Thursday, August 31, 2017

Chi-Chi Brands, a Waffle Vote, and Award Returned

Phew! One more day till the long weekend! I can hardly wait!
 I couldn't wait any longer, though, to wear these new-to-me shoes!


  • Dress - Etro, vintage 90s, thrifted; last seen here (3rd outfit) in June for dinner out
  • Shoes - Marc Jacobs, thrifted; purchased here for $29.95 last Friday
  • Jacket (below) - Suzy Shier, thrifted; last seen here earlier this month with giant pants


I'm wearing a full-length vintage slip under this, plus a cotton Gap cami over that for the cleavage area.
 My head is both literally and metaphorically a blur. I deployed my "clothing as armour" strategy and wore a dress that I love, that makes me feel great - and also has a super-distracting pattern! "Woo, look at me, don't look at the frazzled lady!" said my dress in a loud voice.

It worked! I did get a love of love for the dress/shoe combo.

Welcome back, wispy hair - my fine, baby hair gets like this when it's longer. I clipped it up again, and needed another clippy thing (technical term) to keep the wisps from escaping. It sort of worked.
 I still love that I found a freakin' ETRO Milano dress in a thrift store. A chi-chi designer brand for $6.00 - Etro's dresses sell for between $2,000-4,000!

I'm feeling waffly about this blue jacket. It's certainly NOT a chi-chi brand - Suzy Shier was a Canadian mall chain (I worked in their sister store, LA Express, for about 6 months in 1994). It was a fixture when I was a teen/young adult - I remember having many pieces from there when I was in school and entering the work world.
It's very business-y, it's very well-made (lined, piped and real pockets) and a good colour...and it fits well. You know what? I'm going to let you readers decide!

Here's how I've worn it before:

  • As noted above, here, with giant pants, and aqua and purple accents
  • With pink pants and Star Wars shoes here (look how short my hair is!)
  • Here with a vintage strapless dress and orange shoes

I paid $6.00 for it, and that's 4 wears, so $1.50 per wear. But still, I waffle!

Leave me your vote (keep it, let it go) in the comments, and I will go with the will of the crowd! The cut-off is by the time I finish writing my Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up(TM) on Monday (a totally arbitrary non-time-specific deadline).

The stuff:
 Holy sweet shoes of chi-chi! I had a very busy day at work, followed by a hoppin' WW meeting, and these were amazingly comfy! They ooze quality (made in Italy, all leather), and that is the perfect heel height.

I discovered the previous price tags under the $29.95 tag when I picked it off last night: it was originally $74.95, then $44.95, before $29.95. Even my thrift finds are good deals. Of course, these were $375.00 originally, back in the early 00s, I think (due to non-Internet presence of them).

Silver and blue bling:
 When in doubt, go matchy!


  • Necklace - thrifted
  • Cuff/earrings - local
  • Lapis lazuli ring/Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes


Some of you long-time readers might remember that I won an award from my provincial Weight Watchers back in November 2013, which I wrote about it here (scroll down a ways - remember my barn skirt?). I had taken it to our centre, where I used to work, so that I could see it, but I work at a different location now and I wanted it back. My awesome receptionist Betty picked it back up for me.
A little scratched up, but it's mine.

Have a wonderful weekend! I have so many adventures planned, and I'll be back on Monday to share 'em with you!

53 comments:

  1. Your new shoes look gorgeous with that dress, Sheila! Such a great match. I say keep the jacket-I love the colour! Have a great weekend! XXX

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  2. U look so cute! I feel super frazzled so I think I should wear a print dress----it won't be worth $2000 tho!!!! Get your WW reward back girl!

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    1. Print dresses are so easy for faking it - good luck with your frazzles, hon!

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  3. I vote keep. It fits you wonderfully and looks great with every outfit so far. The color is beautiful, the cut is versatile and IMHO it will go with so many pieces in your wardrobe, like those amazing shoes. I can see it with your Spanish lady dress or your plaid slacks if the proportions are right. Can't wait to hear what everyone else thinks.

