I'm not Atomic Blonde; I'm Atomic Grey

I wore this lightweight snuggly-soft Yuzhe Studios coat on my inspiration walk today, inside-out because I was in the mood for the lighter grey colour of the inside. The pockets stick out like little hip wings, and we know how flattering a look that is. And I wore my man shoes and other stuff. 

On my way home, a young woman breathlessly ran up behind me, seeking my attention. I thought:

Why, look! A fan eager to prostrate herself at my feet after my recent media triumph. And so it begins - celebrity is mine! Bwahaha! Soon I'll need to buy a hideaway in a dormant volcano and hire a team of minions.

I slowed, put on my humble face, and smiled at her with benevolence.

Then she said in a breathless confidential voice:

Excuse me, but I think you have put your coat on inside-out.

[sound of vinyl record scratching] 

"Wrong line!" was scribbled in my thought bubble.

I said, "Oh, thank you for telling me. Actually, I know it's inside-out, but I prefer it like this today." Then I thought we'd exchange laughs. But no. She said, "Oh, okay. Sorry, I'm sorry," and power-walked away, red face blazing. I felt bad. How could she have known?

Perhaps the next time I wear this inside-out I need to affix a little label on the back that says, "This inside-out is right-side-out today," to spare awkward feelings all around.

And yesterday I wore this: Jacqueline Conoir suit jacket, altered with additional repositioned buttons, Anne Klein crepe wool, lined palazzo pants courtesy of Dross Into Gold, black glitter booties, and -

The Device 

scratch-built by my partner O 

(his art is here, Etsy here).

As for the glasses, Charlise Theron wore aviator sunglassses in her role as a British spy in the period action movie Atomic Blonde, so when Nordstrom wardrobe handed me these glasses on set, BAM, I was -

No longer mere Mel - 

I was Atomic Grey! 

I decided to recreate that badass state of mind with this outfit.

There's the Yuzhe Studios coat again, right-side-out. They sent it to me a couple of years ago.

Speaking of atomic, time now to switch gears for a little spacy tripping with this psychedelic vintage '70s outfit that Suzanne, suzannecarillo.com, gave me when I was in Toronto. I almost fainted with surprise and delight. 

The outfit is seductively soft, velveteen I believe. The unstructured midi-length jacket has lapels, slits up both sides, and a single hook/eye closure at the waist. The front is meant to overlap for a fitted silhouette, but I preferred it a bit looser to enhance that tux feeling, so I pinned it closed. The slacks (love that word) zip up the back.

To top it off, I wore my blue velvety platform sandals with studded heels from Nordstorm and a satin sleeveless ruffle-front orange blouse with a super-high collar from many years ago.

I took these photos with my tripod on Granville Island.

The grand exit, tux tails flapping.

That's all for this week. I'll link something up with Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style and Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike at Not Dressed as Lamb. See you there.

Paillettes, the new alternative energy

"Fill 'er up!" glug glug glug (sound of drinking)

"Aaaah, much better."

That's an actual photo below. Just this sliver of light hitting the alley just right. You should see my elevator when I climb aboard in this jacket. It's like a mega mini disco partay. Woo hoo! Going to get frozen corn! But those moves are nothing compared to when I go buy broccoli.

It was stellar day for photos. Rain? Sun? Rain? Sun? The sky couldn't make up its mind, so I happily chased shadows and light in this alley with my tripod.

I adore these vintage palazzo pants, fully lined, with an aligned pattern at the front as well - I love those details. I bought them a couple of years ago for a song because they needed some TLC. So glad to do it! And I finally took them in. The paillette jacket, a favourite, is from My Sister's Closet.

The elevator may be Bee Gees but these photos remind me of that song: "Blinded by the light, racked up like a douche, like a roller in the night." Heh. It was written by Bruce Springsteen, but below is the Manfred Mann version, 1975, which I prefer.

Of course I had to wear my big blue sunglasses as well. Guaranteed if you wear paillettes you're going to have a great day. Well, kind of a guarantee. I'm going to look for paillette pants now, although they'd crunch when I sit down, or a paillette trench coat. How cool would that be?! Silver. Paillette go-go boots! No paillette underwear though. Just no.

