embracing the cold puffer vest

the look:

dress - old lands end canvas
cardi - jacob
woollen cardi - old jcrew
hand warmers - old h&m
puffer vest - h&m
trousers - hue
hat - old roots
boots - old llbean

the tale:

what goes around comes around. or is it the other way around? that what comes around goes around? i have never been very good at remembering cliches. i have now forgotten how the cliche relates to a clothes story. oh yes! that i don't seem to ever get away from a particular style of dressing. i may think that i do, but, really, i don't. it just goes away for a while ... giving me a bit of a break from it ... then it comes back. what goes around comes around. of course, i may be using the cliche in the wrong way. even when i remember a cliche, i don't always use it properly.

swept away by the wind jacket

the look:

shirt - old gap
tie - old h&m
cardi - old zara
jacket - dear creatures (a/w 2010)
skirt - old rw& co
hat - old lillie and cohoe
boots - old, from an army surplus store

the tale:

lately, planning what i am going to wear on a particular day in advance of the day hasn't been working all that well. why? because how i feel when i wake up on a particular day has been driving what i want to wear that day. and the feelings have been strong. very strong. resistance has proven to be futile. (p.s. what is it about certain jackets -- like this one -- that make me feel very academic, professorial?)

eating oranges in winter suit

the look:

shirt - salt valley (uo)
tie and suit - old h&m
cardi - jacob
trousers - hue
hat - old lillie and cohoe
boots - old john fluevog

the tale:

it's agreed: it is odd that i hanker after colour in the winter and that i don't want to wear anything but black and white in the summer. most people want to wear colour in spring and summer and sink into wearing darkness in the winter. wearing colour in the winter just makes me feel warm. i know that this warm feeling is but an illusion, but what can i say? i crave colour for warmth and the moment i put on colour i feel much, much warmer. (p.s. starting to make a habit of looking like a jcrew girl!)

cavalry pants

the look:

shirt - old gap
tie - old uo
suede vest, scarf and gloves - old h&m
trousers - lands end
jacket and puffer vest - old jcrew
duffle coat - old old navy
hat - old lillie and cohoe
boots - old john fluevog

the tale:

as with those little plaid dresses from lands end canvas, i bought these cavalry pants the first season i went shopping at lands end (which was the autumn before the winter when i first started shopping at lands end canvas and bought the little plaid dresses). and, as happened with lands end canvas after the purchase of the little plaid dresses, after the purchase of the cavalry pants from lands end, the merchandise at lands end ceased to entice me. so that there is no misunderstanding, this phenomenon of buying something from a shop and then having the shop lose me isn't restricted to lands end canvas and lands end. it happened with jcrew, llbean, llbean signature, eddie bauer, the gap, banana republic and zara, to name a few "stores". and, so that there is no further misunderstanding, that a shop has lost me has yet to lead me to lose hope and give up on the shop. i still hold out hope that each and every shop that has lost me will one day recapture me. sigh. being a consumer is tough. (p.s. the jcrew girl is really pressing her case these days. or, maybe, it's those tear sheets from many moons ago!)

glow in the dark trousers

the look:

dress - old lands end canvas
cardi - jacob
woollen cardi - old anthropologie
trousers - hue
boots - old john fluevog

the tale:

default outfit: the outfit that i currently wear when i can't think what i should wear.

northern exposure boots

the look:

dress - old lands end canvas
petticoat - old american apparel
cardi - jacob
wool cardi - old preloved
belt - old h&m
trousers - hue
boots - old john fluevog

the tale:

there was a bit of a thaw today. while the sidewalks were wet, they weren't slushy or snowy ... for the most part. so duck boots weren't required. but thick rubber soled boots still seemed to make sense, in the event i ran into any slushy or snowy patches. i don't have many pairs of thick rubber soled boots, but, this winter, i am determined to give each and every pair that i do have a turn outdoors. (these thick rubber soled boots have a western flavour. i have called them the "northern exposure boots" because, finding myself with time on my hands lately, i have been (re)watching the tv show "northern exposure" and it has inspired me to go a little western.)

what it's all about dress

the look:

dress - old lands end canvas
blue cardi - old jacob
red cardi - old jcrew
trousers - hue
coat - smythe x hbc
mitts - preloved
hat - old lillie and cohoe
boots - old llbean

the tale:

dressing this winter may turn out to be about how many different combinations of trousers, cardis and vests i can pair with my three plaid dresses from lands end canvas. the dresses just seem to work so well with duck boots and, if i am stuck wearing duck boots (believe me, i am), at least i can do whatever i can to make the best of it. on a brighter note, check out the coat: a geniune hbc blanket coat! this particular one was done for the 2010 winter olympics. you can imagine how quickly it sold out. i may not be lucky enough to snag many things when it comes to clothes and footwear, but i certainly was lucky enough to snag this coat!

festivus recedes dress

the look:

dress - old lands end canvas
knit vest - random label
cardi and puffer vest - old jcrew
trousers - old hue
hat - old lillie and cohoe
boots - old llbean

the tale:

you know what would be really nice ... for me? to have this dress in black. i would also like to have that grey skirt from h&m, that i was wearing frequently about a week ago, in black.

