Friday, September 30, 2011

Red Roses Shawl Collar Boyfriend Cardigan









On Monday, I made a trip to the shop where, some years ago, I purchased the long grey linen dress that I wore yesterday.  I was hoping that the shop would have something similar to that dress but more appropriate for Winter.  Nothing really caught my eye, nothing, that is, except for a purple coat.  It was hot on Monday, so I wasn't in the mood for trying on a coat.  I also thought that the coat might be too big for me.  So I left the shop.  Unfortunately, as the week went on, I couldn't get the coat out of my mind and I started coveting it.  (You would have thought that, by now, I would have learned to try on everything that catches my eye the moment it catches my eye, to prevent it from lingering in my mind, and becoming something other than what it is.)  So, today, I went back to the shop to try the coat on.  Well, wouldn't you know it, the coat wasn't there anymore.  There was another purple coat there, but it didn't look like the one that I saw.  I started wondering whether I really saw the purple coat that I thought I saw.  Maybe what I saw on Monday was the purple coat that was there on Friday.  Maybe I didn't get a good look at it on Monday and thought it was something else.  In other words, maybe the coat that I started coveting during the week never really existed.  Whatever.  The bottom line is:  I don't have a new purple coat.

I am wearing an old Mexx shirt with an old Gap tie, a jumper dress from a local arts and crafts import shop and an old Preloved wool cardigan.  An old linen/wool blend scarf keeps my neck warm and an old Nine West cloche hat sits atop my head.  I am wearing old Fluevogs on my feet.  I am carrying an old Roots cotton canvas satchel.  

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Grey Skies Linen Dress







I feel the urge to go hat shopping at a proper hat shop.  It has been some time since I bought a new hat from a proper hat shop.  I passed by one today.  And, I thought that maybe I should visit it tomorrow.  My only concern is that the shop may not yet be stocked fully with its Fall/Winter hats.  The shop isn't in a neighbourhood that I frequent during the day.  At night, when the shop is closed, yes, but, during the day, when the shop is open, no.  So visiting the shop during the day would be a special trip.  If I go and the shop doesn't have enough Fall/Winter stock, it will be a wasted trip, a waste of time.  I am big on not wasting time these days.  But the prospect of getting a new hat ... from a proper hat shop ... is certainly alluring.  Have you ever had a hat made specifically for you?  The fit is astounding!

I am wearing an old Gap shirt with an old Gap tie, an old Cheyenne linen dress, an old Anthropologie jacket and an old JCrew scarf.  On my head is an old Nine West cloche hat.  On my feet are Fluevogs.  I am carrying an old Roots cotton canvas satchel.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Lime Green Tunic






It occurs to me that one of the last Summer-y outfits that I wore last year was the lime green skirt that I wore today, the jacket that I wore today and a short sleeve version of the blouse that I wore today.  Today's lime green outfit may very well be the last Summer-y outfit that I wear this year.  I took a look at the Weather Channel before writing this post and noted that the temperature is going to drop over the next couple of days, to the point where, by Saturday, I will have to contend with single digit temperatures (celsius).  Strange isn't it?  Certainly not consciously planned.

I am wearing a vintage blouse, a tunic from The Embellished Room, an old Olio Organics skirt and an old Banana Republic jacket.  My scarf is an old wool/linen blend scarf.  I am wearing an old Nine West cloche hat.  My boots are Fluevogs and I am carrying a small frame bag from H&M.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Long Laces Boots






