Dress Challenge: 2 new ones

I ordered from the Rack. I almost never do because returns are a pain where I live, but I thought I'd give a few items a try. 

Here are the dresses. What do you think? 

First up, Angie's (and Jane's) Free People dress, marked down considerably so a real steal. I like it a lot! (She says that like she's surprised when it was an Angie recommendation. Duh!!) It needs a good steam out of the bag but I think the fit is right and It seems easy to wear. Do you like? 

Next, a Lafayette dress in linen and cotton. This one was on major mark-down. A more expensive dress to begin with, so more expensive than the Free People on sale as well, but we are talking quality. 

Is it too "ticking stripe" do you think? I actually like ticking stripe, but you know what I am saying. The quality and fit are gorgeous, I have to say. Beautiful fabric and finishing. 

It's quite long on me, though, so really needs a bit of a heel. And maybe too "work-like" for someone who works from home? 

(I make it sound as if I don't like this dress, but actually, I really do.) 

If I keep, these will replace a Topshop dress and one of my worn out Boden dresses. 

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50 comments

The Return Cycle. Plus a couple of keeps.

The good news: I only added 2 new items to my wardrobe vs. a possible 8. Mr. Suz can take back his words about "more clothes???" and my bank account will leave me more for the NAS. 

The bad news...now I have to take it all back and I don't have the PJs I sorely need

Showing try on photos and some reviews: 

The shimmering plaid midi is a lot of fun and a really nice skirt. The pleats stay flat, unlike many of these skirts, so I thought it was worth a try. The colours are a blend of some cools and dominant warm tones  out of my usual range, so I thought it might make a fun semi-wild card. Fit is great. Comfort level high. It needs a steaming out of the bag, but I get the sense it would travel very well and dress up or down. 

But...I just don't love it enough to keep. I have my new cropped wide leg pants and culottes, plus last year's Liberty skirt, and possibly a few new dresses (if those work out). So I think it's going back, along with the tee. 

I love the white sleeveless shirt but it's a size too small. This type of shirt used to be my go-to in the 90s and I would love an update! But I think it's all gone in my size now. Oh well. 

I'm keeping the funny little denim shell. It's trapeze style with a tie at the back -- those kinds of things usually feel too fussy for me, but this one seems okay. It's super cool (temperature-wise) due to the cut and can be worn tucked or untucked. I think it will be a useful casual item. 

Also keeping the Collection silk shirt -- 3 of my best colours in one silk shirt, on substantial sale = no brainer. 

The PJs -- this was a case where reviews were right. The fit is just plain odd! Too bad, because the quality is nice and I need these!

The jeans. Well...I'm not crazy about them on me. They're good quality. The seamed wide legs are nice thick denim. Fit is pretty good -- maybe a tad snug. They'd need to be hemmed (no surprise.) But I'm just not crazy about them.

As for the straights, I feel the same. Fit is fine, quality fine, and the side stripe is really fun. But I don't want the distressing.

TBH, my glory days of denim were the slouchy skinny or slim BF. That's the denim silhouette I still love best, and feel I look my best in -- though I'd like it in a higher rise than of yore. Will be keeping my eyes open for that holy grail and sending these ones back. If anyone has suggestions or ideas for a slim BF with a higher rise -- I'm all ears. 

Onwards! 

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Knotted top w. flared skirt

Here's my version of today's outfit! I took a very old boat neck J. Crew linen tee and knotted it at the waist. Pulled on my skirt. C'est tout!

Easy outfit formula. We're going for Japanese food with friends this evening so it should work. 

These J. Crew tees date from my first year on YLF. They are a fluid fit, not as current now as back then, but cool, and knotting them brings them into "current" territory. 

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Oops! Someone went shopping...

Well well well. Just a few fine weeks ago, I wrote a review post.  I listed the (few) items I'd purchased (apart from gear) and reviewed successes and failures.

Then--ooops! I went shopping! Frustration at my summer dress situation and closet boredom hit -- and the results represent a distinct interference with at least one of my stated start-of-year goals, below. (Hangs head in embarrassment..)

In my defence, I haven't even received most of this stuff yet, so I may be making a lot of returns. But really. Right before NAS, too. What was I thinking?

