Colonel Mustard, In The Library, With A Candlestick ... Dress

So I managed to come up with a fourth outfit for this work week -- the outfit that I wore today.  I know, you are thinking, "Isn't tomorrow the day that she was supposed to have run out of planned outfits for the work week?  Isn't tomorrow supposed to be the day for which she needed to come up with an outfit?  So what happened to today's planned out?"  Well, as uninteresting as it may be, I will tell you what happened:  The outfit that I was supposed to have worn today I put off wearing to tomorrow, for no reason other than I thought it wouldn't be appropriate for today's weather.  Hence why a needed that fourth outfit today.  That said, if the weather tomorrow proves to be like the weather today, I might be in a crisis situation (unless all of a sudden what was not appropriate today turns out to be appropriate tomorrow).  Oh, the trials and tribulations of getting dressed!

I am wearing a dress and jacket from H&M.  My chelsea boots are Fluevogs.

Western Chelsea Boot

As I was walking to the subway this morning, it occurred to me that the boots that I was wearing could be described as a Chelsea boot, in that there are elastics on both sides of the boot.  So, a western Chelsea boot?  The outfit that I wore today was thrown together last night, but it is obviously so unremarkable that, this morning, when I woke up, I could not for the life of me remember it.  At least not until I opened one of my wardrobes and spotted the lavender dress.  Then it came flooding back.  Real lucky for me, because I only have two work appropriate outfits thought out (not including this lavender one) for this week and four work days this week to dress for.  If I don't come up with another work appropriate outfit within the next two days, I don't know what I will do come Thursday.

Moving away from the mounting panic of what I will do come Thursday, I bought the neatest cardigan yesterday.  It's one of those pieces of clothing that is so versatile that it comes with an instruction sheet featuring all the ways it can be worn.  I have only tried two of the ways that it can be worn and I already love the cardi to bits!  I might wear it on Friday, weather permitting.

I am wearing an old Urban Renewal blouse under an old JCrew dress.  Peeking out from underneath the dress is a petticoat from American Apparel.  My bag is from H&M and my boots are old Fluevogs.

Tintin's Jacket

One of my favourite comic characters is Tintin.  Yes, Tintin is Belgian (not French, just like Agatha Christie's Monsieur Poirot), but he goes on adventures around the world and sometimes wears local costumes (remember that the majority of Tintin's stories were written between 1930 and the mid 1960s).  I bought the jacket that I wore today because it reminded me of Tintin and one of his adventures.  Underneath the jacket, I wore a shirt that could have been borrowed from George, one of Nancy Drew's friends.  I am not sure why fictional characters have been inspiring my clothing choices of late, more so than real people.  But, really, why shouldn't they serve as inspiration?

Fill 'Er Up Shirt

Sometimes I wish that I could explain what it is about certain pieces of clothing that attracts me to them.  Other times I think why does it matter why I like something.  Can't I just like it?  Analysis of clothing choices might result in smarter future choices.  Analysis of clothing choices sometimes kills the enjoyment of them.  I realize that the shirt that I wore today looks like something a gas station attendant might have worn in the 60s and 70s (before self-serve became the norm).  And that is exactly what attracted me to it.  I am not going to try to figure out why I would be attracted to a shirt that a gas station attendant might have worn in the 60s and 70s?  That might destroy my enjoyment of the shirt.    

The Chelsea Boot

It has been some years since I wore a Chelsea boot, and the idea of wearing a Chelsea boot had completely gone out of my mind until several days ago.  The Chelsea boot, and the idea of my wearing one again, was resurrected when, about a week or so ago, I saw a pair of boots on the feet of another blogger.  Her boots did not appear to be Chelsea boots (they seemed to have zippers on each side, rather than elastics), but they so looked like Chelsea boots from the front and they so looked adorable that I started feeling sentimental about the Chelsea boot.  Several days later, I couldn't resist but get a pair of Chelsea boots and, a day later, I couldn't resist but put the boots in circulation.  Sooooo comfy.  Now I remember why I used to practically live in Chelsea boots.

Mad For Plaid Suit

Not technically a plaid, I was informed.  Speaking of the fabric of my new suit.  More of a check.  But I don't really care.  Plaids, tartans, checks and ginghams.  I lump them all (okay, excepting the gingham) into one category -- plaid -- and I love them all.  My apologies to all the purists (I love you too, by the way).  Which brings me (back) to my new plaid suit!  I bought it this past weekend at the Summer fair.  There is an arts and crafts section to the fair, which, over the past few years, has come to feature more and more independent clothing designers.  I saw the jumper dress first -- attracted to the plaid, like a moth to a flame.  The designer then showed me the matching jacket, which, as you can see, features a sailor collar.  Plaid and a sailor collar!  Two of my most favourite things!  Well you can just imagine that the deal was done lickety-split!

