Last Chance for Greyhounds, Leather Pants, a Goodbye and a Tease

February 22, 2013, 6:21 pm

≫ Next: Dandelion Head and Three Verdicts

Friday, my friend, it's so good to see you!

What? You don't wear leather pants to work?

I have culled my closet to the point where I actually only have 2 pairs of dressy pants in my closet (I still have a couple pairs of jeans and some stuff in summer storage), and these Gap vintage leather jeans are one of them. If you're not familiar with my leather pants, please check out their mysterious past here. If you are familiar with them, then you'll recall that I wore them three times in the April 2012 capsule (recap here).

The jacket was worn four times in the December 2012 capsule (recap here). I love the strong shoulder and the brocade and the wonderful shape of the waist, and I like how it played off the texture of the pants.

This is the third wear for voting of the Smoking Lily greyhound tee (previously worn here and here). I'll be posting the verdict on it tomorrow.

Smoking Lily Lilac Greyhound Tee: Outfit #3
I want to thank everyone for their thoughts on the Smoking Lily dress yesterday. I like hearing what people think (it's a Libra thing) - it helps me look at different perspectives and fully understand the fit and style of my clothes, which is a good thing. I am really having fun with this 3-times challenge!

Back view:

Yeah, love the jacket and love the pants. No vote for you!

The shoes are my purple combat boots, which I wore four times in the January capsule (recap here). I had to do some creative lacing on the left one because "someone" ate a chunk of the laces.

Sadly, however, today we say goodbye to the boots. They are cheapo vinyl Winners boots that cost very little, and today I noticed that piece of the vinyl has come apart, and there's a spot rubbed off on the back of the heel. I will donate these and keep my eyes peeled for something better quality.

The stuff:

My fabulous Pringle of Scotland belt (last worn here, and thrifted in a bundle here) and a bunch of steampunk-y stuff.

Jacket (Le Chateau, consignment), tee (Smoking Lily), pants (Gap, thrifted, vintage), boots (Penny Loves Kenny), belt (Pringle of Scotland, thrifted), necklace (Raven's Rest Studio), brown cuff (SkinzNHydeZ), black cuff (Guess, thrifted), zipper rose (Victoria & Albert Museum Gift Shop).

And the tease, you ask?

I got new glasses! L and I will be debuting them tonight at an art installation opening.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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Dandelion Head and Three Verdicts

February 23, 2013, 11:33 am

≫ Next: Second Ships and First Black Suede Maxi (and More Chicken Hair)

≪ Previous: Last Chance for Greyhounds, Leather Pants, a Goodbye and a Tease

Happy weekend, everyone! I am off to hang out with my Core Four Winesday gals for lunch, having had a marvelous time at the G++ Gallery last night, for the debut of "fish.e"*, an interactive art and light installation. L and I always like to get dressed up and meet some of the fun arty people in Victoria - a bunch of our friends were there too, so it was a blast to hang out, have a few drinks and dance in the gallery.

*linking to support my local arts community, yo!

We also debuted our new specs:

L is such a stylin' dude

L's are metal and mine are plastic. Mine are the "Rosalind" by Rapp* of Toronto - they are made in Canada! Yay! I had fun bouffing up my hair to go with the over-the-top look of my glasses and outfit. It was super windy and rainy so the hair stayed intact - it felt like I had a big dandelion puff on my head.
*linking 'cause I love

I wanted to wear this olive dress again. It's by Adrianna Papell and I bought it in December 2011 at Winners for $25.00. I have only worn it the one time (here). It didn't get worn as a Wild Card outfit during the Capsule Challenge, and it's not an appropriate day-dress, so it got a quick "Like it or Lose it" from me last night.

I'm wearing a black slip underneath for warmth

My verdict: Lose it. Not a flattering style on me - I do look better in fitted clothing than baggy stuff. Off to the donation bag with you!

My wonderful Mini Babycakes Fluevog boots, brown tights and brown leather gloves kept me snuggly and warm for the walk to and from the gallery. I last wore the boots here, with the now-gone black sack dress.

I bundled up in my Smoking Lily octo-coat:

And a good time was had by all!

Dress (Adrianna Papell), boots (Mini Babycakes, Fluevog), earrings (Aldo), gloves (Club Monaco, consignment), coat (Smoking Lily), bag (fake Jil Sander, consignment).

Let's get on with...the Verdicts!

Brown Lace Skirt (Planet):

I wore it here, here and here. The votes are:

Like it: 139
Lose it: 41

A fairly large margin for the Like It camp! My verdict: Like it. I'm keeping it.

Opinions were really mixed on this - some didn't like it, didn't think it was "me" enough, and some loved it. Not a lot of in-the-middle! One of the things I noticed is that when I really made an effort in the outfit, that the positive votes went up. The first outfit (which I admit was the weakest of the 3) garnered a huge amount of Lose it votes, while for the other two (better) outfits the Like its easily outpaced the Lose its. It's not just about the pieces alone - it's about how they work in your wardrobe, and how you style them.

The skirt on its own is fantastic. It is sexy as hell when I walk in it (it has no slit, so really accentuates the hips and legs), which doesn't come across in static photos. I have always loved this skirt and continue to love it. It's the best chocolate brown skirt I've ever owned.

Next up: Red Dress (Calvin Klein):

I wore it here, here and here. The votes are:

Like it: 118
Lose it: 17

It's a blowout for the Like its. My verdict: Like it.

I feel like I've been looking for that perfect red dress for my whole life - this is as close as I've ever come. I like the exaggerated shoulder detail, the pleats at the front and back and the beautiful seaming through the waist. I was concerned that the dress would pill near the boobular region, but it held up very well. I love the vivid colour too!

And last but not least, the Lilac Greyhound Tee (Smoking Lily):

I wore it here, here and here. The votes are:

Like it: 113
Lose it: 14

Another landslide! And my verdict is: Like it.

