Casual Friday: Ripped and Mixed Studs

Happy Friday and a Happy Memorial Day weekend to my US friends! A very Happy Birthday to dear Bella of the Citizen Rosebud, too!

I built today's outfit around my awesome mixed-metal and leather pyramid stud belt. Of course, the top stole the show.

I'm linking up to Bella's "Secondhand First" today - every single thing in my outfit is either thrifted, consignment, or, if new, made in Canada or the US. Cool, eh?

It's my second wear of this amazingly well-constructed and sewn top. The HR lady who Knows Quality immediately recognized it as a very high-end piece despite its lack of a label. I last wore it here in April with all taupe-y neutrals.

I felt like a sheer Jedi in it - can you believe I thrifted this for $14.95? I have a black camisole with a bit of sparkly at the neckline on underneath.

The skirt is actually a really dark denim, and is super high-waisted.

I see my ink

I like the exposed zipper on the back of the skirt. I last wore it here in March with loads of sequins.

It was rainy this morning and generally gloomy most of the day, but it's now brightened up to blue sky and a light wind. I love spring in Victoria!

My bowler for the rain, and a light but warm coat for the wind.

Sadly, this is the last wear ever for this blouse.

I am so sad

I was reaching up to put the mugs away at work this morning and riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip. It totally tore open under my arm.

I consulted some of the sewers at work, and all agreed that due to the delicate fabric, this isn't repairable. Wah! So unhappy about that, but *sigh* it's just a thing. On the plus side, I'm donating the gorgeous fabric of the blouse to one of the sewers to use in her projects. At least this blouse won't go to waste.

The stuff:

My woven gold kitten heels have been in my wardrobe for years. They're so shiny and the light gold is such a good neutral. I've seen these in second-hand stores in silver as well (not in my size). I'd love to find those! I last wore them here (2nd outfit) in April with bright yellow.

Badass bling:

Holy samolies, I love this belt. I want to wear it more. I must try it over a dress. Isn't it a great match for my cuff?

Bowler (Andre), coat (I.N. Studio, thrifted), blouse (no label, thrifted), skirt (Nicole Miller, vintage, consignment), shoes (Aldo, consignment), belt (BCBG Max Azria, consignment), cuff (vintage), Death Star ring (Stone Roses), mixed media ring (Poly, thrifted).

Buzzed, Lady of the Flies and Boss

Here you go - I'm shorn like a sheep!

Taking inspiration from such awesome bloggers as Shelley at Forest City Fashionista and Mis Papelicos (both fabulous, go check 'em out), I'm daring to go where I have never gone before: super-duper short.

Buzz

This is the shortest I've ever had my hair on the sides and back. I coloured my hair last night to this darker red (seriously, Shoppers Drug Mart, your colour selection sucks), but when it was freshly cut, all of that short stuff was GREY. I am not quite ready to take the full-grey plunge, but it's nice to know that when I do, I can still do a funky, punky, Not Dead Yet! style.

Buzz buzz

The top is slightly undercut so that I don't have the late-90s boy-band mushroom cut. I loathe that look. The point is to keep my upper and bangs/fringe area long so that I can do "the Pomp" (a pompadour, similar to what I was did for the last Urbanite at the Art Gallery here). I am excited to try that this weekend - I was definitely not up for experimenting on it for a work day!

I did get a lot of compliments on my hair at work, in an interesting split. The men complimented the colour; the women liked the cut. I think this is a scary cut for men. Heh.

But let's move on to the clothes - time's a-wastin'. This top is covered in flies! It's my Smoking Lily silk top from a sample sale a couple of years ago. I last wore it here in August 2013 with my floofy skirt.

Peek-a-boo slip

The top has a propensity for gaping open on one side, so I wore my vintage red slip with the ruffled hem underneath everything.

This is my 3rd wearing of this Hugo Boss Orange skirt, last seen here in March with velvet and embroidery. I quite liked the way the black leather obi defined the waist and worked with the fullness of both the blouse and skirt.

The stuff:

Too many heels lately, so time for comfy shoes. I last wore these here (2nd outfit) in April with a pretty dress.

Distracting bling:

I love my vintage copper pieces. Doesn't that lapis lazuli ring just pop against them?

Blouse (Smoking Lily), skirt (Orange by Hugo Boss, consignment), shoes (Town Shoes, thrifted), belt (consignment), necklace/earrings/cuff (Renoir, vintage 60s, vintage fairs), lapis lazuli ring (Wendy Brandes).

