Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Just Another Workday Jacket






Sometimes sales do produce a coveted item available in my size (or, in the case of an item that has no sizes, like a bag, just a coveted item).  That happened today.  And it made for the perfect ending to a rather busy week (or the perfect beginning to what I hope will be a more or less normal next week).

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The Punch Of Colour Bag





Here is something that I don't like about sales:  Finding an item that I have been searching for for months on end but not in my size in one of my usual stores.  Oh why didn't I see that item before, when it was full price and it likely would have been available in my size?

Monday, June 27, 2011

The Black Eyelet Lace Dress




It isn't that I didn't like what I wore today.  It was alright.  But I really would have preferred to have worn one of the two new linen dresses that I bought yesterday, because I am so excited about them.  I am sure that I have said this before, but it bears repeating:  There is nothing that I love more, for Summer dressing, than the loose fitting linen dress.  It is always fun to scout out interesting ones, like the one that I wore on Saturday.  Or the two that I bought yesterday.  Certain obligations kept me from wearing one of my two new linen dresses today, but, hopefully, fingers crossed, I will get the opportunity to wear one sooner rather than later.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

The Chariots Of Fire Sweatshirt



Old sweatshirt, old t-shirt, old hightops, old newsboy cap.  So comfortable, so comforting.  And, I can see the attraction of wearing shorts every day during the Summer.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

The Dusty Rose Faux Leather Biker Vest


It's neat that rough and tough clothes, like leather biker jackets and vests, are available in colours and not just in black.  Without a doubt, I love these clothes in black, but a dusty rose biker vest sure made for a nice change.  And it provided another opportunity to wear my rose quartz necklace, a beloved piece at the moment (not to mention a soft version of the heavy duty silver chain that might be worn with a black biker vest).

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Odile's Dress






When I bought the dress that I wore today, in the depths of Winter, white, off-white, cream, ecru (you name it) lace dresses were all the rage for Spring/Summer.  On seeing the dress on the rack, the first comment to my friend, with whom I was shopping, was that it was too bad that the dress didn't come in cream or white, but that, oh well, I would try it on just the same.  My friend and I theorized that, perhaps, the dress had come in cream or white, but that given the buzz around white, off-white, cream, ecru (you name it) lace dresses for Spring/Summer, the store had sold out of them.  Obviously, I ended up buying the dress in black.  I never did find out whether the dress had ever come in cream or white.  At some point, I did see it in blue, but I never saw it in cream or white.  So no Odette's dress.  Only Odile's dress.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Unfurling Green Ferns Dress



So here it is:  the dress that I bought at Anthropologie on sale for a mere $9.95.  The other day I said that I didn't really like scoop necks on me, hence my ambivalence about buying the dress (until I found out it only cost $9.95).  But looking at my photos (even as bad as they are) I don't think that scoop necks are so bad on me.  Interesting.  Anyways, this will probably be my last day of wearing colour for a while.  I feel a black period moving in.

P.S. Not the best photos, I admit.  I had some serious technical difficulties.  I lost the natural light a lot earlier than expected, due to rain moving into the area.  I really don't look so ghostly in real life.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The Pink Linen Dress





I acquired the lovely pink linen dress that I wore today last Summer from an Etsy seller.  I loved how the dress looked on the seller's model and I loved how the dress looked "on the hangar" in my abode.  However, I did not love how the dress looked on me when I tried it on.  So I never wore the dress.  A few weeks ago, some t-shirt sweaters came into my life.  With one of the sweaters layered over the pink linen dress, I felt very comfortable wearing it.  Now, while I may have waited a year to wear the pink linen dress, I just got a pink twill dress (on sale) from JCrew that I can hardly wait to wear.  Unfortunately being a twill dress with long sleeves, I will have to wait to wear it.  I will have to wait for a chilly Summer day or a warm Fall day.  The pink linen dress though was the perfect thing to wear on the official first day of Summer.

