I've had this outfit lined up since I bought the cardigan a couple of weeks ago.
I had actually forgotten about Pink Shirt Day, so it was only a stroke of luck that I happened to pick a very pink outfit!
- Dress - Essentiel Antwerp, consignment; last worn here in March 2020 bringing PANK to the gloom
- Cashmere cardigan - Charter Club, thrifted; purchased here for $15.00
- Boots - Rockport, thrifted; last seen here in November 2020 with dragonscale and a cape
- Leather trenchcoat (below) - vintage 70s, thrifted; last worn here in January
This dress is so pink...it's PANK!
First wearing of this new-to-me cashmere leopard cardigan.
It was wonderful and soft, and fit really well with the dress.
How have I not done leopard and pink (or PANK) before?
Masked up - another leopard one (I have 3).
I'll be doing a wee Flashback on this awesome dress shortly.
Outerwear - the weather is mercurial. Freezing overnight, frost in the morning, then sun, then clouds.
I'm ready for anything!
Outerwear stuff:
I do love a nice brown set.
- Mask - Lazy Susan's
- Fur scarf - thrifted
- Gloves - Parkhurst
The stuff:
I had a pretty busy day at work, and did a bit of running around in these boots, going up and down between floors. Good thing the Shoe Math is in my favour - they are really only an inch heel when you factor in the platform.
Brass bling:
My coworker Amanda was impressed at the age on my 1994-ish earrings. I feel old...I was 26-27 in 1994! It was just yesterday!
- Brass/leather cuff - vintage 70s, Mom's
- Mexican brass necklace - vintage 70s, Mom's
- Slashed cuff - Midzo, vintage fair
- Earrings - LA Express, c. 1994
- Spinner ring - Twang & Pearl
- Feather ring - Fossil, thrifted
Peace!
Flashback: Essentiel Antwerp PANK Dress
I bought this dress here in November 2017 on a shopping date with Petra at My Sister's Closet - wow, do I ever miss that store! Of the five things I bought that day, I still have three of them: this dress, my silk Danger Pants, and my Rodarte Opening Ceremony coat (aka the Ringmaster Coat). They had such good stuff at My Sister's Closet - I really miss it since it closed last year.
I was of course attracted to the very bright pink of it.
It's not my usual style - I tend to veer away from swing cuts, as they just hang off my boobs and erase the rest of my figure, but I loved it once I tried it on. It's good for showing off my legs!
It also helped that it had side pockets (that hadn't even been undone!). I do love pockets in a dress - that can make or break a garment for me. I also adore the big floppy cuffs - so dramatic.
It does up with those kajillion little fabric-covered buttons up the front - I have to do up about a dozen of them to slip the dress on over my head. It's not a good dress for shopping or when you want to try things on!
I recognized the label and brand from my European blogger friends (Greetje mostly - she loves this brand) - so I knew it would be good quality. It's washable too.
It was $60.98, which felt like a lot until I looked it up and found that it retailed for $300.00! It was from 2016, so was only a year old at the time I bought it.
I'm pretty sure whoever consigned it did so due to the colour - you have to be okay with being stared at in it! I came up with "It's so pink it's PANK" the first time I wore it to work, in November 2017. It doesn't look overly bright here (it's very vivid in person), but I think you'll be able to tell when I replaced my camera...
I went safe and picked black as my accent, with a black and white polka-dotted scarf in my hair and pink polka dot tights. Boots Flashback here.
I kept everything pretty simple in February 2018, just a gold necklace.
And these funky black and gold studded booties, which I moved along a few years ago (they were too high).
When I bought these new Fluevog boots in October 2018, I knew I had to wear them with the dress! And I did!
Vizzini doing his usual photobomb. I did sheer black tights and a ribbon tied at the neck. I usually wear a slim-fitting half-slip on the bottom to keep from feeling/being overexposed.
I went back to colourful tights in December 2018, and added a matchy sparkly necklace.
I love pink and purple together - shoe Flashback here.
More colourful tights in February 2019.
A little furry blue brooch, and fringed booties, and I'm good to go!
Are you ready? Camera change! Now THAT's the actual colour. PANK.
More colourful tights and another pair of new purple Fluevogs, in June 2019. I seem to test out my new shoes with this dress a lot!
