Bare arms, plunging necklines, and tower hair, oh my

My arms are bare and I'm starting to be okay with that again. I was a bit wobbly (heh) for a while. Pfft. Bring. It. On! 

Grizas sent this dress and matching jacket to me over a year ago, April 2018, and I wrote about it here and even made a tiny video. 

I've said it before, I'll never be as young as I am right now, and if I already cover my arms, what will be left to show of my entire body in the years ahead? It's not about the body; it's about what's in the body, so go do something amazing. Go on!! - I tell myself.

And below, another thing I wore this week: my acid orange jumpsuit with a plunging neckline and no coverup top underneath - it's a first. And arms showing. It was just so dang hot and this jumpsuit was so dang cool I had to do it. After about five minutes I forgot about the neckline completely.

It was a good hair day when I wore my dress. Really, when my hair is sticking up all over the place I have yet to figure out what, from someone else's perspective, would constitute a bad tower hair day. "Uh, Mel, your hair is sticking up there." To capture said hair I went down to the Art Gallery for some photos and took the little step stool to sit on.

Exhibit A: Hair.

My hair is on the cusp of falling over so I have to enjoy every good hair day left before another Big Chop.

And below, the matching jacket. I feel like I'm sitting for a Sears portrait. Heh. Sears is/was a big North American department store, which always seems on the brink of collapse these days. And bye-bye Barneys - almost. At least they are keeping their New York flagship stores open.

I even brought my rockstar shirt from O and a vintage tie. I switched out the heels for my slip-on Converse running shoes.

Somehow the baggy crotch of the jumpsuit balances out the neckline. I also put on the diamond encrusted meteorite pendant as a distraction from the plunging neckline. That was kind of a big fail - it's big, shiny, and positioned right at the lowest point of the plunge - but it made me happy.

SWOOOOSH!!! You can see a bit of pylon or traffic cone in the corner. Coordinating perfectly. I can't lace the top lace holes of my shoes unless I wear socks because the sandals bite my ankles, and I didn't think socks would go.

And why not a kick to show you that this is not a dress. It's an even cooler jumpsuit!

The parasol was given to me by Lily-Lark last year. I often go out with it to protect from the sun. I went to the Art Gallery again. I love the light up there.

And the Pride Parade was last Sunday. I wasn't in the mood to dive into the crowds so I hung out on the periphery in a cafe and sketched in my journal, as I do. That photo below is two photos stuck together. I didn't have my tripod or camera so this is the best I could do with the phone. It still freaks me out taking photos on a phone.

That's been my week. How has yours been?

I'm too late for Patti's Visible Monday, dang! (word of the day), but I'll skedaddle over to Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike, at Not Dressed as Lamb. See you there!! 

Stay cool, my friends. 

The dress of 1,000 faces

It's spring. And I'm ready - in this awesome striped dove-grey linen dress and jacket. They arrived on my doorstep almost like magic a while ago, specially sent from GRIZAS in the EU, so this is a sponsored post. After you read a little more, you'll know why I couldn't say no. Of course the views are entirely my own.

I had been waiting impatiently for the exact right day to debut this outfit, and then, BAM, last week, sunshine and semi-warmth, it was time. Hurray! The problem was having so many styling ideas and just one photo shoot. In the end, I opted for coppery-green glitter tights, two super-long strands of faux pearls, and, at the last minute, men's shoes. Plus of course the magic loupe O made me - I never leave home without it.

All of GRIZAS's clothing are made from natural fibres. This dress flows beautifully when I walk.

There's something regal about that black and white photo, all harumphs and tra-la's. It appears I had to shove my hands in my pockets lest they break into a royal wave! No doubt I'm on my way for pinky tea in the solarium at the country estate, whilst awaiting the hounds and news of Lord B's scandalous little adventure. Ah, euphemisms, how I miss them. More tea? Don't mind if I do. With a little something added perhaps.

But don't let that B&W image fool you.

Versatility travels the limits with this outfit, so much room for play.

For example, femininity sprang to mind initially with this jacket and dress, which I played up with the pearls and a brief flirtation with pointy-toe black pumps and a scarf for a lovely tinge of '20s style.

But then I put on the man shoes and heard an electric guitar. Yeeeah! The shoes were the perfect anchor for my mood; they said, Get your trod on!, while the dress said, Nay, tarry a while. I always enjoy the push/pull of contrasts.

I would happily wear this styling to a spring/summer wedding or tea at my country estate or indeed to a stenchy alley, obviously.

I'd also be more than content to swap out the man shoes and pearls for, say, knee-high Converse sneakers and a cross-body book bag for a casual vibe and hanging out at the cafe. Linen easily crosses lines when it comes to high/low styling.

Oh, and did I mention pockets? Yup, both dress and jacket.

