslie of Hostess of the Humble Bungalow fame, for brunch and a shop at My Sister's Closet.

I know, after the previous outfit, it's practically plain!

I dressed for trying stuff on: easy on/off shoes and top, minimal jewelry and a skirt that doesn't necessarily have to be removed.

The black cashmere sweater hasn't been worn for a while. Black. Plain. Basic. But cashmere, and lovely and snuggly warm. It's just not a terribly fabulous piece. It was last seen in the November 2012 all-neutral capsule (recap here), where I wore it twice.

I love this Plum brocade skirt. I actually saw one in the same cut but a different fabric in the consignment store today! I last wore it here in November when I was a pirate.

Leslie and I both did really well - we both found 4 items. That's such a great store, but I only go once every couple of months because I always find too many things!

Like...my New Year's Eve dress!

It's by Bellissima, and is made in the USA! It was $38.98 and is a nice iridescent red/black mix. It is one-shoulder, but the bodice has boob-shapers in it and fits me perfectly, so it will work great with my strapless bra. It has a bigass bow on the shoulder - but you know I never shy away from bigass anything! I'm excited to style this up for a fun evening out with 13 of my closest friends!

This lovely teal t-shirt-y material dress was slotted in with the t-shirts and labelled a tunic.

Nope, it's a dress. It's by Kersh, and it was $22.98. The colour is very flattering on me.

My Sister's Closet is the best store for shoes. Leslie found a pair of red suede Geox loafers, and I found these sweet leather boots.

I like the folded-down "cuff" look. They were $39.98 and are by Aerosoles.

The heel is not too high - I think I'll be able to wear these all day without much strain.

I always check to see how much wear shoes have had.

I like the back zip. These were a size 8.5, but they fit me perfectly. I usually wear a 9/9.5/40.

These made my heart sing!

YES. Brown canvas floral Doc Martens! These are called the Becket (check it out, they sell new for $179.99).

I have been on the lookout for a new pair of combat boots since my beloved purple crackle studded ones were passed along.

I am filled with glee just looking at them. I can't wait to wear them!

The classic sole:

Barely any wear! These were only $60.98 - a fantastic price for nearly-new.

Hope your weekend was fabulous!

Power, Suit and Snow

It snowed today! Well, for Victoria it snowed. I think we might have had 1 centimeter sift slowly down over the duration of the day. But it made everyone feel excited and Christmassy, which was fun. 

Fun until the power went out tonight just as it got dark! All of downtown (where I work) lost power, right to my house and past that! It came back on and then off, and then on and then off - again - until it finally has settled at "on" for the last few hours. You don't realize how dependent we are on electricity until we don't have it!

Anyway, all is good, and look! I have another suit on! I couldn't resist wearing this gloriously rich dark red suit today. Seriously, it's just gorgeous. I had so many people admire it and then be stunned when I told them I paid $18.00 for it (last weekend, here).

I switched the pin to the other lapel when I realized the collar covered it up.

The blouse is my recently worn (here a couple of weeks ago in November) black sheer striped Lida Baday - it was only $10.00, so not including the shoes, my whole outfit cost $28.00.

Done up. I originally thought this suit was 80s, like my Andre Courreges cashmere/wool suit, but now I think this suit might be early 60s, the Jacqueline Kennedy era. The jacket is boxier than modern cuts - not like the ultra tailoring of the 80s.

Overall, this suit was a pleasure to wear. I can't wait to play with the pieces individually too! This is a lifetime keeper piece. Love it.

The stuff:

Fluevogs so that I don't look like a little old lady, heh heh (no offense to little old ladies, especially the one whose old suit ended up at a thrift store). I last wore these way way back in March (here), with a blouse that I ended up just recently putting in the giveaway bag. I paid $99.00 for them, which is about a third of what they cost new.

Copper bling.

I have lost one of my earrings...aw, booooooo. I was struggling with my giant Unsafe Polar Bear jacket and my crossbody bag (in the dark) as I left work, so hopefully, I dropped it under my desk. I really hope I didn't lose it while walking home in the pitch dark in a dusting of snow.

Suit (Hettermarks, vintage 60s, thrifted), blouse (Lida Baday, consignment), shoes (Qtee Mini, Fluevog, consignment), brooch (thrifted), cuff (Renoir, vintage 60s, Grandma J), earring(s) (Renoir, vintage 60s).

Cerulean Blue and Leopard

Brrr! The temperatures here have dropped to an icy-cold zero to minus 4 degrees (that's Canadian temperatures; it's in the high 20s/low 30s for the rest of you). It's clear and sunny, but man, we delicate West Coast flowers are chilly.

I actually went out twice today without a jacket! Foolish, foolish Sheila.