First, there were the long laces oxfords.  Now, presenting the long laces boots.  Today, I had a conversation with a shop owner about the boots in which I had to admit that they are actually men's boots (the upside of having a relatively large shoe size is that you have twice as much selection -- also a downside sometimes).  The shop owner was very nice about the boots, even trying to show me some clothing in the same colour, although I wasn't looking for clothing to match the boots.  Which brings me to the shop owner's shop.  (Nice segue eh?  Just kidding.  I know it is not, but it is the best I could do).  The shop was very nice, carrying a large assortment of loose fitting clothing, the kind that I have come to favour of late.  (Which reminds me of a particular job interview, in which one of the interviewers stated that in her office she usually knows when a woman is pregnant because she starts wearing loose fitting clothing.  Probably not an appropriate comment to make in an interview setting.  For the record, I am not pregnant.  Now back to the shop's loose fitting clothing.)  Unfortunately, it was mostly sweater clothing and I was not in the "mood" to shop for sweaters.  To explain, it was hot today, definitely not sweater weather or sweater shopping weather.  (It's amazing how, at this time of year, the day can go from chilly in the morning to blazing hot midday and back to chilly in the evening.)  Maybe I will go back, when I am in the "mood" to shop for sweaters.  Some of the pieces in the shop were very nice.

I am wearing an old Jacob cotton knit polo sweater, an old jumper dress and an old JCrew cardigan.  My boots are old Fluevogs.  My cotton knit beret is from American Apparel.  I am carrying an old cotton canvas souvenir satchel.

Midnight Blue Wrap







This is what I wore yesterday, Sunday.  I am sure that it has become obvious by now that every Sunday for a while now I have been wearing either dhotti pants, leggings or skinny sweats.  The reason for this is that I teach yoga on Sunday, so I like to wear something comfortable to move from practising yoga, which I usually do Sunday morning, to teaching yoga later in the day.  The wrap that I wore yesterday I actually bought in a yoga clothing shop.  It is supposed to double as a blanket, for when one does corpse pose at the end of practice.  I have yet to use the wrap as a blanket.  The most notable feature of the wrap is the lining, which you can't see usually.  It is this great ombre fabric in blue, with the darkest shade being a deep midnight blue.  I bought one of the first versions of this wrap.  It has been replicated by the yoga clothing company at least twice since it was first produced, but never with this great lining.

I am wearing an old Old Navy polo shirt, old H&M skinny sweats and an old Lululemon wrap.  My shoes are Fluevogs.  A cotton knit beret from American Apparel covers my head.  I am carrying an old Roots cotton canvas satchel.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Again With The Red Jumper Dress Dress







First of all, my apologies.  I was so happy with the brown and red pairing of yesterday that I couldn't help but try it again.  Okay, that said, here is something that happened to me today.  I went to Urban Outfitters.  You may know of its Urban Renewal line.  Sometimes it is straight thrift.  Sometimes it is thrift reworked.  Anyways, there I was in Urban Outfitters, working my way through the Urban Renewal rack.  Among the first things I saw was an oversized heavy weight cable knit sweater in olive green that had been cropped.  I paused when I reached it, but after a few moments of consideration, I discounted it and moved on.  Almost immediately, someone else's hands landed on the oversized heavy weight cable knit sweater in olive green, and almost immediately that that someone else showed interest in the sweater, I regretted passing it by and wanted it.  The someone else tried the sweater on.  I hovered nearby and prayed that she wouldn't like it and would put it back on the rack.  I had to wait several minutes, but, eventually, my prayers were answered.  (The sweater is now mine.)  Just as I started to tell this story, I recalled the last time that what happened today happened before.  It was exactly one year ago today, at The Clothing Show.  Now is that some coincidence or what?

I am wearing an old Gap shirt with an old cotton knit tie (originally from Urban Outfitters), a jumper dress from a local arts and crafts import shop and an old H&M sweater.  My boots are old Fluevogs.  I have a cotton knit beret on my head and I am carrying an old cotton canvas souvenir satchel.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Autumn Leaves Jumper Dress




I don't know what it is about the red jumper dress, but it definitely invites comments from complete strangers, more so than any of my other jumper dresses.  It's fun!

I am wearing an old Salt Valley Western shirt with an old tie (originally from Urban Outfitters), a jumper dress from a local arts and crafts import shop and an old H&M sweater.  My cotton knit beret is from American Apparel.  My boots are old Fluevogs.  I am carrying an old cotton canvas souvenir satchel and an old H&M umbrella.

