2010-03-14

Booty Search

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Dress? Gap, thrifted
Jacket? Zara
Boots? Aldo
Tights? ?
Beret? Calvin Klein, winners
Eelskin clutch? thrifted
Ring? gifted
Bracelets? auction and UO

I'm dressed a little more soberly than usual, but I finally got new black ankle boots!
I've been on the look out for a nice pair of black ankle boots for months now. The first time I went looking in earnest I ended up with nude pumps, then I went again a month later and bought Stella McCartney clogs, and then Frye open toes... Discouraged with the lack of selection and my lack of concentration, I went looking online. Understand I never shop online, ever... (Linda and Kendi, you've heard this story already, please skip a few sentences) but I typed 'black booties' into my google search and ...lo and behold, a lot of sites came up but none that sold shoes. My bad. This weekend I finally found a pair I liked enough to take home. Not the perfect pair that was in my mind but pretty close and I knew I had to buy them because the stores are already filling up with metallic sandals. The studded ankle straps are a little more edgy than I am (though this one time... I stayed up until 3 am...) but I never participated in the stud trend of the last year, so I thought they were OK. Besides, they can be removed. One boot, two looks... they need to sell these on the Shopping Channel with that tag line.

I feel pretty brave wearing a hemline that hits me between my ankle and knee. I thrifted the dress with the intention of shortening it but I thought 'Why do I need to do that again?'. High, high heels take this look out of the conservative range and all-in-all, I liked it. Not bad for a back-up outfit...

Yes, a back-up outfit. Are you ready for sad story?

I will preface it by saying that I realize I'm a fortunate girl with lots of dresses but it's still sad...
I recently thrifted the most perfect dress. It was a black, knit Ports International dress, 100% wool (they just don't make them like that anymore), long enough to be appropriate but short enough to be fun. It had perfectly molded shoulder pads, it was flattering at 10 lbs. heavier or ligher and had perfect batwing sleeves. I could go on but you understand, it was perfect. I try my best to wash my thrifted stuff, obviously I won't clean sequins though and I can't afford to dry clean everything so I gently hand wash it most of it. I hand washed this sweater dress (though it had no signs of wear) and I spun it in the gentle cycle so when it was hung it up it wouldn't be too heavy or too wrung out. It wasn't until I put it on later that I noticed tiny holes everywhere. I had spun it with a wool sweater with a zipper and the zipper must have worn through the delicate wool. It's beyond repair... my heart broke a little. Again, how stupid... I went downstairs to tell Matt my sad story and perhaps garner some sympathy. He looked dutifully sad and told me that at least I'd know what not to do the next time I find a perfect wool dress. Yes, thank-you Captain Obvious.

Out take of the day:

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Didn't see this sign until later. Guess who looks like a fool on some one's security tape?

54 comments:

  1. Oh God those boots rock. I love the whole overall look too. No shortening needed, I say.

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  2. Love all the black here---especially jealous of your jacket and beret! Yay for great boots, sadddd about your dress.

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  3. To add obvious to injury (and I only know this through my own varied wardrobe malfunctions) you can almost replicate the spin cycle by rolling handwashed handwashables in a towel and sort of squashing it for a bit. The towel gets sopping but it often works well on the handwashable. Still too little too late. Sorry.

    I'm loving your blog and your style and your shots. I'm recently displaced from Hamilton and you make that diamond-in-the-rough of a town so lovely in your photos.

    Also, kick-ass boots.

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  4. ooh, super bad ass, in a good way! you look amazing. those black booties (hehe) are fab. and i love the stockings (is that a really antiquated word?) with it. kind of rocker bad ass meets sweet and sexy bad ass. am i saying ass to much?

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  5. Fabulous look, especially the new booties! Love them!

    You are brave to take wardrobe photos in public places...I always feel a bit silly (although sometimes I make the hubs take them anyway) - love your outtake photo :)

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  6. K honestly if you knew where you had gotten those tights I would be going to that store right now (midnight-ish) to wait for them to open so i could try to find them. LOVE.

    Awesome new boots and I love the way the ring matches the clutch. Sorry about your dress :(

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  7. eep! so sorry about your shoes search that turned semi-provocative... yikes! i'm loving this sleek and sophisticated look. those shoes are ABSOLUTE KILLERS - what a find!

    xo.
    princesspolitico.blogspot.com

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  8. Love this look on you. The hemline of the skirt is the best with the hose. And the contrast with the boots and the classic makes it super unique!

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  9. Beret! Oh! Beret! Too awesome! [splutter]

    Gorgeous look - so overall knock-em-dead I didn't even notice the kick-arse boots at first. I love the monochrome and the skirt length (and the beret, did I tell you?), and I can't quite put my finger on it but this has a distinctly retro vibe. Thirties? Forties? Not sure, but very evocative.

    (Damn, I wish I was a better knitter. I neeeeed a big floppy snood-esque beret . . . )

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  10. haha, that is something I would do!! I love that you posted that last pic with the sign!! I seriously LOVE your entire outfit and your hair, those tights are to die for!! XOXO

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  11. Those stockings are gorgeous and those booties!
    Totally reminded me that I have boot chains packed away. Sweet! I'll be digging them out now.

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  12. What a fab outfit! Fun photos too :D

    I love the tights and the boots they look great together! :)

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  13. Aww that is so sad about the dress, what a shame.

    I just adore your cluth. and I love the cute tights with the edgy boots!

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  14. Ahahaha...Black booties, still laughing about that.
    Did you really wear this to a funeral (because that's how the pics are named). I love those stockings btw... love love love.

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  15. What amazing tights!

