Re-Brand

Love this or hate it, you're going to have some opinion...

See, for at least 5 years, I've been talking about getting one of those shifty, back-of-magazine "make your own T shirt" companies to stencil a specific slogan T for me. Sensibly, I've been repeatedly cowed by the whole shifty ad at the back of a magazine angle. Not so reputable-seeming, yes? But I thought that was my only recourse.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered, on walking down Queen Street the other day, that there are actual stores that do this! Like retail. Am I sheltered or is this news to you too? I truly thought those closed down in the late 70s!

Needless to say I rushed on in there. And behold my handiwork:


I'm sure you know that I came up with this slogan myself, that I haven't been scarfing those pro-chattel, patriarchy pills you may also order in bulk from the back of the mags. One of my friends suggested that I missed the boat and, given my frame, might have been more on the mark stenciling "Scottie's Girls" across the centre of the shirt. Seriously, I'm half inclined :-)

But, man, it gets me some action with my husband...

One Skirt, Two Looks - More or Less

Remember this?

I know, you haven't been able to get it out of your mind...

Well, Lovelies, here it is in action:

Club Monaco skirt with Franco Sarto flats and Tneck from Wal-Mart @1999

Yeah, the Tneck was bought in a moment of financial restriction, many years ago at the (then less reviled) Wal-Mart. Like, it predates H&M and Zara and I still wear it 3x a month. And when it's dirty I throw it in the machine and dryer! Sometimes you just can't get too-judgey with the disposable fashion.

If I wait for the pink tights in which I threatened to debut this look, it's likely you won't see it till next year. So I'm working the pale leg.

Oh, and I decided to get "experimental" with this Space FB boyf cardi I bought for a third of the regular price, off-season, last summer in Mtl. That means I'm wearing it backwards like the kids.

What I Wore

This was last Thursday's outfit:




The sweater, which I've profiled before, is Karoo Mark Eisen. It was originally $300.00 at my (now-defunct) best-kept secret but I got it for $80.00. It's cashmere and the funnel sleeves just thrill me. The skirt is vintage Rae Phillips, $40.00. It's this excellent wool wrap skirt with 2, original mother-of-pearl buttons and inside snaps. It has beautiful drape and it's so timeless. The boots are Franco Sarto vegan. Every girl with skinny calves needs a pair of these because they suck to your legs no matter the width.

And You Thought My Pallor Was An Accident...

Sweater: Urban Planet ($12.50), Dress: Vintage Snakeskin Denim ($20.00), Hat: Lilliput ($70.00), Shoes: Those ubiquitous 9Wests I wear in every post!

Just wait till I post that tome on sunblock and the modern gal... (Seriously, it's coming.)

Disposable Clothing: More Evidence

OK, a propos of being creative - which is to say, mixing the cheapy purchases with the finer ones - here are the F21 high-waisted jeans styled two different ways:

Jeans: Forever 21, Shoes: n.d.c., Shrug: ?

Jeans: Forever 21, Shoes: n.d.c., Sweater: Banana Republic

I realize it's a challenging, which is to say exaggerated, look. This is why I'm wearing the jeans with heels and a bit of attitude. It's also why I bought this look via the high-street. I do think that inexpensive denim can be a super buy because it generally doesn't show its relative shabbiness.

Disposable Clothing: The Evidence

The next couple of pictoral posts are all about the crazy looks I'd never try at a higher pricepoint.

So, call me shameless, here are the F21 short shorts (and the knit vest):

Shorts and Vest: Forever 21, Shoes: n.d.c. from Winners, Necklace: From Spain, courtesy of Sandra

Yes, I am actually as pale as the pictures makes me seem.

No, I never get appreciably darker, thank you sunblock .

So, do tell, are you the short shorts type?

This One Seems to be Popular

For those of you who expressed a fondness for my Hobo grey clutch, here are a few details (and a pic which highlights the delicious lining)

• It's too small to fit much other than some money, a bit of makeup and a pair of sunglasses. I did carry a very small umbrella but the poor bag looked like an overstuffed boa constrictor.



