Thursday, July 29, 2021

Excessively Ruffled Mental Health Shop

I savoured my day off today - there won't be too many of them in my future, so I'm ensuring that I do things that I love while I can. I have really enjoyed the slower pace of my life over the past year, including my leisurely Mental Health Shops. It was too hot to be racewalking 7K today, but a four-hour stroll and browse? Oh yeah, that's my idea of heaven! 

I wanted to wear this new-to-me skirt right away, so I did!
 I also deployed my paper parasol along with sunblock so that I could skip a shirt/jacket. 

  • Top - Tatum & Olivia, consignment; last worn here in May with dots and stars
  • Skirt - Faithfull the Brand, consignment; purchased here yesterday for $35.00
  • Sandals - Born, consignment; last seen here in June for a Mom-Day Adventure
  • Parasol - Chinatown, c. 2012

As Laurie noted in the comments, this skirt does have an uneven hemline - it dips up in the front. That will be handy when I go up stairs - I won't step on it. 
I love how pretty that looks! I'm an excess of ruffles. 

The back hem of the skirt is long. 
It was wonderfully swooshy. 

I don't usually expose my bra straps, but since I wore a slip (a blush vintage one - I matched the pink in the flower pattern) under it, I thought it looked more deliberate to have double straps. 
"Straps are good for eating."


That is true, apparently - when Vizzini was a kitten, he ate about 4 inches of strap from one of my expensive $80 Wacoal bras. 

Masked up - it's a pale leopard print. 
While I shopped, I tucked the parasol into my leather backpack. 

  • Mask - by Mom

I grocery shopped, then strolled up Fort Street's "Antique Row" area. It's got Vanity Fair Antique Mall, Leka, Luna, The Velvet Crease, MONA and Charmaine's and more - I visited all of those, and took my time looking around. 
"You were gone a long time."


Shopping is a endurance activity! Four hours is a marathon! I'm going to enjoy catching up with the Olympics on the couch with a snuggly kitty tonight. 

The stuff:
I had planned on wearing slightly fancier shoes, but realistically, I knew I needed an ultra-comfy pair. I've had these for over 10 years and they are my go-to when I know I have to be nice to my feet. I'll wear funkier shoes when I wear the skirt to work. 

  • Gold hoop earrings - 5th anniversary gift from L
  • Brutalist bronze ring - vintage mall
  • Amber ring - c. 1996

Vanity Fair Antique Mall is a fun place to spend browsing. I did the entire store methodically and found a couple of treasures. 
This metal and stone bracelet is really cool, and is small enough to fit my wrist properly. I like the spiky bits, which I guess are leaves amongst the tiny flowers. 
It has the look of good quality costume jewelry, with nice details including that dangle piece. 

It's really pretty on! 
The lime green stones have a lighter green, milky marbling. This was $26.00. I would guess its from the...1960s? I wonder if it had matching earrings? 

I lucked out on another bracelet. 
I've been watching for "amber" bracelets (whether real amber or stones that are amber-coloured) for a couple of years, as I built up my amber and silver collection. I really liked this bangle. 

It's not silver - I think it's steel. It's made from a punched pattern, then worked further (the squared holes along the edges, the addition of the stones, which I think are just glass. 
When I pressed the little button to open it, I expected it to pop open on the hinge, but not like this! This was a surprise. 

What a cool mechanism - you often see a little security chain on silver hinged bangles.
I see stamps! The one above is "R & G Co." This stands for Ripley & Gowan Co., which was established in Attleboro, Massachusetts, USA, established in 1874. 

There's also a stamp on the top:
That says "NuWite." That's the finish, as in "white like silver...but not silver! It's...NuWite!"

Isn't it pretty? 
It's got some age - it's likely from the 1920s or 1930s, when a lady would be wearing a few bangles on her arm with her flapper dress. This was $35.00 - I found the identical one with blue glass on Worthpoint (an auction site) that provided most of this info; link here 'cause I love. 

I popped into Charmaine's Past & Present, which is primarily a second-hand furniture store - I bought our blue/gold stool there recently, as well as L's birthday ship painting. 
They also have a small selection of jewelry, and I found the sweet little cat pin for $8.00 and the collar tips for $15.00. 

