Sunday, July 22, 2018

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Friday Checkers, Ulti Silk, Dress Regrets Undone, Yellow Dinner and Casual Shopping

Summer has arrived here (it only took an extra month) and it's hot, hot, HOT now. This weekend has been all about trying to deal with the weather (and an injury from Ulti, boo). 

Here's Friday. 
 The circles in the top remind me of checkers, and the trousers are totally checkerboard. Getting dressed is literally a game!

This my entry for "Visible Monday" over at Not Dead Yet Style - I was really out there for a Casual Friday, and got tons of comments from my coworkers (and random people in public) on this outfit.

  • Top - Talbots, thrifted; first worn here with the Lady Garden of Delight skirt in May
  • Trousers - Alexander McQueen, Fall 2003, thrifted; first worn here in May with chartreuse and blue
  • Sandals - Dr. Scholl's, consignment; last seen here (3rd outfit) in June with Marimekko print


As I noted on Thursday's post, I found the amazing fashion resource which is Vogue's collection of all runway looks, searchable by show, season and designer, here (linking 'cause I love!). With a bit of time and patience, I was able to find what season these Alexander McQueen trousers are!
There was no doubt for me that these were authentic McQueen - they are amazing in person (I make everyone feel the wool fabric, and point out the incredible seams) - but I really wanted to know WHEN they were from.

With a bit of time and patience, I found it! Fall Ready-to-Wear 2003, here, and if you look here, and go down to look #24 here (pic), that's the exact same fabric.
These pants are not shown in a runway look, but not 100% of every capsule is always shown. It's likely that these were offered in the ready-to-wear collection as an alternative to the skirt for that suit. The cut of these pants (here) are very similar, right down to the cuffed hems.

In the summary for the collection (here), Vogue notes (my bolding):

Fantastic details were lavished on dramatic structured carapaces, embroidered, painted and mind-blowingly embellished to look like antique samurai armor, Russian lacquered dolls and tribal ceremonial dress. Somewhere along the line, the stiff pleated skirts segued into molded suits, done in jigsaws of two-tone checkerboard—the better to show off the designer’s devilishly accurate cutting skills.

 So cool! I giggled with excitement when I found that!

The stuff:
I have to wear a pretty high heel and/or platform with those trousers and these Dr. Scholl's worked beautifully.

Steel bling:
Simple, bold shapes. Not too distracting.


  • O cuff - vintage fair
  • Steel cuff - thrifted
  • Ring - Nine West
  • Earrings - gift from Megan Mae


I met up with L for dinner after work on Friday, followed by a quiet night at home. We were up early for a hot day ahead - and a game of Ultimate Frisbee!
My crappy and old camera doesn't like the heat and is giving my pictures a haze, sorry. I wore this thin silk dress to be as cool as possible.


  • Dress - All Saints, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in August 2017 for Ulti again
  • Shoes - Truths Makena, Fluevog; last worn here in May with a schmozzle of pattern and metal


It was too hot to wear my usual slip under this.
I need some flat shoes that will work with cool tones - these didn't look right with the outfit, but I was glad to have some loose comfy shoes to slip into after the game.
I ended up tweaking something in my calf, and not being able to run during the game (in a game where sprinting is frequent, that's not a good thing), so I hobbled a bit, but managed to make it through the game (my team won!). My calf is better after resting it a bit this weekend, but I'm taking care of it.

The stuff:
Comfy shoes.


  • Earrings - local


Back to Friday - before I met up with L, I spent over an hour browsing through the Patch (I was late for dinner, oops), and found two beautiful dresses that I really loved. I got inside my head a bit, though, and overthought things. An issue I have is that I've become spoiled by uber-cheap thrift prices, and so I don't buy things I love if I think they are too expensive (even though they are still WAY cheaper than regular retail).

It drives L crazy - it's not like I have any other hobbies and I don't spend money on anything other than eating out (infrequent, L pays for meals we have together) or groceries. After he reminded me of this - I vowed to go back to the Patch after brunch and see if the dresses were still there. Phew! They were!

This is the first one - I was drawn to the colours and pattern.
It's a linen and cotton blend, unlined, and it's quite short.

The back.
It's a really cool fabric - I love this pattern.

