Welcome back, my friends! I've had a busy weekend - it's like the Before Times! We did brunch, took a look at the one-day Fluevog Sample Sale (um, I may have bought some shoes), went to a garden party for a friend's birthday, and I took my colleague Lindsay shopping on Sunday. Whew! I haven't had a weekend this packed in a couple of years.
Grab a cup of whatever libation you prefer, and join me!
Our Ultimate Frisbee season was supposed to start this weekend, but we didn't have enough affirmative responses to play, so L and I joined Nick for brunch at the Ruby.
Since we were in the neighbourhood, after brunch we popped down to Lower Johnson Street to check out the Sample Sale at Fluevog. Oh, it was a doozy!
- Jumpsuit - Zara, consignment; last worn here in July 2021 with copper stuff
- Shoes - Groovy Aubrey, Fluevog; last seen here in March with a statement skull scarf
- Coat (below) - Kimchi Blue; last worn here in October 2021 for brunch
I love this jumpsuit - it's fun to wear and I like the dark floral pattern.
I am always surprised that it's Zara.
I have a plain black cami on under it - that's a deep slash in the back.
Since I knew I'd be trying on shoes at Fluevog, I had to wear a pair of their shoes that I could slip off and on.
Outerwear - we had a sunny but windy day.
Perfect for the faux fur of the Yeti jacket to waft in the breeze.
Accoutrements:
- Gloves - consignment
- Mask (not shown) - by Mom
I was in a hurry in the morning, so no picture of the outerwear bits.
The stuff:
Such comfy shoes! In addition to standing in line at the Ruby for 30 minutes (Victoria's big 10K race was this weekend, back after 2 years, and the city was full of people), we also stood in line outside the Fluevog store for another half hour, as they limited the number of people in the store to 20 at a time.
Orange bling:
Old favourites.
- Belt - vintage 80s, thrifted
- Orange plastic cuff/ring - Italian, vintage 60s, vintage mall
- Wooden earrings - vintage expo
- Brown bangles - vintage, Lazy Susan's
- Hinged bangles - thrifted
- Steel/Lucite ring - Calvin Klein, thrifted
Yes, L and I both bought shoes at Fluevog! We'd been to a sample sale many years ago at their Granville, Vancouver store, but this was a whole 'nother ball-game. They had HUNDREDS of pairs of shoes, not just in the main sample sizes (women's size 7, men's size 10), but in every size. Some of them were obviously deadstock (unsold new pairs) from past seasons, and some were new!
L bought two pairs of lace-up brogues - one in tones of blue, and a plainer pair in black. Regardless of regular retail, all shoes were $179.00, all ankle boots were $199.00 and all tall boots were $249.00, for both men's and women's (many of their styles are gender-neutral anyway).
These mid-calf boots are a limited edition colourway of the Jubilee Gladstone boots, released for pre-order in December 2020 for the 50th anniversary of Fluevog (press release
here, all links 'cause I love).
These originally retailed for $449.00, but were $199.00. Such a deal!
There were tons of these, so I guess that anniversary edition wasn't a huge seller in December 2020.
Not many folks were looking for velvet and brocade plush bronze boots in the middle of the pandemic, unfortunately.
If the fabric on these looks familiar, it's because I have these shoes
here in the same material.
That's a very comfy heel - these immediately felt like I'd owned them for years.
They came with a pair of brown laces, but I prefer the custom black and gold JF woven laces.
That's a nice rubber sole.
Beautiful detail on the grommet.
"Let's be thankful." You can see the rich texture of the fabric there - yes, the pink is soft fluffy velvet!
I'd admired these shoes online years ago, but it never really got to the point where I had to have them - I don't think I ever tried them on.
I seldom buy plain black shoes - you know me, if I'm going to have a pair of black shoes, they'd better be special!
In addition to the leather/patent uppers and triple adjustable buckles, these slingbacks have a surprise heel.
Wow! These are called the Estefan Entity, and they retailed for $539.00, then got marked down to $239.00 (they currently show as sold out online, but this is the original link
here).
The heel and plate attaching it to the last are metal.
The cantilevered heel doesn't look stable, but it's perfectly balanced - this isn't tippy or insecure at all.
A signature on the sole.
The white bits are where I peeled the size sticker off (poorly).
"Celebrate your independence."
I will!
These had a sticker inside - they're from the spring/summer 2020 collection.
