Sunday, February 23, 2020

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Black and Lace; Black Ruffles and Shopping; Black Fringe Party; Black Fuzzy Shop

Hello, my friends! I'm back and I'm in...black! I didn't even realize until I uploaded all my photos that I wore a heck of a lot of black this weekend. 

Here's Friday's outfit - as you can see, I did Funky Friday instead of Casual Friday. 
Yeah, I really don't do casual. And I don't always do loads of colour.


  • Sweater - Club Monaco, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in December 2019 with pattern-mixing
  • Skirt - 3.1 Philip Lim, thrifted; first worn here in September 2019 with blue ruffles 
  • Boots - BCBG Max Azria; last seen here (2nd outfit) in December 2019 for a post-brunch shop
  • Coat (below) - L'Atiste, consignment, Vancouver; last worn here a few days ago


This skirt is complicated to wear because it's really short (it is lined, with silk!).
My tights are all laddered and full of holes - I really need to get some more basic black ones, but I am lazy about it - so I wore these fun lacy ones to pick up the lace detail in the skirt.
I love the irregular shapes and placement of the lace bits on the skirt.

I also like my shoulder "wings".
 And the pockets in the skirt!

Outerwear - it was pretty warm and even sunny in spots on Friday, so the hat was a bit hot.
 I'd rather be too warm than too hot, though.


  • Hat - M&S Collection, consignment, Powell River
  • Gloves - Cejon, thrifted


The stuff:
Every wardrobe needs a pair of over-the-knee flat black leather boots. I'm just sayin'.

Round bling:
Just a few favourites.


  • Silver cuff - thrifted, Powell River
  • Silver/acrylic cuff - Alexis Bittar, consignment, Vancouver
  • Earrings - vintage fair
  • Silver/crystal ring - Soul Flower
  • Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes


L and I had a quiet night in on Friday, playing board games and listening to music. We went for brunch on Saturday at Pluto's, and then I went for a wee shop after.
I wanted to wear this flamenco skirt again - it's so swooshy!


  • Sweater - Dalkeith, vintage 60s, thrifted; last worn here in December 2019 with another black and tan skirt
  • Skirt - no label, consignment; first worn here in October 2019 with old velvet
  • Shoes - Half Truth Veda, Fluevog; last seen here in December 2019 with shiny paisley
  • Coat (below) - Rodarte for Opening Ceremony, consignment; last worn here (2nd outfit) in December 2019


Sadly, this will be the last wearing of this lovely vintage sweater - it has a couple of small holes, including one right in the centre of my chest. Not one I can hide or repair, aw...
I bought it for $10.50 five years ago (first worn here, pic link), and I wore it 19 times, so that's just over 55 cents per wear. I'm good with that, although I will miss this piece.
 It's hard to find sweaters that fit this well. They don't make them like 1962 anymore!

I loved swishing my skirt around as I walked around town.
It was cold out but we had some sun again.

Outerwear - I thought of this outfit as the Flamenco Ringmaster.
 My "ringmaster" coat is an amazing work of art. The top section is faux Persian Lamb, and does up with double-breasted snaps.

Look, I have tails! No pockets, though - so annoying on a coat!
I went through Rich Rags (2 shirts for L), the Velvet Crease (nothing), and then strolled up to the WIN Boutique. It's a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours, and I like the mental break - I can engage with people in the stores if I feel like it, or I can just put my head down and focus on finding pretty things.

The stuff:
These shoes need to be replaced as I have worn them to death! I'll hang onto them until I find something comparable (not easy).

Copper bling:
I wore the brooch on my coat lapel.


  • Necklace, bracelet - Matisse/Renoir, vintage 60s, vintage fair, thrifted
  • Brooch - thrifted
  • Earrings - vintage fair

The second hand stores are mostly still clearing out their winter stock, so I am being really picky. I found a few things at WIN. 

These anklets look unworn (I'll wash them). They were only $1.95.

I found this beaded belt in a drawer and gasped.
It's very heavy - those are glass bugle beads. It was only $5.95.

I know this name - Henry Birks! He's the founder of the famous Canadian jewelry store that's been around for over 140 years.
 The belt does up with Velcro. So 80s!

The reason I know the name is that this is now the second Henry Birks belt I own.
I bought the bottom one at My Sister's Closet ages ago (first worn here in 2009!) for $20.00.
 Yup, same labels. I'll have to wear both of these soon!

I know I just bought a blue mock-neck sweater (this one), but when you find a good one, you get it!
The shape is totally different! This one is a more snug fit.

It is 100% cotton and is by Beechers Brook (aw, I remember that brand from when I worked at Fairweather!).
Only $7.95 and made in Hong Kong, which dates it to the mid-90s.

After my little shop, I came home and put my outfit together for Greg's birthday party. L and I went for dinner with Cat/Ross, Yvonne/Randall and Nick (Karen was stuck home sick) at Milestones before we grabbed a couple of cabs to the party.
It's always a casual house party, but I never go casual!