It's by Derek Lam for DesigNation, and was sold at Kohl's in 2013. The pattern is called "Graphic Surf Parrot" and it was originally intended to sell for $70 (but went on sale 25% off almost immediately). It was $24.95.
Celeb Emmy Rossum wore it (here, link 'cause I love), and you can see what I mean about SHORT if you look at that pic! Zoiks! I will probably wear it over pants or a skirt, or with tights.

I also remembered that we have a wedding vow renewal event to go to soon, as well as a wedding coming. This dress will be perfect.
I love this gorgeous shade of blue! This dress is a slip-over-the-head, bias-cut (extra Swoosh Factor), and is silk satin. It's lined in the same fabric.

The back goes down to a V.
It's so nice on!

It was new - one of the original tags is still on it (no price tags, though).
You can get a better idea of the dress there, at least until I wear it. I actually like the sashes knotted for a more dramatic trailing scarf effect down one leg. Drama!

Yes, I balked at $49.95. Too expensive!
But this probably would have been in the $300-500 range new, possibly more, since it is silk vs. polyester. So I guess that's not too bad after all. Lesson learned!

My uncle and his wife are visiting Canada from Australia, so L and I had them and my mom over for a visit on Saturday afternoon, followed by dinner at the local pub (the Fernwood Inn), and followed by our friends coming over for board games later that night. Busy!
Special occasion - I definitely wanted to wear a dress! This lovely floaty dress has been a favourite for many years.


  • Dress - Calvin Klein, thrifted; last seen here in August in an "armour" outfit
  • Shoes - Born, consignment; last worn here


Someone was prowling around, trying to get attention while I was doing my pics. Gotcha!
"So undignified! Put me down,Woman!"
My cat loves me. Really!

I was happy to hear that yellow is poised to make a comeback as a trendy colour - yes! I have always been a fan of yellow.
I've had this dress for 3 years (first seen here in 2015 - that feels so long ago!), and I still love it, although I don't wear it much.

So many dresses, so little time!
"I think I"ll just sit here and lick my toes."
It was just right for a day like this.

I'd scrubbed off all my sunblock for the morning, so I carried my coverage instead.
I do love a parasol!

A big HELLO! to reader, Dawn, who spotted me at the pub and told me she loved my blog. Thank you so much for reading, Dawn! Aw, that really made my day. *smile*


  • Paper parasol - Chinatown


The stuff:
We did a very leisurely stroll down to the pub and back, so I was able to stretch out my calf. My comfiest shoes steered all my accessories towards gold.

Gold bling:
Mom liked seeing her bracelet and belt again.


  • Belt - vintage 70s (modified by me in the 80s), Mom's
  • Hinged cuff - vintage fair
  • Crystal ring - Uffizi Gallery gift shop, Florence
  • Amber ring - c. 1996
  • Strap bracelet - vintage 60s, Mom's
  • Purse (not shown) - Reiss, thrifted


Oops, missed my earrings too.
When in doubt, go matchy!


  • Earrings - Venice, gift from L


Mom had a couple of gifts for me - woo! She found these never-worn black long suede gloves that are probably close to 20 years old, and thought, "Who so I know who would wear these??"
I tried to blow out the colour so that you can see the row of suede buttons on each glove.

Le Chateau.
Still with the "don't remove this" tag attached. I'll be removing that.

Mom just returned from a European river-barge cruise, and brought me back this gorgeous silk/cashmere/viscose scarf.
It's folded in half there. I love the metallic-looking sheen and all the gorgeous rich neutral colours. This will go with a lot!

That's all woven, not printed.
It's from Dusseldorf!

I would have liked to have slept in today/Sunday but I had a full day ahead! Off to town to get groceries, then meet-up with my coworker Lada for lunch and a shop.
Super casual for me, and dressed for the heat.


  • Cardigan - Gap, thrifted; last seen here (2nd outfit) in September 2016 over the Spanish ladies dress
  • Tank - Gap, thrifted; not tracked
  • Clam-diggers - Contrast, thrifted; no longer tracked
  • Shoes - Down to Earth Hadfield, Fluevog menswear; last worn here in May with creeping velvet


I did not love this outfit, and I'm done with this cardigan.
As I also vow not to wear these white things in public again. I will stick to wearing them around the house.
They're not awful. I just didn't feel like me.

