Compliments and Conversations

Shirt? LuLu's (here or  pinstripe here) Shorts? h&m (formerly pants) Hat? h&m
Shoes? Coach, Winners (similar here)

This shirt is a bit of a contradiction. Half the shirt is missing, the rest is sheer and one would expect it to be cool and breezy but the fact that it is polyester, actually makes it a little sweaty to wear. Which wouldn't regularly be a big deal... I could just glow a little on a hot day and then hug a air conditioner when I am in the vicinity of one, but I've been working by myself a lot lately and the loneliness is messing with my mind. Now whenever someone tells me they like my shirt (it happens... no big deal), I can't just say 'thank-you' and move on because I feel the need to explain exactly how sweaty this shirt makes me. And why it makes me sweaty. And then I hang around hoping somebody will mention cats just so I can have more to talk about.

I am so desperate for conversation I can't even take a compliment gracefully...

All Thrift

A few weeks ago my favourite thrift store, Talize, asked me to style four looks for a fashion show (video here) during the Ultimate Women's Show. I didn't know how much exposure the event goers would have had to thrift stores prior to the show, so I wanted the outfits I pulled to be accessible and fun. Basically I sat myself down and had a talk with myself. I said 'go easy on the crazy and leave the sequins alone'. 

It was really important to me that every last detail in the outfits came from Talize; the shoes to the scarves to the bangles, everything is secondhand... I guess I wanted that thrift (humble)brag right.
All the looks were pulled from one trip to my local Talize in Hamilton. I started with a giant shopping cart of anything that caught my eye and then narrowed it down to a lot of red and navy with a healthy pinch of stripes. Keeping it all cohesive... The hardest part was finding shoes that matched both the outfits and the models' specs. It was a little like Cinderella, except no one ended up with a prince... But every model did end up with shoes that fit. And some cute, preppy outfits... if I may say so myself...

The Journey

Top? All Saints, thrifted Skirt? Kopa, thrifted Belt? Thrifted Shoes? Coach

As much as I tried to tell myself that this blousy silk/cotton top I thrifted was actually a dress, the breeziness I felt convinced me otherwise. Sometimes you just have to listen to the wind... It was handy that I had a skirt that matched perfectly and so created the illusion of a dress. Tricky, right?
It's a skirt that I haven't worn in a while but I can't seem to get rid of because the three blousy tiers of soft cotton are too much fun to donate. The last time I wore the skirt was a long time ago and I actually rather dislike the outfit now. There is a lot going on... Sometimes I look back through my blog and cringe at some of my fashion choices. I would like to think that as I get older and reach dizzying heights of maturity, my style is getting more streamlined and it is better able to stand up to the test of time. Who knows? I am tempted to purge the old posts that I don't like but I think that even the bad outfits are part of my fashion journey. I am now cringing again because I actually just wrote the words 'fashion journey'...

Buns Without Socks

Dress? Joe Fresh Shoes? Cole Haan, consigned Sunglasses? Jessica Simpson

Just a few hours before these outfit photos were taken, I posted a picture on Instagram (myeditblog) of the face I saw in the rear view mirror as I drove home from work. 

Lovely. That is a classic landscape face; though usually I have more of a dirt mustache as well...

This post is evidence of the wonders that a shower, a cute dress and a generous dollop of make-up can achieve. I didn't even have to wash my hair. I just back-combed it and hair sprayed it into place. Between the remnants of bug spray, sunscreen and sweat (so attractive, no?), my hair holds a pretty good tease after work. The secret to my big bun has nothing to do with a sock and everything to do with dirt. Consider yourself in the know...