Sunday, May 15, 2022

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Blue Plaid Brunch; Shop and Dinner in Roses; Book Club Blues

Welcome back, my friends! I hope your weekend has been full of sunshine, 'cause ours has been wet and grey for the most part. Ugh, when will it ever get sunny? 

I have three outfits to share with you today, and I indulged in a wee shop, so I have a couple of purchases as well to show off. Grab a cup of tea, and join me, won't you? 

I'm having to get creative with layering and digging out some of my spring/fall light sweaters in order to stay warm these days. This is what I wore for brunch at the Ruby with L on Saturday morning (no Ulti again this week, and Nick was busy), and to grocery shop afterwards.
Layers are the key - I have tights and a vintage slip on under this. 

  • Vest - Chiqle, thrifted; last worn here in March with plaid on a Mom-Day Adventure
  • Sweater - Tatyana, thrifted; last seen here in January with Best Leopard
  • Skirt - Vivienne Westwood Anglomania F/W 2011, consignment; last worn here in January with blue and yellow
  • Boots - Woodland East End, Fluevog; last seen here with this skirt in January

The green sweater is a vivid emerald green - you can see how gloomy it was indoors. 
The acid wash vest with pyramid studs is not vintage, but I like the element of badassery it adds.

I had several admirers of the skirt - it's almost an iridescent teal/navy in bright light. 
It is one of my second-hand treasures! Real designer Vivienne Westwood. 

Masked up - I'm still being cautious. 
The yellow leather jacket ties it all together. 

Add some more pattern, in the form of the scarf.
And a pop of colour with orange gloves. 

Done up. Note that I did not wear my sunnies, as the sun did not come out until later in the afternoon. Bah!
Small, useless pockets - grrrr. 

Accoutrements: 
I love this gorgeous thick silk scarf. 

  • Scarf - Forele, vintage, Lazy Susan's
  • Gloves - consignment
  • Mask - by Mom 

The stuff: 
I pulled all of the outfit colours from the boots - they are somewhat limiting for styling. I'll probably wear them with this skirt forever - this is the third time I've worn them together. 

Bold bling: 
Square things. 

  • Studded cuff - homegrown vintage, 90s
  • Bracelet - c. 1930s, vintage mall
  • Earrings - consignment
  • Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes
  • Chain silver ring - Taxco, Charmaine's

After grocery shopping, L and I split up - he met up with Nick, Greg and Arnold for drinks, and I decided to go shopping before meeting up with L for dinner downtown on Saturday night. 
I haven't worn this dress in forever, and it's easy enough to shop in. Plus, I love dressing up for a date with my sweetie!

  • Dress - Ted Baker, consignment; first worn here (2nd outfit) in September 2020 for Vero's outside birthday party
  • Shoes - Pegabo, thrifted; last seen here in August 2021 for another Mom-Day Adventure
  • Jacket (below) - Club Monaco, thrifted; last worn here in August 2021 for a walk with Betty

Isn't it pretty? It's a non-stretchy Ted Baker (good for standing, a bit snug for sitting), completely lined in neon orange. 
Before I decided to shop, I'd paired it with higher heels for dinner, but slotted them back and picked these flats for walking to the bus stop and then shopping for 2.5 hours. 

I have nylons on, although it got sunny in the afternoon. 
I knew it would be windy and chillier later - we live on the water, so there's always a breeze, even in summer (unless there's a heat dome, ugh). 

I appreciated the great print and the good quality of this dress. 
It had a few admirers too. 

But this is how most people saw me in stores - masked up. 
I tied a silk scarf at my neck for warmth, and layered this light jacket, a long-time favourite, going back at least 5-6 years. 

Incognito.
There were a lot of tourists downtown! It felt really weird. 

My long leather gloves kept my hands and arms warm. 
After a lovely dinner at Fiamo Italian restaurant, L and I bussed home. 

Accoutrements:
I'm happy at how much my bag works with in my wardrobe. 

  • Badass Bag - thrifted, illustrated by me
  • Scarf - Ralph Lauren, consignment
  • Gloves - consignment
  • Mask - by Mom

The stuff: 
These shoes are maybe a little too flat for me these days - I like about a 1" heel. But they are pretty! 

