Bigass Thursday, Friday and Weekend Wrap-Up: Concert Velvet, Casual Leopard, Shades of Red, and a Major Shop

Well, that was a longer break than I'd intended, but darn it, life is fun and interesting and I'd rather be living it. So a bigass post for you! Pull up a chair and dig in.

Here's Thursday's outfit. In addition to leading my WW meeting that night, L and I also went to see Dwight Yoakam and two opening bands. 

So I had to factor in all of that - warmth needed (it was still freezing cold all the rest of the weekend), walkable shoes, and oh, better be stylish while we're at it.

• Jacket - Ralph Lauren, thrifted; last seen here in November 2016 with spectacular legs
• Skirt - Jones New York, vintage, thrifted; last worn here in December 2015 with mustard and pink
• Boots - Prepare Map, Fluevog; last worn here (2nd outfit) in November 2016 with a pink wolves dress
• Coat (below) - Hilary Radley, thrifted 

Although I liked this outfit overall, I'm done with this black skirt. It just not interesting enough for me to keep, and although it's a useful item, it's not like I have shortage of black skirts (and - spoiler alert! - I bought another one this weekend).

Let's dig into its history, since I've worn it a bunch, and assess how well I've done with my cost per wear. In addition to this outfit and the "last seen" outfit above, I also wore it:

• In October 2015 here (5th outfit, way down) with purple velvet;
• With a jerkin and fruital here in May 2015;
• In January 2015 with sparkly blue here;
• Here (4th outfit, scroll down) in October 2014 in an equestrian outfit;
• In January 2014 here with sheer copper;
• In September 2013 here (2nd outfit) with black and white stripes;
• For a day of bowling here in March 2013, here (hey, I'm blonde!); and for the first time...
• In March 2013 with a floral cardi here.

I bought it here on a shopping weekend in January 2013 for $4.00, thrifted. Factoid: it's the last item from that weekend's shop that I still own after 4 years; oh wait, I still have that strapless dress, and I did get it tailored! Anyway, I wore it 10 times in four years, so at 40 cents per wear, I am very satisfied. And you know, looking at all of those outfits, it's not all that special. I don't love it.

My WW meeting was hugely busy, and we ran quite late. I walked from there to the arena for the concert and arrived as the first opening act was underway. L was patiently waiting for me there.

Unfortunately, the sound was terrible for the entire show - we couldn't hear any of the lyrics from any of the acts, including Mr. Yoakam, who frankly put on a half-assed show. Yup, greatest hits, little interaction with the audience, nothing special at all. One of the worst shows I've ever seen. Ah well.

I wore my leopard footless tights under all this, along with a vintage slip (the skirt is not lined).

Outerwear:

The usual: Danier toque/scarf and vintage thrifted long wool gloves.

The stuff:

L and I walked home from the arena afterwards, and my dogs were howlin'. Although these are great boots, they were never meant to be worn for 15 hours! The only time I had them off all day was walking to my WW meeting after work. My poor toes were blistered, even though I had socks on and I've worn these boots plenty before and had no issues. However, I'd never get rid of these boots, but this was poor planning on my part for the amount of walking I had to do all day.

Bold bling:

I love that leopard belt. Best $2.00 I spent on a belt.

• Belt - Talbots, thrifted
• Earrings - Aldo Accessories
• Ring - late 90s

I'd intended to wear these shoes here with this outfit for Friday, but due to the state of my feet, I went with a much comfier pair of Fluevogs instead.

Shades of blue and purple for the win! I felt like a million bucks in this outfit. When I don't feel like that about an outfit (like my Thursday outfit) I have to evaluate the pieces because something isn't working.

• Sweater - Rachel Roy, consignment; first seen here in August 2016 with the shoes I'd planned to wear!
• Skirt - Banana Republic, thrifted; first worn here in August 2016 in an age-inappropriate outfit (ha!)
• Shoes - Room 502 Entrance, Fluevog; last seen here in November 2016 with a simple pleather dress
• The Unsafe Polar Bear coat (below) - Apparance, vintage, thrifted

"I approve of this outfit. Gotta go."

