Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Maxi Skirt Solidarity (History Bonus!) and an Angry Cat

My engine is slowing revving up - as an introvert who needs to be extroverted for her job, it takes me a while to get into the social groove, especially following a quiet weekend and semi-holiday Monday. 
 I'm good once I get going, but sometimes that going is tough! Coffee just won't do!


  • Sweater - Tatyana, thrifted; last seen here in December 2018 with a whole lot of sparkles
  • Skirt - Alex Colman, vintage 70s, consignment; last seen here in July 2018 with a long black tunic and this same necklace
  • Shoes - Half Truth Veda, Fluevog; last worn here (2nd outfit) a couple of weeks ago for some shopping
  • Coat (below) - Lord & Taylor, thrifted; last seen here on the weekend


My much-younger coworker Leah was telling me yesterday about a maxi skirt she was feeling a little nervous about wearing in the office. "If you wear yours, I will wear a maxi too!" I said.
I did laugh when I saw her dress today - it was really only a  midi sleeveless shirtdress, but I guess for some people that feels like a maxi! Anyway, she was really happy that I was wearing mine. I was in skirt solidarity with her!

I adore this skirt, but the colours in it are challenging - it's more of a teal green, plus the bright pink is nearly neon, so I almost always wear black with it and let it shine.
The style is gorgeous, perfectly cut over the hips, with two slits up either side for walking.

I've been learning about vintage prints from reading Vix's blog (here, and if you aren't already reading her, you should be!), so I took a really good look at this fabric this time 'round.
It's lined in black (I'm guessing acetate or nylon), and white is the original fabric colour; it feels like cotton to me.

This is the backside of the fabric. There is no content tag.
 Hand-printed? Probably.

This is the "tile" of repeated pattern, although as you might notice, the bottom hem has an extra layer of the border pattern.
 The bronzy colour is actually metallic and you can feel the slight paint-like texture of it, but the fabric is not stiff at all - it's very soft. The deeper pink swirled parts have black accents in them, so it's a very detailed pattern.

Here's the label (it's been a while since I took a picture of it):
 As you can see, I am a size G (for Great, obviously). It says "professional dry clean only."

I never noticed that it has hanging loops on either side. I bought it in 2015 (here) for $40.00
 The waistband is a silk velvet, and the zipper is a Talon (plastic zip).

Oh, cool, check it out, here is an interview with Robert Colman of the Alex Colman label - all of their prints were designed by Blanche Lefton, Robert's aunt and their main designer, and they were one of the first companies to work directly with Japanese mills to custom-make their fabrics. By the mid-60s, most of their clothing was manufactured in Mexicali, Mexico.

Well, that was fun. On to outerwear!
 Looking at this, I wish I had worn a jacket that went better with the outfit, but I was still in cocoon mode this morning when I got dressed. Pfft. Next time.

The stuff:
I didn't make a lot of effort with my shoes, other than picking ones that are very, very comfy. These are starting to wear out (I touched up the tips with felt pen at work, for the umpteenth time), but I love them dearly.

Gold bling:
 A mix of vintage pieces with some good stuff.


  • Necklace - vintage, thrifted
  • Cuff - vintage 70s, Mom's
  • Bracelet - Lia Sophia, thrifted
  • Gold hoops - 5th anniversary gift from L
  • Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes


While I was uploading my photos, Vizzini was yowling at me (his food bowl was soaking in the sink).
"I am so furious, I must lick my toes!"

I love his funny white paws with their black spots.

Look at that face, though. That is one angry cat, his tail lashing.
"Feed me or I will bite you, Woman!"

That red tip in the bottom of the picture is my foot, keeping Mr. Bitey away from me. Yes, he's now been fed!

18 comments:

  1. Such a great maxi dress, and a really interesting print! :)

    One of the ladies whose pregnancy style I most admired rocked a maxi skirt at work - I think it can work well in an office! I used to wear mine on casual Fridays when I worked full time but I see a lot of them popping up now and then through the week :)

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    1. Thank you, Mica! They seem to be gaining ground in my office, for sure.

