Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Friday Sequins and Squares; Brunch Orange (and a 5-Minute Shop); Disco Queen at Penny's

Welcome back, my friends! What a fun weekend we've had! Friday was a busy work day, but Saturday brought brunch, a wee shop, and I put on my Big Girl Pants and went to a party full of strangers (how very unlike me!). 

First up, Friday. I always encourage folks to wear whatever gives them joy, and that includes sequins!

This Lichtenstein-inspired cardigan has a face/lips on one side - the lips are fully sequined. 

• Cardigan - Desigual, consignment; first worn here in April with my Mondrian skirt
• Top - Vince Camuto, thrifted; first seen here in April with black and white 
• Skirt - Tangerine Jill, thrifted; purchased here for $9.95
• Shoes - Ishshoes Zoomies, Fluevog; last worn here (2nd outfit) in June with a sailboat dress

With a few weeks left in my closet season, I'm rewearing some of my favourite pieces acquired over the past months, and making sure I REALLY love them. 

I liked how this awesome graphic sweater (all intarsia knit, not printed) worked with the squares of red silk on the skirt. It's a keeper.

I wore the cardigan zipped for most of the day.

It took me hours to catch up on the emails from being off for a week, but the office was dead, so...win? 

Womp-womp, boring back, classic Desigual. At least the sleeves are cool.

The skirt is just gorgeous quality - I noticed in wearing it that the lining is a good 4 inches shorter than the outer layer (silk chiffon, with raw silk squares), which means you can notice the sheerness of the chiffon.

I took the cardigan off a couple of times when I overheated - we had temps up to 30! 

And people are saying summer is over...I scoff! 

Incognito. 

I picked up Vizzini's medication refills on the way home and the pharmacists loved my outfit. 

The stuff: 

My white wedges will be packed away for fall/winter - they are incredibly comfy with a very squishy all-rubber heel. 

Bold bling: 

The lightning bolts are made from balsa wood - very light! 

• Striped bangles - consignment
• Bakelite bracelet - vintage 60s, vintage mall, gift from L
• Silver/enamel ring - antique shop, Sidney
• Silver/jasper ring - thrifted
• Earrings - consignment, Sidney

The NFL season is underway (yes, I watch - go, Carolina Panthers! They are terrible, but they're mine), so after half-watching the Friday night game, L and I hung out, listening to music and playing boardgames. 

I also hung up my new art acquisitions. I'm one of those people who plasters things all over. 

The crow is right at the front door, next to the "Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy" sign (from our Bond Villains party back here in 2018), the eye from our "Men In Black" pandemic ode (hilarious, here), and my treasure map from this past year's Victoria Film Festival (here). 

And the poppy painting is on the corner of the hall wall, as we come out of the den and bedroom. 

L is rooting through his shoe closet for his green shoes. 

We were up early on Saturday to meet up with Nick for brunch. 

I like the freedom of weekends, to just play around and wear what feels right. I hadn't gotten in my annual wearing of this bright orange jumpsuit yet, so no time like the present. 

• Jumpsuit - Kensie, consignment; last worn here in May 2023 with Limbo'd floral shoes
• Sandals - Sol Sana; last seen here with my Firecracker dress in June 2021(!!)

I still have some backwards hangers in my closet, so I need to knuckle down and get those things worn! 

This is a lovely jumpsuit, although stripping down to my underwear to use the bathroom is never going to be high on my list of favourite things. 

The ties at the waist are attached.

I criss-cross them around the back and tie 'em in front. 

That white stripe on my back is the zipper. Every time I wear this and see the "back" pictures, I rail at the choice to put a white zipper in an orange jumpsuit.

I mean, seriously? I've coloured it with an orange highlighter so it's much less noticeable, but I know it's there. 

Oh, the drama! I'm ready to drive to town in Vlad the Jag with the top down. 

I had a party to go to that night - mustn't mess up my hair! 

I attempted to feather it (as we did back in the 70s/80s), but my hair refuses to take a curl. 

My silk scarf lived on the purse while I wasn't being driven about. 

Accoutrements: 

This purse barely holds my phone. 

• Leather purse - Zara, consignment
• Butterfly scarf - vintage, consignment

I liked the pops of yellow and pink - it kept my outfit from looking too Hallowe'en-ish (although I just sent out the invite for our October party, so I'm definitely thinking of it!).

The stuff: 

And why have I not worn these shoes in three years?? Yes, they are high, but they're easy to walk in and very comfortable. I had issues with Toe last year...and we were in a pandemic, but still. Must make more of an effort to remember that there are shoes in my closet above eye level. 

Matchy bling: 

Some favourite things.

• Brass/gem cuff - Loren Hope, consignment, Sidney
• Fang bangle - Alexis Bittar, consignment, Sidney
• Silver earrings - Israeli, consignment
• Steel/Lucite ring - Calvin Klein, thrifted
• Silver/crystal ring - Soul Flower

As L and Nick were paying up after lunch, I dashed next door to the Beacon Ave Thrift Store for a 5-minute shop.

And what is this mass of silvery sparkliness?

It was actually $4.00, as all pink/boutique tags were half price. 

If you guessed a dressy turban, you were right! 

I needed this, right? Enjoy a peek at my messy closet (and don't look at my Klassy bra straps). 

I also found this amazing black blazer.

It has a very high stance, with three gold metal buttons (good "lock & load"). 

I LOVE that there are two more at the small of the back. 

A nice detail. Two more buttons on each cuff. 

Oh, one of the front buttons is missing. 

No spares, but I will probably just trim up the threads and leave it buttonless. 

And what's this, smack in the middle of the back?

