Lady Garden of Delight, and Leather Peplum Flashback

I've been having fun playing in my closet.

None of these items are new by a long shot, but I've never worn them all together before.

• Leather peplum - H&M, consignment; last seen here in March 2020 with plaid pants
• Skirt - no label, vintage 80s, thrifted; last worn here in July 2020 with red bookends (Flashback there)
• Shoes - Marc; last seen here (2nd outfit) with a lame (lah-MAY!) striped gown for a Happy Hour Zoom in January
• Coat (below) - Danier Leather; last worn here in April

I did get to model my outfit for Ngoc - she was wearing an orange pleated skirt, and she twirled for me! Yay, fun with clothes! 

This black peplum top is leather, and is one of a couple of my basic black tops. Yeah, a leather peplum is "basic" for me, hee hee. 

We'll be having a little Flashback on it shortly.

I've never paired it with this funky vintage skirt before! How could I have missed it? 

The skirt is rather stupendous, isn't it? 

It's leather also - made in India - and all of those flowers and leaves are sewn on it. 

Masked up - red to match. 

I call this skirt my Lady Garden of Delight (it has no label, so it needed a name). 

Outerwear - it was cool in the morning. 

But I ended up carrying my leather coat home, so that I could enjoy the sun. It's warming up - could summer actually be here?

The stuff: 

I'm rather fond of red shoes. These are the best red heels I've ever owned; my first pair was when I was 17 (red canvas pointy-toes, skinny 3" heel - I remember them!).

Bold bling: 

I like big bling and I cannot lie. 

• Belt - vintage 80s, consignment, Powell River
• Cuff - vintage fair
• Earrings - vintage fair
• Silver/onyx ring - Toccara, vintage fair
• Silver/turquoise ring - local
• Necklace - Monet, vintage 80s, vintage fair

Flashback: H&M Black Leather Peplum Top

I spotted this top at My Sister's Closet back in March 2017, here, while on a shopping expedition with Yvonne. 

It's by H&M - I know, another amazing gem from them! I double-checked to ensure it actually WAS leather, but it is. It's from a spring/summer 2012 collection and originally retailed for around $120.00, but it was mine for $42.98. 

It has a full neck-to-hem zipper at the back (it's a contortion to do up!), and it's fully-lined. The leather itself is very soft, and has had a stretchy synthetic knit fused to the back of it. The label is scratchy, so I've since put a big bandaid over it (I don't like removing labels). 

As a top, it's a tricky one, as I have to be willing to expose my arms (it doesn't look right with a top or blouse under it), but of course, it's lined leather (both the fusing and the actual poly lining), so it can get warm. It's best on days when it's neither hot nor cold.

My first wearing of it in March 2017, and this remains one of my personal favourite looks, with all my vintage copper jewelry, including my solid copper belt. I passed those shoes along to Cat when they started to wear out. My coworkers loved this look. 

I tried it with my skinny leopard jeans in May 2017. 

I have long since rotated those into my house wardrobe, and subsequently wore them out. I'm still thinking of raiding my giveaway pile for those black sandals...hmmm...

Another pair of trousers here in July 2017 - I no longer have these either. Hey, those are the same earrings I'm wearing today! I recall that I bought them for a dollar at a vintage fair. I hope vintage fairs return soon! 

I like seeing my old hair colours as I grew my hair out over the next couple of years. I change my hair frequently.

I prefer the look of the peplum top belted, as I did again here in April 2018. Peplums are awesome for hiding a tummy or too-tight/loose/low waistband. 

That's my red suede skirt that is part of a suit (I wore the jacket with this as outerwear). All of these looks have been worn to the office - I love that I can show my arms and wear this much leather to work! 

I really like this March 2019 outfit, even though I look mopey here. 

I moved that itchy mohair skirt along, and gave up the necklace, but both the shoes and the lion belt have been featured in Flashbacks. 

And here's my last wearing, in March 2020. I would have worn this to work...but this was right at the start of lockdown. I was committing to wearing "real clothes" very early!  

I did put these trousers in the giveaway pile, along with a couple other pairs of skinny pants, but we'll see if they end up being a regret-me-not. I've been shopping my giveaways a bunch in the last 15 months! 

Mathy stuff: The number of outfits featuring this leather peplum top definitely slowed down after my first year when I did three ensembles, but I have no intention of getting rid of it. It's a useful piece as a black top, and of course, I love that it's leather. My cost-per-wear is still a bit on the high side at $6.14 for 7 outfits, but not too bad. 

What's your favourite outfit? How do you feel about leather? Or peplums?

Bonus pic: I took a picture of myself for our company newsletter: 

My office looks out over a building where the roof is full of nesting seagulls, so I've been writing regular reports on their habits, culminating with pictures of little fluffy babies staggering around on the roof. As a fun thing, I'm asking my colleagues to pick a name, and I'll send them an adoption certificate with a picture of "their" baby on it, once they are born. I hope I get some good names.