P.S. And to put the cherry on top, my new Fluevogs, acquired just the Friday before I went to the Summer fair, go perfectly with the mad for plaid suit!

Wanting To Talk

Yesterday, I discovered that photos of the Dear Creatures Fall 2011/Winter 2012 collection had been posted on the Dear Creatures facebook page (and last Friday, at that).  So, this morning, I expected to see at least some of the usual suspects (i.e., some of the more popular bloggers who usually post about Dear Creatures) posting about Dear Creatures and their picks from the new collection.  Much to my surprise, I found no Dear Creatures posts.  I expect I will see them within the coming weeks, if not days (and maybe even by the end of today).  Still, I am somewhat disappointed.  I guess I was ready to "talk" about the new Dear Creatures collection, but no one else is on the same page as me.  Oh well, not the first time for this and, probably, not the last.  I don't usually do this, but here goes:  I am coveting the following from the collection:

All photos from Dear Creatures' facebook page.

Fields of Wildflowers Sweater

I am simply shameless.  At the first sign of a significant drop in temperature, I pull out the beret (granted a cotton knit one not a wool one) and one of my favourite scarves.  And this is not to mention the light wool sweater that I yanked out of my drawers ... and the light wool jacket.  Oh, and the new Fall/Winter Fluevogs that somehow managed to find their way from their box and onto my feet.  The temperature didn't stayed dropped for too long, however.  By midday, the scarf and jacket were history.  But not the sweater, Fluevogs or beret.  I must say that, having returned to the beret, I really missed it.  Tomorrow is supposed to bring with it a return to Summer weather.  And, that's just fine.  Because today was a perfect and beautiful pre-Fall day.

Cotton Jersey Dhoti Pants

Made of cotton jersey, instead of Indian cotton, dhoti pants aren't quite as comfortable, but they are still very free-ing.  On to my entire outfit.  I know that I have said before that there was a time in my life when I wore nothing but black clothing.  Although I don't do that any longer, I still find wearing black clothing head to toe very safe and comforting.  The moment I put black clothing on, it's like I disappear or become cloaked in anonymity.  Sometimes I like and need that feeling.  Today, I was very tired, probably because of all the fun that I had yesterday.  When I got up this morning and looked at my face in the mirror, I rubbed it, commented on how tired I looked and immediately decided to dress head to toe in black clothing.  Safe and comforting.  And anonymous.

Summer Fair Denim

Earlier this week, I wrote that this weekend usually marks the beginning of the end of Summer.  That's because this weekend is the first weekend of the city's Summer fair.  The opening of the Summer fair has always been said to signal the beginning of the end of Summer, I suppose because it runs until Labour Day, when it closes, after which school begins.  No matter what the calendar may say, Summer always seems to be measured by the time school is out.  Anyhoo, as usual, a close friend and I went to the Summer fair today.  I had a fun day.  And, for the first time in a long time of going to the fair and not getting the clothes right, I dressed in a way I thought appropriate for the occasion and, more importantly, I felt comfortable in my clothes all day long.  Yay!

The Wine Tasting Plaid Skirt

Around my parts, this weekend marks the beginning of the end of Summer:  It's the beginning of the Summer fair.  Two weeks from this weekend it will be the Labour Day weekend.  After that, school starts up again.  Summer is over.  (Yes, I still think this way even though I haven't gone back to school for a while now.)  I am still not finding a lot of Fall clothing in the stores.  It is not looking good for a new "first day of school" outfit.  Maybe that will be the new thing this "school year".  No new "first day of school" outfit.

Wild Berries Plaid Dress

Whenever you put something new on (or new old), do you often find yourself saying, "Ooooo!  This is my new favourite (fill in the blank)!"  This morning, immediately after I donned this new vintage dress that I recently got from Clever Nettle (on Etsy), I looked down on it, admiringly, and said, "Ooooo!  This is my new favourite plaid dress!"  A little later, looking down again at the dress, admiringly, I asked myself, "Seriously, how many favourite plaid dresses can you have?"  "Weren't all those other plaid dresses sitting in your closet once upon a time your new favourite plaid dress?"  Then I felt bad for all the plaid dresses in my possession, the new one, that just wants to be loved, and all the worn ones that also just want to be loved and that must have groaned a little when they heard me declare that I had a new favourite.  The truth is:  "I love you all, guys!  Really, I do!"

An Obvious Clue Dress

Maybe I am imagining things (or maybe there is another explanation for it, one that I am loathe to mention), but I have noticed that clothing stores are not filling up with Fall stock as early as they seemed to do in the past.  I mean, by this time last year, I am pretty sure that I was seeing sweaters in abundance everywhere.  I am not complaining.  I would rather that the sweaters be held back until some time in September.  But it leaves me feeling out of sorts.