I felt awesome in this outfit all day. Legs McGee, that's me! I also love the wide neckline - I have a pale blue camisole on under it (the straps show, as do my blue brastraps).

This is my favourite outfit of the weekend, so this is my entry for Patti's "Visible Monday" over at Not Dead Yet Style. Are you dead? Stylish? Get over there!

A miniskirt in metallic leopard? Totally appropriate for a chick of my vintage.

Outerwear:

The usual vintage thrifted long wool gloves, and my thrifted fur boa. No hat - didn't feel like it. The Unsafe Polar Bear! The ladies at the WIN store loved it.

The stuff:

My feet were grateful for these shoes, which are not nearly as high as they look. Unfortunately, I had an unexpected issue at the other office to deal with, so I had to walk there and back during the workday. More walking than intended.

Blue bling:

I'd forgotten about those earrings, even though they were in plain sight in my jewelry box.

• Bangle - Glee
• Earrings - local
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes

I met up with L after work for dinner (we had wine and a cocktail, which is why I didn't end up blogging on Friday night as planned). I had about an hour between ending work and dinner, so I indulged in a little retail therapy at the WIN Warehouse store and The Patch. More walking!

Found at WIN - this fabulous statement necklace.

The greens are much more vivid in person. All the stones were intact and it doesn't look like it's been worn much. It was $19.95, which is a bit pricey for thrift, but such a pretty piece! I am in love.

And always nice to find a stamp on a piece - this is by J. Crew.

A little hunting around online reveals that this was $79.00 originally, so that $19.95 is looking like a good deal! Are statement necklaces over as a trend? Do I give a flying fork?

I tried on a few things, but the store seemed to be midway through transitioning out of winter clothes and there weren't too many items that caught my eye. My brain is in "spring!" mode right now, so I'm scouting for things that make me think of warmer weather. I might not get any wear out of stuff for a month or more, but I like snatching up the good stuff before it's gone.

This dress/duster doesn't look like much on the hanger, but it's fabulous on. It's a nice dark floral, with a little bit of pink and purple in it. It's sheer, and buttons to about knee level.

"My butt is more interesting than this dress."

It's by Divided by H&M - not the best quality, but hey, for $9.95, I'm going to just have fun with it for a few wears. I'm feeling a boho floral soft rocker look for me for spring.

And you never know, maybe it will turn into one of those "go figure" wardrobe stalwarts.

At The Patch, I found two things that rang my bell. They have a "buy two, get one free" promotion on right now, but I only found two things I liked. I could have hunted through the sunglasses display, but I was starting to run late for dinner, so two items it was.

One is this wonderful vintage mint green dress.

It's a light polyester weave, and will need a full slip underneath, as it's not lined, but it felt wonderful on, and I loved the Swoosh Factor of the skirt. I am not usually much of a pleated person, but for some reason this dress worked for me.

I found a label down one of the side seams. This is by Doncaster. I am sure this is vintage due to the way it's constructed. The seams are pinked, not finished with a serged edge (no serving anywhere on this, actually). All other seams are full French seams (no edges exposed). It also has those loops that snap around the bra strap at the shoulder - I always like those for anchoring my slip as well as my bra. I couldn't find anything about this particular brand, but I'd guess this is from the late 70s or early 80s (it's pre-shoulder pads)

It was $26.95 - a little pricey, but my purchases tend to balance out. One dress is $9.95, and one is $26.95 - that's about $18 per dress, which is better in my mind. Anyway, if I love an item, the price doesn't matter.

The bomber jacket trend is probably ending, but here I am, late to the party again.

Baby, I'm a star, and this jacket knows it. This is a navy blue Forever 21 piece, is fully-lined and has pockets - it was originally around $50, so I'm happy with what I paid. I think it's cute! Wouldn't it be awesome with my Star Wars shoes?

L and I hung out Friday night, drinking wine and playing board games. We got up early on Saturday for our brunch and walk to town. Football playoffs are on, and we had Winesday/MANsday that night. Things to do!

