The old grey meres...

...they ain't what they used to be, that's for sure. I ain't no mere, but I am grey and better than I used to be, or so I like to think.

I had to get my '70s groove on today so I went exploring and cracked open a Space Bag in my catacomb of clothing. Look what I found - my thrifted vintage denim jumpsuit! And just in time. I couldn't, just couldn't, go out in public without dressing on trend. Fortuitously, as a one-piece and denim, this was a double-wham trend slam, and this grey non-mere felt like kicking some serious ass (donkeys) with these lucky DIY horseshoes.*

(*Mere is French for mother. The Old Gray Mare is an American folk song about an old female horse, with the opening line "The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be." No, I would never kick a donkey or a buttocks.)

Aaah, clearing my mind of worldly detritus, noxious pollution of the body and spirit (if this fecking photo doesn't turn out I'm not fecking getting down on the floor again!), and guiding my thoughts towards endless bright plains of warmth, wonder, and generosity (and what the feck? I have my reading glasses in my hand?! for feck's sake!). Breathing in, breathing out, all glory and joy.

Wearing: old thrifted jumpsuit recently excavated, DIY-scribbled thrifted platform ankle boots, thrifted vintage embroidered wide suede belt, thrifted polyester top, thrifted lucky charm bag, magic loupe from O (not seen here). For warmth I wore my thrifted green shag coat as seen in the previous post. 

Note how wide those belt loops are, and the trompe-l'oeil effect on the boot heels make them look higher than they really are. I'm back to point, shoot, and run photography again. The first photo reminds me of a California '70s surfer, not sure why.

Today I checked out Prado, a new cafe at the corner of Hastings and Abbott. Clean. Trendy. An intimate atmosphere of upscale rusticity. Most of the hipsters there, sipping latte-'cino-whatzits in front of their pad-tablet-lapzits, were attired in their best 21st century normcore. Prices were in line with similar new, clean, trendy cafes in that neighbourhood, and my coffee, 49th Parallel grind, was satisfyingly coffee-beany. My friend Sandra joined me and we caught up on life and bolstered each other's creative pursuits. Her blog is Lens is More. 

Have you ever been so on trend that you're off? 

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And big thank you's to:

• Kathleen Lee Joe for "Style bloggers who prove that age is nothing but a number" in Daily Life, Australia
• Sofia Stipkovic for "Old But Gold: Senior Bloggers" in Steal the Look, Brazil
• Xrysa for "Silver Linings" in Fashionism, Greece

I wore this for Mis Papelicos

Of course, I wore it for myself too. Share-in-Style: Christmas.

Nothing says Christmas more to me than glitter and sparkle.

This is what I wore in the little sketch I recently posted - my vintage red wool cape with my vintage '70s sleeveless crepe wool onesie with palazzo legs featuring side slits edged with diamond rhinestones. The slit goes as high as the metallic silver applique. My concrete stairway has never felt so glamorous. Those are also little rhinestone details at the neckline. One is missing. I don't care. I should have taken a closeup - next time. The red cape reminds me of Santa's elves.

The normals gave me a wide berth in this outfit. 

Wearing

thrifted vintage '70s (maybe '60s?) evening onesie, sleeveless, with rhinestones

thrifted black wool turtleneck under the onesie

black tights with black knee socks

black glitter booties

thrifted black beret

thrifted vintage red wool cape with faux fur trim

toolbox hand bag (not shown)

magic loupe AND magic ring

While I was downtown today I bought some imagination at Sephora, a cosmetics store. Of course I walked out with a product but my fantasy is what compelled me to wait and wait and wait in an impossibly long checkout line when normally I would just leave. Most of the women in line were dressed for the Canadian outdoors in dark serviceable clothing and wore little or no makeup. I had exaggeratedly-defined brows today and red red lipstick on, and this outfit, but that's all. A little cloud of electricity buzzed overhead from our collective anticipation/exhaustion/stress. I wondered for how many of us our purchases will materialize our dreams. Personally, there's no question that the opaque eye shadow kit I bought will make me dazzling, more talented, rich, famous, and smarter.

And finally, taking a VERY short walk in this outfit. I couldn't resist showing you - it flows so wonderfully. The soundtrack is not very Christmasy, but I like it.

That's all. Hope you're not too frazzled by the holidays - they pass over me like warm chocolate syrup on ice cream. With a brief(?) stop on my hips and buttoxil area.  Cheers!

Question: I have been playing around with my banner, etc., lately, and I am wondering - when I update something like that, do you get a long list of new post notices in your readers? I hope not! Please let me know. 