I think the cat is wood. That's a lot of little tiny bits. 
I'm not sure if the ball is supposed to be a toy or to represent his tail? 

I love the idea of collar tips but I've never seen a pair for sale second-hand. 
They work like a clip-on earring, only on the collar point. We'll have a closer look at that stamp in a bit. 

Sneak preview: here's a collar tip clipped on. 
Super cute, right? It even has a little "diamond"! 

They have a bit of weight, so they keep a pointed collar in place. 
Such a neat idea. That's on there very tight - it's not going to fall off. 

I zoomed in on the stamp and played with the colour, contrast and clarity settings until I could read it. 
I went nearly cross-eyed trying to read that, but it says "GES.GESCH." and it's short for "Gesetzlich Geschutzt" and it basically means "trademarked" in German. So these are German, but no idea how old they are. 1980s? 90s? We did a lot of customization to our clothes then, like dress clips, button covers, that sort of gewgaw. 

From Charmaine's I went to MONA consignment (hi, Deanna!), where I found a couple of things that appealed to me. I've been trying to keep my "style profiles" in mind when I shop, which are: 
  • Rock & Roll
  • Funky Vintage
  • Romantic Victorian
  • Big Boss Lady
  • Any combination of those, like Soft Goth, Badass, Cowgirl, Equestrian, or Hollywood Glam. 

Narrowing down my eclectic style is tricky, but even just sticking to those four helps me get carried away (there is so much bohemian out there! and that is not a style that suits me) and focused to the styles that I really like to wear. 

I let go of my long droopy green cardigan (it was SO droopy), but I love the long duster look, so this green jacket fits that slot.
It's meant to be worn more like a light jacket/duster/topper, and will work well with my fall wardrobe. 

It's by Eliane Rose and was $38.00, which felt low. It's made of 100% Tencel, a brand of sustainable fabric made from wood pulp - it's very soft.  
It's unlined but the seams are all nicely bound and it has two zip pockets in addition to the tab/snap detail on the sleeves. I couldn't find much on this brand. 

This next item is a two-part one: this is the lining, which is likely made of linen (sleeves/back) and cotton (front body). 
It's brown, a deep chocolate brown. It's cut like a ringmaster jacket, with two metal loop/tab closures in front which pull it tight like a vest under the bust, then open up to the sides. 

The entire back is the sheer linen. 
Most of the seams are pulled apart - the previous owner grew out of this or wore it hard (I do both of those things to my clothes, no judgment!). 

One of the arms has fully split open, right at the elbow. 
No point in fixing this, as it's just going to rip apart again. 

Now, here is the lining inserted into...the leather over-jacket! Which is also dark chocolate brown. It's pretty beat-up with some marks and scratches on the arms. I never mind wear on leather - I think it adds to the badass look of it. 
The collar of the lining goes over the collar of the jacket, and the lining hangs down around the hem - it's very steampunk (a look some of y'all know that I have loved over the years). 

There's two little fabric-covered buttons that connect with two chains, including an extra wee dangle. 
The fabric on the buttons is different - it's kind of weird that they don't match, but whatever. 

The back of the jacket has a sewn-on leather disc (why? this perplexes me) and a row of ruffled elastic (??!) along the back of the hem. The part I'm holding is the linen lining. 
I think I will remove that leather disc. There aren't any others on the jacket, for consistency, and I can see a little kitty discovering it and chomping down on it.  

The leather over-jacket is unlined, but nicely finished - it's butter-soft and is leather for sure, even though all the content tags have been removed. 
Showing two random D-rings on the inside of the jacket. Um, for securing my vintage pocket watch? I'm not sure why they are there. 
But they match the two on the back of the collar, which are joined by a chain. At least I can hang the jacket from this. 

This bizarre piece of clothing is by Boss by Hugo Boss. Based on the style, I strongly suspect this is from the late 90s or early 00s. 
It was marked at $75.00 but when I pointed out the condition issues, she gave it to me for $40.00, which I'm happy with. I will likely wear the jacket without the torn lining, but it's nice to have it. I might also replace the weird buttons and go full Steampunk Ringmaster (heh). 