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    1. Thank you for your vote and your thoughts on the jacket, Chalotalo!

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  4. PS. Glad you were able to retrieve your well deserved reward. I imagine you are a dynamic leader and have super meetings. ( You do not need to post this comment. ) I just hit the wrong button before adding it to my previous comment.

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    1. Thank you again, I appreciate this. I'm really glad I got the award back, and yes, my meetings are really fun and goofy.

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  5. It's awesome you got your award back to display - it was a big achievement! :)

    I really like this outfit - with the dress and the shoes and blazer, it all works perfectly together. I really like that blazer, so I'm going to say keep!

    However I also know if you're even a little unsure about something it's not likely it will last long or get a lot of wear in your wardrobe, so perhaps you've gotten all you can from this blazer?

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    1. Thank you, Mica! Thanks for the vote, ha, you know me well!

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  6. Let it go. Doesn't feel like the current you.

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  7. Keep it ! I actually bought a few Suzie Shier blazers a few years ago from a discount store here and they have held up pretty well. Yeah Etro for 6 bucks is an amazing find !

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  8. Sheila, your armour is fabulous! Love the Etro dress, and the price is amazing! I once found am etro skirt for 6.00 in a thrift shop, that usually charges much more for designer goods...but the pricer that day must. It have realized that Etro is super $$$$
    I like the jacket with the dress and it is a keeper. But I like it better with the 3 other outfits, where it looks great. I might like this better with a sweater, or one of your gorgeous light weight coats,
    Fabulous.
    Congrats on the award and maintaining!
    Love the wispy hair, and I know how you feel when you hope the dress hides the woman a bit. But you look truly put together and beautiful!
    Xx, Elle

    http://www.theellediaries.com/blog/2017/8/styling-dining-at-the-kimberly-hotel

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    1. Thanks so much for the comment, Elle! It's the best when we get a good score on a designer item like that!

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  9. Keep. Well made, good color for your overall palette, fits well. If you're waffling keep it. There may coma time when there are no more waffles--then you'll know it's to go. What a find this ETRO dress is--and the shoes are perfection with it.

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  10. Gorgeous outfit...as always love your shoes...but the jacket? LET IT GO!! It may fit nice, but is soooo not you !!
    I love your hair too! Happy weekend! SP

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  11. I'm so happy you got your award back. It's not often in this modern life that we are recognized for our achievements, so I say flaunt the ones you get! (and please know that there are more awards that you should get, Like a "Most Spiffy Dresser and Outfit Compiler" award, as well as the "Most Righteous Thrift Shopper" award.

    I vote keep the jacket. It's well made, looks great with this dress (and the slim silhouette), and I think you can get a few more cool outfits out of it before you launch it.

    And I LOVE those shoes. They are fabulous.
    Have a lovely weekend!

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    1. Thanks, K, I am too - it meant a lot to me then, and it still affirms to me now that I'm good at what I do. I like your awards. :)

      Thanks for the vote!

      Delete
  12. I vote keep. It looks different with each clothing combination, and fits you beautifully.

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  13. The outfit looks smashing on you! Ditto the blazer. I vote to keep it because the color and fit are perfect on you AND with your style sense you can always find a way to jazz it up if you want the lovely fit but with a less officy vibe.

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  14. Keep it. It looks good on you and you can style it so many different ways.

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  15. I'm not sure why you DON'T want to keep this jacket. Even you said that it has a lot going for it, is it just because it doesn't have a good pedigree? I vote keep it unless you have a similar jacket, same color, that you like better. Gerrilyn

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    1. No, it's not the name at all, Gerrilyn (quality is more important to me). But when I don't love a piece, I just don't wear it. I actually got rid of another blue blazer and kept this one, because I liked this one better, but now...it's just not me.

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  16. If the jacket doesn't make you feel good, it's time to go. It is a good colour and fit, so maybe a couple more wearings.