Even if I keep all of this, I'm not over budget (because most of this was on significant sale) and I retired 16 items due to wear, fit, or other issues, but did I really need more stuff? Debatable.

Anyway. In Finds I show what's still on order for consideration, excepting a couple of much needed pairs of summer PJs.

Now let's look at my stated goals.

1. Continue to wear outfits that are: Modern, Classic, Vivid, Practical, and Playful.

I think I'm doing quite well with this. Some of my summer outfits feel softer (with the addition of olive and pale lilac wide crops) but the silver footwear and jewellery amps those up.

2. Spend time reflecting on how I can reconcile my “trendy” style persona with my ethical aspirations. Shopping for statement items (and even some essentials) via consignment is one way; patronizing local and/or ethically conscious designers for essentials is another. But what about wardrobe churn? I plan to set aside a weekend just to research, and another weekend to reflect on it and make some plans.

Ummmm. Not yet. Need to set aside that time.


In the meantime, I will continue my more-or-less intuitive style of shopping — editing out what’s worn or doesn’t fit or doesn’t please me and adding as I see fit, just observing my patterns without judgement.

Have been doing the intuitive shopping thing (obviously!) but need to think about how and whether it is working.

3. Revisit the idea of a work-from-home “uniform” that does not include jeans-- given my recent worn out pair! Looking at these Everlane pants (in Finds) - anyone know them?

Still shopping for and buying jeans. ;)  

4. Revamp/upgrade my gear. I got out of the habit of regular workouts for most of the year and want to inspire myself to get. back into them.

I did this in January during sales. Very helpful.

6. Have fun with fashion!! Continue to check out Vancouver's fab consignment stores. Play with colour (esp. RED) and generally have a good time.

My luck at consignment this season was nil. I did frequent the stores but found nothing I wanted or needed. I do keep my eye out for red everywhere, and I have been having some fun. :)

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You say palazzo, I say pizazzo...

Dear YLF, I'm not sure if these count as palazzo pants, but surely they are close. 

Outfit 1 includes the Zara linen pants in Angie's roundup. I adore them. Easiest things in the world to put on and for me, the sagey olive is a bit of a wild card. 

I actually wore them twice on my long conference weekend. Once as here, on Thursday night, and once as you've seen them before, with the Aritzia top and a different scarf and my denim jacket. It was (as usual!) FREEZING in the workshop/panel rooms. Brrrr. Scarves to the rescue. 

I also wore these pale lilac "culottes" which seem to have a bit of a palazzo vibe, though maybe the length is wrong.  I promise I don't always wear this top from J. Crew, but I do have to admit it's incredibly useful to me. Lightweight cotton, not see-through, pretty pattern. 

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Dress Challenge: Better Late than Not at All

Hi, all -- I was at a work related conference all weekend and didn't have time to post. But I did wear one dress (well, actually, skirt) outfit. And I'm also wearing a dress today. 

I have loved seeing all the beautiful dresses and skirts on the forum. Brava for spring and summer wardrobes! 

Bonus shots of the roses in the UBC garden, really in their glory now. 

Why do I love wearing dresses? For all the reasons many of you have stated. Casual dresses are the best for summer at home days. Cool, easy to throw on, yet I feel presentable if I have to run a sudden errand. Fewer decisions. 

Dressy dresses make me feel feminine and ready for fun, or perfectly protected (as the occasion demands.)

I wore #5 (tube skirt, again, will I ever let you go? NO!) with the sweater against the frigid AC. You can't see it, but on #6 I am actually swinging on a beautiful swing slung on an old oak on campus.  

#7 is at home today. Yay for the tablecloth dress. Waving to my many forum dress twins and cousins. 

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20 comments

Dressed down

Slight weight change and slight shrinkage mean I don't love this dress as much as I loved it last year, but it sure makes a great "house dress," as my Granny would have said. Perfect for hot days at home. 

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A few (not blue!) purchases w. question re pants length

My family sent me on a returns errand the other day and of course I couldn't resist some actual shopping while I was downtown. 

After pulling on my ancient tube skirts day after day and saying I was fine with them (while secretly feeling bored) and after looking and looking and then despairing of finding dresses to replace the Boden dresses I fell in love with last year, I felt suddenly overcome with the need to switch up my silhouettes. Oops! 