From MONA, I went next-door to the Velvet Crease, and spent a peaceful hour and a half going through all the racks. I tried on a ton of stuff, but only ended up with two items. On the plus side, I really love both of them. 
This zebra print shirt appeals to me deeply (any animal print is rock & roll). I love the pattern, and it is cut really nicely, with a mandarin-style collar, and an almost-peplum at the bottom. 

The sleeves have tabs and buttons, and you can see that the wide bottom section has a slight flare. 
It looks really good on, which is the most important thing! 

You can see the linen weave here, confirmed on the tag. 
Hooray for machine washable! 

It's by Jones New York, and was $24.00. 
I'm excited to wear this. 

I hemmed and hawed over this jacket, but obviously, I gave in. 
That is gold silk, my friends. Such a great colour! 

The sleeves are slightly flared, and the big shawl collar is very Dramatic. 
It wraps across the body in front with the wide ties (I need to steam it out). 

I knew I'd find this tag.
Even the lining is silk! 

It's by Tangerine Jill, and I've had a love affair with this now-defunct local brand for over 10 years. 
It's always wonderful fabrics (mostly silk), bright colours and fairly simple construction, which is actually the drawback to this jacket. It doesn't have any buttons or snaps, so when it's on it works its way undone. I'll have to sew a couple of snaps in it - but that's easily done. I paid $52.00 for this, but it would have been over $200 new. 

And now, I have a VIC to take care of - that's a Very Important Cat, if you were wondering. 
"Finally, she's figured it out."


I hope you're all savouring your days and enjoying the little moments of calm. Tell me what your favourites are from my finds! Also, what's your style profile? Do you have more than one too? 

32 comments:

  1. Such a successful shopping trip! I can tell summer is drawing to an end soon for you with the recent jacket finds! that leather one is so unique I love the little details - shame the lining piece is ripped but it's nice you got both pieces together!

    I really like the first wear of that pretty skirt too - so nice with the white ruffles!

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    1. I know, my eyes are hunting out fall/winter things now, Mica! I love the leather jacket and am looking forward to playing with it, whether I wear the lining or not.

      Thank you so much! I felt awesome in it.

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  2. Proof of what I always say -- you can never have too many ruffles!

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    1. Ruffles are awesome, but I think it is possible to have too many. But not in this outfit! Thanks, Ally!

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  3. You ruffle queen. Very nice outfit. I love how your tatoes are showing.
    And that golden wrap blouse/jacket: oh my so lovely.
    Greetje

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    1. Heh heh, thank you, Greetje. I like showing my ink!

      It's very you, actually - I could see you wearing it. It might overwhelm me, but we shall see.

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  4. That skirt is styled to perfection, I love the ruffly top and the sandals with it!
    Some fab finds on your shopping trip, that Boss jacket is most intruiging and I love that spiky gate bracelet. I bet that Tangerine Jill jacket is going to look amazing on, everything you own with that label always does!
    I don't think I have a style profile, I buy what I like and always end up looking like a mad hippy throwback, a look I'm happy with!
    Lots of love to you, L and that VIC from me, Jon and The Lads! xxx

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    1. Thanks so much, Vix! I love the Boss jacket and the cool jewelry I found. I hope the gold jacket works - I'll likely wear it more like a jacket than a top.

      I'd call you Bohemian and Romantic - you don't seem to deviate from those too much.

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  5. I knew it wouldn't be long until you'd be wearing that skirt, and I was right. It looks perfect with the ruffled top, and that parasol is absolutely delightful.
    You are doing the right thing making the most of your days off while they last, and a mental health shop sounds the right thing to do too.
    And oh my, you've been shopping like a pro again! The jewellery you found is most delightful, and I'm very intrigued by the Boss jacket. Loving the zebra print shirt, but the Tangerine Jill jacket must be my favourite.
    I've never thought about my "style profile", to be honest, but I'm guessing I have more than one too. Wishing you a most wonderful weekend, Sheila! xxx

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    1. I couldn't wait, even though I had oodles of outfits lined up, Ann. Thank you!

      I know things will be changing soon, so taking advantage as much as I can. I found so fun things, didn't I? That gold jacket is such a cool statement!

      I'd say you have a classic Funky Vintage style, with touches of Romantic and English Country.

