Friday, July 10, 2020

Fancy Friday: Metal Dress Flashback, Blue Crochet, and Sphinx Cat

Weekend! Let's kick it off with a fancy dress for Fancy Friday: my Metal Dress.
It's the first wearing of this new-to-me crocheted cardigan...and I'm not entirely sure I like it. At least not with this dress.


  • Cardigan - Precis Petite, consignment; purchased here for $14.00
  • Dress - Comrags, Spring/Summer 2011, thrifted; last seen here in September 2019 with grey neutrals
  • Shoes - Truths Makena, Fluevog; last worn here for Winesday in May


I pulled this dress out because it's insanely well-cut, but this cardigan obscures that.
To be fair, one side of the neck is tucked under a piece of the dress (the front has folded pieces), which is making the neckline look wider than it is.

It hangs down lower in the back, which I do like. Hmm, maybe it's a smidge big on me - those shoulders look wide.
Moving on. Look at me, showing my slip - scandalous! The dress is unlined and is a little scratchy on the seams due to it being made of metal.

With the cardi off, it's much more glamourous.
And it's very SHINY...because, like I said, it's made of metal. 

See, 8% metal. It's in the fabric. 
It's a cloth/8% aluminum foil hybrid. It lightly keeps its shape if I scrunch it, and it feels very strong. I've had it for a few years, so we'll have a little Flashback shortly. 

The stuff:
These are comfort shoes - I moved tables and chairs around today, clearing all the seating out of the lunchroom at work. Can't do that in heels!

Silver bling:
Karen's cuff - it was a lovely warm metal hug from my punk goddess. She's wearing it in this picture here in January 2013.


  • Silver cuff - Karen's
  • Earrings - thrifted
  • Lapis lazuli/Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes


Flashback! 

I bought this Comrags dress here in December 2016 for $38.95 at the big Women in Need (WIN) store, referencing the link from their Spring/Summer 2011 collection, but unfortunately they are no longer archiving that collection on their site). It's called the Magdalena dress and this pattern is called "rumpled print."

I wore it right away that weekend to see the Sing-Along Sound of Music, so this is from December 2016.
The dress itself is pretty simple but it jazzes up well with accessories. Love these long leather gloves and snazzy faux fur stole by Danier (I still have them, and the shoes too).

I have been wearing it twice a year since I bought it - this is from April 2017.
The pattern does a lot of the work, so my accessories either blend in or contrast. Those shoes are atrocious - what was I thinking?

Jazzing it up with magenta earrings and shoes in August 2017.
Those shoes are so fabulous, but they killed my feet - they're in the giveaway pile sadly.

May 2018's version is with a remade jacket made out of a sweater and a couple of other blazers, which is long gone.
Same shoes as today.

This outfit from September 2018 is the only time I've worn a blouse under it, and I love how it looks. That blouse worked so well for me for years, but I'm over it now...or am I? 
You'll see the necklace and shoes again. When you find a good combo, you keep doing it!

Two outfits from 2019 - this one in May.
Neutral shoes and a bright purple blazer. That giant multi-swag pearl necklace was a great purchase from Aldo over 10 years ago. I've worn it a lot.

See? Here it is again, in September, which is the last time I wore it.
There's those shoes again! This was my inaugural wear of my Vivienne Westwood blazer.

So! I've worn the dress 8 times, including today's outfit, so I'm getting my cost-per-wear down slowly - it's at $4.89 now, but I know I can do better...simply by wearing it more!

And now, bonus cat pictures. Vizzini has been basking in the sun.
"You know you want to pat my warm fur."

I'm more taken with his little front paws, which he has in "Sphinx Position."
"Well, I am a rather handsome specimen."

He's been shedding like mad - I've been brushing him every couple of days (which he loves).
"Stop telling all my secrets, Woman."

I did rub his warm fur.

Have a lovely weekend, my friends! Good vibes to you all.

28 comments:

  1. That dress is SO Marilyn Monroe. Exquisite. The cardigan is very pretty; it's such a vibrant colour, but perhaps too casual for the dress.

    Vizzini is definitely a very handsome specimen, lol. And there is no praise like self praise!

    I hope you are feeling uplifted and that you have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. Thank you, Nana! I love it, and agree on the cardi.

      He is a very pretty boy. Thanks, happy weekend to you.

      Delete
  2. It is a beautiful dress on you and I like the bright blue with it even if it hid the shape of the dress a bit! It's so good seeing the different ways you've worn it! :)

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    1. Same, Mica - I don't think it's THAT bad, but it's not quite right with the dress.

