Monday, February 8, 2021

Blue Bookends and Orange Plaid

Ah, Monday, my old foe. There's nothing for it but to square my shoulders and just face the world. 

Being swaddled in this giant blue wool cardigan helped, as did wearing this bold and awesome new-to-me orange plaid skirt. 

  • Cardigan - Ports, vintage 80s, consignment; last seen here in October 2020 with these same shoes
  • Shirt - Yest; last worn here in January under a zigzag sweater
  • Skirt - Zara, consignment; purchased here for $20.00
  • Shoes - Big Presence Desmond, Fluevog; last seen here in October 2020 with this same cardigan
  • Coat (below) - Mallia, consignment; last worn here in January


I live for bright colours. 
I look dubious, but I just need my coffee. 

A shot without the blue cardigan (which does tend to overwhelm everything else), although I never took it off all day. 
I was freezing in the office today - I mostly huddled at my desk, wrapped in my cardigan. I miss my much more physically active days when I had a full complement of coworkers to wrangle.

I LOVE this skirt! I spent a few minutes yesterday sewing up the seam below the side hidden zipper - I added a stitched "block" at the bottom of the zipper to take pressure off that seam. 
This is why I own a plain white shirt - sometimes you just need a plain shirt to keep all the "bossy" things in line. 
It was so cold today - the temps are dropping rapidly, and we'll be getting to lows of -4 (Celsius) overnight. 

Masked up - I liked the pop of extra bold orange. 
I think I might wear a red top with this skirt next (shout-out to Shaz - you know what sweater I'm talkin' about!). What would you wear with it? 

Outerwear - break out all the cold weather gear! 
This coat is heavenly in cold weather - light, warm and soft. 

Outerwear stuff: 
All my warmest accoutrements. 
  

  • Hat - M&S, consignment, Powell River
  • Fur scarf - thrifted
  • Mask - by Mom
  • Gloves - Cejon, thrifted

The stuff: 
I love these beauties. Blue shoes! 

Blue bling: 
I have quite a collection of blue things - this isn't even my only blue belt. 

  • Belt - Karen Millen, thrifted
  • Necklace - thrifted
  • Earrings - thrifted
  • Blue eelskin bracelet - vintage 80s, mine>donated>thrifted (30 years later)
  • Faux Gucci bracelet - gift from Mom & Dad, Italy, c. 1986
  • Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes
  • Silver/crystal ring - Soul Flower

37 comments:

  1. Wow what an outfit! Morning She, a perfectly put together ensemble to admire, and a shout out (lill ol' me on Sheila's blog!) what a start to the morning! I feel a fraud as I will NEVER be as stylish as you have always had a funny relationship with clothes but as I have said before I so admire the talent! Yep the red was def needed for me yest. more white stuff falling today too The necklace is PERFECT with this outfit. Keep warm and safe Shazxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Shaz! Aw, that's so sweet - and yes, of course, I had to give you a shout out! Never say never, and you know, you can be as stylish as YOU want to be! Our white stuff is coming (they say this weekend), but it's been just so chilly here the last few days. Thank you!

      Delete
  2. I love the bright blue with this skirt, this is a great outfit and blue and orange is a combination I need to wear more often! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I remember loving the sweater and shoes in October! I hope I lose enough weight to look office chic again in skirts and tucked in shirts. Your over coat is fabulous as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You bet - they were good then too, Sam (and where does the time go??). You can look chic at any weight - it's all in your head and feeling confident.

      I adore that coat, thank you!

      Delete
  4. Oh yes indeed, this skirt is ace (is this the right expression?). And I love your styling of it. the bright blue of the shoes and the cardigan are fantastic with the orange. That belt as a detail is fab too. And I should mention your coat. What a lovely coat it is.
    Greetje

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ace or aces, yes, you got it, Greetje! Thank you - I thought of you with this styling (Oh, Greetje will like this). I was very happy with this whole ensemble.

      Delete
    2. yes Greetje does like it heh heh heh (after Melanie).

      Delete
  5. The brilliance (literally and figuratively) of this color mix is so fantastic--both aesthetically pleasing and so very cheerful. I love that new plaid skirt!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Linda! I love it too! Yay for plaid.

