Inked Sleeves and a Floofy Underskirt

One more day to the weekend! It continues to be hot, and this drives my wardrobe choices. 

Silk tunic and a frothy skirt - perfect for a hot day!

• Tunic - Dries Van Noten, consignment; purchased here on the weekend for $13.50
• Cami - not tracked
• Floofy underskirt, consignment; last seen here in August 2017 (I should wear that outfit again, I like it!)
• Shoes - Prepare Guide, Fluevog; last worn here with my Polychrome Princess outfit earlier this month
• Jacket (below) - Club Monaco, thrifted; last seen yesterday here

This tunic (I refuse to call it a dress - way too short!) was lovely to wear. A few people pointed out that my upper arm tattoos made it look like I had sleeves on - what a neat illusion and nice side benefit!

I layered a rust-coloured cami underneath (needed that coverage for the office), and took advantage of the sewn-on snap loops on the tunic to secure both my bra and the cami's straps, to keep them sliding around. It worked so great! I showed this feature to a few of my coworkers and they were agog - such a good idea!

As you can see from the back, the top is higher in the rear on the hem - definitely not a dress, at least for me.

 I tested a pencil skirt under this, but settled on my floofy underskirt. I bought this back in 2009 at My Sister's Closet, I recall, and it's been a useful wardrobe item for nearly 9 years! I first worn here in August 2009 with my first of many denim dresses over the years. I still have that obi and I still have those shoes! Ha, and I thought that outfit was kooky - how I've grown. I would still wear that!

Outerwear - yup, same ol', same ol'.

I hiss at the sun like a vampire!

The stuff

 My calf is starting to feel better, and these clompin' shoes are deceptively low - that's all platform! These are only a net 1" heel or less.

Boho bling:

Playing with some of my homegrown vintage.

• Copper/turquoise necklace - vintage 60s, consignment
• Amber and sandalwood choker - vintage 70s, Mom's
• Earrings - LA Express, c. 1994
• Eelskin bracelet - "Gucci", gift from Mom and Dad, from Italy
• Amber ring - c. 1996
• Turquoise/silver ring - local

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend, and good vibes all around! I'll be back on Sunday with my Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up.

Entirely Orange, and a Mid-Week Shop

Two months left in my spring/summer season, and I still have pieces I haven't worn yet. Like this orange dress. 

 Vintage for the win!

• Dress - Sacony, vintage 60s, thrifted; last seen here in September 2017 with even more orange. Morange!
• Shoes - Tsubo, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in April for Winesday, a very colourful outfit
• Jacket (below) - Club Monaco, thrifted; last worn here yesterday

Another hot day, with temperature warnings.

 At 7:30am: the Castle looks so pretty.

Dresses are awesome for hot days and air-conditioned offices can be chilly, but not enough to need a cardigan. Vintage non-breathable polyester to the rescue.

 Bare arms help control the temperature, and the loose cut is very comfortable.

I love the "tennis dress" style of this.

 The skirt is light and swooshy, and the dropped waist is quite flattering (I must say!).

I'd forgotten about this straw hat!

 I think I'm developing "sock tan" from the sun on my legs for the brief time I'm out during the day.

• Hat - thrifted

The stuff:

 My calf is still acting up, so still sticking with low, comfortable shoes.

• Wood earrings - vintage 60s, vintage expo
• Amber ring - c. 1996

On my way to the drug store after work, I had a quick browse of the $10 rail at Rich Rags. I've been eyeing this sweater for a while.

 It's a lovely stretch wool, with random bits of silk, leather and ribbon sewn on, along with brass buttons and zippered edges. Kooky!

It's by Morena, a brand I've owned in the past (here's a flashback to Feb 2012 when I first wore my Morena skirt). They are a local Victoria company, still making deconstructed/reconstructed clothing; they sell their stuff at Leka on Fort St.

 I love the ruffle of lavender ribbon along the collar! This is now residing in the fall/winter pile, ready to surprise me in 2 months.

I also tried on these half-price beauties. I had to take a peek inside the store!

 Black and pewter/silver/steel! patent leather, with an iridescent grey bow? YES.

Do you know how to read content labels on shoes? Each row tells you what all the parts of the shoe are made of.

 The silhouette of the shoe has arrows, pointing at (from top to bottom), the outer, upper part of the shoe, the lining/inside of the shoe, and the sole of the shoe.

The diamond means "other" (usually something man-made, like PVC or plastic); the shape that looks like an animal hide means leather. There's also a cross-hatched symbol for fabric/textiles.

These were $20, and are by Aldo. Comfy and cool!

