Rusty Blah and a Half-Assed Concert Outfit

I'm running out of enthusiasm this week - I have a lot of social engagements (yes, I do it to myself, I shouldn't complain) and I'm finding a general lack of planning in the outfit department has been the result. Hence, a pretty boring outfit yesterday:
This dress is going into the giveaway pile. I'm tired of it, and it's been ages since I wore it. I've previously worn it here, here, here, and here - I feel like I've gotten plenty of wear out of it. Oh, my Winesday women are going to love me! They always get first dibs before I take stuff to the consignment shop.

This is the second wearing of the jacket (first seen here).

The stuff:

I've worn these shoes a billion times* and still love them.

*numbers may be estimated (hee, that's for you, Steph)

Scrolly leaves!

Dress (Le Chateau), jacket (Armour Jeans, thrifted), belt (Dorothy Perkins), earrings (Plum), shoes (Unlisted).

Last night, L and I went to see Leonard Cohen. It's my second time seeing him, L's fourth. It was amazing. He played for over 3 hours.

I wanted to wear my awesome purple combat boots, but I spent half an hour chatting with my mom (hi, Mom!) instead of planning my outfit around them and it shows.

I don't regret talking to Mom at all, of course!

However, "half-assed" is what I call this, and half-assed it is. I'm wearing my black skinny pants, a dark purple cashmere top and my long black cardigan. Not very exciting. And you can't even see the boots, since I was running late by the time I took this one picture.

I had intended to wear this outfit to work today, but I felt so...black in it that I changed it up when I got home (around midnight). I am still struggling with the skinny pants - I may just have to bail on them.

I'm wearing the combat boots today and will do a proper showing of them tonight, I promise!

Cardigan (Express, consignment), sweater (Daniel Bishop, consignment), pants (Kensie), boots (Penny Loves Kenny), necklace (Nine West, gift from Cindy).

Squeezing in one last outfit post...and finally finished the &^^%$ book!

I was busy last night and didn't have a chance to get this pre-break outfit post up. Again, feeling lazy...so I wore a dress!
This is nice comfy t-shirt material, and it's even lined.

The stuff:

Loving those shoes.

And...I finally - FINALLY - finished reading my latest book:

Book: "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie, a Book Club selection by the lovely Caro.

Stats: 533 pages of the most dense, rich writing I have ever read. I stopped keeping track of my hours read and focussed on just trying to finish this. I know I started it in early March, so it took me two months to read it - and I didn't read any other books during that time!

Blurb: This book has the distinction of being the only Book Club book in over 5 years that not one of the members finished - until now! Muahahahaha!

It is dense, I mean, like this is the 99% dark chocolate of books. You just can't sit down and fall into this book for a couple of hours. Maybe one hour, at the very most. Some nights, I couldn't do more than a couple of pages. This book's language is so rich and complex that I had to re-read paragraphs to make sure I took everything in.

Now, don't get me wrong, this was a wonderful book. It evokes India and its narrator's character beautifully. You can smell, touch, hear and taste everything in it, feel the rhythm...this book is alive. But...it was really a struggle to finish it. Even when I had 4 pages left, oh, how I wanted to put it down.

This is easily the most difficult book I've ever read, even more than when I tried to read Nietzsche. I would rate it a 3/5. It would have been a 4 if I could have read it faster.

Next book: Diary by Chuck Palahniuk.

Dress (Le Chateau), shoes (Camper), belt (some tourist shop in NYC), necklace/earrings (Plum), bracelet (Oscar & Libby's).

I'm Walking on Sunshine

This one's for Lesa, who loves these yellow boots:This dress is new to me - Ruth and I traded black dresses. I got this one and she got this one. I've worn mine at least 5 times for the blog (and a few times before then), and I needed a cute little t-shirty one like this one. Thanks, Ruth!

I got a lot of "Wow, look at those boots!" comments today.

A close-up of the top half (since blacks photograph so poorly):
The top of the dress is a faux wrap - it had a sash that was stitched on, but that limited me from wearing a belt so I removed it! Ha! Take that!

