Honourable Mentions - Challenge Week

My extra days off are nearly over...but Birthday Fortnight is in effect! My party is on Saturday! Woo hoo! And I have a dress that I've been saving since I thrifted it back in MAY. Can't wait to show it off.

But in the meantime, although I haven't had any exciting outfits in the past couple of days, there was such a preponderance of amazing suggestions from last week's Challenge, that I had to pull some outfits together just to acknowledge the creativity of you wonderful readers whose suggestions were not chosen as outfits to wear all day.

By the way, to those of you whose suggestions were chosen and who contacted me for your prizes, they went in the mail today. I hope you all enjoy the things I picked out for you!

But first, a very casual outfit for me. This is what I wore to go do some stuff downtown (get a new bank card, mail parcels, exchange a birthday gift, go for lunch with L):The last of the new-to-me sweaters that I thrifted in the early summer - this one is a lovely thick cotton knit and was all of $3.75. It's Banana Republic, and it's very nice quality. How can I tell? It's not "cut and sew," where the knit is cut like a pattern and sewn together. It's knitted in the shape it is. It has NO SEAMS (except for the cuff around the neck). No seams up the sides, not seams down the inside of the arms, no seams where the arms are joined to the body. That costs a lot of money to make knit garments that way and it's a good mark of quality.

Aside from the sweater, those are my regular jeans and this is the first wear of my purple studded combat boots since last March.

So! Onto the Honourable Mentions. Please note the following:
- I wore NONE of these out, or for longer than picture-taking purposes.
- Some of them I liked, some not so much, some I liked just parts.
- I don't know if I'll wear any of these as actual outfits, as I'm chaotic that way.
- A few of the requested items have either been consigned/given away or packed away until next spring. I made do with other stuff instead.
- I didn't add any jewelry, tights or accessories, other than things that I store in my closet (i.e. belts). I'm tired and I didn't feel like digging around in my jewelry boxes.
- I'm not listing all the clothes and brands and whether they were thrifted or consigned or whatever. If you have a question about an item, please ask!
- It got dark out and as always, the light in the den is not the greatest.

- There's a poll at the end of this post for you to pick your favourite, if the spirit moves you.

An additional caveat: I'm not feeling 100%, and my energy flagged as I went on (this took over 2 hours to pick the outfits, put them on and photograph them, not to mention the time to write this post), so if I seem less than zippy, blame that.

Megan suggested a couple of things: "Plaid Pants with a turquoise/teal sweater with leopard accents (basically this with teal)."

I can do that! Leopard, Plaid and Teal. I really like these pants. I need to wear them more.

And she requested, "How about this plaid dress with red accents, a layered skirt and your Miz Mooz boots!" Unfortunately, I don't have that dress anymore, Megan - I took it to the consignment store a few months ago. Let's take a moment to say our goodbyes.

Moving on! Megan also suggested, "Your chartreuse jacket with charcoal greys (a la Eek!) and prints?" Definitely doable!

Grey and Chartreuse
Of course I had to add a print...with the tie obi that Megan made out of a couple of Ally's ties! And because I'm all matchy-matchy, I had to do blue shoes to go with the ties.

Pam's request: "I would love to see this classy professional look with a classic trench or camel coat...if you have either one of those...I also think this blouse and skirt would work with boots.I love so many of your looks that it was hard to choose...but this blouse is a favorite!!"

I agree, Pam! I don't own a camel coat (camel doesn't look good near my face), but I can definitely re-work this with boots and a camel skirt.

Camel Skirt with Boots
I love that skirt! Shades of browns, camels, reds and wines are definitely faves for fall.

Pam also wanted to see this with a classic trench, so here's my brown one (I have purple, black and denim trenches too).

Camel with a Trench Coat

Yup, that's a trench.

Freeda said, "I would like to see the entire week based around Fluevogs." Freeda, I wore a bunch of Fluevogs throughout this mad try-on just for you, but if you need to see me do all my Fluevogs (minus the two pairs I've purchased second-hand since then), please check out my Fluevog-A-Day series that I did in the spring of 2011.

