Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Seventies Swoosh; Black and Blue Shop; Cat Attack; and Plaid Shop

Hello, my friends! I hope you have been getting your festive on this weekend - don't get too stressed out! I have been spending my weekend (mostly) hiding from the world, and it's been lovely. I have to take these pockets of quiet time where I can find them. 

Sometimes I just browse in my closet, visiting with my clothes and remembering how I've worn them and for which occasions. On Thursday night, that led me to this wonderful vintage 70s skirt.

• Blouse - L'Wren Scott's "A Tropical Conversation" FW 2011, thrifted; last worn here in November, layered under a very fuzzy dress
• Skirt - no label, vintage 70s, thrifted; last seen here (3rd outfit) in February for a Family Day hangout with our besties
• Boots - Mini Babycakes, Fluevog; last worn here (3rd outfit) with this same skirt! 
• Coat (below) - Danier Leather; last seen here in October

I've worn this top and skirt together before, the first time I wore the skirt (here in January) - the cost for both pieces totaled $16.99, isn't that amazing? 

I love this wonderful knit wool skirt - it is wonderful quality. A better look at the pattern here, and a close-up of the vintage label here.

This is my entry for "Visible Monday" over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style.

I am a sucker for a mermaid skirt.

 I played with the accordion pleats down the front of the blouse for my coworkers - they loved this fun outfit.

 I swooshed about and twirled a few times too.

And I showed off my amazing boots.

 In addition to tights, I had a vintage slip on underneath it all for warmth and smoothing.

Outerwear - I've worn this coat every time I've worn this skirt.

Hey, when you have a great combo, you just roll with it.

• Scarf - Danier, thrifted
• Wool gloves - Parkhurst

The stuff:

Again, these tried-and-true boots. They were comfy, but I did a lot of running around in the office, and my feet were tired by the time I got home.

Gold bling:

I took this opportunity to wear this new-to-me snakeskin belt for the first time.

• Belt - Emmanuel, vintage 80s, thrifted; purchased here for $12.00
• Earrings - Biko, consignment
• Bronze ring - P. Sarpaneva, vintage 70s, vintage exp
• Spinner ring - Twang & Pearl
• Amber ring - c. 1996

On Saturday, L and I went for brunch, and then I met up with former coworker Nicole for a shop at My Sister's Closet in Fairfield (link here to all the fabulous second-hand places I shop in Victoria - because I love, of course).

I like getting my funky on for brunch, plus easy clothes for trying stuff on.

• Sweater - Club Monaco, thrifted; last worn here in May with houndstooth
• Skirt - Peter Pilotto x Target 2013, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in October with a metal sweater
• Booties - Gabor; last worn here (2nd outfit) with Space Pants for Book Club in November
• Leather jacket (below) - Danier Leather, thrifted; last seen here in November

I love the wings on this black sweater and the matching waistal ruffle.

 It's super-stretchy, so good for pulling off and on.

I wear my mini-skirts in fall/winter more because that's when I wear tights.

Although I'm a firm believer in Wear What You Like, I also find that minis feel too short with bare legs.

L is getting his stuff together while I do my pictures. We have the timing down to an art.

We walked to Vanity Fair Antique Mall, where we bought ourselves new-to-us lamps for our living room, and I approved a Christmas present prior to L buying it (I am apparently VERY DIFFICULT to buy for).

It was a lovely, cold, crisp day, with scuds of clouds in the blue sky. I'm pushing it with just a leather blazer.

 But I like not having a lot of bulk on when I'm shopping. After brunch, I walked from Pluto's Diner to the Velvet Crease for a quick browse, then hoofed it to Fairfield to meet up with Nicole.

Bundled up.

The scarf and gloves were easily popped into my purse while I shopped with her.

• Silk scarf - faux Louis (Lewis!) Vuitton, thrifted
• Gloves - Parkhurst

The stuff:

These boots are fantastic for walking. I walked home after our shop - I was on my feet for close to 6 hours, less the 45 minutes having brunch.

Simple bling:

I keep the accessories to a minimum on the weekends, usually. 

• Earrings - thrifted
• Onyx/silver ring - Tocara, vintage fair
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes

I spent about 20 minutes quickly scanning the racks in the Velvet Crease for anything new or newly-on-sale. This skirt had a 50% off tag on it, so I bit. 

