Pix-Elated

OK, first things first -- I'm experimenting with some new lighting. Does it help? I can probably do even better with a bit of adjustment...I found a few LED clamp lights I can fix in various spots. 

Being one of our resident silvers, and cool complected, I'm raising my hand for greyed colours. But they have to be the right greyed...blue greys or winter whites added to soften or "heather" the colour slightly more than "dirty" it. It's the rare true "dirty" colour I can wear well. 

But the mauve tones in the sleeves of this ancient Equipment sweater might qualify? I think so. Angie used to own this 2014 NAS beauty, too, but I'm sure she passed it on ages ago, not being a lover of grey. I kept mine and although I don't wear cashmere much in Victoria, today it is SNOWING, so it's a perfect occasion for it. This sweater is lovely quality. There is some minor under-the-arms pilling but that's the extent -- it otherwise looks and feels brand new. 

The pants -- also ancient-- (2017) are a greyed navy that I love. These are Kit & Ace back when they used to use all season wool with stretch -- a fabulous fabric, in my opinion. Great for work from home! 

A few more of my grey or "greyed" or "heathered" wardrobe items in the Finds, below. I wear a lot of them! 

Note: the green shorts are too sour to work -- perhaps too "dirtied" vs. "greyed," which would lead to a more sage-y olive. Alas! I find it difficult to partner them with other things in the closet. 

So a Fab Friend has lightened and brightened and cropped the photos further...

With my perennial preppy gene, I've always been attracted to loafers but I more or less swore off them years ago because they are one of the hardest styles for me to fit. Flats are hard on (and for) my feet, period. And slip on styles are by far the worst.  I mean, I put orthotics in my sneakers to make them wearable and to prevent myself from another case of plantar fasciitis. Even then, sneakers, like any true flat, are less comfortable for me than shoes that have a slight lift or heel (about 3/4 of an inch to 2 inches); I'm most comfortable in boots or sandals as a rule.  And most loafers, I find, are too wide in the mid foot and the heel if they fit me in the forefoot. My feet are not wide (just average) but my mid foot is a bit narrow, my arch quite high, and my heel shaped in such a way that flats without straps almost always flip off, leading to awful toe cramps if I try to wear them. 

Still, I really loved the look of the Franco Sarto platform loafer and it is BLUE, which is a key neutral in my closet. Blue footwear can be hard to source, so a transitional blue shoe was HEWI for me. 

I read the reviews, which are mixed, at best, and many complain explicitly about the fit problem that plagues me most. This was a case where if Nordstrom's did not have such generous return policies I might not have ordered.

And yet these shoes are working for me! 

Admittedly, they required careful breaking in, but I can now wear with and without socks. I would not try to walk barefoot in them for long in hot weather (that would definitely lead to blisters) but with careful monitoring they are super comfortable and easy for me to wear.  

I think it is the platform/ lug sole and extra interior padding that make them wearable for me. Like others, I can't wear this shoe in cold like we are having today here -- so from this point on, they will be my "indoor" loafer until spring. (I only wore them briefly outdoors and the bottoms are all clean.) I'm delighted to have a shoe that makes me feel more fab than slippers but is just as easy on and off. 

How do you know when or whether to trust the reviews? I usually pay close attention to them and they have, in the past, helped me to rule in (or out) various items. But this time, I simply would not have ordered if I hadn't known I could return them for free after an in-home try out period. 

I'll try to get an actual outfit photo a little later if the sun comes round the corner, but for now, I thought it would be fun to show my versions of the look. 

1. Patterned dress. 
2. "Jacket" -- a new kimono. It looks darker in the photo -- it's actually a near-royal blue with pattern of white, grey, pink etc. 
3. Skirt. It also serves as "dress" with the matching top. 

I don't have a patterned bright suit for summer unless you count the 2 piece dress. :) But I do have several other items in bright patterns. A pattern in summer can keep the interest level up when you are confined to one piece or two piece dressing, unable to layer due to heat. 

From the moment Brooklyn began posting about her last year's summer formula of skirt with (special) tee or other top, I decided this was going to be my summer formula, moving forward, as well. If she could manage it with her active dog-walking lifestyle, so could I. Casual, breezy, comfortable, yet dressier and more grown-up than shorts. It really is the perfect solution! If you get the right style of skirt, it will even work on a bike. 