Red, red and more red. And some wine. And as you can see, it was sunny (but cold!).

• Sweater - Lord & Taylor, thrifted; last seen here in October 2016 with the Lady Garden of Delight skirt (need to wear that again!)
• Skirt - Nine West, thrifted; first worn here in November 2016 with wine and black
• Shoes - Sperry, thrifted; last seen here on Christmas Day, December 2016
• Grape Ape coat (below) - Forever 21, thrifted 

The sweater is a thin merino wool (I'm wearing a fitted camisole under it for warmth), and is a wardrobe basic. I don't love it, but it's very useful to have in one's wardrobe.

The skirt, however...even though it has sequins...

Done with it. I paid $6.00 for it, and got two wears out of it. Good enough.

Outerwear and my photobomber silly husband.

Me: "Coffee is good." L: "Photobombing you, yo!"

That just makes me happy. What a goofball.

The stuff:

Now, these are fabulous walking shoes! Walked to and from town in these, bought my groceries, and shopped in them for two hours.

• Earrings - Glee

Yup, more shopping. I was craving the downtime and the slow Zen experience of going through some racks of clothes. I went to the St. Vincent de Paul and Flavour Upstairs.

I might have found a few things...I liked the bags together. The "Get Home Safe" is a liquor store bag, and Flavour has these nice paper shopping totes.

I found a Major Score at the StVdeP:

Hung on the bathroom door due to lighting conditions.

That, my friends, is a sheer silk and velvet burnout duster jacket/topper thing. It has a high neck, and buttons from the neck to about the waist. Oh, hells yes.

The front of it is slightly higher than the back.

Major DRAMA. Just picture this billowing out behind me as I stride about, bragging about my shopping finds.

And brag I shall!

Yes, indeed I shall. This is made in Italy, by Emporio Armani and was $7.00! Seven bucks! I can't find this particular topper online anywhere, but it had to cost WAY more originally. Score!

I also found L a work shirt for $5.00 (I always look for him when I shop), then headed over to Flavour Upstairs. They often have good accessories, so I scout those out first.

I really liked the frosty blue "pearl" necklace and this leather wrist-wrap.

A better look at the beads.

A nice closure, and $10 seemed pretty good. It's well-made and looks nice on.

The wrist-wrap was only $4.00. I also spotted a mark on it: Kipling and a little monkey logo.

Browsing around the Kipling site, this was probably around $20 new. Awesome!

This top (sorry, blurry) is one I'd looked at and tried on before. It's a navy blue knit with a shine in the wool.

It has a slight sweatshirt look to it, with banded cuffs, and a strip of non-shiny fabric on the sides.

It's by Gap, and was $9.99. $17.99 was too pricey last time I saw it, but $9.99 is enough to encourage me, heh. One of the reasons I love Flavour Upstairs is that their stock turns over fast, and they mark things down. I wish more consignment/thrift stores would do this.

You can see the contrast of the sparkly and the neckline there better.

As with most Gap, J. Crew and Banana Republic garments, if you go down the side seam to the content/care tag and look behind it, you'll find this little tag. This is how I know that my Gap leather pants are 17 years old - they have one of these tags too.

And now we know how old top is. It's called the "Allover Foil S Navy Uniform" and is from Holiday 2013. Only three years old, and now it's mine!

Don't put a Muppet top near me and not expect me to buy it!

This is actually nearly a neon yellow, with a hint of green in it. So springy! I'll look like an Easter chick.

Yeah, for $12.99 it doesn't take much convincing for me to purchase it.

Flavour Upstairs gets quite a bit of Vero Moda - I find a lot of trendier modern items there, in addition to vintage.

Did I mention I'm not much of a pleats person? 'Cause apparently I am a liar, because here's another pleated skirt.

Pretty painty flowers! And so flowy! High Swoosh Factor.

And it was marked down to $9.99! I had to!

The brand is Jack, which is a sub-brand of BB Dakota, a boutique brand I've seen in stores here. Their skirts run about $80-90.