Have you been shining your shoes? Get ready for Shoe Shine #2, coming on Saturday morning!

Plaid and Yellow with Roses

Another long day - and the next time you see me, something drastic is going to be different! What will it be?

I wanted to wear this plaid skirt again (last time seen here in April, with yellow shoes and black leather).

Cat-approved

I messed around with this outfit this morning for a bit - something I never do. I need to get back to my planning routine! I'm relatively okay with the results - it's a little boring, but at least it's colourful.

The yellow cardi was last seen here in April with my ruffled chicken top (which I nearly wore again today).

 

The white top was last worn here a couple of weeks ago under the jacket I gave away before I even got home from work.

The stuff: 

These shoes remind me of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" - get it? The roses on the toeses and the pointy bits on the wedge? I last wore them here being the Queen of Faeries earlier this month.

Simple bling:

Wrist-cuff, ring-cuff and ear-rings.

Cardigan (Peter Nygard, consignment), top (Le Chateau, consignment), skirt (Bianca Nygard, thrifted), shoes (Miz Mooz, consignment), cuff (Rimanchik), ring (Oscar & Libby's), earrings (gift from Lise).

Okay, I'm bad at secrets - I have to tell (but you'll have to wait till tomorrow to see!). I went to a new hairdresser tonight! My old one moved to London (UK), so I found a new one. She is young (under 30, ha), and it was a cool and hip salon. I let her be creative with my hair...and then I coloured it when I got home.

Pictures tomorrow! And Shoe Shine coming soon! Get those shoes out!

Blue and Leopard Tuesday

Gah, Tuesdays after long weekends suck. No motivation, other than to get to the next weekend.

I had to wear my other new-to-me purchased item: the leopard ruched top. Too bad you can't see much of it here, but I'll wear it again without a jacket at some point, I'm sure.

I purchased the top here on the weekend for $9.99. It's by Express (I think I forgot to mention that) - I don't know what store sells that brand, but I've had a few things by them that I've quite liked. The construction on this top is excellent for an inexpensive piece.

The jacket was actually salvaged from the giveaway pile in my library this morning (not much outfit planning going on). I love the great cut of it, and the fine wool. I guess I was bored with the boringness of it. It's just a brown blazer...but I should hang onto it until I find a worthy successor, at least!

Ah, I found out why I purged it: I haven't worn it in over a year! Last time here in April 2013 (with me as a blonde).

I liked the finished bottom of the top hanging down in a band like this. 

My lovely cerulean blue skirt makes another appearance with its bestie belt - so matchy! I last wore the skirt here in April with red and black loopy-lace.

The stuff:

My essential basic bronze-y faux snakeskin-y pumps were last seen here in April with turquoise and magenta.

Blue bling:

I nearly forgot about this brooch - I've had it for about 6 years (picked it up cheap at Plum, I think). It's been pinned to one of my hats for several years. Why one should always remove decorations from one's accessories...

Jacket (Tahari, Arthur S. Levine, thrifted), top (Express, thrifted), skirt (no label, handmade, thrifted), shoes (Ralph Lauren, thrifted), belt (Danier), brooch (Plum), lapis lazuli/Fulvia Ring (Wendy Brandes).

Long Weekend Wrap-Up: Birthday Shopping, Lounging About

What a fabulously relaxing weekend. Holy smokes, I have needed this. And I have yet more to enjoy today, so let's get to this post, shall we?

L and I hung out and played boardgames on Friday night, then met friends for lunch - no Ultimate this week, as everyone had weekend plans. After lunch, I headed off to do some birthday shopping for L. His birthday is in a couple of weeks, so I was looking for some interesting finds. I did score some cool things, but he reads the blog (hi, love!) and I don't want to spoil the surprise!

The weather has been awesome all weekend, with sun, clouds and a bit of wind, but mostly sunny. It was great to be able to haul out this lovely dress.

I last wore it here in September 2013 (also on another good shopping day!) with gold accents.

I've had the jean jacket for about 6 years - it's pre-blog! I got it in NYC with Mom. I last wore it here in April (scroll down to the orange madness).

The stuff:

I wore the shoes last in the same orange outfit linked above. They've become such a classic shoe for me, and are holding up well (they are two years old).

Glass bling:

I like the size of this necklace. Bigass!

