Nov 8th - Outfit #8 - Shades of Light and Leather

This month's capsule has the most leather in it of any capsule this year: five pieces! Today's outfit features one of my very favourite items, my suede dress.

Yes, that's a dress! It's a very pale dove grey, fully lined and it's by Danier Leather. I bought it on consignment for $60.00 in November 2009. Back then, I thought it was verging on scandalous to wear leather to work (how things have changed, ha!). There's a good shot of the top half of the dress at that link, where you can see the amazing seaming pattern at the waist.

I also wore it in December 2009, to a party where you weren't allowed to wear shoes (what is up with that?), so I did hot pink tights. This dress doesn't work that great on its own - the colour is too pale - it needs layering under or over to really bring it to life. I next wore it in August 2010, and learned my lesson, layering a sheer blouse under it and wearing this same obi over it. Pretty! I matched it with the same shoes as today in May 2011 for Revenge of Dress Week!, doing a shirt under it again. The last time I wore it, in September 2011, I did a very similar look, showing off some fabulous Fluevogs and a Smoking Lily leather belt.

I'm down to $10 per wear - pretty good! And this is the first time I've worn a jacket layered over it, and a cami underneath it (not part of the capsule), with the obi over that. The jacket is new-to-me, purchased back in September (man, that was a good shopping trip!) for $20.98. It's by Le Chateau, and I am certain that whoever owned it before me had the cuffs shortened to this nice bracelet length. There's a band of material inside the cuff, stitched to the original lining with little hand stitches.

I really liked the whole pale vibe of the outfit - this felt very "me," even without my usual colour-rama.

The shoes are the last "fresh" pair in this month's capsule. I've had them since January 2010, purchased new for $80, on sale from $200.

I've worn them a fair bit: previously later that January, in May 2010 (with a great rust-colour, although the cut of the dress wasn't right for me), in August 2010 (ack, on the day we were all given notice at my old job), in October 2010 (for a phone interview for a job I didn't get), for the aforementioned Revenge of Dress Week!, in September 2011 (last outfit, with my awesome blouse from last month and skirt from February's capsule), and lastly, in December 2011 for Neutrals Week (grey day).

Are you doing Colours Challenge this year? Megan and Keely do such fun challenges! I am out this time around, as the capsules make those challenges really difficult. But the next one, for sure!

As I read myself gushing about how comfortable these shoes are, I realize that my standards for comfort have changed. These shoes are a big too tight and they rub the backs of my heels. I'm going to keep my eye out for another pair of grey heels, though, as they are a useful wardrobe item.

The stuff:

The "eyes" on the flower pin are earrings

My Grandma J's vintage necklace by Lisner, and my dad's ring that I got when he died.

I highly recommend a Smoking Lily obi. I have 3 of them now! This one was loaned to my dear friend Cat recently and went on a cruise with her. It's a great item to have in a small travel wardrobe!

I love the fun designs screened on it: a cartoon monkey, gold trees and topographical contour lines.

Jacket (Le Chateau, consignment), dress (Danier Leather, consignment), cami (gift from Ruth), shoes (Camper), obi (Smoking Lily, consignment), necklace (vintage 50s, Lisner, Grandma J), earrings (vintage), ring (Dad's, 60s), spinner ring (Twang & Pearl), flower pin (Roberta's Hats).