If I could do that kick with rollerskates, I'd think I have real talent. 

I'm not much more than a paillette top half and a paisley palazzo'ed bottom half. That's the way, uh hunh, uh hunh, I like it, uh hunh, uh hunh. You don't know how lucky you are that you can't hear me!

Now I've got a full tank, I'm ready to rumble!!! Just don't touch my threads. Or my hair. Or my sunglasses. Or my body. Or my brownie. Okay, maybe not rumble. How about let's just hang out?  

In other news, I was in Refinery29, talking about style rules; my bit is here. You know how I feel about those, don't you? It's so cool that they asked me, along with six other women. It's funny reading my answers in that context. It's like there's a little megaphone attached to the end of my pen. I can't help myself. Hahaha!!  

And I was in ELLE (Brazil), InStyle (Greece), WhoWhatWear, and Metro.style (Philippines). These are a few since January - I don't keep up very well. And thank you SO MUCH for all your cheering of my Montecristo piece. 

I also met up with Sheila and L in Vancouver this week. We had a blast! Make sure you go to Sheila's blog, Sheila Ephemera, for her Big Ass Weekend Roundup. It's going to be a good one. (She has included photos of this paillette jacket on our meetup day too.) She's been blogging for ten years now. Huge congratulations on that!

L also has a blog, Creative Maelstrom, which has been going strong since 2009. Like Sheila, he is a gifted writer, but his specialty is CD reviews.

That's Sheila and L below, always super styling. I took this photo at Fluevog shoe emporium. They should be gifted shoes for life for their support of the brand. 

I'm linking up with Patti for Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style and Catherine at Not Dressed as Lamb for #iwillwearwhatilike. 

Until next time. Dress up (well, only if you want to of course) and be fabulous (not an order because I already know you're fabulous). 

How to be in Vogue and not know it

Sequins for lunch? Of course. Although to be accurate, these are really paillettes, which sit at the apex of Sparkledom. And then I like to add a little toolbox hand bag chaser. Quite satisfactory.

This week, having linked up all my interviews with Margaret of Sixty & Me and Elaine of MaturePreneurial, I decided I should update my Press page HERE, so I went rummaging online, which I haven't done in a long time, to see if I've missed anything I should add. 

Gaaa! - big surprise!

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And a stark reminder of how the web never sleeps. 

Unbeknownst to me, I have been leaking all over the place, mostly into posts about "old" Instagrammers and bloggers or "women ten years over half a century," aunts, grandmas, seniors, and the aged - in a good way I guess, right? Right? (often Google translations)

Overall, I was 1) shocked, 2) flattered, and 3) delighted to find myself in the fantasy titles of my youth: Vogue (Korea), Elle (Serbia), Cosmo (China), Marie Claire (Hong Kong), as well as other big-timey sites in Hungary, Mexico, Vietnam, Ukraine, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Czech Republic, Thailand, Indonesia, Netherlands, Australia, US, Romania, Estonia, Japan, UK - I think that's all. 

Starrett toolbox hand bag from O's height gauge with my big, side-button, high-waisted palazzo pants

Try and picture it, me slouched over my laptop, slurping my room-temp decaf, dressed in my slobblish oversized pants and a men's button-down, scrolling, then suddenly spewing decaf, my eyes like pie plates. 

"O, guess what? I'm in Vogue?! Gaaa!" He raised an eyebrow (sign of being impressed).

Many of the posts were a couple of months old so it felt a bit like winning gold after the original medalist is busted for doping. No podium moment for me! Heh. Unless you count my red carpet walk in the concrete box wearing this fabulous paillette jacket from eco thrift boutique My Sister's Closet.

What I liked was I got into those sites not as a model but as who I am, me, Mel, and the photos I took in the concrete box were up there alongside big name bloggers with pro photographers. That made all my bungling that much more satisfying.

Definitely, time for a real drink, coffee with caffeine, and raisin toast.

But the big revelation is that none of this has had a direct impact on my life, except I was jittery for hours and will have to buy more raisin bread. Sure, my Instagram followers have been going up, but I haven't known why. And all along I've had sponsorship offers, almost all of which I ignore or decline because they don't fit with my style/vibe.

