Blue Cables, Grey Pleats and Snakeskin Bookends; and a Double Flashback: Yeti Jacket and Pringle Belt

Happy Friday, my friends! It's weekend time! Let's kick it off with a funky office look. 

Oh, so many favourite things in this look! Isn't it awesome when you can look at one of your own outfits and think, "I love every single thing here"?

• Sweater - United Colors of Benetton, vintage 90s, thrifted; purchased here in June for $29.99
• Skirt - Marc Jacobs, vintage, thrifted; last seen and Flashbacked here in June
• Shoes - Big Presence Desmond, Fluevog, consignment; first worn here in September with leopard and a space jacket
• Jacket - Kimchi Blue; last seen here in March on a shopping expedition

I'm happy to finally debut this wonderful 100% wool cable-knit sweater that I picked up in June at Flavour Upstairs. Isn't it a gorgeous colour? 

I love the short cut of it, and that it tapers in at the waist. L took one look at me in it this morning, and said, "Makes your boobs look good." 

It's by Benetton, and it's made in Italy, so we know it's classy. 

I let it shine against the grey pleated skirt. I knew I'd need to wear something with a high waist due to the short length of the sweater. 

Masked up - I bookended my snakeskin shoes with this grey snakeskin print mask from Mom. 

The tights are one of the Dots pairs I picked up a few weeks back for $1.99. 

Outerwear - it is crisp, clear and cold, dipping down to 5 degrees overnight. Brr! 

My Yeti jacket will keep me warm! 

Isn't it magnificent? We will be having a Flashback on it in a bit. 

I like how the cropped shape shows the bottom of the sweater - it creates a nice long proportion on the bottom for me. 

Showing off my black wool vintage gloves - they have rosettes of rabbit fur on them. 

I matched them to the fur rosette stick-pin at my neck (go look, it's there), and with the two fur-ball bobbypins that I bought for $4.00 each at House of Savoy a month or so back. 

Note the zippers on the underside of the jacket sleeves - this allows for opening and temperature control. 

• Hat - Delux, Saanich Fair
• Gloves - vintage, thrifted

The stuff: 

Another wearing of these lovely shoes. I ran a few errands this morning and a man shouted, "Nice heels!" at me. Um, thank you? 

Grey bling: 

The belt is quite something, isn't it? We're going to give it the Flashback treatment as well. 

• Belt - Pringle of Scotland, vintage 90s, vintage fair
• Cuff - Robert Larin, vintage 70s, gift from L, vintage mall
• Fur stick-pin - thrifted
• Earrings - Glee
• Silver/crystal ring - Soul Flower
• Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes

Extra stuff: 

I don't mind fur or leather if they are second-hand. 

This one's for SAM (link here, go say hi! She's lovely), who wondered if I wear my lovely shoes out in the "wild" or walking to work in them? Answer: No way! 

I've had many, many different pairs of walking shoes for my trek to and from my office. In my previous job, I walked close to 9 km each way every day, so I wore trainers/sneakers/runners (I also wore full walking gear); at my current job, our office is downtown, a short 20 minute walk, maximum.

However, I value my "good" shoes - and my feet! - and rarely would walk to work in them. Sometimes I will go out on a break from the office and walk a few blocks in them on errands (as I did today), or on weekends, I might walk a couple of blocks if the weather is not wet, but I'm more likely to wear one of my a vast collection of shopping/walking/brunch shoes or boots if I need to get anywhere on foot. 

At this time of year, when we could get rain, black ice, or snow, I like my Doc Martens. I wear lighter shoes in the summer because my feet get too hot in these.

I bought these second-hand for about $70 (they were new!), and as you can see, I've thrashed them. They are still holding up well, about 6 years later. I also have a brown fabric floral pair for cold weather when I know it won't rain, but I usually default to the white ones as I'm more visible as a pedestrian in them. 

And now...Flashback time! 

Flashback #1: Kimchi Blue "Yeti" Jacket

This awesome jacket is a Dots purchase from December 2015 (here) - I found it in the end of season clearance section for $9.99! That still feels like a bargain. 

The "fur" (it's fake) stops just below the elbow, and the rest of the sleeve just a soft fuzzy fabric with zippers so that you can undo it. I'm wasn't really sure why until I started wearing it and discovered it's WARM. 