Short Simple Stripes

After yesterday's outfit debacle (I know, I'm being dramatic), I went with a simple and easy outfit to get my style groove back. 

 A dress! Shocker!

• Dress - Derek Lam for DesigNation, thrifted; purchased here for $24.95
• Shoes - Half Truth Tanya, Fluevog; last seen here in June with my fireworks dress
• Jacket (below) - Club Monaco, thrifted; last worn here last week

I'm so glad I went back for this dress! I absolutely love it. I got lots of compliments on it, and it was comfortable to wear. This is a size 10 (I'm usually a 6 or 8) and I was glad for the slight extra room, as the cotton/linen blend has zero stretch.

 It is also REALLY short. As I mentioned before, celeb Emmy Rossum wore this dress when it came out in 2013 (here, linked 'cause I love), and Patti wondered if hers had been shortened. Upon examination of the patterns, I'm certain that it has not.

I wore a black half-slip under it for extra protection.

It's such a great pattern - I can think of lots of options to wear this from my wardrobe, various shoes, tights and jackets.

 My emerald green pants, too!

I realized after I'd put my walking shoes on, that I'd forgotten to take a pic with my jacket.

My Sex Pistols Converse have been excellent all spring/summer - I'm getting good cost-per-wear!

 We've had temps in the upper 20s, which is very hot for us. White linen is wonderful sunblock!

The stuff:

 My shoes got much more attention with this outfit than the last time I wore them, when they were overshadowed by a bold-patterned full-skirted dress. A few people noticed how the square buckles, the square heel and the little rise at the back of the ankle echoed the horizontal and vertical striping in the dress. The double-strap also picked that up. It's like I planned it or something.

Bold bling:

 Like Emmy, I kept the accessories minimal, but solid and large. First wearing of these new-to-me sterling silver and wood earrings that I picked up in Powell River, and they were lovely, very lightweight.

• Steel cuff - thrifted
• Glass bangle - thrifted
• Shield ring - Nine West
• Earrings - thrifted, Powell River, first wearing

I do my stair pose last when I take my pictures in the morning. Vizzini often dashes for the door and tries to escape when I exit our condo. Today I let him in the hall briefly.

"Now I want to go inside."

He wants to go back in as soon as he's out. Make up your mind, Vizzini!

Whale and Brolly Mismatch

Monday, guh. I found it really hard to motivate today. 

 I was also peeved at myself for this outfit. The proportions are off, and that really bothers my little OCD heart.

• Sweater - C. Wonder, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) for May's Winesday
• Skirt - SP; purchased here yesterday for $30.00
• Shoes - Michael Kors, thrifted; last seen here in May with an alien necklace

I draw your attention to the last time I wore these shoes (linked above) - that was also a thin sweater and a ballet-length full skirt. That outfit: successful.

 This outfit: not. I do like all the pieces of it, though. This new skirt was marvelous.

I thought of tucking in the sweater, but then laziness got the better of me.

 The length of the skirt, combined with flat shoes (needed for my pulled calf), requires a defined, high waist.

But it has pockets! And can you really feel that agitated when wearing both umbrellas and a whale? I think not.

 And all is forgiven.

Lest you think I am really beating myself up over this, dear readers, I am not. I dress to push myself and try different things. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't! Move on, and try again.

The stuff:

 I really love these shoes - they are so elegant. I'm a sucker for an ankle strap.

Yellow bling:

I liked the mix of yellow and the citrus-y orange in my outfit.

• Cuff - thrifted
• Ring - c. 1996
• Bakelite earrings - vintage 60s, vintage fair

Tomorrow is another day! 

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Friday Checkers, Ulti Silk, Dress Regrets Undone, Yellow Dinner and Casual Shopping

Summer has arrived here (it only took an extra month) and it's hot, hot, HOT now. This weekend has been all about trying to deal with the weather (and an injury from Ulti, boo). 

Here's Friday. 

 The circles in the top remind me of checkers, and the trousers are totally checkerboard. Getting dressed is literally a game!

This my entry for "Visible Monday" over at Not Dead Yet Style - I was really out there for a Casual Friday, and got tons of comments from my coworkers (and random people in public) on this outfit.

• Top - Talbots, thrifted; first worn here with the Lady Garden of Delight skirt in May
• Trousers - Alexander McQueen, Fall 2003, thrifted; first worn here in May with chartreuse and blue
• Sandals - Dr. Scholl's, consignment; last seen here (3rd outfit) in June with Marimekko print

As I noted on Thursday's post, I found the amazing fashion resource which is Vogue's collection of all runway looks, searchable by show, season and designer, here (linking 'cause I love!). With a bit of time and patience, I was able to find what season these Alexander McQueen trousers are!