I had to wear (I had to!) my new-to-me cerulean blue skirt today - I loved how it went with this pretty leopard cardigan. I thrifted the skirt on the weekend (here) for $6.50 - what a score!

The cardigan was last worn here in July - coincidentally, I wore it with this same blue belt AND I whined about being a delicate flower due to the heatwave we'd been experiencing then. I'm so predictable.

The skirt is such an awesome fit - I loved wearing it all day. The wonderful wool crepe was a dream - didn't wrinkle a bit (not that I actually sat today; I was far too busy for that!).

The stuff:

My new-to-me black shoes were uber-comfy. I thrifted them this past weekend at the same time as the skirt for $16.50.

Some bling:

I am bummed that I missed out on Wendy Brandes' Cyber Monday sale - there were some amazing deals! But everything I clicked on had already been sold. Ah, well, I shall console myself with these gorgeous rings of hers. Did any of you manage to snag a piece?

Cardigan (XXI, consignment), skirt (no label, thrifted), shoes (Town Shoes, thrifted), belt (Danier Leather), necklace (Grandma J's, vintage 50s), earrings (Jacob), lapis lazuli and Fulvia Ring (Wendy Brandes).

80s Colour-a-Rama

This is a lot of colour!

I'd like to point out that my neighbour's bike collection (my usual background here) is now gone! Woo!

Yeah, I had to wear a bunch of my new-to-me things from this weekend (here): the purple leather skirt, the Bruno Magli shoes, the lovely silk scarf. And look how nice they are all playing together!

The skirt was awesome to wear, although the slit at the back is not very high, so I can't take very big steps.

The brown sweater is a Banana Republic one, last seen way way back in the February 2012 capsule (recap here), where I wore it 3 times (last time here). I bought it back in late 2009 and wore it first here in January 2010 - I thrifted it for only $12.00 - sweet!

The stuff:

The shoes felt weird at first. They built them differently in the 80s - there is less cushioning, but the construction is better. Maybe all the cushioning they put in shoes now is actually covering poorer construction? I don't know - but these were made in Italy, and they felt gorgeous and I have not a smidge of foot pain.

Red bling:

But the scarf was the piece that really tied it all together. Who knew you could mix violet, cobalt blue, brown and red together?

Sweater (Banana Republic, thrifted), skirt (Chia, vintage 80s, thrifted), shoes (Bruno Magli, vintage 80s, thrifted), belt/bracelet (Plum), leather cuff (Rimanchik), ring (Oscar & Libby's), lapis lazuli ring (Wendy Brandes), earrings (local), scarf (thrifted).

Groovy Baby! Red Leather Pants and Shiny-Shiny Brocade

Wow, I can't believe it's December already! How the heck did that happen?

As you may or may not know, I like to bust out the really glittery, shiny and sparkly stuff for the month of December. I can't decorate at home (Vizzini Monster Eats All), but I can sure decorate myself!

Okay, you know I had to wear the red leather pants ASAP, right?

These are of course, the sweet $24.95 leather pants I thrifted on the weekend (here). I turned the cuffs up once and pressed them into place and they held beautifully at this cropped length all day.

How did I ever live without a cream satin ruffled blouse with Major Cuffs? I had a few comparisons to Austin Powers today. I last wore this blouse here (2nd outfit) in October as part of my Art Gallery ensemble.

Super shiny jacket! I last wore it here in August with mostly reds. I really love it and get tons of compliments on it.

The stuff:

The new cropped length of the pants works well with a nice loafer. I always show these off - I only paid $2.00 for them, over a year ago! I haven't worn them since our trip to Vancouver in March (here).

Big ol' bling:

I liked the necklace over the blouse - it helped balance all that ruffle and shine business. The earrings remind me of snowflakes.

Jacket (Aldo, thrifted), blouse (CAbi, consignment), leather pants (Gap, thrifted), shoes (Two Lips, thrifted), necklace (Plum), earrings (locally-made).

Long Weekend Wrap-Up: the Usual Suspects - Shopping and Cat Pictures

Well, the long weekend is nearly over, and it's been a slice. Lots of fun things happening, as the festive season kicks off!

I'm linking up to "Visible Monday" over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style, as well as Judith at Style Crone's "Hat Attack" for my most recent hat-wearing incident.

After a day of watching football on Thursday, I put on real clothes for Book Club.

Spiky hair because weekend.

One of my many long-sleeved layering tees, under my caramel sweater (last seen here in October, way down at the bottom).

Yes, I'm wearing jeans! They are actually cropped with little zippers at the bottom (last seen here in September with a Hawaiian shirt).

I'm wearing my over-the-knee olive suede boots (last worn here last week with fabulous chartreuse) and my Betsey Johnson coat. Our discussed book was "Out of Africa" (most of us also went to the movie during the reading of it), so I brought my sprinbok fur purse.