Mixed bling: 
Nothing matches, but everything goes! 

  • Bracelet - Stella & Dot, thrifted
  • Earrings - gift from Sherri
  • Brooch - vintage 60s, Mom's
  • Enamel/silver ring - antique store, Sidney
  • Gold/amethyst ring - Frances Jewelers, c. 1965, Dad's

I did a thorough browse in Flavour Upstairs, Vintage After Death and Duchess & Duke (check out all my favourite shops here). I found nothing in Flavour Upstairs, which is sadly, still disappointing - not very much stock, and some of the same things I saw the last time I was in (3 weeks-ish ago). 

I also struck out at Duchess & Duke - I very rarely find things there (too much fast fashion).

However, I did well at Vintage After Death, where I found this gorgeous turquoise shirt. 
It has big sleeves, tight cuffs, and although there are boob pockets, they aren't super-obvious.

I like this waistcoat-style tie for adjusting the fit in the back. 
The sides of the hem scoop up to splits on either side.

Lovely interior finishing. I'm swooning over these seams! The fabric is silk, and still retains a slight slub texture.
Check out the little sling with TWO spare buttons. CLASSY.

It's by Jim Thompson, and is made from 100% Thai silk in Thailand. Jim Thompson doesn't seem like a Thai name...let's see what the interwebz can tell me. Well! He was a real person, an American architect who became interested in costume design and textiles through the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. He worked for a precursor to the CIA, and ended up in Thailand where he discovered an enclave of weavers in Bangkok, and expanded to stores from there. (source here - worth reading, link 'cause I love, as always).

This is wild and would make a great movie/series:

On Sunday March 26th 1967, while holidaying in the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, Jim went for a walk and never returned. His disappearance triggered one of the largest search operations in the region, with 400 men dispatched to search. However, the body of Jim Thompson was never found.
Abounding theories surrounded his disappearance, ranging from kidnapping, assassination, tiger attacks and suggestions that he simply lost his way. While Jim Thompson may be synonymous with elegant silk, the name is equally well known for the legendary disappearance that continues to mystify to this day.

Crazy! 

Based on the style, I think this top is from the 90s.  I internally snorted that now I'm a size SS (Super Sheila?). 
I love VAD's descriptions on all of their clothes. "Minimalist Court Jester." It was originally, $30, then $23, then $15, and I found it on the sale rack for $5.00. Jim Thompson is still in business, and and still selling lovely silk clothing - long-sleeves solid colour women's tops by them are $181.00 USD. 

I gasped when I pulled this dress off the sale rack. What a lovely gown. 
The top is ecru in a satin-ish finish; the bottom is chocolate brown velvet. 

The waistband is beaded all the way around. It's fully-lined in cream polyester.
Not a big fan of the light-coloured zipper showing - I will touch that up with a brown felt-tipped marker. 

Here's a look at the beading - it's all immaculate, not a loose thread or missing bead. I bet this dress was maybe only worn once and has been sitting in a closet for decades. 
Some of the bugle beads are discoloured inside, due to age. 

I suspected this was mid-60s, based on the style, and this label actually confirms that it has to be 1966 or later - that's when these washing symbols were introduced. 
The label is in German. "Polyester Faser" means polyester fibre. I'm pleased to see that it's washable! 

What a label! Plutina Pflegeleicht, Diolen Aupart? Plutina is the brand, likely German, and they seem to have been around from the 1960s into the 80s? There is very little on the internet, just a few vintage listings. Pflegeleicht means "easy care" - love it. Diolen is a synthetic fabric (made from plastic) that originated in Germany sometime in the 1950s. 
So although our "Queen of the Woods" gown is noted on the price tag as a cotton blend, it's actually polyester and Diolen. Can you believe I snagged this for $33.00? Marked down from $65.00 - what a score! I modeled it for the proprietor who took a couple of pictures of me - it was a lull in the shop, and it's fun to show off a garment that works out. This dress is a perfect fit, but I need some sort of Heads of State ball to wear it to! 

After a quiet evening of board games, chilling with Vizzini and generally just hanging out and having a fun time with L, we slept in Sunday morning. We had a leisurely breakfast, and then I got ready for Book Club at Mindy's in the afternoon. 
We weren't sure if we'd be sitting outside, so I picked clothes and shoes in case of that. 

