Floral, Fringed Flashback and a Flop-Cat

I was all set Monday morning. My outfit was planned, my accessories were laid out ready to go, right down to nylons and camisole. But I didn't count on one of my new-to-me items messing things up. 

Both the zigzag fringed black top and the floral skirt are recent purchases. Guess which one was the "Whoops!"

• Top - H&M, consignment; purchased here for $30.00
• Skirt - J. Crew, thrifted; purchased here for $13.30
• Shoes - Big Presence Desmond, Fluevog; last worn here in April with a blue gown
• Coat (below) - Pioneer Wear, vintage 80s, thrifted; last seen here in November 2020

If you guessed this fringed top, gold star for you! As soon as I put it on, I realized it was not compatible with the skirt. 

I tucked it in (and then added a belt over the skirt's waistband), but the look of the top was not how I envisioned it. No time to change in the morning, so let's just roll with it. 

The rows of fringe are fun (shimmying is quite a spectacle), but I will have to try the top worn untucked, maybe go with the flapper-ish vibe of it more. 

I adored this skirt. Look at that gorgeous swirl of colour! 

Trying to show the slits in the skirt, and ignoring that the top erases my boobs entirely. 

Boobs? What boobs? That woman is flat as a pancake. 

Masked up. 

Ugh, the more I look at that top, the less I like it on me. The top half of my body looks like it's melting. 

However, my outerwear fills my heart with love and happiness! 

Did someone say "fringe"? Now, THIS is fringe, my friends! 

We're going to have a wee Flashback on this coat, so that you can enjoy the full fringe-o-rama experience. 

I'm in my Wonder Woman pose there - note the "W" shape at the small of my back. 

Outerwear stuff: 

The wonderful temps and sunshine of the weekend have given way to a white sky of clouds, but it's supposed to creep back up to 19-20 for our upcoming May Day long weekend. 

• Silk scarf - Marc Rozier, consignment
• Leather gloves - consignment
• Mask - Lazy Susan's

The stuff: 

How I adore these shoes! The colour is so good. 

Blue bling: 

Well, it's almost all blue...

• Cuff - thrifted
• Eelskin hinged bangle - mine from the 80s, re-found and bought thrift
• Earrings - local
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes
• Belt - Danier

I added the bigass yellow cuff at the last minute. 

Flashback - Pioneer Wear Fringed Suede Coat

This spectacular beauty of a coat is one that I stalked at the Patch for close to 6 months before it finally got marked down here in August 2015 and I snapped it up. 

It's a very thick suede, and is a rich cobalt blue. Did I mention the fringe? We have fringe on the front! 

And we have fringe on the back! 

And we have fringe on the arms! 

Do I spy some pony beads? 

Yes, I do! There are 19 beads on each arm (I counted), in a rainbow of colours. 

Look at the metal buttons. 

They have Aztec/Mexican-inspired birds on them! 

The coat is by Pioneer Wear, a label I've seen a few times. I used to own two skirts by this brand: this turquoise fringed one (long gone, Vizzini ate a bunch of the fringe), and this black fringed one that I only wore a couple of times (hard to walk in).

It's made in the USA, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was marked down to $49.95 from $59.95. I suspect it's from the mid-80s, just before the Great Size Shift, as it's a snug size 10 (more like a modern size 6). 

I'm not sure why I didn't wear it until November 2015 - what was I waiting for? Maybe I was intimidated by the massive shoulder pads? Remember, in 2015 we really weren't into the big shoulder thing like we are now. 

I'm not going to link to previous Flashbacks in these outfits, as the coat was worn as outerwear nearly every time. I frequently wear it with other brights to go with the bold blue. 

I can tell I'm feeling it here in December 2015. 

I like to wear it out shopping, where I can waggle the beaded sleeve fringe at people who admire it. 

This was in November 2016 - there is a lot of room in the neckline region for a bulky scarf. 

The jacket has small horizontal pockets near the hemline where my hand is - good for a lip gloss or a bus ticket, but that's about it. 

More heavy-duty layering here in December 2017. 

I wore this outfit to work so I could shake my beads at my coworkers. 

One of the few times that I've worn the coat as a focus piece: for the February 2018 80s-themed Urbanite at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. I crimped my hair and wore some vintage 80s pieces. 

"What in the deliciously-fringed blue blazes are you wearing, Woman?"

I let the jacket hang off my shoulders, and held it around my elbows for the evening - it was too cool to go into the coat check! 

This has all the marks of a weekend shopping outfit, from December 2018. 

Basic outfit pieces, with a few "BAM!" things, like the jacket and the floral tights. 

I can see the jelly-deer peeking out at the neckline here in May 2019. 

This is another work outfit, although the jacket was removed for my day in the office. 

Our building landlords threw a Western-themed Oktoberfest party for us tenants in October 2019, so I got my cowgirl accoutrements on! 

Complete with my red cowboy boots. I did wear the coat during our lunch/activity time, to show it off. 

Worn in August 2020 for brunch out - a good reminder to myself that this really is a year-round coat! 

"Fringe for breakfast again?"

I can't believe this is the only time I've worn it with my picador skirt! 

It's the perfect topper for all this pink in November 2020, which is the last time I wore my fringe-tastic jacket. 

I like it with bold colours best. 

Mathy stuff: Today marks the 11th time wearing this coat, which is not a ton for a coat, but still good cost-per-wear at $4.54 per outfit. It is very much "A Look", though - it's not like I can just toss this on over anything. But I should wear it more often! 

How do you feel about bigass shoulder pads? Would you wear a coat like this? 

Vizzini, how are you doing? Blocking the direct route to the kitchen, I see. 

"I'm hot from laying in the sun."

He's such a flop-cat once we have consistent sun. He'll lay in it for hours, then come inside and just collapse wherever. We have to watch out for him on the "kitty camo" carpet, as he blends in - I've tripped over him more than once, to his righteous indignation. 

He just decides to sit where he wants to sit. 

"I approve of this spot."

All the legs tucked in, chin down, eyes firmly closed. We call this the "sneetch" position. Look at that sneetcher sneetching! 

Happy Monday, my friends!