Demonstrating the latest trend of having your tag sticking out. Awesome corset t-shirt from Shelley, Forest City Fashionista, with my uni-suspender. I love the lighting I get with this black velvet backdrop.

So my conclusion is: what matters to me is the real-life stuff, enjoying the company of friends, many met via blogging, and being receptive to new experiences. For example, last night I went to a Fluevog cocktail party for Silver Foxes and Vixens  - how cool is that?! The store was debuting its new season of shoes and I got to chat with John Fluevog himself. And next week I'll attend a Vancouver Fashion Week gala, invited by a friend. Sometimes I get asked because I have a street style blog, but I could probably wangle an invite without it.

These online discoveries have also underscored the reason I'm on social media at all:

To grab the most I can out of what my closet and imagination have to offer and to share that good feeling with people who share back. I love that loop of positivity. 

That's what the Freakish Yellow Skirt was about. Remember her? (see paragraph at end of post for brief update)

My blog is where I get to do a big show-and-tell of all my little projects and Turnip Head and musings about the absurdities of life and of course my outfits, like that sweet tiger zip jumpsuit with matching quilted skirt, for example. In.love.with.it. A gracious gift from Pao of Project Minima, whose Mum used to rock it.

Of course, if Madam Big-Time Producer called me on my Bat Phone and said breathlessly -

Mel, my Lear Jet is in the no-parking zone of your building waiting for you. I need you here PDQ (NY or London, Berlin, Paris) to host our new show Farknation!

- I would oblige. It's the polite thing to do. Heh. Wearing these stripes and honkin' huge earrings, I'm ready to go!

It's all part of the fantasy: blogging, dressing up, going to galas. I'll take them where I can get them.

Fantasy and styling are not escapes from reality; they are the armour and strength that help me deal with it and shape it to my liking. (mel said)

Sometimes I wish I were born with more business genes, so I could squeeze more from the things thrown my way, but I y'am what I y'am. Or maybe an assistant would help.

But that only happens in Farknation. 

In Farknation, there's a parking space for jets on the street and my umbrella, below, is a riding helmet.

I was feeling very Horse & Hound in this outfit. Tally-ho. Or this is what I would wear to walk the corgis. I'd just need a kerchief and an HRH or HM in front of my name to bring this fantasy to life.

I hope all of you have had a lovely week and are enjoying your own fantasies, played-out or not. I'm going to link with Patti at Visible Monday on her blog Not Dead Yet Style and Catherine at #iwillwearwhatilike on her blog Not Dressed as Lamb. I'll see you there?

FREAKISH YELLOW SKIRT UPDATE:
FYS is back in Vancouver after almost getting stranded. I have to recover from that before/if she goes out again. It's nerve-wracking being the caretaker of FYS because so many women have a stake in her well-being. She has put on weight since I saw her last with all the awesome embellishments that have been added. I'll do a post about it sometime soon.

Finding myself through unlearning

I did it. I did something huuuuge. I gave a talk about my style to the Vancouver Guild of Fabric Arts. Deb, the head of their programming, invited me several months ago. I ignored the impending date for quite a while, but then SUDDENLY, out of the blue, it was just over a week away. GAAA! Like I always do, I freaked out like a true professional.

This talk was the first time I've done public speaking since I gave my talk called "Unlearning How to Paint" a few years ago. This was more like Unlearning How to Dress or Unlearning the Style Rules. I seem to be wasting a lot of time learning then unlearning things.

I had to hike the pant legs to show off these over-the-knee boots I'm crazy for.
I had to wear them again before/if it ever gets warm.

The talk was called Confessions of a Closet Diva and it featured several costume changes. I went into it dressed a bit like a sausage, piling on layers of outfits under my oversized drop-crotch jeans and an oversized blouse like someone who'd exceeded their luggage allowance at the airport and had to wear the excess.

Bit by bit I revealed the next layers, while Vancouver Barbara, who is also a member of the Guild, held a sheet in front of me as my lovely assistant. Judy, another member of the Guild whom I've featured on my street style blog, kindly provided impromptu game-show vocal stylings during these interludes. Let me just say - the audience was STELLAR!! Simply STELLAR!! I couldn't have hoped for a more safe and encouraging environment.