      Delete
  6. I love orange and blue together and your checked skirt and gorgeous, snuggly cardi are just perfection. The white shirt is just right, keeping everything crisp and not too matchy.
    That eelskin bracelet is tremendous as is the hat and coat!
    Horribly cold here, too - I'm on the wine and I'm glowing already! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Vix! I can't say "never" about a white shirt, even though I don't consider them to be a wardrobe essential for me. They are so useful in this thype of outfit.

      Thank you! I'm done with the freaking cold!

      Delete
  7. Pefect combination and the crisp white blouse is the finishing touch.

    I read an article explaining why offices are so cold. Apparently the ideal office temperatures are based on 1950's men who wore full suits everyday. Nothing has been updated much since.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Nana! Ha, that's not entirely surprising. I also note that the people who complain about the temps aren't moving away from their desks much either.

      Delete
  8. I'd already admired your skirt when you purchased it, but it looks even better - and brighter - on. Pairing it with the plain white shirt was a brilliant idea, and makes the skirt as well as that lovely blue cardigan stand out even more. Love the attention to detail: the necklace, skinny belt and blue shoes are just perfect finishing touches, as is the matchy-matchy mask. With all those bright colours, you looked more than ready for Monday, even without your coffee :-) We're having a serious cold snap right now, with -4°C and lower in the daytime! Brr! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it fun, Ann? I had to just keep the shirt simple to bounce everything else off it. That sounds just like our weather! It's -4 right now with the wind-chill, and snow is expected in the next 4 hours.

      Delete
  9. Lovely outfit and fabulous colours! Your necklace was a brilliant match for the outfit. Love the long coat it was very elegant on you.

    Hope you're keeping warm and safe,
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Vronni! I am glad I remembered the necklace! It's the perfect piece. I was very thankful for this coat in the cold!

      Delete
  10. Love checked skirts like that! And long cardigans! And the heels of those shoes are fabulous. I had amazing ankle boots in the 80s in that color. I wished I could bring back a lot of clothing and shoes that I wow back then.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Nancy - I could picture you in this whole outfit. I had some pretty wild stuff in the 80s/90s, but I don't wish I'd kept it. Most of it was cheap crap.

      Delete
  11. Bring on the brights, bring on the brights! Have you thought of wearing a blue sweater or other top in the color of the sweater and shoes you are wearing in this outfit? Or another solid color for which you have matching shoes? Or a grey - not as exciting but could be a nice backdrop for jewelry.

    Brrr, stay warm!

    Cheers, Laurie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I'll probably do a blue top or sweater with it, definitely red and black too. Not grey, though, as the black/orange in the plaid reads brown, and I don't like grey/brown together.

      I'm trying! It's so cold...

      Delete
  12. great skirt - fits beautifully!

    and the 'outerwear' combo is gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  13. That skirt is perfect with the cobalt blue sweater and shoes - excellent styling! We have had temperatures in the -10 to -20 range here for at least a week; you guys out in BC are wusses ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IT'S A DAMP COLD, dammit! :) It's not the same as back east, Shelley. This gets into your bones and never lets up.

      Delete
  14. Such a dazzling, chic, awesome colour combo. I'm feeling this punchy pairing sooo very much!

    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

    ReplyDelete
  15. That tartan is fabulous! I love the cobalt blue long cardigan and heels as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blue is such a good colour with orange, isn't it, Ivana? Thank you!

      Delete
  16. This might be one of my favourite outfits ever of yours! The combination of crisp white shirt, amazing orange and black fitted skirt and that cobalt cardigan is utterly beautiful! Honestly, I adore it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, thank you, Kezzie! It's a favourite of mine too.

      Delete
  17. Fabulous outfit, so brilliant style with the plaid skirt, love the way the blue cardi and matchy shoes make everything so coherent, and love your Brilliant Accessorizing!.
    I'm not a huge fan of white shirts, but I think you rock them!.
    besos

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Monica! I was very pleased with how well this outfit worked. I am not a huge fan of white shirts either, but they do come in handy!

      Delete
  18. What a fab color combination!! I love all your bold accessories, too.

    Miles of smiles,
    Grace

    gracefulrags.com

    ReplyDelete

Comments are so incredibly special, and I love them and hug them and treasure them forever. Please feel free to tell me what you think!

I'm not currently able to respond to comments, but I will make every effort to answer questions. I do read every single one, and appreciate your comments.

Please note that comments containing affiliate links spam-y sites, spam comments and anything I deem inappropriate will be deleted.

Cheers,
Sheila