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  6. I echo Vix's comment that the skirt is styled to perfection. To my eye the outfit, complete with sandals and parasol, is the quintessential summer beach-with-a-boardwalk style, and it makes me smile as it evokes summer days. Usually am not a fan of uneven hem lines, yet this skirt looks super and the hem line is a plus! Looking forward to seeing how you style it for work.

    Ah, part of the beauty of your mental health shop is, like your mental health walks, you have time to do what suits you and be in the moment.

    The metal~green stone bracelet looks wonderful on your wrist; definitely a statement bracelet! I also like the NuWite silver bracelet; makes for some great imagining of who might have worn the bracelet and what their life might have been like in the 1920s or 30s. The cat pin is adorable (I like miniatures :-)) and this is the first time I've ever heard of or seen collar tips.

    Knowing you, the green duster will have a varied life in outfits and I look forward to seeing how you style it. As for the jacket and its liner, your description of all the parts made me think you are a Forensic Fashion Detective! I don't tend to wear animal prints but oo la la for linen! That redeems the print in my eyes. ;-) Not sure what I think of the gold silk jacket. The material is likely luscious but I'm not seeing it as part of an outfit and will rely entirely on what will eventually appear on your blog to fill in my lack of imagination!

    Hmm, my style profile…fit & flare dresses, tailored jackets (including jean jackets), overall tailored looks (only because they don't overwhelm my frame), leggings with skirts and dresses. Not sure this constitutes a profile!

    I might have asked this before (if so, egads do not recall your response!) but have you ever considered a 4-day work week? Would your company accommodate that?

    Hope you are staying cool! The Olympia forecast calls for a hot afternoon today and tomorrow. And hello to VIC from the two girls here, Frankie (older and wiser) and Gigi (a year younger and friskier), plus from Fred & Robin.

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    1. Oooh, Laurie, you spoil me with this huge, juicy comment! Thank YOU!

      I've had other uneven hemlines that annoyed me (they didn't seem deliberate), but as I mentioned in the previous post's response to your comment, I like "mullet" hems - they're great for restoring one's legs (good for those of us who are vertically challenged!) and showing off footwear.

      Isn't that a pretty bracelet and bangle? I love vintage pieces for that history. I don't usually do "cute" pins, but that one reminded me of Vizzini when he photobombs me. I have seen Western/cowboy collar tips, but never simple plain ones like these.

      L hated the duster, but it's a very functional piece that I think I will wear frequently, but we shall see. I might hate it! :-P Yes, I love doing the forensic detective work on clothes - that's my favourite part after buying something! I'm a big fan of animal prints (as you know), and I have come around on linen since getting a steamer. The gold jacket will likely be worn more as a jacket than as part of a full outfit - I can see it over gowns or other festive wear - but I will try to work it into a proper outfit, at least the first time I wear it.

      Classic Tailored, and Casual, sounds like you! Looking for commonalities in the things you love can help you see your preferences and help you narrow it down when you shop.

      I have discussed it with my boss many times in the past, that when I'm 55 (one more year!) I'd like to reduce my hours to 4 days a week. My company is very flexible with that kind of thing, but since I've missed 1.5 years of full income, I might push that back to 56 or 57. But it's the plan!

      It's not too bad here - our condo is fairly cool (if we avoid the deck in full sunlight) and we get that lovely cool breeze at night. Hello to the VICs in Olympia, and hi again to Fred and Robin! :) Big hugs to you, hon.

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    2. Your work plan sounds just right! I worked till 65 and negotiated a 4-day work week at 57; made a positive difference to my quality of life.

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    3. I know it's going to be good for me - and for my company too! They need to plan for my eventual retirement.

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  7. Hi Sheila, I love, love that mustard skirt. It's raining daisies! Your new amber bracelet is perfect with it too. You certainly had a successful shop - such unique and beautiful finds. Silk, linen, leather and tencel - great fabrics too. I really lean towards natural fabrics as they breathe and are all around more comfortable. I think my style profile is minimalist and simple. I am the polar opposite of you - my closet is full of black, white, beige and I am just expanding into more navy blue. You would find my closet very boring - but it works for me. I so enjoy seeing what you wear and how you put outfits together that I am vicariously fulfilling any of my colour and style requirements through you!

