Weekend Wrap-Up, Plus Monday Patterns and a Plaid Flashback

Hello, my friends! I took a day off from the computer on Sunday while we watched football playoffs, so today's post is both my single outfit of the weekend, plus my work outfit on Monday. 

On Saturday, L and I met up with Nick for brunch at Pluto's. Although we are still not permitted to have social gatherings, a single person (like Nick) is allowed to meet up with one other household. As Nick isn't seeing anyone right now, and we were his bubble for Christmas, we felt this was as safe as we could be. We wore our masks (except when eating), and it was so good to see each other in person, even if only for 45 minutes or so.

• Vest - Phool, vintage 90s, consignment; purchased here for $65.00
• Sweater - Karl Lagerfeld, consignment; last seen here in March 2020 with leopard
• Skirt - Ann Taylor, thrifted; last worn here in December 2019 with a Pant-Man blouse
• Boots - Baroque Velasquez, Fluevog; last seen here in November 2020 with pink and houndstooth

L and I had driven to Pluto's so that we could zip across town in Vlad to a framing place (we're finally getting this print famed), then on to a hardware store, a housewares store and an automotive store for some stuff. 

I took pleasure in swanning about the hardware store with this amazing quilted vest swooshing about cape-like. 

"Look out, Darth Sheila is coming," said L. 

We ended up buying an electric fireplace/TV stand to replace our old solid wood monstrosity. It arrives on Thursday and I'll be assembling it (I build all the furniture!). 

We also got new curtains for the living room/dining room, and I'll be putting those up tomorrow, probably. 

We're super excited about the fireplace, as our living room area is quite cold (I also bought some spray sealant for our deck to seal the windows). 

Without the vest. 

L showed me how to heat my seat in the car, and I was warm enough with the thick cozy vest to not require an additional coat. 

Pockets! This was such a pleasure to wear. 

Sorry, I missed taking a photo of the mask (I didn't see your responses until Monday), but I'll be doing photos of my outerwear stuff, including my masks, going forward. This mask is red/burgundy chrysanthemums with gold outlines.

Here, I'm wearing my long leather/cashmere gloves to keep my arms warm under the ruffled sleeves of the sweater. 

• Gloves - Club Monaco, consignment
• Purse - Roots, thrifted

The stuff: 

My lovely boots - they were comfy for walking across parking lots, and for strolling around inside the big box stores. 

Simple bling: 

I stuck with simple things - I wore this same outfit later that night for our Happy Hour Zoom call, only I switched out the necklace for a pair of big dangly earrings. 

 

• Necklace - vintage, thrifted
• Gold hoop earrings - 5th anniversary gift from L
• Silver/smoky topaz ring - Anneli Neuman, Sweden, vintage mall
• Amber ring - c. 1996

 

For Monday's outfit, I was puttering around in my closet, looking for backwards hangers to tell me what I hadn't worn yet. This sweater isn't on a hanger (gads, I don't hang knitwear!), but it was at the bottom of its pile (the patterned sweater stack), so I knew it was due. 

Instead of finding something to match one of the colours in the sweater's pattern (black, cream, rust, teal), I recalled that I have these plaid trousers with black, tan and teal. Close enough! 

• Sweater - Bernice Creations, vintage 70s, vintage fair; first worn here in March 2020 with cream and teal
• Shirt - Yest; last seen here layered in a leopard suit for the dentist in December 2020
• Trousers - Cartonnier, thrifted; last worn here in October 2020 with green and rust
• Shoes - Hispanitas; last seen here in December 2020 in that same leopard outfit
• Coat (below) - Mallia, consignment; last worn here a week ago

We'll be having a wee Flashback on these trousers in a bit. 

I remembered that this sweater is a to-the-waist style, and that the trousers have a low-ish waist - what to do with that "danger zone" exposed?

Easy! Add a white shirt! Boo-yah! It worked perfectly, although there is the requisite amount of tugging, adjusting, twisting and futzing to get the sweater on, and then to make it lay flat over the shirt, but once it was in place it stayed put. 