Next up is Laniza, who had a double-barrelled request, "I would love to see your take on mixing more than one animal print at a time. Or fall colour blocking (think rich plums, burgundy, etc.)."

First up, Multiple Animal Prints.

Leopard skirt with a fuscia shirt, brown blazer, belted with more animal print (it's sort of a giraffe print), and my snakeskin printed wedges.

Fall colour blocking is something I think that marketing people made up. Seriously, it's just wearing fall colours and not prints. All fall colours go together, so group all the wines, oranges and browns together (toss some yellow in there too, and some dark purple if the mood takes you, and don't forget to add some olive). Whatever floats your boat.

Fall Colour Blocking

Wine dress, with a claret-coloured belt, a brown leather vest, another shade of brown boots, and a tweed blazer.

Jennifer let the cat out of the bag and requested, "I challenge you to put together a "Made In Victoria" outfit. I would even consider some Vancouver Fluevogs close enough to count." Yup, I'm in Victoria. Now you know.

Made in Victoria

Thank goodness she let me wear Fluevogs, or I'd be barefoot! This is my locally-made Smoking Lily cape worn as a skirt, and a Smoking Lily jacket, Fluevogs on my feet (Freeda, take note), and a Shi Studio belt. Ta-dah! All local.

I adore this cape/skirt:

I would normally wear tights with this. Thank goodness I shaved my legs.

The next request came from Charlotte: "Since fall (and tights season)is creeping up, how about wearing some patterned tights?"

Oh, Charlotte, I couldn't bear to do the Pantyhose Dance today, even for you, my dear. Please be assured that I will be wearing a LOT of patterned/bright/layered tights over the next several months.

Next we have Cara, who asked, "I want to see innovative colour pairings with wine. I've said multiple times it's my favourite colour this season, and since I don't have much in that colour for casual wear, I want to live vicariously through you!"

Cara, I don't actually have a lot of wine (well, two pairs of dark red boots, a few pairs of shoes, a dress and some patterned things...that's not a lot, right?), so I'm just going to show a couple of colour combos with the wine sweater dress.

Colour Pairings with Wine (3)

Teal shoes and Mr. Teal Cardi (for the second time), with a purple/grey obi. Not sure that the obi quite worked...I was running out of natural light.

Next....

Olive, plus print, plus more olive. Always a classic combo.

And then...

Light blue with navy blue and grey. Fun! Psst, Freeda, those are Fluevogs.

Hearkening back to an outfit from a year ago, K suggested: "What about a repeat of this outfit but with one of your newly re-heeled boots and a different long sleeved shirt. Something with a brighter pop of color. And fun accessories of course, but you know how to handle that."

Vest and Long Skirt Redux

That's one of my favourite blouses. I don't have the vest from the original outfit anymore (it was getting pilly).

Deb requested, "I'd love to see your stylistic tribute to a favorite actress or fashion icon or designer. And let us guess who it is!"

Deb, that is an excellent suggestion, and I seriously wracked my poor addled brain all of last week - I wanted to do this as one of "the" outfits - but I really struggled. I don't really look at any actresses or fashion icons or designers as my idols or inspiration. I couldn't think of a single way to represent your request. Sorry!

Speaking of struggling, Ismay had a request: "I really struggle with that classic and hence boring old combo: red and black! (In particular, I have a red flowers on a black background dress that stumps me.) If you have a red/black patterned item, can you help by mixing in some other color (not white)?"

Teal Cardi to the Rescue!

I don't have any black and red floral, but I do have this black and red plaid dress! I love how teal pops off it without looking too clash-y. (Freeda, more Fluevogs for you).

ABD's challenge was a good one: "I have a couple ideas: Your outfits are always beautifully coordinated - it's one of the things I admire most about you. But, what if you stretched your boundaries a bit and put together something that was perhaps a bit less "matchy" (and I don't mean for that to come off in a negative way because, you are a genius when it comes to this). Thing about something in your closet that you love but you weren't necessarily sure how you'd wear it. Or is there a trend that you have admired that you haven't ventured to try (I can't imagine that this would happen! But...). Try something that is a bit outside of your comfort zone!"