So there I was, stripping down in front of a room full of strangers, pretty much, just like those dreams you have where you're naked in public. In my case, the dream came true. Too bad we can't pick and choose which dreams we have come true and when. Heh.

Did I tell you I was asked a while ago to be in StyleLikeU's What's Underneath project, the one where you strip down to your undies in front of a camera while you're being questioned about your life by someone off screen? The sessions often end in tears. It would have been excellent exposure (heh) with hundreds of thousands if not millions of viewers, but, while I was truly honoured to be asked, I declined. Definitely, it could have been another dream come true though.

That's all I'll say about the talk (and stripping), except that the feedback I've received from the presentation so far has been extremely encouraging, with even suggestions that it was more like performance art and would maybe work for the Fringe Festival, which is like an off-off-Broadway-by-several-thousand-miles theatre festival of fringy works. I love fringe! And dingle balls too! That would be awesome. Of course my reaction presupposes that comparing my talk to performance art is a good thing. Heh.

So my mind is turning, turning. Every time I scare myself by doing a new thing, my mind starts hurtling into new territory. I'm afraid of what I'll want to unlearn next.

You may note the wrinkles around the crotchal area, rather accordion-looking. That particular instrument doesn't exactly evoke the genre or rhapsody one would prefer in that area.

And this last photo, I'll explain. As a member of the media, on May 13 I attended a big fundraiser event for Positive Living BC, which assists people who are HIV positive. There were about 100 actors/models in the show, including, happily, two of the people I styled with Su Bennett for the fashion show of My Sister's Closet's parent organization, Battered Women's Shelter Society, a couple of years ago (here): Stella Panagiotidis (IG here) and Marc Swiednicki. They were outstanding.

I arrived at the venue during cocktail hour at 7 p.m. and didn't leave until the show was over around 11:30. It was a long evening but bursting with talent, generosity, and caring. While I was walking home, I ran across this man whom I'd seen inside earlier. He was waiting for a taxi to take him home. This photo I took of him standing there without his shoes on sums up the whole evening, along with the exhaustion of accomplishment. Unfortunately, I didn't get his name.

I posted on the event on my street style culture blog, Culture Serf. You can see it here.

That's it for this week, sweet chickens.

No blog post these days is complete without linking up with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style and her Visible Monday, and Catherine at Not Dressed as Lamb and her #iwillwearwhatilike. I'll probably see you there.

Have you done anything scary lately? Like drink expired milk? Walk when the hand is flashing? Do tell. I usually respond to comments but I'm later (than usual) this time.

Palazzo pants for any occasion, not kidding

I took music with me to the alley this time. Tricky business. 

With headphones on, I strain to hear my camera's self-timer countdown and my head spins on the lookout for vehicles, although this particular location is relatively quiet. The biggest distractions are people who wander in on smoke breaks and make me feel like a dork (thank goodness I'm a pro dork and can handle it) and dumpster-divers, etc. (best not to go into details).

Definitely I'm NOT listening to Symphonie Fantastique 5th Movement by Berlioz, which you may recall was used as creepy theme music for Julia Robert's evil husband in the movie Sleeping with the Enemy. Memory jog here. No, these tunes were definitely more upbeat, a "mix tape." Oh those words from a bygone era, yeah, bygone like my youthful trampoline skin!! - sigh. But I'm at least waaay more mature and friggin' wise. 

These mega-leg vintage paisley palazzo pants are great with heels but a bit long for my Converse runners, so I hoisted them a few inches at the bottom with mitten clips. This gave the pantlegs a fantastic balloony effect, while also keeping them out of the muck - double yes.

On top are: upcycled white T-shirt with two chest-level ventilation holes for, uh, chest ventilation, worn over an ivory cotton T-shirt, a so-soft faux-fur and leather bomber jacket, and a big canvas/leather satchel. And my Yuzhe Studios coat is tied at my waist for temperature control emergencies.

For me, music is another cheap form of transportation. See the two exhibits below. Exhibit 1: In the alley.

Exhibit 2: In the forest with Dog.

