Squash and styrofoam and the ultimate in leisurewear

A colourful silk blouse. Which I love. Thrifted, of course. By Scotch & Soda, a slightly upscale brand from the Netherlands. The original tags were still attached, as well as all the brand's signature chains and metal gewgaws, which I find irksome, but I got it for a steal. I won't tell you how much I paid to spare your feelings. 

I'm standing in the viewing area of my building's squash court. The match I'm watching has apparently made me catatonic - or looking uber-boring fashiony. Heh.

Everything but the pants is thrifted and fine quality. The oversized men's overcoat below is British, vintage wool blend and water resistant. I thrifted the Miu Miu boots for $10 several years ago because the store thought the crackled leather meant they were worn out. The day after I bought them, I saw the exact pair in an editorial ad for Harley Davidson(?) in Vanity Fair magazine. I cut out the ad and hid it someplace so safe I'll never find it again.

The paisley pants are by some mid-tier brand, I forget, purchased at a consignment shop. They are awesome. And there's my "magic loupe" of course, a handmade gift from my partner O, worn daily for years not only as a talisman but also as a quick and easy substitute for reading glasses.

And below, I'm trying to be very cool in the stairwell. Val of Muse Fondue suggested on my IG post that I just need a candy cigarette to make the look complete. I so agree. Or a pink bubblegum cigarette because sometimes when you'd blow on them, powered sugar would puff out the end like real smoke. They probably don't make either anymore; I wonder if they sell candy fatties now.

In my mid-20s I decided to take up smoking for my New Year's resolution. I choked down about two half cigarettes and promptly gave up. I'm so glad I did. I couldn't even hold them in a cool way.

Below is the same outfit but with my shaggy coat and DIY faux fur collar thing. I'm reading in the styrofoam recycling room. Bwahaha - no I'm not. I always do flash photography in there, meaning I take my pictures in pitch black and the flash only lights up for a split second, which would give me time to read one or two words max if I were on a roll. Rather inconvenient.

I needed this book, reading glasses, and stool as props this time in case people came wandering in. What would they think finding me in the styrofoam recycling room not actually doing anything? This way I could say, "I'm reading, what does it look like?!" (And hope they overlook the fact that it's dark and there's a tripod and I could ask them the same question.)

I'm wearing my denim sweat pants, distressed denim on the outside and soft fleeciness on the inside, hip slung with a drop crotch and a sweatband ankle and waistband missing its tie. Thrifted, all thrifted, except my reading glasses, which I bought at the Art Gallery gift store, and my magic loupe.

The book in my hand is called Lady's Maid by Margaret Forster. It is a fictional account of the maid of poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, single and later as wife of Robert Browning, based on scattered real life records. I've read the book several times and every time I scream in my head, Run! Sadly, my esteem of EBB plunged after this book, although my distaste was no doubt coloured by the conventions of the class structure of the time. I would not recommend this book if you want to maintain your high regard of this poet. But I enjoyed the book in an annoying (but good) way.

I'm linking up to Patti at Visible Monday on her blog Not Dead Yet Style. I'll see you in the garden. I'll be the one trying to look aloof in the reclining lawn chair, getting sloshed on low-salt V8 juice, and smoking bubblegum fatties.

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In other news...
The near-impossible has happened - I was featured in Marie Claire Brazil magazine, their print March issue, along with Sarah Jane Adams, Lyn Slater, Iris Apfel, and Helen Winkle (Binkie Winkle). Ouch, ouch, ouch - that's the sound of me pinching myself. Hahaha! That was an honour, I can tell 'ya (being in the magazine, not pinching myself). If you are reading this MC, thank you! I have a pdf of the article and I'll get a hard copy later this month and share more.

The only reason I was in there was because you guys give me such AMAZING support. I'm not all cool like other mega-stars who rack up this kind of thing all the time; I'm just a woman who wanders around Vancouver trying to grab at the little good things, wearing stuff that makes me happy. So thank you!

Silks and sci fi

One of my neighbours was in that movie, Chupacabra vs. The Alamo. A chupacabra is a demonic-looking beast that preys on outdoor animals. The creature sucks all the blood from its victims through surgical-like puncture wounds. Some say the chupacabra is a contemporary legend; others, especially operators of souvenir shops, swear they are real. Whatever the case, they are excellent fodder for a B movie. You can read about chupacabras here. 

:::: hip-slung silk blouse as skirt, silky golden top, pastel yellow tights, ostrich ankle boots, similar to here ::::

::: the "chupacabra sheriff look" is edited from a photo posted here ::::

I sometimes enjoy a B sci-fi/monster movie, especially if it's raining outside, I have a steaming mug of hot chocolate, and a mountain of pillows and junk food, but I miss the days before computer graphics. No realistic gore/slime fest created in a CG lab compares to my imagination when it comes to freaking myself out, which is why I also prefer books to their film version. Below is one of my favourite sci-fi clips, the running scene starting at 20sec, from Ultra Q, a Japanese offshoot series of Ultraman.

