Black Swan Dress

Minus the boots, the outfit that I wore today is an "old" outfit; I think that I wore it last about two years ago.  (I remember wearing it on a trip to Chicago, coat, bag and all!  There was also a woollen shawl, which I remember being thankful for, as the city turned out to be cold and windy, living up to its nickname.)  Originally, I had thought about wearing cavalry pants with a wool mock neck, but the rise in temperature would have made that outfit a tad too warm, so I pulled out this old standby (when I wore it, I wore it a lot!).

Because I have been "under the weather" pretty much since after Christmas, I am going to ring in the new year in a very quiet way.  No party dress for me tonight!  Whatever you do to ring in the new year, I hope that you have a happy one and that all your dreams come true!  And thanks so much for stopping by once in a while!

I am wearing a vintage Zara dress with a vintage fleece hooded wrap cardigan, a vintage Gap quilted vest, vintage Lululemon leggings, vintage H&M socks and riding boots by JCrew.  My coat is vintage Gap and my bag is vintage Jacob Connection.

Misty Minty Sweater

Because of the rise in temperature today (I assume), it was "misty" outside.  I sort of liked it.  The rise in temperature today also meant that I was able to hang up the Canada Goose parka.  I more than "sort of" liked that!

I am wearing a vintage flannel shirt restyled by Urban Renewal from Urban Outfitters, a wool sweater by JCrew, vintage Lands End jeans with a vintage H&M belt, old wool work socks are old from an off-price store and boots by BDG from Urban Outfitters.

Woodland Stroll Pants

Yesterday, I did say that, sometimes, I look like the "Michelin Man".  Today was a good example of my "Michelin Man" look.  The thing is (and I said this yesterday):  I don't really care that I look like the "Michelin Man".

I suspect that my choice of outfit today had a lot to do with my having watched two thirds of season six (?) of Foyle's War yesterday.  Originally, I had thought that I would wear jeans.  (Sound familiar?)  Then I changed my mind and opted for these wool trousers instead.  It is actually my first time wearing them since I acquired them about a year or so ago.  (As an aside, remember how I said that I want to make some changes in my "wardrobe habits" in 2011?  Well, one of the things that I want to change is how soon after I acquire something "new" I wear it.  I have this habit of not wearing my acquisitions until many months (and, sometimes, years) after acquiring them.)  Should I try for jeans again tomorrow?

Oddly, I have "pants outfits" planned for the next few days.  I am not sure what has come over me all of a sudden.

I am wearing a vintage flannel shirt restyled by Urban Renewal from Urban Outfitters with a silver pin from El Mundo, vintage LLBean wool trousers with vintage LLBean suspenders, a vintage Gap vest and a cardigan by Preloved.  My socks are old by Hue and my boots are vintage Fluevogs.

Warm, Warmer, Warmest

This morning, I thought, for a moment, that I might wear jeans today.  This thought, of wearing jeans, flowed from my thinking that I shouldn't wear un-sweatpants.  Try as I did, I couldn't convince myself that I would be comfortable in jeans.  Still thinking that I shouldn't wear un-sweatpants, I then moved on to trying to create an outfit centred around black fleece lined leggings.  I am not sure how leggings differ from un-sweatpants, but, in my mind, this morning, they did.  I reviewed my collection of black sweaters suitable to be worn with the leggings.  It was this activity which led me to wearing what I did wear today.  How?  Some of the pieces of today's outfit were in close proximity to my collection of black sweaters.  Odd as it may seem for some, I find a long sweater dress much more comfortable than jeans and as comfortable as un-sweatpants and as warm, if not warmer, than fleece lined leggings.

I know that I have said this before:  Layering clothing is the only way that I manage to survive the Winter where I live.  Sometimes I believe that my home city is encased in a bubble.  All around it, places are being hit with snowstorms, yet it has somehow managed to escape such storms (so far).  The cold, however, my home city never manages to escape.  So I have to find a way to cope.  Layering is the solution that I have come up.  I don't even care if I look like the "Michelin Man" (and I know that I do sometimes)!

I am wearing a vintage flannel shirt restyled by Urban Renewal from Urban Outfitters with a silver pin from El Mundo, a vintage Zara sweater dress, a vintage H&M button-up wool turtleneck, a vintage belt and a vintage Zara wool vest.  My socks are old from an off-price store and my boots are vintage Fluevog.

Baby It's Cold Outside

As the end of 2010 draws near, I am starting to think about changes that I would like to bring about in 2011.

