Saturday, December 31, 2011

Wool Bodysuit Pullover







The look:

wool pullover - H&M
stretch pants - Zara
ski jacket - old H&M
wool beret - old
gloves - H&M
combat boots - old
bag - old Lululemon

The tale:

No sooner do I announce outfit reruns than I manage to come up with two new outfits, yesterday and today.  Maybe my post Christmas sales purchases inspired me!  The mallard print wool pullover yesterday and the wool pullover and stretch pants today.  While I can't say for certain what tomorrow will bring, I am still promising those outfit reruns, sooner or later.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Mallard Print Pullover









The look:

wool pullover - LLBean Signature
wool pants with suspenders - old LLBean
vest - old JCrew
scarf - old UO
duffle coat - old ON
wool beret - old
gloves - H&M
bag - classic Coach
rucksack - Eddie Bauer
boots - old LLBean

The tale:

I know that sweaters with animal prints have been all the rage for some time now.  But, until today, I was not partaking in this trend.  I did think about getting an animal print sweater, when the trend first surfaced, but there just wasn't any animal print sweater that called out to me.  At least not until this one, with its mallard, surfaced.  Now, I have joined in on the fun.  I did wait until the sweater went on sale to purchase it.  Lucky for me, not too many people obviously like the mallard, for there was one sweater (at least) available in my size.  This usually doesn't happen to me.  Usually, if I wait until something that I like goes on sale, my size is already sold out or sells out before I can get to the shop.  Speaking of sales, I am slowly making my way through my favourite shops to check out their sales.  I am coming across some great deals.  O happy times!  Today was a lazy day for me:  A late breakfast of wonderful pastry and tea, some shopping, yoga practice, take away for dinner and movies.  My outfit was selected specifically for such a lazy day.  Comfy and cosy.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Coat Dress








The look:

dress - old Momiji
sweater jacket - old Zara
parka - old Canada Goose
wool beret - old
woollen gloves - H&M
riding boots - old JCrew

The tale:

Yesterday evening, I spent a good forty minutes trying to figure out what to wear today.  Finally, I decided that I was going to rewear one of my favourite outfits from last Winter.  Then, I thought that I would just keep doing that in the days ahead, that is, if I couldn't think of something to wear on any particular day, I would just rewear a favourite outfits from last Winter.  I know that I have enough favourite outfits to take me through a number of days.  I don't know what it is, but when the deep freeze first arrives, it seems as if that part of my brain that puts outfits together goes into hibernation.  Instead of agonizing over what to wear, and starting to think that I have nothing to wear (which definitely isn't true), I thought that I would give that part of my brain that puts outfits together a break, by wearing some of the old outfits that it put together that I really liked.  Now, if that isn't babbling, I don't know what is.  But I think that the point has been made.  Reruns are forthcoming.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Singing The Blues Plaid Dress






The look:

shirt - old Gap
dress - LLBean Signature
wool cardi - old Preloved
parka - old Canada Goose
wool beret - old
woollen gloves - H&M
boots - old LLBean Signature
bag - Roots

The tale:

This dress was a bit of a gamble, largely because all the monitors and laptops that I viewed it on showed it in a bright electric blue colour, as opposed to the closer to navy colour that it comes in "in reality", and I wasn't too keen on adding a bright electric blue coloured dress to my wardrobe (nothing wrong with the colour itself, just not one that I am wanting to wear right now).  Regardless of how it may appear on me, trust me, the colour of the dress is really close to navy.  So the gamble paid off.  The fabric of this dress is a silk/cotton flannel, which is what attracted me to the dress.  One of my favourite dresses, that I got from LLBean Signature last year, is made of the same fabric.  I wore that favourite dress a lot last Winter, because it was so warm and comfortable, so I thought that another dress in the same fabric would be similarly warm and comfortable.  Today I can attest to the warmth and comfort of the new dress.  (P.S. I will explain tomorrow, but that favourite dress that I was just speaking of will probably make an appearance soon.)

