Archived Leopard Shoe Flashback, Best Red Dress and Bella

Continuing in my quest to feel better through Colour Therapy, today I'm featuring my Best Red Dress. I know some of you were very sad when I chucked the last red dress (this one) into my giveaway pile, but when I mentioned I had another, better, red dress...this is the one I meant. 

I hope you will agree that this is a much better red dress! 

• Dress - Little Moon, consignment; last worn here (2nd outfit) for a party in the park in July 2020
• Shoes - Steve Madden, San Francisco, 2006; last seen way back here in November 2017!
• Coat (below) - Cache, consignment; last worn here in April with my now-gone other red dress

I had planned on wearing my new-to-me leopard shoes (these ones) with this dress, but when I tried all of it on yesterday, they didn't work. I put them on with various pants, skirts and dresses, and just Did. Not. Like. Them. So off they go - to the giveaway pile. I'm not ashamed to admit when I made a shopping mistake. 

But I still wanted to wear my leopard bits! What to do? Then I remembered that I actually have my Best Leopard Pumps still, even though they live in my Closet Archives. 

They're way too high for work...but since it's dead in the office these days, I'm not running around in them at all. Doable! Now I can enjoy my red dress. 

This is the first time I've belted the dress, and I liked it. 

I love the row of ruffles running down each side. 

The centre of the skirt (front and back) is all pleated. 

The sleeves are see-through, but the body of the dress is lined. 

However, it's still on the sheer side, so I added another full vintage slip underneath.

Masked up - duh, of course, it's leopard.

Note that this dress has pockets! It's the perfect jammy dress. 

Outerwear - we're in for a hot and sunny weekend (yay!), but today was a mix, including a thunderstorm warning. 

I'd better add some accoutrements!

You know I had to wear my leopard coat! 

I am the Queen of Matchy-Town! All that leopard makes me so happy. Isn't that a great coat? 

Outerwear stuff: 

I can only wear this hat when it's not windy, or it blows off (it's just a smidge too big). It's great in the rain.

• Hat - vintage, thrifted, Vancouver
• Wool gloves - Roberta's Hats
• Mask - Lazy Susan's

The stuff: 

Ooh, just looking at those shoes makes my feet hurt. I do love the shape of them, though. We'll have a Flashback on them (and we'll be going waaaaay back to 2008!) shortly.

Minimal bling: 

I kept it simple - the dress itself is so bold, I didn't need much. 

• Belt - Talbots, thrifted
• Earrings - Biko, consignment
• Klimt ring - consignment
• Ring - c. 1996

Flashback: Steve Madden Leopard Shoes

I bought these "pony hair" leopard pumps on a weekend vacation trip to San Francisco in October 2006, at DWS (Designer Shoe Warehouse), for around $70.00, which felt like a fortune at the time. I love buying clothing/shoes/jewelry when I'm on vacation. 

2006 was pre-blog, and I was mid-way through my weight-loss journey of 50+ pounds, so I didn't want to buy any clothes, but that's the nice thing about shoes. They fit no matter what size you are! 

I have had the Dr. Scholl's leopard insoles in them since I got them, as that's a four-inch heel. These are not comfy shoes, but they were much more doable for me 10+ years ago than they are now. 

They were one of my very first pairs of "good" shoes I'd ever owned, so have always been very special to me. Although I've looked at and owned many other pairs of leopard shoes, I haven't found a Best Leopard Shoe (yet!) to replace these altogether, so they live in my Archives (aka, the top shelf of my closet). 

This is the first time I wore them at my old job, in April 2008.

Low-waisted, pleated, wide-legged pants - who knew they'd come around again 13 years later! 

Another boring brown skirt in May 2008. 

That's my mom's green necklace that I still wear regularly. I only took one outfit picture per post back in 2008 - and I still hadn't quite gotten the hang of getting all of my outfit in the picture. I've nearly cut my own feet off! 

I had this apple green ruffled cotton blouse for years - it was Esprit, from when we had a store here. 

My dear Cat was new as a friend then - this was in June 2008 - she made that tiger-eye necklace for me (which I still have somewhere). 

I briefly toyed with fluffy hair (working with my hair's natural curl), here in September 2008. 

