Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Pajama dress

Have you seen those commercials for the abomination known as Pajama jeans?




Well this dress, is the closest thing to a "pyjama dress" as any dress could be.



Blouse: From an outlet store - don't remember the brand
Dress: Eshakti
Tights: Anna Sui from Sock Dreams
Shoes: Fluevog Sopranos | Malibran

This dress is made of sweatshirt material so it's not a fancy dress but it's comfortable, colourful and cosy on a cold Canadian day.

My favourite parts of the dress are the pockets. All dresses and skirts should have pockets!


Funky tights make it more interesting, as do the cross strapped Fluevogs. If you are interested in buying Fluevogs, I'd recommend these as a good starting place. They're funky and go well with most outfits.






Today's pins were both shoe related. In case it's not obvious yet, I have a bit of an addiction to shoes.

Hope everyone had a great February 29th.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Foxy

I mixed a bunch of patterns today and I'm not entirely sure this works very well. I think that the shoes are a little to clunky for the rest of these pieces.




Jacket: Club Monaco
T-shirt: Club Monaco
Belt: All Saints (remixed)
Skirt: Anthropologie (remixed)
Shoes: Fluevog Prepare | Scout

I've had this jacket for a few years. I got it from Club Monaco for a deeply discounted price - something like $30.00.

I also got this skirt from Anthropologie from their sale section a year or so ago.

To balance that out, I bought this shirt at full price - $60.00. That's a lot for a t-shirt though it does have some snaps and thread on the shoulders to hold your bra straps so they don't slip down the shoulders. That alone probably doesn't make it worth that much but it's also super soft and has a low scooped back.



Here's a close up of the pattern on the skirt. Cute little foxy!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Day off

I had the day off today but I didn't have any plans but I wanted to get out of the house so I got all dressed up to go to my favourite breakfast place - Cora's.


My husband took this photo for me with my crappy camera.

Dress: Plenty by Tracy Reese (NYC)
Shirt: Smart Set
Boots: Fluevog Baroque | Vermeer
Bag: Jump from Paper

I may have got dressed up but I didn't bother with putting on any makeup. Maybe a mistake considering I wanted to have my photo taken.


Isn't this bag weird? I love how it photographs. It's not the most practical of bags since it's flat but it can hold my wallet, iPhone and iPad which is all that I need when I'm going out anywhere other than work.








Here's a close look at the boots from my iPhone. Cool heel, funky fabric and buckles. What else could a gal want?

Friday, February 24, 2012

Beatle boots and Bay City Roller pants

My first "rock star" crush was Woody from the Bay City Rollers. My cousin had a few of their records and then I got a few of my own and I loved watching them on the Kroft Superstar Hour which is pretty much when they jumped the shark. They used to wear short tartan trousers - like this:


That's why I call these my Bay City Rollers pants.


Top: From a store on Main Street in Vancouver
Sweater: Smart Set
Pants: Orla Keily via eBay
Boots: Fluevog Look | Finch

Not sure if Orla Keily would like me calling them that though.

Pretty bright outfit, eh? By the end of the day I was quite uncomfortably though since the blouse has absolutely no give to it at all. When I'm standing up it's ok but sitting down it gets very tight around the waist.

Since the whole outfit is pretty crazy with the colour I thought that black footwear was the best choice. So I decided to wear my black Finch boots (or my Beatle boots).



I really should wear these more often - but when you have a brazillion pairs of shoes, it's hard to wear any pair very often. #firstworldproblem


Any big weekend plans? I'll be watching the Canadian women's Curling championship semi-finals and finals.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Positively dotty

It was unseasonably warm today. The temperature is up and down like a yo-yo. (Canadians love talking about the weather - it's our third most popular national pastime after hockey and curling.)




Dress: Mode Merr via Pretty Things Boutique
Sweater: Danier via Value Village
Boots: Bought in Las Vegas
Tights: Hue from Sock it to Me! (I'm actually wearing 2 pairs of tights.)

I really like this dress but it doesn't look quite the same on me as it does on the models on the Mode Merr website. It's a nice comfortable and soft cotton though.

I think I will hem this up about 10cms or so. Its current length is a bit unflattering.

There is a lot of pattern going on in this outfit - fun!


I bought these boots at a tiny store in a mall in Las Vegas. They aren't a particular brand but at the time I'd been trying to find some nice flat riding boots with buckles, and I had to go all the way to Las Vegas to find them.

Unfortunately these darn buckles almost immediately ripped a big hole in these tights. I may have sworn rather loudly when I did that.






My two favourite things - Duran Duran and shoes.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Am I Blue...

