Double Designer Flashback: Tweed Jacket and Valentino Suit-Skirt

Happy International Women's Day! Wishing all you powerful women out there all the recognition you deserve for being super-moms, super-coworkers, super-spouses, super-friends and just generally...SUPER.

I didn't plan a specific IWD outfit, but instead chose a couple more pieces I'd yet to wear this closet season. 

One of them is VALENTINO - super-KLASSY! 

• Jacket - Julie Haus, Fall 2011 RTW Collection, thrifted; last worn here in February 2020 with an olive green fin
• Sweater - Eileen Fisher, thrifted; last seen here in October 2020 with gold velvet and a jungle bomber jacket
• Skirt - Miss V by Valentino (part of a suit), vintage 80s/90s, thrifted, Sidney; last worn here in April 2020 with purple tigers
• Shoes - Wonders Ayers, Fluevog; last seen here in October 2020 in the same outfit as the sweater
• Cape (below) - Dafydd Snowdon, vintage 60s, thrifted; first seen here in November 2020

I'd considered wearing a fuller cut of skirt, but it didn't look right when I put the outfit on this morning, so I quickly swapped it out for this wool pencil skirt. 

So many neutrals - how unlike me! 

I did feel very classy all day, though. 

Isn't the jacket cool? I'll be doing a Flashback on it shortly. 

I dug up some new research today and actually found the collection that it's from - so exciting! 

I'll also be doing a Flashback on this skirt - which is part of a Valentino suit. 

You know it's quality because it's got pockets! 

Masked up - more neutrals. 

Outerwear - I wore my cream Welsh cape over the jacket. 

As the inner part of the cape is a full "in the round" garment, it was easy to slip it over my jacket. Even my backpack worked with it (although I looked rather hunchbacked). 

Outerwear stuff: 

It's cold out, but not that bitter cold that it was a few weeks ago. 

• Fur scarf - thrifted
• Gloves - Club Monaco, consignment
• Mask - by Mom

The stuff: 

I love the double straps on these shoes. That's a really comfortable heel too. 

Mixed metal bling:

Two necklaces, two bracelets, three rings...

• Long necklace - POLY, thrifted
• Short necklace - Myka, thrifted
• Torc bracelet - POLY, thrifted
• Silver/gold cuff - JPL, vintage fair
• Hematite earrings - gift from Mom
• Steel/brass ring - POLY, thrifted
• Silver/smoky topaz ring - Anneli Neumann, Sweden, vintage mall
• Steel ring - POLY, Art Gallery of Hamilton

…and two brooches that I forgot I'd pinned to the jacket! 

I've had the starburst one for over 20 years! 

• Leather heart pin - Smoking Lily
• Starburst pin - Eaton's, c. 1999

And now...double Flashbacks! 

Julie Haus Tweed Jacket

This jacket is a good example of just keeping an eye out for the unusual when I'm shopping. I found it here in October 2017. I spotted it and started fondling it and checking the lining and labels. I knew I had a winner on my hands, just by feel - I didn't know the name at all. 

The zip on the front is echoed by the zip on the back. The ginormous snaps that do it up/hold down the uneven lapels are not meant to be seen, in my opinion, especially since the zip hardware is bronze, not shiny silver metal. 

I did my research - as always - noting that Julie Haus had a brick-and-mortar store in SoHo, NYC back in 2010 (now closed). A little further digging and...I found the collection that this jacket is from! 

It's from the Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear collection, link here, and it's the 3rd look (here). 

See, I never wear it undone, because I dislike those big silver snaps showing on the front. I do like those trousers/shoes, and would wear it like this. So, who does it better? Julie Haus' styling of the outfit above, or Sheila the Blogger, in the outfits I've created? I'm biased, hee hee. 

The details on this jacket are superb. The houndstooth woven fabric is 100% wool, and the colours are black, putty, grey and olive-brown. 

The large sections of grey are actually two-tone grey herringbone tweed, also 100% wool. The pockets are real, although shallow. 

Made in the USA! This would have retailed for over $1,000. 

And silk lining! Are you kidding me? It feels wonderful. 

At the time I thought $34.95 was a bit pricey. Silly me. 