• It was originally $200.00 at Girl Friday on College Street. I got it on final sale for $100.00.



• It manages to be rugged and rocker chic with an elegant kick at the back end.
  
  
• The handle folds in, by design, so the bag can be a streamlined classic clutch or a (sensible) handle bag.

More Instant Outfit

Here's a dress I picked up for $40.00 during the Christmas sales in Quebec City a couple of months ago. I love the colours and the pattern! I'm not generally a pattern wearer, so this dress makes me feel very a la mode. The fabric is a wool jersey and is thin enough (and appropriately shaped) that it looks great worn with skinny jeans too. I couldn't get a decent shot of the back, but the pattern is completely different on the flipside, with white, zigzaggy accents.

I wear it with dark chocolate tights and those pretty yet practical grey wedges I picked up last summer in Montreal at Lola & Emily:

In the Bag

I know, I've been promising to show you a few pieces in my (moving towards unwieldy) purse collection. In a recent post I spoke a little bit about my bag philosophy but here's the expanded rationale:

I'm very into vintage because I can find splendidly constructed pieces, which have obviously stood the test of time, for a fraction of the (seemingly ever increasing) average gorgeous bag price. I also appreciate the uniqueness of the vintage bag and that I'm possibly purchasing the original look and not the homage to the original look. Note: I do recognize that homages are often great modern riffs on tried and true design and that sometimes they even trump the first iteration (gasp).

I'm also into shopping in interesting - read: slightly grungy, colourful - neighbourhoods and boutiques (TO area readers, I'm referring to Kensington Market) for great deals on excellent, admittedly cheaply designed, merch that will not stand the test of time and will disintegrate hideously (but will garner lots of positive commentary until that time). Some of my happiest purchases have been on plastic-designed-to-look-like-leather bags in zany colours and shapes. The average pricepoint of these goods is $40.00 and I am delighted to say I can usually haggle the tax off, at very least. (For those of you horrified by or questioning of my propensity for the deal / bargain / haggle, pls. know that I am always respectful of vendors and I do it in the spirit of the thrill of the chase.)

I'm more inspired by shape than material, though beautiful leather or suede is always a thrill.

I carry around a crap-load of stuff and walk an average of 4 miles a day so the bag has to be a) big enough to carry everything I can't do without and b) small enough to be manageable while trekking through snow, beating hot sun, rain and the other elements that challenge the urban walker. Of course, different days warrant different sized/shaped bags.

I do enjoy buying Canadian goods, when possible, because I believe in supporting my own economy. (Don't worry, I believe in supporting everybody else's too.)

I'm not so comfortable spending more than $300.00 (and this would be at the very outside) because I don't have so much disposable income that this wouldn't eat into spending on all the other items I can't live without (not to mention the food, shelter, childcare part of the equation). On this topic, Enc has a great poll on bags happening right now (it's been amended to reflect additional pricepoint options) so definitely check it out...

For the lady who lunches:

Hobo Leather Clutch, Handle folds into the bag

For the Disco-era lady who lunches:
Vintage clutch with detachable strap

For the pseudo-academic, bulk-carrying hipster:

Vintage Leather/Skin Clutch

For the would-be Montrealer (oohlala chic plastique):

No name brand from Simons, rue Ste. Catherines

For the Torontonian:

Club Monaco

For the fearless wearer of unwearable colours:

Kensington Market Thrift Find (People, this is so far from leather...)

For the intrepid weekend errand-running girl (hands-free

M0851 - The strap lengthens enough to use across the body, over the shoulder or around the waist...

But there's more...

Last week saw the purchase of a few great wardrobe essentials which manage, I hope, to turn basic on its edge slightly.

In addition to that Yaya maxi-sweater, I also found this merino/cashmere blend fitted, cropped turtleneck in a slate-y jewel-toned blue. Paired with new, spring shoes (some nondescript brand I've never heard of and can't remember the name of) - which were on sale for $40.00 - I hope I've got a youthful, but luxe, thing happening here. The sweater (Karoo by Mark Eisen)was $300.00 on sale for $79.00. Oh, and those are the H & M wide jeans I was going on about a couple of weeks ago...

