Unseasonably Warm in Plaid

It's pretty chilly in the mornings (no frost yet, though!), but by late morning it's back to being really hot out. Walking home in this outfit, I was sweating like crazy glowing like a lady.

The tights may have been just a bit much. Good thing I didn't wear a layer under my sweater!

• Sweater - Banana Republic, thrifted; purchased here on the weekend for $15.50
• Skirt - Tommy Hilfiger, thrifted; purchased here at the end of August for $16.50
• Shoes - Gentle Souls; first worn here in August with fruital and strapless

One of my coworkers stopped at my desk this morning, looked at me, then backed up to look at my bottom half behind my desk. "Oh, thank goodness," he said, "you look so classic. I knew you'd have something good going on at the bottom."

This is my stab at being trendy. Chunky sweater! Check! Um...is plaid trendy? Check! Coloured and textured tights? Uh, maybe half a check, since coloured tights seem to have been sucked into a black hole (gah, black tights are so DULL). Ankle strap shoes? Check? I have no idea if they're in style.

This is the first wearing of both the sweater and the skirt - I can't resist pairing up new-to-me items. Both were good, although since the skirt is a size big on me, it sits quite low on my hips, which led to many checks of my midsection to make sure nothing was hanging out.

The stuff:

Love these shoes! Such a pretty soft grey. I considered putting these away for summer, but decided that even with such a light grey, they would be fun with tights. I was right!

Circular bling:

I might do a big chunky necklace with this sweater at some point, but for today, it was all simple stuff.

• Earrings - Glee, local
• Shield ring - Nine West
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes

I should go check the weather forecast for tomorrow!

Black and Red Classics

I don't think I could be called a classic dresser - I definitely am a maximalist, as opposed to a minimalist, when it comes to clothes. 

For me, these are classic pieces. It's only the little dashes of crazy that make my look not quite what other people might wear.

• Sweater - Lord & Taylor, thrifted; purchased here for $15.50 on the weekend
• Skirt - Gianfranco Ferre from Giorgio Beverly Hills, vintage 80s, thrifted; last seen here in January with neutrals-o-rama
• Shoes - Mini Qtee, Fluevog, consignment; last worn here in February for a brunch out

This sweater was the perfect weight for chilly mornings and warm days. I have a vintage camisole on under it for coverage.

Double-slit action on this amazing quality skirt. This is one of my treasured pieces, that I look forward to wearing every year. It has a very high waist.

The stuff:

The V-patterned tights are meant to pick up the triangles in the scarf and set off the cute shoes. No wonder they call these the Qtees!

Simple bling:

Someone classier than me would probably not wear ginormous orange hoops with this. This is the first wear of these wooden earrings, purchased for $2.00 at the Vintage Expo on the weekend.

• Scarf - thrifted
• Wrist wrap - handmade
• Earrings - vintage fair

It's also the first wearing of this lovely silk scarf. I adore the colour mix.

A thank you to Lorena for making my Disney Princess dream come true! Check it out here!

Victorian Leather Patchwork

Ooh, I'm so excited that it's fall! I love breaking out the "boots & suits"!

No suit today, but I brought the boots.

• Lace top - no label, thrifted; purchased at the Vintage Expo here this past weekend for $15.50 
• Leather vest - CABi, consignment; last seen here back in March 2014
• Skirt - Strawberry Jill, thrifted; purchased here in August for $12.50
• Boots - Mini Babycakes, Fluevog; last worn here (3rd outfit) in March with yellow and browns

Colour blown out so you can see the patchwork in the skirt

It's no secret that I'm a fan of the steampunk look, but I'm kind of over it these days. But when I saw that the 80s Victorian look was having a resurgence, I had to find a lace top to get my groove on.

The lacy top was fine to wear; now it needs a wash and some repairs to some minor seams undone on the arms. I can't believe I haven't worn this vest in 15 months! I was quite happy to find that it's loose on me now (yay for the last 5 lbs gone this past month!).

Loved this new-to-me skirt. It's a great length and easy to walk in, plus it felt nice and thick from the quilted effect.

The stuff:

Let's all pause to drool over these gorgeous embossed leather boots. I know! They're divinely comfy too.

Bird bling:

My favourite bird "bib" to hide the cleavage behind the lace (ha! it worked!).

• Necklace - gift from Mom
• Cuff - Jezebel Charms, gift from L
• Crystal ring - junky store, late 90s
• Spinner ring - Twang & Pearl
• Earrings - Aldo Accessories

 Vizzini always sulks on Mondays.

"I'm going to eat your shoes while you're gone."

The Back of Displeasure, we call that. I like the silhouette of the abandoned mousie watching out the window with him.

Bigass Weekend: Visibly Vintage, Citrus Shop, Some Birds Walk With Fringe, the Officer and the Leaf, Last Call Chartreuse, and Closet Swap

Well, I'm pretty sure that's the longest post title I've ever had.

This is a bigass post (see title), so let's get going! 

This is my outfit for "Visible Monday" over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style. Get there and be groovy.

