Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Friday's Funky Neutrals; "Aged to Perfection" Burlesque Dress-Up; Sporty Tweed Brunch and a Wee Shop

Welcome back, my friends! It's been a lovely mix of busy times and quiet interludes...just the way I like it. I have outfits and shopping finds to share, so grab a drink and get settled.

Let's start with Friday's work outfit, another pre-planned post-Swap-Over ensemble. I'm leaning into an architectural element in this. Warning: my building may be rather askew.

Ugh, I hate the darker mornings. 

• Vest - Sun Kim, thrifted; purchased here for $24.95
• Blouse - Cos, thrifted; last worn here (3rd outfit)
• Skirt - Oska, thrifted; first seen here in February for a jaunt to Powell River
• Boots - United Nude, consignment; last worn here (2nd outfit) in April with an all-neutral look
• Raincoat (below) - Ilse Jacobsen; last seen here in September

Woke up to torrential downpours.

A very blurry view of the Castle. You could hear the rain splattering on the trees. 

I built this outfit around the new-to-me vest, which made that "zip zip" noise like rustling track pants when I swished it around.

And yes, there was swooshing. I layered my favourite white shirt of the moment under it - this shirt has a peplum in the back, but I didn't take the vest off at all to show it.

Lovely pockets! Nice and big, perfect. 

The skirt is destined to be a fast favourite. It's pleated here and there and reminds me of crumpled tissue paper. 

Interesting back detail. 

Matching the back of the boots! 

Done up, although I didn't wear it like this, except under my coat or when I was outside.

More pocket showing off action. 

I didn't want to wear an additional coat.

But I had to wear the Rain Pickle due to...RAIN.

I was delighted to see the skies clear and gorgeous warm sunshine beaming down by the time I left the office. I scrunched the Pickle up in my bag (it does collapse up quite small).

Incognito and feeling tres chic. Oui, oui! 

Accoutrements: 

I noticed that my new-to-me gloves went perfectly with all the funky neutrals. They got soaked on the way to work, so now they are Sheila's Hand-Shaped. I never worry about leather or suede getting wet - it's skin! 

• Scarf - MetroWear, San Francisco, 2006
• Gloves - Gestuz, consignment; purchased here for $38.00

The stuff: 

Colleague Lesley was entranced with the booties. They are see-through reinforced nylon with "iron-on" reflective and black strips. That's a comfy heel, by the way. 

Claw bling: 

I was so excited to unpack these gorgeous pieces. Welcome back! 

• Necklace/cuff - Ambush, "Holy Mountain" collection, 2012, consignment, Vancouver, gift from L
• Earrings/bracelet - Alexis Bittar, vintage mall, gift from L

I raced home after work to get dressed - my colleague Kristina was the producer and host of "Aged to Perfection", a burlesque event featuring women over the age of 40. I had to represent for my friend...and it was the perfect opportunity to wear a new-to-me dress that I picked up secondhand in Powell River. 

The vivid reds, pinks and purples in this outfit made me feel happy and sexy. This was a very comfortable dress too! 

• Dress - AFRM "Shailene" dress, consignment, Powell River; purchased here for $39.00
• Shoes - Queen of Prussia Louise, Fluevog; last worn here in March with all wines
• Grape Ape coat (below) - H&M, thrifted; last seen here for New Year's Eve in January

A beautiful view of the Castle in early evening.

That light is gorgeous. 

I flat-ironed my hair, as it had gone all frizzy from the wet weather earlier. 

The dress has a full beige slip under it.

It attaches to the dress at the shoulders, a nice feature.

I had oodles of compliments on my outfit all night, and I felt fabulous! 

I'd considered adding things like gloves, a hat or bold jewelry, but after a test run the night before (always do a test run before an event, especially if you've never worn the garment before!), I decided to let the dress speak for itself.

Loud and clear! 

It didn't need much.

I added darker burgundy shoes (after trying about 6 other pairs in various shades of pink, red and purple), and a red/black purse. 

• Purse - FiveLeft, thrifted

I dove into my coat storage for the Grape Ape! 

It's still a little too warm for her, but I wasn't sure if I'd need to stand around in the chill waiting for an Uber. On a side note, I booked/called/paid for my very first Uber! I've joined the 21st century! Go, me! 

The stuff: 

These are fairly comfy shoes for a day at the office, but after 3 hours of standing, my poor feet were howling. 

Snaky bling: 

And one spider! 

• Silver snake ring - 1986, BC Museum Gift Shop
• Silver/onyx spider ring - c. 1985, gift from Mom & Dad
• Snake earrings - Red Sky

The earrings are locally made. 

Here's Kristina, in "Shirley A. Tease" mode (her burlesque alter ego). You can just see the daring slit up her leg - she's styled the train here.

Holy smokes, you look gorgeous, K! My voice was rough after all the hootin' and hollerin' I did for the performers.

Friends Janice and Tony, looking spiffy.

Love that bow-tie! 