Either I was really in the forest with Dog and photo-edited myself into all of these other alley shots or I was in the alley and photo-edited myself into the forest. Take your pick. Better yet, have ten martinis (or G&Ts) and tell me what you think.

Perspective is everything. Below I am in a 10 meter-deep empty water tank undergoing some weird cult initiation rite. I think the goddess is supposed to suck me up. Too much fun!!

And then a cool shot because, yeah, like, l'm wearing headphones, right? That makes this auto-cool. I should have put on my shades for double-auto-cool.

I'll link up with, guess who? Patti, Visible Monday, Not Dead Yet Style, and Catherine, #iwillwearwhatilike, Not Dressed as Lamb.

Perhaps you've had a fine week? I do hope so! I'm finally waking up. The snow is gone in Vancouver, for now. Bah-bye!! Sending you wishes for all good things.

The most amazing, stupendous, sponsored post EVER!

Look at those pants. Will you just LOOK at them?!!

When I first saw these pants, I couldn't believe that I might get to wear them for a blog post. Eeee! And then suddenly, they were mine! This is absolutely one of the best offers I have EVER had for a sponsored post. Ultra, ultra high-waisted, six buttons, screaming pink, blue, and aqua plaid wool palazzos. (Edit: These are probably what I would have described as "baggies" back in the day.)

And I can't get over how sophisticated and demure my response to this offer has been, despite my puppy-that-falls-over-and-pees-everywhere excitement. See? I'm calm, totally calm, serene even, freakishly so, acting like I get this kind of thing every frigging day! Case in point: so far I've used maybe 0.13% fewer exclamation points than usual in this post. Now that's control, right? The serenity that comes with success, dare I say.

I'm bummed that I couldn't do an outdoor shoot - not happening in the snow and rain, and there was probably hail too, and lightning, just to piss me off to maximum effect.

This kind of luxury item deserves the best location to do it justice, maybe a fancy hotel lobby or an upscale restaurant, or an art gallery even. But instead I used my black fabric backdrop. (I hope that won't damage my chances for future sponsored posts.) This is probably the least chic location these pants have ever been photographed in, given the shocking price they command in store.

In the photo below the pink is slightly more accurate, at least on this monitor. And I was wearing a black scarf choker too.

So huuuge, huuuuge THANKS to my sponsor. Before I reveal who it is, let me just say that clearly I'm in the Big Leagues now. I was shocked to be offered this deal. Don't worry - I'll still be your friend. And don't be jealous!! I have loved (and occasionally loathed, I admit) this sponsor for years, and their commitment to chocolate and pudding and chips.

MYSELF. Yes.
Yes, I am the sponsor. I am the sponsor of all my posts, except I did one for Karina Dresses and one for Yuzhe Studios. I saw these pants, I liked them, and paid myself to wear them. They are vintage I suspect, and home-made. Dreamy.

When I was finished the pants shoot, I decided to exercise my magic wand, Grushenka, which had been languishing in the cupboard. O made it for when I gave my lecture, "Unlearning how to paint," at the art gallery a few years ago. Such a wonderful gift. This is my impression of Tinker Bell.

So, let this post silliness be a reminder: if you're feeling deflated about not getting lots of sponsored posts, don't be. The stuff we already have in own closets is pretty fecking awesome. We're ALL SCHTARS. Yesh.


I'll be linking something here up to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style and Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike at Not Dressed as Lamb. Of course.

I'm so cheeky, heh. Raspberry kisses to you all!!

Slack-jawed in a shaggy coat, and other important things

Wearing this inhuman outfit, I went to the park for photos. There were lots of cats there. And I seem to be walking on water. Handy, because it never stops frickin' raining!! 

It's a magic cat with orange/yellow eyes. I'll call him Pyewacket, after actress Kim Novak's Siamese familiar spirit in the '58 movie Bell, Book and Candle, clip here. Ms. Novak plays a cool Manhattan witch who, sadly, becomes a normal, boring person after falling in love with a spineless man played by James Stewart. Sigh.

I looove this outfit. The jacket and vintage humongoid palazzo pants seem to match, and then I wore ruffles and that shaggy vest, newly sprung from its space bag. And the elastic corset belt of course makes any outfit better. 