    With the poor ruined dress, could you distress it a bit more and wear a brightly coloured slip underneath? Wouldn't matter about the holes then...

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  16. The boots are brillian - shame about the frock!

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  17. Those boots are gorgeous and definitely bring that length of hemline smack bang into now! I love your blog - just found you via Small Fabric Of My Life's capsule wardrobe challenge. A well deserved win! x

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  18. Ugh, I feel for you on the Ports dress ... I've kicked myself for ruining so many marvelous thrift finds.

    However, the booties should give you a lift because they are utterly fantastic. How sexy is that low-slung bootstrap? Whew!

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  19. oh, my condolences for your dress, chica. I swear I teared up a little in empathy - we've all been there.

    The boots completely mitigate any difficulties with the length of the skirt, I agree! So sassy and sexy. Do they make a satisfying jangle sound when you walk, too? :o)

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  20. Those are truly amazing booties- worthy of planning a whole outfit around.
    Marie @ Lemondrop ViNtAge

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  21. oooo you look so bad ass in this (even if you're as much of a goody-goody as me)!! I actually love the length of this dress, I think it adds edge to the outfit!

    xxx

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  22. oooh those tights are darling! I love them!

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  23. I am so sorry about the dress. Bummer.


    But OMG, those booties!~ To die for!

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  24. loving your outtakes as of late. you are hilarious.

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  25. I LOVE this look - the jacket, the booties, the beret - it's the perfect combo of chic and baddassery! So sad about the dress - I've ruined one or two things over the years and it still stings to think of them...

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  26. Wow, this look is amazing! Love all of the black! Sorry to hear about your dress... :(

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  27. you are totally hardcore rocking those edgy booties... and I love that the thingies attached to them are removable... you could bad-ass-up all of your boots now!

    also, I really love your beanie and the tights.

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  28. You know if that had happened to me...I might have cried. I'll admit it. Anyway, I love this outfit - might be one of my favorites. I remember seeing that Zara jacket when I bought mine...kinda wish I had bought that one instead :) Also, loveeeee that dress. Don't hem it!

    Celine

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  29. Love the tights. :D

    Sorry about the dress - it happens to the best of us.

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  30. you are sooo adorable! Thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving a sweet comment. I hope you don't mind if I follow you!

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  31. Awww, sorry about the dress :(

    Love those tights. The bows are so cute!

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  32. :-( accessories are really great here, and lol they would be interested to watch the 'shoot' hehe.

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  33. I typed "sexy secretary glasses" into Google once.... My mistake.

    Those Aldo booties are amazing! I'm sorry to hear about your dress incident. Sometimes things just aren't meant to be....

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  34. those shoes are awesome!! I love this all black look and your knit hat really makes it!

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  35. I love your new boots and those really cool detailed tights. This is pretty chic.

    I'm really sorry to hear about your dress. I've done stuff like that to some of my clothes before thinking I could bypass dry-cleaning and it always feels like a sad loss.

    - JoAnn, Sidewalk Chalk

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  36. I am truly saddened by your sweater dress story. I know how awful that feels. But this look is really amazing - one of my favorites yet.

    And that last picture (and caption) made me laugh out loud!

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  37. You look so beautiful in this outfit, but I'm sorry about your other dress. Either way you look fabulous.

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  38. Those booties are incredible! And I love your jewelry selection, too!

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  39. Sorry about your dress, dude - that sucks! But holy shit balls. This looks is amazing! You look like a bad ass Bonnie from Bonnie & Clyde (as though the original wasn't bad ass enough). I love. it. all!

    I also wanted to thank you for your incredibly sweet comment last week (about my style evolving). It meant a lot, so I just wanted to let you know :)

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  40. hilarious about the bootie/booty thing. honest mistake. and, i like where your hem hits. it was the first thing i noticed, in a good way.

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  41. The boots are gorgeous and i love the beret! Thanks for sharing x

    http://obsesionesdeunanina.blogspot.com

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  42. Your dress is so perfect! I love it.And those booties are so hot!

    So sorry to hear about your wool dress. That's so sad!! :(

    clothedmuch.blogspot.com

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  43. Teach me how to do my hair! your little blonde do's look so perfect. How do you do it? Love the shoes they look perfect with this outfit.

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  44. oh no.. that's no good about your dress. I would have been heart broken too.

    I laughed so hard at the last picture. classic.

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  45. This outfit is bad-a$$. That leather jacket and those boots, those tights! Those are some pretty tough boots, but I like them, and it's cool that you can remove the buckles. Saved photo for my inspiration folder.

    So sorry to hear about the dress. I washed some of my favorite summer whites in a public laundromat (where I always do), and there was part of an inkpen left in the dryer which ruined nearly everything. I was crushed and angry.

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  46. love this outfit. I once ruined my absolutely favorite dress in a totally flattering shape and gorgeous colour in the delicate cycle too. It may have been ten years ago but I am still sad

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  47. Love, Love, Love those tights!! And those boots? They're friggin' fabulous! Great post girl!!

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  48. that clutch is fantastic! what a great find, and on trend too - I've been seeing eelskin everywhere these days!

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  49. I adore your tights!

    Sorry about the thrifted dress, that is a bummer. Any chance you can sew it and add some sequins/beading to cover it up?

    Oopsies on the out take, love it!

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  50. learn how to play a piano, learn another language, choose any other less useless obsesion than what looks good with whatever. you look young, pretty and i see plenty of energy in you. use it to change a world to be a better place.

    i hope you'll understand what i'm saying. have a nice day.

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  51. Oh God those boots rock. I love the whole overall look too. No shortening needed, I say.

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