Does it seem like I'm on a floral kick? I don't normally do flowy blouses like this, but I loved the colours and how it looked on.

It's olive green, with wine, pink, baby blue and soft green. It has a drawstring waist and butterfly sleeves. The brand is in Chinese, and I can't quite tell the content from feeling it - it's either silk or a very good polyester.

The floral design is on a sheer olive background, and is slightly dimensional - you can feel the velvety edges of the flowers.

Everything but the sleeves is lined. And for $12.99? Yes, get in my basket.

Okay, I know this not to everyone's taste, but I put it on and giggled with glee. Yes, this looks like a garbage bag.

It's a short black vinyl skirt with humongous pleats so it sticks right out in a pouf. And it has pockets!!

The PVC finish is quite thin on a fabric backing, so this isn't a thick material.

It also has bubbled designs so that there are thin raised patterns on it. What a cool piece!

And squee! I found a designer piece! It's by Kenzo.

A little searching around has me catching my breath. This is called the "Monster Foiled Skirt" and zoiks! It was originally $950.00! No, I did not add an extra zero. Nine hundred and fifty dollars.  

I paid $19.99. High fives all around!

I hate walking to and from work in runners. I much prefer a stylish shoe. How about a pair of white leather floral Doc Martens?

Yes, please! Me me me! I want them!

Perfectly broken in, my size!

And barely any wear?!

They were $64.99, which is a chunk of change for a second-hand item, but hey, look what I saved on that Kenzo skirt! Docs are about $150 new. Walking to and from work every day will get the cost-per-wear down to pennies too.

I also spotted these fabulous lace-ups on a display. I always examine displays carefully for hidden gems; that's what displays are for - selling the items in them! Never be shy about asking for something in a display, fellow shoppers.

Wasn't that white sole thing a...thing? Some designer was doing it last year or the year before? So I'm on trend, right?

The edges of the black patent leather are white, so that's what the piping is on these.

I love the funky look of these - and so comfortable!

Ah, I should have known: Miista! These are called the Miley brogues.

These were probably purchased here in town at She She Shoes or Footloose Shoes, which is where I've bought my two pairs. They run at least $200 new.

I paid $27.99 for mine.

They have a bit of use but it looks like more because of the white soles, but if you look at the wear area (back of the heel), it's minimal. And although the patent tops show bendy wear, they still have a fair bit of that "still new" stiffness. I bet these didn't get worn much. I also know that Miista runs small, so a size 10 is just right on me.

Saturday night was Winesday, so put on something comfy. I took my pictures early while there was still light.

Not quite enough, apparently.

• Blouse - unknown brand, thrifted; purchased above for $12.99
• Skirt - no label, thrifted; first worn here in October 2016 with more shades of wine
• Boots - Doc Martens, consignment; last seen here for 4 days straight in December 2016 during our trip to Seattle
• Grape Ape coat (below) - Forever 21, thrifted 

I like to wear my new-to-me things right away to make sure they're keepers. I loved this pretty blouse, and it felt wonderful (and also let me show off my ink to my Winesday ladies).

"You need more pictures of me licking my butt, Woman."

I'm done with this skirt. It was comfy, I love the colour, the fit is okay, but I don't love it. I only paid $6.00 for it, and I wore it twice, so I'm good with that cost-per-wear. Wow, three skirts out of my closet in 3 days!

"Brrrr, it's cold" outwear:

I cabbed to Winesday, as my groceries were delivered later than usual, and I had to make deviled eggs - I was in a rush. I walked home in this fuzzy coat, and my usual Danier fur toque/scarf and my long wool vintage gloves (thrifted).

 The stuff:

I'd intended on wear the white Docs, but they didn't look right with the dark brown tights, so I wore my other floral Docs. Can one have too many floral Docs? What if I found a black pair? I might have to buy them too!

• Earrings - late 90s

So, my friends! Happy Sunday! I am off to watch football playoffs. I hope you all enjoyed your weekends.