Having this blog has taught me a lot about my "wardrobe habits".  There is something about keeping a photo log of what you wear that really helps to evaluate how you are dressing yourself, what you are keeping in your closet, what you are purchasing.  It's funny:  Keeping a "diary" is one of those things that "experts" always advise you to do whenever you want to change or learn about an area of your life (what you eat and how much you spend are examples).  I guess it would make sense, then, that keeping a clothing diary could help one to learn about and/or change one's clothing habits.  Some of the changes that I want to bring about in 2011 definitely have to do with my "wardrobe habits".

I am wearing a vintage flannel shirt restyled by Urban Renewal from Urban Outfitters with a vintage pin, a vintage Old Navy sweater dress, a quilted vest by JCrew, vintage H&M tights with vintage CK socks layered on top and vintage LLBean boots.

The Beginning Of A New Tradition?

I couldn't be bothered with trying to find a clothing or shoe bargain this Boxing Day.  I used to love scouting for clothing and shoe bargains on Boxing Day.  But, this year, I just couldn't bear facing the crowds.  So, instead of getting up early to hit the shops for clothing and/or shoes, I got up early to go to yoga practice.  Afterwards, I had a pleasant time in a coffee shop with my tea, tea biscuit and book.  Then, I went to my all-time favourite bargain store and purchased on oil filled portable heater, which I have been meaning to do for weeks now.  I feel very satisfied with my one purchase today.  I have checked yet another item off my "home to do" list.  I also feel very tranquil, the result, no doubt, of avoiding the Boxing Day crowds.  Today might just have been the start of a new Boxing Day tradition:  No wardrobe shopping!

I am wearing a vintage flannel shirt restyled by Urban Renewal from Urban Outfitters with a tie from Urban Outfitters, a jumper dress with belt by Zara, a wool cardigan by JCrew, un-sweatpants by Roots, vintage LLBean socks and boots by LLBean.

Itchy And Scratchy

It's funny how, sometimes, what looks to be the most touchable thing turns out to be least comfortable thing next to your skin.  A case in point:  this grey cardigan.  It looks like it would be soft and cuddly.  In actuality, it is itchy and scratchy against the skin.  I won't suffer for fashion, though.  If it weren't for the long sleeve cotton tshirt that I am wearing underneath the cardigan saving me from its itchiness and scratchiness, I wouldn't be wearing the cardigan ... as much as I love it.

The button scarf, on the other hand, is soft against the skin, although I can't say for certain that it looks like it would be that way.  It is also toasty warm ... and cosy.  I have heard it said that if you keep your head and neck covered (i.e., you keep body heat from escaping through your head and neck), you can more easily keep the rest of you warm.  I can attest to the fact that the button scarf is keeping more than just my neck warm.  The wool beret?  I am sure it is helping to keep me warm also.

I am wearing a cardigan by LLBean (Signature) layered over top an old tshirt from Old Navy, a vintage Zara wool jumper dress, a hand knit button scarf (gift), a vintage wool beret, vintage Lululemon leggings, vintage CK wool socks and vintage Fleuvog boots.

Wishing You ...

Cross Country Skiing

The outfit that I wore today -- the combination of the cardigan, the wool socks and the boots -- makes me feel like I should be on wooden skis, doing some cross country skiing in a time long past.  All I need is a woollen cap, with ear flaps and a pom pom on top, or maybe just a woollen toque with a pom pom on top, a woollen scarf with fringe and woollen gloves or mitts and the look would be complete.  Woosh, woosh -- picture me using my wooden ski poles to propel myself forward through the snow.

Here is a confession:  I may dream about being (safely) marooned in a ski chalet and I may imagine myself cross country skiing on wooden skis in a time long past, but I have never been on skis in my life. And, it would probably be a dangerous thing to put me on skis!  Some things are better left to the imagination.  (Although I don't see why I would have to know anything about skiing to be (safely) marooned in a ski chalet!)

I am wearing a vintage Zara dress, a vintage JCrew cardigan (altered by me), woollen leggings from H&M, old wool work socks from an off-price store and boots by Bogs.

I Can't Resist

I can't resist a JCrew sale.  No matter how much I try.  This means that over the next few weeks, I will be debuting several new JCrew pieces on the blog.  These will mostly be sweaters.  I suppose because I only shop JCrew online (there being no JCrew store anywhere near where I live) and sweaters are the easiest item of clothing for me to purchase online (in terms of getting the "right" fit).  Although, I did order something yesterday that wasn't a sweater and I am really looking forward to receiving it.  Without giving anything away, it is an accessory that I want to "play" with in the coming year.  I inherited two similar accessories from a friend recently, so I will have plenty of them to "play" with.