The stuff:
I'm happy with the accessories, though! I love the hat (confession, forgot about it) and the shoes.


  • Hat - Anthropologie, Portland
  • Earrings - gift from Sherri


Lada and I went to My Sister's Closet after a light lunch at Shine Cafe. Neither of us did that well, sadly, but we had a good time anyway!

I found this lovely silk top/tunic. It was in with the dresses but is WAY too short to be worn as a dress.
It's a goldy-coloured background, with deep teal pattern. It was $13.50 (all pink tags were half price).

A nice band of complimentary fabric at the waist.
Gorgeous detailing on it.

The little wrap pieces on the straps have snap-fasteners on them so that they open.
This perplexed me until I realized that it's for holding your bra strap in place. Wow, what a thoughtful detail!

Of course, it had to be a Designer! My favourite, Dries Van Noten. Look at that edging detail. For $13.50!
I spent a long time looking through all the collections of his that Vogue has, but I didn't find this or any of my other Dries pieces that I've scavenged over the years, but I think I did find my "pirate" skirt here (on me here), from his Fall 2007 Ready to Wear collection. Not all that surprising not to find older pieces, though, especially for a designer who's done over 100 runway shows!

Lada and I popped into Lazy Susan's for a quick peek, and we both spotted this fabulous skirt on the sale rack.
It was too big on Lada, but perfect on me! Sorry, my dear!

A nice gold back zip.
 I love the pattern of sunshine brollies!

The brand is SP.
 Sure, whatever. It was $30.00 and it has pockets! I'm happy.

Who else is happy?
"Is it me?"
It is! Enjoy the summer heat, Vizzini! I hope everyone else is having a fabulous weekend!

30 comments:

  1. I love that you make everyone feel the wool fabric of your McQueen pants. I wish that I could. I really like that Derek Lam dress, as well. Also, no slip is perfect for that asymmetrical number!!!

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    1. Totally! I have to show them what real fabric feels like! Thanks, Becky! I was very happy not to have a slip on!

      Delete
  2. Oh I'm glad you got that umbrella skirt - I can see why you both went for it, it's so fun! You got some great pieces. I agree with L too, your 'expensive' is still extremely affordable, and I'm glad you were able to go back and get the dresses!

    I've been looking to refresh my denim collection and saw some promising but slightly expensive pieces. I didn't even try them on, but went back tot eh store when they had a sale on. Of course the pair I liked the most weren't there any more. Normally I'd wait a few weeks and head to the outlet, but the outlets I frequent have closed down (no idea why!). So I think I've missed out for good - I will need to try my luck finding something similar in the opshops! I've found another local little one that does 'fill a bag for $2' so I'm planning on heading there once everything aligns and I'm free for the few hours it's open.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. It's such a fun pattern! Yes, L gets very frustrated with me over prices, but I can't help it, I'm so spoiled.

      You have to try them on, even if they feel too expensive - then you know right away if they are even in the running! I hope you find what you're looking for in the op-shops! Wow, I would love a $2/bag deal - wow! Good luck!

      Delete
  3. Some more great outfits! You always look great

    It has been exceptionally hot this year in the UK for about 6 - 7 weeks with no real rain. We spend an hour each day watering the plants and the lawns are completely brown

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    1. Aw, thanks, Rebecca! I've heard that it's been really hot for you guys over there! Yikes!

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  4. You scored some fantastic buys, Sheila! I love the Derek Lam dress! It'll look fab with tights when your weather cools down. I also love the umbrella skirt! What a find! The scarf your Mum bought for you is beautiful too. Aw, Vizzini is so sweet! XXX

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    1. Thank you, Sasha! I like that dress too - I'm not sure that it will work with tights, as it's not lined, but I'll have to test it and see. I'm really happy with the brolly skirt, and while I'm not quite ready for scarf weather again, that piece will be really great once it's cooler. Vizzini thanks you!

      Delete
  5. Love these pants. (Or trousers as you people say.)

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    1. I call 'em pants, but I use the more formal word for both the UK readers (where pants means underwear!) and to denote dressier pants. Klassy!

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  6. Big woo-hoo to those checked trousers, and the Vogue write up you found! The Derek Lam dress is the bomb too, and I think Emmy may have had it shortened even more. You look wonderful, happy and colorful as always. xo

    -Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

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    1. I know, Patti, isn't that the coolest thing? I'll have to compare mine to Emmy's - it's pretty short as it is! Thank you, my dear!