A sedate "Clothing as Armour" look following a social evening out (at the Fluevog store, meeting John Fluevog!) in December 2019.
A different pair of dotty tights, and my beloved Trout shoes (Flashback here).
And this is the last time I wore it, with a different necklace and yet another new pair of Fluevogs.
This was in March 2020. I brought PANK to the gloom of the then-recent lockdown.
Mathy stuff: Today marks the 9th time wearing this dress, and it's still going strong. We're currently at $6.78 per wear, which sounds much better than $60.98! That's sure to drop as I continue to wear it.
Do you have any bright pink your closet? What would you wear with PANK?
With all of my heart and understanding, I am sorry that you were bullied both as a child and an adult as well. I was bullied ruthless as a child (at school, in some other social settings, by certain members of my own family, etc) myself, too. While I wish beyond measure that I hadn't been, I'm grateful to say that far from breaking me, I believe it made me both a stronger and more compassionate person. As an adult, I can better understand and empathize with why many people (especially kids) bully and have long opted to forgive all those who mistreated me in this way.
ReplyDeleteOn a less sombre note, PANK is stunning! Deep, vibrant pink looks breathtaking on you, my sweet friend (it's scarily unbecoming on me, let me tell you!). Thank you for wearing this dazzlingly vibrant frock to help highlight the importance of taking a stance against bullying (in any form and to those of any age).
Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life
Aw, thank you so much, Autumn, I appreciate your kind words. I agree in that all of my instances of bullying made me who I am - I became stronger and more confident in speaking up, and in who I was. I have forgiven the most recent bully - she had extenuating circumstances that helped me understand her actions. Her apology to me was heartfelt.
DeleteThank you! I adore this bright fun colour.
Good Morning Sheila! wow that is pank and who could feel down with that vibrant colour? Although I have been lucky to not have experienced bullying you have my empathy - I bet if they could see you now they would be as jealous as hell - you have people admiring you from all over the world! I am afraid I have not the b...s to wear bright pink but love pink in softer shades. C'mon you have only just got me to wear bright red ha ha (yes it's on today)I love it on you though and the leopard so goes with it! You made me giggle with the earrings I have some huge ones form the eighties! I wore them out once and a young thing admired them I said they are older than you! anyway have a lovely day. Oh yeah enjoyed the flashback Shazxx
ReplyDeleteI always feel good in this bright colour, Shaz. I'm glad you never experienced bullying. Hey, if you can wear bright red, you can dip your toes in the pink! Isn't it humbling when your accessories are older than people!? Thanks, honey, have a great day yourself.
DeleteYay! Bullying is the worst thing in the world.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty freaking awful.
DeleteBullying is awful. I left a job because of it. And thanks to the bully I have had the best career ever.
ReplyDeleteThat pink really pops the leopard. I love it.
Me too, Jane. But I also recovered and I feel better about myself now than ever.
DeleteThank you!
Bullying is horrible. With my extreme skinness, limp and dental braces I was a prime target.
ReplyDeleteYour pank dress is always a joy to behold and I love it with the leopard. xxx
My heart goes out to young Vix.
DeleteThanks - I loved it with leopard too.
There should be a special hell for bullies.
ReplyDeleteLove the pank!
I think their hell is in their heads. Thanks, Nana!
DeleteI love your acknowledgement that you have to be happy in a dress that pink! I think there is an orange day for anti-bullying in the US.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me happy from the outside in, Sam. Our orange shirt day is to recognize the survivors of Residential Schools. Canada's First Nations have been treated abominably at times.
DeleteI hadn't heard of Pink Shirt Day, but what a great initiative. I'm counting myself lucky that I was never bullied as such when I was at school, although I often was the awkward odd one out. I was briefly bullied by a colleague in my first job, which stopped when a new girl joined our team, and his attentions turned to her. Horrible man!
ReplyDeleteI think I don't have to tell you how I love your PANK dress, and I'm always pleased as punch when you wear it, as it's Essentiel Antwerp! And indeed, I dare anyone to be grumpy wearing a pink as bright as this. The cashmere leopard cardigan is just perfect with it, too.
I had to laugh at your colleague being impressed with the age of your earrings. It was only yesterday indeed. I turned 33 that year ... which makes me really old :-)
Love the collection of patterned tights worn with your dress over the years! xxx
It's a good thing to recognize - it's amazing how many people have been on the receiving end of it, Ann.