Of course I like it! It's an awesome tee. However, it's not going to be in regular rotation as I did find it to be a bit too casual for work/everyday styling. Each of the outfits is a casual or weekend look (two Casual Fridays and a Saturday outfit), which is fine. It will be worn around the house, as a layering piece or in the summer on its own, but you probably won't see it in many outfits going forward.

Over the last year, I have come to realize that the casual side of my wardrobe isn't where I want to be in terms of my own style. I can have fun doing a rocker look through accessories or a strong statement piece like my leather pants, but t-shirts aren't really part of that any more.

So! Agree, disagree on any of the verdicts? Feel free to air your thoughts - I really do like to hear your feedback!

Tomorrow will be the results of the voting for the Capsule Challenge's Favourite Outfit of the Year - have you left a comment with your top 3? It's not too late! Go here and have your say.

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Second Ships and First Black Suede Maxi (and More Chicken Hair)

February 24, 2013, 3:04 pm

≫ Next: 30 For 30 For 12 Challenge - Favourite Outfit Winner! and Favourite Capsule

≪ Previous: Dandelion Head and Three Verdicts

Ah, what a fun weekend! I hope you're all doing well - anyone watching the Oscars tonight? I'm glued to the TV as soon as the red carpet starts! I'll try to get the Favourite Outfit post up tonight.

Yesterday, I headed downtown to meet up with my Winesday gals for brunch. I took this as an opportunity to wear the Holy Ship! dress again.

It was rather bright and sunny!

I stopped in at Smoking Lily's The Milkman's Daughter (their shop that isn't teeny-weeny) to pick up a gift certificate for our dear friend Cat (happy b-day soon!), and the gal working there told me that yes, indeed, this dress is a sample, one-of-a-kind, and they won't be using this ship screen design again because it smudges and is too complicated. I love being exclusive.

Today, I'm layering my sheer navy blouse under the dress, with a leather belt at the waist, my Babycakes Minis (yes, I'm wearing socks with them!) and a brown/brass necklace from my mom. I wore the blouse twice in the April 2012 capsule (recap here). Of course, I last wore the boots on Friday here.

I last wore the dress here.

Holy Ship! Dress (Smoking Lily): Outfit #2
We hung out for a few hours, then our men and another couple came and a few hours stretched into nearly six! Woo!

Although it was sunny, I still bundled up a bit:

I love this denim raincoat - it was a Jacob purchase way way back, probably in 2007. The scarf is a recent Smoking Lily piece, as is the gold anatomical heart on my lapel.

Remembering all my hassles with slips/.linings/unlined dresses from last time I wore the Holy Ship! I just did a plain slip and bare legs, and wore a purse that sits higher.

Vizzini approved!

Coat (Jacob), dress/scarf/pin (Smoking Lily), boots (Babycakes Minis, Fluevog), belt (Plum), necklace (gift from Mom).

On my way downtown, I stopped by the Women in Need thrift store to see if something that I'd spotted a couple of weeks ago was still there. It was.

Those are vintage red wool culottes, baby!

Check it out:

Wide, swooshy legs of pleat-y goodness!

And they are a rather good brand.

Real Escada! Made in Western Germany. They are amazing quality.

And not a bad price:

Yes. $9.50. But it's even better - WIN had an extra 25% off on vintage, so including tax, these were under $8.00.

They are too small on me, but this week they will be sent to a very worth recipient, Lynne of The Good Will Hunting Paralegal. I hear she's been looking for a pair of culottes (so cutting edge, all the cool kids will be wearing them soon), and she's a dear.

I also stopped in at a Very Expensive consignment store and this somehow leapt into my hands:

It's bright orange, Italian leather and made in Canada by Danier Leather. It was $198.00 which is pretty pricey, however, I know that this would have been over $500.00 new (it's the same leather as my red coat, which was $799.00 full price). Anyway, I love it!

Today, L and I slept in a bit, then I walked to town and did some Oscar food grocery shopping. Elaine's coming over, so we're having all the favourites: chocolate truffles, fruit, meat, cheese, veggies, some health salty-crunchies, and hummous and salsa. Dee-lish!

I'm debuting my black suede Danier Leather maxi skirt today!

My minimalist make-up weekend face (also sleepy)

After all my blathering about "I don't do that casual look anymore" I decided to push myself to wear this in a fun weekend style.

A thin olive layering tee (I live in these around the house), with my Smoking Lily crow top which I wore six times in the March 2012 capsule (recap here). The top hasn't been languishing in my wardrobe all this time, though - I wear it like this with jeans on a regular basis at home.

I'm wearing my funky Airwalk sneaks that I got a clothing swap with coworkers back here in May 2012.

But back to the skirt. It's deliciously swooshy and look, pockets!

In fact, this skirt is so....maxi, that I can do this:

Wee! I thrifted this skirt at the WIN Boutique here in January 2012 for $29.50. Not exactly a thrift price, but it's for a good cause. Plus, I'm pretty sure this skirt sold new for more than $30.

Black Suede Maxi Skirt (Danier Leather): Outfit #1

I had to wear the orange jacket:

And yes, I have done my "chicken hair" again. Hee. I like it! It's fun and I like playing with it on the weekend.

I added my red gloves and bag, and my green scarf and I felt very visible!

Hola!

So I'm linking up to Patti's "Visible Monday" on Not Dead Yet Style. Rock on, my friends!

Jacket (Danier Leather, consignment), top/scarf (Smoking Lily), long-sleeved tee (Plum), skirt (Danier Leather, thrifted), bag (Danier Leather), gloves (Parkhurst), shoes (Airwalk, swapped).

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30 For 30 For 12 Challenge - Favourite Outfit Winner! and Favourite Capsule

February 24, 2013, 3:50 pm

≫ Next: It's the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Skirt!

≪ Previous: Second Ships and First Black Suede Maxi (and More Chicken Hair)

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It's the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Skirt!

