Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Vintage Versace and Sneaky Silk Week

Woo hoo! With my regular Thursday off and Friday being Canada Day, today is my last day of week before a 4-day long weekend for me! 

To celebrate, I wore some bright pink. How unlike me! *snort*
I built the outfit around this amazing new-to-me vintage Gianni Versace skirt. 

  • Blouse - INC, thrifted; last worn here in September 2021, layered under a designer suit
  • Skirt - Gianni Versace, vintage 80s, thrifted; purchased here for $18.95
  • Shoes - Freedom Suki, Fluevog, early 00s, thrifted; first seen here in February with blue velvet

Keeping the styling classic with this wonderful late 90s silk blouse, which is not quite as oversized as the earlier 90s silk blouse I wore on Monday (here).
As I was getting ready this morning, L commented, "You've done a Silk Week!"

Oh, I guess I have! Two silk blouses, and one pair of silk pants in a week! 
Aren't I sneaky? You know I love a good theme.

This blouse is A+ quality - kindly admire how evenly the pattern is lined up. 
Swoon! But let's talk about the skirt, which is a true wrap, secured by two buttons and a small hook. 

I didn't have any issues with it opening while I walked to work, but I wore my thin petit-pants under it anyway, just in case. And yes, I'm wearing nylons - the hot weather has skedaddled, and we're back to grey skies with temps in the mid- to high-teens (US folks, that's in the 60s-70s). 
Other than that, the skirt wrinkled - big wrinkles on my butt from sitting most of the day, and lap folds, which kind of blended into the wrap pleats. Eh, it's linen, what are ya gonna do?

Masked up. 
There are still not that many people in my office, but I do interact with ALL of them in person - I like to walk around and check in on my colleagues, make sure they're doing okay. I'd rather be safe than get Covid or accidentally pass it on. Mom got her 3rd booster this past weekend, so that's a relief.

  • Mask - by Mom

The stuff:
I struggled for shoes to wear with this outfit, and then my eyes settled on my Pile of Things to Draw On, and I spotted these vintage Fluevogs. I do plan on jazzing them up at some point. 

Gold bling:
All this colour and pattern didn't need much - just a little nod to the gold bling of the 80s/90s. 

  • Necklace - Givenchy, vintage 80s, vintage fair
  • Earrings - Biko, consignment
  • Amber ring - c. 1996
  • Gold/amethyst ring - Frances Jewelers, c. 1965, Dad's

Wishing you all a weekend of good times! Happy 4th of July long weekend to my US friends, and Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canucks! 

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

New Cobalt and Profesh Palazzos, Plus Flashback

We had a big (12+ people!) meeting in the office today, so I busted out the "profesh" office look.
Recognizing that my version of professional may be slightly more colourful than most.

  • Cobalt blazer - vintage, thrifted; purchased here for $14.95
  • Bodysuit - Madewell, thrifted; last seen here in March with brocade and white leather
  • Silk pants - Pinkerton, consignment; last worn here in June 2021 with my Darth Sheila duster
  • Shoes - Effortless Bebe, Fluevog; last seen here in May with profesh pinks

In order to create an outfit with this new-to-me cobalt blazer, I worked my way through my closet, holding it up to everything to see what jumped out at me. 
"Well, HELLO," said these snazzy pants. 

We'll get to them in a bit - I've put a Flashback together of all the ways I've worn them, below. 
I loved this gorgeous jacket. 

That tailoring! That colour! 
I have surprisingly little in this vivid hue - it's not a common colour in clothing. You see lots of true blue, but not much in this almost-neon shade. 

Without the jacket - I thought I might take it off during the day. 
But I did not. 

This is a navy-blue bodysuit.
It's very good quality and worked well with the pants and jacket. Sometimes you just need a solid piece.

Masked up.
I matched my shoes. 

  • Mask - by Mom

Incognito. I totally whiffed on mentioning my white Geox (thrifted!) shoes in yesterday's post. 
I decided to make them my warm-weather walking shoes - my Doc Martens ankle boots are too hot. These are still a little stiff, but getting better - and they're so klassy! I won't be tracking their wears anymore, but I'll definitely get my money's worth! 

The stuff: 
I'm going to be sad when these shoes give up on me - this is their 29th wearing. 

Bright bling: 
I liked that the rose earrings matched the pants.