I am wearing a vintage flannel shirt restyled by Urban Renewal from Urban Outfitters with a silver pin from El Mundo, a vintage Zara jumper dress, a wool shrug by Paper People Clothing, un-sweatpants by Roots, old socks by Hue and vintage Fluevog boots.

I Think That I Really Like This Colour

I wore the dark olive green colour that I wore today before.  On Sunday.  I remember being pleased with it then.  When I put on the colour this morning, I thought, "I think that I really like this colour".

I was really hard on myself recently, when I came to the realization that I was wearing nothing but plaid shirts and sweater dresses/jumper dresses.  This morning, when I put on a plaid shirt with a jumper dress and looked at myself in the mirror, I asked myself what was so wrong with always wearing something in which I am so comfortable?  If this is who I am right now, then this is who I am right now.  After that moment, I felt so relieved.  Getting dressed shouldn't be about fighting against who you are.  It shouldn't be an unhappy struggle.  Getting dressed should be about expressing who you are.  It should be fun.

I am wearing a vintage flannel shirt restyled by Urban Renewal from Urban Outfitters with a silver pin from El Mundo, a flannel jumper dress by Paper People Clothing, an incredibly warm wool tie-front cardigan by Paper People Clothing, old tights by H&M and vintage Fluevog boots.

Unstuck

Today, I made an effort to break out of the habit of wearing sweater dresses.  I am not sure how long this is going to last.  The cold continues and the reality is that, at this point, the cold will probably continue until closer to the start of Spring.  Sweater dresses are so comfortable and warm that, with the cold continuing, I will probably return to them sooner or later.  (In fact, I just acquired a new sweater dress today!)  I can only say that I will try to not make them a uniform again.  I will intersperse outfits not involving sweater dresses between outfits consisting of sweater dresses.

I am wearing a vintage flannel shirt restyled by Urban Renewal from Urban Outfitters with a silver pin from El Mundo, a vintage Preloved sweater vest, a wool cardigan by Preloved, a BDG. skirt from Urban Outfitters, un-sweatpants by H&M, a vintage Canada Goose expedition parka, a vintage H&M scarf, a vintage Roots hat and vintage H&M mitts.  My socks are old from an off-price store and my boots are by LLBean.

Keeping My Word

For about ten minutes this morning, there was a possibility that I might wear something "new" today.  However, when I went in search of a part of the "new" outfit, I realized that I had given it away recently.  I remembered that I had thought that I would never again wear the piece, although at some point in the past, it had been a wardrobe staple.  I am not, nor do I like to be, nor, practically, can I be, a pack rat.  However, this morning, when I had realized that I had given away something that I could have worked into my wardrobe this season, I resolved to no longer give away any of my staple clothes.   There is always a reason why something becomes a staple and, perhaps, I shouldn't so quickly discard a "go to" item of clothing just because, for the moment, it stops being a "go to" item of clothing.  I should just let it rest.

As the "new outfit" didn't come to pass, I did go back to yesterday's outfit, just as I said that I would.

I tried to shop for some new "yoga girl" clothes today, but that didn't work out at all.  Nothing sang to me.  So, instead, I went to Urban Outfitters and picked up some more plaid flannel shirts.  It seems as if I can't have too many plaid flannel shirts these days!

I am wearing a vintage flannel shirt restyled by Urban Renewal from Urban Outfitters with a vintage silver pin, a vintage H&M sweater dress, a wool cardigan by Susan Harris Design, un-sweatpants by Roots, a vintage H&M coat, a vintage H&M scarf, vintage Nine West gloves and a vintage Banana Republic hat.  My socks are old from LLBean and my boots are by Bogs.

I Won't Be Going For Innovation

I don't get it.  It isn't as if I dress up a lot for work.  Basically, with some exceptions, what I wear to work I could wear on the weekends.  So why have I had such a hard time figuring out what to wear every Saturday morning pretty much since Summer faded away?

This morning was a case in point.  I woke up and tried and tried and tried (and tried) to come up with something to wear.  Eventually, I settled on something, recognizing that it wasn't anything new but not really caring.  I was just happy that I came up with an outfit that wouldn't make me feel like I should never have gotten out of bed.  Then I decided that I would wear the same outfit tomorrow, with some slight modifications. I was rebellious:  "I am not going for innovation this weekend," I declared.

Maybe today marks a turning point in my life!

I am wearing a vintage flannel shirt restyled by Urban Renewal from Urban Outfitters, a vintage H&M sweater dress, a vintage H&M sweater vest, un-sweatpants by Roots, a vintage H&M coat, a vintage H&M scarf, a vintage Banana Republic hat and vintage H&M mitts.  My socks are old by MacGregor and my boots are vintage Fluevog.