February 25, 2013, 8:42 pm

≫ Next: Blue Blouse and Blue Suede Shoes

≪ Previous: 30 For 30 For 12 Challenge - Favourite Outfit Winner! and Favourite Capsule

It was rather stormy today - this is typical for the west coast winter. It's better than snow!

I felt practically tropical in my tiki skirt.

It was gusty out - my hair was all blown about

This is another one-of-a-kind sample from Smoking Lily. It's the only one, no other ones were made. They screenprinted the entire pattern on the fabric, so I'm guessing it was rather complicated (it looks complicated!) and not worth the money to print a ton of fabric.

I bought it here on my Smoking Lily shopping bonanza for $25.

I had to wear my puffy-ruffly-puffly shirt for both Val Sparkle and Wendy Brandes. Is puffy-ruffly-puffly the Next New Thing? Do I care? No, I'll wear whatever the hell I want, and I love this blouse, which was worn twice during the November 2012 capsule (recap here).

This skirt sits quite low on the hips, and I had a full-length slip on (the skirt is also unlined), so the blouse was slip-sliding away every which way in the waistal region.

I'm still wearing these groovy nylons even though they've popped a toe and have a run

However, such a cool patterned skirt. Everybody sing! "In the tiki-tiki-tiki-tiki-tiki skirt." Or not.

Tiki Skirt (Smoking Lily): Outfit #1
The stuff:

The shoes are Ralph Lauren and I wore them in the February 2012 capsule twice (recap here), and once in a Wild Card outfit at the end of September 2012 (here).

The belt is a suede Le Chateau one that I bought at a vintage fair for $10.00.

Blouse (CAbi, consignment), skirt (Smoking Lily), shoes (Ralph Lauren), belt (Le Chateau, thrifted), earrings (Plum).

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Blue Blouse and Blue Suede Shoes

February 26, 2013, 5:20 pm

≫ Next: Pink Shirt Day - The Jacket Instead

≪ Previous: It's the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Skirt!

Today, I introduce you to this blouse:

I bought it in January 2011 and have worn it twice previously: the last time was here in May 2011 with a grey skirt and some very cool shoes that I haven't worn in a VERY long time. The first time I wore it was here in January 2011 just after I bought it - I wasn't particularly creative today, as I wore a nearly identical outfit (minus the sword). I paid $16.95 for the blouse - it's silk and is by Elie Tahari for Nordstrom.

These are my black satin tux pants, and along with my leather pants, are the only other pair of dressy pants I own. I'm really not a pants girl. I wore the tux pants five times in the November 2012 capsule wardrobe (recap here) and I love them.

The shoes are my blue suede shoes, last seen here in a December Wild Card outfit.

Well, what do you think of the blouse? It's not my usual shape and the colour is a bit limiting. What would you wear with it? It feels wonderful on, and the quality is amazing, but I've only worn it three times in two years. Thoughts?

Blue/White Sheer Blouse (Elie Tahari for Nordstrom): Outfit #1
Blouse (Elie Tahari for Norstrom), trousers (handmade, thrifted), shoes (Feet First), cuff (thrifted), earrings (local).

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Pink Shirt Day - The Jacket Instead

February 27, 2013, 6:48 pm

≫ Next: Third Ships, Plus Grey and Reds

≪ Previous: Blue Blouse and Blue Suede Shoes

Thanks, everyone, for your comments and suggestions for yesterday's blue blouse! I am going to try a few of them for the next two outfits. And yes, Kara, you can have the blouse if I decide not to keep it.

Today is the last vote for this pink velvet blazer:

My workplace did a "Pink Shirt Day" in support of anti-bullying, so this was the perfect outfit. Never heard of Pink Shirt Day? You need to read this inspiring story (that's just a bit of dust in my eye...look away!).

Today, in addition to my pink velvet jacket, I also wore this fuscia pink blouse, which I wore twice in the April 2012 capsule (recap here). I'd actually planned this outfit last week with a similar brown satin blouse, but when I remembered Pink Shirt Day, I swapped it for the brighter pink.

The skirt is my Club Monaco leopard that I wore three times in the June 2012 all neutral capsule (recap here). I've had a few leopard skirt over the years and I just love them.

The boots are my cherry red Miz Mooz - I'm a big fan of them. They are getting nice and soft. I last wore them a few weeks ago with the now-gone Halogen black leather skirt (3rd outfit here).

Ready for your final say on the blazer? I also wore it here and here.

Nougat London pink velvet blazer: Outfit #3
Double mink brooches! I also wore pearl stud earrings, but I forgot to take them off for this picture.

Jacket (Nougat London, consignment), blouse (Esprit, consignment), skirt (Club Monaco), boots (Miz Mooz), brooches (big one: consignment; little one: vintage, thrifted), earrings (Aldo Accessories).

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Third Ships, Plus Grey and Reds

February 28, 2013, 5:37 pm

≫ Next: Casual Friday With Black Suede Maxi, and Two Verdicts

≪ Previous: Pink Shirt Day - The Jacket Instead

Off to the gym shortly!

This is the third wear of the Holy Ship! dress:

Heh, this is probably the most crazyass of all my ship dress outfits, by a long shot. I do enjoy pushing the envelope a little.

The jacket is my Camden Market (London, England) purchase which I wore twice in the December 2012 capsule (recap here). I'm pretty sure I've never worn it belted before, and I really liked how it looked.

The red peeking out is a vintage full-length slip that I often wear as a layering piece. My reds are not quite all matching today, but I'm cool with that.

No close-up of the fabulous boots today, but they are the Baroques Velazquez by Fluevog that L got me for our anniversary last year. I wore them 4 times in the December 2012 capsule (recap here). Our annual Fluevog pilgrimage is coming up in March - I wonder what we'll buy each other this year?