Monday, June 20, 2011

The Black Watch Tartan Summer Dress




I am not one to rush Summer, particularly this year after having spent a long Winter battling one cold after another.  I am going to relish ever moment of Summer this year.  Having said this, I can't help but start peeking at Fall dressing.  I think that the reason that this is occurring is because, one, clothing retailers have started their Summer sales, meaning the arrival into the stores of the first Fall clothing isn't too far away (doesn't that happen in August? about two months away?) and, two, there is at least one item of clothing that I started coveting for the coming Fall before the past Winter even ended (I missed buying it in the end of Winter sales).  So, peeking at Fall dressing, there is one new item of clothing that I would love to have for Fall.  Of course chances are pretty great that I won't be able to locate this item of clothing -- I am always on the lookout for things that don't seem to exist.  In any event, this won't stop me from looking for the item or from wanting it.  It isn't the item that I started coveting for the coming Fall before the past Winter even ended.  That item of clothing I know that I will be able to get.  No, the item that I will be on the lookout for is this:  A pinwale corduroy maxi skirt, preferably in brown (or camel or stone).  If you come across one on Ebay or Etsy, and don't want it for yourself,  I would be very much obliged if you would let me know.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

The Union Jack Tote Bag




Yesterday, as I was on my way home from yoga practice, I passed by a parking lot in which had popped up a Top Shop.  It reminded me of my trip to NYC in May.  On my first afternoon in NYC, I went to Top Shop.  I have no access to a "bricks and mortar" Top Shop where I live, so I was excited to be able to check one out.  I bought a few things at Top Shop, including the union jack tote bag that I carried today.    I have never been a big tote bag person.  A few weeks before my trip to NYC, however, I started craving one.  When I saw the union jack tote bag in the Top Shop, I knew that it would satisfy my tote bag craving.  It definitely has ... and then some.  I can't believe that I haven't featured the tote bag on this blog yet, because I pretty much haven't been able to put it down since I got it.  I didn't stop by the pop-up Top Shop yesterday.  Two blocks past the parking lot where it was located, I realized that it was because I didn't want anything to take away any of my good memories from my trip to NYC and to the bricks and mortar Top Shop there.

The Kaleidoscope Of Colour Dress





Today, on my way to the neighbourhood HMV, I stopped by Anthropologie.  After falling in love with about a half dozen full price items (mostly dresses, but also some blouses and jackets), all of which I was determined to not buy, I made my way to the sales section.  There, in the dresses section, I spied one green dress, an old item (probably dating back a couple of months), that I had thought about buying when it first went on sale but had ultimately decided against doing so, thinking that I wouldn't really like it on me.  It has a scoop neck and I don't really like scoop necks on me.  This one green dress was in one of the two sizes that I usually try on and I thought that the price was right.  So I tried it on.  It fit and, after pondering the scoop neck issue for a bit, I decided that I should get the dress.  Now, when I decided to the try the green dress on, I had thought that it cost $59.95.  While standing in line to purchase the dress, I noticed that I had misread the price.  The price tag actually read $89.95.  All of a sudden, I started to get nervous about that scoop neck.  I wasn't quite sure that I wanted to spend ninety bucks to start experimenting with my comfort level with scoop necks.  Yet I felt like I had committed to buying the dress and now had to follow through.  After a few more minutes of feeling nervous, a cash freed up.  Imagine my surprise when the clerk scanned the barcode and it turned out that the dress had been marked down to $9.95!  Wow!  I remained composed on the outside, of course, but, inside, I was jumping and dancing and woo-hooing all over the store!

P.S. I wore this kaleidoscope of colour dress on Saturday.  Someone remarked that I was the "picture of Summer".  Thank you!

