Friday, October 23, 2020

Basic Black, and Coffee Sumatra Flashback

Happy Friday, my friends! 

Is it fancy or is it just basic black? 
Either way, it's a jammy dress. 

  • Dress - Nanette Lepore, thrifted; last worn here (4th outfit) in February for theatre with Mom
  • Shoes - Coffee Sumatra, Fluevog; last seen here in February with black leather and green velvet
  • Leather trenchcoat - vintage 70s, thrifted; last seen here in September


I refer to dresses like this - the high neck, long sleeves, long-ish hem - as Tattooed Lady dresses. 
Of course this very respectable lady doesn't have tattoos! That would be shocking. Of course, I DO have tattoos. 

The neckline, cuffs and waistband are all smocked with multiple rows of elastic - not even a zipper or a single button to put it on. 
Isn't the high-low hem fun? I have a vintage nylon slip on under this for extra warmth.

Masked up. I went with this one that Cat made from one of L's old shirts. It's black with a floral pattern, and red dots. Perfect!
I'm noticing that masks are nice in cold weather for keeping my face warm and my teeth from aching. Bonus!

Outerwear - it is windy, rainy and cold. Brr! 
This felted wool hat is excellent in the rain, and it's a snug enough fit that it doesn't blow off in the rain. 

  • Hat - consignment
  • Scarf/gloves - Parkhurst

All done up. 
My vintage 70s trenchcoat is marvelous in the rain! 

The stuff: 
Aren't the shoes fun? I love the red laces, and the pebbled texture. These are one of my older pairs of Fluevogs, and we shall have a lovely Flashback on them shortly (you may want a cup of tea/coffee). 

Simple bling: 
Didn't feel like wearing much - the dress did all the work. 


  • Leather obi - local, gift from L
  • Klimt wood ring - consignment
  • Earrings - Winnie Tam



Flashback: Coffee Sumatra Fluevogs

Back before Victoria had its own Fluevog store, a few local shoe stores carried limited lines of their shoes. I spotted them on the clearance rack at Heart & Sole Shoes, and gave "pleasepleaseplease" eyes to L, who then bought them for me, here in August 2010; I know they were $110 off, so were probably about $165.00 (as they retailed for $275.00 originally).
They are called the Sumatra, from the Coffee family of shoes (no longer being made), and are likely a style from 2008/2009. I also have the Coffee Kope Tiam booties (these ones, Flashback'd here), which have the same heel, as you can see from my helpful illustration:
See the coffee pouring out? It looks like the spout of an old-timey coffeepot.

I wore them right away in August 2010, in a look that was very funky for my style then. That's a lovely wool strapless dress that I had for years and wore so many times over my collection of shirts and blouses. I still have the belt and the flower brooch. 
You might recognize from the picture behind my head in my current indoor shots - reader/former blogger Megan Mae copied my Wonder Woman stance for a picture she did for my birthday. 
A bit blurry, but there it is - my shoes (and that first outfit in them) are forever preserved. 

In September 2010 - still very much experimenting with my looks. Keep in mind that I'd lost a ton of weight (50 lbs) only 1.5 years prior, so I really started from scratch with my style all over again.
This feels "of its time" (eee, those pouffy sleeves), but I actually still have that floofy black underskirt. The shoes remain timeless. 

I usually match black, white/cream and the reddish colour of the shoelaces to elements in my outfit. You'll see a lot of reds in these pictures! 
This outfit is from November 2010 - that cream satin skirt was a favourite for many years, and I bought that grey shiny jacket in Camden Market. 

This look is from January 2011.
I still have that green tweed skirt (it's part of a suit) - it's actually pre-blog, from 2007!

I was just starting my new job (the one I'm still in) here in March 2011. 
At the time, I thought this was "out there"! I look like a waiter in my vest. 

This red jacket was with me for a few years, until I got blood on it when I fell off a bus. This was in July 2011.
My skirt is my former "Periodic Table of Awesome" by Smoking Lily, which I gave to coworker Fiona (hi, honey!). 

A backside shot in January 2012. We'll see this jacket again further down, and this is the same reddish suede skirt as the "waiter" outfit above. 
Fluevogs are meant to be seen from all sides - look at that amazing heel! 