Last chance to air your thoughts on the dress - I'll be revealing my verdicts on it and the pink velvet jacket on the weekend. I previously wore the dress here and here.

Holy Ship! Dress (Smoking Lily): Outfit #3

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Casual Friday With Black Suede Maxi, and Two Verdicts

March 2, 2013, 10:19 am

≫ Next: 30 For 30 Capsule Challenge - Favourite Capsule (Plus the Tiki Skirt Round Two and a Rose Top)

≪ Previous: Third Ships, Plus Grey and Reds

Happy weekend, my friends! I started my Friday off with a bang and wore this ginormous black suede skirt again.

My preference these days for Casual Fridays is to just deploy one piece of denim and then go a little funky with the rest of the outfit.

My denim is this great Part Two vest that I wore three times in the August 2012 capsule (recap here), worn over this micro-leopard blouse, which I wore twice during June 2012 all-neutral capsule (recap here).

I love the "lock and load" properties of a fitted vest.

Back to the skirt. I previously wore it here last weekend (2nd outfit).

Black Suede Maxi Skirt (Danier Leather): Outfit #2
The booties are my taupe studded suede ones that I wore four times in the September 2012 capsule (recap here).

September was a tough capsule for me, and I noted in the recap that I was on the fence with these booties, that maybe this rocker look was something I was over.

Nah, I think I just had not-the-greatest outfits for them. It's much harder to work a fun pair of shoes like these in a restricted capsule than when I can pick and choose from most of my wardrobe. They were great to wear yesterday, although my feet were a little sore by the end of the day.

Outerwear:

My buttah-soft jacket, plus purple gloves and a furry scarf.

The stuff:

Such rockin' booties! I liked the double-stacked cuffs.

Coat/gloves (Danier Leather), scarf/skirt (Danier Leather, thrifted), blouse (Express, consignment), vest (Part Two, consignment), booties (Libby Edelman), studded cuff (vintage), steel cuff (thrifted), leather choker (locally-made).

And now it's Verdict time! The voting is in on two items!

First up: the pink velvet blazer by Nougat London:

I wore it here, here and here. And the votes are:

Like it: 128
Lose it: 49

The Like its have it by a large margin. And my verdict is: Like it. Keeping it and putting it into rotation.

Although pink is not to everyone's taste (many of you are quite anti-pink), it's got everything I love in a jacket: fit, colour, texture (yay for velvet!), and something unique about it. How often do you find a pink velvet blazer that fits just right? I don't have the same issues with the ruching at the bust seam as some did - since I'm the one wearing it, I can tell the fit better than a picture sometimes.

And next up was the very contentious Holy Ship! dress:

I wore it here, here and here. The votes are:

Like it: 91
Lose it: 50

And my verdict is: Like it. But man, people were very divided on this.

However, having said that I'm keeping it, one of the most difficult issues I had with this dress is that it's not a winter dress. It's a thinner cotton and is unlined - it's meant for warm weather wear. Having to winterize it was tricky - not all the layering I tried to do really worked all that well. Outfit fail!

A note about the fit: a few people noted that they thought it was too big by a couple sizes, but I can barely fit it over my boobs, and it's just right in the waist and shoulder. It's just a simple cut, like most of Smoking Lily's dresses, and it's a stiffer fabric. It's also not a super-fitted dress, like I usually wear. Although this isn't a classic "Sheila" dress, I do really love the colour, the uniqueness of it, and the ship print, and I'm looking forward to wearing this in the summertime with some cute sandals.

Hope you're having a fabulous weekend! Don't forget to vote for your favourite overall capsule here - results will be revealed tomorrow.

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30 For 30 Capsule Challenge - Favourite Capsule (Plus the Tiki Skirt Round Two and a Rose Top)

March 3, 2013, 3:22 pm

≫ Next: Blue Blouse Round 2 - Now With More Yellow

≪ Previous: Casual Friday With Black Suede Maxi, and Two Verdicts

And the winner for the best capsule of the 30 For 30 Capsule Challenge is...October! Enjoy it all over again at the recap here.

But I'm getting tired of the capsule thing. It's over, it's done. I want to look at new things!

Crazy chicken-hair lady

Like this groovy tiki skirt! I wore it on Saturday with my marigold yellow sweater (previously worn twice in the winning October capsule, recap again here), and my Presence Impulse red flats (which I wore 5 times in the September capsule, recap here).

I'm joining Patti's "Visible Monday" at Not Dead Yet Style with this colourful ensemble.

This is the second wearing of this Smoking Lily sample skirt - the last time was here.

Tiki Skirt (Smoking Lily): Outfit #2
I added an ornate bronze metal belt that Mom bought me in London, England many years ago, one of Megan Mae's buttonflowers, and red coral earrings.

L and I had brunch out, then ran some errands in town, so I had to have my walking shoes on.

I liked how the black diamond on the heel went with the skirt.

Of course, I wore my red leather jacket with it!

Can you ever have too much red?

Jacket (Danier Leather), sweater (Pria), skirt (Smoking Lily), shoes (Presence Impulse, Fluevogs), belt (gift from Mom), earrings (locally-made), buttonflower (Megan Mae).

We headed out to visit Mom in the afternoon, and to give her kitty Harlequin some love.

She is 15 years old, and starting to feel her age.

She gets away with murder.

"I stand on your puzzle."

But she and Mom are best pals.

Aw, such lovin'.

It was a good day for lounging about in front of the fireplace.

"Feed me"

Our furry family gives so much love to us, don't they?

Today, I walked to the grocery store and had a bit of a meander in the sun.

This top was purchased on consignment for $15.98 in the summer, here in July 2012. I had intended to cram it into August's capsule, but it didn't quite work. It's by Le Chateau and is a nice soft cotton. It has hook-and-eye closures right up the front.

Dorkiest butt-shot ever.