These were $179.00.
To my utter shock, my new boots were in the sample sale!!
They are identical to my blue Official Sabado boots (pic
here), purchased at full price with $600 in gift cards (and I still paid extra on top of that!).
I guess they over-ordered the black ones, or underestimated the demand for them?
I was dubious, but L encouraged me: "You're going to regret it if you don't buy those."
For $249.00, regular $649 (they are still for sale at full price online,
here)?
Of course, I bought them! He was totally right.
Flush with our whirlwind of chaos in the store (it was seriously NUTS - people were buying dozens of pairs at a time!), L popped into Ditch Records for Record Day, and I had a quick browse in Dots.
This silver/black/grey skirt appealed to me.
It's sequined and then printed with a random animal pattern over the sequins.
It was made in Italy.
It's by Lauren Vidal, and was marked down to $9.99.
Regular retail would have been $172.50. Even if I only wear this a couple of times, it's a deal.
I've seen a few fashionistas doing the padded shoulder top, a reappearing trend in the past year.
This shiny top will be a good neutral with some of my fancier skirts.
It was $25.99.
The colour is champagne - it reads as both gold and silver.
It's by Culture.
It will be useful.
With not even enough time for a nap after our exhausting day of standing in line and shopping, we got ready to go to Mac and Petra's place for Mac's birthday party.
We weren't quite sure what to expect, but dressed up. Of course, I had to wear a pair of my new Fluevogs!
- PANK jacket - Gap, consignment, Vancouver; last worn here in February with a pouffy skirt
- Blouse - Tatum & Olivia, consignment; last seen here earlier this month with a profesh look
- Skirt - Ralph Lauren, consignment; last worn here in January with pink and brocade
- Boots - Jubilee Gladstone; purchased above for $199.00
With the jacket off (and my bra straps exposed).
We spent the entire early-to mid-evening outside, and I was FREEZING - I did not take my jacket off.
Swooshing my bronze pleated silk skirt.
"Wait, you're going out again?"
I layered a vintage slip under all of this and wore nylons.
The jacket is wool, but thin.
My boots were a hit.
As usual, L and I were the most dressy of everyone there.
Incognito. At the last minute, I added my silk Fluevog scarf and a pair of cashmere-lined leather gloves.
I ended up wearing them all night.
Since the event started early, we decided to drive over - I quickly changed to my Movie Star Wrap.
It's top-down weather for our convertible!
Accoutrements:
- Scarf - Fluevog
- Gloves - Danier
The stuff:
I wore workout socks, but my feet were still frozen. These boots were overall excellent, though - so comfy, and that is a really easy and sturdy heel.
Gold bling:
- Belt - Club Monaco, thrifted
- Necklace - Givenchy, vintage 80s, vintage fair
- Earrings - thrifted
- Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes
- Gold/amethyst ring - Frances Jewelers, c. 1965, Dad's
After a lovely catered dinner out in our friends' backyard, we huddled around fire pits with blankets. By 9:30pm, we were tired and cold, so left early to come home, warm up and play boardgames. We both reeked of wood-smoke.
On Sunday, I was up bright and early to meet up with my work-friend, Lindsay, for a shop at the big WIN store downtown.
Of course, I had to wear my new boots! They're amazing!
- Sweater - Bleu Grey, thrifted; last worn here in February layered
- Skirt - Tatum & Olivia, consignment; last seen here in September 2021 with red leopard
- Boots - Original Sabado, Fluevog; purchased above for $249.00
- Coat - Danier Leather; last worn here earlier this month
I didn't take my leather coat off at all, but here's a look at the outfit anyway.
I have a couple of plain black sweaters, specifically for busy skirts like this. They're just handy.
The skirt itself is silk, and all those lines are actually strips of fabric that are woven and then stitched down over a black lining.
It's weirdly very large in the waist, so I have the sides safety-pinned. Klassy!
I walked home like this - it was 13 degrees out!
I like non-bulky layers when I shop so that they don't get in the way.
Masked up - WIN requests them, and I'm happy to comply.
I can't stop looking at my boots. They make me so happy. I'm gonna wear these until I'm 90!
Done up.
I walked downtown like this.
Incognito.
I've been using my Badass Bag all weekend.
Accoutrements:
Small pieces that I can stash in my purse while I shop.
- Scarf - fake Louis (Lewis!) Vuitton, thrifted
- Gloves - Danier
- Mask - by Mom
The stuff:
A+, Best Black Boots ever!