Coat (Betsey Johnson, thrifted), sweater (Coldwater Creek, thrifted), tee/earrings (Plum), jeans (Sandwich, swap from Caro), boots (Pegabo), purse (consignment), gloves (Parkhurst).

On Friday, L and I hung out together all day. It's so awesome to just be able to chill with your best friend.

We went for brunch, then L did some banking while I browsed around some of the Oak Bay (where the rich people live) consignment shops.

My grey cashmere blend sweater was last seen here (3rd outfit) in November for brunch. I guess it's a brunch sweater.

I planned my skirt to go with my outerwear - my coat has no pockets and I require pockets! Who doesn't love a skirt with pockets? I last wore this amazing suede skirt of fabulousness here (3rd outfit, with caramel velvet) on our arty weekend back in October.

The boots are my grey felt, last worn here (2nd outfit, with turquoise fringed suede) in early November, with the same outfit. I'm a lazy matcher, heh.

Blue coat of happiness! I love the sunny blue, the dramatic lapels and the short fit of this jacket.

I dropped in on one of my old favourites of the Victoria consignment scene, the House of Savoy in Oak Bay. The last time I went there, I found Kim Cattrall's suit! It's a store that's worth a visit about twice a year for me - easily one of the priciest of the consignment stores, but good deals can be had if you search around a bit.

I found this gorgeous marigold yellow sweater for only $20.00.

I love the big wide hem - it will be good for belting and keeping definition. It's by Spense - I have found a couple of tops by them over the years, and the quality has been good.

This is my risky purchase, but since it was drastically marked down on the clearance rack, I figured, "What the heck?"

Okay, it's a denim dress. But all that pocketry and zippage is completely an optical illusion! The studs and buttons are real, but there are no pockets, belt-loops, flaps or anything on this. It buttons up the front and has a side zip.

It's also backless.

Also fake back pockets. I don't know how I'm going to style this - likely with a top underneath.

The label was vaguely familiar:

Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti. Zoiks, I just looked at their online shop* - the cheapest dress on sale is $298.00 US!
*info only, buy second hand!

It's a perfect fit on me - I had to have it. It was only $24.00.

"Feed me"

I usually like to try on all my new purchases again at home and get a good look at them with the contents of my closet.

Vizzini had the devil in him:

"I swallow your soul"

He was attacking my feet.

I'll probably never wear it like this due to bra issues, but it's fun to show my whole back.

Bird socks are awesome

No slit in the skirt, so it's tricky for running about.

How would you style this challenging dress? Ideas welcome!

L and I went for brunch at our usual Saturday spot. I had to wear my new bright sweater to counter the grey and rainy day.

Such a great colour!

The screen print is a beech tree.

The skirt is...a cape! I like it better as a skirt - it has nice weight and it's warm. Plus, pointy hem! I last wore it here (way down) for my birthday weekend in October.

The boots are my dark brown Miz Mooz, last worn for Winesday (here, past my shopping pics) in early November.

Vizzini is rolling about amusingly

Outerwear includes my crackle-finish Danier coat (thrifted for $16.50, score! a few months ago), my gloves, hat and a silk vintage scarf.

The stuff:

Sturdy pieces for shopping.

Coat (Danier Leather, thrifted), sweater (Spense, consignment), skirt/cape (Smoking Lily, thrifted), boots (Miz Mooz), hat (Wooden Ships), gloves (Parkhurst), leather cuff (SkinZnHydez), leaf cuff (About Tine), earrings (local), ring (Twang & Pearl).

After brunch, I headed off for a good long search through the WIN warehouse store.

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I collect mid-century (50s-70s) amber glassware. I found a fabulous mixed selection for only a few bucks!

All between 50 cents and $2.95 per piece

The top left one is part of the same set as some of my Grandma J's glasses - it's probably from the early 60s. The middle back cup is later, probably 70s, as is the cup on the upper right. I needed some little shallow dishes (for dips and such), and found the front two for cheap. Both are modern but I liked the simple shapes.

The little middle cup is a later example of the "King's Thumbprint" pattern (image search) - I have quite a bit of it from the '60-70s (plates, cups, bowls), and it's great to find a new piece. I collect the amber primarily, followed by the olive colour. The tumbler on the right is modern but had a nice heft to it.

I did well on shoes, and am proving that you should try on anything that appeals to you, regardless of marked size.

Classic black kitten heels with a suede bow and wrap at the heel

I wear a size 9-9.5 shoe, 40 in European sizing. As you can see, these are marked as size 11 with a sticker.

On the sole, however, they're marked a 41, which is a size 10, roughly. These are a tight size 10, which is probably why the original owner donated them. My good luck, and they were only $16.50!

The brand is a Canadian mall chain - good quality shoes. I was very pleased with these - they will transition in as my basic flat black shoe, as my pointy-toed ones are getting worn out.