I can't deny that I like my comfort zone - not to be confused with a rut! The outfit I put together for you, ABD, mixes 3 things that were really "out there" for me - in fact, I haven't even worn one of them on the blog before because it stumped me a bit.

Here goes: Outside the Comfort Zone

The jumpsuit! The architectural heels! The bigass belt! I might wear this for a party or something, but it's not an everyday look for me (the jumpsuit is a nuisance for going to the bathroom, fyi).

Steph can always be relied on for something different! She said, "So, the idea is newtrals (but of course!), outrageous ballgown-y feel, and shoes. i've been hopping up and down on one foot and biting my nails over these shoes since you wore them with the polka dot pants....on top of it all, they remind me of some booties i had way back in the day! too overstimulatingly much!!my submission:

Jeffrey Campbell silver bow booties (9-28-11 post)

JJF ashes on snow skirt (9-14-11)

plaid bustier (9-1-11) over

Chanel blouse (7-30-11)

with tiered petti (8-21-11) (if it fits)

all topped by Noa Noa striped jacket of Mad Hatter fame!"

She also suggested bright blue tights under this, but again, not going to put tights on when I don't have to. Let's pretend they're there.

Unfortunately, the Chanel blouse is in spring storage, and the white tiered skirt is too short to show under this skirt. I improvised.

Layers-a-Gogo

I quite liked the bustier with this skirt - I might wear them together in the future.

And I wore my Noa Noa black floofy skirt underneath:

Em requested, "Not sure if you've done this before but try Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, or boudoir styles."

Em, I have indeed done "Mad Men" for a vintage event recently (scroll down for lots of detail photos). I don't watch "Boardwalk Empire, so I have no idea what the clothing looks like. And I've done boudoir photos, but they aren't suitable for the blog. Hee!

Lastly, Achariya Rezak requested, "I'd love to see you in a hat!"

I have worn hats off and on over the years of my blog, but I did a big long post on all the hats I own(ed) here. I will be going to a wedding in November, however, and I'll be wearing a hat to that (I think, still debating the outfit).

Well, that's it! Thank you all again - what fun! Here's the poll:

What is your favourite challenge-inspired runner-up outfit?
	Leopard, Plaid and Teal
	Grey and Chartreuse
	Camel Skirt with Boots
	Camel with a Trench Coat
	Multiple Animal Prints
	Fall Colour Blocking
	Made in Victoria
	Colour Pairings with Wine (3)
	Vest and Long Skirt Redux
	Teal Cardi to the Rescue!
	Outside the Comfort Zone
	Layers-a-Gogo
pollcode.com free polls

Challenge Week! Friday: The Casual Uniform

And we're done! Challenge Week is over, and thank you to everyone for your rockin' suggestions. I liked all of them, and I might do a special post in the next few days to show how some of them would look or my interpretation of them.

This is a long weekend (Thanksgiving) in Canada, and it being my birthday on Sunday, I took Tuesday and Wednesday off as well. So, I won't have as many posts next week, and I might need to shake it up and have fun on Monday. We'll see.

Anyway, today's winner is Christine Priem! She said, "I recommend your black & gray striped long-sleeved shirt with a burnout print tee on top (a while ago you had one that was watercolorish with a gray and black abstract design) with your orange denim skirt (if you still have it!) and tall black boots. I love how you layer tees!"

Well, I don't actually have this tee anymore, Christine (it was always a little tight in the boobs, so I gave it away to a friend), but I have everything else! Here you go: Gray striped tee, layered t-shirt (my Leonard Cohen "Beautiful Losers" tour shirt) - both worn together for the first time here, in 2009 - my orange cord skirt (third outfit down), and tall black boots.

I wear these boots all the time. I decided to do my over-the-knee socks with this outfit instead of tights. For one, that's a more "out there" look for me (especially now that I am nearly an old bag of 44, hee), and it's good to push the envelope that way. For another, I liked how the stripe on the sock echoed the stripes in the long-sleeved tee.

Wait, I need more cat with this ensemble!