Another black skirt! But this one is a synthetic stretchy pencil skirt and all that FRINGE is suede!

The brand is Lamarque, and as you can see, it was new with tags.

 It's the Frida skirt and this would have retailed around $300-400 new.

It was marked at $65.00 but with 50% off, that was $32.50. I can't wait to swoosh this around! 

The Shopping Gods smiled upon both Nicole and I, and we each found gorgeous Danier Leather jackets at My Sister's Closet.

 Mine is Danier's version of a puffer coat. It's butter-soft leather and I love all the gathers on it.

The collar has ties to ruche it and the elastic gathering continues on the back.

The cuffs are also elasticated, which cuts down on the wind getting on the wrists (brr).

A better look at the neckline.

The leather is incredibly soft.

From Italy - so classy! This was only $38.98 - that felt like a steal. You can easily add another zero to that for the retail price.

I love the colour of this pretty green sweater.

It's a soft teal-turquoise - it matches my glasses really well.

It's by Banana Republic and is "extra fine merino" wool.

This goes straight into my spring/summer stash, which is appropriate.

Since it's from Spring 2018. Only two years old! This was $22.98, and likely retailed for around $75.00 new.

I'm on the turtleneck bandwagon! Here's a bright pink one.

Yup, that's pink.

It's by M&S (Marks & Spencers) Collection and was $16.98.

I laughed at the tag - keep me away from fire and flames! It also confirms that this is Very Pink.

Vizzini has been tearing around like a crazy cat this weekend. He was galloping through the house and I found him in the corner under his tall post.

"Curses, you found me, Woman!"

He scaled the post in no time!

"This post is my enemy!" 

He took a moment to pose for me - I took a lot of blurry shots.

"This one's for my fans." 

And then he went back to attacking the post, raking at it with his back paws.

"The post must die!"

Yes, that shelf he's laying on is crooked - this poor post has been savaged by all of our cats.

"Arrrr, I bite it! My fury knows no bounds!" 

L and I find it hilarious that he just randomly bites his post.

"Where were we?" 

You're having a time-out, buddy. You're getting a little riled up.

On Sunday, I headed to town to get groceries and finish up my Christmas shopping. Aside from a couple of things that I'll pick up right before the big day, I am done! Woo!

 It was another not-too-bad day, so I debuted my new-to-me leather coat. 

• Dress - Naughty; last worn here in January for a day out with L
• Boots - 1883 Lucchesse, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in November
• Coat - Danier, consignment; purchased above for $38.98

Here's the dress without the jacket, but no one saw me like this. 

 I adore this dress - I love the shape and the soft blue/black/red plaid.

 It's cotton with a flannel finish, so it's nice and soft.

No pockets, but otherwise it's great.

 I've got my shopping accoutrements.

 All bundled up and ready to go. I'm happy that the pockets are nice and generous.

Rear view.

 The coat is doesn't have stuffing, but it does have a Thinsulate "sandwich" inside, which worked really well to keep me warm while I shopped for 4 hours - I have bare arms under there, and was very happy that they didn't freeze. Leather is not usually good for temps in the single digits.

• Scarf - Roots, thrifted
• Gloves - Parkhurst

The stuff:

My trusty walking shoes - I adore my red cowboy boots.

• Leather cuff - Guess, thrifted
• Earrings - Glee
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes

I may have found a few things for myself while I was out and about...like this lovely pale pink jammy dress.

 It doesn't have much shape, but it looks cute on, and will be nice in the spring/summer.

It's by Vero Moda.

 It was $10.00 at Upcycle.

I popped into Flavour Upstairs for a browse, and found a couple of things.

This is a really cute sweater, designed to look like an 80s sweater (but it's not). It has a nice wide neckline, and full sleeves, with a snug waist.

I like the big sleeves.

I also like that piece of original art.

It's by Maison Scotch and it was $22.99.

It was probably around $179.00-199.00 new.

But my biggest find was the one that made me gasp out loud.

YES. That is a green vintage leather trenchcoat!

It still has its original lining, which is a light turquoise with black trim.

