Designer coat three ways - fun, feline, and fierce

With great excitement I tore open the box from Shanghai express. My new coat! - courtesy of Yuzhe Studios, a young designer duo who studied at London College of Fashion. After finding my blog and Instagram, they asked if I'd like to wear one of their handcrafted pieces. Does a cat meow?

O-my-o-my-what-to-do-what-to-do. It didn't take long to figure out - put that sucker on and see where it takes me.

After being cooped up in shipping, Coat needed a stretch and fresh vigour, so my first styling called for intensive colour caffeine. I poked her: "Coat, wake up!" She merely yawned, "Are we there yet?" 

Before she knew it, I had turned Coat inside-out and clapped the snaps off-key to create a wonky pucker and asymmetrical hem. The pockets became awesome hip wings which added to the fantastic geometry. And I wore vivid silky scarves in a waterfall of bows and a colour-punched dress and blouse. AWAKE.

Coat's finished seams down the sleeves looked good on the outside, and the snaps with hand-stitching functioned perfectly in reverse as well. My initials, which Yuzhe Studios hand-embroidered at the neckline, were also visible - such a great detail.

Loose-limbed now from our colour therapy, we shrugged off the imp and unleashed some of Coat's deeply serious chic appeal. 

Coat is dreamy soft, a snuggly wool you want to wrap yourself up in on a chilly day. In this second styling she is black cat with an emerald collar, stretched languidly on a red velvet divan surrounded by unread books of philosophy. 

"Bring me chocolate milk on a silver salver that I might dip my strong yet dainty paws in the brown juice of the gods!" Moving right along... Somehow I knew she'd appreciate the gold glitter ankle socks. 

These photos have a very European feel to them. I'm sure I'm on my way somewhere Important (the cafe for a cookie, for example). 

I'm also wearing O's rockstar silky shirt and my gigantoid palazzo pants with mitten clips because the pants are trippingly long without higher heels. Huge sunglasses complete the look.

Below, one last styling. Coat doesn't like to be type-cast (we are so compatible!) so we went with a fierce-ish styling with a tuxedo shirt, fitted black moto jacket, my DIY eyes-on-knees jeans, white athletic socks, and combat boots. This bunch of boulders under the overpass made the perfect studio.

And that's it! Hearty thanks to Yuzhe Sun and Alex Lee of Yuzhe Studios in Shanghai for this piece and the fun I had styling her. While I didn't fark this coat, they said they wouldn't mind if I did, which captured my heart. Already Coat has earned a place of honour in my closet.

You can read more about this designer team, their fantastic mission, and their studio HERE. In addition to a selection of hand-crafted denim and wool pieces, they also have some vibrant silk designs. Gorgeous. This coat is the "double-sided oversized bi-colour wool coat."

I shall link these outfits up with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday, and Catherine at Not Dressed as Lamb for #iwillwearwhatilike. I'll see you there.

Howl, prowl, smowl - outfits for hunting and avenging

I'm feeling feisty. I like that word - agitated, prickly, energetic. So I dropped myself into a spinning tunnel of love and flowers and intrigue and lightning wearing my Emma Peel/Avengers outfit, which I bought when I was shopping with Suzanne during her visit to Vancouver. Shopping with her always brings out my inner Zoolander. She put a photo on her Instagram when I tried it on - HERE.

This is wool, rear zip, vintage, and clearly groovy, made by Gordi of Montreal. With the cooler morning weather I could finally wear it. I definitely need a soundtrack when I go on top secret spy missions in this outfit. The colour defies digitization. Contrary to what you see here, this is a screaming, SCREEEEAMING, orangy-red.

The next photo was taken in the anteroom of our squash court.

Below is the photo I put on Instagram. I use my finger as a gun, a noodly one. The only thing I could stop with that would be, uh, candy floss. But I think the world would be a better place if suddenly every gun turned into a noodle and every bullet turned into candy floss. We would become a pasta-loving planet high in carbs and sugar with a huge number of wealthy dentists. And I'd make my millions opening a tomato sauce factory.

I got lots of fun Zoolander poses. Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap - that's what happens when you're a high-action heroine.

And carrying on the theme below... In fact I wore this sexay number a few days before that first one. Guh - could you even imagine a garment so deluxe in your wildest dreams? Again, "SOUNDTRAACK!!" I scream like screamy Frau Farbissina from Austin Powers. Another outfit designed for pouncing.

Pao, author of the blog Project Minima, gave me this piece of divinity at the blogger meetup in Vancouver last summer. It was sewn by her mother many years ago and I am honored to carry on her spirit through style.

While I was on my inspiration walk wearing this, a driver on a busy street screeched to a stop at the curb to shout, "THAT IS THE BEST OUTFIT I'VE EVER SEEN!" Bwahaha. Of course I launched into the story of Pao and her mum and the blogger meetup while cars pulled around her.