Today was a very confusing day. I like routine but today I had a dental appointment so my morning routine was disrupted. And when I got to work I had to turn around and go back outside to a meeting that I had forgotten I had. And I had thought I had forgotten my phone at home (which is like forgetting a limb) so I felt completely disconnected. I think this is probably related to my slight OCD tendencies and being a "Highly Sensitive Person". Routine is what keeps me grounded.

I blame the dentist!

Ok, not really.


Today's outfit is kind of boring after yesterday's "dress of amazingness".

Jacket: Mia Melon (from Biscuit General Store)
Pants: Smoking Lily
Boots: Miss L Fire

When I bought this jacket it was slightly tight - now it feels much more comfortable.

I must like these boots a lot since I've worn them 3 times in the last two weeks.




I bought this necklace 4-5 years ago in my parent's village and it broke almost immediately after I brought it home. It stayed broken until about 2 years ago and then I promptly misplaced it. So I had it for ages and have only worn it 2 or 3 times. Such a shame since it's a really pretty piece.



Do you like routine or do you just fly by the seat of your pants?

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Optical Illusion dress

I bought this dress about a month ago from the same Etsy seller from whom that I bought the Jean Paul Gaultier jacket. When I saw it on Etsy I thought it was so unique and so beautiful and when it arrived I was thrilled with it. And it fit!




Dress: SORA Couture Dessin - from the 1970s (Etsy)
Shoes: Fluevog Teapots | Sencha

I really wanted to wear this before the spring so today, when the weather report called for milder temperatures and sun, I took a risk that I wouldn't freeze too much in it.

I love the funky, illusion pattern on the bodice and the hem. I've never seen anything like it. It also has a retro-feel, older than the 1970s so I thought these t-bar shoes were a good choice to take this dress back in time - giving it a 1920s feel. 

Shoes: Fluevog Teapots | Sencha

Fluevog doesn't make the teapot family anymore, which is a shame, but I'm glad I snagged a pair when I could. 

Tomorrow we're in for some more snow. Might be a trouser day.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Something happens and I'm head over heels

Ever buy something because you see it and love it but when you get it home to think "What the hell am I going to wear with this"? That's what I feel about these shoes. They are so cute, so stripey and cool, but I have almost nothing that really works with them.


I got these shoes on Friday from ModCloth and I'm one of those people that MUST. WEAR. NEW. SHOES. right away so it was hard to wait until Monday. Unfortunately, I had a hard time figuring out what would match them.

The green of this dress is too leafy and the colour of this blouse is too tealy to go with the shoes but I guess they work okay-ish with the shoes.
 
Blouse: Massimo Dutti (from Lisbon)
Dress: Sweet Soul (from Vancouver)
Shoes: Poetic License (via ModCloth)

This is my green version of this blue dress that I wore in January. The best thing about it is the pocket in the front but it does tend to wrinkle rather quickly.

 My coworker said that these look like mint candies. I can't say I disagree.

I think they are a copy of the Prada striped shoes from their Spring 2011 collection. So these are the Main Street/High Street version of the Couture.


What have you bought recently that doesn't quite fit in with your wardrobe?


Saturday, February 18, 2012

Casual Friday

Late blog because I went out after work to meet up with some local twitterers. Yesterday was Casual Friday and for once I actually dressed somewhat casually.




Sweater: Zellers
T-shirt: thrifted for $2.00
Pants: Boden
Shoes Fluevog Radio | CBC

When I went out after work I changed into a different pair of boots.

I got this t-shirt last weekend at a consignment shop out of the $2 box. It's a nice thick cotton and longer than a regular t-shirt. And the bow is cute.



Here's a closer look at the tartan shoes. Fun though I'm not sure what to wear them with. They look ok with this outfit but I'm not sure it's the best combination.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Rerun dress

This is my first "rerun" of this dress. My co-worker, L, mentioned it to me today and commented that I must like this dress a lot since I wore it twice in a month. I wore it on January 17th so I guess I do like it!



Sweater: Joe Fresh (I wore this with the dress last time too)
Dress: Anthropologie Layered Column Dress
Necklace: The Bay
Shoes: Gidigio via Gravity Pope

The stripes on this dress aren't white - they're mostly beige so the shoes actually match better than it might first appear.

I like the horizontal stripes with the vertical stripes on the tights.

This necklace is cool in that all the strands are all attached together. Easy on, easy off! I couldn't stop fiddling with them all day though.

The shoes also have a vintage feel to them. They're not exactly yellow and not really brown so they're difficult to style. I think they worked with this outfit.