This is my outfit for "Visible Monday" over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style.

I planned my outfit around this black suede fringed skirt - it's been much trickier than expected to style since I bought it.
This is the full outfit, but I wore variations of it during the evening according to my internal temperatures.


  • Jacket - Frank Lyman; last worn here in November 2019 with plaid and red
  • Blouse - Spense, consignment; last seen here in November 2019...with this jacket!
  • Skirt - Lamarque, consignment; purchased here for $32.50
  • Boots - Prepare Hi Adventure, Fluevog; last worn here for Hallowe'en in October 2018


Just the blouse and skirt. As I mentioned earlier, all my black tights are toast, so I had to go with bright blue. Why not?
"We need to talk about the lack of cat pictures in this post, Woman." 

Jacket on, worn open.
The back of the jacket. It's faux leather, and all those flowers are embroidered. The entire thing is covered in disco-ball studs too (they snag my hair - not so badly now that it's shorter).
It's hard to convey how swingy and fringe-y this skirt is.

See? Much fringe.
While I loved wearing and swooshing in this skirt, it was a production in the bathroom. Due to all that very long fringe, I had to actually unzip it to avoid dunking it in the toilet.

Jacket partially-zipped.
 And fully done up to my neck.
My gloves were the only concession to outerwear, and I was COLD until I got to Greg/Rosanna's place. Their house was nice and warm, thank you!


  • Gloves - Cejon, thrifted
  • Bag - Danier Leather, thrifted


The stuff:
Pretty amazing boots, right? They were fine for walking to the bus stop, to the restaurant from town, and to the taxi stand, but add in another couple of hours of standing in the kitchen, and I had to take them off for a while. I was much shorter after that, to the amusement of the taller people at the party.

Simple bling:
I left this stuff out overnight, and just wore it all again with Sunday's outfit.


  • Silver/onyx ring - Tocarra, vintage fair
  • Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes
  • Earrings - thrifted


On Sunday, I was up early (after going to bed at 2am!) to walk to town to get groceries, and then walk to Fairfield to meet up with Sandra for a shop at My Sister's Closet.
As you can see from my hair blowing, the weather has turned (again). It's windy and rainy. We even lost power briefly!


  • Top - Jean Paul Gaultier, vintage 90s, consignment; last worn here (2nd outfit) in November 2019 for Book Club
  • Angora dress - Ralph by Ralph Lauren, vintage 90s, thrifted; first worn here for a vintage fair outing in November 2019
  • Booties - Gabor; last seen here (2nd outfit) a couple of weeks ago to see the Beaches
  • Coat (below) - Danier Leather, consignment; last worn here a week or so ago


No one saw me like this - I only took my coat off when I was trying things on.
Remembering how warm this thick, fuzzy angora dress is, I was very happy with its snuggliness in the wind and rain.
 My tights were covered in black fuzzy "mice" after a couple of hours.
It was an early morning. I'll have to squish in a nap.

Outerwear - I hate carrying an umbrella, especially when it's windy, so I plonked my snug-fitting hat on.
 My hair was rather bedraggled by the time I got home!


  • Hat - Deluxe, Saanich Fair
  • Gloves - Cejon, thrifted
  • Purse - Danier Leather, thrifted


The stuff:
Good shoes for rain, walking and trying on clothes.


  • Bling - as above

Deja bling! 


Again, I didn't find a ton of stuff, which is fine. Sandra got a complete outfit, and was happy - I always feel bad when I take someone shopping and they don't find anything! 

There was a bin of brown tights for $5.00 a pair. Done! I'll take two of those, please.

I also found this very pretty floral sleeveless top. It has a big loose ruffle around the neckline.
I like the mix of colour and the taupe background - this will layer well under blazers and work with a lot of my bottoms.

It's by Le Chateau and was made in Canada. It's fully-lined and is washable polyester.
 It was $16.98.

I tried to get Sandra to try this sweater dress on, but it was way too purple for her.
Um, trust me, it's a very deep royal purple! Really!

See?
That's closer. It's by Michael Kors, and is a cotton/viscose/cashmere blend. It was only $22.98 which felt like a very good price - yup, it retailed for over $175!

To make up for my egregious lack of cat pictures this weekend, please enjoy some silliness with my fringed skirt.
Swoosh Factor 10!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Thank you so much for stopping by!

31 comments:

  1. Love that last pic with the fringe skirt, how fun! And I like how you wore a lot of black but none of the outfits were boring - you are so good at picking pieces with interest and making them work well together! :)

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    1. Thanks, Mica! I whipped that fringe around all night, as you can well imagine! Aw, thank you, I appreciate that.