  • Long cardigan - Ports, vintage 80s, consignment; last seen here in September 2021 for a Mental Health Shop
  • Sweater - Tatyana, thrifted; last worn here in January with a slip dress and crochet
  • Skirt - Anna Sui, thrifted; last seen here in March with these same boots
  • Boots - Official Sabado, Fluevog; last worn here (2nd outfit) in April for a pub gathering with friends

We ended up staying indoors - we even had the fireplace on! It's been a chilly and rainy day, with intermittent torrential downpours.
I did not take the long cardi off at all. 

I love this 100% wool cardigan - it's just gorgeous, very thick and luxe. 
The skirt is thin, but I have a pair of sporty shorts on underneath, over my lacy tights. 

So blue. 
Cat picked me up and we joined Ciara at Mindy's house. Unfortunately, we were down three of our regulars: Janaki (sick), Carolyn (her son's b-day), and Yvonne (back east). We were able to Zoom with Janaki to share our thoughts on her book (it was her pick) - hooray for technology! 

I tied my scarf around my head in case I had to stand outside and wait for Cat. 
But she was early, so I dumped it around my neck. 
It was so wonderful to catch up and chat books. 

Accoutrements: 
I took my mask, but did not wear it. 

  • Badass Bag - thrifted, embellished by me
  • Gloves - consignment
  • Scarf - Fluevog
  • Mask - by Mom

The stuff: 
I love these boots so much.

Blue/turquoise bling: 
The stone necklace warms to my skin - it's very heavy. 

  • Necklace - vintage mall, gift from L
  • Eelskin bracelet - vintage 80s, thrifted (but likely used to be mine from the 80s). 
  • Gemstone bracelet - Salt Spring Island, gift from L
  • Fulvia Ring/lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes
  • Earrings - local

Vizzini's all worn out from the weekend and found himself a new sleeping spot. 
"Snerk - what do you want, Woman?"


I lined the top of his bedroom post with an old cashmere cardigan (I cut the sleeves off for arm-warmers). It smells like me and is so soft. 
"Sigh, always bothering me..."


And now, off to chill out and enjoy the last hours of the weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by! 


19 comments:

  1. Hi Sheila
    I always read your blog but rarely comment
    I love how you play with colours- your combinations are similar I think to how an artist pulls together an image/theme/painting
    You look amazing
    I, as a larger woman , hide in a black wardrobe. With some bright jewellery
    Maybe I should experiment and try to emulate you
    Thank you for your inspiring blog
    Siobhan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, thank you so much, Siobhan! I encourage you to wear colour - it can be very therapeutic. :)

      Delete
  2. There's those blue boots. I had a feeling your title might make way for head to to blue clothing and accessories. Your shopping/ dinner dress is gorgeous. Sad story about Mr Thompson.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm sorry to hear the sun is still being conspicuous in her absence where you are. I think you got all the rain and we got all the sunshine, which somehow isn't right.
    I love the pairing of your boots with the Vivienne Westwood skirt and that gorgeous yellow leather jacket, and you're looking very va-va-voom in your Ted Baker dress!
    My favourite, however, is Sunday's book club outfit. Loving all the cobalt blue textures and that skirt is delightful.
    Swooning over that 1960s Diolen gown, which definitely needs a posh party! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Being a lover of color and patterns, it's no surprise that your Ted Baker dinner dress and your book club outfit hit all the high notes! I thoroughly enjoy the colors, patterns and shapes of both outfits and, in my humble opinion ;-), the two outfits are made to order for you in how wonderfully they fit and flatter.

    Sounds lovely to have had dinner out with L. :-) Also special to gather with your buddies for book club. Numbers are spiking here again :( so we return to being cautious.

    If hearing about other's people's closet clean outs makes you smile, then perhaps this paragraph will help balance the erratic spring weather in Victoria. Yesterday I finished cleaning and reorganizing my small closet! I do a pile or two, or a series of hanging items at a time, each necessitating an equivalent set of actions in my storage bin or closet for seasonal clothes. Even went through my shoes! The process feels liberating! I managed to fill one large bag that will eventually be donated.