I hemmed and hawed a while over these, but ultimately, I couldn't pass them up.

They are hugely 80s, with that long narrow almond to, and the elongated short heel. The vamp is high, there's a bigass metal shield and a bow on them...you don't get much more 80s than these!

I recall Bruno Magli being a big designer back in the day. Unlike my last 80s shoe purchase a couple of summers ago (here, beware of grossness), these are fully leather, inside and out.

Made in Italy

I have been on the lookout for a good pair of brown flats and I like how these are sort of a men's wear vibe.

Remember when you could get different shoe widths? Whatever happened to that? Please also admire my score of $11.50 for these beauties.

And another size 10 fitting me perfectly. Do you think shoe sizes have changed, or is it just the same inconsistency there is in clothing?

I find better quality of clothing in the vintage sections. Take this fantastic cerulean blue skirt, for example:

It's a long pencil shape (past the knee), fully lined, snap and tab closure above the hidden zipper at the back. The fabric is a lovely wool-blend crepe, which I can tell by feel - it has no label at all. I'd guess this is from the 50s.

Score!

You couldn't buy a new wool-blend lined skirt for that!

My leather addiction continues.

This is the most accurate colour 

 Seriously? A purple leather skirt? With pockets? Sign me up!

Classic 80s high-waisted with a big ol' snap.

Oh, sweet, here's (ebay link) the matching jacket and this same skirt. Someone had that skirt shortened - you can see the seams that on my skirt are mid-way are down near the hem on this one.

I love that vintage leather is so much cheaper than new.

I'm happy with $13.50.

I had to have these - they are the exact same as my cognac Gap leather pants!

They are unfortunately about 2" shorter than my cognac ones, but they fit just as well. I wonder if I can make them work as a cropped length?

Still, I didn't pay much for them, so even if they are a bust, I don't feel that bad.

I paid $69.99 for my other pair - $24.50 is a great deal for these.

I briefly ducked into the Beacon Ave Thrift Store - it's really small, messy and rather hit and miss. This time, I had a hit!

Jacket:

Bracelet sleeve length, 100% wool, deep burgundy, pockets, gorgeous satin lining. Slightly looser than a fully-fitted jacket.

And it's a suit! Skirt included!

The perfect length pencil skirt, with a sewn-in kick pleat at the back.

A huge deal on both pieces.

Yes! $18.00 for a wool suit? I couldn't find much on Hettermarks but they seem to have been a Swedish company.

My suit was made in Sweden, and sold at W&J Wilson, a local Victoria institution since 1862.

I would guess that this is from the 80s - it has the same very high-end feel to it as my Andre Courreges skirt.

The skirt has 4 separate hanger loops, and the wool hasn't got a single moth-hole. I am so excited to wear this!

On the way home I briefly stopped in at the Hospice Thrift Shop. I found a couple of pieces.

Mysteriously uncropped photo

I love the magenta colour and the soft shape of this blouse. It's by Cleo and was $15.00 - that's a bit high for a mall store, but it's all for a good cause.

I nabbed this heavenly soft silk scarf from the $2.00 bin.

I love the vivid colours.

L and I went to his work Christmas party on Saturday night. I've been meaning to wear this dress again.

A slight variation the last time I wore it here, for my birthday in 2012. It's by local designer Bridget Savard, and I paid $25.00 on consignment for it. Down to $12.50 per wear!

I did rocker-ish accessories:, including my leather obi. That was such a good deal at $14.95 (a few years ago on consignment). I have never seen a black leather obi under $70.00.

Ink show!

 I wore my long black coat with gloves - I also had a fuzzy toque and little fur scarf for the walk home.

L packed us both both walking shoes; we left around midnight and hoofed it several blocks to the bus stop. L and I both won door prizes (chocolates and a bike light set).

The stuff:

Chains, leather and heavy metal.

Had to bring out the big guns to represent for L.

Killer shoes! I paid $25.00 for these at a vintage fair 2 years ago and I'm sure I'm under $5.00 per wear now.

Jacket (Vassalli, consignment), dress (Bridget Savard, consignment), shoes (Versace, thrifted), belt (consignment), necklace (gift from Tina), bag (Fiveleft), leather cuff (Guess, thrifted), metal cuff (thrifted), sparkle ring (Melanie Lynne), steel ring ('50s, vintage).

As promised: cat pictures!

"I want to bite your foot!"

 Vizzini likes to keep me company when I'm unpacking my shopping purchases.

Look at that deceptive cuteness!

"Put your hand near me and I'll attack!"

 He gets all worked up, roly-polying back and forth.

"Pet me! Play with me!"

 He barely sits still.

"Wait! Must lick!"

Hee, turkey leg!

What time is it?

"Time to feed me, woman!"

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend - Happy Thanksgiving to my US friends!