happiness dress (and jacket)

the look:

turtleneck - old gap
dress - old miss green originals
jacket - old olio organics
leggings - old old navy
hat - old nine west
boots - john fluevog

the tale:

clothes shouldn't cause their wearer any grief, but clothes do cause me grief. i know that that this happens means there is something "deeper" afoot. i do try to unearth and deal with that something deeper. but progress there is usually slow. and i suspect that it will be a lifelong endeavour. in the meantime, as much as clothes cause me grief, they also make me happy. so i try to remember which are the happiness inducing clothes. and, when other clothes cause me grief, i pull out the happiness inducing ones and put them to work. it usually does the trick. and then i can get down to the more difficult task at hand.

perfect peplum pullover

the look:

shirt - old uo
tie, scarf and handwarmers - old h&m
dress - old zara
pullover - h&m
corduroy leggings - hue
coat - old kensie
hat - old nine west
boots - john fluevog

the tale:

it was probably the only perfect thing about the day. i am talking about the peplum pullover. why do i have such a hard time learning certain things. maybe i will make a list of things not to do so that i can remind myself every single day of these things before i leave the house. maybe i will put the list up on the bathroom mirror. in various places in the kitchen. on the blackboard. on the door. if only i could still write things on the back or the palm of my hand (sadly, i am not that young anymore). even if i could remember to "wait", it would be a big help. in addition to all the above, why do i stop, every once in a while, to carry a book with me ... always. being able to crack open a book at any moment is very (very) helpful. sigh. fortunately, tomorrow is a new day: a new opportunity to get it right: to "wait" and to carry a book with me.

making it fit skirt

the look:

blouse and jacket - old h&m
skirt - mmm x h&m
hat - old nine west
shoes - john fluevog

the tale:

putting on this skirt (why didn't i think of this way of making an oversized skirt fit?), my goal was to find something to wear on top that wouldn't hide the fold (the whole point of the skirt) and that would be true to my aesthetic. i succeeded with the blouse. less so with the jacket -- in terms of not hiding the fold. but i needed something overtop the blouse -- to keep me warm -- and the jacket was certainly true to my aesthetic and, i think, worked in otherwise creating a me-appropriate silhouette. very austere result. it certainly hides how thrilled i am that i managed to score the skirt. (p.s. the answer to the question that i asked at the outset is that i am not mmm (obviously)! p.p.s. i also managed to score the oversized trousers, about which i am equally thrilled. p.p.p.s. alright, i confess, i have a good part of the mmm x h&m collection. my, to date, all time favourite h&m collaboration with a designer.)

monday skirt (and blouse and tunic and cardi and shoes)

the look:

blouse and scarf - old h&m
tunic and skirt - old kaliyana
infinity cardi - old jacob
cardi - anthropologie
coat - old kensie
hat - old nine west
boots - john fluevog

the tale:

it must be monday. because i am wearing my goth blouse, my knit skirt and tunic, my infinity cardi, some other top and the swordfish heels. that said, i think that this may be the last monday for the monday uniform. at least for now. i have run out of ideas for that "some other top" part of the monday uniform.

for the love of old dress

the look:

turtleneck - old gap
dress - old miss green originals
leggings - old old navy
coat - old kensie
scarf - old h&m
hat - old nine west
boots - john fluevog

the tale:

this morning, as i was putting on this dress, it occurred to me that, if one has the luxury of buying (or otherwise acquiring) "new" clothes frequently, one gets quite accustomed to "newness". in fact, one almost begins to prefer "newness". as i was putting on this dress, which has been in my wardrobe for about a year, i started to think about the feeling of wearing "old" clothes. it isn't a feeling of familiarity. or comfort. it's a feeling of, well, gratitude. appreciation. my wardrobe habits are changing. i am buying "new" clothes less frequently and relying on "old" clothes more. i am being more selective in what "new" clothes i buy. i am trying to curate my collection of clothes more intelligently (is it really me?). i used to really like having something "new" to wear. but liking having something "new" to wear can turn into a bad habit. with a closet full of clothes but nothing "new" to wear, it can feel like there is nothing to wear. now, i really like pulling out of the closet something "old" to wear. i won't pretend that having something "new" to wear isn't still nice. it is. but i know that there is more to getting dressed than just pulling on the next "new" thing.