carpet bag shoulder bag

the look:

shirt - salt valley (uo)
tie - old gap
knit dress - old american apparel
sweater dress - susan harris design (a/w 2012)
vest - h&m
coat - old uo
hat - old lillie & cohoe
boots - old, from an army surplus store
bag - tlc bags (by tracy crandall)

the tale:

four things are on my mind today. first: now i am done with post-christmas shopping. after all the purchases that i described the other day, i splurged and bought three awesome pieces by a local artisan, who selectively felts rescued knits or creates new clothing pieces from felted knits. i was specifically looking for a dramatic cardi/jacket. i found two very striking pieces, and, when i couldn't choose between them, i decided to get both. the shop-keeper showed me a dramatic vest and, of course, i fell in love with it and couldn't leave it behind either. i will write more on these "works of art" when i wear them. second: i can't remember whether someone "real" said this or whether some fictional character in a book, film or tv show said this: sometimes, when you are getting dressed to go to a funeral, you are conscious of the fact that whatever you select may well never see the light of day again, because, forever more, you will associate it with the funeral and not want to wear it. third: it is one thing to just wear black. it is another thing entirely to put on black, even if you wear it on a daily basis, knowing that you aren't just wearing black, you are wearing black to a funeral. finally: as i slung this "new" shoulder bag across my body, i thought how it sort of resembled a carpet bag (a true one of which i would love to get my hands on): made of fabric (wool that is felted), large and somewhat floppy. but a shoulder bag carpet bag!

flannel haul plaid shirt

the look:

shirt - old salt valley (uo)
knit vest - random label
pullover - old gap
puffer vest - old jcrew
tie and skirt - old h&m
trousers - hue
hat - old lillie and cohoe
boots - old llbean

the tale:

for all that i don't do any bargain hunting on boxing day, i do hunt for bargains after boxing day, when i feel that bargain hunting has settled down and the crowds are more tolerable. so what bargains have i scored? three awesome (at least in my opinion) cardis from anthropologie (two of which i had wanted way back in september but they weren't available in my size at the anthropologie near me at that time -- they must have brought some in from somewhere for the end of season sale); two pairs of marsells (a pair of black oxfords and a pair of blue suede boots); four pairs of hue trousers; and three plaid shirts (what the shop clerk called my "flannel haul" at check out -- to pay for which i think i had to wait about half a hour in line -- but two of them only cost me five bucks (regular price of fifty bucks) -- so i think that the haul was worth the wait). some stores, however, have proven to be a disappointment (zara being a good example -- usually i can score some pretty good sweaters at good prices there, but not this year). i think i am pretty much done with bargain hunting for this year. but, when it comes to clothes, i am not sure that i can be taken at my word (after all, yesterday, i did promise that i would return to my monotonous clothing routine and, as can be seen, i did not keep that promise. but i blame orla kiely's 2012 a/w collection for this, which inspired me to try yesterday's "base" outfit with a short-sleeved pullover, and my re-discovering the short-sleeved pullover -- i love it when i find a new use for an old piece of clothing, especially when that old piece of clothing may not have seen a lot of wear when it was new).

hot cocoa jacket

the look:

shirt - old salt valley (uo)
tie and skirt - old h&m
knit vest - random label
jacket - old gap
puffer vest - old jcrew
trousers - hue
hat - old lillie and cohoe
boots - old llbean

the tale:

i thought that i would take a bit of a break from the monotonous clothing routine that i have adopted of late.  you know the one: one of three plaid button-up dresses that i own from lands end canvas, the blue knit vest (that random label one), skinny trousers (those hue ones), some cardi and the gold (christmas ball ornament) puffer vest (from jcrew). not a radical break though. i certainly wouldn't want to shock. (although i had wanted to shock with some heeled hiking boots. but, wouldn't you know it, no sooner did i decide to wear those boots than a snow storm blew into town, making the wearing of those boots impractical. i am nothing if not practical when it comes to footwear. safety first and foremost. always.) anyways, tomorrow, i will return to the monotonous clothing routine. i promise.

the more the merrier trousers

the look:

dress - old lands end canvas
knit vest - random label
cardi and puffer vest - old jcrew
petticoat - old american apparel
trousers - hue
hat - old lillie and cohoe
boots - old llbean

the tale:

this is what i wore on boxing day: same festive dress that i wore on christmas day (with all its red and green) but with a red cardi and red trousers (instead of with a green cardi and green trousers). simply continuing all the merriment from the day before. i went out to pick up breakfast on boxing day. the streets were quiet, but the cafe where i went was busy, with patrons toting quite a few shopping bags, indicating that, while i may have elected not to partake (yet another year) in boxing day sales, many were still out on the hunt for a bargain. i will admit to some internet browsing, but nothing caught my eye enough to make me press that little "add to shopping cart" button and recall my credit card number. i sincerely hope that all those who shopped found what they wanted. i went home with freshly baked banana muffins and earl grey tea. i found what i wanted.

festive dress

the look:

dress - old lands end canvas
knit vest - random label
cardi - zara
puffer vest - old jcrew
trousers - hue
hat - old lillie and cohoe
boots - old llbean

the tale:

this is probably the most festive dress that i own (for this time of year). i don't usually embrace the wearing of green and red for christmas, but, this year, i did, for this combination of green and red is what i donned on christmas day. (perhaps the blue and gold neutralize the effect a bit? or does the gold just look like a gold ball ornament on a christmas tree?). in other news: you have probably noticed that i can't seem to exorcise that jcrew girl (which isn't to say that i believe that she is evil and needs to be gotten rid of). if you don't already think that i have gotten boring in my dress -- and, by "boring", i mean predictable -- just hang on. i am about to become incredibly boring/predictable. i wish that a picture could reveal just how cosy this combination of skinny trousers, dress, layers of knits and puffer vest is in what is a cold (but probably not as cold as its going to get) winter. (really, if i need this much layering now to stay warm, what will i need come the next few weeks, when winter is usually at its worst!)