crop top

just as i was headed into a dressing slump (when getting dressed becomes a chore rather than fun), rundholz's autumn/winter 2015 collections appeared online. before you jump to the conclusion that the slump was stopped in its track, let me say that, while i enjoyed browsing the collections and dreaming of future outfits, hoping these actions would pull me out of the slump, my hopes were dashed. i remain in the slump. as this isn't an unusual state of affairs, here's hoping this slump lasts no longer than any previous ones.

i am wearing the sundress and the sydney top by kaliyana. my boots are the noon boot (box collection) by trippen.

white is right dress, skirt and top

for at least two summers now, i have been threatening to lose my tip to toe black look in favour of a tip to toe white look. until this summer, something held me back from making good on my threat. this summer, i took the plunge. and now i realize what was holding me back. a tip to toe white look is very much a statement look (like a tip to toe black look was before it became ... well ... normal). i think i got more open stares wearing this outfit than i ever get wearing tip to toe black.

i am wearing the manifold dress, the amazing skirt and the casa jacket by kaliyana. my shoes are doc martens. my bag is by arzadesign.

chunky sandals

i thought that these sandals would be perfect for me, not someone who usually likes the look of sandals on her (generally, i like "chunky" footwear and sandals seem so ... well ... delicate). the sandals are solid ... chunky. sadly, when i first wore these sandals, they nearly destroyed my feet. blisters galore! so, until they break in (i hope they break in), it will have to be socks plus sandals (sorry, but, for me, comfort beats out looks every single time).

i am wearing the swiss top, the g.p. skirt and the brilliant jacket by kaliyana. my shoes are doc martens.

solid sandwiched between dots top

i find dots so addictive! whenever i wear "dotty clothing", i never want to stop wearing it. sadly, i don't have enough "dotty clothing" to never wear anything but "dotty clothing". i am particular about the "dotty clothing" that i acquire -- as much as i love dots, for me, not all dots are created equal.

i am wearing the no moon top, the tahiti top and the cassandra skirt by kaliyana. my boots are the noon boot (box collection) by trippen.

bustling around dress

i don't usually characterize my wardrobe purchases as impulse purchases because i like to think that i think through all of my wardrobe purchases. on the other hand, thinking about it right now, i could easily characterize all of my wardrobe purchases as impulse purchases. the thinking here is that i don't go shopping for wardrobe items because i need any new wardrobe items -- i know i have enough clothes and shoes to last me quite a while. i decide on a whim that i want to go shopping and usually happen to find some wardrobe items that i want. impulse shopping trip, so impulse purchases. i am not sure whether the dress and shoes that i am wearing here are impulse purchases in the first sense above (i.e., not thought through) or in the second sense above (i.e., went on an impulse shopping trip and bought them). what i am sure about is that they were impulse purchases. but as is very common with my impulse purchases, i love them.

i am wearing the ono dress and the amazing skirt* by kaliyana. my shoes are the mandarin shoe (x + os collection) by trippen.

*i am starting to wonder if there is any dress, tunic or top that the amazing skirt wouldn't look amazing with.

the forsythia dress

at present, my wardrobe can best be described as a "study in black". (or, if you factor in my love of greys and whites, "fifty shades of black, grey and white" -- i will confess that i have yet to "show off" my love of whites -- i need it to be extremely hot outside before i will wear white and, where i live, that doesn't happen too often -- if i am lucky, there are about two weeks every august when i can comfortably wear white). occasionally ... very occasionally ... i am seduced by colour. actually, it is probably more the case that i am seduced by a pattern that happens to have some colour in it. usually, for me to go "all the way" with (i.e., buy) a piece of patterned/coloured clothing, i have to make it fit in with my "fifty shades of black, grey and white" wardrobe. usually, the "in-my-head" dialogue goes something like this: "it isn't black (or grey or white). true ... but it is close enough to black (or grey or white)". i don't know what happened with this dress. the top is black, but the bottom is nowhere near enough to black to fit into my "study in black" wardrobe. truth be told, i wanted this dress ... i wanted this dress in all black. it just didn't exist in all black. so i settled for second best: half-black. thankfully, dresses don't have feelings!

i am wearing the olivia dress and the hood jacket by kaliyana. my boots are the noon boot (box collection) by trippen.