This vintage extravaganza consists of a jersey front-zip onepiece with a matching button-up quilted overskirt. A big rhinestone is nested in the center of each button. Note the golden silky lining and the matching quilted tie belt. So utterly fabulous.

I'll link something here up with Patti at Visible Monday, Not Dead Yet Style, and Catherine at #iwillwearwhatilike, Not Dressed as Lamb.

This outfit brought out my scowl/smile, known as a smowl, rhymes with howl and prowl. I was imagining a roar. Don't forget, I was alone in a parking lot making these faces for my tripod, but mere meters away from a busy sidewalk - proof of how professionally aloof I am to the seething reality around me. It's is a special skill, yesh.

This post is tardy. I am tardy. Pffft. Can't be helped. (smowl)

Usually when people express interest in my style, at the end of a conversation I might shove a crumpled bit of napkin with my blog addressed scratched into it with a blotty pen. Sooo professional. So I finally ordered real cards. Now my life will be perfect.

I've photographed other outfits since my last post too, which you can see on Instagram HERE. You don't have to join IG to look. And you can search for things that interest you, e.g., paisleypants. When you click a photo, it pops up bigger. Also, if you sign up with Instagram, you will be able to comment, and you don't need a cell phone to do that. So that's a little FYI. I'd put them here but this post would be too long.

I hope you're all having a stellar life at the moment! If not, HANG ON!!! I'll send Emma ASAP with her noodle gun and candy floss maker. If only life were so easy...

My coats made me do it

I was leaping at the courthouse. You'd be forgiven for thinking I'd been hauled in by the fashion police for wearing garish clashing patterns, but even if I had, one magic word whispered in my accuser's ear would have sprung me free: Versace. It can soothe even the most ruffled fashionista. I'd keep quiet that these pants were thrifted for around $25. And that I could care less what brand they are. 

As for the leaping, this crazy-ass coat is hopped up on circles and stripes and some serious red. Of course I'm airborne! On me it's a goofy/cool femme fatale coat that says jump, vamp, drink martinis, throw caramel corn in the air and catch it with your mouth even though you know it will probably stick to your eyelids instead. It says drive a Bugatti with the top down in winter. Okay! Clearly my lifestyle needs to catch up with my wardrobe. 

Su Bennett, my mad stylist partner on the recent fashion show, gave me this ga-ga-gaaageous vintage beauty. Such glee! She is a self-confessed fairy-clothes-mother. No kidding. Thank you, Su!! Below I am undercover like Johnny English (James Bond spoof starring Rowan Atkinson).

The leaping was also instrumental in scientifically testing my new got2b hair product. I'd give it an A-, which is not bad considering my former got2b (A+) had 15 to 20 years of aging to achieve it's gluey superiority. In another ten years this new one should be just right.

I'm wearing the coat with my favourite graphic T - "Dressed to PISS YOU OFF" - custom-made by another favourite woman, Suzanne Carillo. She gave it to me when we met the first time, with Sue of A Colourful Canvas, almost a year ago (here), although it feels like I've known her and Sue forever.

I'm also wearing thrifted Miu Miu boots, a black under-T, and my magic loupe from O. (O says thank you for your comments on his rings!) The only label on the coat says ILGWU, International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union of the US, size 10.

And below, what I wore the next day. The graffiti behind me says "The goal isn't to last forever. The goal is to create something that will." It's a quote from Chuck Palahniuk, the man who wrote Fight Club, which was made into a movie.

Wearing: thrifted muppet coat, thrifted silk velvet scarf, thrifted pants, but the chenille top was from H&M - I sometimes get supplies there for farking. So far I've only  "adjusted" this one around the neckline.

Detail of the silk scarf. An elegant woman, a bamboo grove, a full moon. You can seen the sheen on it, which makes it difficult to photograph. It's slidey and ultra-soft. The tag says 100% silk. Thrifted.

I'm linking something up to:

1. Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for her Visible Monday, as usual - thank you Patti! 
2. Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike at Not Dressed as Lamb when it goes live. This week's prompt is faux fur, which I remembered after I took these photos. Good timing.
3. Anne at SpyGirl, 52 Pick-me-up with the theme Reflection/Integration. These outfits have a bit of both.

A: But why is she laughing like that?
B: She better be careful she doesn't sprain anything.
A: These narcissistic bloggers, I just don't know what they're thinking.
B: Hmm.
A: I wonder does her husband know what she's up to?
[silent pause]
A: Let's check out the next blog.
B: Oooh, yes! More tea?
A: Lovely, with a wee splash of a little extra maybe...?
B: Coming right up.