It's been worn a bunch of times (some fun outfits ahead!), sometimes to work, sometimes for weekends or special events, but it's been the "yeti" jacket from the beginning. 

I wore it to work in January 2016, where I "rar!"-ed at my coworkers and wafted the fur at them (it's very waft-y, like Muppet fur).

Because why not have fun with your clothes? and your coworkers? This is a weird-looking outfit to me - I think I was trying to go all neutral, but it doesn't quite work. I do still have that beaded top, and those boots will get a Flashback at some point. 

I wore this in February 2016....to the office supply store. 

I strode around, feeling badass, probably terrifying the employees at Staples. I still have everything in this outfit (hello, there's today's belt!), although the leather jeans are too tight right now. 

I remember loving this wacky outfit from March 2016 - I wore this out for Cat's birthday. 

We saw this outfit in the Flashback for those Hispanitas shoes (here). 

I cut L's head off, but don't we look fabulous getting ready to head off to an Urbanite at the Art Gallery in March 2016?

I'm doing a weird kicky thing, ha ha. Flashback on the Tod's shoes here. 

I strolled down to the pub in this outfit to celebrate my birthday in October 2016. 

L is also rather spiffy, isn't he? Vizzini looks dubious. I still have this dress but this is probably the last time I wore it. Shoes Flashback here. 

I wore this to a Vintage Fair with Elaine in November 2016, followed by drinks with the gang.

I can totally stand on one foot, why do you ask? Boots Flashback here. This was the one and only wearing of this dress - what a crap quality piece that was. Disappointed! 

I look so badass here in my ORANGE LEATHER SHORTS, in March 2017. 

I wore this to hop a seaplane over to Vancouver, where we hung out with Melanie of A Bag and a Beret fame. 

You'll forgive me the indulgence of this picture of the two of us - and enjoy Mel's MOVIE (here, scroll down) that we made while L and I were with her! L filmed the street scenes.

I wore it again that same weekend, over my (no longer in my closet) purple suede dress.

Fuzzy, sorry - I was taking the picture of my reflection in the hotel mirror. I think I still have those shoes? I'm not sure... [checks closet]. Yes, I do! 

I love this fab outfit, also from March 2017. 

I think I wore that for work. Don't you dress like this for the office? I have everything there except the skirt, which I passed along to Yvonne. 

Sometimes I like it as a jacket for warmth, as here in October 2017.

We just saw this outfit yesterday, in the Flashback for these boots here. 

L and I going for brunch in January 2018.

Aw, our matching furs! That vesty-dress thing was Flashbacked here. 

I may have done "monster hands" in this jacket before...

This was in September 2018. I adore that blue dress, but those shoes were too high and we had to part ways. 

This is another Urbanite outfit from October 2018 - I wore the jacket as my outerwear. 

I still have that lovely green satin dress - it's a one-shoulder cut and looks awesome on me (if I do say so myself!).

What a classy work outfit this is! I'm all snuggly warm in November 2018.

Sadly, my giraffe sweater was attacked by moths, but that cashmere skirt is still going strong. 

Apparently I missed wearing the jacket for all of 2019 (how??), and it didn't see the light of day again until the Victoria Film Festival in February 2020. 

This doesn't count as MY wearing of the Yeti jacket, but it does count as A wearing of it - I loaned it to Yvonne to wear for the evening. This is Cat and Yvonne... and Bill Nighy!

Pictures nicked from YAM's website, shhhh

Yes, Bill Nighy has met my jacket! You might know him from the 2003 seasonal movie "Love Actually" (he's the best part of it, funny YouTube clip here, link 'cause I love). 

I can't resist one more picture from this event of me and Yvonne, who has the sleeves unzipped ("damn, this thing is hot," she muttered). 

Partly because Randall and L are in the background - that's L in the creepy mask. 

Realizing my egregious 2019 oversight, I wore it in March 2020 for a weekend shopping trip. 

And then we had a pandemic. I also don't really wear it in spring/summer due to the extreme warmth of it, but now it's back in circulation, so expect to see it a couple more times this season. 