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  2. Love the swooshing pics of the fringe!!! Those blue tights really give your gorgeous party oufit some extra zing :)

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    1. Thank you, Cynthia! I liked the blue tights too. So fun. :)

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  3. From one non-causal wearer to another - you look blinking fantastic. Keeping flying the flag for us gals who live to dress up!
    Love the drama of your fringed skirt and the incredible Star Trek-y shoulders in the first outfit, the ruffled skirt with the killer vintage sweater are a class act and that cobalt blue and embroidered biker jacket combo are fabulous.
    Love the wind swept hair, you should be belting out a power ballad in an 1980s rock video!
    Great finds, as always, love that Henry Birks belt and your blue ribbed jumper.
    Have a fab week, Sheila! xxx

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    1. Aw, thanks, Vix! I'll keep that fancy flag flying! Thanks so much - they were all fun outfits to wear. Ha, my hair never looks that good! But I can picture belting "Total Eclipse of the Heart" into my hairbrush!

      Thank you! Happy week to you too, Vix!

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  4. Wow, all three of these skirts are superb. They appeal to me in particular. And I always love how you use tights to enhance outfits. Tights are my favorite item and I jump a little when I see you wear them so well.

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    1. Thanks so much, Ally! I have a bit of a black skirt thing, so it was fun to wear them all in one weekend. You'll love my purple tights today. ;-P

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  5. Looking so great in black, Sheila! That fringed skirt is a stunner and i adore the "ringmaster" coat - a brilliant silhouette. xox

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  6. Lovely outfits all, Sheila. I think my favourite was the party wear; I love that Royal blue colour. What a shame there weren't some black opaque tights in that bin as that would have sorted your shortage out very cheaply! The new belt is rather magnificent and I loved the sweater dress.
    xxx

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    1. Thank you so much, Vronni! I spent a while working on the party outfit, and enjoyed the result. Ah, there are never black tights in second-hand shops!

      Thanks! I love the belt as well, and stay tuned, as I'm wearing the purple dress today!

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  7. We don't really need a reason to dress up, don't we? I wouldn't even know how to dress casually. I'm loving Friday's winged jumper and those incredible boots, and the hat you wore with the plaid coat is magnificent. Total love for Saturday's Flamenco Ringmaster outfit as well. That skirt! That coat! Wonderful stuff! And then there's Saturday nights ruffly and fringe-y outfit. Together with that embroidered leather jacket, I'm swooning. Lovely finds too, especially the purple sweater dress and the belt, which is stunning! Wishing you a great start to the week, my dear! xxx

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    1. No, we certainly do not! No excuses needed for me to dress up! Thank you so much, Ann - I'm so glad you enjoyed them all. I wish that jacket were leather, but it's just plastic/PVC/pleather.

      Happy week!

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  8. I van t imagine nog dressing up for a party, how casual it will be! I love the flamenco skirt with that gorgeous sweater. Such a pity that there is a hole in it! And the blue blouse with the fringes skirt is a fantastic combination! Gorgeous jacket too!

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    1. I know, right, Nancy? I always dress up for a party! Thank you - I know, I'm so sad about that hole but it's not fixable. I love that embroidered jacket!

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  9. What a busy weekend you’ve had, Shiela!

    I like your JPG top – it looks like something out of space! So cool!

    Brown tights are always hard to find. I would’ve snapped them right up too. X

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    1. So busy, Jess! I need a quiet weekend soon, but they never seem to happen. Thanks, I love that top - it's great for layering. Agreed, brown tights are always useful.

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  10. I love it all, specially skirts, flamenco most

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  11. I really like all of these outfits. The first one is so attractive. I like the lace details on the skirt paired with lace tights. Great look. The second outfit you wore is very pretty, I like the uneven skirt. The third one is so cool and fun. The leather jacket really tied that look together. PLus, I love the combo of blue and black.

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  12. I love that first outfit. Very creative, lots to see. I like that.
    And the silliness with your fringed skirt shows very well it is perfect for dancing.
    Greetje

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    1. Thank you so much, Greetje. I love lots of details in my outfits too.

      I twirled in it a few times! Gotta love a swingy fringed skirt!

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  14. You have an enviable copper bling collection. Too bad about the vintage sweater - it's such a lovely colour and fit. Hopefully you'll find a substitute. I've never come across any of those beaded Henry Birks belts ever - nice find! Excellent flying fringe action capture.

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    1. Thanks, Shelley! It's a fun thing to collect. I know, I really love it, but I have been buying some replacement pieces for sweaters that have been getting a bit too worn. I know, I was so excited to find it tucked away!

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  15. What a lovely day. It sounds like you two had a terrific outing. I firmly believe that sometimes the memories one makes on a day out with a good friend far outweighs whether or not anything was purchased.

    ♥ Autumn

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    1. Yes, it was a fun time - we both did well too, which is a nice bonus. Thanks, Autumn!

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  16. Oh wow I love that beaded belt you found - i can imagine it being heavy- Today i sneaked out and went to a consignment shop nearby and saw a really heavy beaded dress, it was at least 7 pounds - I am waiting for it to go on sale.
    What a fun pic that last one is !! its all that swoosh factor.

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    1. Thanks, Lorena - I look at those beaded dresses and almost always pass them by as they're so delicate.

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