• Dress - A Dress Town Original, vintage 60s, thrifted; last worn here with morange
• Shoes - Fiel; last seen here in August for shopping with Jane

As Friday night was the opening of the Vintage Fair (link here to their FB page, lots of pictures), and I always like to get my vintage on for it.

It was slightly chilly out but sunny - I didn't wear a coat, but I did add tights. That double-knit vintage polyester was really warm!

The stuff:

I noticed that the sole of the shoe is separating from the upper at the back of one of the shoes - not sure when that happened. Get out the glue!

• Scarf - thrifted
• Heart locket - local, gift from L
• Wooden ring - Dots
• Copper ring - vintage fair
• Bronze ring - P. Sarpaneva, vintage 70s, vintage fair

Thank you to the lovely security lady who took out picture at the end of the night.

Cat, Karen, Yvonne, me, Elaine

We shopped for 2 hours, then went to Vista 18 for dinner. What a gorgeous sunset over the harbour!

We had a delicious meal and some well-deserved wine, and showed off all of our purchases.

I had an off night - I wasn't feeling very interactive or outgoing (I think I used it all up at work!), and nothing was really grabbing me. I bought a fraction of what I usually do, but I'm happy with my purchases.

I always find nice things at the WIN stores, and their booth was no exception. Trendy lace blouse?

Check! It has a bit of stretch to it, and the hem and elasticated cuffs are nicely finished. I would guess this is from the late 90s; no label, but it feels like polyester with a bit of Spandex. It was $15.50.

I also found this lovely heavy plastic cuff for $4.00.

I have very small wrists and most bangles fly off me with no effort. This is a pretty good fit on me, and I love the colour. You can faintly see little clouds of white in the plastic - they are slightly iridescent.

I love these uber-light wood clip-on hoops.

Only $2.00! Great deal!

And that was it. I was a little underwhelmed by the vendors this year - a lot of repurposed clothing and furniture, and case after case of jumbled jewelry. But that's okay - I'm still going to keep going to the various fairs around town. There's one soon for Christmas!

On Saturday, we had enough people for a game of Ultimate Frisbee. Last chance to wear something summery!

I changed into and out of my gear at the field, and went for brunch in this afterward.

• Cardigan - Gap, thrifted; last seen here in August with the last wearing of a white skirt
• Dress - Joe Fresh, thrifted; first worn here in August with turquoise
• Shoes - Franco Sarto, consignment; last seen here earlier this month with double patterns

It was hot, sunny, cloudy and rainy, so sometimes I was boiling and sometimes I was freezing.

I decided to go for a thrift shop after brunch - I felt like I still had some shopping left in me!

This is the last wear of everything in the outfit. I'd forgotten about this citrusy cardigan!

"My pose is better."

I'll enjoy all these pieces again in April!

The stuff:

I'm considering painting the wooden hoop earrings - the green is fading off.

• Earrings - Le Chateau 

 I started at the St. Vincent de Paul, where I found this wonderful 100% cotton chunky sweater.

It's grey and cream marled wool and the neck is nice and loose (I loath a tight turtleneck). It was $5.00.

From there, I strolled over to the WIN Warehouse Store. Right away, I found an awesome piece in the jewelry display!

It's not silver or anything, but it's stamped "Best" on the pendant and at the closure and it has a lovely weight to it. It was $6.00.

I am a sucker for a fall coloured vintage silk scarf.

The colours! It was $5.50.

This is a Lord & Taylor "Extra Fine Merino" wool sweater.

A nice classic shape and colour to set off some of my fun winter skirts. It was $15.50.

I really liked the fit of this Banana Republic sweater - it was also $15.50.

It's from May 2014 and is labelled "Leather trim cocoon" on the tags inside.

I like the gold zipper detail on the back. The zipper also has faux leather trim around it.

That Shaker knit totally reminds me of those oversized sweaters that were huge back in 1985. I had a bright yellow one that nearly went to my knees!

The item that made my heart leap are these trousers. Do not be deceived by their possibly dorky appearance. Yes, they are really high-waisted.

And round at the hip and tapered at the ankle. But, they don't have pleats (looking at you, 80s!) and they hug the curves and drape to the ankle. They're 70s disco pants!

The colour is a deep satin bronze.

I would never turn these into shorts!

Yup, only $7.50. The inset pockets on the hips have never been opened.

I was surprised to see Peter Nygard's label, and even more surprised to see that they were made in Canada! He's been designing clothes in Canada since the late 60s, so my guess of the 70s could be accurate - I'd narrow it down to the late 70s.

That label has some wear, but I honestly don't think these pants have been worn more than once or twice.

The bottom cuff of each leg has a sweet little V, which causes the trousers to pool elegantly at the ankle.

And would you believe these are fully lined? Insane! I am so excited to wear them.

I barely had time to get ready when I got home from shopping. Jump in the shower and bam! Dressed!

I'm aiming for funky poet. Yes?