I'll be linking this up to Sacramento's Share-in-Style: Autumn on her blog Mis Papelicos. This outfit counts because it is in a favourite autumnal colour of decay, gold, and it also has blue, the colour of mould on cheese, a decrepit colour snap. Curtise's post featuring outfits in the colours of mould, decay, detritus, and fungus was truly inspiring at The Secondhand Years. I bet you've seen it already; look here if you haven't.

B movies: yay or nay? Seen any notable ones lately, something worthy of a slacker afternoon?

Above is what I wore today, Sunday. The tunic/dress says "Happy" on it. Having a clothing manufacturer factory-stamp "Happy" onto its fabric makes me feel as joyful as having a bank machine tell me to smile. I shall change this writing posthaste to Hoppy or Hippy, anything but Happy. That's just me, even though, thankfully, I don't object to the emotion itself. Everything here is thrifted, except the shoes (ultra discount) and the magic loupe from O. These skinny jeans, made in Dublin, are plaid so I shall link them up to Anne's 52 Pick-me-up: Plaid at Spy Girl.

Patti (Not Dead Yet Style) and Greetje (No Fear of Fashion) have both worn Turnip Head. Hee hee. I like their own heads better, who wouldn't?, but Turnip had a good time.

If you haven't seen Charlie in the Freakish Yellow Skirt, you'd best make tracks to her blog, Fur Earwig. Now that's what I call Happy styling!

Blinded by the light

It's the power of gold spangles, my friends. This treasure cast so many reflections that my elevator became a private discotheque. When I stepped onto the sidewalk, the entire city lit up in sparkly madness.

The day I bought this top I entered my favourite thrift store determined not to find anything. After careful scrutiny of every corner I had achieved my targeted disappointment. But of course, like any good soldier of style, I had to do a second sweep - JUST TO MAKE SURE! On my way out, the glint caught my eye...

Details:

• gold sequin top, thrifted (same neck style as the sparkle catsuit of a couple posts ago)
• maxi floral silk skirt, Debbie Suchat sample, thrifted, last seen as spring skress HERE
• ankle boots, you've seen them all over the place, new long ago
• oversized mauve silk blouse, hand-me-over from time-sealed treasure chest
• magic loupe, O made it for me
• maxi cardi with convenient pockets located at knee height, sample sale, Metallicus 
• unseen: mustard tights and wild diamond-patterned socks, for a future post...
• toolbox handbag, not shown here but it was my bag du jour

Below is how I looked outside with my cardi against the chill and my street style camera.

When I wear this skirt the way it was designed, as an actual maxi skirt rather than as a skress, the waist settles around my hips so that the hem elegantly sweeps the floor, or sidewalk - not so elegant! So I rolled the waist to shorten the length, which worked for a while at least.

In this outfit I envision myself centre stage playing electric guitar for the song "Blinded by the Light" by Manfred Mann, never mind that I can't play electric guitar...



Does anyone know the REAL lyrics by heart?... If you do, you have my admiration. I hope you're having a week full of sparkle, real or imagined.

Do these booties make me look like...

...I'm having too much fun? Because I am! And they passed the new-footwear test - I survived my inspiration walk without a single blister. These heels are not as challenging as some others in my closet because of the built-in platform.

I made the skirt from a new old-stock roll-end of fabric from my favourite fabric store, Dressew. It is a stretch synthetic blend that feels like a thick '70s ski-pant fabric. I simply stitched the piece together at the back and hemmed the top, bottom, and back slit. Done. No zippers or buttons. But...this skirt does have a tendency to slide down my body so I added the suspenders. 

In typical slacker fashion I made a single cross-sling suspender which would involve less sewing. Sewing was required because the device is made from backpack strapping with little clips sewn onto the ends, and the strapping had to be shortened. It also has a backpack-type clasp which you can see at the front, and a little pouch on the back side of it to carry pens and such. Handy! Plus, I didn't have another suspender even if I wanted to maintain some symmetry.

The stuff:

• skirt, I made from new old-stock fabric
• suspenders, I made from bits and pieces
• ivory silk blouse with mother-of-pearl heart-shaped buttons, old, retail
• black glitter platform booties with wood heel, retail (shameful!)
• black compression knee socks (because they don't fall down), retail
• two vintage slips, thrifted, for warmth
• brown wool cape, not shown, super sale, retail

About the booties, they are the worst quality I have experienced in years -  that will teach me to buy retail. When I got home from this inaugural walk the soles had divots all over them. Worn once and already I have to take them preemptively to the cobbler for shoring up. I'd feel totally ripped off if I didn't love the profile and the glitter so much.

Here is a close-up of the crappy, dreamy booties.