I love the fit of it. I wish the front of it had as many roses as the back does! This is a pretty simple outfit, as I was just walking around. I'm excited to style this top up for work this week.

The skirt is my olive suede Danier maxi that I wore 3 times in the November 2012 all-neutral capsule (recap here), and the boots are my trusty riding-style black boots that I wore 6 times in the December 2012 capsule (recap here).

Anyway, let's get the voting underway!

White and Red Roses Top (Le Chateau): Outfit #1
I'll have my cost-per-wear down to pennies in no time!

Jacket (Danier Leather), top (Le Chateau, consignment), skirt (Danier Leather, thrifted), boots (Aldo, consignment).

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Blue Blouse Round 2 - Now With More Yellow

March 4, 2013, 6:49 pm

≫ Next: Roses Round Two

≪ Previous: 30 For 30 Capsule Challenge - Favourite Capsule (Plus the Tiki Skirt Round Two and a Rose Top)

Adding a routine to one's week really eats up a chunk of time - it usually takes me 30-45 minutes to do a blog entry, and now L and I have the gym three times a week added on top of that. It feels good to be getting stronger, but I miss the extra time!

Anyway, enough of my whining, here's the blue and white blouse, back for another kick at the can.

I'm wearing nude fishnets - it's too cold for bare legs!

Thank you to whichever commenter had the brilliant idea last time I wore this blouse to pair it with yellow. I can do that! I love this bright yellow skirt, and the blue-purple-y shade with it reminds me of irises, which will be blooming at some point.

I did try a little harder to make this blouse work this time; tucked it in, did my usual hourglass shape instead of no-waist, added more colour. I last wore it here.

Blue/White Sheer Blouse (Elie Tahari for Nordstrom)
I wore the skirt twice in the September 2012 capsule (recap here), but it's been a favourite ever since I got it. It's in the dry-cleaning bag now, though, as I got a few dirt marks on it at work today.

The boots are my Libby Smith Bellevues that I wore three times waaaaay back in the February 2012 capsule wardrobe (recap here) - I've missed them so much! I'd planned to go with a "safe" black shoe with this outfit, but once I started playing with the accessories, I realized that I could pull a minor neutral (tan) in with the one major neutral (black) and it could still work. Hurray!

The jacket is my classic "boyfriend" blazer that I thrifted a couple of years ago. It featured heavily in the July 2012 capsule (recap here), where I wore it 7 times. My love for a classic black "throw it on with everything" blazer was reinvigorated!

The stuff:

The focus of it all was the lovely combination of Megan Mae's buttonflowers* - the tan button in the centre was the thing that led me down the path to the second neutral. Of course, if you're doing a buttonflower with bees on it, one must wear the bee brooch! I had so many compliments on my cluster of colour today - thank you, Megan!
*linking 'cause I love - do I even need to say that about Megan?

Hope your Monday was...well, not a typical Monday!

Jacket (Banana Republic, thrifted), blouse (Elie Tahari for Nordstrom, thrifted), skirt (BB Dakota, consignment), booties (Libby Smith Bellevues, Fluevogs), belt (Club Monaco), earrings (Plum), cuff (SkinzNHydez), buttonflowers/bee pin (MMD gifts).

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Roses Round Two

March 5, 2013, 5:17 pm

≫ Next: Patchwork Skirt the First, and More Red and Olive

≪ Previous: Blue Blouse Round 2 - Now With More Yellow

Only Tuesday...*sigh*

Second outfit for the red/white roses cotton top.

If this outfit feels familiar, that's because the cardi, the skirt and the shoes were all featured in the October 2012 capsule (recap here). Although I didn't combine all three of these items together for an outfit that month (I know! I totally thought I had), I easily could have. I wore the cardi twice, the skirt 5 times, and the shoes twice. I was feeling iffy about the shoes, but I really liked them today.

This top barely missed making it into the October capsule - I like how it is more of a backstage piece in this outfit. I last wore it here on the weekend.

White and Red Roses Top (Le Chateau)
I do adore this skirt.

The necklace:

I like the two-tone leaves.

Cardigan (no label, consignment), top (Le Chateau, consignment), skirt (Precis Petites), shoes (Hilary Radley, thrifted), necklace (thrifted, vintage).

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Patchwork Skirt the First, and More Red and Olive

March 6, 2013, 6:03 pm

≫ Next: I Have Wings (and a Massive Black Skirt)

≪ Previous: Roses Round Two

Ah, Wednesday. It's all downhill from here.

Hopefully not outfit-wise, though.

I am going to have to do some major purging when I clean out my closet this month. I have way more new and non-worn-in-over-a-year items in my closet to get through than I thought. Having gone through the whole 12-month capsule thing, it's really shown me how many clothes I have accumulated.

One of those accumulated items is this Dolcezza skirt which did not make it into a capsule. To be fair, I did wear it for a Wild Card outfit last year (the notorious night of debauchery) as part of my steampunk vampire killer outfit. I bought it new at Dots, as a sample - it was $34.99 - in August 2011 (3rd outfit). Since then, I wore it September 2011 (3rd picture), again in September 2011, and in December 2011.

However, I seem to collect olive/neutral and red skirts - I got rid of one last night when I realized it just isn't versatile enough for me. I liked it but I didn't love it - and it kept getting passed over for the Like it or Lose it. Now, what does that tell me?

Anyway, moving on from my musings to a skirt I am putting up for the vote.

Olive and Red Patchwork Skirt (Dolcezza): Outfit #1

The shoes are the infamous Replacement Shoes Because My Cat is a Jerk ones.

The stuff:

Lovely uneaten shoes, a vintage leather belt, a handmade necklace L bought me ages ago, and some of my usual bling.

The lady in flames:

The picture is lacquered on a domino.

Cardigan (Press), top (Planet), skirt (Dolcezza), shoes (Wonders Ayers, Fluevogs), belt (vintage Le Chateau, consignment), necklace/earrings (locally made), silver/red ring (Oscar & Libby's), ring (Nine West).