Fierce, right? Or maybe I simply ate too much chocolate. 

Below, a different outfit featuring the classic stupefaction pose - you know, where you open your mouth a bit. Who knew that looking slack-jawed would be a thing? Of course this look is not unfamiliar to me; I just rarely do it for a camera. 

And I'm wearing white Manic Panic hair gel and white brows created with MAC chromacake. The lipstick, called Poe by Kat Von D, is almost black, but much of it had come off by the time I got home for photos. I belled the bottoms of these pants too. 

I learned this mouth pose from ingenue bloggers. It is the cousin of the half-mouth-droop, taught to me by Sue of A Colourful Canvas. And let's not forget the just-pulled-my-finger-outta-my-mouth pose. You can see my big fail here, last photo.

Lately I've seen bloggers rubbing or smooshing their moist lips suggestively with an index finger. Usually they have tousled, just-woke-up long hair too. Well, I think it's unfair that young bloggers get to hog all the "in" poses. It's time we short-haired (or otherwise), middle-aged bloggers moved in on these hot, hot, hot poses. 

Note the belled bottoms. The colour on the left is more accurate.

Until such happy day, though, at least I can do the one where you use your index and middle finger to strum your lips and make bub-bub-bub-bub sounds. Sophisticated, I know. Maybe I can make it a thing. Which brings me to the next pose...

It was Black Friday last week. In honour I present: the double-raspberry.

Below is the photo I put on IG. Zip it! Zip it good!

Black Friday - it sounds like a spell. It is a spell. You see a sign in a shop window that says 100% OFF STOREWIDE. You think, WOW, that's a great deal, I'll risk it. You go in. Bam, there's a wall of people windmilling their arms to grab, grab, grab. Hardly unexpected.

But where are the deals? Of course there's fine print: on selected items only.  If you're lucky there's a single cast-off on a rack in the very back for 80% off. Fortunately, I usually prefer these rejects, but it wasn't worth sticking around to find out. I sucked up the crowd buzz and left. 

A better view of those pants. Most of my shaggy apparel is out of storage now. In a pinch, I could hide a whole farmyard of animals in those pantlegs.

That's the end of this week's stroll through what I wore. It was US Thanksgiving, and I hope those of you who celebrate had a good one. It's the time to recount our blessings - there are so many. 

Have a good week everyone. Here's a link to Santana, Black Magic Woman, live in 1971. 

Yes, I think I'll also join Patti at Visible Monday, Not Dead Yet Style, and Catherine, #iwillwearwhatilike, at Not Dressed as Lamb.

Style doctoring without borders

The very best clothes change me - they move me, literally. They make me hold my hands a certain way, stride a certain way. They affect my carriage and expression and speed. For me, these are the things that propel an outfit from merely great to exceptional.

The movements here are large. They are not something you would do going down the sidewalk. Even so, when I hit the pavement, these bold physical expressions are still there, coiled inside, ready to spring, not necessarily through a kick, but maybe a quick smile or high five. An energy has been created.

It's getting easier to express the particular supremacy of a cut or colour or texture and its effect in my photos. Is it because I am more in tune with these connections or because I am becoming less timid in the use of my camera and locations? Probably both.

I am patient too. I know there can be no exceptional responses without the short-of-exceptional in between for comparison, which can feel interminable, so when I do find that magic combination, well, it's something to relish, something I couldn't fathom giving up.

This week I imagined what it would be like if I woke up one morning and found out freedom of expression had been banned during the night. Specifically, from now on we would only be allowed to wear state-issued khakis and button-downs with plain black cotton shoes. Bobs would be the only sanctioned hairstyle. In other words, the pinnacle of norm core.

The blow would be staggering. But I wondered about those people who have always suppressed their style choices fearing what other people would think. I can't imagine the regret they'd feel staring at, say, a little red dress they'd secreted away in the closet before the clothing police raided their home.

They'd probably be asking themselves - why didn't I wear my dress/platform shoes/palazzo pants when I had the chance!? Why was I worried about a few raised eyebrows?

