Fancy Friday Corset Flashback and a Wee Shop

Well, I wasn't going to post today, but I have time (L is out hanging with Nick), so why not? Bonus post! 

Frankly, this is a great outfit. Colour me happy! 

• Blouse - Ann Taylor, consignment; last seen here in August with daisies and dots
• Bustier - Le Chateau, consignment; last worn here in May 2019 with triple black and white patterns
• Skirt that was a dress - Lucca, consignment; first worn here in August with polka dots
• Shoes - Half Truth Veda, Fluevog; last worn here for a shopping trip in August
• Jacket (below) - Club Monaco, thrifted; last seen here in August

I was reminded of my ancient cotton/lycra bustier top while doing one of my Flashbacks, so I dug it out and made an outfit with it. 

I have had this bustier from the very first year of my blog: 2008! 

We are going to see some OLD pictures of YOUNG me in the Flashback below.

Getting another wearing in of this lovely floral maxi too, just to make sure I like it.

It's good enough for now. Naturally, I would prefer it to be ginormously pouffy and have huge pockets, but I'll make do, ha ha. 

It's full enough for me to walk in it. After 4.5 hours of work, I strolled over to the grocery store to do my shopping on the way home (it's delivered later). 

Masked up. 

The fabric is caramel with lighter stars. A rare four-pattern mix, including the belt. This is a high degree of pattern-mixing difficulty, and you should totally try it! 

Outerwear - OMG, not needed. I roasted when I was outside. 

However, it does look nice. I love layers in an outfit. 

The stuff: 

I'm going to do a Flashback on these shoes eventually. I know I've worn them over 30 times, and I'm underestimating. 

Matchy bling: 

The accessories take the outfit to 11. The necklace over the shirt brings the eye up, the belt harmonizes with the skirt, and the chains are a symphony of badassery. Heh. 

• Belt - Talbots, thrifted
• Necklace - Aldo
• Leather/chain wrap - local
• Chain bracelet - thrifted
• Earrings - thrifted

After groceries, I had a browse in Rich Rags consignment. I bought two things that were both more than a month old, so were 50% off. 

I'd seen this skirt before and noted all that pattern approvingly, but $39.99 felt too high. 

I spy four patterns! 

See the little bag attached on the hip? You can unhook it from the waistband. 

The brand is Zand Amsterdam, and their online shop (here) closed in 2016 - they were a Fair Trade company, though (a nice list of their "fair"ness here) and their skirts are one size - all those snaps accommodate a huge range of people. 

The only skirt selling retail shows as 65 Euros ($100 Canadian), on sale for 42.25 Euros ($65 CAD). I paid $20 for mine, so a good deal. I wasn't able to find any examples of their skirts that had 3 layers like mine does, but I see that early media articles start around 2009, so it's likely that my skirt has a bit of age on it. 

See all those snaps on the waistband? You can get the exact fit you want! 

It's a wraparound skirt, and this is what's on the reverse of the "chain" graphic print. 

Surprise! It's reversible! 

Well, that's pretty. And I see that there are two loops on the waistband...

For clipping the bag! 

And that black line IS a zipper...

So you can remove an entire layer! 

Whoa, that's a super-short mini.

Other side - still very short. 

Hmmm...I guess you could wear this over a pair of pants/jeans. I found pics of the mini styled like that from their early media. The extra piece that I zipped off is slightly curved and actually kind of works as a shawl/scarf - the 100% cotton fabric is a nice tight but thin weave, not too thick. 

You can zip the fabric back on either way. 

Nice if you just want the daisy pattern for a skirt. 

This is not as attractive. 

That blue pattern is a little muddy-looking. 

This would be a great item for travel - so versatile. I found a great little YouTube video (here, all links 'cause I love) that shows you how the skirt works. 

The little bag is really sweet - it has a long, adjustable thick grossgrain strap for cross-body wear stuffed inside one of the two zippered compartments...

And a short leather strap...which...I'm not sure what that's for? It's too short to use as is (unless you like your bag in your armpit), and it's way too short to be for the waist. Clip it to one side of the bag as a wrist loop?

I also found this hot pink polyester tank-style cami.

It was $12.50, half price.

It's by Willow & Thread, which sounds like one of those fast fashion brands you see in chi-chi boutiques. Aha, it's a Reitman's brand which is a Canadian mall chain store that has been around forever (about them here - did not know they started in 1926!)

It's still a cheap top, but I like that the lining is fine viscose t-shirt knit (soft!) and that it's machine washable. It'll be a solid layering piece in a colour that'll be really useful. 

Enough of that, though - let's get to...

Flashback: Le Chateau Plaid Bustier

I've had this bustier-style top since 2008, and although I labeled it "consignment" then, I have no idea where I bought it! It may very well have been Rich Rags. Anyway, I noted that I paid $15.00 for it in a 2012 post, so let's go with that. I didn't post my purchases back then - I just incorporated them right away into outfits. 