If you noticed the extra little bit of bling at my skirt pocket, I got a pedometer last night and clipped it on to see how many steps I take in a typical day.

As of arriving at home, that's 12,857 steps. Wow! Over 5 miles traveled today.

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I Have Wings (and a Massive Black Skirt)

March 7, 2013, 7:16 pm

≫ Next: Verdicts, Hockey and Tiki, and More Ruffles

≪ Previous: Patchwork Skirt the First, and More Red and Olive

The weekend is nearly upon us, my friends! And spring feels ever closer.

This is the third wear of the black suede maxi skirt.

With it, I'm wearing my lovely teal thin sweater that was featured twice in the April 2012 capsule (recap here). It felt great to wear it again, like putting on an old friend. And that is what I want all my clothes to feel like!

With maxi skirts, I like to keep the top fairly slim, especially if the maxi is wide. I'm short (5'4") so I want to make sure I'm not lost in all that skirt. I previously wore this skirt here and here.

Black Suede Maxi Skirt (Danier Leather): Outfit #3

I may have flapped my "wings" a few times today, hee hee, just because that's how I roll.

I just wore my black heeled lace-up booties (last worn here for New Year's Eve):

And teal tights, even though I was the only one who saw them. I forgot that this sweater shows a fair bit of my upper back, and hence, my tattoos. My coworkers had a gander and so did some clients - one of them rolled up her sleeves and showed me her ink!

The stuff:

My cool "teeth" necklace, my flaming skull belt (with a buckle I thrifted a while ago for $6.00), little flower earrings and my leather cuff.

Sweater (Kenneth Cole Reaction, consignment), skirt (Danier Leather, thrifted), boots (Marc Softwalk), belt (consignment), buckle (thrifted), necklace (The Bay), cuff (Guess, thrifted), earrings (locally-made).

L and I will be out at a hockey game (go, Royals!) tomorrow night right after work, so I'll be back on Saturday with the third wear of the tiki skirt.

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Verdicts, Hockey and Tiki, and More Ruffles

March 10, 2013, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Burgundy Suede Skirt - A First Outing

≪ Previous: I Have Wings (and a Massive Black Skirt)

What a busy weekend! Friday ended with a hockey game organized by the Social Committee at my work - we went out for beer and appies before the game, then watched the home team win! Huzzah!

Naturally, I dressed for a hockey game.

I prefer a dressy Casual Friday.

I took the bus home and swapped out these shoes for flat black boots for walking to and from the game.

I'm doing the "lock and load" here with the jacket done up, but I wore it unbuttoned except when I put my coat on over it. This is my lovely stretchy denim jacket that I wore twice in the February 2012 capsule (recap here) - I also wore these black Cydwoq shoes that month (worn 4 times). Ha, I actually wore this same jacket to a hockey game last year too!

Ah, that's better unbuttoned. I wore this lovely cowl sleeveless blouse (last worn here for the September 2012 Wild Card outfit). I did rusty-brown ribbed tights to go with the pattern of the skirt - a half-slip kept them from clinging.

This is my outfit for Patti's "Visible Monday" over atNot Dead Yet Style. Check out all the gorgeous participants!

I like the fit of the jacket done up, but it was bulky over my mass of access cards and keys and pedometer.

And this makes this the third wear of the tiki skirt, previously worn here and here. I'm not going to keep you in suspense - here are the results from the first two votes:

Like it: 91
Lose it: 19

It's a blow-out! The verdict: I'm totally keeping it!

As a few people noted, it's a bit big on me, so I might splurge and get it taken in a smidge, but I'm quite lazy so it will probably stay as is. It's unlined and a thin cotton, so like the Smoking Lily Holy Ship! dress, it's more of a summer item than winter wear.

The stuff:

I love Cydwoq shoes. I'd love another pair but the store here that used to carry them only gets a few styles in - rarely the really cool vintage-looking boots that they make. I'll need to save my pennies for a pair of those.

I really liked the copper pieces with this outfit:

The earrings are vintage Renoir, and the pin was thrifted about a month ago for $3.00.

Jacket (Bisou Bisou, consignment), blouse (Michael Kors, consignment), skirt (Smoking Lily), shoes (Cydwoq), pin (vintage, thrifted), earrings (vintage 60s, Renoir, thrifted).

Following the last wear of the black suede maxi skirt, I also have a verdict for it!

My favourite look with it so far

I wore it here, here and here.

Like it: 69
Lose it: 41

Ooh, a close one! And the verdict is: I'm keeping it.

I know, it's just a black maxi skirt, but I adore the thick suede (seriously, it weighs about 8 lbs), the shape and the pockets. It's a gorgeous skirt and will work well as a cold-weather basic in my wardrobe.

I also have the verdict for the red and white roses top:

I really like this outfit

I previously wore it here and here. The votes are:

Like it: 60
Lose it: 13

Another sweep for the Like its! My verdict is: Lose it.

Yes, I'm not keeping it. I spent a little time yesterday putting together outfits for next week (lots of new items up for voting!), and I just couldn't get inspired to find another outfit for this top. I love the cut, the fit, the shape...but the pattern is too big for so much seaming, and the colours pretty much limit me to wearing red and green with it. Blah. So out of my wardrobe it goes!

On Saturday, L and I did our usual brunch out, then we split up and did our own thing for the afternoon. I knew I'd be shopping and wearing a coat for most of the day, so I kept my outfit simple.

It's the return of the ruffled skirt!

This is a plain brown merino wool sweater by Club Monaco that I thrifted in 2010 for $12.00 - I wore it in the February 2012 capsule (recap here) three times - and I'd say that it was the neutral piece that started to open up my eyes about having good quality neutral basics in my wardrobe to go with all the kooky pieces I have.

This is the second wear of the ruffled patchwork skirt, last worn here.