As a bonus, you can see the nice zigzag knit of the sweater with the white behind it. 

Masked up. 

Ready to face my mostly-empty office.

Outerwear - it's clear and cold out, and I keep hearing about snow on the way, but so far nothing. Being at sea level does have its advantages. 

My wonderful baby alpaca coat is a joy to wear. 

Outerwear stuff:

New feature! More stuff! 

• Mask - Lazy Susan's
• Fur scarf - Danier, thrifted
• Wool/faux fur gloves - Parkhurst

The stuff: 

Comfy, easy shoes that are stylish? You had me at "comfy". 

Copper bling:

My copper collection started in 1985 when my grandmother gave me a Renoir earring/necklace/cuff set (not shown here). When I started going to vintage fairs about 10 years ago, I looked for more. Most of what I now have has been found in thrift stores or at the vintage fairs. I collect mostly the Renoir or Matisse lines (Matisse is a sub-collection of Renoir), and they are fairly scarce and I'm very picky.

• Necklace/bracelets - Renoir, vintage 60s, various vintage/thrift stores
• Copper/enamel cuff - Matisse by Renoir, vintage 60s, vintage expo
• Copper/turquoise ring - c. 1960s, Grandma J's
• Copper/enamel clip-on earrings: Matisse by Renoir, c. 1960s, Grandma J's

The exceptions in the above picture are the ring and earrings, both of which I got after my grandma died around 1995-6. I vividly remember her wearing the earrings through the 70s and 80s, and they have wear patterns on the back from her. I think she would love that I have been wearing them all this time. 

Flashback: Cartonnier Plaid Trousers

I haven't actually had these trousers for all that long, but nothing else in this outfit needs a Flashback right now. I picked these up in June 2018 (here) at the big WIN store downtown, on a wee shop after brunch, post-Ultimate Frisbee. 

The pattern caught my eye right away. From a distance it reads as navy blue/teal with gold. Also, note the side pockets, accessed by undoing the buttons on the hip. The hems are cuffed, and the style overall is loose and roomy, with single pleats on the front. 

But up close, it's black with teal green and tan. That's woven, not printed, fabric, and I'm very happy that the fabric has been lined up horizontally, with it angled on the waistband and pocket trim. Nice detail. 

Nice detailing on the back, and those are real back pockets, although I haven't unstitched them. I don't use bum pockets. 

They are by Cartonnier, which is an Anthropologie brand. You can see the nice teal piping, the hand-stitched edges and the lining (which is only to the bottom of the pockets.

I did not pay $29.95 - that butterfly punch means it was half price, so $15.00. 

I wore them right away with this funky printed top that has all the colours of the plaid in it. 

This was in June 2018. I really like the pattern mixing here.

I wore the trousers again in October 2018 with this long caramel cardigan and some cheap shoes that I no longer have. 

I gave up this teal t-shirt too, but as you may have surmised, I really like teal/turquoise tops. I haven't quite found the right one yet, though. 

After wearing the pants here in May 2019, I put the trousers in the giveaway pile - they went to Caro as I felt like I didn't have pieces that went with them. I also passed along this top (to Vero, I think).

Shoe Flashback here. 

Flash forward to February 2020...Caro had them in her giveaway pile when I was at her house that month, I saw them and took them back. 

I decided to work a little harder on making stuff in my wardrobe work with them, and although I like this sweater (it's vintage), I'm looking for an upgrade teal piece.

I do still tend to match at least one colour from the pattern on the trousers, as I did a couple of weeks later, still in February 2020. 

I love how that top goes with them, and how the tan strip looks both orangey and tan - that rust cardi changes colour in different lights (it's the same one as above). 

And here's the last time I wore them, again with that rust cardi, in October 2020. 

They work well for showing off my copper and turquoise jewelry too. 

Mathy stuff: I haven't really maximized their full potential at only 7 outfits so far, but at $2.14 per wear, I'm very happy. 

What would you wear with these trousers? Do you have plaid pants in your wardrobe?