  • Necklace - thrifted
  • Blue bracelet - vintage 80s, was mine, donated it, thrifted it
  • Glass bangle - thrifted
  • Silver/aventurine ring - consignment
  • Silver swivel ring - consignment
  • Earrings - Betsey Johnson, swap from Cat

And now...

Flashback: Pinkerton Silk Palazzo Pants

Since these silk palazzo pants are a summer stalwart in my wardrobe, and I've had them for nearly 5 years, it's time for a Flashback.
I bought them on one of my former Sunday shopping jaunts to the now-closed My Sister's Closet - I met up with now-Winesday Woman Petra for a wee shop back here in November 2017. 

These 100% silk trousers are by Pinkerton, which is a brand sold at Anthropologie. They are pull-on, with an elasticated smocked waistband. I paid $22.98 for them and they originally retailed for $88.00. Dig this awesome pattern - it's mostly roses, but I love the border on the hem.
I miss My Sister's Closet! Other amazing finds on that same trip were my Rodarte for Opening Ceremony jacket (Flashback here) for a mere $42.98 (retailed for $935!) and my PANK Essential Antwerp dress (for $60.98, still a great price).

As the trousers are thin silk, they weren't practical for November, so I stashed them away and first wore them in April 2018.
The pink top is long gone, but I still have that duster (it's Darth Sheila!), and those pink metallic sandals are a hot weather staple for me - and I've worn them with these trousers a lot. 

The duster-pant combo was a go-to - here it is again in August 2018, with a long chartreuse green cardigan in the role of duster.
That blue top didn't last (I'm fussy) and I think I still have the cardigan? Yes, I do. It's been in the giveaway pile at least once, as it bags out if you even look at it. 

This lace duster was a Dots purchase - I thought it would be useful. I went through a duster phase!
This was in June 2019. Amazing how quickly I grew the colour out of my hair in one year.

I went to visit Elaine in Hamilton, Ontario (and met up with Ally!) here in July 2019 and took a small "it's going to be really hot" capsule travel wardrobe.
I had a tint of blue in my hair then. The duster didn't last much past this - I didn't really love it.

And then the pandemic hit! This was in May 2020 for a Saturday Zoom Happy Hour with our friends. 
My hair is pink there, and I bouff'ed it up. This outfit is notable in that it's the first time I'd worn these pants without a duster! 

And here we are, the last time I wore them, in June 2021, again with my Darth Sheila duster (I love a good formula!). I even wore the same necklace! As you can see from this and the previous outfit, these pants have awesome big pockets.
I wore this in our then-dead office and swooshed at everyone I saw...which was not many.


Mathy stuff: I still have oodles of wear left in these, and I love having a pair of swooshy silk palazzo pants for the warmest days. I wore them twice per season initially, and then that pesky pandemic came along, but hopefully I'll get another wearing in of them this summer. Today's is the 7th outfit, which brings us to $3.28 per wear. 


What's your favourite outfit? How would you style patterned palazzo pants? 

Monday, June 27, 2022

Nineties Neutrals

Ah, summer at last! Another hot day, although I was only outside walking to and from work. 
Long sleeves may seem like an odd choice for summer, but I like the physical sunblock. 

  • Blouse - Dalmys, vintage 90s, thrifted; purchased here for $19.95
  • Skirt - Alberta Ferretti, thrifted; first seen here earlier this month with a back-matching top
  • Shoes - Summertime Moonbeams, Fluevog, consignment; last worn here with this same skirt!

Plus, this shirt is lovely thick 90s silk - it breathed and I never overheated.
And I was never cold in the office AC. 

That's a win. Silk is magic! 
Another win: how well all my 90s stuff went together. The belt plus the blouse...

...and how cute it is with the funky skirt? I had to wear the skirt again, even though I just wore it a few weeks ago. It's such a good match! 
This felt like an outfit that 90s me would have aspired to wear. Lots of neutrals - that was a period where I didn't wear a lot of colour.

I do still have a belt from this era. 
It's a cheaper version (picture here), but I remember waiting till it was marked down to $9.99 (about $18 today) before I could afford it. 

  • Mask - by Mom

The stuff: 
I didn't realize I'd just worn these shoes with this skirt until I searched for my "last worn" - they're a good pairing! 

