Indoor booties

I haven't set up the DSLR again yet but will try to do that soon and take more outfit pics. I've been wanting to record more regularly. In the meantime, I got fed up and found a way to wear my as-yet-unworn silver booties -- inside -- to a book club meeting. Ha! 

Also another outfit with the long sweater, which is getting a fair bit of use these days. It is three years old and still going strong. I wore it a lot the first year, less last year, and more again this year. Funny how that works. 

1/2: bookclub -- Out of Print tee, BR sweater, Fossil belt, R&B Dre burgundy jeans, Topshop booties.

3. AT shirt, BR sweater, Ecco booties, Kit and Ace trousers. 

1

Go to the full post to see all of the pictures →

37 comments

2017 Style goals...and a wrinkle

Grab a cuppa if you have time for another reflective post! Herewith, some further reflections on my style in 2016 and goals for the year ahead. 

What did I do well?

  • Got a hair update that adds instant drama.
  • Purchased a few key statement items (gilet, bag, watch, ring) that will have wardrobe longevity.
  • Kept footwear up to date. I spend a big proportion of my budget on footwear and it’s worth it…at least in my mind. (More on that later.)
  • Edited assertively and replenished where needed. A third of my wardrobe was refreshed this year. Purchased and retired/ donated/ gifted approximately 50 items.


What did I wear that made me feel great?

  • Skirts and dresses in warm months.
  • Cropped jeans and trousers in temperate months.
  • New denim silhouette (culottes) and new dress trouser silhouette (culottes).
  • Brighter and/or more saturated colour.
  • Black, ink, silver, white, grey, and patterns incorporating black and white or silver and white. Slam dunk with my new hair.


5 Adjectives to describe my aspirational style:

  • Modern
  • Precise
  • Playful
  • Bright
  • Bold


Goals for 2017

  1. Purchase mindfully. I want to continue to have fun with fashion but want to do it in a way that does not cause suffering for others or our planet. Each of us makes our own accommodations in this regard, but I want to purchase more locally made, more ethically made fashion. Also, I'd like to reduce my purchasing while at the same time honouring my deep pleasure in embracing trends. This is not an easy balance to strike but it is one I want to work towards.
  2. Add more colour (especially red). Brighter or more intense versions of my old favourites seem to be best now. Clearer colours are better than muddier. This will be an ongoing process.
  3. Aim for drama. I need to think about a variety of ways to incorporate this. Cut, style, colour, scale. 
  4. Wear the heck out of my dresses, skirts, crops, culottes etc. in warmer weather when I can. 
  5. Continue to dress practically for my climate and lifestyle but to push the edge towards “dressier” where and when I can. 

Goal 5 is the problematic one.  I already tend to wear wool coats vs. puffers when I can, jackets vs. cardigans when I can, silk shirt vs. t-shirt, when I can (and so on) but, of necessity, I also dress from the ground up. So, practically, "getting dressier" means wearing my dressier footwear vs. my more rugged and practical footwear. Angie suggested I just do it and accept that the footwear will become worn out faster. 

This is a great idea in theory, but people -- see below!! These are my sidewalks on a good day in winter! I cannot bring myself to wear a selection of my precious booties out there (see Finds).  Instead, I'm wearing clumpy snow boots, or at best, weather proof darker boots or motos, which in turn means a more casual outfit overall. And I feel a whole lot less fab. Ugh. :(  If I worked in an office, I would simply take my shoes to the office and wear my boots outdoors. But I work from home, so I wear slippers. Lately I have been wearing some of my booties occasionally indoors, just so they get worn at all. Oh, and I bought another pair of snow boots with good ice grips. Because I need them. Grrrr.....

1

Go to the full post to see all of the pictures →

57 comments

"Style is character:" Discuss (Long)

Yes, I've been reading Joan Didion. ;) 

But I've also been thinking about style personae and descriptors, partly for selfish reasons (I was feeling I'd outgrown the "urban prince" moniker) and partly because it's that time of year when we assess other forum members have also been talking about them. 

Angie's current descriptor is "Urban Pretty." At first that might seem like a contradiction. But "urban" does not have to mean gritty and RATE. Here, it encapsulates the sophistication, modernity, and graphic crispness and quickness that is her style; "pretty" describes the softness, femininity, lightness, brightness, and freshness that is an equal part of the overall impression she creates. 