I met these wonderful ladies, a mom-daughter duo, outside the event centre while we waited for the doors to open. 

Myra is on the left and daughter Chantelle on the right. I love that all the attendees dressed up to the nines! 

Pal Tony, me, Kristina and friend Leah.

What a good-looking group! 

I didn't take any pictures of the burlesques themselves, but these are the performers after the show. 

The woman in front crouching is 67! You are never too old to get your groove on and put yourself out there! 

Kristina in her post-performance outfit, getting teary as she thanks everyone. The event was a fundraiser for Women's Transition House. 

I contributed a "Shop With Sheila" session for the Silent Auction - the last I saw it had sold for $150.00, so I'm excited to be contacted by the winner! 

My lovely friend Jessica was there, and we did a pic together in the photobooth.

Some of you may recognize her skirt - it's an old J. Crew one that I passed along a few years ago. Jess drove me home (thank you!), and with amazing timing, L arrived from his hangout session at a pub with friends just as I was greeting Vizzini. We chilled out for a bit before crashing on the couches. 

We headed to town for brunch at John's Place, splitting up after for L to shop for someone's birthday presents (ooh, who could that be??), and me to have a long leisurely shop at the big WIN store on Pandora.

Another pre-planned outfit, incorporating a new-to-me item (the tweed trousers) with existing closet denizens.

• Fleece cardigan - Agnes B., thrifted; last seen here in August 2023 with white jeans
• Cassette tee - Frank Turner tour, not tracked
• Trousers - Part Two, thrifted NWT; purchased here for $24.95
• Sneakers - Adidas Harden Vol. 3 "Imma Star", consignment; last worn here for our trip to Vancouver in September

It was another beautiful day - not too cloudy, not overly sunny, not cold, but not too hot. October is the best month! 

I contrasted the dressy look of these tweed trousers with my band tee. 

I'd forgotten about my Agnes B. cardigan, missing out on wearing it this past summer/spring, and rediscovering it when all my folded cardis fell down on my head while doing my closet swap-over. I love this chartreuse colour.

The trousers were marvelous to wear - warm without being too hot. The lining (to just past the knee) kept them from being scratchy, as they are wool. And as you can see, they have nice big pockets - I stashed my sunglasses/glasses in them while I was out and about. 

I like the look of overly long trousers puddled at the foot, but found I was stepping on the hem while I walked around the house. 

I don't want to hem them, but what to do?

I pulled up about 3 inches at the heel and safety-pinned them! 

This actually worked brilliantly, and I didn't trip or step on them once. I felt pretty proud of myself for this simple fix. And because it's not permanent, I can still wear the trousers with a heel. 

With my bag and scarf. 

A little extra black and white to pull the tee and shoes together. 

I only wore the scarf done up on my walk home. 

The purse is small but holds a lot. 

Accoutrements: 

Another Powell River find from the thrift store, this is a lovely small-label purse, likely from the early 00s. 

• Leather purse - Aimee Kestenberg, thrifted, Powell River
• Scarf - MetroWear, San Francisco, 2006

The stuff: 

I like the greenish tone in the gold on the shoes - it worked well with the cardigan. My feet were VERY happy to be in these after the heels of the night before. 

Spooky bling:

I wore the spider brooch on the cardi, but moved it to the other side as it was fighting with the cross-body purse strap. 

• Leather cuff - Guess, thrifted
• Leather/metal cuff - thrifted
• Spider brooch - vintage mall, gift from L
• Cat earrings - Winnie Tam
• Snake/spider ring - as above

I liked all my sneaky spooky jewelry, and really like to pile it on this time of year.

While L waited for a table at John's Place, I had a 5-minute shop at the Beacon Ave Thrift Shop next door.

I spotted this set in the case right away - the cuff fit my small wrist, hooray! I put it on and shook my arm around vigourously to make sure - I hate it when my bracelets fly off. As you can see, it was $10.00 for the set.

The cuff is plastic/resin, inset with a ton of crystals.

Stamped "J. Crew" and it's a size S/M. 

I checked very carefully - not a single crystal was missing. 

They're slightly mismatched colour-wise, but eh, who cares? 

The earrings are also stamped. 

The earrings were originally $29.50 retail, and I'm sure the cuff was around the same price. 

After brunch, I enjoyed a leisurely full browse of the Women In Need store - it was packed with shoppers, which is awesome. I love that more and more people are finding the joy (and cheaper prices) in thrift stores! 

I'd rather buy from WIN than the Dollar Store (although - guilty! - I'll be picking up a few things there again this year). I have this same spider in pink glitter.

For $1.95?

Get in my basket! 

I only bought things that I really loved. 

I've been looking for a good quality black sleeveless turtleneck for a couple of seasons, so I was really happy to spot this one. 

This is a viscose mix, so it'll retain its true black colour when I wash it (I avoid 100% cotton black garments as they fade quickly). It's by Contemporaine, a Simons brand - Simons is a really expensive department store in Canada that carries a lot of designer brands. 

