Little Old Lady Vest

I've had this vest for yonks but am always hesitant to wear it because it looks like something a little old lady would wear.  But, I love the subtle colour variations and just hate having something in the closet which sits there so hauled it out for today.

It seems to look less little old lady like with a skirt and this time I wore it with brown, so that might be the trick.

I had lots of layers and even wore a sweater-jacket over the whole thing, but our unseasonably warm weather allowed me to go sweater-less the whole day.

It's also been a while since I put my hair up (it's been in a ponytail for weeks), so today I switched back; it feels better - no hair on the neck.

today i wore:

shirt ... ann taylor

l/s tee ... kenneth cole

vest ... nygard

scarf ... tentazioni

skirt ... reitmans

bamboo tights ... ??

booties ... from spain

Basic Black with Colour

Today's outfit consists of mainly basic black.  I had a lot of meetings and you can never tell with meeting rooms whether it's going to be too cold or too hot.

Better to be prepared for either situation.  The solution of course was lots of layers.  I wanted something that I could sit in all day but be able to easily adjust the temperature by removing a jacket if need be.

I did not actually wear the boots all day.  I switched at work to my Monk shoes - there's a photo in this post.

I'm not sure if I like this a-line style of skirt; it seems to require something other than a jacket on top - perhaps something more feminine.

In the end, it looked a little too tame, so I added my multi-colour paisley scarf.  There was quite a mixture of textures and patterns by the time it was all put together.

today i wore:

flower shirt ... jacob

pullover ... george

scarf ... ?

jacket ... lady hathaway

skirt ... della spiga

shoes (not shown) ... docs

Bubbly Top Again

Well, it's been a long week; a few more co-workers have quit and I expect that there will be more resignations in the next few weeks.  But at least the weather is giving us a break.

Dressing was a bit of a rush this morning.  I slept through about half an hour of radio talk show so there was only time for a quick shower and jeans.  I contemplated wearing a longer pair, but had a lot of to and fro-ing today so opted for something shorter so I wouldn't have to wear heels.

Plus, I had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon - the podiatrist.  So, happy day, sort of.  It turns out I have two broken bones in my foot which might be the source of the pain.  We will probably know by next week what remedies I'll have.  So at least I don't have arthritis, diabetes or gout or anything serious like that.

Today I wore:

bubbly top ... fancy lady

cardigan ... foglie rosse

scarf ... ???

jeans ... gasoline

boots ... from spain

Colour Clash

Hmm, not sure what happened today.  It looks like I'm wearing a clash of colours.

I wanted to wear the green tee and hauled out a bunch of greenish clothes to go with it.  I tried various jackets and skirts and then for some reason thought "tube-waist skirt".  I don't think it really matches, but you be the judge:

You can't really tell from the photos, but the tights made me very self-conscious the whole day.  They are a blue grey instead of the usual brown grey which goes better with the khaki. 

Don't you hate it when you are wearing something not quite right?  So the whole day, I imagined people were thinking "what a strange colour combination".  I'm going to label the bags that the tights are in so I know which grey tights are blue and which are brown.

For those who are wondering, the tops of the posts are made of treated wood so ideally should be exposed to the elements for a year before painting. I always thought it would be nice to have a giant chess set made of these post-tops.  This one would be the bishop of course.

Today I wore:

tee-shirt ... alia

scarf ... ?

skirt ... jessica

tights ... secret

shoes ... privo

It's Official

So it's official; we are all laid off, effective March 31, 2013.  They held meeting after meeting today with all the managers and employees.  It was a little anti-climactic; no histrionics, no agitated employees, nothing to indicate that over 100 people are losing their livelihood.

I had intended to wear something memorable for today - but in the end decided that warmth and comfort would be more important, and so instead reached for an old stand-by.

I have a funny feeling I've worn this exact outfit before but couldn't find it in the posts - time to fix my labels.  So perhaps that's why I reached for it again - in times of upheaval, we cling to the tried and true.

One good thing though is that at least due to a refashion of sorts, the buttons are now on the top of the collar instead of sewn on the other side.

I also had on a sparkly t-shirt which you can barely see:

What better way to handle the layoff blues than some retail therapy?  More on that in another post.  Did you know that Canadians spend about $300 / month  on impulse purchases?  That's over $3000 / year.  If you started saving that $300 at twenty, in ten years, by age thirty you could have a sizeable downpayment on a house!

Today I wore:

t-shirt ... kenneth cole

jacket ... sasta

skirt ... kenneth cole

scarf ... fabric remnant

tights ... dollar store

shoes ... payless

  

Totally Pink

Today I wanted to wear something a little less business-like since we were going for a nice lunch at work.  We have another retiree and a bunch of us went out to celebrate.

The weather is still holding up, so I hauled out my tiered Ann Taylor Loft skirt.  I've been wanting to wear it all summer and thought I had better do it now before it rains.