And then there is Staysfit, whose descriptor is "Genuine Composed." "Genuine" speaks to the practical, comfortable, and approachable aspects of her look; "composed" refers to her organization, coherence, and thoughtfulness. 

Here's the thing -- these labels are pretty darned good descriptions of their characters as well as the "surface." I haven't met Staysfit in person but I have enough evidence from her forum participation that she is extremely thoughtful. She is open without being an over-sharer, highly organized, and she labours against sometimes considerable personal odds, yet maintains an enviable serenity, and yes, composure. 

Angie, meanwhile, is vivid, curious, no-nonsense, and exceptionally smart, yet also warm, light, (i.e. not somber), youthfully energetic, and fresh as a spring flower. 

When I asked for suggestions for a new style moniker for myself, I was extremely flattered when Angie offered up "Relaxed Radiance," but at first I wasn't sure it fit. Partly that's because these style descriptors or statements seem more static to me than the style personae, which are characters, who can act, if you see what I am saying...it's the difference between an adjective (e.g. "pretty")  and a noun (e.g. " princess"). I still find that is true. It's easier to ask oneself, in a store, "Is this what an urban prince would wear?"  and then visualize it, than it is to ask "Is this what an urban pretty would wear?" What's "an" urban pretty? It doesn't make sense. 

At the same time, the more I thought about this, the more I thought that the statement or descriptor may get at something even deeper. 

Am I "relaxed" in real life? Um...no. I definitely get stressed out! But Mr. Suz has often told me that the world would never know that --  it's not that I deliberately try to hide it, but it rarely shows on the outside. And I am fortunate that even though I have experienced serious bouts of anxiety in my life, it is not a constant companion for me, as I know it is for many others.

Anyway, as far as style is concerned, "relaxed" could refer to the generally casual nature of my clothes. This arises from real life circumstance. I work from home and live in a small, student-oriented city. But believe it or not, I am usually more "dressed up" than the people around me. The thing is, I'm okay with that. I'm the kind of person who will get down on the floor with the kids even if I'm wearing a dress; I'll wear a silk blouse and tailored jacket, but hop up on and sit on a desktop to give my lecture if I'm teaching just as easily as if I were wearing a hoodie.  This in itself speaks to a certain level of relaxation that goes beyond casual clothing, I think. Maybe it's about being okay with who I am. The grey hair is another indicator. I am who I am. I don't stand on ceremony. I like to dress up, but I'm not stuck up. 

As for "radiance" -- that is of course an extremely flattering descriptor and I'm less able to judge it in relation to myself. I know I'm blessed with a big smile, though, and I also have metallic hair (and often, metallic shod feet) so there's always an element of shine. I am not sure I can parse out the deeper implications of this. 

Moving on from me, me, me  ;)  all of  these style statements or descriptors involve an inherent tension or hint of juxtaposition. "Urban" and "Pretty" don't immediately seem like comfortable companions -- but it's in the disjunct that the style emerges. Ditto for "Genuine" and "Composed," which if you think of it is almost an oxymoron. (Genuine being "natural" and composed being a quality of art.) "Relaxed" and "Radiant" are perhaps less obviously in tension but I think it's still there...relaxed seems to imply a softness? or calm? and radiance is vivid and energetic. 

Anyway. This has become long. If you read this far, thank you for indulging me! And I would love to know your own renewed style descriptors or your style personae, if you have them! And I'd love to know if you think these give you insight into who you are as a person as well as how you dress. 

57 comments

New Year in Blue

Happy New Year to all. 

Last night Mr. Suz and I stayed in, cooked ourselves a nice supper, and watched Netflix. But staying home is no reason not to dress up, right? Right. 

It was one of those nights where you try on 6 outfits and nothing feels right. Either the fit was off or the colour felt wrong or the shoes didn't feel right, or who knows what? Even though I wasn't going out and nobody but Mr. Suz and the cat would see me, I was grumpy. 

So, back to the FFB blue sheath. This dress never lets me down. Thank you, David Meister. 

I admit I put on loungewear for the movie. ;) 

ETA: New Year's Resolution -- get the DSLR back from DD and take pictures with that instead of my phone! 

32 comments