DeleteNope, your love is well-documented. :) I love it, and it reminds me of my Dutch friends.
I know, it made me laugh too. Thanks! I love seeing some of my favourites there.
I love that you just happened to be wearing pink, and such a wonderful example of it too! I definitely don't have enough hot pink in my wardrobe but I have been embracing pink more and more. A good pink dress like this is priceless! You've got such good value from yours and I really like the leopard with it!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't have planned it better, Mica! I have embraced pink in the last 10 years, right down to pink hair, as you know. I adore this dress. Thanks!
DeleteHi Sheila,
ReplyDeleteHad to laugh twice while reading this post. Now that I am a subscriber to Greetje’s blog I, too, immediately recognized the brand name. :) The second time was in answer to your “pink in your closet?” query. I am sitting here in my only pink, a bright (maybe even plank!) long sleeve, round neck solid top. Usually not a wearer of much pink, I bough my top last year to help balance the grays of winter.
I like all your stylings of your dress and, alas, have no suggestions for what I’d suggest to wear with it...mostly it would be outfits like you have already created.
Stay warm and dry and safe!
Hi, Laurie! How lovely that you're wearing pink/pank! It feels good to wear when it's gloomy out, doesn't it?
DeleteThank you! Stay safe!
Love the idea of pink shirt day. The PANK is great and I do love a good swing dress!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Ashley!
DeleteAmazing! That is some dress!! Essentiel Antwerp is a very good brand, but sizing is a horror. I can't believe adults are bullying too! Gee, what a stupid human beings they are. It's al because they have such a frustrating life themselves.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Nancy! I love it - I don't see a lot of Essentiel Antwerp here, so I can't say to the size.
DeleteYup, adults too. It does help to try and understand why people bully, but when it's you being bullied, it's hard to have any empathy.
You know I love this dress and your new styling with these boots and leopard cardigan...:TOP. A+
ReplyDeleteGreetje
Ooh, high praise! Thanks, Greetje!
DeleteI know about the pink day, it was on our TV all day. Sorry to hear you had to deal with bullying. I don't know does it count as bullying but there were coworkers in my past who were definitely mean to me and for no reason. Now that I think of it, I had to deal with verbal meanness in two (past) jobs and it was never easy. In personal life you can always distance yourself from mean people, but in a working place you just have to find a way to deal with it. It can be so hard to deal with people who are very mean without any apparent motivation, even if there is nothing in it for them and doesn't win them any points- even when it creates problems for them. So hard for me to understand that and sometimes there is no reasoning with them... It is also interesting how we often stereotype bullies as men, but in all my experiences that I associate with bullying or that I witness myself, the bullies were always women.
ReplyDeleteYou look fabulous in this pink dress and what a great idea to pair it with leopard. The heeled boots are fantastic as well.
As always, it was fun seeing your fashion flesh back with that lovely pink dress.
Oh, how cool! It counts as bullying if someone is picking on you for what seems like no reason, for a sustained time period. Yes, it's hard to deal with in a workplace, as not everyone sees it. It's hard to see it from the other side, but it's really not you/the person being bullied. I've been bullied in the workplace by women, not men. I've never experienced it from men.
DeleteThank you so much! I love this dress.
Your dress is fabulous and pairing it with leopard was brilliant. I'm very fond of "hot pink" as it was called some fifty years ago when I convinced my parents to paint my room that color. And despite my fondness of it, there ain't much of it in my closet which I need to rectify.
ReplyDeleteRena
www.finewhateverblob.com
I love hot pink too, Rena, and I'm loving it with leopard. Ooh, that would be a tough colour for a full room! You definitely need more pink! :)
DeleteGah, I love this shade of PANK on you, Sheila! So fun and beautiful. That leopard cardigan is brilliant, too. Such a wonderful outfit to make a point that bullying is bad! I have been on the receiving end of bully remarks pretty consistently throughout my entire life so I appreciate your anti-bullying sentiments, my friend. I want to recreate this outfit now! Thanks for linking with me.
ReplyDeleteShelbee
www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Thank you so much, Shelbee! It was a comfortable and comforting outfit. Feel free to recreate if you wish.
Delete