Mixed metal bling: 
Another 90s thing: those brass/"diamond" collar tips. You don't see those very often anymore! 

  • Belt - no label, vintage 90s, vintage store
  • Silver earrings - consignment
  • Zipper rose - Victoria & Albert Museum gift shop, London
  • Silver chain ring - Taxco, consignment
  • Amber ring - c. 1996
  • Collar points - vintage, consignment

The amber-coloured ring is a homegrown piece of 90s vintage - I bought it at a junky costume shop for $5.00 when L and I were first together. 

Sunday, June 26, 2022

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Fancy Friday Flounces; Sunny Brunch and Betty Walk; Cat Pics

Welcome back, my friends! We've been enjoying our mini-heatwave over here, with temps nudging 30 (that's the low 90s, for you US folks). 

Friday's work outfit features a bunch of favourites and one new-to-me item. 
I was very warm walking home after work, lugging heavy groceries, but it was chilly in the morning. 

  • Blazer - InWear; last worn here (2nd outfit) in March over a sparkly jumpsuit
  • Top - J. Crew, thrifted; purchased here for $6.50
  • Skirt - See By Chloe, consignment; last seen and Flashbacked here in May 2021 with neon 
  • Shoes - Super Fine Cardinal, Fluevog; last worn here (2nd outfit) in June for L's "I'm Fifty-Too" birthday party

This is one of those outfits that I liked, but it looked better in my head than in actuality.
My favourite orange blazer. 

This super-shiny new-to-me J. Crew camisole was fine, although felt a little low in that front V for work. 
The skirt is so flouncy and flowy - it's been a favourite for a few years. 

So what don't I like? 
It feels like too much long-over-long. 

Masked up. 
But I'm really nitpicking. I'm a fussy kind of person. 

Incognito.
The shoes also didn't vibe quite the way I wanted them too. Ah well, there'll be another outfit tomorrow! 

Accoutrements: 
The scarf protected my décolletage from the sun on the way home. Silk is an excellent sunscreen. 

  • Scarf - Forele, vintage
  • Mask - Lazy Susan's

The stuff: 
I do love these shoes, just not (quite) with this outfit. 

Sparkly bling: 
It's also the first time I've worn this lovely brooch, on the blazer lapel. 

  • Wide bracelet - thrifted, Sidney
  • Thinner leaf bracelet - Trifari, vintage 60s, vintage fair
  • Green cocktail ring - vintage 70s, Mom's
  • Silver/crystal ring - Soul Flower
  • Peacock brooch - vintage 80s, consignment; purchased here for $24.00
  • Earrings - thrifted

I popped into Rich Rags on my way home for a quick poke around. I found L a magenta pink shirt for $29.00, and this lovely mini purse for myself.
I love the metal feather - so rock & roll. 

Detail. 
The body of the purse is a pewter-y silver, a good neutral. 

The feather is attached through the leather, and has a hinge so that you can open the purse.
The straps are half leather, half "steel" chain. 

There's a small pocket inside. 
The brand is Zara Woman. 

I was surprised that the price was so low. 
Not sure they realized it's real leather! It was made in India and feels like really good quality. It was $19.00. Score! 

After a quiet evening of relaxing board games and music, L and I were up early for brunch. As expected, it was a hot day! 
Hooray! I finally get the chance to wear these amazing sunshine-y Hawaiian printed trousers! 

  • Jacket - Animale, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in April over a mash of bolds
  • Top - Tatum & Olivia, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in April for a garden party
  • Pants - handmade, consignment; purchased here for $59.99
  • Shoes - Karl Lagerfeld; last worn here in September for a Mom-Day Adventure in orange

Temps were up to 28 degrees, and while I'm sunblocked, I prefer physical sunblock.
Enter - the Completely Impractical Raincoat. 
I like the shoulder coverage. 

Without the jacket.
I took it off in the Ruby for brunch.

My bra straps are showing. 
Don't care! 

Masked up. 
Worn in the grocery store for our weekly shop. 

The Incognito Movie Star, ready to be driven in Vlad the Jaguar convertible. 
I liked the coppery purse with this look. I tied the scarf to my bag later. 

Accoutrements:
I love this pretty silk butterfly scarf. 