    The best part - as of yesterday I have recommitted myself to wearing every piece in the closet at least once and...drum roll...NOT wearing my scruffy sweat pants as an easy out! All this is due to years of reading your blog and continuing to inspiration from your posts. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Way to go, Laurie!! I love this commitment to yourself!

      Delete
    2. Thanks, Sheila! You and your blog have provided inspiration and were (and continue to be) a cheerleader for the process!

      Delete
  5. Sounds like a nicely chilled weekend but shame about the weather. We had a couple of days like that recently. Lovely outfits as always; the blue Fluevog boots are amazing and looked fab with those tights. Wonderful finds. I remember those type of posh frocks from the 60s - when will you wear it and will you show us how it looks on you - fab I bet! The silk blouse was a brilliant find and what an interesting history behind the label. Loved the blue stone beads that warm up on your skin...
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've no idea when I'll be able to wear that dress - it's so posh! Maybe early on for a party, and then change into something more danceable later, Vronni?

      Delete
  6. How wonderful to find a garment with such an interesting history behind it! As always, you inspire me with your ability to style so artistically.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Blue is such a great colour on you Sheila! I totally love those blue lace up boots and did like the idea of adding shorts underneath a thin skirt to keep warm. The elegant gown was a top find for you and again another great idea to colour in the bottom of the zip! The story of the guy disappearing would make a good film or book at least. Sounds like you've had a lovely chilled weekend x

    ReplyDelete
  8. You have so much fun with your clothes. I just wonder every time you post what you will come up with.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ok... I just don't know where to start with these looks; one better than the next! So let's satrt with the first that had me retrieving my jaw from the floor: That VW Anglomania skirt - WHAT?? I would wear those boots and skirt until my death!! Wow! Then came the floral dress- beautiful...but it's what you did with the scarf and light jacket- and you didn't stop there- gloves! Ok then Jacqi O. I'm also all over tht turquoise shirt and I did hear about that! No one really knows how he disappeared- what a story, and what a find! The last look though is sper eclectic and I wanna wear this! Those blue boots are everything. Plus I have those same tights in that same colour! I always forget who they're from so I can tag her on Instagram...? They came in a pack i believe- yellow and fuschia ones too. Oh Sheila your looks are so inspiring. Have a great week my friend! xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oooh! A Vivienne Westwood skirt! What a find!

    Wow, Jim Thomson had a wild life! I love hearing stories like this!

    Love all the blues!

    Vizzini is so cute! I mean handsome!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I honestly can't pick a favourite outfit in this post! I love that first skirt and the last outfit I'm really liking as it's nearly cardigan weather here - autumn started getting quite wet and cold! That beautiful beaded dress you got was such a good find and I can't wait to see how you wear that teal top!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love your plaid skirt (Vivienne Westwood rocks!) with that cool boots and yellow jacket!, such a magnificent ensemble! love that badass touch!
    Always admiring your great finds, particularly that velvet&satin dress!
    And so lovely outfit in blues with the fantastic blue boots! (every time I see them I have to remind to myself I don't need high boots) Love the lace tights and miniskirt and the blue cardi and fab accessories (particularly your bag, so versatile!).
    besos

    ReplyDelete
  13. Not that further proof was needed (this being a longstanding and well established fact), but if ever more credence was required to convey that you are the Unrivaled Style Queen the fact that precious little V now gets to lounge on a cashmere cardigan is unequivocally it. :D

    Awesome outfits (and finds!) one and all. My alt fashion adoring heart will never, ever get tired of seeing that stunning VW skirt. What an extraordinary garment.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love the Ted Baker dress and the black jacket for outdoors. But the first outfit is more the Sheila know.
    Vizzini is a spoilt cat...cashmere bed...tsss.
    Greetje

    ReplyDelete

Comments are so incredibly special, and I love them and hug them and treasure them forever. Please feel free to tell me what you think!

I'm not currently able to respond to comments, but I will make every effort to answer questions. I do read every single one, and appreciate your comments.

Please note that comments containing affiliate links spam-y sites, spam comments and anything I deem inappropriate will be deleted.

Cheers,
Sheila