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Quiet Before The Storm Dress








The look:

dress - Dear Creatures (Autumn 2010)
pullover - old H&M
coat - old UO
wool beret - old
woollen gloves - H&M
chelsea boot - Cydwoq
bag - Roots

The tale:

Today was my first free day since last Wednesday -- no plans, no commitments, no engagements.  So I decided that I would see what sales the stores had on offer.  I wasn't expecting much, since yesterday was the big shopping day when, I imagine, all the good stuff would have been scooped up, but I wanted to get out of the house for a bit and, well, clothes shopping is my idea of fun.  I got an awesome wool sweater (thirty bucks) and two cloth coats (twenty two bucks each).  Not bad.  I visited a total of three stores, although I wasn't seriously shopping in the third store, as by the time I reached it I was too tired to really shop seriously.  After the third store, I decided to call it a day, go pick up groceries and some lunch and head home.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Frothy Dress






The look:

shirt - old Gap
dress - old Susan Harris Design
cardi - Susan Harris Design
wool beret - old
chelsea boots - Cydwoq

The tale:

It has been a while since I have worn this frothy number.  I was going to say that there are limits to the ways in which I can wear this dress, but, really, are there?  I can wear it with a variety of blouses and a variety of sweaters and a variety of shoes.  Today, I wore the dress with my light grey gingham shirt.  I thought that it would work well with the grey/white/black pattern on the front of the cardi.  It's funny how everyone has her (or his) own idea of what is comfortable clothing.  A dress like this might not be everyone's idea of comfortable clothing, but it is definitely mine.  This was brought home to me this morning as I tried one okay outfit after another but until I reached this dress none that I could call comfortable.  What makes this dress comfortable?  All I can think of is:  enough layers to make it warm and nothing constricting about it.  (On a completely unrelated note, I have to say that I am enjoying the snow-free Winter we have been having so far in my home city.  From a fashion point of view, no snow means way more footwear options.  I can't imagine that there won't be any snow all Winter, but I will take as may snow-free days as are given me!)

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Galinda's Gold Collar






The look:

dress - H&M (Conscious Collection)
sweater - Lands End Canvas
gold collar - H&M
wool beret - old
boots - old Fluevogs

The tale:

I have been waiting for the perfect occasion to wear this outfit pretty much since I got the dress, which was a couple of months ago.  Christmas Eve day presented the perfect occasion -- lunch at a relatively expensive restaurant (at least by my standards).  The outfit was inspired by the character Galinda in the musical Wicked.  Sparkly and golden, that is how I would describe Galinda.  I like the outfit from the back as much as (really, more than) I like it from the front.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Trusty Old Turtleneck Sweater Dress





The look:

sweater dress - old Zara
belt - UO (from Summer)
wool open cardi - JCrew Factory
wool beret - old
parka - old Canada Goose
woollen gloves - H&M
wellies - old Hunters

The tale:

This past Tuesday was my last day of work before the holidays.  So, since Wednesday, I have been wearing what I consider to be uber comfortable clothes, that is, sweaters, sweater dresses and sweater skirts.  I have to say that, so far, I like what I wore on Wednesday the best.  I think that the reason for this is because both the sweater and the sweater jumper dress that I wore on Wednesday are, individually, favourites.  It isn't that I don't like the sweater skirt that I wore yesterday or the two sweater pieces that I wore today (in fact, the open cardi is one of my individual favourites), but, even among all my liked clothes, there are favourites, and when an outfit is made up of all favourites, I think that it is bound to be a favourite, more so than an outfit that only has one favourite in it, or only liked items (but no favourites) in it.  (Another reason that I might like Wednesday's outfit the best may be that I wore no belt with it.  Belts do not make for comfortable lounging.)

Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Days Will Now Get Longer Knit Skirt








The look:

sweater - old JCrew
belt - UO (from Summer)
wool knit skirt - H&M
puffer vest - old JCrew
wool beret - old AA
raincoat - old LLBean
texting gloves - H&M
wellies - old Hunters
bag - Roots

The tale:

When I was buying the skirt that I wore today, I was pretty certain that it was a skirt.  Once I got it home, though, I started questioning what it was.  Was it really a skirt?  Finally, I decided that it was a skirt, and I wore it out.  I told this story to a friend of mine today (a friend who knows about style and fashion).  He asked me what I had thought it might be, if not a skirt.  I said that I had thought that it might be some kind of neck warmer.  He said that it couldn't possibly be a neck warmer because it had a zipper, which would become too bunched up making the garment uncomfortable if it were worn around the neck.  He said that it might be some kind of belt, to be worn over a tunic, but that that would make it a sort of skirt.  He said that he thought that it could be nothing but a skirt.  Whatever it was supposed to be, I am comfortable wearing it as a skirt.