Dress (Coldwater Creek, thrifted), jacket (Ann Taylor), shoes (Enzo Angiolini, consignment), necklace (vintage fair), earrings (local).

One of my shopping stops was at the Patch. Um...I might have looked around for myself as well as L...

I can't resist a well-made leopard top for $9.99. Fully-lined, ruched to within an inch of its life, it fits like a dream. It'll go great with pencil skirts.

I've been looking for a leather cross-body bag for summer. What better than vintage 80s hot pink?

Of course! It was $12.99, it's soft buttery stamped leather, and the insides are all lined in black velvet. I heart it so much.

Look at the crazy 80s stamped design:

It's so random. I picture some girl with big hair, blue eyeshadow and monster shoulder pads on her white fringed leather jacket wearing this!

A vintage store I don't go to very often is closing down - Sam's Sideshow Vintage (hello!). She's going full-on Etsy (link 'cause I love). I found this amazing piece:

Yes, it's real fur - Chinese rabbit (it says on the content tag). This gorgeous little shrug is is by Bebe, is fully lined in matching Wedgewood blue satin, and was $27.00. Sam said that the lady who brought it in (she did a trade) actually wore it to the House of Lords in England, with a beige sheath dress (and I imagine a hat and pearls!). How cool. I will not be wearing it to the House of Lords.

Every few months I trek down to Verve consignment to look for goodies for me and L. They carry very high-end designer labels, but it's pretty pricey. I have found some good stuff there over the years (including the above sandals), and Saturday was no different.

Check it out:

It's leather and metal. I love that all the dome studs are different.

What a cool design. This was $34.00 and is by BCBG Max Azria.

I've been having a thing for pants lately. Look what I found!

They are gorgeously soft and sheer chiffon, made in the US by Signature 8. They were $22.00 (a real bargain for Verve!).

They have elastic at the back of the waist, and are super-wide legs. There is a built-in nylon short to the upper thigh to prevent full-on see-through-ness.

The print looks very modern to me, so I'm sure this is not a vintage piece. But can we agree? Spectacular?!

Well, they are to me - I couldn't resist wearing them on Sunday to go out with 12 of our closest friends.

My entry for "Visible Monday" over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style, and "Secondhand First" over at Bella's The Citizen Rosebud.

Full on crazy! These were perfect for sitting around in the sun and hanging with friends.

The blouse was thrifted a few months ago - I last wore it here (3rd outfit) in April to see Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings.

Wide legs!

I'm wearing a yellow cami-style top under it.

The stuff:

My Coach sandals get another year's wear - I bought them new on deep discount at the Bay a few years ago. They are so awesome - I can actually walk comfortably in these. I last wore them here in October 2013 for my birthday party (go look, it was a 70s party - so fun!).

Bold bling:

A vintage cuff, a thrifted bangle, a consignment ring (also a Verve find), and locally-made gold earrings.

Blouse (Mark, thrifted), cami-top (Ricki's, thrifted), pants (Signature 8, consignment), shoes (Coach), cuff (vintage 60s, Mom's), bangle (thrifted), ring (consignment), earrings (local).

Vizzini's also been having a lounge-y weekend:

"Sun and sleeping - that's all a cat needs."

I love how he's hugging his post with one arm, and how his white back paw is nearly all the way around.

I hope you all had wonderfully-relaxing weekends! A reminder about the upcoming "Shoe Shine" this Saturday!

Finally Friday! Grandma's Chinese Necklace

Happy Friday! For my fellow Canucks, Happy Victoria Day long weekend! For those of you non-Canadians, Victoria Day celebrates Queen Victoria's birthday. I learned, "Twenty-fourth of May is the Queen's Birthday" when I was a kid (although we don't always celebrate it on the 24th). It was the first weekend Mom would let us wear shorts, even though it's usually a chilly rainy weekend. 

As I live in Victoria the city, named after the great queen, we make a very big to-do about it, with a bigass parade on the holiday Monday morning, complete with floats and marching bands from Canada and the US. I have many memories of attending this parade in past years, but I prefer to avoid the crowds now. 

Anyway, woo! Long weekend! Let's party in style!

I loved this outfit and got a lot of positive comments about it, particularly Grandma J's necklace.

I've had this lovely brocade top for a couple of years. I picked it up as part of a mismatched size-wise two-piece set off the clearance rack at My Sister's Closet for under $9.50. Zoiks, I haven't worn it since the September 2012 30 for 30 Challenge (recap here) where I wore it twice. I can't believe I didn't wear it once last summer, but no luck finding it. I love this top - it needs to be worn more!