Well, guess what. My Brooklyn-inspired summer is a total bust. 

1. There is no summer. 
2. I cannot find the right skirts. 

Whereas last year we were roasting under a heat dome, this has been the coldest, cloudiest, and wettest spring on record in my part of the world. We haven't even finished setting up our deck furniture and I haven't got all my planters filled. I had to wear a puffer jacket to go on a walk the other night. 

As for the skirts, I am out of luck. 

Exhibit A is a skirt I tried from Zara. A terrific cotton/ linen blend -- it looks fine (at least I think so) but it was a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen -- there was absolutely not enough fabric to prevent it from blowing open at the first breeze. 

As for Exhibit B, the Madewell skirt, it was cut more generously but the fabric felt flimsy and cheap and I did not like it against the skin. 

I really prefer a natural fabric, especially a linen cotton blend of some kind, because most polyesters feel sticky and uncomfortable to me in the heat. I'm also trying to avoid ditsy florals (although I would go ditsy-adjacent) and too much black. So that ruled out a lot of potential options. I really, really, really love Brooklyn's asymmetrical skirts the best—they create such a gorgeous line—so that is what I would prefer. But a simple A-line or a gored skirt would be fine if I could get one that works well. 

At this point, I have pretty much given up the search. I own a couple of older skirts that will fill the need this summer, given how few days of warm sunshine we are likely to get, so I think I will stick with those, plus shorts. 

Here's my tentative travel capsule. Weather is all over the place -- it might be 30C and humid, might be 18 and raining, or 23 and breezy. 

I'll be 4 days in the Toronto area visiting my brother and a friend there -- so some city stuff -- meals out -- but mostly just walking and talking. 

The rest of the time (8 days) in the Kingston area, visiting friends, again, mostly casual. I also have to attend a memorial service while I am there. I don't really have the right footwear for that, but what I have will have to do. 

I will add an umbrella, PJs, rain jacket, more jewellery to this. I *think* it's enough (esp. considering I can layer many of these items), but hope I'm not missing anything crucial. 

I got a new pair of the Eileen Fisher sport sandals. I wore my old ones to bits and did not have a pair last year. I would have tried something different this year – I was particularly interested in a fisherman's sandal – but was not able to find anything of that type, in the end, and knew that these sandals in silver are quite versatile and bookending to my hair, so I went ahead and re-purchased. They are versatile, if not the most current, and maybe the little platform makes them a bit more current anyway. 

The paint splash sleeveless top is new from Sandwich. I ordered a few items from them on sale and was quite pleased, especially with this little summer top. 

OMG I need a haircut. Coming tomorrow!! 

Today's post was relevant to me because on Thursday, I head to Ontario for the first time since Covid restrictions came into effect. I'm still working on the travel capsule, but I think I have my flight outfit organized. I don't run quite as cold as Angie so I don't need as many layers, but I do follow the same principles, albeit in a more casual, slightly less polished key -- practical footwear, pants with ease or stretch, layered knit tops, toppers that are easy to stash. 

Here's my planned outfit, minus watch and earrings and mask, of course! 

The sweater is a replacement for my old Halogen red duster, which after four (or five?) years was pilled and faded. This one is of similar (low-ish) quality and low price point. The fabric is actually nicer than the Halogen, and the pockets are slash-style (more usable than the Halogen's patch pockets), but it has dropped shoulders, which are not as good on me. However, it's fire engine red and it's the right length, so it will do. 

Carla's thread about her navy purchases this year got me thinking about how dominant navy is in my wardrobe. I posted Finds on her thread and then realized I'd missed a bunch of items. This is just my navy/ ink or navy predominant items, mind you. I also have a lot of items with a white or grey dominant background and smatterings of navy in the pattern. And I've left my dark denim out of this collection, too, even though it more or less counts. I just edited out a few navy items, also, or this collection would have been even larger! 

The first six items were purchased this year -- the rest go back to 2014. Navy has longevity in my closet and I often look for a replacement item before the current navy essential wears out. 

I'm also a huge royal or cobalt fan, too, but it's more an accent. 

Navy's my dark neutral and almost all my essentials are in navy (and denim). I have almost no black in my closet apart from footwear and a couple of tops and coats. 

Who else has navy as their dark neutral? 

Like Janet and a few others, I've been on the hunt for an easy summer dress to replace a couple I've retired due to wear. What I want is an easy, casual dress to wear around the house (or out, if the spirit moves) and it can't be short or overly bare. 

Today I got this dress from Barbour. 

Pros:

• Gorgeous cotton jersey, nice hand and weight -- 1000 times nicer than most dresses of this kind. 
• Navy stripe reads as faux solid grey -- works easily for me due to my colouring. 
• Easy fit. 
• Pockets.
• Nice length. Can wear with sneakers, sandals, stompy boots in early fall. 
• Works with my denim jackets. 
• Affordable (I got it on sale). 

Cons:

• Why oh why did they embroider Barbour on the boob??????? (Note -- this is not visible in the product photo — artfully disguised by the model's hair. Nor is it mentioned in a single review!!!) 

I'm frustrated. I think this little nameplate is a deal breaker for me and it's so unfortunate because the dress is otherwise great. Admittedly, the gathering initially made me wonder if it reads as too young or twee for me, but I could overlook that for the sheer comfort factor, TBH. 

Would love your thoughts, though. Maybe I can accept this for mostly at-home wear...

ETA: Possible solution downthread, thanks to NancyW! 

So....on reflection, I've decided to return this dress after all. I love a lot about it, but even though at a sale price, it's more than I want to spend on something that's going to bug me whenever I wear it. Now, on the lookout for a similar thing. Sigh....

The second part of my birthday treat to myself was a red jacket to replace my BR military style red jacket. That is a fun piece but the red was too orange for my complexion and increasingly I felt uncomfortable wearing the style. I like how military themed items look on me. Not camo. I mean double breasted, buttoned, high collar or pop-able collar, epaulets, etc. -- these elements tend to suit me. It is a rare item in this style that doesn't light me right up!

But I'm uncomfortable with some of the associations. And particularly in bright red, the combination of these elements seemed to make a statement I didn't want to make. I still have my short navy military style jacket and own several trenches, and I wouldn't be against adding more! But there was something about that jacket...I'd reach for it, put it on, and then take it off and put the blue on on instead. Anyway. I haven't donated it ... yet...but it's now in a holding zone while I deliberate further.

A short red jacket seemed like a good alternative, so I ordered the Hackness (which Angie also owns) from Hobbs. 

Hobbs is a new-to-me brand (although I did own a pre-loved Hobbs jacket years ago). I almost sent this back because it is a bit snug across the shoulders. But the next size up would be too large, and sending back to the UK would be a huge pain. So I wore it around the house and it seemed to relax some. Also, comparing it to other jackets I realized it was not that much different -- I'm just unused to wearing jackets! 

Other elements here are J. Crew. (tee and wool culottes). J. Crew didn't get much love from most people on Carla's thread, but a huge proportion of my wardrobe comes from there. That's probably about to end, since there are no stores in Canada now so returns will be much trickier and pricier. For now, though, I'm grateful for the many long-lasting pieces I have from them in my closet. These culottes are gorgeous quality, were quite fashion forward when I bought them in 2014 or 2015 (?) and still don't feel dated to me, and are in terrific shape. 

Nothing fancy or special, just a  double plaid stripes and red teaching day. Oh, I wore my red mask instead of my N94 and the students loved the matchy matchy. Also, we had a great submission in class about second-hand shopping. :) 

I wasn't sure whether to link this post to this header, to today's sale items, or to the coat column blog post. This item ticks all the boxes. 

Here's my birthday gift to myself (or part of it -- more to come): A fabulous unplanned wardrobe purchase of the Hobbs Saskia trench in royal blue, bought on sale, worn as a "coat column" of blue. 

The trench is a sort of HEWI -- for years I have wanted a light or bright trench to supplement my two black trenches, acquired a decade ago and still going strong -- but not my favourite coats because they are black. This trench won't replace either of those -- it is a different creature. Heavier weight than either of my others and extremely well made, it's a six-month (or more) coat a year in this climate and will probably last me forever since it's such a classic style. 

It's a perfect tailored fit. I can layer a heavier sweater under it but it's less comfortable that way through the shoulders. I think it would work with a blouse and spring jacket, though (vs. a mid weight knit, which I am wearing here). 

As usual, our weather is grey, so it is hard to get accurate representations of the colour. (Why do you think I need a bright coat, LOL?)  But this gives the idea -- it's somewhere between royal and cobalt.