• Topper - Design Lab by Lord & Taylor; purchased here a couple of weeks ago for $44.20 
• Sweater - Banana Republic, thrifted; last seen here (2nd outfit) in April with these same boots
• Skirt - Danier Leather, thrifted; purchased here in August for $32.50
• Boots - 1883 Lucchesse, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in July for a little shopping

"Did I hear the swish of tasty fringe?"

A bunch of us went for dinner and then to see C.R. Avery perform his poetry at the "Some Birds Walk for the Hell of It" show. If you are easily offended by burlesque dancers, don't check out this link! It was an awesome blend of music, strange characters, poetry and I laughed nearly the entire time (I cried a little too). I got to meet him after the show - such a nice guy! Recommended if you ever get the chance to see him!

"I could swear I heard something like food."

 I loved wearing this topper all night. This was a fun outfit overall.

I love that it's cool enough to wear my cowboy boots again - I freakin' love them. Some of us went dancing after the show and I got to stomp around in them - what a fun night!

The stuff:

All the badassery!

Badass bling:

Yeah, I couldn't resist wearing the new necklace.

• Necklace - Best, thrifted
• Leather cuff - Guess
• Cuff - vintage 80s, homegrown
• Death Star ring - Soul Flower
• Spinner ring - Twang & Pearl
• Snake ring - BC Museum Gift Shop, vintage 80s, homegrown 

Now that the leaves are starting to turn and fall, they're getting trapped in the spider webs. 

"I must retrieve this renegade leaf!"

Officer Vizzini is on the case!

"Why can't I reach it?"

There was a big spider just outside the window - you can just see the dark spot up and to the left of the leaf.

Frustrated, he continued down the deck.

"Let's see what's going on over here."

He was vigourously thumping his tail on the window.

"Squirrel alert!"

The wind blew another leaf onto the glass roof.

"We must declare an emergency!"

He's been after the leaves all weekend. 

This morning, I was up early to go get groceries. 

A mishmash of things that match my boots. Heh. Because why not?

• Jacket - Alison Wonderland, consignment; last seen here (4th outfit) in September 2014
• Cashmere sweater - Harrod's, consignment; last seen here (3rd outfit) in August with lilacs
• Skirt - no label, consignment; last worn here at the same time as the red cowboy boots and sweater above, in April
• Boots - Doc Martens, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in April for Zentangling

I managed to sneak this not-yet-worn chartreuse velvet jacket into an outfit, just before I swap out the spring/summer stuff.

I hiked the vintage slip up after I saw these pictures. Not like I really care if it hangs out, though.

The stuff:

It was heaven to be back in my Docs!

I spent the whole afternoon clearing out my closet. Here are some "before" shots.

Things are getting a little overstuffed and rowdy in there. Shoes are starting to jumble, as are the belts.

I'm still relatively tidy on this side.

It's always fun to swap my seasonal clothes, but it's a big task!

I checked to see which hung items hadn't gotten worn. I had put all the hanger facing towards me, and then as I wore items, I turned the hanger back away from me.

Looks like only one long skirt didn't get worn.

I didn't wear this long pewter metallic leather skirt by Danier Leather.

I'm okay with that - it was a warm spring and a hot summer. The opportunity to wear it didn't present itself, but it's too cool a piece not to stay in my closet. Keeper!

Two jackets didn't get worn in the last 6 months:

The top one is my Leia jacket by Bonspiel, a local person; the bottom super-shiny jacket is by Aldo. I decided to keep both of them, although I packed the Leia jacket away and kept the shiny one out for cool weather.

After pulling out all of my seasonal clothes, this is what was left on my skirt rack and my jacket rack.

I have a lot of jackets that I keep out all year round. They work fine as coats in the "shoulder" seasons here.

A few pairs of pants, and a very small selection of dresses remained.

I spy a lot of polyester vintage in there - it's nice and warm in the winter.

This is what got packed away for clothes, scarves, belts and flat shoes.

I weeded out about another quarter of that. Into the giveaway pile!

Purses (the big one has more purses inside it) and summer-specific shoes.

The giant lead jack is weighting down my glue job on the Fiels.

And here is "after" - after about 3 hours!

All my party clothes are loaded in, all my new clothes are lined up for making outfits.

I was surprised at how few shoes and boots I'd actually packed away.

I might need to go shopping!

For those who like shoes, some shots of some of my pretties that I kept out from my spring/summer collection.

Fluevog, Versace, Aldo, Geiger, Jessica Simpson, more Fluevog.

Next shelf:

 Fly London, Feud, Camper, Fluevog, Vivienne Westwood, and more Fluevog.

Next:

 Poetic Licence, Fluevog, Ralph Lauren, Tod's, Guess, Steve Madden.

A shelf of Fluevog booties.

It was too hot to wear these for most of the spring/summer.

All my "high ankle" shoes:

Two pairs of Fluevogs, and a pair of Diesels.

Blurry pumps.

Fluevogs and my trusty blue suede Feet First pumps.

Round-toed platforms.

Gentle Souls, Chie Mihara, Marc.

Phew! I'm exhausted. Time for bed! I hope you had a rockin' weekend!