I arrived at Women In Need (WIN) early, and pawed through all the purses, scarves, jewelry and vintage sections before Lindsay got there. She is shifting to working at home, so needed things to fit that lifestyle. We spent an hour and a half going through things, pulling items out for her feedback, and refining what she liked/disliked. We ended up with a Banana Republic tweed moto-style jacket, a pair of cropped leggings, a pair of casual shoes, about 4 tops, a tunic, two dresses and a big fluffy red bathrobe, all for $150.00 total. She was thrilled and it felt so good to help her find all these things that she will actually wear and enjoy.
I did find a few things for myself, of course!
While the colour (taupe) is a little on the bland side for my taste, this is a gorgeous purse.
It's a good size, and tucks under my arm against my body well. I always appreciate an external pocket - good for keys or a bus ticket.
I usually do a cross-body bag for my daily use, so I might end up decorating this and giving it away.
The bottom.
It's a good size, will hold a lot. The inside has the usual two small pockets and a zippered pocket for your wallet.
Oh, it's Danier.
And yup, it is real leather, lovely, thick and supple.
For $24.95? That is dirt cheap for a good quality leather bag!
Danier's bags are in the $200+ range.
As always, I comb the jewelry section.
This metal and enamel cuff caught my eye. I like the red - this will go with a lot.
It's rather roughly made. I'm guessing it's a tourist piece from India - Vix, do you concur?
It was only $7.95.
It looks good on.
I'll keep it until I find an upgrade.
I am not usually drawn to gold chains, or gold-tone, as the case may be.
But this has nice weight and I like the link pattern. It's long enough to loop twice around my neck for a short double-chain look.
And it's stamped "Monet", so I know it's good quality costume jewelry, likely from the 70s or 80s, based on the chain style.
About Monet
here (a good history of the brand). This was also $7.95.
I found a nice silk black and red scarf (one of my favourite colour combos).
It's a long narrow scarf - I like the paisley pattern, which is one of those ageless prints that never looks dated.
This was only $6.95 and is by Anne Klein.
The content tag is missing, but I'm sure it's silk. The edges are machine-stitched and the style is 80s, so it's likely vintage.
I spotted this scarf in a bin while we were in line to pay. I love the black, white and yellow mix.
Toes for scale.
I noted right away that it's intended to be worn as a triangle, with two options.
This is the "yellow-forward" option, where the yellow is the dominant colour.
The opposite side is black-forward.
The yellow is only a highlight colour here. Neat!
This was only $8.95, and still has its tag, noting that it's 100% silk and made in Italy.
You can see the good quality of the print - it's crisp on both sides of the scarf. The edges are also hand-rolled and sewn. This is likely from the 1960s.
I bought a sweater for wearing around the house.
It's a thick ribbing and very stretchy. I love the uneven edges all over - even on the sleeve cuffs.
I knew L would say it looks like a straightjacket in the back (he did).
I wouldn't wear this style in my "in public" clothes, but I like it for around the house.
It's by Cabi, which is a good quality brand, and it's 100% cotton, so it will wear and wash well.
The punch in the tag means it was half price, so $12.48.
Another pair of leggings - what's getting into me?
These are also for around the house (weekends only). They are a thick faux leather - they feel like butter-soft suede.
They're by Catherine Malandrino, which I know is an expensive brand.
I'm sure they were more than $7.48, which is what I paid.
As we can't try things on, I took a risk on these wine-coloured Boss Lady pants.
They are extremely swooshy, have pockets, a high waits and a sash belt.
A better look.
The colour is pretty close to that.
They are by Contemporaine, and were only $8.48.
Happily, they fit, but they're about 6 inches too long, so they're in the "to hem" pile, which I should dig into one of these days.
I'm going to go give Vizzini some lap-time (he's been pawing at me for attention). And how was your weekend?
Instead of slouching to town in my house clothes, I made an effort and put on the next best thing: my red leopard denim suit. 
I layered the long black vest for badassery and extra pockets.
All this red made me feel better, more confident and in charge. I'm faking it from the outside in. 
With two negative tests under my belt, I'm safer than many of the people I saw, although I didn't interact face-to-face with anyone. 
Just enough to dash out and come home again and hide from the world. 
The shiny sneakers are my spring/summer walking-to-work shoes; back into the closet they go. 