I noted that this got a "Whoa!" reaction from my colleagues - I wasn't sure if it was the red lipstick (not a usual thing for me then) or the yellow and black mix. 

This is in February 2009. As you can see, I've always been goofy. I can kick! 

Most of the clothes in these old pictures are long-gone - I had to replace my entire wardrobe (everything but socks) within a couple of months, and many of the pieces were bought because I needed to wear something to work, not because I really loved them. 

In March 2009 - this is the same red sweater as above (I've always been a fan of red + leopard). I still have that scarf, which is from 1999-2000.

I've cut my feet off again! I still have that black Gianfranco Ferre skirt, but it's in with my fall/winter stuff (I rested it last year while I got my stress-eating-chocolate weight back off). 

Another one of my since-upgraded Best Red Dresses, this one in July 2009.

I recall it was a bouncy t-shirt material. No pockets and I didn't like the wide sleeves - I'm very fussy about my clothes! 

If I look self-conscious here in March 2010, it's because this was the first time I'd worn skinny jeans in a LONG time. 

My friends talked me into them! Remember when skinny jeans were new and felt so tight and weird? So long ago! 

This is June 2010. My hair's a mess because I used to carry all my clothes to walk the 6 km each way to work every day, and then get dressed again when I got home at night for my pictures. 

I loved that marigold yellow cashmere sweater - that might have been the first cashmere anything I ever owned! I was shopping second hand regularly by this point. 

My coworkers at my old job called this "fancy" - oh, they should see me now, ha ha! This was in September 2010.

One of many velvet blazers I've owned over the years. 

I've always liked wider-leg trousers - this was in March 2011, just after I started my current job. 

I thought I was very adventurous, mixing plaid and leopard! 

A rare picture from my early blonde phase, in April 2013. 2012 was my year-long wardrobe challenge, and these shoes didn't make it into any of my capsules. 

I loved that dress so much! Unfortunately, the fabric was horrendously pill-y and looked awful after about a year. Sad, but I do have a current version of my Best Chartreuse Dress still (this one).  

This cream satin high-waisted skirt was a favourite for many years - this was in June 2013.

Back to red hair.

This yellow skirt - seen here in February 2014 - is still my wardrobe. 

As you might have noticed, I've had a couple of leopard belt over the years. 

This is my current leopard belt (which I paid a dollar for) worn over the same black stomacher as above with the chartreuse dress.

And that's Vizzini, being a nuisance. This is December 2014, and that's yet another one of my past versions of Best Red Dress (I didn't like the shoulders, it was a funny length and it didn't have pockets). 

I still have this ruffle-hem leather skirt, seen here in July 2015.

At one point during my purple hair period, I got rid of most of my clothes that clashed with it, including this mustard jacket. 

The same leather skirt in July 2016, worn with my Fendi belt. 

I wish I'd kept that 80s silk top. Ah, well, I can't hang onto everything! 

And this is the last time I wore these shoes, in November 2017. 

I still have both that glittery copper top and the skirt. The cashmere cardigan was worn around the house until it dissolved from being eaten by moths. 

Mathy stuff: Including today's outfit, I've worn these shoes 19 times over 15 years, which is $3.68 per wear. They were worn a lot more when I (and my feet) were younger, so they live in my Archives now, ready to spring into action if I need them...like I did today. 

Do you consider leopard shoes a wardrobe essential? How are your feet with heels these days? Yes, no, or only short heels? 

Bella

One last thing to add. In the past couple of years, I've taken my coworker Zeudy's teen daughter Bella shopping multiple times. Bella and I get along great, and it's been fun shopping with her and helping her gain an appreciation for vintage/second-hand clothes, as well as teaching her how to find clothes that really suit her. 

Well, she just graduated high school and mom Zeudy sent me some pictures.

What a gorgeous dress! I love the colour. That's Zeudy on the right - also looking amazing! 

I encouraged Bella to wear Converse (her favourite shoes) for grad, and according to Zeudy, "She was so happy and comfortable, not worried about having to walk funny on high heels that she will never use again." 

Way to go, Bella! I'm so proud of you, and so glad I had a tiny part in your grad.