Inigo was actually very lovey with me. He gives good snuggles. Vizzini wanted to join the party, but I can't hold both of them.

I added my leather python print jacket for my outerwear:

I last wore that jacket in February (2nd outfit down) - I can't believe I didn't wear it all spring! And my grey fingerless gloves. As you can see the danged socks slipped down really fast!

Christine, drop me an email and we'll start the conversation on what your prize will be from my closet! Thank you again for the awesome suggestion.

Jacket (Bebe, vintage, thrifted), long-sleeved tee (Majestic, swap from Caro), tee (Leonard Cohen tour shirt), skirt (Jacob Connexion, thrifted), socks (Steve Madden), boots (Aldo, consignment), belt (Gap), necklaces (Plum, Jacob, Lavishy).

Challenge Week! Thursday: Yellow Boots and Purple and Red

Have you dropped me a suggestion, request or challenge for my birthday week yet? Get on it! There are prizes! One day left!

So many awesome suggestions! I have enjoyed reading all your great ideas - thank you! Today's winners (I like the extra challenge of mixing more than one idea) are...

Roberta! Who said, "The first time I saw your blog you were wearing the "Big Bird" boots. I was immediately a fan. I love yellow and own a lot of it and wish, wish, wish I had yellow boots.

Can you make an outfit based on those boots and anything new to you that supports their fabulosity? i particularly love yellow with red and/or purple, but your choice rules!"

And Tat! Who suggested, "How about a purple and turquoise outfit, or purple and red for a truly regal birthday treat?"

Well, those are both fabulous suggestions, and nicely overlap. Here's what I did:
This is my birthday skirt from a couple of years ago, my new-ish red cardigan, and a purple cami underneath. I love a pattern with a few wild colours in it - it's so fun to pull those colours out.

But of course, it's all about the boots:

Vizzini is watching from the hall. I see Inigo there too - he's set up residence on my flattened backpack.

The boots got a lot of comments at work today. I love them so much...but man, my poor feet are sore! I even had inserts in them! I won't be wearing heels tomorrow, that's for sure!

The stuff:

Ooh, I love all those colours together!

Ladies, drop me an email and we'll start the conversation about your prizes! Thank you again for the fun suggestions!

Cardigan (consignment, no label), cami (InWear), skirt (Le Chateau), boots (Aldo, consignment), belt (Plum), ring (Aldo Accessories), earrings (don't remember).

Challenge Week! Wednesday: The Periodic Table of Awesome and Not Hallowe'en-y

Have you dropped me a suggestion, request or challenge for my birthday week yet? Get on it! There are prizes! Two days left!

First of all, Vizzini is fine after his little operation - he is very stoned and lovey and is sitting on my lap whuffling away as I type this.

Back to the challenge! Today is a two-way tie, sort of: Patti requested, "I'd love to see your Periodic Table of Elements skirt again, with sweater, hose and shoes of your choosing."

Anonymous (that frequent commenter) also asked, "Could you show us how to wear orange and black without it looking too Halloween-y?"

Patti, I was actually thinking of wearing this skirt again soon - I've only worn it the one time so far - so your suggestion was right in my sweet spot.

Anonymous, great request! Orange and black are so good together, but how to not look Hallowe'en-y?

Here's what I did: I pulled in a neutral that is close to orange (you could also pull in grey instead of camel, and play off the black) to break up the contrast between orange and black. Namely, these fab boots that haven't been worn since last November (shocking, I know).

I also added the brown belt (it has a floral cut-out pattern on it) and the pumpkin-coloured flower at my waist. I figured the floral theme would also distract from the overt Hallowe'en colour combo, along with the brown accents.

The periodic table print also has gold flowers on it:

I wish I could have these exact boots made of leather. These are such awful quality, but I love the look of them so much. They made my bare legs sweat today.

The stuff:

All nice orange-y and brown vibes going on. That doesn't look like Hallowe'en at all!

I pulled out the bronze of the belt and did bronze accessories:

I guess I should have worn Cu (copper) or Zn (zinc) to really match the skirt, hee hee.

Patti, please email me and let's start the conversation about your prizes! Well done! Thank you for the awesome inspiration!