Pant-theist: worshipper of pants

I wore this on Wednesday. Outta my way, I'm spewing uber-ness.

In fact, I was spewing such an incredible amount of uber-ness that I was raring to burst into the board meeting of my imaginary haute couture magazine in New York where I would fire the entire fashion editorial staff in favour of running my global empire single-handedly from the pool house at my mansion in Malibu. Without breaking a sweat, naturally.

Step. Spew. Step. Spew. Lively ubers in my wake.

These glasses frames with clear lenses were only $15. I shall need new glasses soon and thought these would be good testers of one of my favourite designs, the big Os. Sadly, I think my lenses will probably be too thick for these huge orbs, and I don't think my brows, forehead, and brain would benefit from the expansive prescriptive realm. Another style would probably better suit my face shape. Regardless, I shall wear these glasses again because I do like the style and they complement my chronic bitch face, yes.

Details

• glasses with clear lenses, $15 from thrift shop
• front zip big pants, vintage, thrifted. It took a lot of care to resuscitate these poor neglected darlings. Note how the pattern matches up so magnificently in the front (also in the back)
• suede vest with 4 front snaps, vintage, thrifted when I went out with Sandra.
• black boat-neck T with 3/4 sleeves, thrifted
• D&G shoes, thrifted
• magic loupe, O made it for me

And the hot pink delight below I also bought while thrifting with Sandra. I haven't worn it out yet and I'm not sure if I shall - the shorts are very, very short and I haven't worn shorts of any description for years, except for sports.

Oooh, another view, this time with the jacket which is looking rather haggard here because I didn't do it up correctly. When it's properly fastened, the jacket is form-fitting and the same length as the shorts creating the illusion that I forgot to put on my pants. So fun!(?)

Details:

• hot pink boucle jacket and side-zip short shorts, vintage, thrifted, size L(!)
• mustard tights, retail
• sunglasses, vintage, thrifted
• orange ruffled satin blouse, thrifted
• big shoes, retail, big sale

And I liked my hair in this shot.

And finally, this is a closeup of the shoes I got in the big sale I mentioned in the last post, $37. They are poor quality but I love the style.

AND - Uh oh, I've been doing big art again as you can see in the background, oil pastel on paper. This particular piece is ongoing - I like it that way.

I hope you all have a swell weekend. Will you be wearing shorts? 



Vintage Vogue Japan dress

Today I need to share with you my incredible vintage jumpsuit. When I bought it the salesclerk told me that Vogue Japan had used it in a photo shoot they did in Vancouver. I was going to buy it anyway, but I admit to having a little thrill that I, moi, was wearing a magazine piece. Although I intended to wear it to a vintage fashion show on The Little Black Dress, I didn't - I ended up in a '60s outfit with my go-go-boots and a short black crepe wool shift.
This garment is a one-piece '70s jumpsuit - even the fabric belt is attached. Don't you love those heavy gold-plated Xs, one sewn onto each side? I do - they make me swoon. The belt has a hook-and-eye closure on the back. And that psychotropic paisley citrus print...don't get me started! The split skirt billows magnificently revealing the ultra-wide black gaucho pantlegs.

The fabric has a silky swishy texture but the outfit is surprisingly heavy, one of the heaviest non-outerwear pieces I have. The lining appears to be hand-sewn so I'm guessing this piece came with a hefty price tag when it was new. It was cared for and still feels new.

Details

• thrifted '70s patterned jumpsuit with rear zip, "Missy House" of Canada label
• thrifted brown crackle-leather Miu Miu boots
• necklace, now vintage but new when I bought it
• earrings, now vintage but new when I bought them
• thrifted tweed cap
• thrifted coat (those are Rs in the pattern but the label is "Belle Vogue" of Tokyo and Osaka
• thrifted black long-sleeved top underneath for warmth
• black tights, retail

In this ensemble I felt like the hostess of a cocktail party. I envisioned myself effortlessly weaving and bobbing around my guests to the sound of bossa nova, oblivious to the smudge of too-bright orange lipstick on my front tooth, as the sounds of laughter and the tinkling of martini glasses and dangling earrings float off into the summer breeze - like I'm living in a dream. The scene is all too groovy, sexy, and sophisticated...exactly the opposite of reality here. I do what it takes to keep my mind off this freaking darkness and rain.

The patterned winter coat I wore for extra zing.

I have found a window in which to start visiting everyone again. I feel like I've been away so long. I hope you are all well. I have a holiday treat to share with you on Saturday or Sunday - I hope you like it. It partly explains my absence...