perched on the moon dress

the look:

tshirt - old gap
wrap top - old lululemon
dress - old zara
leggings - old old navy
coat - old kensie
scarf and hand warmers - old h&m
hat - old nine west
boots - john fluevog

the tale:

mmm x h&m. omg. if you like that sort of thing. which i do. i do find it strange, however, that the entire collection did not sell out in a matter of hours, like almost ever other h&m designer collaboration collection did, or, at least, like the comme des garcons x h&m collection did. but i am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. that the collection did not sell out in a matter of hours means that i was able to partake (unlike with the comme des garcons x h&m collection -- i so wish i had been able to get something from that collection). i should, perhaps, mention that i didn't get everything that i wanted from the mmm x h&m collection. some things did sell out.

lint free existence coat

the look:

top - old jacob
dress, skirt and vest - old kaliyana
jacket - old olio organics
coat - old kensie
scarf and hand warmers - old h&m
hat - old nine west
boots - old marsell

the tale:

some time ago, i stopped buying any piece of black clothing that attracts lint and any sweater that sheds copious amounts of sweater lint. this holds true even if i love the piece of black clothing or sweater. no exceptions. ever.

kicking some bad habits boots

the look:

shirt - old gap
dress and tie - old h&m
pullover - old zara
leggings - old hue
hat - old nine west
boots - old marsell

the tale:

i am getting much better at resisting the temptation to succumb to some bad clothing/shopping habits. like buying poor quality clothing that looks interesting. or like buying the next best thing, which isn't always that great, when the thing that i want isn't available any longer. or like not knowing when to stop buying different versions of the same piece of clothing, particularly when the price of the clothing is drastically reduced. i am very happy about this. and i am hoping that i can keep this up!

in the dark faux leather trousers

the look:

top - old jacob
dress - random label
cardi, vest and trousers - h&m
coat - old kensie
scarf and hand warmers - old h&m
hat - old nine west
boots - john fluevog

the tale:

never having worn a pair of genuine leather trousers, i wonder whether they are more or less or just as comfortable as faux leather trousers. i tried googling the answer, but i got nothing (other than a lot of information about genuine leather seating versus faux leather seating). i would have thought someone would have done the testing by now. i guess not. so, for now, i will have to remain in the dark on the subject matter.

practice makes perfect shoes

the look:

blouse, pullover and scarf - old h&m
vest and skirt - old kaliyana
cardi - old jacob
coat - old kensie
hat - old hat
boots - john fluevog

the tale:

so maybe wearing heels more than occasionally does make it easier to wear heels more than occasionally. last week, when i wore these shoes, my insteps hurt (not to mention the balls of my feet). this week, i spent approximately the same amount of time walking in these shoes as last week, but my insteps did not hurt (although the balls of my feet did start to hurt towards the end of the day). i was so pleased. i don't expect that i will be wearing heels every day, but seeing how much i like these swordfish heels, i am happy to know that i can continue to wear them ... occasionally ... with less and less pain.

preparing for winter dhoti pants

the look:

top - old eddie bauer
cardi - old jacob
pullover, scarf and handwarmers - old h&m
jacket - old joe fresh
dhoti pants - old kaliyana
coat - old kensie
hat - old nine west
shoes - old john fluevog

the tale:

i have yet to make my way down to that store in the market that is reputed to have woollen dhoti pants. as soon as i get some time away from work, i will get down there. in the meantime, i have these heavy, winter weight, cotton jersey dhoti pants that i got on sale this past spring. although, i am not entirely convinced that they will keep me warm enough when the temperature dips below the freezing point.