A while ago, I bought one of those silly little boxes of kitschy boxes that bookstores stock near the cash registers - This one was an Office Space box of "flair". This was one of the pins in the box. It's pretty appropriate for this policy wonk.

About last night


I forgot to take my camera to work again yesterday (bad blogger, BAD) so I just have a crappy iPhone photo that my husband took last night. We were at a friend's house for an Anti-Valentine's Day Mexican food dinner.


Dress: Noa Noa (eBay)
Blouse: Club Monaco
Shoes: Miss L Fire

I had just had my hair re-coloured and cut so I didn't go home after work and change. You can see a better photo of this dress here.


I'm feeling extra glamorous with my new coif. 

I'm wearing the Miss L Fire boots again. I have received more complements on these boots than any other footwear that I own. I think it's because of the snazzy blue buttons.

The person who's house were were at is a local clothing designer - Veronica MacIssac. She's making me a dress and I can't wait to show it here on blog central. We're both lovers of all things Alexander McQueen so you can be sure she has most excellent taste.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Dancing on the Valentine

Back into the grove of things today. Spent the morning in two meetings and the afternoon on a conference call which made the day pass very quickly.

I'm not a big celebrator of Valentine's Day but I'm also not a hater. So I didn't wear a lot of pink/red today but my shirt does have a heart on it (and the word "heart") so I subtly honoured the day.



Top: gift from my husband from a trip he made to LA.  It's says "Frida in my heart" on the front.

Skirt: Pretty Things Boutique

Shoes: Fluevog Blind Faith Mid Corey (from San Francisco)



I've had this shirt for a few years but I've never worn it to work before and it made a bit of a splash. My coworker wanted to know if I "knit" the sleeves for this shirt. The answer is no, and I didn't crochet them either - the shirt came with this granny square sleeves.

It did have fringe at the wrists but I cut that off because it was driving me crazy. It looks much better without it anyway.














I almost like the back of the shirt more than the front. Funky retro ovals in orange, black and grey.

The skirt is just a plain black pencil skirt which is probably the most versatile garment to have in your closet. It can be casual, dressy, funky, retro, modern...anything you want.

I last wore these shoes in November. See, I do repeat shoes every once in a while.













Happy Valentine's Day!

Monday, February 13, 2012

No blog today...

List of excuses

  1. I forgot my camera today.
  2. My outfit was one disaster after another. The individual pieces were fine but together it was mayhem because:
    1. Despite wearing a slip I ended up with "skirt vs. tights" creep
    2. My shoes tried to trip me and I ended up spilling tea all over my hand
    3. My sweater was missing the top button
  3. It was -20C today so I was limited in my options since WARM was the word of the day.
I'll leave you with this picture of some shoes I found at a consignment store on Saturday.

Emilio Pucci shoes - $80!


Thursday, February 9, 2012

Funny

I'm laughing in this photo because my coworker was watching me from the kitchen area of this room and making me self conscious.



Scarf: ModCloth
Shirt: Joe Fresh
Dress: from Reykjavik
Boots: Fluevog Hope | Desire

This has been a very long week. I'm so glad it's Friday tomorrow, however, I have a meeting to talk about my "performance goals" in the afternoon and I hate those meetings. They are so uncomfortable. I've rescheduled it twice now so I guess I better get it over with.

I bought this dress in Iceland. Reykjavik is a great place for clothing shopping, other than being expensive. This dress fabric is handwoven and nice and lightweight. And it'd my favourite colour.





I like this pin - which says "Good Kitty" because it looks like my cat, Dougal. It has a matching pin that says "Bad Kitty" which is a better description of Dougal. =)

This scarf has bunnies on it and is trimmed with heart shaped lace. Maybe I should have saved this for Valentine's Day?

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Fidgety

Starting today I'm Acting Director for the next three weeks so I all day I felt like I was all over the place. I guess one benefit is that the day goes quickly but I'm going to have to find a way to keep some balance.



Sweater: from prive.com
T-shirt: Joe Fresh
Skirt: Alexander McQueen
Boots: Miss L Fire

I bet I'm the only person who wears a Joe Fresh t-shirt with an Alexander McQueen skirt. That's how I roll!




















 


I saw a blogger wearing these boots in a photo on Pinterest and all of a sudden I was ordering them off Amazon.co.uk. Whooops. They just slipped into my cart. They're the second pair of "spatty" boots that I've worn this week. I guess I'm a fan of boots with buttons.




Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Flappery



Today I winterized another summer dress and created a flappery look.