So I say, PUT ON THAT FECKING RED DRESS. Put it on NOW!! Freedoms are nibbled away bit by bit until, yes, it's possible we could wake up some day to an altered reality. It happens. So right now, this very minute, is as good a time as any to revel in our freedom to wear whatever the feck we want. Abso-fecking-lutely.

I use my individual expression to create antibodies against the pestilence of intolerance. This particular outfit created an especially powerful batch. In fact, I shared it with people I met on the street who were also eager for a big dose.

I bought this coat at My Sister's Closet after it had been rejected by shoppers in a pop-up shop at a cinema before a fashion film I couldn't attend. When I didn't see the coat at the shop the next day, I was sure it had been snapped up, but I had to ask anyway. The volunteer on duty went to check, and when she came back, there it was. Apparently, many people had tried it on and passed. Whew!

These tartan palazzo pants are made from a heavyweight brushed twill and I bought them at Used House of Vintage several years ago. This was my first time wearing this particular combination. Pretty damned strong antibodies if you ask me.

It's been quite a week.

Yellow Skirt Freak Show Update!! and great walls

When you can't decide what colour or pattern to wear, of course you wear them all.

And below, just so you don't think I've gone all soft and happy and positive - the look I throw on 1) if I sense some style-rule 'tude coming my way, my withering regal glare or 2) to convince gawkers in the surrounding highrises that I know exactly what I'm doing in the alley. Bwhahaha! 

Who needs Mr. Bean when you've got me bungling around with my bag and the tripod and my alcohol spray, flappy pants, and my remote, and that stupid thing there, and, geez, what is that?, my purse, thinking all the while, DON'T LET IT TOUCH THE GROUND!! Oof, arf, ack - it's my distinctive cry.

Oh yes, everything under control here. Yes-sireedy-deedy (no meaning there, Greetje).

Wearing: hip-slung oversized palazzo pants from Used House of Vintage, top from Value Village long ago, corset belt from I-forget-where, shoes from the reject sale pile at Topshop a couple of years ago, earrings from My Sister's Closet. I tucked in the top and decided I also needed the belt.

I have lots of photos but, puh, enough of that. NEXT!!! she screamed (like that screamy Frau Farbissina in Austin Powers. You can see her true magic here). But first -

Breaking News

The Travelling Yellow Skirt Freak Show continues.

****************8888888888888888888****************

Never has the 
Freakish Yellow Skirt

.

blown so much HOT AIR

She RISES to New HEIGHTS of 
Fa-byuu-luss FREAKINGNESS!!

Buoyed by elan and grace and great gobs of elegance

She breaks fresh wind

* S  a l  l y *
.

SarsaparillaSal

(click blog name to link)

with sunshine from Umbi

you will truly be AMAZED!!! (for real)

G O ! !   G O   N O W ! ! ! !

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I knew Sally was a madly-skilled sewist and stylist with a wonderful sense of humour, but this FYS project blew me away. Hahaha! You must see her post here, well, all her posts - so worth it. Soon she'll also put up a "Making of the Yellow Skirt" post as well. You'll see why.

Thanks, Sally!! And thanks also to your artistic director, photographer, the villa custodians, and of course your gifted son, Umbi. Your joyful styling made my day! The skirt is now winging its way to the USA.

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Refreshed from that interlude, are you? You must be ready for NEXT OUTFIT!!

Yes, a little off center, cut off, with a crooked horizon. Just like my life. My superb thrifted vintage jumpsuit from Used House of Vintage, which features a persnickety rear metal zip, worn with my vintage leather belt and thrifted Miu Miu boots. Earrings from My Sister's Closet. Hair from my head.

Another quickie blankie photo with a scrap piece of black fleece as a backdrop and disinfected soles.

And one more photo for the road because I have it and I like it and I risked my humility once again to take it in a new location. It seems everywhere I turn these days I run into another great wall. Oof.

That's all from here. I have been a failure at visiting everyone. I'll try to catch up.

I'll link this up to:
Patti at Visible Monday, Not Dead Yet Style
Catherine at #iwillwearwhatilike, Not Dressed as Lamb
Anne at 52 Pick-me-up: Ivory/Rejection, heh, SpyGirl.

Have a great week.
I love that yellow skirt.