Plus, these pieces work well as separates - the jacket with a T or blouse and jeans, and the dress with a top underneath if I need coverage. Or I could wear sandals and my swimsuit under the dress for a trip to the beach.

So here we have it, in this order: cafe, wedding, country estate tea, beach and stenchy alley (perhaps with Lord B?!) all in one day. And pockets to keep my royal wave at bay. See what I mean? One must always be prepared.

Below you can see the jacket buttoned up and how the stripes form a great upward arrow, and the strong A-line or arrow cut of the dress with its vertical stripes emphasizes the play between the angles. These triangulations are what attracted me to the outfit in the first place.

I started out the shoot with a scarf, but I ditched it quick - too fiddly for my taste. Don't you love those windows?

And I made a super-mini video just for myself, 10 seconds. I was not only in the mood but the alley was quiet, which made filming with a tripod less of an ordeal. I am going to post this video without the voice-over on my Instagram as well.

That's all from me this week. I hope you enjoyed this little romp with GRIZAS. They were a pleasure to work with, and you'll be seeing these pieces more as summer descends.

Whether you're celebrating a holiday or not, may the rest of your weekend be jolly - and your whole week for that matter.

When the time is right, I shall link up with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for her weekly Visible Monday and Catherine at Not Dressed as Lamb for her weekly #iwillwearwhatilike. See you there.

THANK YOU for visiting!

How to wear Chanel

Meet the linen Chanel dress I received last week in the mail from my dear aunt who's been on a shopping spree while vacationing at her villa in Cannes. I was scared to put it on! I've worn it here with my D&G pony shoes. I looove it!
OR
Meet the linen sailor-style bag dress I thrifted off the five-dollar rack. I looove it! What? Now the slouchy fit looks a little less sophisticated, a little more slouchy? Puh. This is still a home-tailored beauty. With pockets! And shoulder pads.

Did you think the wool hot-pants outfit in my post "How to Get More Followers" was conservative chic? Wool hot pants? Those short shorts? On a woman +50? In the middle of winter? Standing amidst grunge by the road? I have posted much more conservative outfits in the past, although they were couched in whimsical language. Did the Moschino label of the hot pants (yes, that was real) create an aura of sophistication, or maybe the blurry background...

I think it's empowering that we can craft how we want to be viewed. Framing is everything. Like magic. There's Lucille Ball stomping around a vat of grapes (I love that episode here) and then there's Lucille Ball glamour queen. I think I want the grapes and the champagne. Some days I feel like I'm in the vat; others, I'm in the lap of luxury.

Below is my Donna Karan ivory silkiest silk blouse (yes, that's true). Thrifted. It's a pyjama top (there's tell-tale piping), so dreamy, so over-sized on me, but perfect tucked half into my wrecked thrifted jeans that I DIY'ed with yarn and markers, my thrifted long black velvet opera coat, and a thrifted beret and shawl which I fling about with drama. Cuffs and boots for the rain. Puh. And magic loupe for magic.

I must walk daintily with the dress which has so little kick space, despite its being made from a whole bolt of linen. I'm not sure if I'll put slits up the sides or at the back or upcycle it into something completely new. I suppose I should learn someday how to use straight pins. Have you ever tried to push in a pin and pushed the sharp end by mistake? Oh, no, no - I have never ever done such a ridiculous thing. Oh no. By the way, did I mention that's a Chanel dress?

I'm on a "deceptive blog title" kick. Just leave me be - getting it out of my system is all. I'm going over to Patti's house now, Visible Monday, ready to swill some champagne, trying hard to keep a straight face with this restricted kick. We are the yin/yangs, the control/chaos, the Chanel/bargain binners, the balance that makes life interesting.

EDIT: I am being too abstruse here, which I suppose was partly my intent, playing with how it is easy to frame our reactions to clothes by the label, which I do too, from Biba to Chanel, although I hate that phrase at awards shows: "Who are you wearing?" This is NOT Chanel, not by any stretch, and, alas, I don't have an aunt in Cannes, but this dress has a boxy, rich quality to it and a very odd fit, which could be seen as thrifty bag dress or couture, which was part of the appeal, and it was five dollars. It was made by a talented home sewist. The dress is navy. 

Re. comments. I feel bad that some of the comments you have taken the time to write have gone missing. Mine regularly go missing on other blogs as well. I started to notice it particularly when the "I am not a Robot" began popping up on many blogs. And there's a message "Leave this page? Stay on this page?" But even before that, I have had comments go amiss. Usually I copy my comment before I submit it and then send it again if I don't see the message stating it has been saved for moderation or will appear soon. It takes much longer and it's very frustrating, as many of you know, and I'm still not sure if it works unless I go back later. 

Anyway, thank you all so much for your comments wherever they end up. I'll keep checking my trash and spam to make sure my email is not auto-sabotaging me. If any of you can crack this mystery, please let me know!