They came with black laces but I replaced them with these mismatched laces made from strips of kimono fabric. The laces were given to me by my friend Sharron, whom I recently featured on my street style blog - here.

Overall, while everyone outside today was huddled under their umbrellas (a light sprinkle), I was ready for some serious ninja action, power-infused by home-made style and glitter booties. New song of the day: "Your Sole has Divots."

If you had to write a song about your day, what would you call it? Hugs, all.

Deep Floral Haze

Fabulous Sarah at Misfits Vintage declared this FLORAL WEEK, rather "arbitrarily" and only lasting as long as she felt like it - that's my kind of Floral Week. Doesn't she look fabulous in that floral-splashed coat that Vix gave her?

Today was dark and dreary so I decided that perhaps a little floral therapy would be good medicine. I stumbled to my closet - think of me here as Pig-Pen in Charlie Brown both in my state of mind and dress - and tugged out this maxi dress, praying for floral healing powers. Then, SHAZAM, POOF!

Suddenly I awoke and the world embraced me, it drew me to her bosom and whispered, "My pet, we are one again." Aglow, I skipped downtown with beatific joy until a smiling gentle soul greeted me with, "Snap out of it, biotch!" Bwa-ha-ha. No, that didn't happen at all. But the florals did pick up my mood. I'd say those sneaky flowers reduced my grumbling by, oh, 50 percent, which is pretty darned good.

Details of the ensemble:

• vintage homemade maxi dress, thrifted
• ankle boots, retail
• white maxi slip, thrifted
• black coat, retail
• red wool beret, thrifted
• oversized aubergine silk blouse, hand-me-over

I always look like that photo above when I'm cold, my collar turned up as high as possible, as if that's going to make the cold go away.

So happy florals! I found a few other florals growing in my closet while I was rooting around. I never know what I'll turn up. I hope you're all having a great week. I love that song Deep Purple. Bring it on!

Maxi flower power recovery wear

Happy Earth Day! Three cheers for thrifting for reducing our earth-load! And many, many thanks to everyone for your comments while I have been recovering from this cold!

To aid in my recovery I wore this outfit today - maxi impact maxi with tropical flowers, a gen-u-ine Hawaiian-made muumuu that I discovered at a thrift shop about a week ago. The colours are so intense they threw off my white balance (on the camera) which made my face look a bit green in celebration of Earth Day.

You'll notice no beret, which is in part testament to my feel-good state. An ultra positive energy wave sloshed all over the sidewalk on my way downtown today, drenching innocent passersby in spring-fresh fuchsia goodness. (Gulp! That's me taking more meds...)

Here is the outfit. This dress longed for a photo out-of-doors but my studio had to do. Notice how I cleverly directed the lighting at my torso.

I wore my denim jacket because it was still slightly chilly, and my fingerless gloves. Under the dress I wore a long-sleeved blouse, a vintage baby-blue one-piece slip, and bright pink tights. I think the dark boots and the gloves in particular made this summery frock suitable for a sunny spring day.

Details of the outfit:

• muumuu, thrifted, $19 at Community Thrift Store, it has only one tag that says "Made in Hawaii"
• oversized silk shirt, hand-me-over
• Miu Miu boots, Wildlife Thrift Store
• fingerless gloves, Canadian Tire, purchased as regular gloves
• denim jacket with glittery bits, Value Village

I like that pic up there. It looks like I'm putting my right foot in doing the Hokey Pokey. The back of the dress has a full skirt created by a deep box pleat. I think that's called a princess back. Do you know? The train effect certainly made me feel like royalty.

Oh, chic alors! Too bad I can't just hover down the sidewalk so I can maintain this pose, I like it so much! I suppose I could mount myself on a skateboard and employ a dog or wayward child to pull me with a rope.

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Today's walk was my second outing in a week - the first was yesterday when I was hired to shoot photos of concert pianist Corey Hamm during rehearsal of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere performance of Idee Fixe (sorry, I can't do the accent on the first "e"), composed by Jordan Nobles and conducted by Bramwell Tovey. Below are two of my favourite shots, although I also captured some good ones of Maestro Tovey and the full complement of musicians. I love photographing artists at work.

Meditations of the Artist. Pianist Corey Hamm   (c) Melanie Kobayashi 2012

Lost in the Moment. Pianist Corey Hamm with Composer Jordan Nobles    (c) Melanie Kobayashi 2012

I felt privileged to have had the chance to hear the fine-tuning of this piece with the full orchestra.

The fact that this was "work" was a huge bonus.

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I am of course including this outfit in Patti's Visible Monday. Poor Miz Bagg is bed-bound in the Arctic Circle after her pyjama party shenanigans. Thanks, Terri, that was fun! Tee hee. Do you think my facial worked?

Here I am in a little energy ball. Again, thanks, everyone, for your positive input! I could feel it coming my way and it DEFINITELY helped in my recovery.