It's cotton with a good amount of Lycra for stretch, and it has a rubberized strip along the top to keep it up, but I have never worn this on its own. It's by Le Chateau, another store that's legendary in Canada: about them here - I've been to their downtown Montreal store (in 1984)! I remember being ecstatic when I heard a Le Chateau store was opening in Victoria in 1986-ish. That's where you bought your coolest, most outrageous, fashion-forward clothes! They are still a very good store - I like to walk through if I'm in the mall (rare) just to see what the cool kids are wearing. They still carry a lot of clothes that are made in Canada, which is amazing in these days of mass-production. 

When I first started blogging, I was in the process of replacing my entire wardrobe, as I'd lost 50 pounds over the past 2 years. I didn't have as many clothes as I do now - by a long shot! - so many of my older items got more wear early on than they do now. 

Here we are, first outfit in August 2008 (post here - I was a blogger of few words then!), and that's a very old pair of glasses (I've had 3 (nearly 4) new pairs since then!). I'm wearing what would become a formula with the bustier: blouse + big necklace + belt.

My picture quality from back then is a little sad, sorry! I used to post really tiny pictures, so the resolution is crap. 

I actually still have those white stone earrings, and those are my very first pair of Fluevogs, the Listen Up Harlow (pic here), which I still own and are pre-blog.

I layered a green ruffled shirt under it in October 2008. 

I see I skipped the necklace portion and just did the bigass belt. I used to wear very high heels back then!

You know, when I find a good formula: wear it to death! 

This was in February 2009. Those were very cool turquoise shoes but they didn't fit right. 

Acting goofy here in August 2009. 

Those black pants were part of a suit - I thought I needed a black suit when I restocked my wardrobe. I did not.

I remember feeling awesome in this outfit from December 2009. 

That's a very fine-knit sweater I'm wearing. 

My Hallowe'en costume in October 2010 was the Mad Hatter - all built from items already in my closet. I won the costume contest at my old job.

That striped Noa Noa frock coat is still in my wardrobe, as is the vintage 80s top hat, the silk obi (on the hat), the floofy black underskirt, and that starburst brooch. Quite a lot for a 10-year-old outfit. Oh, and the lace cuffs are in my dress-up box - they're from the mid-90s.

Experimenting with my wardrobe led to this outfit from December 2010. I can tell I was feeling good about it.

It's a cuffed shirt under a sweater dress, and then the bustier over top of the whole thing. I still have those tights! 

I wore it in March 2011 for my first day at my current job. 

I had to show the company that I planned on being wacky from the start, heh heh. They would not have me any other way.

I had forgotten all about this outfit from September 2011. 

That yellow looks so pretty. I miss those sandals - I wore them out. That gingham skirt was a Smoking Lily one that I had for years.

I did two outfits with the bustier in one day in October 2011. This is the Casual Friday office outfit: the striped frock coat, jeans and boots.

Vizzini is only 8 months old there, and totally giving attitude.

After work, I got changed into Outfit #2, and L and I went to an Art Opening in a container box studio. I wore the very-stretchy bustier over the frock coat. 

I was very into Steampunk for a few years, so this bustier has been part of some of those outfits. Same top hat/obi combo, and I still have that red skirt, purse, and even those fingerless gloves!

I took this picture with the timer off a table in my old office's boardroom of L and I. That's the table in the foreground, d'oh! 

 Don't we look spiffy? 

In April 2012, we attended the Steampunk Convention here in town. This is one of 3 looks I wore over 3 days. Awesome outfit! 

Same frock coat, with the bustier over it. That hat and the vintage blue leather elastic belt are still in my closet. I'm holding the hat in place here because the addition of the copper spirals (by me) made it too heavy for the elastic to keep it firmly on my head. 

In what I considered to be a wacky outfit at the time, in April 2012, during my 30 For 30 For 12 Wardrobe Challenge. 

There are my beloved first Fluevogs! I only wore the bustier once during the challenge, but that was my fault - I didn't have enough layering tops in that capsule. 

Back to the old formula again here in March 2013, with a satin top I had for years and a grey suede skirt.

A rare picture from when I had blonde hair. I still have the cuffs, belt, and those vintage Versace shoes. 

I kind of forgot about my bustier for a few years (FOUR years, Sheila). I'd mentally slotted it into the "costume" category of clothing, but I hauled it out again in June 2017 for this fabulous look. 

There's today's belt, and we've done a Flashback on that skirt. Super cute!

And here's the last time I wore it, in May 2019. 

I love all that black and white/cream pattern-mixing. This still rings my bell. 

Mathy stuff: including today's outfit, I've now worn this bustier 19 times in 12 years, taking us to 79 cents per wear. Amazing! 

I hope you enjoyed this extra post! What's your favourite look?