Shopping Stone

There are days when you go out and the stars align and all the clothes are fabulous - and they're even sort of on sale - and by the time you're finished you're wondering if you have enough space in the closet and the drawers for the new haul.

For better or worse, I've been having more than my fair share of these days lately, though I really can't say why. Perhaps it's the "shopping as research" angle that's propelling me to view things differently. It's not clothing, I tell myself, so much as art / photo material / experimentation / fodder. Or maybe it's astrological. Apparently Jupiter is in my house of shopping this year.

I mentioned, in my last post, I recently hit American Apparel for those ubiquitous fetish leggings, overpriced IMO at $46.00. On Friday, when I went to a fancy restaurant with my husband for an end-of-vacation lunch (he took the day off), one of the (twenty-something) servers advised that my outfit had inspired her to go and get some latex-y, plastic leggings of her own. As she was an angular, whippet thin, 5'10" blonde, I was duly flattered.

I wore the aforementioned leggings with a fantastic new oatmeal cashmere / merino blend Yaya Aflalo maxi-sweater I snapped at my best-kept secret (which may be closing?!?!?!). Four stores of merch had been routed through to this single discount location and I was like a kid in a - rather pricey - candy store. This purchase was $130.00 down from $550.00. (I know, I'm like a genius with the sales.)

Here are a couple of gratuitous photos of the look:

Basically, me...

Susie B. began her latest post by advising that she's not about dispensing style advice. But, as no one's actually asking me for advice, I feel I can be quite free in illustrating the basic underpinnings of my own wardrobe:

From the ground up

For me, as you may know by now, it all starts with the lingerie. I'm probably at my most individual on this layer of dress. From pink and baby blue leopard print to yellow florals to corset style balconettes, I like to know that I'm not phoning it in. I also love the constructive power of well-made undergarments. They make the rest of my clothes look that much better, which gives me confidence. Here are a couple of styles I wear:





Freya Matisse (left)
Freya Lola (right)







I've become one of those jeans freaks...

So what if it's Wednesday. If you wear dark, well-fitted denim while floating a "trouser" vibe, it's amazing what liberties you can take. I always dress it up with luxe accessories, cashmere and chic jackets. Then I pretend I work as a creative at an advertising agency. Looks I like:





Sass & Bide Misfit Slim (left)
Genetic Denim Mutated Twisted Seam (right)

Boots are de rigeur. Low wedges aren't bad either.

On a daily basis, throughout the winter, I fall back on my La Canadienne's to keep my feet toasty and dry - and to navigate the icy terrain.

However, when the snow is at bay, I love pointy-toed, sabrina heel boots like these:






Anne Klein, Ginger Boot










And this is the style of shoe I tend to wear:







Fly London, Tyne Shoe

Slim T / Long Cami

You know, James Pearse, Club Monaco, Jacob do a zillion varieties of a piece that functions (for me) as a perfect layering garment. I like to wear muted jewel tones (greens, blues, burgundies) as well as black - but I steer clear of white because I am the palest girl that ever lived and white tends to make me look dead.

Just call me "sweater girl"

There is no low micronaire I don't love to bits. Ca Va de Soi, Line, Theory, Laundry, Bloomingdales on sale, Holt Renfrew house brand (when you can find it) - I can't get enough of the slim, fitted sweater, as the base layer for a jacket (or other sweater) on top. I also love floaty, top layers that span the gap between structured jacket and cozy cardi...









Temperley London











The deconstructed jacket (which is often a sweater masquerading)







Hamish Morrow (right)
Rick Owens Lilies (left)





Wouldn't it be fun if other bloggers decided to work this idea? I'd love to know what constitutes a basic wardrobe for, let's say, Lady (over at Lacquer) or Rumi at Fashion Toast or Curella at Curella Says...

Things I Love...

So last Friday afternoon, after a rather long - if not horrible - week, I got a piece of really great news. That, coupled with my semi-regular payday state of mind, motivated a stop-in at one of Toronto's most civilized boutiques, Ewanika on College Street.