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  17. I say keep the jacket if it fits in with your wardrobe. I mean...you've styled it brilliantly here and I can only imagine all the great looks you'll come up with in the future.

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    1. See, that's the "if" - it doesn't really fit with my wardrobe, and I feel a shift coming in my personal style. Maybe a few more wears. Thanks, Sue!

      Delete
  18. I love that Etro dress. Great armour, especially with that bling. As for the jacket, if you feel this wishy-washy about it, let it go. There is too much fabulousness waiting to take its place. It's a great piece and looks good on, but sometimes that isn't enough to make us content. Or keep it, of course. Heh.

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  19. I vote keep too--because I love the color. I tend to love blues that lean toward either side of the spectrum--blue-violet or blue-green. BUT if you aren't feeling this jacket sing to you, in spirit of the vast majority of these comments, let it go. Listen to your gut!!!!!

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    1. Thank you, Linda. I love this colour too, and have had many items this shade of blue. You know me!

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  20. Keep. In my humble opinion, it's important to have some flattering solids to mix with other pieces. Plus, it's well made and fits. Your shoes are fab! They look high, but maybe they're good for strutting. I always like feminized menswear!

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    1. Thank you, Mel-Bee, and I totally agree with having some good solids. But I also don't keep things that I don't love. Utilitarian doesn't cut it. The shoes are not as high as they look!

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  21. Love love love these amazing shoes. On the jacket... my opinion shouldn't count for much. I see most readers are saying keep it, so that's an option. It seems a bit conservatively-cut for you. Your style, even in business-wear, seems a bit bolder. It's nice but IMHO not perfectly-suited to you.

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    1. Me too! They are so fabulous! Yes, it's a bit too conservative for me - you know me well!

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  22. Well, Sheila, it's hard for me to say what YOU should do, but I can say that I would be keeping the jacket! The colour truly is excellent on you. I liked the jacket in your past wearings too, perhaps especially the strapless dress (and the orange 'Vogs) ... and I loved your short hair then, too!
    Whenever I see your finds like this dress and these shoes I can hardly believe it ... it makes me want to move back to Victoria so I can stalk around all those shops where you find such incredible stuff!

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    1. Thanks, Sherry! I love to hear what people really think about things, and I agree with your thoughts on the jacket with the strapless dress look (the best look of all these). If you're ever back here in town, let me know and I'll show you how to find the good stuff!

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  23. Hello darling, and before we go any further, I have to say keep it. The fit, the cut, trims, colour - why on earth would you pass this on? I love how you describe to the most minute detail what your under layers are and in which order! I think the dress is lovely and so are your new to you shoes - not too high either if you manged to wear them all day.

    Am heading off island for the next week, but will catch with some exciting news soon.

    Anna x

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    1. Thanks, Anna! I just don't love it, and I need to love all my clothes in order to justify their space in my wardrobe. The shoes are just the right height! Good luck, can't wait to hear your news!

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    2. So, I know that you've caught up with all my news, but I haven't done the same with yours and hence, here I am winding backwards to see how the break and everything else went.

      Anna x

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  24. Keep the jacket! Fab shape and colour is lovely.It looks great with the wonderful dress and shoes - and LOOK at your hair! It's long enough to wear up now! To me that's the whole point of having longer hair...I've only been away for two months and you have long hair; what are you using on it? Growth hormone?

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    1. Thanks, Veronica! I know, my hair's gotten long - it grows fast!

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  25. The jacket is obviously wonderful and I don't hesitate to say "keep it" because I'm sure you won't hold on to it once your own heart comes to a different decision.

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  26. The jacket is a flattering colour and cut on you, but if you don't love it, there's no point in having it take up valuable real estate space in closet. The shoes go perfectly with your Etro dress (which I assume you ARE keeping). I used to be a huge fan of jackets, but now that my boobs are bigger, I'm finding they don't fit me very well.

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    1. Yes, and that's why I cut it. And yes, the dress stays! I still love jackets, but this one isn't me anymore.

      Delete

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Sheila