Friday, June 17, 2011

The Roses And Green Vines Dress




I took a half day vacation today.  I did a few things clothing related.  First, I went to a little shop that sells clothing made of thrifted or remainder clothing.  I came away with a dress and a bag.  Next, I picked up some of the clothing strewn about my home, which is something that I seem to be doing all the time, without really making much progress at all.  It did occur to me today that, for as long as I can remember, no matter how much I have tried to avoid it, clothing has always ended up strewn all over my residence (be it a single bedroom, a dorm room, an apartment or a house).  Next, I contemplated what I wore today.  In this regard, I realized that I wore the exact same silhouette last Friday. Finally, I gave some thought to some more of the things said by the style icon that I "quoted" yesterday.  In particular, I thought about something she said in other interview that she gave.  Her statement was that she liked how children dress because it was "so chaotic".  I think that it would be neat to have a chaotic sense of style.  I think that's it ... for today.  Tomorrow is another day.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

The Sailor Sweater




Today it struck me how I am no longer bothered by having to spend gloriously warm days in a frigidly cold office.  (Okay, maybe still bothered but not as bothered as I used to be.)  In large part, this is due to the fact that a frigidly cold office affords me the opportunity to wear more clothes.  How can that possibly make me unhappy?  (The still bothered part comes from the fact that I have to lug around the extra clothes that I need inside but not outside.)  Today's extra clothing came in the form of a ribbed cotton sailor sweater.  I have had this sweater for ages and I love it as much today as I did those many years ago when it first came into my life.  Not every piece of clothing has such staying power, but I am happy that there are many pieces of clothing that do.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

A Favourite Dress And The Beloved T-Shirt Sweater



Oh happy day!  One of my favourite old dresses paired with one of my favourite new pieces, the oversized t-shirt sweater, all paired with one of my favourite pairs of Fluevogs.  But moving on to other stories.  Perhaps because it was such a happy day, I did something rather daring today.  While trying on a dress at H&M, I decided to try the dress on backwards.  Somewhat of a shock to me, I thought that it looked better on me backwards than forwards and I was sold on it.  (Okay maybe the fact that it was on sale also had something to do with it.  Fifteen bucks.  How could I resist?)  Oh happy day!

P.S. I can't believe stores are already starting their Summer sales.  Summer hasn't even officially arrived yet.  I will never ever get used to the fashion retail schedules.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The Flapper Dress




The other day, while strolling through the blogosphere, I happened upon an interview given some time ago by one mainstream-media-declared style icon.  In this interview, the style icon was asked whether there were outfits that she had worn in the past that she had loved at the time but that now made her cringe.  The style icon replied every outfit other than the one that she was wearing at the moment.  She went on to explain that she thought that one could never be happy with something that one wore before and that she was happiest when she was in the present moment.  I think that I couldn't agree more.  Which brings me to what I wore today.  While I may not be happy with the outfit that I wore today after today, I was definitely happy with it today, when I wore it.  One of things that I liked most about the outfit is that, aside from the bag, its components are all "old" things, things that have been in my closet for at least a year (and some things for a very long time). I always feel very self-disciplined and frugal when I wear things that have been in my closet for years (or at least one year).  And right now, in the present moment, being self-disciplined and frugal makes me happy.

Monday, June 13, 2011

The Two Faces Dress





The alteration saga continues.  On Sunday, I decided that I would hem what I thought would be the more difficult of two dresses to hem.  What made me think this was that the dress is made of yards of slippery polyester fabric.  The other dress has considerably less fabric and is made of cotton fabric.  Some three to four hours later (I hem by hand, having no sewing machine), I realized that the hem that I thought would work didn't and that I would have to re-hem.  I was, to say the least, not a happy camper at all!  It took every ounce of self control that I could muster to keep myself from pitching the dress and calling it quits.  No, instead of pitching the dress, I calmly set it aside for another day, telling myself that it would be worth it in the end.  I definitely have no talent (or skill or anything) for altering clothing

P.S. This is the second appearance on this blog of the dress that I wore today.  A different hat and different footwear accompanied it today, and I was very pleased with the result.  It's amazing what a difference different footwear and a different hat can make.  Or, maybe, it's the tights-less legs.