another uncomfortable comfortable dress

as far as clothing goes, it seems like every "new" summer, i change things up a bit from the "previous" summer. (i suppose i could say this about every season.) this change is never thought out. it just happens ... because it happens to feel right. sometimes, the change is as simple as wearing an outfit that before i thought i couldn't possibly wear. "they" say that some things have to wait their turn to shine or that their time is yet to come. perhaps something was missing on the first try. later, everything that needs to come together does. sometimes, this mysterious coming together of things scares me. why now and not before? other times, i am entranced by it. if getting dressed works this way, do other aspects of life as well? is this beauty of living?

i am wearing the summer dress and the hood jacket by kaliyana. my boots are the noon boot (box collection) by trippen.

deceptive zipper dress

this dress has a racer back top. about halfway down this racer back top, there is a zipper, placed horizontally. for some, approaching me from behind, there might be the temptation to undo the zipper, with the expectation that the dress will fall off me. it won't. i would never make it that easy.

i am wearing the bora-bora top, the seville trousers and the hood jacket by kaliyana. my boots are the pluto boot (closed collection) by trippen.

not those manolos strappy sandals

the way that i dress is changing. in a good way ... i hope. things that i would never have thought that i would wear, i am wearing. ways of wearing things that i would never have thought would work for me are working for me. i am surprised by these changes. and happy ... i think.

i am wearing the ono dress, the amazing skirt and the brilliant jacket by kaliyana. my sandals are the manolo sandal (closed collection) by trippen.

one side longer than the other top

i am wearing the fab dress and the maggro top by kaliyana. my boots are the noon boot (box collection) by trippen.

the uncomfortable comfortable dress

a dress worn on its own is definitely the most comfortable one could be (in clothes) on a hot day. of course, for a "layer-er" like me, wearing this dress and nothing else is ... well ... somewhat uncomfortable.  another layer atop the dress (like a jacket or top) helps. but only some. i am after all, a hard core "layer-er".

i am wearing the fab dress and the brilliant jacket by kaliyana. my boots are the noon boot (box collection) by trippen.

the airy trousers and top

this summer, kaliyana has produced some pieces of clothing in a new fabric: cotton voile. these pieces are perfect for summer layering and (no surprises) i have a few of them. the trousers in cotton voile that i am wearing here are perfect for when i want the feel of bare legs without actually baring my legs.

i am wearing the alisa top, the manifold dress and the santiago pant by kaliyana. my boots are the noon boot (box collection) by trippen.

come fly with me skirt

in terms of number of days, summer is as long as winter. so why is it that summers seems to go by so quickly while winters drag on and on? this year, more so than any other year that i can remember, it seems that try as i might to embrace summer, i can't help but feel it slipping from my grasp.

i am wearing the shirt dress and the mocha skirt by kaliyana. i am also wearing a pullover by skif. my boots are the pluto boot (closed collection) by trippen.

love birds tunic

when i saw this "tunic" on the label's website, i knew that i had to have it. so off i went to the store. not seeing it in the store, i asked one of the shop clerks whether it existed. what i said was, "i saw this dress on the label's website, do you have it?" the shop clerk asked me to describe the dress. when i did, she said, "oh. that's a top. and, yes, we have it". given the length of the piece -- it hits just above my knee -- i suppose it is a top more than a dress. but it could easily be a dress. in the circumstances, i have decided to settle on calling it a tunic.

i am wearing the bora-bora top, the seville pant and the maggro top by kaliyana. my boots are the pluto boot (closed collection) by trippen.

looking down from very high top

i have recently discovered that i am not comfortable in high open places. this includes balconies in theatres. when i am in a high open place, i feel the pull of the centre of the earth. irrationally, i start holding on to objects that appear to be fixed and unmovable. perhaps this explains my discomfort in high heeled shoes? or is that just the pain of them? (you may have noticed that i am rarely wearing high heeled shoes. i do have them, but they don't get much wear.) next time i find myself in a pair of high heeled shoes, i will have to pay closer attention to what i am feeling.

i am wearing the honolulu top, the amazing skirt and the maggro top by kaliyana. my boots are the pluto boot (closed collection) by trippen.