The stuff:

A close-up:

I love that jewelry set.

Dress (BCBG Max Azria, swap with Ruth), cami (InWear), boots (Aldo, consignment), belt (Bianca Nygard), earrings/necklace (Lucky Brand, gift from L), ring (consignment).

Casual Friday - Double Denim Extreme

Ooh, it's been a busy weekend. L took the camera to his all-day work event yesterday so I didn't get a chance to get Friday's outfit up till today.

I'm doing double denim:
Thin dark denim jacket and cream jeans. I love the fit on this jacket - it just nips everything in tight. The jeans are labeled "Extreme Fit" which appears to mean "very high-waisted" - they feel really weird on!

I didn't take the jacket off all day, but this is what I wore underneath.

Dance, Sheila, dance!

No "stuff" shot, as we dashed out to go to a movie right after work ("The Informant!" was hilarious). Those are my Chinese Laundry tortoise-shell sandals, and that's my Lucky Brand necklace from L, and I'm wearing my big gold hoops.

Jacket (Bisou Bisou, consignment), cami (InWear), t-shirt (InWear), jeans (Parasucco, thrifted), sandals (Chinese Laundry, consignment), necklace (Lucky Brand, gift from L), earrings (gift from L).

Casual Friday - Those Darn Shoes

I struggled with this outfit on Friday - it was hot still, but I didn't want to wear another dress this week, so I went with my white denim skirt, which I love.
I'm kind of "meh" about the rest of it. The shirt is nearing the end of its life in my wardrobe (it's gapey and I hate ironing, so I never iron it). The vest is vintage, but not really meant to be in regular circulation as it's starting to fall apart.

But the shoes...I got these last year and loved them. They're Aerosoles, too, so I thought they'd be awesome. BUT. They tear the crap out of my feet: ankles, toes. And they hurt. So I think this is going to be the Last Wear. Buh-bye, bad shoes.

Stuff:
See? Aren't they cute? But too bad, so sad.

Vest (Dunn & Co., vintage), blouse (Esprit), skirt (Club Monaco, consignment), belt (Plum), necklace (Plum), earrings (Le Chateau).

Lazy Monday - Rust Dress and Leopard Shoes

Mondays...worst day of the week. And with this weekend being so action-packed, it came way too soon. So what do you do? Wear a dress!
I actually started with the shoes and was feeling lazy (I know, shocking), so put them with this lovely rust dress. Add the belt and some jewelry and it's all good to go.

The stuff:

New ring - the last of the 3 new ones I got a few weeks back. The earrings are two pairs that I combined; one was from Reitman's and one pair was a gift from Elaine from H&M. Since they had the same tiger-eye type of bead, it made sense to put both on one earring.

Inigo helped me pose:

Happy paws!

Dress (Le Chateau), belt (Le Chateau), shoes (Steve Madden), bracelet (Lucky Brand), ring (Fossil), earrings (combo of Reitman's and H&M/gift from Elaine).

Thrift and Gift Week - Brown, Black and ...Grey

When I went to put today's outfit in the backpack this morning, I realized that I mixed up my shoes: the black flats I wore yesterday were supposed to go with this oufit, and these grey shoes were supposed to go with yesterday's boring outfit.

Pulled a Sheila! D'oh!
But whatever, grey's a neutral and I think it works. Heh, Inigo managed to get in the picture.

The jacket was thrifted on the same shop as the BR jacket; again only $26. It's a wool mix, so I was a wee bit warm today, but I just love the fabric, the distressed edges, the peplum bottom and the little poufs on the shoulders. No shoulder pads!

I haven't been able to find out anything about the brand, though:
Anyone?

Here's a close-up of the chestal region so you can see the neckline, tie detail at the waist, and the fabric:

Oh, yeah, I'm posin'!

The stuff:

Love the shoes. The grey is echoed a bit in the stones of the necklace. I used to wear the earrings in high school! They are a pair that I filched from Mom's jewelry box around 1984 (they're clip-ons - Mom didn't get her ears pierced until I did, when I was 13. Gee, I'd totally forgotten that we did that together!).

