Hungover

I feel hungover from the Febuary sales. I wake up feeling guilty for not being able to resist the sales. To ease my troubled mind I have vowed not to shop (ie. don't enter Winners) for the month of March. If it's too hard, then I am allowing myself thrift shopping...nothing else.

It's Febuary, money is tighter in the winter months for us but I seriously could not resist myself at Winners. It's the final, final clearance so no more waiting for it to go cheaper; it's now or never. Hamilton is no style mecca, but the Winners in this area are seriously top notch. I trawl the Winners within a wide radius like an obsessive deep sea fisherman but I always have the best catches in Ancaster and Hamilton. These Winners get really good merchandise (unlike in PEI, sorry but it was really lacking) but most shoppers are unaware, afraid to take fashion risks and more interested in Apple Bottom Jeans (and boots with the fur...). This leaves amazing merchandise to be reduced over and over again. My bestie, M and I will find something from an obscure high-end brand that is over-priced for our area and we will wait because we know exactly what will go on sale. Sometimes, we can't wait though....

Anyways, final sales end on March 1. It'll be nice to sleep peacefully again and not wonder what I might be missing. It's not like I needed all the things I bought (well, the winter coat maybe...) but I can't let them disappear into the Winners afterlife. Case in point? I couldn't leave the Italian leather Modern Vintage booties that have as much attitude as a teenager , could I? I'll spread my recent Winners haul over future posts so you will not see the true scope of my hoarding...

It Doesn't Count As Spending If You Buy It Vintage.

I used to go to the VV boutique with my dad all the time. Lately, we've been reviving this tradition and he seems to be good luck for me, I always find good stuff when I go with him. The VV boutique tends to overprice it's 'name brand' stuff (h&m, old navy, American Eagle...) and it's funny to see an h&m dress selling for $15 when you know that it went down to $10 in the actual store sales last season. But the old, funky wierd stuff is priced decently though.

I got two brown leather purses, two belts and a pair of sunglasses. The last couple times, the purse selection had been disappointing, alot of faux and ugly but this time I found three leather purses and I even had to make a hard choice and settle on two. I felt like the bachelor, three perfectly good purses but I just didn't feel as much of a connection with the one, so I had to let it go. The one belt has fish on it (I know wierd, but just right) and the other is a belt I have seen plently over the last few years. However, this one is so authentic; beat up leather, good quality beat up hardware... I like it. And to top it off, a pair of sunnies that don't leave indents on my face (it happens a lot!)

There was a chic little upholstered chair there too but we don't have a lot of room and I worry a bit about what critters lie deep in the seams... I suppose i could have spray it but I must not have loved it enough...

Grand Plans

Leather Bomber? Danier

Ruffle shirt? Gap

Jeans? Paige

Leather riding style boots? Winners

So, I had big plans to start this blog off right. My first post would be an outfit post from Valentines Day. Matt and I were going to a dance and I was going to wear a beautiful silk/wool Jill Stuart dress that I had hand shortened to unclass it a bit... that's right...unclass it. Sadly, Matt spent all V-day sick in bed with the stomach flu and I spent it on the couch with Thai take-out and a box of chocolates. Hence, my valentines outfit consisted of my yellow trackpants and my blanket; not a good start to a fashion blog.

This outfit is from the past weekend as well, pre-flu. I got the shirt super cheap during the Jan/Feb sales...hmmm... $11? It's a little big but belted or beneath a leather bomber? No one is the wiser. It's funny how there is all this coverage in the media (magazines, tonight on the news (slow news day)) about how to buy vintage or get good deals because of the Rece.... (I can't say that word, not in my first post) . I feel like that is how I've always shopped, it's just now you all wish you had my skills... haha.