  • Purse - Arcadia, consignment
  • Scarf - consignment
  • Mask - Lazy Susan's

The stuff: 
First wearing of these shoes this season - they are holding up well. I wear little puffy sole inserts that cover the toes with these so that I don't have any toe rubbing. 

Citrus bling: 
I adore sunny citrus colours, can you tell? 

  • Belt - vintage 70s, Mom's
  • Orange cuff/ring - Italian, vintage 60s, vintage mall
  • Steel/acrylic ring - Calvin Klein, thrifted
  • Wooden earrings - vintage expo

After a brief rest at home, I met up with ex-WW colleague Betty for a walk along Dallas Road. 
 I also wore the jacket, but I like the additional coverage that the parasol provides. 

  • Paper parasol - Chinatown

I took a bunch of pictures as it was such a gloriously hot and beautiful day.
I sat on our front lawn while I waited for Betty to pick me up - one of our neighbours owns this funky vintage car - it's been converted to a truck-bed in back. 

We drove down to Fairfield and parked across from Ross Bay Cemetery and walked along the back-road to Dallas Road, which runs along the waterfront. 
Houses on the left, graveyard on the right, ocean right ahead.

I hoped to spot some deer when I peeked over the hedge into the cemetery, but no luck. 
There were tons of people out, both in the dappled shade of the trees and at the beach. 

Such a clear blue sky! 
This is one of our meeting-up places (where we've celebrated and remembered Karen) from the past two pandemic years. 

The tide was high, and there was a cool breeze coming off the water (which is ice cold - that's the Pacific Ocean).
Looking across Ross Bay to Clover Point, our destination. 

We strolled along, looking at all the people, chatting and catching up. 
This is typical of many of the ocean-side beaches in BC (my province). Lots of pebbles and driftwood. 

The Olympic Mountain range in Washington state (USA) was clearly visible.
Sailboats on the water, lots of paddlers. 

I spy a Seadoo! 
You don't see too many of those around here. 

As we walked past this rockery wall of California poppies, a woman commented to me, "You match the flowers!"
I did! 

We meandered around Clover Point. This guy on his guitar was playing "Wicked Game".
Most of the year, it's far too windy and cold to sit on these permanent benches. 

Looking across the next bay towards Beacon Hill Park. 
This is a gorgeous area for walking and enjoying the waterfront.

We crossed the road here and turned back. 
How blue that sky is! 

We ambled through a residential neighbourhood, enjoying the lack of traffic (Dallas Road is a constant parade of cars sightseeing). 

I also like seeing the flowers.
These are the same flowers Mom and I just saw at Heritage Acres! 

Check out this massive rose tree growing up the side of this house. 
Giant peach-coloured blossoms. 

And now we're at Ross Bay Cemetery.
Since I haven't been doing my big Mental Health Walks, I've neglected going here for several months. 

I was disappointed to see that someone removed the poem from inside the Poet-Tree (pic here). 
Aw.

A glimpse of the water through the trees.
You can see the edge of the rocky beach below us. The graveyard is higher than the road. 

Finally! A deer! 
She was chillin' in the shade. Smart deer. 

Suddenly, as we were about to head back to the car...
Two fauns! Do you see them both? Their coats make them blend into the dappled light.

This one grazed on the hill leading down to the road.
Don't worry, I didn't get that close - I used the zoom on my camera. 

There's mama deer, giving me The Look. 
"Keep away, human!"

I like seeing deer.
They're all over the city right now. L saw one on the road on his way to work this week. 

Selfie with Betty! 
Thanks so much, Betty! That was a lovely walk - great catching up with you! 

L and I spent a quiet evening, barely moving in the heat (it was 40 on our deck!), and playing boardgames. We had some company.
"Time to cool off."


Vizzini flops on the hot tile, then snoozes on the cooler cotton-upholstered benches on the deck, then falls over on the cool carpet inside. 
"Oh, what a tough life...streeeeetch!"

You can see his black skin colouring inside the top of his mouth there. 

Of course, he gets pats and lovin' from me. 
"I submit to your scritches, Woman."


He lay like this in this spot watching us play games for a while. 
"No. Energy. Must. Flop."


This is late at night - L and Vizzini were both asleep on the couch. I woke L up to go to bed.
"But we're so happy here..."


I hope you all had a wonderful, peaceful weekend! Thanks so much for stopping by!