Anonymous, since you didn't sign your name to your comment, I can't verify if someone emails and claims to be you, so I'm afraid you can only claim the glory of a winning suggestion as your prize. Sorry!

Cardigan (Kersh), cami (Plum), skirt (Smoking Lily, consignment), boots (Outline, consignment), belt, earrings (Plum), bracelet (Jacob).

Challenge Week! Tuesday: Shiny Green Skirt and Fall Colour Blocking

Have you dropped me a suggestion, request or challenge for my birthday week yet? Get on it! There are prizes!

Today, it's a three-way tie: EvaNadine said, "(1) i would like to see an outfit comprised of your most favorite-of-favorite pieces. we know you love so many of your clothes (especially some of those amazing shoes!) so i would like to see the pieces that hit the very tip-top of YOUR list.

(2) hows about an outfit made up of some of the oldest pieces in your closet? since you rotate and consign clothes so often, we see lots of new-to-you items, but im interested in seeing what some of the oldest pieces are that you have hung on to."

And Victoria said, "I just love 2 of your skirts - the green vintage Alfred Sung skirt (from this post) and your Smoking Lily "chair" skirt. If you could take one of this skirts (on your choice), pair it with some bold colors and make it around "autumn butterfly" theme, i think it would be quite an interesting and inspiring outfit."

And Kristen said, "I want to see you do some kickbutt color blocking -- no patterns, just solid, unexpected colors."

EvaNadine: Yes, I do have a lot of favourite-of-favourites - half of which are now in storage for the winter! Many of those favourites also happen to be older in my wardrobe. If you've been reading Ephemera for a while, you know that I weed out my closet regularly. I don't keep things that I don't love. I also have very little in my closet that's older than 4 years, simply due to the fact that more than 4 years ago, I was 50 lbs heavier.

Victoria: The Smoking Lily chair skirt is now in storage, but I haven't worn the Alfred Sung one for ages. Your suggestions for bold colours and "autumn butterfly" were really inspiring!

Kristen: You suggested colour-blocking first. You win too!

Anyway, here's what I did: I've had this Mexx blouse for about 3 years. It's silky but washable, the shirring down the front is hugely flattering (and hides everything I want to hide!), it's a great colour and the style is classic. I've been through many button-downs, but this shirt always makes the cut. I've worn it under vests, layered with tons of things, mostly dressed-up, going back to August 2009. Love.

This is indeed my classic Alfred Sung skirt that I got in 2009: With pumpkin tights! I love the mint green shade, but it's tricky to wear with other colours. By adding the cinnamon-coloured cami, the neutral dark brown blouse and the dark shoes, I showcase the skirt. The tights were picked up on sale at Esprit a few months ago. I am loving that pumpkin colour.

I also wanted to use my new bag that I got at the Vintage Fair on the weekend: Such a classic shape!

But first, the stuff:Once I figured out these shoes (which I also LOVE, last wore in April, but first got in June 2008), they really tied everything together. Because really, the oldest things I have in my wardrobe are actually accessories, specifically, my Grandma J's pieces that she gave me. My copper set, above, are from the mid-50s, by Renoir.

I was lucky enough to find this other pair of Renoir earrings at the Vintage Fair as well as the purse:I love copper for jewelry, and considering that these are probably over 50 years old, I still think they look surprisingly modern. They were $8.

Okay, back to the purse: Isn't that cool? I love the green leather-look top with the olive green sueded bottom.

I didn't know the name, but looked it up when I got home: Wow, Tod's is a huge brand. Very chi-chi, very pricey - over $1,000! new. Of course, my purse is a total knock-off. Tod's doesn't make non-leather purses, especially ones that are tagged "Made in China" inside. I'm not upset or anything - I think I have a beautiful fake!

Check out the interior:That's a pear on the left.

This bag was $4. I think that's a score no matter what name is stamped on it.

So, ladies, please email me and let's start the conversation about your prizes! Well done! Thank you for the awesome inspiration!

Blouse (Esprit), cami (InWear), skirt (Alfred Sung, vintage 80s, consignment), shoes (Hale Bob), all jewelry (Renoir, vintage 50s, Grandma J's cuff and necklace).