The skirt is my re-bought thrifted navy blue crepe. I last wore it here (2nd outfit) in November 2013 with my Leia jacket.

It's a swoosh factor 10 when I'm walking - it's a really exaggerated tulip flare at the hem.

The stuff:

Great green goblin shoes! I missed Fluevog Day yesterday (where was my brain?), so I'm catching up today. These were fabulous all day to wear. They were last seen here in March with stripes and polka dots. John Fluevog, please make more of this family of shoes!

Vintage bling:

I always love wearing Grandma J's jewelry, and this lovely vintage Chinese necklace is such a show-stopper.

I realized after I'd taken all the pictures, that I forgot to put on earrings! I did wear them all day.

Top (Le Chateau, consignment), skirt (Plum, first purchased new, then thrifted again), shoes (Half-Truth Tanya, Fluevog), necklace (vintage 60s, Grandma J), bracelet (vintage 60s, Mom's), green glass bracelet (thrifted), earrings (mismatched, gifts from L), jade ring (vintage 70s, Mom's).

Have a fabulous weekend! I'll be putting together a fun outfit for Visible Monday, and start thinking about Shoe Shine for next week!

Zebra Safari and a Vintage Yellow Recital

Gah, today was difficult. I am sleep-deprived and longing for that long weekend. Bring on the...

 ...safari! Ha! I read in one of those fashion mags that "Safari" is on trend. I'm not doing what they meant, which is that sort of Bianca Jagger Studio 54 "I'm going to Africa to lounge about" look, but my own spin, which is giddy.

This white/cream jacket is one of the oldest things I own now - I've had it for five years! Here is in its first outing in June 2009, with me playing around with James Bond poses. I last wore it here in April with dots and chainlink.

The little green top is one of my many sleeveless sweaters - I was able to take the jacket off at work and still be pretty covered up (another hot day!). I last wore it here in November 2013 with Kim Cattrall's suit.

I like the zebra skirt, although this is pushing my shortness boundaries. I like the extra fullness of it, plus pockets! However, I haven't worn it since here in April 2013 (wow) with reds, and it probably will not pass the spring/summer purge in September. But you never know.

The stuff:

Every time I wear these shoes, someone asks me, "Are those new shoes?" Jeez, I wear these all the time! Last time here with teal and chartreuse in April.

Brown bling:

That might be a rubber band on the belt - no judgment!

My new-to-me cuff and belt - yes, I built the outfit around two accessories!

Blazer (Club Monaco, consignment), top (Harve Bernard, thrifted), skirt (Plum), shoes (Fly London), belt (American Eagle Outfitters, thrifted), cuff (Hollyhawk, thrifted), spinner ring (Twang & Pearl), jade ring (Mom's, vintage 70s), earrings (Plum). 

I'm writing this post dressed like this, right now:

I'm waiting for Mom to pick me up and take me with my ex-boyfriend's mother, to see two of my nieces dance in a 3-4 hour-long recital. Note that I am dressed comfortably, yet whacky.

Llinking up to The Citizen Rosebud for Secondhand First! Go pre-loved and hurrah for the gorgeous Vix!

Second wear of my lovely yellow vintage dress, last seen here in March with Babycakes.

It's a little warm - oh, that vintage polyester, it sure doesn't know how to breathe! I am anticipating a that the theatre will be air-conditioned, but I'll be okay if it's not.

Since I'll be sitting most of the evening, a full skirt is a must.

The stuff:

I know I might have to walk a bit after parking, so good walking shoes. These are my lovely Kraft Dinner Tsubos, last seen here (2nd outfit) in April with chartreuse and floral.

Vintage bling:

I knew I'd have to wear a hat - I like to give my nieces some of the Crazy Auntie stuff. I got this at Value Village many years ago (maybe 15?) for about $9.99. Everything but the big stone ring [and at this point, Mom showed up, but now I am home, having sat through 37 dance numbers in 3 hours. I. Deserve. A. Medal.] is vintage.

And now - wine!

Dress (Haybrooke Classic, vintage, consignment), shoes (Tsubo), hat (Deer Skin, vintage, thrifted), cuff, earrings, brooch (all different vintage fairs), ring (cheapo, bought in the 90s), floral ring (Sarah Coventry, consignment).