The dropped waist/waist-less look is challenging for me, as I'm a classic hourglass shape, but I've managed to style it up a few times. I wore it right away in October 2017, going for the full neutral look, as I have subsequently done with it. 

I like this - I enjoy a menswear-inspired look. Skirt Flashback here; shoes Flashbacked here. 

I was just starting to get into trousers in January 2018 - I do still have these vintage plaid ones, but they are a little snug still. 

Vizzini is helping. 

A shopping outfit here in October 2018. 

I like the tan gloves and green scarf. Skirt Flashback here. 

This felt very adventurous at the time - satin joggers! So very not me...but I really like this outfit. 

This was in March 2019, and I see I have an assist from Vizzini again. Shoes Flashback here. 

This is the closest I've gotten to adding another colour - this was in October 2019. 

Skirt Flashback here (it's part of a suit). 

Back to the ol' "fin" skirt for my last time wearing the jacket, in February 2020. 

At least I changed up the boots! 

Mathy stuff: This is the 7th time I've worn this jacket - it's a bit tricky to style - but I'm still doing well at only $5.00 per wear. 

Valentino Suit-Skirt

I gasped out loud when I spotted this suit at one of our favourite thrift stores in Sidney, BC, back in June 2016 (here) on a shopping expedition with Elaine and Cat. You just don't see vintage Valentino around much these days, even if this is Miss V by Valentino (not actually haute couture). I paid $12.00 for this full suit. TWELVE DOLLARS.

Going by my eyeballs - those ginormous shoulder pads! - this is probably late 80s or early 90s. Shoulder pads were strongly in use from around 1987 to 1993. 

I found this link here on the trademark use of this label, and it notes, "first use anywhere: 1/1/1984" and that they (whoever owned Valentino then) filed this in 1989 and registered it as a trademark in 1991 - its status is currently expired as of 7/20/2002. The Vintage Fashion Guild concurs with my estimation of this label as being early 90s (here). 

As you can see, it's a size 10, but that's a current modern size 10, so it's definitely post-Great Size Shift of the mid-80s, when all sizes dropped by 2 (hello, Vanity Sizing!). A modern size 8 is a vintage size 12, for example. 

I still chortle with glee - $12.00! And it's made in Italy! 

I have only worn the jacket once, with a pouffy skirt, here in July 2016. 

That's a lot of pouf! Shoe Flashback here. 

I did model the full suit once, here also in July 2016. 

I totally think I could wear that jacket again soon, and maybe even the full suit - styles have changed since I bought it in 2016. It would look stellar with some Big Boss Lady Pants, don't you think? 

But really, only the skirt has gotten any wear since I bought it. This was its first outing, again in July 2016. 

I put those sandals in the Swap bag...and I'm kind of feeling like I ought to retrieve them.

Although I wouldn't normally even bother buying a taupe skirt, it has proven useful as a background for some of my funkier shoes and patterned tops. 

This was in October 2016. Boots Flashback here. 

While I like this outfit from January 2018, I didn't keep the blazer or the lace top under it. 

Those shoes were a poor purchase (and yup, they are Fluevogs) - I think that might have been the only time I wore them. 

Another one of my "fancy" blouses got paired with the skirt in June 2018. 

Both this and the previous silk blouse have yet to be worn this season - I've been waiting for it to be a little warmer. 

I've worn pops of yellow with this skirt multiple times - this was in September 2018.

Shoe Flashback here. 

This was the one and only wearing of this blouse, in January 2019 - it was impossible to get on! 

Shoe Flashback here. 

I remember flapping my "wings" at my coworkers and saying, "I'm a beautiful butterfly!" back in July 2019.

I keep this skirt out all year round - although it's wool, it's very light and the colour is really versatile. 

And here's the last time I wore it, back in April 2020. 

My purple tiger blouse is another Sidney find! I hope Cat and I will be able to make another trip out there, maybe in the summer. 

Mathy stuff: This is the 9th time that I've worn the skirt, plus we should count the one time of wearing the suit jacket, so a total of 10 wearings brings us to $1.20 per wear for both pieces. Of Valen-frickin'-tino! Amazing. 

What do you think? Should I wear the whole suit? The jacket? Or stick to the skirt?