Olive and Red Patchwork Skirt (Dolcezza): Outfit #2

They also featured heavily in the February 2012 capsule (recap here), worn 5 times, which was the most of any of my shoes that month.

I wore this comfy outfit to Winesday with my gals last night too - I ran for the bus in these boots! Gotta love a pair of boots you can run in!

My most favourite coat ever. I'm all over this "leather for spring" trend, man. I can't wait to bust out some of my spring/summer pieces!

Jacket (Danier Leather), sweater (Club Monaco, consignment), skirt (Dolcezza), boots (Miz Mooz), choker (Mom's, vintage 60s).

I didn't find anything at the thrift stores this time. My favourite thrift store is selling off wedding dresses right now, so their stock is quite low. I cruised over to the Velvet Crease and found a couple of wonderful pieces.

This skirt called to me.

It's a gauzy stone-coloured cotton with a t-shirt material waistband. There are two layers of skirting, with the top layer having visible seams. It's by Lapis and was $30.00. I can see this worn underneath another full skirt as a layering piece, or with a fitted top, or even with the waistband folded up to make it a strapless (although I'm a bit booby for that look).

I also fell hard for this blazer.

It's a thick denim twill with a faint textured stripe.

The lapels are silk, like a men's tie material.

The buttons are covered in the same fabric. It has black, white, gold and burgundy in it.

As does the lining!

Wow! I love that.

It was just a bonus that it's by Etro.

Etro is known for featuring paisley designs in their clothing - the label is shaped like a paisley swoosh.

Sweet! A high-end designer piece for $42.00. That's a score! I'm sure this would have been $300-400.00 new. I'm looking forward to playing with the tux-like styling of it.

Speaking of tuxes, the Chairman of the Board has a few words to share:

"I'm feeling more laid back today."

He wasn't happy with us being out all weekend.

"Either play with me or I shred the curtains."

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

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Burgundy Suede Skirt - A First Outing

March 11, 2013, 6:22 pm

≫ Next: Blue Blouse a Third Time, With Orange

≪ Previous: Verdicts, Hockey and Tiki, and More Ruffles

It feels like Spring is just around the corner! It's even a little glare-y in the mornings.

An outfit with some old favourites: my CAbi vest (worn 4 times in the February 2012 capsule, recap here), my leopard blouse, my lovely bow metallic shoes (both from the March 2012 capsule, recap here).

I was very close to incorporating this suede skirt into one of those months, but it always got bumped for similar items, like a red suede skirt or a longer burgundy Smoking Lily skirt or my burgundy dress. I got rid of the red suede skirt, gave the Smoking Lily skirt to Megan the Fashionable Bureaucrat, and that burgundy dress is still kicking around somewhere, but here we are: this skirt is still in my closet.

I've had it since September 2011 (here), when I thrifted it for $14.50. Since then, I wore it in March 2011, and again in January 2012, right before I started the year-long capsule challenge.

I have a big butt, and I cannot lie!

It's a fairly snug pencil cut - for once, it's actually my exact right size. I tend to go up or down a size...depending on the size you find in the thrift store! Sometimes you just take what you can get.

Burgundy Suede Pencil Skirt (Danier Leather): Outfit #1
I'm distracted in the above picture by the sound of someone digging...more on that in a minute.

The stuff:

I went steampunk for the accessories. Shiny, gears and keys.

The wonderful Tamera made the necklace.

The C-shaped ring is meant to look like a horseshoe nail.

Vest (CAbi, thrifted), blouse (Planet, consignnment), skirt (Danier Leather, thrifted), shoes (Jeffrey Campbell), necklace (gift from Tamera), earrings (locally made), spinner ring (Twang & Pearl), C-ring (Club Monaco).

So what was Mr. Vizzini doing?

"I smell an elastic band!"

He dug in my bag until he found my address book (which is held shut with an elastic - so classy), pulled it out and then took off with it. I trapped him in the bedroom and pulled the slobber-covered book away from him then wrestled the elastic from his sharp teeth/claws.

Then I zipped my bag shut.

"It's in here, I know it!"

He actually managed to get it out AGAIN, and I snagged it back from him pronto and zipped it into the wallet compartment. Little bugger!

As soon as I got home, he went for it right away.

"You're no fun."

He's so full of mischief.

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Blue Blouse a Third Time, With Orange

March 12, 2013, 5:17 pm

≫ Next: Yellow and Grey Suede Skirt for Spring

≪ Previous: Burgundy Suede Skirt - A First Outing

It poured rain all day today - I want sun! So I wore a bit of my own sunshine.

Orange sunshine, that is!

This is the third wear of this blue printed silk blouse - and of course, I had to wear it with my cobalt blue skirt! The skirt is my amazing vintage Andre Courreges (thrifted here for $5.00 and worn in the December 2012 capsule three times, recap here).

The obi is the focus piece - it is one of Megan Mae's obi belts that I purchased from her. It's made from two ties, one of which has blue in the pattern. To help pick up the orange theme, I wore a peach cami underneath the blouse, and I'm wearing pale pink fishnet tights (pink, orange, whatever).

I'm doing the blouse tucked in again, and I do think that's the way to go with it. I just don't do the tunic look with my boobage.

Blue/White Sheer Blouse (Elie Tahari for Nordstrom)

I love the length of this skirt - it moves wonderfully when I walk.

The stuff:

The shoes are my Pink rust/teal ones - not an exact match but Close Enough, I say.

You can see the nice patterns of the ties in that picture. So gorgeous and soft!

The shiny bits:

The cuff is from a museum gift shop (St. Paul's Cathedral in London), the earrings were a gift from Elaine, and the ring was purchased last year from my blog-friend Wendy Brandes.

Blouse (Elie Tahari for Nordstrom, thrifted), skirt (Andres Courreges, vintage 80s, thrifted), shoes (Pink), belt (Megan Mae), cuff (St. Paul's Cathedral gift shop), earrings (gift from Elaine), ring (Wendy Brandes).