It retailed for $29.00-50.00 - that punch in the tag means it was 50% off, so $7.48. 

One of the ways I ensure that I buy things that will work in my closet is to remind myself of my current style descriptors: Rock & Roll, Badass, and Sporty. 

I'm not really into ruffles these days, but a beautiful wine-coloured sleeveless top will give a Rock & Roll vibe under a jacket. 

I found the spare button.

And noted that this lovely top is 15 years old! Fall 2009 seems like a long time ago! 

It's by Eddie Bauer, a very outdoorsy-sporty chain. I can't imagine them selling a silk and cotton ruffled blouse now - they've very much rebranded into athleisure. 

This has no wear on it (no armpit stains), so it's probably been sitting in someone's closet for a decade-plus. It was also half off, so $5.48. 

I had seen this vintage early 60s beaded and sequined top at WIN on previous visits, but I try not to pick up things I know I won't wear very often. 

It's a beautiful butter yellow, covered in hand-sewn iridescent sequins, bronze beads and amber glass "stones". 

It's by Lady Gaye, "A Quality Product Made in Hong Kong" - note the metal zipper up the back.

It's fully lined in acetate - the surface that's beaded is the wool part. It's very heavy.

Back detail and a look at the gorgeous beading. 

Some of it has inevitably come undone but that's part of a garment's history. 

She was also half off, for $19.48. 

At that price, I had to take her home with me. It's rare that you find these in larger sizes - women were tiny and wore a lot of support garments back in the 60s - I've been watching "Mad Men" to help me date some of the styles I see on my secondhand adventures.

I waffled over this sweatshirt, but gave in due to its extreme softness and the pristine inner fleece - I don't think it's ever been worn! 

Guess who it's by?? 

Shocker, it's Adidas! I found a 2022 date inside it - and based on how it fits (wide shoulders, narrow waistband), it's likely menswear. 

This retailed for $62.95 - I knew $16.95 was a bargain! I've been wearing it non-stop at home, but might bring it out to play in a "real" outfit at some point. 

I'm a sucker for a stripe, and the more I looked at this dress, the more I liked it. 

It's white with black and the thinner stripes are grey. 

The stripes are knitted, not printed. and there are two side slits.

The slits are lined with a grosgrain ribbon. 

Same on the cuffs. 

That is a nice detail, and a good mark of quality. 

It's 100% cotton. 

I like that! 

It's by Massimo Dutti, and made in Portugal.

It was only $19.95 - I spotted a couple online for double that. This will be in my regular wardrobe - it's lovely and looks great on. 

Big woolly dresses are my jam. This one is olive green and the flecks you see are SPARKLES. 

It's new-with-tags (NWT), and very oversized. 

I spy a branding tag.

Faithful readers will know that I'm a sucker for Scotch & Soda and Maison Scotch. They make very cool and interesting clothes. 

It's mostly wool, with synthetics to help it keep its colour and shape. 

I spy a 2022 date. 

Not even 2 years old! 

And indeed, it is by Scotch & Soda Amsterdam, from the "Winter Edition" collection. 

I recognize the price tag on there as being from A La Mode Consignment, just off Oak Bay Avenue, one of my usual haunts. It had been priced at $148.00, then marked down to $74.00. 

I peeled their tag off to reveal the original price tag. 

$298.00!! Wow! 

But for me...only $48.95.

This was the most expensive thing I bought. It might be worn around the house...but I can also see it with a pair of boots for a chilly fall day.

My friends, this next item...I'm FLABBERGASTED that I found this in a thrift store.

It's a tie-dye jacket...covered with straps. It reminds me of a straitjacket...or a mummy! 

When it was hanging in the store, all these loops were hanging loose. 

I slipped the sleeve back through them and straightened them out again. Only one sleeve has these - that's purposeful, they have not been removed. 

More strappy business around back. 

And what's that I see? A label? 

This is Jean Paul Gaultier's "Jean's" line, a play on his name. This is likely from the early 00s. 

You may recall I have these fabulous "jean's" here (styled up 5 ways during the pandemic), which are currently a bit snug on me.

A custom gold zipper.

Oh, my gosh, my heart was beating so hard at finding this jacket! 

There's the tag - this is a cotton/elastane stretch blend. 

I dug around online and found this same jacket for $291.00 - it seems to be pretty rare. 

What did I pay?? 

$24.95! And it fits perfectly, although I had already committed to buying it regardless. I am so excited to wear it! 

Vizzini, what do you think of all this business? 

"I think you should sit down so I can sleep on you, Woman."

He pointedly looked at the blanket, then at me, then at my pillows - repeat! But we were midway through our boardgame session on Saturday night so he didn't get his cuddles until later.

And now, off to rest up and enjoy some football (and a happy kitty). I hope you enjoyed my weekend adventures! I'm so appreciative of all of you out there - thank you so much for your comments!