Mathy stuff: From a paltry $9.99, I've now worn it 17 times including today, bringing us to 59 cents per wear. I like that! Plenty more wear in it, although the faux fur is getting a little ratty. I guess I could wash it, ha ha.

Flashback #2: Pringle of Scotland Lion Belt

I don't track my accessories using my "last worn/seen here" system, but every so often a special piece comes along, like this amazing belt by Pringle of Scotland. I've seen listings on various reseller sites for belts with this same lion buckle (but not this hairy cowhide belt) for between $85-250+. 

That rampant lion is Pringle's logo, as you can see from the gold foiled print on the backside of the belt below. Pringle hasn't manufactured in the UK (Scotland) since pre-2000, so this belt is now at least 20 years old.

I found it at an vintage fair in November 2012, marked at $45.00, but I bought a bunch of things from the same vendor and bundled them (added up all the prices in my head, and offered a slightly lower "group rate" to buy the lot) for $80.00. Let's call this $20.00 since I bought a total of four items - math is fun!

I don't attempt to bundle very often - vintage sellers need to make a living too! - but it doesn't hurt to ask, and I would have been happy to pay the full price if they'd said no. But they didn't! 

As I was in the middle of my 30 For 30 For 12 Challenge in November 2012 (one of my two all-neutrals months), I wore it right away. 

The belt is the only thing I have left in this outfit; those suede boots were magnificent, but they kept falling down around my ankles. 

I wore it with my leather cognac jeans in February 2013 during that brief window when I was a blonde. 

I still have the zipper rose brooch, and that cream brocade jacket. Bizarrely, the first few times I wore this belt, I got persistent emails from someone who REALLY wanted to buy this belt from me. No, dude, that is not cool. Go away.

We saw the belt in this outfit from the Fluevog booties' Flashback (here).

I liked that dress, but I don't miss it. This was in April 2013.

The cream jacket resurfaces here in November 2013. 

I have nothing else left from this outfit. Ugly shoes, blerg. 

I copied the Nov 2012 outfit again in October 2013, only with a different skirt. 

Hated those shoes (the leather was really hard), but loved that asymmetrical brown skirt and wore it until it started to come apart. It was a cool design, but poorly made. 

Weirdly, I seem to have not worn it for all of 2014. Again, how does that happen? The next time was in November 2015. We did a Flashback on those shoes here. 

As the belt's cowhide is unevenly coloured, sometimes the belt looks brown, but it's more speckled with white in the back. It goes with a lot. 

Here's another view of my "Rar, I'm shopping for office supplies!" outfit from February 2016.

I want to wear that again! Must bypass the chocolate this weekend! #clothesgoals

Ooh, I'd forgotten about this outfit from November 2016.

I still have that dress - it's leather - and the sheer leopard blouse. Two more good Flashbacks for each of those will ensue. 

The lion belt buckle just hooks into the belt-holes - this means it's very easy to get off (but sometimes it comes undone on me).

Like when one is wearing a jumpsuit, for instance, as here in October 2017. Only the cardi and the belt remain from this look. 

This outfit is from April 2018. I needed a big belt to rein in that top.

We did a Flashback on that Dries Van Noten skirt here; the teddy sweater went away, but I still have those spotty shoes. 

The belt is barely visible here in October 2018, as I used it to make this snakeskin dress look like a blouse.

I still have those shoes - they'll make a great Flashback. 

I like the belt over my leather peplum top here in March 2019. 

Those t-strap shoes again. That skirt was intensely itchy. Begone, itchy skirt!

I love this outfit from back in January 2020. 

I'm excited to wear that skirt again at some point. Flashback on the boots here. 

And the last time I wore the belt was over my black stomacher in March 2020, for our Vampire Anniversary outfit. 

Vizzini is helping - that's the skirt he likes to chew on! 

Mathy stuff: I have not worn this belt as much as I thought I had! Today is only the 15th time I've incorporated it into an outfit in 8 years - tsk, tsk, Sheila. However, I'm still at a paltry $1.33 per wear, and I plan on wearing it much more.

And now, my friends, I will leave you with...

A RAR! Never be afraid to be silly! 

I'll be back on Sunday with tales of adventure - have a wonderful weekend, and stay safe.