Coming out of the clochet

Today I did something different. Usually I grab things in my closet pell-mell to create an ensemble that reflects an overall mood, giving equal weight to all parts. Today I chose a signature piece, an accessory, which singlehandedly seemed to embody everything I was feeling, and then constructed my outfit around it. I'm speaking here of my felt cloche with the flower. Poor little thing was buried in the closet.

This one little hat said it all: I wanted to partially shield myself during my walk (still in recovery mode) and I wanted to feel romantically 1920s. The colour palette is quiet, but my cloche demanded it be so. The jacket has convenient velcro tabs for closures on the front and the shift has a freighter neck, much wider than a boat neck, which is concealed by the jacket.

Details of the outfit:

• cloche, new decades ago from Sears(?)
• shimmery green jacket, thrifted, Value Village
• moss-grey shift, new years ago from Eatons closing-out sale, downsized 4 sizes
• black tights, "Frump" shoes, The Bay
• magic teacup carrier with heirloom teacup inside; I made the carrier, O did the hardware
• hand-me-over black vinyl bag that holds all my pencil crayons, sketchbooks, etc.
• Shar Pei wool sweater

I'm still recovering but managed a brief, low-intensity game of squash today. It felt good to MOVE!

And finally - 

Ms. Helga recently posted a brilliant photo essay of her drunken escapades under a tree. I immediately thought of this painting I did, although Helga was much more visually exciting than the waitress in this piece.

Title: "Becky had had trouble sleeping lately; she finally realized that it wasn't the coffee keeping her awake but something much more sinister." Acrylic on canvas paper, 18" x 24"

Have a great weekend everyone!

I feel like Amelie

I love how feminine this outfit feels. Under the skirt I am wearing a multilayered, seafoam summer skirt that acts like a crinoline, and a one-piece, ruby-red lacy slip. The riot of colour under the black skirted canvas makes me feel gleefully naughty. Plus, there is a wonderful swishing sound when I walk. The jacket is light for 6C, but I wore thigh-high socks over tights and a long-sleeved shirt under my blouse.

Details of the outfit:

• thrifted skirt refashioned from a dress - I added a lining and suede closures at each side at the waist. I still have to hem the bolero I made from the top half
• black tights under high, diamond-patterned socks
• shimmery green jacket with velcro closure
• ivory silk blouse with mother-of-pearl heart-shaped buttons, from Tokyo about 20 years ago
• burgundy patent leather shoes, thrifted
• life pendant O made me

This outfit also seems to suit the B&W mode, so I included one below. I hope you like it.

I feel like Amelie in this photo, one of my favourite films. I hear that soundtrack in this outfit.

It looks like I have a straw in my mouth or an extra-long droopy cigarette. : )