My first month in my 30 For 30 For 12 Challenge was February 2012 - I wore these shoes 3 times that month. 
There is some odd layering going on there - my year-long challenge really helped me hone my style. I forgot about that skirt - I left it behind (on purpose) in Florence, Italy, when we were there five years ago. 

More weird layering, also in February 2012. I still have this leopard blouse, which is the nicest leopard blouse I've ever found. I'll be wearing it again soon! 
Aw, my old kitty Inigo is in the background there - we lost him a month later. 

There's that plaid blazer from the backwards shot above. 
I have had a lot of sweater dresses over the years - I remember wearing them in high school.

Oh, here's my blonde phase, from March 2013. 
Same suede skirt again, and one of my many mustard blouses I've had over the years. I think this might be the first time I wore my Etro vintage blazer (which is still in my closet). 

There's that satin skirt again - this was in August 2013. 
I got a jump on the "cold shoulder" trend about 4 years early. That is my previous black obi, which I gave to Vero - I upgraded when I found a leather one (which I still have).

This was in February 2014, and that was a favourite blouse for many years. 
That was also my Perfect Red Pencil Skirt until I spilled salad dressing down the front of it (leather + oil = bad). Aw, I'm sad all over again. 

Realizing that the shoelaces do not have to drive the outfit, here I am in a pink ensemble in March 2014.
I look dubious about the whole affair - I was dabbling in "dark florals". Verdict? They are excellent - see today's outfit.

The second go at the Perfect Red Pencil Skirt, in February 2015. That was a really nice one.
That's the same belt as in the first picture (I've had it a long time). Yvonne has this blouse now. 

I get a kick out of this fun look from October 2015. 
"Is this a Vizzini Flashback?"

I loved that blouse so much, but I ruined it by washing it with something blue. I'm a careless launderer. I still have that plaid dress, and I'll be wearing it soon. 

Another Vizzini-bomb in February 2016. 
"This is me, barging into your shot, in my tuxedo."


The burgundy skirt is from a suit that is now in Yvonne's closet, and the moths got to my "giraffe" print cashmere sweater. 

That red skirt again - I think I tried to wash it and ruined it. Tsk tsk. Bad decision.
I like this classic plaid + red combination. Great shirt, althoughI passed it along a year or so ago, but I still have that bow-tie!

My wearings of these shoes have gotten less frequent in the last few years, as my shoe collection grew, but I try to wear them a couple of times per season when they are out (they're usually packed away for spring).
This October 2017 outfit is a bit of a hodge-podge of elements, and I'm not sure everything really works together. You might recognize my faux Gucci (Gookey!) lace bomber jacket, or my bigass pearl necklace - they are still favourites. 

Pairing the shoes with my Etro jacket again in a badass look from February 2018.
My leather Gap trousers are vintage, nearing the 20-year-old mark. I didn't unpack them this season, as my thighs took one look at them and said, "Nope!" and I do not wish to make myself feel guilty. I love them, though, so they aren't going anywhere. 

Two previously-seen elements get combined here in November 2018. 
Those tights lasted forever! I had them for over 10 years before they finally fell apart. 

Apparently, I missed wearing my shoes in 2019 altogether - not sure how that happened??
This is the last time I wore them, in February 2020, with my black leather pants (which we will be seeing at some point). I have yet to wear this lovely blouse and blazer, also.

Mathy stuff: Today's outfit marks the 23rd time I've worn these lovely shoes, bringing us to a cost-per-wear of $7.17. They are still in excellent condition, so I expect that number will go down even further over time. 


And now I will leave you for the weekend with some...leaves.
Looking across our neighbours' roofs - the maple tree is turning pretty colours. 

A mix of pine, fir, oak and maple trees in the other direction. 
This is a good squirrel-watching view. 

Guess who is not watching squirrels?
"Go away, Woman."


We've brought his post in off the deck for the season. Vizzini snuggled with the hot water bottle, and dreamt of sunshine. 

Have a lovely weekend, everyone! Thank you so much for dropping by! I'll be back on Sunday with tales of adventure. 