 The coat has quite a bit of wear, including a hole in the centre of the lining, and some marking down the side (you can see it on the right on the green inside). However, all of the original buttons and their backing buttons are intact, and the pockets do not have any rips.

The boob-buckle detail, and the adorable original vintage buttons.

This is definitely from the 1970s.

It has a buckle belt, and the hardware has a brushed finish, matching the boob buckles. the backing of the belt is vinyl, but it's still in good condition. You can see a bit of wear on the belt, but it's not too bad.

You almost never see labels in these coats, because the lining is often missing. I've never heard of Jeno de Paris of Montreal, but there are lots of vintage coats online by this brand. I wonder what the C/L in the crest stands for?

Most of the other coats are browns and blacks. I didn't see any other coats with this kind of hardware detail or in this colour.

This was $64.99 - a bit much for me, but I LOVE it, and I cannot wait to wear it.

I knew I would have to have it - when I am ever going to find a green leather coat again??

Vizzini, do you approve of my purchases?

"I don't care about your clothes unless I can eat them."

I'll be keeping the fringed skirt far away from him! 

Two-Fer: McQueen and Tangerine, and Sugar Plum Velvet Fairy (Plus Cat Pictures and a Purchase)

I'm back, and you get a two-fer - two for one - in this post: both Wednesday's and Thursday's outfits. 

Here's Wednesday - I planned my outfit around a couple of things. That evening was our Book Club holiday dinner at Zambri's, so I wanted to look all fashionable and show off my Alexander McQueen trousers to the gals, since my last book pick was fashion-related.

Also, since we were eating at Zambri's - only the best Italian restaurant I've ever eaten at that wasn't in Italy - I knew I needed to restrain myself from eating an entire bowl of pasta. Enter: Pants That Keep Me Honest.

• Blouse - Zoe &Sam, thrifted; purchased here for $16.95
• Trousers - Alexander McQueen, Fall 2003 collection, thrifted; last worn here in March with pops of red
• Boots - Maleika Conquer, Fluevog; last seen here in October for my Hallowe'en outfit
• Coat (below) - Topshop, consignment; first worn here a week ago

Surprise! It's a bright - almost neon - tangerine orange silk blouse! It looks white in my black and white life.

Isn't it a great colour? I felt very sunny in this.

The trousers are real Alexander McQueen, very high-end. You know what high-end, amazing quality clothes do not have?

Stretch! Wonderful pieces like these are a huge incentive to me to keep my weight down. Right now these are snug, but still comfortable enough to wear.

And now that we've all stared at my bum, check out L heading out for his walk to work in his blue shirt and pink patterned tie. What a stylin' man he is!

I did a "front tuck" on the blouse and let the back hang loose - these trousers do reflect their era's trend of very low-cut pants.

No one needs to see me crack-a-lackin'! My coworkers and the Book Club gals were appropriately boggled by these amazing pants, and many people felt the legs - real wool, and those checks are woven, not printed! The back of the black squares are white, and the back of the white squares are black. Wow.

Outerwear - let's try this snuggly coat with trousers, and hope for no riding up/clinging issues.

It actually caused the sleeves to ride up to my biceps. A little annoying, but I can live with it.

Done up with my scarf and gloves.

This coat is so warm that I barely wore the accoutrements, and I wore it open on my walk home despite the cold. And of course I changed to my Docs and did my bulldog clip trick (here) so that my hems wouldn't get wet or drag.

• Scarf - Roots, thrifted
• Gloves - Cejon, thrifted

The stuff:

I can't alter original McQueen garments, so the legs on my pants are really long (hence the clips) and require a heel. Platforms to the rescue! These booties are very comfy - I even went for a stroll around downtown prior to our dinner reservation in the rain in them. They have good rubber soles.

Sparkly bling:

My little bit of sparkly to go with the colour and pattern.

• Necklace - Allain, vintage 60s, gift from Allison
• Earrings - vintage 60s, Mom's
• Crystal/silver ring - Soul Flower
• Onyx/silver ring - Tocarra, vintage fair

Vizzini has been around a fair bit in the past couple of days - he gets needy when one of us is out at night.

"I'm not needy, you're needy. I'm just licking my toes."

Sure, buddy.