Dammit! I curse the moths! 

But I can - and will - fix this.

Never do what I do, kids. 

I totally felt-penned the inside lining (which is light grey) so that it doesn't show as a light dot.

Moth-holes are like wrinkles - we can try to stave them off as long as we can, but they are relentless and inevitable. May as well roll with it. 

I found a label on the inside of the lower lapel. 

No hits for this (obvious) vintage brand. I suspect a Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal origin. 

On one seam is a hand-written tag! You don't see that every day. I think 9637.19 is code for "wool" - it feels like 100% wool (the moths can confirm), and it's thick yet supple, like men's suiting.

I bet this was a custom order - maybe "Patrol" was the customer's name. It's a 14 T (tall - the sleeves are long, so I'll roll them up), but fits like a modern size 10, so it's pre-Great Size Shift of the mid-80s.

Made in Canada.

And it was $9.00, a bargain for a good-quality blazer. 

I found this top by feel - it's 100% silk, even though the labels have all been removed.

It had a silk tie in the same fabric - I undid it to test the seam-to-seam for sizing, and it must have slipped off in the store, as it was not attached or in my bag when I got home. Boo! 

I added a thin black grosgrain ribbon, and I like how that looks. 

Unfortunately, the top is too small in the boobular region, so off to Limbo it goes. 

For $6.00, though, so not complaining.

I'll be able to resell this for double - more shopping money! 

L was invited to friend Penny's birthday party on Saturday night, a "dress up in dance clothes" costume party. He would normally go to it solo (I don't know her that well - stranger danger!), but this time I said I would come. I enjoy a costume/dress up event (um, duh), and I had the perfect thing to wear.

Did someone say "disco"? You know I had this Dancing Queen dress in my gown archive! 

• Dress - no label, vintage 70s, thrifted; last worn here in March 2020 in a hilarious skit that L and I put on at the start of the pandemic
• Shoes - Lucky Brand; last seen here as bookends for hot pink in August
• Rabbit fur shrug (below) - Bebe, vintage, consignment; last worn and Flashbacked here in May 2021 for Mom's birthday celebration, in a tutu!

Although I wore this dress for a bit of silliness during the pandemic, I haven't REALLY worn it since February 2019 for the 25th Anniversary VFF opening Gala (here, enjoy!).

The party was fun, even though I only knew a few people - I chatted with the ones I knew (hello, Diana, Terry and Suzanne!), and met some lovely folks (Ginny and Ken, Erin and Stu) and had some good discussions. 

Everyone showed up in costume, but most of them had rentals from Langham Court Theatre's costume trove. 

Not many people can create theme costumes from their closets. 

There was a huge spread of food, lots of beverages, and a DJ and dancing on the tennis court under the hazy skies. I'm sure the neighbours appreciated Nine Inch Nails' "Closer" blasting at top volume, heh. 

At times, I felt overwhelmed among mostly strangers. I hid out in the kitchen - I made an extensive Zentangle doodle for Penny and left it on a windowsill for her to find - and chatted with two "Grease"-themed gentlemen about Kubrick movies. 

The party started early and ended early - L and I cabbed home before midnight. I thanked my earlier self for bringing my little fur shrug, as it got quite chilly later on.

Overall, I was glad I'd worked up the nerve to go - the only regrets in life I want to have are for the things I DIDN'T do. 

I played with my make-up, adding lots of pearlized shine (hard to see here, sorry), and winged eyeliner. I'm wearing contacts so that I could wear my armour sunglasses all night.

I again tried to feather my hair, and it still didn't hold, so I pinned the worst up and behind my head with a snake clip - see it in the mirror? I had so much volumizing spray and hairspray that I woke up with quite a crispy head.

Ready to party! 

Rock on! Let's go! 

Accoutrements: 

I loved being able to give my vintage 30s purse an outing. It's a metal mesh with fabric liner, and Bakelite/celluloid handle/frame.

• Purse - Whiting & Davis, vintage 30s, vintage fair
• Python belt - Leather of the Sea, vintage 80s, thrifted
• Sunglasses - vintage 70s, had since c. 1995

It's also been years since I wore those sunglasses, picked up in the same store as L's lion pendant (as seen below) and the gold/amber ring I frequently wear. Not high-quality, but fun vintage. The sunnies have a crack in one frame, so I'm careful with them. 

The stuff: 

I stood around a lot and danced some, and these sandals were perfectly comfy. 

Snake bling: 

I had a lot of fans of my snake necklace and cuff. The cuff is the same maker as my bag, but totally different eras.

• Cuff - Whiting & Davis, vintage 70s, vintage fair
• Necklace - vintage 80s, vintage expo
• Snake hair clip - Red Sky, local
• Lapis lazuli ring/Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes
• Gold hoops - 5th anniversary gift from L

L looked amazing in his zoot suit, bought 25+ years ago in Seattle (he also has a dark green plaid one). This is just the vest/pants combo. 

He had to raid his fall/winter wardrobe for one of his vintage disco shirt, and that's the aforementioned lion-head pendant. Rock on, my love! 

We've got the disco blues! 

Such a dapper couple. Folks at the party loved that we'd just shopped our closets. 

Once we got outside, L realized that his blue patent Fluevogs were the wrong shade of blue. Oh no! It's a crime against shoe-manity! He quickly ran inside and changed to his blue/green floral 'Vogs. 

With the oversized Zoot Suit jacket. You can't see it, but he has an 8-track cassette belt buckle on too.

Dance like there's no tomorrow! 

Thanks so much for visiting, my friends!  I'm ever grateful to have you along for the ride.