Jacket (Lux, thrifted), blouse (Club Monaco, consignment), skirt (gift from Heather), shoes (Ralph Lauren, consignment), earrings (Mom's, 70s?), necklace (gift from Cat).

Casual Friday - Vintage Vest (And...I've Been Recognized)

Okay, before I get into today's outfit, a shout out to Christine at Le Chateau! *waves*

I was browsing through the jewelry section, when I saw her staring at me. "Do you have a blog?" she asks. Oh my god, someone has actually recognized me! Too, too bizarre! I kinda feel like a celebrity, haha!

Have any of you fellow bloggers ever been recognized on the street? I know if I saw Sal, or Mervat, or Jane, or any of you, I would be shrieking like a little girl and jumping up and down. You would run away from my craziness.

Ahem. I'm actually very normal. Well...

Today I felt like wearing some things I've either never worn or haven't worn in ages:
The vest was found in a vintage shop in 1986, when I was 18 years old. It's a men's wool vest, probably from oh...the 1950s? I think it was around $10. Check out the old label:

Apparently, they still have stores in England. When I bought it, it had plastic buttons (very boring), so I bought new ones, but kept one old button so that I'd remember what the old ones looked like. The newer buttons are brass and have a nice military look about them:

The other stuff:

I haven't worn the shoes in ages - I got them just under two years ago, and they've been packed away since early last fall (I've been digging in my closet for summer stuff - I should really clean it out soon).

I have never worn the necklace on the right - it was a gift from L for Christmas one year. What a cow I am for not wearing it! A close-up:

It's so pretty.

I'm taking Monday and Tuesday off, so may post a casual outfit here or there, but otherwise, I'll be back on Wednesday. Have a lovely weekend!

Blouse (French Connection, consignment), vest (Dunn & Co., vintage), skirt (Smart Set), shoes (Expressions), belt (Brave Beltworks), long necklace (ilovebracelets.com), short necklace (Plum, gift from L), earrings (don't remember).

Leopard at the Dentist

Have to run - dinner with inlaws.

Today's outfit:
New leopard top and dammit, I wore a pencil skirt to the dentist!

Grandma J's necklace.

Jacket (Gap, consignment), top (Mario Serrani, consignment), skirt (Kensie), shoes (Aerosoles), necklace (Grandma J, 1950s).

Swing and a Miss - And Special Guest Shoes!

Announcement: I've added a bunch of links on the right side to some posts about me (because I'm full of myself that way, haha); things like my weight loss, or my closet, in case you're interested. They're posts I like.

Anyway. I really thought this outfit would look okay. But when I put it on at work (see, I don't try on my clothes the night before, I just pick out outfits and cross my fingers), I was all, "Ugh, this doesn't work. Dang."

I tried - what do you think?:
I got my hair cut after work, which is why I'm doing the "check it out" pose. I think a belt would have been better for waist definition. This skirt is just so pouffy.

The stuff:

The fab Fluevogs make another appearance.

Special Guest Shoe from Ruth!

Oh, those are so wild. Here's what she has to say (and yes, she instructed me to put the hyperlink in):

My second pair of Irregular Choices -- These are the first shoes I saw when I walked into the Schuh store. Oh MY. I adore purple and I love the iridescent glow of these shoes. Unfortunately, I was having nail issues and had to take them off half way through the day and put on my flats.

Speaking of flats, I noticed when in London that the majority of women were wearing flats--either ballet flats or boots, but always nice ones. Probably because everyone walks/takes the tube. The only time I saw someone in trainers was at the gym. Mind the gap, ladies, especially in heels!

Check out the sole detail:

Aw, a teddy bear!

Cardigan (no label, consignment), cami (InWear), skirt (no label, thifted), shoes (Fluevog), necklace (Le Chateau), rhinestone stud earrings.

"Spring, Please!" Week - Killer Pumps

If you were to epitomize the 80s with one single fashion item of clothing, what would it be? For me, it would be killer pumps.
If I look a tad bedraggled, it's because I got soaked walking in home in the unrelenting downpour. Some sun would be nice. Just a bit. Just to get the dampness out of my bones.