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Yellow and Grey Suede Skirt for Spring

March 13, 2013, 11:57 pm

≫ Next: Burgundy, Houndstooth and a Rusty Shirt

≪ Previous: Blue Blouse a Third Time, With Orange

Oh, it's so late...I went out with Elaine for dinner and to see the 1957 classic movie "Funny Face" (IMDB link) starring Audrey Hepburn, on the big screen. I found it dated overall, but the dance sequences were fun and the Givenchy and Edith Head costumes were divine!

I wore my pointy-toed kitten heels in honour of Audrey.

And a lot of black and white with splashes of yellow!

This stripey top is one I wore twice in the June 2012 all neutral capsule (recap here). It's lovely and stretchy and I really like the neckline.

The skirt is new-to-me, thrifted back here in November 2012 for $36.98 at the Patch. It's by Danier Leather (of course), and is just so soft. It has really cool seams on the front and back that don't really show in these pictures (there's a better look at the link above).

I had fun with black and white patterns with this outfit too, incorporating these new black and white tights, as well as in my other accessories.

Grey Suede Skirt (Danier Leather): Outfit #1

I've been hearing a lot about leather for spring, and for me, this is how to do it: a soft tulip shape, a nice neutral colour, and second hand. I'm excited to bust out my peach suede skirt - it's packed away with my spring/summer stuff!

Speaking of stuff, here's a better look at it all.

I wore the shoes 6 times in the April 2012 capsule (recap here) - they are marvelously comfortable, and a nice break from a high heel.

That's my Smoking Lily obi that I recently purchased. I adore the bright lemon yellow of it, and picked out the yellow in the flower pin, which I wore on one shoulder, and the little bee pin that I wore on the other shoulder. I didn't take a picture of it (running late this morning), but I wore my bright yellow leather jacket with this too.

More bits:

The two rings were clearance at Club Monaco a couple of years ago - real knuckle dusters!

Top (Finnegan's by Truworth, consignment), skirt (Danier Leather, thrifted), obi (Smoking Lily), shoes (Enzo Angiolini, thrifted), flower (Roberta's Hats), bee pin (gift from Megan Mae), rings (Club Monaco), earrings (Plum), tights (Trasparenze).

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Burgundy, Houndstooth and a Rusty Shirt

March 14, 2013, 5:42 pm

≫ Next: Early St. Patty's Day - A Lot of Green

≪ Previous: Yellow and Grey Suede Skirt for Spring

I spent the morning in a coffee-induced artificially cheery state - I am still riding that a bit, but expecting a crash at some point, probably at Book Club, which is in an hour. I'm walking over - hopefully that will wake me up.

A new item was called for today!

The rusty-orange shirt is new-to-me, purchased here just a few weeks ago. It's by Mexx and was $14.98. It's machine wash/tumble dry, which is gold in my book! It's a stretchy polyester with a side hidden zipper. I like the cut quite a bit.

Rusty-Orange Shirt (Mexx): Outfit #1
Instead of going for a classic autumn palette, I played with burgundy and black/white. The skirt is my lovely wool houndstooth pencil that I wore three times in my all-neutral month in November 2012 (recap here).

It's one of my "keep forever" items - such a classic cut, pattern and it fits perfectly.

A skirt that does good things to one's butt is a good skirt.

The shoes are my wonderful Fluevogs, last worn here with my bright red dress that was well-Liked. I changed to my burgundy boots (Matchy! Yay!) for walking to Book Club. I think I might like them better than the Fluevogs with this outfit. I last wore them for Pink Shirt Day in February.

The necklace is my octopus Mah-jong tile.

Our book up for discussion is "Stuart: A Life Backwards" by Alexander Masters - I'm not quite finished, but I really liked it.

Rusty-Orange Shirt (Mexx, consignment), cami (Esprit), skirt (Bianca Nygard, consignment), shoes (Mini Qtees, Fluevog, consignment), boots (Miz Mooz), belt (locally-made, gift from L), necklace (Raven's Rest Studio)

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Early St. Patty's Day - A Lot of Green

March 15, 2013, 7:28 pm

≫ Next: Verdicts In and a Bit of Shopping

≪ Previous: Burgundy, Houndstooth and a Rusty Shirt

We had a "Wear Green" day today at work for an early St. Patrick's Day. Naturally, I have to to go 11 with my greens.

Like Megan, my teal tights photograph blue for some reason - trust me, they're teal.

No Like it/Lose it items here - these are all good wardrobe items.

This is the view I looked at while I did the stair shot:

It was foggy all morning and didn't burn off till the late afternoon. It's still rainy and drizzly out, but it's slightly clearing up as it gets dark. However, it's supposed to be rainy and cloudy all weekend - no sun until late Sunday. And only up to the low 40s/10ish if we're lucky. *sigh* Spring! We need you!

But the rain makes it all green here...and speaking of:

Bam! That's a lot of green. The emerald cardi, the sleeveless dark green top, and the vintage lace skirt AND the shoes are from the May 2012 capsule (recap here) wardrobe! I wore the cardi, skirt and shoes together once here.

I was by far the most greened-up person at work today - but of course, I was!

The stuff:

I love my Kermit shoes (they're fuzzy like a Muppet), but my feet are killing me. I had such a busy day that I logged over 11K steps on my pedometer and I didn't walk to or from work today!

The sparkly bits:

My grandmother's vintage rhinestone brooch and clip-on earrings, and my mom's vintage bracelet.

And now, I'm getting a glass of wine...Happy Friday!

Cardigan (Kersh, consignment), top (The Limited, consignment), skirt (Alfred Sun, vintage 80s, consignment), shoes (Poetic License), brooch/earrings (vintage 50s/60s, Grandma J), bracelet (vintage 50s/60s, Mom's).

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