Dress: Colleen Eitzen From some store on Main Street in Vancouver
Blouse: Dept
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Melissa

The heat has been on extra high at my office so it's been too warm to bother with a jacket or a cardigan. Lucky since I think this looks better without one.



My shoes are so much fun. Please excuse the "elephant ankles" that my tights are making. When I saw these on eBay with the pictures from Le Petit Prince I couldn't click "Buy it now" fast enough! Most Canadians who studied French in high school will be familiar with Le Petit Prince and the baobab trees and the rose under glass.

These are my first Melissa shoes which are vegan shoes made of rubber. I was afraid they'd make my feet too hot but that hasn't been a problem at all. Yay!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Flouncey

After both Audi and Sheila wore their Libby Smith boots I had a hankering to wear mine and this dress is a pretty good match.



Sweater: Smart Set
Dress: Pretty Things Boutique (local store)
Underskirt: Smart Set
Boots: Fluevog Bellevues | Libby Smith (they still have them in black/red)

I think I need to replace this sweater with something less fitted at the waist. I kept yanking at it all day.

This underskirt isn't a real petticoat - it's really just a very flouncy skirt but I never wear it without something over it because it's almost impossible to iron and keep wrinkle free.



I really need to wear these boots more often. They are so fun. So very spatty!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Layer up week Fashion Challenge: Dress over pants




 Here's yesterday's outfit to round out the challenge.





Sweater: Anthropologie
Dress: Smoking Lily
Jeans: trapperjane.etsy.com
Boots: Fluevog Fellowship | Heather


I used to do the dress over pants look a lot. In winter, it's actually a good style because it's extra insulation.

I usually wear these jeans on the weekend. For some reason I really like the wide cropped leg look. I have a co-worker who really doesn't like the "short pants" looks that I generally prefer. She thinks pants should cover most of your shoes but I disagree. Why are shoes so pretty then?















SQUIRREL!





Friday, February 3, 2012

Jean-Paul Gaultier

I didn't do the challenge today because this new jacket that I had ordered from etsy arrived yesterday. I'm one of those people who has to wear something new RIGHT AWAY!


Jacket: Vintage Jean-Paul Gaultier
from etsy seller the Stitchkeeper
T-shirt: Joe Fresh (yes, I wore it on Monday too)
Skirt: Desigual
Shoes: Franco Sarto

I saw this jacket on the seller's etsy page and I immediately favourited it. I finally asked the seller if she would hold it for me and she did - it's a great store!

I'm wearing my other pair of glasses today. I don't wear them too often because I'm not sure they are really flattering on my small face.






















My coworker freaked out because she loves this dotted "newsprint" type fabric.

I tried to layer a cardigan under it but it just didn't work which is why I didn't successfully meet the challenge today.

And the jacket matches my hair!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Layer up week fashion challenge: Vest under jacket






Today's Layer Up challenge was to layer a vest under a jacket. This is the only non-knit vest that I own.


Jacket: Turbine
Blouse: Club Monaco
Vest: Mexx
Pants: Smoking Lily
Shoes: Fluevog Rivers

I didn't originally plan to wear these pants today but I pulled them on when the skirt I was going to wear had a splotch of something on it.  I was wearing these tights already and didn't want to take the time to change everything so I decided it was ok to match my tights with my jacket and my pants with the collar. It's not too bad - just very bright.

Tonight I went to go pick up a package and it's something I ordered from etsy. It's so awesome! Going to wear it tomorrow since it fits with the challenges.


Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Layer up week fashion challenge: Long over long


Today's challenge was to put long layers over another long item.



Vest: Knit by me
Tunic: Lüt Boutique in Vancouver
Skirt: Anthropologie
Boots: Fluevog Presence | Intuit

I went with a grey palate and put a long knit vest over a tunic over a long flowy jersey skirt.

I really need to take these pictures earlier in the day before I become a wrinkled mess. Sitting at a desk most of the day means wrinkly shirt almost immediately.

This vest is knit out of a wool/alpaca blend so it's very warm. Almost too warm for a day inside.









I took this to show the back of the vest but I see that the skirt is dragging on the ground. It got soaking wet on the bus ride home tonight.

My favourite part of this vest is how the collar meets at the back in a point. Clever design. (It's a Berocco/Norah Gaughan pattern)

In other news, our city transit is going on strike tomorrow - should be an interesting commute tomorrow. I have a ride with a friend of a friend but I'm predicting we end up sitting in traffic for ages. Living in a small city, that will be a strange thing.

The next two clothing challenges involve layering things under jackets. This may be difficult for me since I really hate wearing suit jackets. I guess that's why it's called a "challenge".