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    1. Thank you so much, Robyn, lol, it is raining daisies! Love that. Thank you - I had so much fun poking around for hours. I prefer natural fibres as much as I can find. Minimalism is great for a lot of people, but I really love variety. I'm glad you can vicariously enjoy the opposite side of the style spectrum.

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  8. My favourite is the gold silk jacket made in Vietnam. What a beauty! You always find great things shopping. I also love your outfit. The ruffled blouse and the maxi skirt are such a fab pairing.

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    1. It's really a gorgeous piece, Ivana. Thank you so much!

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  9. For me wearing that skirt with white is quite surprising as i think immediately of black. It looks very fresh. I tried my metal thread skirt, of last week, with a white blouse as you suggested and i was really surprised. Loved it! That golden silly jacket is absolutely gorgeous, I am a sucker for gold. Have a fantastic weekend!

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    1. I also thought of black, Nancy, but I really needed a top that wouldn't feel too hot. I am so glad you tried my suggestion and liked it! Thank you! You too!

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  10. I'm SWOONING over that first outfit. It's PERFECT! The ruffle top is SO pretty! It goes so beautifully with the skirt!
    I like your golden jacket best and the collar clips!
    My style profiles?
    Wafty hippy,
    Novelty Tat
    Wardrobe Zoo
    Preppy 50s
    and Comfy jumper girl!

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    1. Thanks so much, Kezzie! I love your profiles - it helps to figure out what we gravitate too, doesn't it?

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  11. Your ruffled outfit immediately made "Spain" pop into my head. Love it.

    I think my favourite items of all your wonderful new purchases are the lime greenstone spikey bracelet and the gold silk jacket.

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    1. I love that, thanks, Nana! I love those pieces too.

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  12. Oh, you outfit is gorgeous! It's so cool to see your ink, not to mention your lovely parasol. Very elegant, this! And more awesome finds! We used to have good second-hand stores here, but fast fashion has taken over in my neck of the woods, so I really have to drive a ways to find decent thrift and consignment stores. Doesn't stop me from trying, though...

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    1. Thank you so much, Rita! I am seeing more and more fast fashion in the stores here too, but fortunately, there is still lots of good stuff. Hang in there!

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  13. What a winning shopping trip! I enjoyed seeing the gorgeous treasures you scored so much that I reread that section of this post two more times. The collar tips are awesome! The remind me, in a way, of early to mid-20th century dress (and fur) clips.

    Sooo true about the challenges of having eclectic wardrobe tastes. That is a camp that I fall into big time as well (I like to refer to the different styles I adore and wear as "wardrobe personalities). While there are certainly some exceptions to this rule, one of my long standing tricks for helping to tie various styles together more is to stick with a somewhat general colour palette across the various styles. For me, as I madly adore these colours, that palette (more so in recent years) tends to heavily favour black, grey, burgundy, plum tones, red, white, and various autumnal hues.

    I realize this approach isn't for everyone, of course, but it works fabulously for me and lets some of my pieces more easily switch "genre teams", so to speak, from one eclectic category to the next. :)

    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. It was rather successful, lol, thank you! Yes, I get that vibe from the collar-tips too.

      I have seen bloggers who restrict their colour palette and have considered that - I gravitate to autumn/spring colours on the colour-wheel, so I may eventually do this.

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  14. love this excessively ruffled top with the fabulous skirt (it looks so comfy and swooshy and beautiful!) and love that you wore a parasol, so cool. I think I need one!, so much better than covering myself on sunscreen!.
    Great idea on focusing on your own 'style profiles' when shopping, it's something I Have To Do, as I'm easily distracted and sometimes buy things that are not 'me'. You're my Shopping Master, dear Sheila.
    Loving your bracelets and these collar tips, so amazing!
    And I'm admiring the Hugo Boss jacket (quality details!) and the stunning golden silk jacket (it looks so shiny and fabulous, I'm looking forward to see how you style it!)
    besos
    Love

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    1. I enjoy the movement of the ruffles - it adds another dimension to the outfit. I love using a parasol.

      Thank you - it's something I read on another site, and thought I could apply to help me narrow my style down a bit to something more cohesive.

      Thanks - I love what I found - but I need to sew snaps on that jacket.

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