It is owned by Trish, an elegant, friendly, low-key woman who is also a designer of beautiful, minimalist work wear and separates. Her eponymous label is interspersed with really eclectic jewelery finds (she sold those snakes I mentioned a few posts ago), beautiful luxe knits (Ca Va de Soi) and the rare - but spot-on - bag and shoe.

In a stroke of good fortune, I caught the tail end of a sale and managed to buy 3 really fab things - a orangey-brown Ca Va de Soi cashmere/merino/silk blend sweater, a longish black cashmere shell with attached tie (another Ca Va de Soi piece) and an Ewanika-designed blazer which manages to be both double-breasted and completely slim. It's got an amazing back profile due to an ingenious elastic gather. Stay tuned for pics of this piece, which is being altered to best suit my own personal shape.

Here are a couple of shots of the sweaters which, fyi, feel amazing and were 50% off. Sweater $145.00 / Shell $85.00:

What if a Greeting Card Holiday Gives You License to Shop (For Yourself!)

Perhaps, today, you need one of these? I already own the Freya set below in a gorgeous combo of sheer black and ballet pink ribbon. You know how I love this brand - I should have shares...

At any rate, brief recap:

Agent Provocateur is perfect for the small-busted vixen:

Agent Provocateur

And Freya is a sexy feat of engineering for the girl who has everything (wink)

Freya

Snake-y Goodness

You know I love beautiful, stylish things - and writing about them (obviously) - but you may not know that I'm the kind of gregarious girl who will stop you on the street to tell you if I think you look gorgeous / engage you in a conversation about when you bought your _____ in Paris on your graduation trip / accost you (demurely, I hope) to ask about whether your jeans are Sass and Bide and when did you get them and where.

Which is why it might not surprise you that I, too, am sometimes stopped by women having an espresso or walking down the road on a beautiful day, the likes of which encourages wearing one's most adorable things. And, a propos of this, there has rarely been an item of any category I've worn that has received as much positive feedback and actual touching as the snake jewellery, pictured above.

Seriously, even men touch it. Men I don't know.

And it seems to appeal to every age group and dressers of all shapes and styles.

The credit for these ingenious malleable trinkets - metal cups fitted one inside the other and secured by a tension cord from the inside - must go to the intrepid traveller, visionary and entrepreneur Sandra, who brought them back from Spain on one of her many adventures.

Waisted

So I've mentioned I'm not tall and you know I have breasts, but it may be news to you - so diligently do I try to hide it - that I don't have the longest torso in the world. This is, perhaps, the one way in the world I can relate to Jessica Simpson. Well that, and our mutual penchant for the high-waisted look that all the little, busty, short-waisted women should apparently avoid. And yet I can't. I love the look. And I firmly believe that if you love something enough, and search painstakingly through every iteration of every brand, you will eventually find a way to pull it off. (Note to Reader: Jessica didn't get that memo.)

I can't speak to the lanky amazonians who wear this trend so naturally - ever noticed how 9 out of 10 of these ladies are wearing the low-rise everything? I can only make suggestions about how to do it if it's out of your comfort zone.

• For starters, don't go high-street. It's key to work with upscale fabrics draped by actual designers. Having said that, I wouldn't recommend you spend your life's fortune on an experiment.

• Do it in dark shades, natch, as they are the most forgiving.

• Don't buy an extreme proportion. If you are 5'3" and the pants are cut for a model, chances are lopping off the bottoms isn't going to fix the problem. Maybe your version of high-in-the-waist is your tall friend's "regular".

• Start with tuxedo pants or tailored denim. I've been looking for the perfect pair of trouser-cut high-waisted jeans for 6 months now. This look is likely to be so past over by the time I actually find something that works in my price-range, absolutely everything will be on sale!

• When badly rendered, this fashion is apt to swallow up the svelte parts of you and emphasize the voluptuous ones. When well-done, it can make you look like Katherine Hepburn.

Here's the cut I have my eye on (yes that model is 6 feet tall with a torso like a willow branch):

And here's my latest effort - Robert Rodriguez tuxedo pants from my best-kept secret. These were originally $325.00. I got them for $79.00!: