Maxi Moxie

Last summer my sister gave me two lovely, floaty maxi-skirts. I hauled them halfway across the continent, then they sat in my closet, unworn, for months. I considered donating them.  As much as I'd like to be a woman who can successfully wear a long, gauzy skirt, the reality is that I'm kind of a klutz. I had visions of getting a foot caught in the excess fabric and doing myself an injury. 

These visions were not unwarranted. Though I've never been injured, I have practically disrobed myself when wearing skirts of the floaty variety. Imagine crouching beside a child's desk in a voluminous skirt. Got it? Now imagine standing up suddenly, not realizing that you've caught your heel in the back of the skirt. If the skirt isn't firmly in place, your waistband is going to slip floorward. Not a good look for an elementary school teacher. Enough said. 

A few weeks ago a, during the World Cup, a local pub invited all England fans to gather and watch the first game against Italy. Hubby and I decided to attend. And we decided to walk. Easy decisions. What I found more difficult was deciding what to wear. 

The pub is about 3 km from our house. I knew I needed something comfortable for walking, but I wanted to look decent when we got there.  I finally decided to try one of the maxi skirts. 

I'm pleased to report that the skirt was a success. No injuries were incurred, I was comfortable, and I managed to stay decently dressed throughout the match and on the walks to and from the pub. An impressive feat, considering the amount of beer involved. If only England's performance had been as successful as my first foray into the world of maxi skirts!

Linking up with Patti and the lovely team over at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday. Head on over and check out the fun!

(Oh the irony. Today, after planning this post, I caught my heel and fell up the stairs while wearing this skirt. No permanent injuries. Yellow card for the skirt!)

So Not Sophisticated

A while ago, I mentioned my longing for a black sleeveless dress like the one I had seen on Canadian company Miik's website. I still haven't found a similar dress, but I did find some Miik basics at one of my favourite local shops, be. I was so excited to try the items in person that I got carried away and bought three pieces. Kiss that tax refund goodbye!

I'm wearing my new Audrey wrap top below. Pricey? You bet, but I love how it feels and how it drapes.  I also like that the company seems fairly open about the making of its garments. And when the top is worn with a thrifted skirt and a hand-me-down jacket, the overall cost of the outfit is less than that of a fast-fashion equivalent. Or at least that's what I'm telling Hubby. 

I wore the outfit for a lunch date with Hubby yesterday.  We planned to go for pasta at Toscano's Trattoria, but when we got there it was closed. Oddly, about every second time we go there it's closed, yet it's always open when I'm in the neighbourhood on other business. Still it all worked out for the best. We ended up around the corner at Avenue Bistro. The food was great. I had the beef dip with frites. I don't regularly order fries when we're out, and when I do I'm usually disappointed and leave most of them. The fries at Avenue are so good I ate every one. With Hubby's help, of course. 

The people at the neighbouring table were quite amusing. They spoke with classic French accents. I had my back to them, but their dropped h's and rolling r's had me imagining French women à la Mireille Guiliano. The men, on the other hand, had us both flashing back to a fifth season Simpsons episode. Their discussion of the "shaudere" (aka chowder) actually had my normally circumspect Hubby smirking into his coffee. Yep, we're mature that way.

After our lunch we attempted a waterside walk. That was almost immediately rained out, so we topped off our Saturday date with our first gelato of the season at Benino Gelato. Frites and gelato. I feel so sophisticated. At least as sophisticated as someone who can quote the Simpsons can feel. 

For actual sophistication, head over to Patti's Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday. The cosmopolitan crew is sure to delight.

Working Skirt?

Back in March some friends and I took part in a writing contest. We were to write a fictional piece about work. Sadly, none of us were selected as finalists. I wasn't surprised that I didn't make the cut, as I didn't actually finish my piece. Road to hell. Good intentions. Yada Yada. 

We went to hear the six finalists read their pieces a few weeks ago. There were four prose pieces and two poetry. I've come to the conclusion that I'm never going understand poetry. I wasn't even sure that the poems were about work. I've also concluded that fictionalization of job dissatisfaction is the way to go when writing about work. 

For this bohemian event, I took a chance and wore my 20-year-old, gypsy-like skirt. The skirt remains in my closet because it is an integral component of my Baba Babushka costume. Choosing my real-life wardrobe from the Tickle Trunk may not have been the wisest idea.

The elastic in the waistband had lost it's stretch, and the 20-year-old drawstring didn't have the staying power it once did. Also, I had forgotten how much this skirt needs a slip until I saw my refection in a shop window. Oops. Still, I like how the skirt looks with the boots and the denim jacket. And, as I was seated at the event, I spent minimal time hoiking up my skirt. With a little care and attention I managed to stay decently covered (except for the lack of a slip) all evening. 

I'm linking up with Patti of Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday. There you'll find inspiration to tickle any imagination. 

Really People!

The last time you saw my red-and-white-polka-dot skirt I had paired it with black. Black tank, black blazer, black bracelet, black shoes.  Given that Minnie Mouse is traditionally black and white and red all over, I had expected to get a few Disney-esque comments when I left the house that day. Surprisingly, if anyone noticed my similarities to Ms. Mouse, they didn't mention it. I thought had safely passed the mouse test.

This time I went a little wild with my outfit choices. White, bright blue, denim and gold were brought into the mix. Bright blue and red is a bold combo for me, but I was really pleased with how it went together. (A few days later I saw that Sally McGraw of Already Pretty had outfits featuring red and turquoise and red and cobalt on her colour pairing inspiration board on Pinterest. I felt a little less bold, but much more confident about my colour choices after that.)

I felt so good about my appearance that I tucked in my tank. When wearing this pencilish skirt previously I had left my shirt loose in a vain attempt to disguise my belly.  

Yep, I felt pretty darn good about my outfit. 

I fielded Minnie Mouse comments all day.

Really people. Minnie Mouse wishes she looked so good. Or she would if she wasn't, you know, fictional.

I'm linking up with Patti and the not-at-all-mousey crew for Visible Monday over at Not Dead Yet Style. Head on over and check it out! 

Presto Chango!

When it comes to clothing, I am not a good shopper. That could be because I find shopping so discouraging. I feel like there's very little out there for someone of my shape. More often than not, after trying on several things that really don't work, I'll settle for the item works best. Sometimes the item isn't particularly flattering, but if it covers all the important bits decently, I'll take it. 

My close-enough-is-good-enough approach is particularly apparent when it comes to second-hand items. This tank dress was one of those items. I was shopping on my lunch-hour, so I was pressed for time. I checked that the dress covered my bust, that the armholes didn't gape, and that my bra straps were concealed. Yes, yes and yes. Six dollars spent and I was out the door. 

Later I realized that I should have checked that my bust and my butt were covered. While the dress didn't look too short in the dressing room, as soon as I started to move I realized I was in trouble. 

At that point I was tempted to toss the dress in the donation bag and be grateful that the lesson only cost me six bucks. But I kinda liked the dress. I hung onto it and hoped that it would magically get longer in the closet.

Eventually the ol' light bulb went on. I added a hand-me-down jacket, a consignment-store belt and some leggings. Abra-cadabra! Presto-chango! My short dress was now a long tunic. Sadly, I didn't actually own the leggings, so I had to spend another $35 to get my bargain dress to work. Fortunately, I've found other things in my closet that work with the leggings. Somehow that seems to justify the expense. 

This is the outfit I wore for date night on Friday. Hubby and I walked down to our local pub for burgers and beers.  The pub is quite new. I'm rather liking having a drinking establishment within stumbling distance of our home.

Linking up with Patti and the rabble over at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday. Go check out the inspiring, innovative and stylish women!

The Long and the Short of It.

Last summer, while visiting family, I discovered Maurices. I probably would have walked right past, but their mannequins caught my eye. For the first time in my experience I was seeing mannequins in different sizes. Yes, there was the typical stick-thin model, but there were curvy models too. Not only did I have to check out the store out as a result, I made sure I let the sales staff know how much I appreciated seeing mannequins of unusual (for retail) size. I think I might have scared them (the staff, not the mannequins) with my enthusiasm. 

In my excitement I made some less-than-smart purchases. Fortunately, Maurices has a pretty good return policy, so I didn't have any trouble taking  items back when reason kicked in. I did keep the dress you see in the picture. It's shorter than I'm used to, and it's far too low-cut to wear on its own, but the colours won me over. 

Last week I brought the dress out of the closet for the first time this season. Even though the sun was out, it was chilly. I figured with enough layers I'd be warm and decently covered. 

Wouldn't you know, the day I wear something that feels a little on the short side is the day that I end up crawling around on a public bathroom floor trying to help someone having a medical emergency. I don't think I flashed anyone, and I'm pretty sure all involved were too busy to notice if I did. Still, that incident will be in the back of my mind every time I consider wearing this dress. Heck, it's been in the back of my mind each time I've selected an outfit this week. (And at other times too if I'm being honest.) I tell ya, it gets more and more difficult to find clothing that suits me and is appropriate for all aspects of my job. 

Whine!

On a brighter note, I'm linking up with Patti and all the stylish women at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday. Head on over and find inspiration for anything life throws at you! 

Just Ducky

After two days of the kind of rain that gives West Coast weather its bad name, yesterday was beautifully sunny. Hubby and I took advantage and went for a stroll around the neighbourhood. He snapped a few pictures along the way, then we headed home so I could get ready for work. I didn't realize until we were looking at photos much later that my outfit photos and the duck photos drew from the same colour palette. Some women get their fashion inspiration from the runway. I get mine from the duck pond. Quack!

Once again I am linking up with Patti and the stylish crew over at Not Dead Yet Style. Head over there to check out some inspired and inspiring women.