As I mentioned, I had a look around town while I killed time between work and dinner, and popped into one of my favourite stores, The Patch, to see if I could find anything for L's stocking for Christmas. I did, and I found something for me too!

I know, right? That is a crazy fabric!

Look at these luscious bell sleeves!

I always take my "treasure" pictures before I have steamed my purchases - this is quite badly wrinkled, like it's been sitting in the bottom of a bag or drawer for decades.

The bell sleeves are fully lined with either a polyester or acetate. It has a really nice wide, almost boat-neck neckline.

Dig those crazy colours! Yellow, ochre, brown, turquoise and pink. I'm not sure if the orange is created by the pink printed on top of the yellow; same with the green - it could be blue on the yellow. I'll take a better look at the pattern when I steam it to see if I can see it repeat - this could be hand-painted fabric.

The colours go all the way through the material, which I think is cotton. That's something that really bugs me about modern, cheap fabrics: when the backside is predominantly white. That's just poor quality.

There is a split on either side at the bottom hem - look how nicely it's finished, right down to some seam tape finishing. I always examine the top of splits for rips and tears, as well as the bottom of zippers and armpits. This top cleared all of those checks. 

I was totally tickled to discover it was another Pant-Man garment! I have this blouse here, by Lansea for Pant-Man. It even has the same little "kiss" on the label (here). Made in Canada - awesome! That label looks pristine.

While my other shirt is definitely from the 70s, I think this blouse is from the mid-60s to early 70s. It totally reminds me of a dress that my Grandma J wore (she of the awesome copper and rhinestone jewelry collections).

Check out the zipper in the picture above and here - there's almost no wear on it at all, very few chips in the painted finish. I'm sure this blouse has barely been worn.

I felt $26.95 was a little high, but I really liked it and it looked good on. Mine!

I managed to dig up a little information on Pant-Man from the Mister Leonard wiki page (here, link 'cause I love). I see quite a bit of Mister Leonard in my thrifting - they were a massive company in Canada for 3 decades. I have this yellow skirt here by them. 

Seems that Pantman (one word), prior to 1965, "manufactured men's styled fly-front pants for women. A concept so foreign at the time that one confused model employed by the company famously zipped them up with the zipper on the back." Isn't that amazing? Can you imagine that, not having front-fly pants?

In 1965, when Mister Leonard was formed, Pant-Man (hyphenated) was one of their branches. This blouse was probably sold at one of the great old Canadian department stores like Eaton's, Simpson's or Woodward's (I remember and shopped in all of these stores).


Well, that was fun. Back to the cat. Vizzini, what are you doing?

"Nothing..."

It looks like you are attacking L's jeans.

"I might be. They smell evil."

He had his head stuck right up one of the legs.

"If the Man wasn't so big, I would attack him like this!"

Vizzini often attacks L. I do not get this treatment. 

"Because you feed me."

Of course. 

We had a wonderful time at our dinner, but it was quite late when I got home, so I didn't feel like putting together anything fancy. I think you know where this is going...

Jammy dress! I like how witchy this outfit looks in black and white.

• Dress - Betsey Johnson, consignment; first worn here in July 
• Sparkly turtleneck - Jacob, thrifted; last seen here (2nd outfit) under my embroidered coat last weekend
• Shoes - Truths Makena, Fluevog; last worn here in October in a businessy outfit
• Coat (below) - Sfizio, consignment; last seen here in November

I made this lovely velour dress warmer by layering my sparkly black turtleneck under it. You can see the vibrant purple of it better here

While this is not a terribly blingy look, for me it is the richness of the fabrics and textures that make it a seasonal outfit.

Lovely shimmery velvet.

The pebble texture of the leather belt.

The lace tights.

Of course, it has pockets. Every good jammy dress has pockets.

I twirled many times for my admiring colleagues today - so fun!

I'm the Sugar Plum Velvet Fairy!

Outerwear - it started raining on the way home, so I tucked all my hair into my beret. There was no curl left by the time I got to work, sigh.

This coat was perfect; just the right weight, and the shape went really well over the dress.

• Beret - consignment
• Leather/cashmere gloves - Danier

The stuff:

I needed comfy shoes today, after the high boots the day before.

Grey bling:

I piled on my hematite collection. I wore every single piece I own!