*sigh*

But I wore blue sky on my feet!

I saw these pumps on the way home from work last week and they called to me. They are the shoes I loved all through the 80s; I had this exact shape in a bright yellow in 1985, but they were a size too small. I also had them in red canvas, black satin (with removable toe puffs), and pearlized blue plastic (those were actually murder on my feet, and man, they were sweaty, ha!). The heel heights varied slightly but the pointy-toed pump is near and dear to my heart.

All day, I had the feeling like I was in Grade 12 again, which was probably because, like my long-gone pumps, these shoes killed my feet, even with the foamy Dr. Scholl's inserts. But it wasn't nearly to the extent that my shoes destroyed my feet back in the day (memories of toes wrapped in bandaids, and bleeding heels). I have to remind myself that back then, there was nowhere near the plethora of shoes available that there is now. If you wanted the killer pumps, maybe you might only get one opportunity to ever buy them...and it might be in a size too small or too big, just so you could get them. No internet, of course, to make things easier.

Take a gander at these bad boys:
Oh, baby.

Right, the rest of the outfit. Well, I do love brown with blue, and even better is orange and blue! Especially when the richness of the orange tweed (it has tiny flecks of blue) balances the brightness of the blue. I kept the blouse simple in chocolate brown, and finally was able to wear this gorgeous neck scarf I got on holiday last summer. Love the details on this bracelet and the texture in the earrings.

Blouse (Mexx), cami (InWear), skirt (no label, consignment), shoes (Anne Michelle, consignment, $20.00), scarf (thrifted), bracelet (Lucky Brand), earrings (The Bay? Plum?)

"Spring, Please!" Week - Mizpah Mystery

The spring theme here is carried in the browns (again, see? got that theme going) and the short sleeves.

I froze my butt off in the office today, but darn it, it's spring! Bring on the sunny weather! I am sick of rain.

The jacket is new-to-me, picked up at a thrift store for $11.50. I love the thin stripes and the peplum shape. It has two pockets on the front which are hidden by the wide belt.

The stuff: I just love those pumps.

The "Mizpah" mystery revolves around this brooch. This is a never before worn item by me - I got this as a gift from my dear friend Carollyne (go visit her blog and look at her amazing paintings), who sometimes posts comments. She got in Scotland - it's very Scottish-looking, isn't it?

I love the silver stag and the turquoise and orange feathers. I should have worn turquoise shoes! Drat! Opportunity lost.

Anyway, the back of the brooch is marked "Mizpah" and has two linked hearts with an arrow through them. I researched and found that "mizpah" jewelry was made by Quarrier Ward & Ward, an English company who made pieces with this mark (forgot to take a picture, next time), which had a small factory in Coldstream, Scotland from 1969 to 1980. Fabulous! It's practically vintage! I think it is likely on the newer end of that, since the feathers (being organic matter) are in very good shape.

But I must apologize to Carollyne for not wearing it until now. I love it and will get it in rotation.

Jacket (Final Touch, thrifted), dress (Le Chateau), belt (Le Chateau), shoes (Jessica Simpson), brooch (Mizpah mark, gift from Carollyne), silver filigree hoop earrings (don't remember).

Yellow Helps Everything

Thanks so much, everyone, for your good thoughts after yesterday's "Brown" post. I really appreciate it.

I'm feeling a bit better - just taking it one day at a time. I deliberately chose clothes that would make me feel sunnier. Right down to the flower.
New-to-me tweed skirt (I once again reveal my 80s tendency to love coloured skirts) that I picked up on the weekend, yellow blouse, brown velvet jacket and loads of neckaces, earrings and the fabric flower to keep it all interesting.

A shot of the chestal region for Cat, since it's often hard to see how this all works. Oops, the long necklace has coralled my boob. Eep.

Ahem, let's move on. The stuff:

Isn't that a nice tweed? It has little bits of other colours in it, but I'll probably stick to the autumnal palette for mixing and matching. My good ol' Aerosoles, from my trip to NYC with Mom two years ago.