16 comments:

  1. that is such a beautiful dress on you and I love the burgundy belt with it! I really like the flashback with those shoes too - so many great outfits! :)

    Hope you are having a nice weekend :)

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    1. Thank you so much, Mica! Glad you enjoyed the flashback! I had a lovely weekend, and hope you did too. :)

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  2. What a gorgeous Autumnal outfit this is, Sheila! I'm loving absolutely everything about it, from the Vizzini earrings to those drool-worthy shoes. The dress is right up my street, and I love the obi you are wearing with it. The leather trench is delicious and your choice of mask spot-on. I am so ready to wear my scarves and berets, but it just hasn't been cold enough yet! And ah, another flashback! Those scrumptious shoes utterly deserve one. I love looking at your changing hairstyles as much as your parade of outfits! Enjoy your weekend, Sheila! xxx

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    1. Thank you, Ann! I adore this dress - it's so simple, but it has a big impact. It's definitely chilly enough here - I'll have to do my coat swap-over soon, as I'm shivering in many of my fall coats already.

      Glad you enjoyed it - they're fun! Happy weekend, my dear!

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  3. The floral black dress is excellent and the shoes are of course perfect with it. I really like these shoes. They look high heeled from the side and back and they look like flats at the front (to me). Strange. Extraordinary shoes and you have worn them so much.
    It is fun to see how your style has evolved over the years. Your colleagues have grown with it.
    The February 2018 outfit with the Etro jacket and the burgundy leather trousers.... so good. Blast that Corona put some extra weight on you. I am having great difficulty getting the two kilos that I have gained back off again. I haven’t got a grip on myself yet. Today I ate so many sweets. Regretting it so much. Perhaps tomorrow I can find that switch in my mind that needs to be turned off (or on, whichever way you look at it).
    Greetje

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    1. Thank you, Greetje! Yeah, I noticed that too - it's the curved shape of them, plus the heels are not very high.

      I knew you'd like those ones - I actually thought of you when I saw both outfits ("Oh, Greetje will like these ones!"). I know, I ate my way through the stress this past summer, but I'm back on track now, and things are starting to fit again (phew). I'm only having treats on holidays or long weekends (about once a month), and curbing my nighttime snacks to fruit.

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    2. Big hurray for you. I know you know the pain of losing weight. I found "my grip" too and I am nearly back on my desired weight. I panic if I gain two kilo. That is my ultimate margin. When I hit the 2 kilo I get so scared, I can find my grip.
      So funny that you know me so well by now that you can pick my favourite outfits haha. I am like an open book with a bookmarket and index thrown in.
      Greetje

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    3. It's so much easier to gain weight than it is to lose it! I've been really good about my snacking and it's made a difference, but I really need to drop at least 2 more kilos to comfortably get into my leather pants. My waist is there (I have a small waist) but not my thighs!

      You are! Ha! That's not a bad thing, though. :)

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  4. That dark floral midi dress is sheer class, Sheila. With the floppy hat and leather trench it's my kind of outfit. The Vizzini earrings and Klimt ring are both accessories of the highest fabulousness.
    Those autumnal colours are just divine, aren't they? It's rained non-stop today but seeing the trees in all their red and gold glory in the garden makes my heart sing.
    Vizzini looks very snug and cosy, sweet dreams young man! xxx

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    1. And I thought of YOU, Vix, when I put that hat on! Thank you!

      I love the colours this time of year, even if it's in the rain - it's so good to see those bright colours, to perk up our moods.

      He is very snoozy lately, mostly just keeping warm.

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  5. The dark printed midi dress is gorgeous. I love the belt you wore with it- so chic. The heels are splendid. You're right about the heels resembling a tea pot! It was also lovely to see all the way you have worn them before- and so many fabulous feminine outfits. I love your feminine but colourful and fun style.

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    1. Thanks, Ivana - I love the dress, and the belt is so luxurious (it's the softest, thinnest leather). Isn't that fun re: the heels? that's a Fluevog signature, their funky heels. Aw, I appreciate that - so sweet!

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  6. Years ago when I first learned you had ink done, I thought "Can she get any cooler?!"

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