I wore it without tights and so it felt a bit cold; it also felt a little too unconfined for work - I'm accustomed to slightly tighter clothing for work.

We went to Black + Blue which is a steak house, but trying to be healthier, I had the Hunter Pasta, a yummy concoction of shaved pork, pinenuts, mushrooms, tomato and garlic on a bed of fettucini.  There was a big bunch of what I think was arugula on top as a giant-sized edible garnish.  Not sure why it was called Hunter since it is more of a Gatherer dish.

today i wore:

fuschia t-shirt ... gap

peachy-pink cardigan ... george

sparkly scarf ... ? 

tiered skirt ... ann taylor loft

red slip-ons ... bare traps

Today, I'm linking to:

• Ruby Tuesday

Foot Doctor Greys

Today was a flat shoe and pants day due to a podiatrist visit for foot pain.   I decided to wear my grey pants and then as usual went overboard piling on other grey clothing.

It wasn't quite as comfy as I thought it would be - the pants were just out of the  wash and had not bagged out sufficiently. 

The doctor told me all sorts of things about me: one leg is longer than the other and I am slightly pigeon-toed on the left foot.   She was able to tell that just by observing my stance. And here I thought I was relatively symmetrical.

Nothing about why my foot hurts though - need more tests.

So, anyway, I wasn't super pleased with yesterday's scarf organizer, so decided to reloop the scarves.  This time I did a loop in the front and left the scarves dangling down the back.  It's much easier to see all the scarves because a little bit of each scarf shows. 

And, I can easily see that there is room for another 15 or 16 scarves!

Hanging Circular Scarf Organizer

As you know, I have a lot of scarves.  My scarf drawer is becoming a tad unruly.  I've always wanted to try one of those belt-scarf organizers but the cost seemed a little pricey for a bunch of circles joined together.

source

So, when they had one in the as-is section at IKEA (returns, discontinued, missing pieces, clearance) for $5, I thought it was a good time to try one out.

I wasn't sure how you were supposed to thread the scarves through, so just looped them and left them hanging down the front.  With lots of scarves, I put 2 into each circle.

 

I only hung the longer thin scarves; the squares and thicker ones are going to stay in the compartmented drawer.  I'm sure there is a better way to loop them, but will try it like this for a while.

My closet is too stuffed for me to hang this inside, so I McGyvered a ribbon and door hook so that this could be at eye level.

I think it works quite well.

Colourful Floral

Today, I wanted to wear a skirt, but remembered how cold it gets in the office at the beginning of the week - last Monday it was cold the whole day!  And it wasn't just me, the guy next to me was cold too.

It's also Visible Monday again and thank-you Patti for hosting this linky list because it DOES make me think about what to wear.  It starts off the week and gets me in the mood to think about my wardrobe.

So, I hauled out my black jean-style cotton pants.  I matched them with a floral top (bought on the same trip as the big yellow purse).  It wasn't exactly the look I had planned, but it was warmer without having to wear thick winter tights.

The top has a cute mostly black and white print with a splash of colourful flowers on one side.

I brought some more colour up around the neck area by adding a black and pink rose scarf.  This scarf is one that I hardly ever wear - it doesn't seem to go with anything - although it looks okay with this top.

Now that I see photos, I think it would've been better if I put the pink on the scarf on the other side so as not to be lop-sided colour-wise.  I wonder whether people notice things like that.

Channeling Jeannie !

I'm also not fond of how wrinkled the pants have gotten by end of day.  That's what comes of sitting down at a desk all day.

Today I wore:

black sequin tank ... from Winners

floral top ... Chatelet

black pants ... Penmans

loafers ... Spain

scarf ... ???

NetGirl Flounce ReVisit

I love it when a blogger is able to restyle a piece and it looks completely different - I don't have that talent and everytime I repeat a clothing item, it looks almost the same as the last time.

So it is with today's look.  I wore my NetGirl skirt again for some summer cool.  Everytime I wear this skirt, I love it more.

Where is that cord snaking to?

This time I wore a sleeveless peach tee and a cardigan overtop.  The tee is a lowish v-neck so I buttoned the top button on the cardigan and filled in the area with my alphabet peach scarf.

It went up to 32 degrees C (~ 90F) and felt a bit hotter due to our relatively high humidity here in Lotusland (57% today) but what with air conditioning and an inactive day, I didn't notice the heat at all.

You might wonder why our white doggie has been making an appearance in a few posts.  He is always inserting himself into the photos, so I finally decided to leave him be rather than cropping him out.

Today I wore:

sleeveless v-neck peach t-shirt ... Zara Basics

elbow sleeve peach cardigan ... George

peach alphabet scarf ... EFAD

flounced skirt ... NetGirl

shoes ... BareTraps

Spanish Influence - Another Go

Today seemed like a good day to wear the other scarf which my Mom sent me.  This one is a peachy-red colour with black dots.  The dots almost look dark grey or brown.

