Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Dinner in Orange Boots; Wrong Day Haircut in Reworked Grey Y3; Familiar Pinks for Brunch and a Mental Health Shop

Hello, my friends, and welcome back to another year! I've got a few outfits for you, some cat-bombing, treasures found shopping, and I'm eager to eke out the last of my vacation before going back to the office, so let's get started. Grab a cuppa! 

Lots of love to you all from Vizzini, who has been lurking around. His eyesight is failing, but he's being very chipper about it. He's feeling like an old kitty these days, and we are appreciating every bittersweet day.

"Chipper is my middle name."

L and I spent most of our remaining vacation days taking it easy, sleeping in, reading, watching movies and playing board games - we both need this long period of decompression from the busy-ness of the previous year. 

• Cropped hoodie - Adidas, consignment; last seen here for a sparkly shop in December 2024
• Dress - Halhuber, consignment; last worn here in January 2024 with sneakers and cashmere
• Boots - Official Mittwoch, Fluevog; purchased here with gift cards for $249.99
• Suede coat (below) - Danier Leather, consignment; last seen here in December 2024

My dear colleague Rej gave me a gift card to local restaurant Ferris' Oyster Bar & Grill -  neither L nor I had been there in years (although we did order from them in the early days of the pandemic to help support local). 

Let's see how a sporty look mixes with my "regular" clothes, shall we? I layered my cropped Adidas bomber under this woven brocade dress. Try something new! 

I was pleased that the dress still fit, as I've been overindulging in the chocolate. I always give myself permission to enjoy the season, but it's time to go back to a schedule. 

This Jammy dress is a winner, as it has big pockets! 

The dress pattern has a bit of orange/brown/peach/yellow in it, which I often match to whatever I layer it with (I've never worn it without a top underneath). This time, I decided it was bright orange, to match  my boots. 

"Finally, some peace and quiet! Hurry up and leave."

I love the look of the hood hanging out of the dress. 

Outerwear: it's been very mild weather, if rainy at times. 

Adding more orange in the form of this suede coat. 

We drove downtown, but I was ready to walk. 

I did pop the hood up after dinner on the walk back to the car, as it was spitty-raining. 

I had to be mindful to adjust the hood and ensure it was laying flat over the coat.

Not being very creative with my accoutrements - these were still sitting out from when I last wore them.

• Purse - Rebecca Minkoff, consignment
• Velour gloves - Thinsulate, thrifted

The stuff: 

I wore these orange beauties with tights and thin socks, ensuring that my initial wear wouldn't destroy my feet. However, my fears were allayed - these are amazingly comfy boots! Warning: the "skater lace" hooks on the top 3 eyelets are a little complicated as they are also woven through the leather strip down the vamp. You don't want to have to take these off for a while - they're ON. 

Bold bling: 

Teeth and claws! Rar!

• Gold/Lucite bangle/earrings - Alexis Bittar, consignment
• Snake ring - consignment
• Gold plated silver/leather cuff and pendant - Ambush "Holy Mountain" collection, 2012, consignment, Vancouver, gift from L
• Brass leopard ring - thrifted

As we walked back to the car, we passed a storefront with ultraviolet light casting out on the cobblestone sidewalk. 

Had to take a picture! 

On Friday, after a leisurely lounge-y day, I got ready for my hair appointment and dinner out with L, prompted by my phone's reminder. I walked to my salon...only to find that I'd gotten the date wrong - my haircut was for the following week. Kaitlyn graciously squeezed me in - it helps that I prefer a dry cut (I don't enjoy the washing/massage experience AT ALL). 

I built this outfit around the jacket, a Yohji Yamamoto/Adidas collaboration.

• Jacket - Yohji Yamamoto Y3 x Adidas, early 00s, consignment; first worn here with kitten velvet for a perio appointment in October 2024
• Wool sweater - John Varvatos 2014, consignment; first worn here in October 2024 with my red leopard denim suit
• Skirt - Megan Salmon Somersault Sculpted Pleat Skirt, Fountainhead collection, Winter 2020, thrifted; last seen here in December 2024 with elf boots and Adidas
• Boots - Original Sabado, Fluevog; last worn here (2nd outfit) in December 2024 with a sequined dress
• Leather coat (below) - Elizabeth and James, consignment; last seen here in May 2024

First Castle shot of the year! 

I got dressed early for the Stair Pic, while it was still light out. 

Once I had the jacket, I just threw things at it until I was happy with the outfit. 

I know it's a lot of dark, but I promise you a bright surprise! 

Mr. Lurker, once again. 

"Shouldn't you feed me first?"

I like showing Kaitlyn some of my fun thrifted/designer finds. She's a fashionista too - we always coo over pictures of our outfits. 

You might recall that on my first wearing of this jacket, it ripped right across the upper back, from shoulder to shoulder. I was GUTTED, so disappointed/sad. But I knew I could not just bin this...it's a designer garment and I feel a certain responsibility to keep it alive. 

I decided to do a visible mend on it - you can see a glimpse of my handiwork at the top. I was surprised at how little of it you can see. 

Here's what I did:

I found two of these patches in a vintage store, under $5.00 for both of them. 

The other patch, with the zombie hands, is some bonus merch that the folks at Ditch Records gave to L 'cause he's such a loyal customer, from the CD release of  "Run The Jewels 3" in 2016 - you might remember that L wore the chain pendant when we saw Run The Jewels at Rifflandia back here in 2013. 

I ironed these, then hand-stitched them, ensuring that I secured them to the knit portion of the jacket to strengthen the sheer back. I've also decided that I don't like the sheer back anyway, so I'm going to start collecting patched and customize this even further! 

Back to the outfit. As always, every layer must work. 

I took the Y3 jacket off both for my haircut, and while I had dinner with L. 

Outerwear - here's that bright colour! 

I'm boggled that I haven't worn this gorgeous leather coat since last May, but I don't wear it in the summer, and just haven't reached for it - until now - this fall/winter. 

Done up. 

I strolled through the Fernwood neighbourood, had my hair cut and then walked to Christie's Pub to meet L. 

Accoutrements: 

I love the red chevrons on the Givenchy scarf - the pattern is vaguely "fighter pilot". Maybe I should call it my Top Gun scarf??

• PVC hat - Babaton, consignment
• Scarf - Givenchy, consignment, gift from L
• Purse - Le SportSac, vintage 00s, consignment, Sidney
• Wool gloves - Parkhurst

Loving my bucket hat, clearly. 

The stuff: 

Good boots for a few kilometers' walking. 

Black bling: 

Mostly old favourites. 

• Belt - gift from Ruth
• Silver hinged cuff - vintage, thrifted, Powell River
• Silver/gold cuff - JPL, vintage fair
• Necklace - Heidi Daus, thrifted
• Crystal earrings - thrifted
• Silver/onyx ring - Tocara, vintage fair
• Silver/obsidian ring - consignment

We chilled out and played board games into the wee hours on Friday night, and were up early to meet Nick for brunch at John's Place on Saturday. I decided I wanted to have a thrift shop afterwards, so dressed for browsing. 

I based the outfit around this pink and black "thorny" skirt, which I quickly paired up with my new Fluevog studded flats. 

• Sweater - Dusia Knits for Gibson's, Victoria, vintage 1970s, thrifted; last seen here in March for a visit to Beacon Hill Park
• Skirt - H&M, consignment; last worn here in December 2023 with greys
• Shoes - Vogettes Pina, Fluevog; purchased here with gift cards for $199.99
• PVC coat (below) - Only, consignment; last seen here in December 2024

I hadn't yet worn this vintage sparkly disco sweater this season. 

I love the slightly baggy cut in the body and sleeves. 

Hard to believe that the skirt is H&M, right? 

And it has two ginormous pockets, which is where I kept my phone. 

Except that I left my phone at John's Place, and L took it home for me - I had a few panicked minutes as I sprinted back for it, but our wonderful server assured me it was safe. 

Thus untethered from the world, I went back to browse. I started in the Beacon Ave Thrift Shop, followed by a very thorough item-by-item peruse at the WIN (Women In Need) Pandora Ave store. 

I enjoy being amongst all the people shopping. Mental Health Shops allow me to be at peace in my brain, just humming along to the radio station, engaging with staff and customers as I feel like it. 

I've done a variation of this outfit a few times - I like this jacket with the skirt. One of these days, I'll get around to doing my Art Project-ing on the moto - I have plans for a "Rebel In Pink" theme. 

Accoutrements: 

I was digging for the navy blue wool gloves the previous evening, and pulled these fur-trimmed gloves out. Oh, yeah! I love these! 

• Purse - Rebecca Minkoff, consignment
• Scarf - MetroWear, San Francisco, 2006
• Wool/fur gloves - vintage, thrifted

The stuff: 

These flats were lovely for their first outing, although my feet became sore from all the standing - these do not have any support other than a flat squishy insole. I wisely took the bus home. No rubbing otherwise, and I felt the unlined leather loosen up over a few hours. 

Minimal bling: 

I pulled the back off one of these earrings for another pair, so I just threaded this through my lobe. 

• Silver snake ring - Royal BC Museum Gift Shop, 1985
• Silver crystal ring - Uffizi Gallery gift shop, Florence
• Silver Celtic S - England, gift from Mom and Dad, c. 1996?
• Silver earrings - consignment

The Thrifting Gods smiled upon me! I found the Peak Pink Sweater at the Beacon Ave store. 

L laughed when he saw it - "Hey, someone took a pair of scissors to your sweater!" The man clearly has no Knowledge of Fashion. 

I happen to like the deliberate slashes at the neck, cuffs and hem. It is a deliciously thick and luxe knit, feels lovely.

And for $11.00? Going straight to a local charity? Without hesitation. 

It's by MO & Co. - never heard of it! Apparently Kendall Jenner is the face of their "Noir" brand.

Let's see what else we can find out. 

It's 100% wool - this is good. I had hoped it was wool, as I found it by feel among the plasticky-feeling polyesters, but am not fully trusting myself after the black "leather" top debacle last weekend.

That's a suspiciously low CA number...and it's for the Hudson's Bay Company (founded in 1670!!), which must own this brand. Colour me happy - a 100% wool sweater starts at $498.00 on their site (on sale in the $250 range)! 

I've been on the lookout for a cream turtleneck since I did my closet swapover last fall and removed my previous one due to overall wear and tear. 

This is a really nice version - a very good cut.

I like that extra detail at the yoke. 

I know Papillon - they're a Vancouver-based brand. 

Their knitwear runs between $75-100 new. For me? $9.00! 

My next stop was the big WIN Warehouse store - it was bustling with people, which takes a bit of getting used to. I usually do a quick shop there on Thursdays, after Mom-Days, when it's very quiet. 

I hit gold twice in the purse section. 

Please, like I am going to resist a feather purse with a gold chain strap! That loose bit just needs a quick glue-gun and it'll be good to go. 

A nice little zipper pull detail. 

I like the gold hardware for contrast. 

The back is plain, but I'm okay with that.

I wouldn't want feathers to be rubbing off, and this way the front stays pristine. 

It's by River Island, a UK cheap brand. 

It's not real leather, but I felt $14.95 was okay for the otherwise good condition. 

This is a vintage 80s snakeskin purse - it has no labels but I turned it inside out, picked at exposed leather, and gave it a really eagle eye review. 

It was at this point I realized I'd forgotten my phone - I reached into my skirt pocket to see if it would fit inside! 

The purse has a bit of wear and tear - she's been loved! 

No logos - it didn't start its life as a high-end thing...but stuff was made a lot better back then.

Lined, with a single zipped inside pocket, and a zip closure. I like the gold crimps holding the leather straps together. 

It was also $14.95, but this felt like a better deal than the feather purse. 

I found a maxi-slip! I've been watching for one of these for ages. 

I love the thick lace trim and side slit. 

It feels pristine - I would guess it hasn't been worn very much. 

Slip, welcome to my closet - that's going to change! You will be worn.

The tag doesn't show much wear - on often-worn slips, those tags are soft and faded from being washed over and over. $12.95 is a bargain - these are climbing in price.

That's another very low CA number - it belongs to Fashion Fit Lingerie Canada Inc. This is likely from the 70s, as the laundry symbols were mandatory after 1972. This will be a useful piece under all my maxi skirts. 

I waffled over this t-shirt, but ended up saying yes because I have pink, orange/red and neon yellow in my closet and it will go with a lot. 

It's printed to look like a knit but it's just a viscose-based tee. Very soft.

Womp-womp. Part of the reason I nearly didn't get it. Um, hello? I have a back! 

The base colour is dark grey. 

I ended up with it because it was only $8.95 and it's Marc Cain Sports. 

A basic/plain top on their site is $170.00. This has good Limbo-sale-ability if I decide to move it along. 

This hot pink sleeveless sweater knit top intrigued me. 

What is up with that long scarf? And could it possibly be silk? It feels like silk...

It's actually a built-in Rocker Chick scarf! 

How very chic! 

But what if I don't want that scarf? 

Well then, I can unbutton it! This is so clever! 

It's by Etcetera - I saw quite a bit by them in WIN as I browsed, so sent a silent "thank you" to its previous owner. 

71% silk, and 13% cashmere? The WIN pricers did not notice that! $14.95 is a huge bargain - a cotton-blend sleeveless knit on their site is $107.50 on sale - I think this is from the early-to-mid-00s based on the style. 

I gravitated to this wonderful pink/black/white/lavender marble print on this tee. 

I was also captivated by the thickness of the cotton. 

And there we go, it is 100% cotton, awesome. 

I know this brand, The Kooples - I have this sweatshirt by them, also thrifted at WIN - and I've seen it at very high prices in the designer section of Turnabout.

It's an expensive brand, with good details, like the extra double layer on the back shown here. That will help maintain its shape over time. 

And yet again, $14.95 - I'm on a roll! This sold at UK department store Selfridges for $170.00 CAD.

I spied this cuff in the jewelry case - that red stone (carnelian?) looks the same as the one in my silver ring.

It has nice heft to it, although I noted the copper colour coming through on the crater/hammered texture. 

But there's a Mexico stamp on it...but it's not real silver, probably just a cheap alloy, and that looks cast, not hand-hammered like real silver would be.

However, for $3.95, I said yes. 

This silk top was my one miss - it's a very soupy, oversized cut and doesn't do anything for me. 

It's a tunic/short dress - and it has two side pockets! 

And it's 100% silk! And made in Canada! Oh my goodness, I'm feeling faint, ha ha.

It's by Harris Kuipers, a company based here in Victoria, I was surprised to find out by looking up the CA number. 

It was founded in 2019, but seems to have shuttered - I bet the pandemic didn't do them any favours. 

I love the raw edges along all of the edges, hem and seams. 

Again, seriously? I know this would have sold for over $200.00 new! 

I've offered it up to Cat - this is totally her vibe - for my usual "friends" pricing. Only $20 for you, darlin'! 

And now, I have these two to get back to! 

"Who? Us?"

I'll be back to my normal blog schedule and life routine again soon enough! Thank you all so much for being here - here's to another year of fun and funky outfits!