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  7. Your first outfit is just brilliant and wow, those Dr. Scholl's: classy and comfortable, that's what I like. Love the yellow dress - it really offsets your tattoo brilliantly - and that parasol is just fantastic. I would have fought you for that sunshine brolly skirt ;-) and how amazing that you found another Dries Van Noten piece! xxx

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    1. Thanks so much, Ann! It was a fun weekend of outfits! I am really happy with the skirt (wearing it today), and am excited about the new-to-me Dries piece!

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  8. Fantastic dresses especially the yellow one! And the first shoes are great!

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  9. Check, check to the McQueen ! Fabulous styling with the cool lace blouse in crimson! I am also LOVING that fabulous yellow dress with the sunny pleating and parasol. Gorgeous cobalt blue dress too. So many stunning funds, it truly boggles my easily boggled mind!
    ❤️❤️❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com/

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    Replies
    1. Lol, careful you don't over-boggle! Thank you so much - I love sharing the fun I have with clothes!

      Delete
  10. I love your Checkerboard look! It's so clever the way you paired them.
    That blue silk dress is GORGEOUS! But I too would have baulked at the price!
    My husband goes crazy with the shopping thing too!x

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    1. Thanks, Kezzie! I figure I will have that blue dress for a long time in my wardrobe, and that makes it worth it. L doesn't go crazy about my shopping - he has his hobbies too, so he can't talk!

      Delete
  11. I love your black&white pants and they look particularly fabulous in this outfit!, what a stunning combo! and you look gorgeous!
    I'm glag that you finally bought those dresses, and also glad that L encouraged to do it! Mr.A. would agree too, as I'm used to overthink and drive him crazy!
    You look adorable and summery as sunshine in your yellow dress!, so cute!
    And your shoes and hat are fabulous, even if you didn't feel happy with the last outfit!
    besos
    And

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    1. Aw, thank you, Monica! Yes, I'm glad I went back for the dresses - it really wasn't that much money, and I love both of them.

      Delete
  12. Lovely items you bought. That dress with the pattern looks very good. I clicked through to Emmy. Gorgeous. But short indeed.
    The yellow dress is fantastic. You wear it well, it is elegant, it is yellow (one of my favourite colours too) and it shows off your tattoos very well.
    Then all the other bargains... I mean a Dries van Noten for 13.50?? Why don't we have such bargain shops? When a second hand shop sells a piece like that here, it would be 100. "The name, you know, The Name".
    Greetje
    PS I balked at size S.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thank you, Greetje! I don't think Emmy had it shortened (the pattern is the same as mine, right to the hem), and wearing it today (post later), yup, it's short!

      Thanks - I actually always factor in "how will this look with my tattoos?" with any dress or top I buy that exposes them.

      I know, such a steal for Dries! People here just do not know who he is!

      Yes, but it's bias cut and has a lot of give for a size S. Note that my Lam dress is a 10 and the Dries top is a Large! Sizing is so crazy!

      Delete
  13. Forgot to say I really love that first outfit.The top and the trousers and the shoes. I was surprised to learn that the trousers are wool, as you said the temperatures are high (as they also are over here. Tropical even.)
    Greetje

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    1. Thank you! It's a really fine lightweight wool, and I work in an air-conditioned office, so I wasn't out in the heat for very long. The wool does breathe really well, though, and the day wasn't as hot as it is now.

      Delete
  14. What a great selection of finds my dear Sheila ! The Derek Lam has a marvellous print but my fave is the umbrella skirt and the Dries top. You know I came across a long silk blazer made by them last Saturday, I tried it on but it was not quite me. They had it for just 5.00 USD!

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  15. So sorry about the pulled muscle (if that's what it was). I find that "at this age" it is disturbingly easy to put something out of whack without doing anything particularly strenuous, and it takes so much longer for it to heal.
    Lots of good secondhand finds, especially the Derek Lam dress (which doesn't look like so much on the hanger, but man does it look great on you). The blue dress is a stunning colour!

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    1. I don't know what it exactly was, but it's better enough now that I feel I'll be ready for Ulti this weekend. Fingers crossed! Thanks so much, Shelley!

      Delete

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