There was no doubt for me that these were authentic McQueen - they are amazing in person (I make everyone feel the wool fabric, and point out the incredible seams) - but I really wanted to know WHEN they were from.

With a bit of time and patience, I found it! Fall Ready-to-Wear 2003, here, and if you look here, and go down to look #24 here (pic), that's the exact same fabric.

These pants are not shown in a runway look, but not 100% of every capsule is always shown. It's likely that these were offered in the ready-to-wear collection as an alternative to the skirt for that suit. The cut of these pants (here) are very similar, right down to the cuffed hems.

In the summary for the collection (here), Vogue notes (my bolding):

Fantastic details were lavished on dramatic structured carapaces, embroidered, painted and mind-blowingly embellished to look like antique samurai armor, Russian lacquered dolls and tribal ceremonial dress. Somewhere along the line, the stiff pleated skirts segued into molded suits, done in jigsaws of two-tone checkerboard—the better to show off the designer’s devilishly accurate cutting skills.

 So cool! I giggled with excitement when I found that!

The stuff:

I have to wear a pretty high heel and/or platform with those trousers and these Dr. Scholl's worked beautifully.

Steel bling:

Simple, bold shapes. Not too distracting.

• O cuff - vintage fair
• Steel cuff - thrifted
• Ring - Nine West
• Earrings - gift from Megan Mae

I met up with L for dinner after work on Friday, followed by a quiet night at home. We were up early for a hot day ahead - and a game of Ultimate Frisbee!

My crappy and old camera doesn't like the heat and is giving my pictures a haze, sorry. I wore this thin silk dress to be as cool as possible.

• Dress - All Saints, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in August 2017 for Ulti again
• Shoes - Truths Makena, Fluevog; last worn here in May with a schmozzle of pattern and metal

It was too hot to wear my usual slip under this.

I need some flat shoes that will work with cool tones - these didn't look right with the outfit, but I was glad to have some loose comfy shoes to slip into after the game.

I ended up tweaking something in my calf, and not being able to run during the game (in a game where sprinting is frequent, that's not a good thing), so I hobbled a bit, but managed to make it through the game (my team won!). My calf is better after resting it a bit this weekend, but I'm taking care of it.

The stuff:

Comfy shoes.

• Earrings - local

Back to Friday - before I met up with L, I spent over an hour browsing through the Patch (I was late for dinner, oops), and found two beautiful dresses that I really loved. I got inside my head a bit, though, and overthought things. An issue I have is that I've become spoiled by uber-cheap thrift prices, and so I don't buy things I love if I think they are too expensive (even though they are still WAY cheaper than regular retail).

It drives L crazy - it's not like I have any other hobbies and I don't spend money on anything other than eating out (infrequent, L pays for meals we have together) or groceries. After he reminded me of this - I vowed to go back to the Patch after brunch and see if the dresses were still there. Phew! They were!

This is the first one - I was drawn to the colours and pattern.

It's a linen and cotton blend, unlined, and it's quite short.

The back.

It's a really cool fabric - I love this pattern.

It's by Derek Lam for DesigNation, and was sold at Kohl's in 2013. The pattern is called "Graphic Surf Parrot" and it was originally intended to sell for $70 (but went on sale 25% off almost immediately). It was $24.95.

Celeb Emmy Rossum wore it (here, link 'cause I love), and you can see what I mean about SHORT if you look at that pic! Zoiks! I will probably wear it over pants or a skirt, or with tights.

I also remembered that we have a wedding vow renewal event to go to soon, as well as a wedding coming. This dress will be perfect.

I love this gorgeous shade of blue! This dress is a slip-over-the-head, bias-cut (extra Swoosh Factor), and is silk satin. It's lined in the same fabric.

The back goes down to a V.

It's so nice on!

It was new - one of the original tags is still on it (no price tags, though).

You can get a better idea of the dress there, at least until I wear it. I actually like the sashes knotted for a more dramatic trailing scarf effect down one leg. Drama!

Yes, I balked at $49.95. Too expensive!

But this probably would have been in the $300-500 range new, possibly more, since it is silk vs. polyester. So I guess that's not too bad after all. Lesson learned!

My uncle and his wife are visiting Canada from Australia, so L and I had them and my mom over for a visit on Saturday afternoon, followed by dinner at the local pub (the Fernwood Inn), and followed by our friends coming over for board games later that night. Busy!