      Delete
  2. Our personalities are so similar it's freaky. Now if I could just dress as well as you, maybe I could pass for you when you need to take vacations from life. :)

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    1. Shocking, we're both introverts! ;-P You can be my fill-in on the blog when I'm away! You dress very well, hon.

      Delete
  3. Aw, your cat is cute, if bitey.

    It's great that you were able to find out so much about your skirt; it's a smashing print.

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    1. He is only 2% bitey, so the rest is pretty good, Mim.

      Thank you! I love the history of my finds.

      Delete
  4. Thanks for the shout out, you fabulous woman, you!!!

    I'm in label and textile heaven here. You've inspired me to start photographing my labels more. I love your maxi skirt and with colours that rich and jewel like I think a black top was the perfect accompaniment. That pendant is gorgeous!
    It's lovely that you wore your maxi in solidarity with your colleague. How funny that her dress was so tame by comparison. Aren't people silly when it comes to what they consider out there pieces?
    I've only come across one Alex Coleman piece - a fantastic super bright scarf print jacket in crisp cotton, it was sadly too big for me and it sold within 10 minutes of me listing it online.
    Naughty bitey Vizzini. Frank's got one on him today 'cos he's been grounded due to him hurting his leg again. He's giving me daggers while I type! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love your blog, and you're awesome - it was a good fit for this post, too.

      Learning about my clothes just makes me appreciate them more - I would love to see your labels! I know, I just shook my head - and it was a BLACK dress too! So out there.

      I never see Alex Coleman pieces, which is odd, considering they were around for so long.

      Oh, that Frank, what a scamp.

      Delete
  5. Love that you're sharing some details of the print and labels too!, we love labels! and all we are learning a lot about vintage thanks to Vix and other fab ladies like You!. This skirt is a stunning piece, the colors are fab!
    It's lovely that you wore a maxi to encourage your workmate!, even if hers was not properly a maxi!. Sometimes people worry too much!
    besos

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I adore old labels, and I'm so glad you like seeing them too. It's amazing what we can learn about the clothes, isn't it?

      I know, they really do! I'm happy to encourage people to take more fashion risks.

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  6. I'm an introvert too, but as I've only got one colleague right now, and only for 50% of the time, I do no longer have to be an extrovert if I don't feel like it. Yay! But wearing clothes you feel fabulous in is a big help! Your skirt is absolutely divine, that print is just fabulous. Love the label, and the story behind its fabrics. I love it when the Internet finds you things like that! The gold bling, especially the pendant, is gorgeous too! Ha, look at Vizzini's angry face ;-) xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I actually find it harder to deal with people when I don't have a lot of them around. Thank you so much - I really loved reading about the company as well. Vizzini is such a grumpy-pants at times.

      Delete
  7. I would consider myself to be an introvert, but I've always worked in places with lots of other people, so I have learned to be more extroverted when "out in public", but my happy place is still at home with my kitty.

    The fabric of that skirt is so pretty, and the cut is super flattering on you. I've tried to wear the occasional maxi skirt, but they are a pain to wear when you are getting on and off buses, and then it would get caught in the wheels of my office chair.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, same. I would rather be home than be out, although I do like to be near people, and not interact with them.

      I have that same issue with buses and the evil rolling office chair! I have madd skirt-wrangling skillz.

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  8. The skirt is beautiful and the story is amazing, sometimes we take for granted, specially for vintage pieces, the process of design these went through.

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    Replies
    1. I know, it's good to remind ourselves of where things came from and how many people touched them.

      Delete
  9. Love to hear the background to this skirt. It's gorgeous and you were so right just to settle with black for the pairing - it's all about this stunning piece after all. I'd like to see which jacket you choose to go with the skirt next time ...

    ReplyDelete

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