• Belt - Shi Studios
• Buckle - Shi Studios, thrifted
• Chain bracelet (metal but not hematite) - thrifted
• Necklaces/bracelets - vintage fairs and thrifted
• Graduated bead necklace - gift from Mom, Alaska, c. 1997
• Earrings - gift from Mom

This morning, Vizzini curled up on the skirt of my dress for a snuggle.

"Heh, I've trapped the Woman! She must stay home!"

Unfortunately, I did have to go work, but the weekend is nearly upon us!

I will be back on Sunday with tales of adventure. Have a wonderful weekend and thank you so much for dropping by.

Psychedelic Sequins

Today, I had a work event to go to, a mixer with contractors and clients. I know everyone who comes to my office, and it's nice to say hi to some of my favourite office guests. 

I always like to dress up a bit for it, even though it's at a pub. Sequins!

• Blouse - Sylvia Lee for Barcelino per Donna, vintage, consignment; last worn here in February in an ode to Karl
• Dress - Esprit; last seen here in January on a "casual" Friday
• Boots - Prepare Map, Fluevog; last worn here in November with mostly matching mauves
• Coat (below) - Donna Karan, consignment; last seen here earlier this month

This viscose tank dress is covered with sequins, sewn end-to-end to give it a "liquid" look. It's very comfortable, and an easy outfit.

I have worn it with a blouse underneath to make it work-appropriate before - I just wore a different blouse...and tights and shoes - gotta shake things up.

This is a gorgeously thick 100% silk blouse - I love the crazy pattern.

It's quite psychedelic. 

My coworkers loved this look. I felt very seasonably sparkly.

Outerwear - it's been grey and overcast with spitty rain. 

Time for a puffer!

All snuggly and bundled up.

 I just love this coat.

• Scarf - V. Fraas, thrifted
• Gloves - Parkhurst

The stuff:

I wore these boots so that I could walk to the pub from work and then hop the bus home later without changing out of them. I hate dealing with the laces.

Mod bling:

I noticed that these new-to-me earrings really matched the green in the blouse well. Perfect!

• Earrings - consignment; purchased here for $12.00
• Lapis lazuli ring/Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes

While I was getting ready this morning, Vizzini kept bumping the bathroom door open and leading me away - I always follow him, to give him a little attention in the mornings.

"Come in here, Woman! We must cuddle!"

I wish! But I'm home now, and the couch is calling.

I have plans tomorrow night, so won't be posting again until Thursday - stay tuned for a two-fer!

Green Velvet and Gold Sparkle

This Monday came way too quickly! I need another weekend! 

 But no, it was really Monday, with a busy week ahead. Must wear sequins.

• Velvet jacket - Pink Tartan, consignment; last worn here in March with more green and gold
• Turtleneck - Wanko, thrifted; last seen here (2nd outfit) in November for a caped brunch
• Skirt - Banana Republic, consignment; last worn here (2nd outfit) for brunch in September
• Shoes - Seychelles; last seen here with a gold genie skirt in November
• Leather trenchcoat (below) - vintage 70s, thrifted; last worn here a week ago

I've been shopping my closet and wearing lots of my favourite things - this green velvet jacket is so fabulous.

"Hmm, what have we here? Is that an open purse?" 

The jacket has big heavy gold buttons all over it - it's so luxurious.

"There has to be some food in here..."

The skirt is so shiny! I loved wearing all this sparkle - and people love seeing it.

"No food! I need to destroy something!"

The sweater is such nice quality - I had to de-hair it, as someone shed all over me after we had some cuddles. I realized Vizzini needed some attention once I checked my pictures!

Outerwear - I've learned my lesson with velvet! This trenchcoat has an acetate (I think) lining that doesn't cling to other fabrics, and generous sleeves/shoulders, perfect for wearing with blazers.

There will be no riding up in this outfit!

• Fur scarf/leather gloves  - Danier Leather

The stuff: 

Easy shoes for lots of running around. These are so comfy.

Gold bling:

Such a cool statement necklace!

• Necklace - D'Orlan, vintage 60s, thrifted
• Earrings - thrifted
• Crystal ring - Uffizi Gallery gift shop, Florence, Italy
• Amber ring - c. 1996

...and how was your Monday?