Better days lay ahead.

Blazer (RW & Co.), blouse (Do & Be), cami (InWear), skirt (no label, consignment), shoes (Aerosoles), necklaces and earrings (Plum), brooch (handmade, not by me!).

Casual Friday - Denim Dress

It's been a while since I wore this:

I found this dress about a year and a half ago while on holiday visiting the in-laws. It was around $20 in one of those semi-cheapy stores (Ricki's/Bootlegger) on the clearance rack. I love the cut of it and it goes with tons of stuff, although looking back, I seem to wear it with brown a lot! Can it really be that I haven't worn this since May? Also, in April. Wow, I'm really surprised that it's been that long.

Boots and jewelry:

Mom's 70s choker, and my faux wood/metal necklace wrapped around my wrist 4 times as a bracelet. Love those boots, man!

Dress (Ricki's), cami (not visible, InWear), belt (Aldo), tights (Hue), boots (Miz Mooz), choker (Mom's, vintage), necklace (can't remember), big gold hoop earrings (gift from L).

It Came From Dress Week - Rust and Turquoise

Oh, God, I need to not see that Grade 8 picture of me...quickly, put a new post up!

Theme week part 2: It Came From Dress Week returns! All dresses!

This dress is proof why you should disregard sizing labels and just buy what fits you:
That's an XL dress! I've bought fitted dresses by the same brand in a Small. Thank goodness I ignored the size and looked at the dress to see how big it actually was (not very, definitely not an XL, not that there's anything wrong with XL). To really highlight the ridiculousness of sizing, the belt is an XS and the jacket is a Gap size 2 (so, like a Real Size 6, which is what I typically am).

The boots are new (pre-shopping resolution, of course), as is the faux leather belt.

At first I was going to just wear the dress, but when I was planning the outfit last night, I realized I'd freeze if I didn't have a jacket in the office. Brown was okay...meh. But when I decided to go opposite on the colour: wow!

I loooove turquoise/brown/orange together! The springboard for the turquoise (I have a turquoise cami on under the dress as well) was the gorgeous jewelry L got me for Christmas:

Okay, you may have figured out that I'm All About The Details. It's hard to see in the above picture, but if you click on it and look at the earrings, the little ball between the links of the top and bottom half actually has a teeny-tiny peace symbol on it.

Even the backs of the earrings are amazing (the necklace also has a filigree back): they say "Love" in scrolly writing:

A close-up of the belt and boots as well. Are those not fab boots? They were only $69 on sale - real leather! I wanted a pair of brown sort of riding boots, and the next closest boots that I liked were over $300. Glad I kept looking!

Dress (Le Chateau), cami (InWear), jacket (Gap, consignment), belt (Le Chateau), boots (Miz Mooz), jewelry (Lucky Brand, gift from L).

The Painty Skirt and a Cream Jacket

[insert theme from "Welcome Back, Kotter"]

I'm back! The snow's almost melted away and we're back to slush and rain - ah, real West Coast weather. I've been out in it for the last few days, bargain hunting and stocking up on some basics, so I'll be rotating all kinds of new stuff into the outfits. Oooh, exciting!

Today:
The jacket was a bargain at Jacob: $29.99. I like the velvety thin-wale corduroy and the slightly military cut of it. It has a belt in the same colour, but I swapped it out for the brown belt this time.

I love this skirt - it's so pretty and painty.

The jewelry:

A Christmas gift from a few years ago from Mom - it's Avon. I haven't worn this set much before, because the dangly parts just don't sit right. Think I might find it a new home.

This is the Shi Studio necklace and earrings Mom got me this year:

They are pieces of silk pressed behind glass and framed like stained glass. Pretty! I love the shape of them and the gorgeous fabric. I want one of their belt buckles...

Jacket (Jacob), blouse (Mexx), cami (InWear), skirt (Nine West), tights (Hue), boots (Roberto Vianni), belt (Plum), jewelry (Avon).