Special occasion - I definitely wanted to wear a dress! This lovely floaty dress has been a favourite for many years.

• Dress - Calvin Klein, thrifted; last seen here in August in an "armour" outfit
• Shoes - Born, consignment; last worn here

Someone was prowling around, trying to get attention while I was doing my pics. Gotcha!

"So undignified! Put me down,Woman!"

My cat loves me. Really!

I was happy to hear that yellow is poised to make a comeback as a trendy colour - yes! I have always been a fan of yellow.

I've had this dress for 3 years (first seen here in 2015 - that feels so long ago!), and I still love it, although I don't wear it much.

So many dresses, so little time!

"I think I"ll just sit here and lick my toes."

It was just right for a day like this.

I'd scrubbed off all my sunblock for the morning, so I carried my coverage instead.

I do love a parasol!

A big HELLO! to reader, Dawn, who spotted me at the pub and told me she loved my blog. Thank you so much for reading, Dawn! Aw, that really made my day. *smile*

• Paper parasol - Chinatown

The stuff:

We did a very leisurely stroll down to the pub and back, so I was able to stretch out my calf. My comfiest shoes steered all my accessories towards gold.

Gold bling:

Mom liked seeing her bracelet and belt again.

• Belt - vintage 70s (modified by me in the 80s), Mom's
• Hinged cuff - vintage fair
• Crystal ring - Uffizi Gallery gift shop, Florence
• Amber ring - c. 1996
• Strap bracelet - vintage 60s, Mom's
• Purse (not shown) - Reiss, thrifted

Oops, missed my earrings too.

When in doubt, go matchy!

• Earrings - Venice, gift from L

Mom had a couple of gifts for me - woo! She found these never-worn black long suede gloves that are probably close to 20 years old, and thought, "Who so I know who would wear these??"

I tried to blow out the colour so that you can see the row of suede buttons on each glove.

Le Chateau.

Still with the "don't remove this" tag attached. I'll be removing that.

Mom just returned from a European river-barge cruise, and brought me back this gorgeous silk/cashmere/viscose scarf.

It's folded in half there. I love the metallic-looking sheen and all the gorgeous rich neutral colours. This will go with a lot!

That's all woven, not printed.

It's from Dusseldorf!

I would have liked to have slept in today/Sunday but I had a full day ahead! Off to town to get groceries, then meet-up with my coworker Lada for lunch and a shop.

Super casual for me, and dressed for the heat.

• Cardigan - Gap, thrifted; last seen here (2nd outfit) in September 2016 over the Spanish ladies dress
• Tank - Gap, thrifted; not tracked
• Clam-diggers - Contrast, thrifted; no longer tracked
• Shoes - Down to Earth Hadfield, Fluevog menswear; last worn here in May with creeping velvet

I did not love this outfit, and I'm done with this cardigan.

As I also vow not to wear these white things in public again. I will stick to wearing them around the house.

They're not awful. I just didn't feel like me.

The stuff:

I'm happy with the accessories, though! I love the hat (confession, forgot about it) and the shoes.

• Hat - Anthropologie, Portland
• Earrings - gift from Sherri

Lada and I went to My Sister's Closet after a light lunch at Shine Cafe. Neither of us did that well, sadly, but we had a good time anyway!

I found this lovely silk top/tunic. It was in with the dresses but is WAY too short to be worn as a dress.

It's a goldy-coloured background, with deep teal pattern. It was $13.50 (all pink tags were half price).

A nice band of complimentary fabric at the waist.

Gorgeous detailing on it.

The little wrap pieces on the straps have snap-fasteners on them so that they open.

This perplexed me until I realized that it's for holding your bra strap in place. Wow, what a thoughtful detail!

Of course, it had to be a Designer! My favourite, Dries Van Noten. Look at that edging detail. For $13.50!

I spent a long time looking through all the collections of his that Vogue has, but I didn't find this or any of my other Dries pieces that I've scavenged over the years, but I think I did find my "pirate" skirt here (on me here), from his Fall 2007 Ready to Wear collection. Not all that surprising not to find older pieces, though, especially for a designer who's done over 100 runway shows!

Lada and I popped into Lazy Susan's for a quick peek, and we both spotted this fabulous skirt on the sale rack.

It was too big on Lada, but perfect on me! Sorry, my dear!

A nice gold back zip.

 I love the pattern of sunshine brollies!

The brand is SP.

 Sure, whatever. It was $30.00 and it has pockets! I'm happy.

Who else is happy?

"Is it me?"

It is! Enjoy the summer heat, Vizzini! I hope everyone else is having a fabulous weekend!