On The Edge Of Fall Jumper Dress




I feel as if I should explain why I keep wearing these long-ish jumper dresses.  Then I think, why explain?  Aren't clothes meant to be worn?  And, really, how many people in real life notice what I am wearing from day to day?  On the blog, it is obvious that I am, in effect, wearing the same thing over and over again.  But, in real life, is it obvious?  To anyone other than me?  So, maybe, the explanation is intended for my blog audience ... and me.  Okay, now that I have figured out why I feel compelled to explain my clothing choices of late, here is the explanation:  I don't want to make tights a necessary part of my getting dressed just yet.  But it isn't really warm enough any longer for me to go bare legs with short skirts.  So the long jumper dresses are my attempt to not wear tights and to keep warm.  Simple.

I am wearing an old Gap shirt with an old Gap tie, a linen jumper dress from a local arts and crafts import shop and an old Zara jacket.  An old linen and wool blend scarf is wrapped around my neck and an old Nine West cloche hat is on my head.  I am wearing Fluevogs and carrying an old Roots cotton canvas satchel.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Gatsby Ankle Boots




Lately, random thoughts have been occurring to me about getting dressed.  For example, this morning, after I had gotten dressed, it occurred to me that purple is traditionally a half mourning colour.  This probably occurred to me because, last night, I was re-watching Downton Abbey and the issue of half mourning was briefly featured.  Here is another random thought that occurred to me yesterday (it's really a random question and thought combined, but just the same):  How many wears of a new pair of shoes does it take before they stop looking like brand new shoes?  I am usually very easy on my shoes, meaning that they stay looking fairly presentable for a very long time.  It usually takes me about 10 to 12 wears before a pair of shoes stops looking like I just took them out of the box.  I am not sure if this is good or bad.  As a kid, I hated that my shoes lasted a long time, for the obvious reason that I had a longer time to wait before I could have new shoes.  Now that I no longer have to wait for a pair of shoes to die before getting a new pair (I am not making any comment on whether I should or shouldn't wait), it really doesn't matter that new shoes stay looking like new shoes for as long as they do.  Speaking of new shoes ... I love these Gatsby ankle boots!  More random thoughts tomorrow.

I am wearing an old Urban Renewal blouse with an old scarf as a tie under a linen jumper dress from a local arts and crafts import shop and a cotton twill open jacket from the same shop.  Fluevogs are on my feet and an old Nine West cloche hat is atop my head.  I am carrying an old Roots cotton canvas satchel and an old umbrella (first time for an umbrella on the blog).

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Ode To Golf Cropped Trouser








Yesterday, I was shopping in one of my favourite import shops -- where I got all those bubble jumper dresses that I have been favouring of late.  I got a few things (including the cropped pants that I wore today).  As the clerk was wrapping up my purchases, she commented on all the lovely, non-black, Fall-coloured clothing that I had purchased.  She went on to say that she was trying to branch out from buying black clothes.  (A funny thing to say, I thought, as I was wearing head to toe black yesterday.  Or, perhaps, that is why she said it:  I was wearing all black but wasn't buying anything black.)  She went on to say that she had started to buy some grey clothes, as she adored grey.  Unfortunately, her partner also loved grey, which led to them appearing together both dressed in grey on many occasions, attracting such questions as whether they had planned to look alike.  I thought about this for a moment.  Then I remarked how strange it was that when two or more people in a group wear all black, no one thinks to ask them if they had planned it.  Why is that?

I am wearing an old H&M shirt with an old Gap tie, a cardigan from Lands End Canvas and cotton twill cropped balloon trousers from a local import shop.  An old silk/wool blend scarf is wrapped around my neck and an old cotton newsboy cap sits atop my head.  My ankle boots are old Fluevogs.  I am carrying an old Roots cotton canvas satchel.