So. I bought a few items, below. Plus one that I will show you later on. 

In Zara, I picked up these linen high waisted trousers. I love them! They remind me of a pair of raw silk gaucho pants I used to own in the 90s. The tie is supposed to be worn in front, I think, as in the dressing room photo, but I often find them fussy that way, so I've made it into a wee knot at the back. I admit they could use a steaming but when it comes to linen, I'm at peace with some crease. And they are a sagey-khaki green. I love this tone, but so rarely wear it! (Bonus, it works with blue.) 

Can I wear at this length? It reminds me of what KM wrote about Japanese trouser length in her recent post. They feel quite okay to me, even with the sneakers? (Last photo from dressing room.) 

I also bought a V neck top -- the one that Jacquie and LisaP recommended. Am I nuts? Ordinarily a V, much as I love it, isn't my best look. But I've gained a bit of weight, which typically makes a V neck work a bit better on me, and this one seems quite structured. I hope it passes muster because I cut the tags. The fabric drapes nicely. 

I also bought a little linen camp shirt at Zara for a more casual look. 

Would love to know your thoughts. Thanks! 

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Eating my words

Dear YLF, 

Remember a few months ago where I said I needed a style intervention to stop me from continually buying everything, and I mean everything, in blue?   

Well. It's all your fault. Because I haven't stopped. 

Oh, I had good intentions. My first few purchases of the year were GEAR and I bought them in plums/lilacs/purples (as well as blues). For a bit of variety in my exercise capsule, at least. (See Finds). 

And I managed to purchase an orchid silk blouse and a red top, too. Oh, and a pair of grey jogger pants. 

But those blue Earth sandals must have been some kind of gateway drug. Look what I've also purchased...and what I just ordered!! 

And what I wore the other day in slightly cooler temps than we've been getting, of late -- the famed "Juneuary" of the Pacific Northwest. 

Well, if I can't beat my own habit, I might as well enjoy it, right? 

42 comments

Mid-year Review

Dear YLF, 

My wardrobe is in a pretty good place, so apart from replenishing my gear capsule in the winter, I haven't made many "fashion" purchases at all so far. And everything I've bought was (uncharacteristically for me) on sale. 

Below are the things I've bought. The colour on the EF shirt is so good for me that I bought it even though it wasn't really on my list of needed items. I love wearing silk shirts -- they tend to live in my closet for a long time and never fail to spark joy. 

The BR tops are staple items, replacing a few worn tees and tops. It's already too warm for me to wear them, alas, at least the sleeved ones, but I know they will get years of use, as this type of top always serves me extremely well. 

Both J. Crew pants will work well for me in the casual summer wear department. 

The Ecco sneakers (actually darker than shown) are replacements for my beloved silver Ecco 8s. I don't love them quite as much as the others, but there is no silver anywhere in my size, so. Also, they seem wider on the heel than my previous ones so the fit is not so good for me. I am experimenting with various insoles. 

The Fitflop sneakers are a FLOP. I'd hoped they'd work like the Eccos but the fit is too wide no matter what. I think this counts as my shopping mistake this year. About to let them go to a happier home. 

The Earth sandals were a complete surprise. They were priced at less than $40 CAD and I couldn't resist. Very very comfy. Not a true wild card because after all, they are a classic sandal in "my" colours. But certainly an impulse purchase and I think, a good one. 

So, here I am in my circa 2013 tube skirt. The denim jacket, which I bought in my first year at YLF. The top is also on its 3rd or 4th season. Only the bag and shoes are recent. Once again, an outfit that isn't particularly current, yet it makes me happy. 

On a sadder note, 2 of my Boden dresses from last year are fitting poorly. Partly it is me -- I gained a few pounds.  :(.  But mostly it is them -- after many many wears and washes, they've simply shrunk a bit. I always wash in cool and air dry, but eventually shrinkage will occur, I guess, no matter what. And these dresses did see a lot of wear last year and even early this year. Each was worn about twice per week through the warm months -- so well over 30 wears apiece. So I'm on the lookout for great summer dresses, along with several others of you. Haven't found my dream dresses yet but open to suggestions. 

24 comments