temperature control cardi

the look:

shirt - old gap
tie, dress, scarf and hand warmers - old h&m
leggings - old hue
coat - old kensie
hat - old nine west
boots - john fluevog

the tale:

right now, the thing i like most about my home is that i can keep it on the cool side. i hate places that are over-heated, which is the majority of public places during fall and winter. i like how cool air feels outside of me when i am wearing sweaters and am warm on the inside. over-heated places make me feel sooooo uncomfortable: hot, sweaty and fidgety. yuck. now you know why i favour layers. its mobile, personal temperature control.

comfort and joy leggings

the look:

shirt - old gap
tie, scarf and hand warmers - old h&m
jumper dress - old lands end
pullover - old zara
leggings - old hue
coat - old kensie
hat - nine west
boots - john fluevog

the tale:

i like the look of skinny corduroy pants, but since i could remember, i have had problems fitting into pants. the result? i have never found pants to be comfortable. even pants that fit me (as best as they can) aren't all that comfortable. so skinny corduroy pants? probably not a chance. leggings, unlike pants, have never been anything other than comfortable. so imagine my joy when i discovered corduroy leggings made to look like skinny corduroy pants. suddenly, a slim chance became a real possibility. no words.

twinkle toes oxfords

the look:

tshirt - old navy
wrap top - old lululemon
dress - random label
open cardi, pullover and trousers - h&m
coat - old kensie
scarf and hand warmers - old h&m
hat - old nine west
shoes - john fluevog

the tale:

so i went from three and half inches to two inches to one inch. the intention was to return to three and half inches tomorrow. but, honestly, i am not sure that i will be able to do so. the memory of sore feet is still too fresh in my mind. the beauty of the shoes isn't yet loud enough to shut out the screaming pain that my feet experienced on monday. maybe on friday. by the way, today's outfit was a fusion of 20s inspired style, japanese minimalist style and post apocalyse dress.

taking it down a notch boots

the look:

tshirt - old navy
wrap top - old lululemon
tunic and skirt - kaliyana
jacket - olio organics
hat - old nine west
shoes - john fluevog

the tale:

wow! heels really are painful for me to walk in. does anyone know if the pain goes away with everyday wear of heels? or is it the case that one just becomes so used to the pain that it becomes the foot pain equivalent of white noise? clearly, i am out of practice. in case anyone is wondering, i am not talking about the shoes that i wore today. the heel height on these shoes is comfortable. no, i am talking about the shoes that i wore yesterday. i love them, but they hurt to walk in. what a difference one and a half inches make.

fuzzy wuzzy cardi

the look:

blouse, hand warmers and scarf - old h&m
vest and skirt - kaliyana
infinity cardi - old jacob
wool cardi - old zara
coat - old kensie
hat - old nine west
boots - john fluevog

the tale:

the wool cardi that i wore today has been in my wardrobe for a few years now. every fall that it has been in my possession, i have pulled it out of my closet and tried to work it into an outfit. this fall was no exception. there was, however, something different about this cardi's latest outing. i liked ... really liked ... the result. this fall could finally see this cardi coming into its own.

shockingly cold cardi

the look:

shirt - old gap
dress - old llbean signature
cardi - old preloved
jeans - old old navy
coat - old kensie
scarf and handwarmers - old h&m
hat - old nine west
wellies - old hunter

the tale:

maybe it's the long hot summer that i just lived through. or maybe its the unusually mild winter that preceded the long hot summer. whatever it is, i have found the arrival of cold weather (this past Friday) shocking. i can't believe that i am facing at least five months of wearing heavy wool sweaters. and i say this knowing how much i love heavy wool sweaters. but there it is: reality. short of moving (which i don't foresee myself doing, which isn't to say that a move won't occur unexpectedly), there is no avoiding the cold. i will have to find a way to embrace it.

spotted a few flakes pullover

the look:

shirt - old gap
dress - old llbean signature
pullover - old lands end
jeans - old old navy
coat - old kensie
scarf and hand warmers - old h&m
hat - old nine west
wellies - old hunters

the tale:

fusing some of my personal styles: girls guide to hunting and fishing, japanese minimalist style and 20s inspired dress. just because i can. and because it turned cold today (i even spotted a few snowflakes swirling around in the air). the cold really stirs up my inclination to layer and some of my personal styles feature layering.