I am trying to stay away from blacks and browns when it's super sunny out, so went for the taupey-khaki tube-waist skirt.

I am not sure if I like these tube-waist skirts anymore.  They are very comfy on, and the pockets are handy but I always have a thick-waisted look when I wear them.

I layered the scarf over the big disk pendant necklace and added a big plastic flower for my hair to complete the look.

I think today's Spanish inspired look is a bit better than the one from last Thursday - thick waist or no, but I am not sure if I like the non-matchiness of the colours.

Today I wore:

dark taupe tank top, Costco

orangey-red cardigan, Sears

taupe tube-waist skirt, Sears

Peack and Black Dotty Scarf, Tentazioni Barcelona

Burgundy loafers, Spain

Spanish Inspiration

Today's outfit has Spanish elements.  My mom sent me a couple of fabulous scarves from Spain so it inspired me to style up something Spain like.

I'm not overly pleased with the outfit.  It has all the elements - there are ruffles, polka-dots, floppy sleeves - I even wore a flower on the back of my head.  But it felt weird when I first put it on, and now that I see the pics, it looks weird too. 

The ruffled skirt is a soft cottony one that I got for $5 from the defunct True Value Vintage.  The label says:

a 1 of a kind article by 

zachary's smile

new york city

which when I google it, seems to be a vintage store in NYC. 

But, the main reason I tried this look was the scarf.  It's from Tentazioni of Barcelona.   It's a perfect width and length and has a very Spanish, polka-dotty print.  It's also a nice light weight, very versatile and a great addition to my wardrobe.  I can't wait to try it with other stuff.

Here is another look at my attempt at Spanish-ifying my look.

I am so glad I listened to Big J and had a jacket on in the office for most of the day!

Where is Pelican Cove?

When I was in a green-buying mood, in addition to the flippy skirt, I also got another one which is a little straighter, a little shorter but still has a bit of a ruffle.

The tag says Pelican Cove; there are lots of Pelican Coves around the world but I think this used to be a jeans brand a long time ago.   This is the skirt which every time I look at it, think: I could make something like that.  Not including the ruffle, it is just a straight tube with some elastic at the waist - I think.

I wore it with a t-shirt and looked quite long-bodied so tied a scarf around my waist to break up the dark expanse of green. 

Add some accessories and we're off!  This is my Dollar Store necklace with another one from a liquidator's.  I'm very surprised that it's usually the Dollar Store items which get the compliments.

3 Strand Dollar Store Necklace

Here's a closeup of the print on the skirt - I wish they'd lined up the print a bit more.  A quality designer item would have the prints lined up I'm sure.

I thought the pebbly-ness of the scarf matched the dragon scales on the skirt.

Fire Drill

When I was putting on my shoes this morning, it looked like it might rain so I grabbed the loafers.  As it turned out this was a good choice.

We have an evacuation drill every year at our workplace and today was the day.  When the alarm sounded, I did my bit as female searcher and then we all trooped down the stairs.

Going down and around 19 flights of stairs relatively quickly always makes me dizzy.  Luckily once we're outside, there's a short period of waiting for the all-clear, and then a longer wait for the elevators to return to our desks. 

It was a lazy day for getting dressed so I just grabbed a tee and matching scarf.  The tee is from Costco from a few years ago; I don't think it was on sale, so it would've been about $9, if it was on sale it would've been $6 - and strange to say: I really cannot remember.

The cute thing is it has a rather asian looking print on one side and a matching one on the back of the opposite shoulder.  I'm sure this tee used to be tighter on me, so the fibre is working.

I read on Jane's blog (the Small Fabric of My Life) that Steven Covey of 7 Habits fame passed away a few days ago.  I feel older.  His works were the basis for a weeklong course we had at work and his teachings still remain with me today years later.

Now I'm off to fix my snake purse - it caught on the drawer in the rush to get out of the office and a bit of it peeled off.  I'm hoping it can be salvaged as it has become my favourite.

Black, Cream and Zebras

So after reading Patti of Not Dead Yet Style's Agonizers post yesterday, I decided who cares that everyone is going hoseless - I am more comfortable with hose.  I hauled out the nylons I bought that hot day of the thick tights.  I think I was the only one on the train in hosiery - everyone was bare-legged - except the men of course  :D

It's surprising what a thin layer of nylon will do in preventing friction.  I was much more comfortable and less self-conscious too.  Thank-you Patti for that wonderful post.

I really didn't know what to wear today so just went with a basic black and cream colour palette.  A ruffle tee and cream cardi over my pull on skirt.  I tossed a scarf over a necklace and was done.

The scarf is another one from the defunct True Value Vintage.  It has teeny tiny Fortuny pleats and a wild black and white print with mustard coloured zebras!

There was another pleated scarf in the store that same day in blue tones which I didn't buy and then when I went back the next day it was gone !  She who hesitates is lost.

The scarf was wound tighter around the neck during the day, but on the way home I undid it for some air.