Bonus picture of Vizzini: He's getting neutered tomorrow. Wish him luck!

Challenge Week! Monday: Sailor, Skulls and Yellow Shoes

Have you dropped me a suggestion, request or challenge for my birthday week yet? Get on it! There are prizes!

Today's winner is Lorena! She suggested, "I want to see you wear a vintage white sailor like shirt you have, it has a black bow. I am not sure if you can remove the bow, but if you can i would love to see you replace it with the skull scarf. This paired up with black trousers (for a change) and your tsubo yellow shoes."

Well, Lorena, I like that you know my wardrobe so well that you requested every piece. This really made my Monday easier - I didn't have to think! Drop me an email and we'll sort out what your prize will be!

Here's how the outfit turned out: Don't forget to check out Visible Monday over at Patti's! Of course, I'm visible. I'm in a skull scarf with yellow shoes!

This is a vintage top that I bought several years ago (pre-weight loss). It has an original, removeable bow (click here for a picture), that I replaced with my floofy skull scarf. These are my black suit pants (last worn in April 2010, yikes!), and of course, these are my Kraft Dinner yellow Tsubos. Lorena has these same ones...hmmm...I wonder if she's just test-driving this outfit!

I'm reminded again why I don't really like black dress pants. Ugh.

I guess they aren't too bad, but so BORING. Thank goodness the blouse was very groovy, especially with my piratical scarf!

It's been very chilly in the mornings, so I got to break out my new coat:

It's a very thin suede, and I am just in love lately with deconstructed collars like this. It's fun to play with. This was $79.99 on sale at Le Chateau about a month ago. They had them in brown, tan and camel as well, but I've been looking at more olive greens than almost any other colour right now.

The back:

I like all that fabric. Heh, and I guess my bum looks pretty good in the pants! Thanks for the great idea, Lorena!

The stuff:

I do like the yellow with the black and white pattern.

Jacket (Le Chateau), blouse (Mr. Mort, vintage), pants (Max Studio), scarf (Metrowear, San Francisco), shoes (Tsubos).

Now, who will it be tomorrow? I have a "business formal" work event to go to, followed by my WW meeting, so it's going to be dressy. So many ideas....will it be yours??

Reader Challenge - With Prizes!

All right, this is a special week coming up - it's my birthday next Sunday! Woo! I will be an old bag of 44, in case you were wondering. Hee!

I have a special challenge to thank all of my readers, but first a shout-out to Rhonda (I think that was your name, so sorry if I misheard you!), a reader from my town who spotted me at the Vintage Fair yesterday! So nice to meet you! This is my third time being recognized - it's a thrill every time.

Okay, the challenge. From Monday to Friday this week, I want ideas from you for what you want to see me wear. It could be a repeat of a favourite outfit, some piece I haven't worn in ages, a "how to wear...?" question, or anything else that I can express through my wardrobe. The best five that I choose (based on my own opinion, which may lean towards whatever catches my fancy, and will not be based on the person submitting the idea) to carry out will each receive a gift from my closet (which I am cleaning out for fall/winter today), so be creative!

Prizes! I love prizes! You can have your choice of type of item from my personal collection. For example, if you're not my size, you can request an accessory. If you are in my size range (4-8 US/10 UK/ 38-40 Euro, shoe is a 9-9.5 US/40 Euro), you can choose top/bottom/dress/ shoes, etc. I also have some vintage in larger sizes, so if that rings your bell, I'll see what I can do. In the end, I'll choose the actual item that I want to give up. If you don't like it or it doesn't fit, them's the breaks. Just pass it along to someone else who will like it, or donate it.

This is a non-sponsored event. I will send things out of the goodness of my heart (I'll even pay the shipping), to thank you for your loyal readership, friendship and bloggy love. I don't expect anything in return (but if you see something that screams out "Sheila!" who am I to say no to a gesture of thanks?).

Anyway, time's a-wasting as tomorrow's Monday and I'll need an outfit! I'm excited to see what you come up with. Get crackin'!