      Delete
  3. What a head-turningly gorgeous dress! So chic, alluring and elegant - with a hearty dose of Mad Men era appeal swirled into the ultra glam mix.

    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

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  4. Beautiful dress, Sheila. I like the cardi too but not together. I think it obscures too much of the exquisite cut of the dress. It's got way too much va va voom for the more domestic qualities of crochet. I feel the dress and the cardi are slugging it out for the tone of the outfit!
    Vizzini looks really cute in the pictures. I love me a sun warmed creature! Happy weekend! x

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    1. Thank you, Juliana! Yeah, I tend to agree, but it felt fine on, and I liked the outfit overall. Crochet is tricky!

      Isn't he a lovely boy. Happy weekend to you!

      Delete
  5. That dress is glamorous indeed, Sheila, and I love the tiny flashback. My favourites were the one with the faux fur stole and the one with the purple jacket. I'm totally with you on your issues with the crocheted cardigan. Perhaps it will work with another outfit. I must admit that all the crocheted cardigans I've ever owned of a similar vein have long ago left the building, as I didn't really get on with them. The colour is gorgeous, though. Ah, look at Vizzini basking in the sun! Wishing you a happy weekend, my dear! xxx

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    1. Thank you so much, Ann! I love that stole too - and I like the brighter colours with the dress. I'll try the crochet cardi with something else and see how it goes. I do love the colour.

      Happy weekend to you!

      Delete
  6. Love the dress but not with the cardi. Have a good weekend!

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  7. I wore metals too yesterday! A skirt! I love this gorgeous dress the best of course with........the Vivienne Westwood jacket! Enjoy your Sunday!

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    1. Hooray for metals! Thanks, Nancy - I knew you'd like that.

      Delete
  8. That dress has such a fabulous early 1960s vibe to it and the fit is perfect. Love the colour of the cardi but it does look big across the shoulders.
    Karen's cuff is a stunner, she had such wonderful taste in jewellery.
    Vizzini is a handsome beast, isn't he? His fur looks almost metalic in the sunshine, he matches! xxxx

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    1. It's a really cool dress. Yes, agreed on the cardi. I love that cuff too - it's so gorgeous.

      He is metallic! Ha!

      Delete
  9. Such a fab dress and very 60s. I liked it best with the Vivienne Westwood blazer and I just loved the shoes in that outfit.

    Vizzini IS a very handsome lad - and doesn't he know it!
    Take care
    xxx

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Vronni, me too - those styles worked well together.

      He really does know it, very full of himself.

      Delete
  10. You must have a huge closet! So many wonderful clothes.
    Would love a closet tour some time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's well-organized. :)

      I do a closet swap-over every 6 months and show it off then. Here's the last one: https://sheilaephemera.blogspot.com/2020/04/first-outfit-plus-springsummer-closet.html

      Delete
  11. Love this dress and its cute 60's vibe, so sassy!, but I agree that the cardi doesn't seem to go with it!, probably better with a long skirt?
    And so glamourous outfits!, love particularly this dress with the purple jacket!
    besos

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    1. Yes, I think we all agree that the cardi's vibe is too casual for this dress, at least. I'm hoping I can find something to wear with it for work, as it was great in the cold AC!

      Thank you! I like that one too. :)

      Delete
  12. That is a really lovely dress - such an elegant shape.

    Golly Vizzini has bleached himself! One of mine goes a little rusty, but Vizzini's gone blonde!

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    1. Thank you so much, Mim!

      Vizzini actually has white/light grey skin under his black fur - you can see it in his ears. In the sun he goes a browny/grey colour.

      Delete
  13. How cool you own a dress that's actually 8 percent metal! It is a great dress and I loved seeing all the ways you wore them. My favourite styling from your fashion archives is the last one, the one where you matched this dress with a grey jacket and shoes.

    How fun to see Vizzini change colour:). It is almost as he is experimenting with fashion himself.

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    1. Thanks, Ivana - it tickles me that it's that high of a percentage, too. I like that outfit too.

      Ha, love it!

      Delete
  14. Sylvester sheds like mad all the time so I try to brush him every day, but there are still hairs everywhere (I got out of the shower one day and there was a cat hair IN MY MOUTH! How does that happen?). He is very chocolately-brown in the sun too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I brush Vizzini about every 2-3 days, whenever he starts looking shaggy. Yes, hairs everywhere!

      Delete

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