Outfit: Lost in a White Wonderland

Nicole outfits fashion, hat, outfit, style, vintage

Christmas Day, we woke up to a fresh new coating of powdery white snow. I had been hoping for fresh snow for the holidays- as there is just nothing like a White Christmas, is there? We did already have snow on the ground, but the dead grass was poking through in areas, creating an effect that was not as picturesque as Christmas should be. 😉 Thus, I was very glad to wake up to snowflakes floating softly down; the world fresh and white, and quiet with the muffled softness that comes with a fresh snowfall. It was most definitely Christmas card worthy.

Of course, with snow comes colder temperatures as well, but it is a worthwhile tradeoff, I think. It’s going to be cold anyways, come winter, so we might as well get a pretty snowfall out it, right? Last winter was so mild, that I hardly had a chance to wear my winter coats, so even though I haven’t been exactly enthusiastic about the colder temperatures, at least I am able to give my winter coats several outings. Like most people, I used to have one winter coat, one summer coat, and one in between coat. Then one day, I decided that sometimes one coat doesn’t work with every outfit, and that when you live in a cold climate, it is perfectly OK to own multiple coats, if you’d like to. So, I currently now own three winter coats, am in the process of sewing another, and am constantly on the look out for a 40’s/50’s fit and flare style wool coat. And I borrow this coat of my mom’s whenever I can. My mom bought this gorgeous leather coat years ago, and though it doesn’t get much wear, it is so beautiful that I love to borrow it when the occasion permits. The collar is silver fox and is also detachable- but I always wear it with the fur, as it is so much more elegant that way. It was the perfect thing to wear for Christmas day- as I was already going with a black and grey colour scheme, as shown in my last outfit post. Apparently, whenever I pair black and grey I somehow end up with a completely monochromatic outfit?

You may notice, (if you are looking that closely at this outfit!) that I am wearing different tights in this post, than I was in the last. I decided last minute to wear these fun polka dot tights instead of my white ones, and I think they add just the perfect amount of whimsy to an otherwise plain outfit, that could’ve easily turned into a rather boring one. I think the beetle brooch also keeps things fun. I don’t particularly like insects or arachnids, but I do own a spider brooch and now this beetle brooch. I prefer my bugs to have rhinestones on them, I guess 😉 I saw this brooch a couple of weeks before Christmas, and pointed it out to my family as a “great gift idea”. I didn’t think that anyone would get it for me, but when I opened my gift on Christmas morning, lo and behold, there was the beetle brooch! I couldn’t wait to wear it, so I pinned it on my beret, and it was the perfect finishing touch to my Christmas day outerwear.

Did you have a White Christmas where you live, or do you have snow on the ground now? Do you like to borrow clothing from family or friends? What do you think about the beetle brooch (or other insect jewelry)? Would you wear insect related jewelry like this, or does that thought gross you out?

Outfit Details:

Coat: Vintage, borrowed from my Mom

Tights: Hue

Boots: Dkode

Gloves: Can’t remember!

Beret: Gift

Brooch: Gift

When you decide to throw snow, make sure you take note of which way the wind is blowing and throw accordingly. Otherwise, you might end up coating yourself in a lovely cold frosting, see picture left. The second try, see picture right, I made sure to toss the snow out, not up.

The Comfort of a Good Tried and True Outfit

Nicole outfits fashion, hat, outfit, style, vintage

When one is wearing a 1960’s outfit, one must pretend to be a Vogue cover model of the era, and pose appropriately.

I love to play dress up with my wardrobe and come up with new outfit combinations.  It’s always so much fun to pair items with something I haven’t before, and come up with new ideas on how to wear the garments I have. I especially love to do this whenever I get something new in my wardrobe. Before I buy a garment, I always try to picture it with the things I already have- how will it fit in with what I already own? What do I have that I could pair it with? And then, as soon as I bring it home, I try pairing it with as many things in my wardrobe as possible. That way, the next time I go to get dressed I already have an idea of what sorts of garments work together well, but I have the freedom to experiment and add accessories that haven’t been out to play for a while . . . or to choose something unexpected altogether. However, as much as I love to experiment, sometimes you just need the comfort of an old friend.

Enter, the tried and true outfit. This is an outfit that just “goes” together, and every time you wear it, you love it as much as you did the last time.

I have a few “uniforms” in my wardrobe, but this is definitely one of my favourites. You can actually read more about this coat in this post from back in March. Today’s outfit is identical to that one, with only the addition of a new-to-me vintage hat. I have worn this outfit, with the exact same dress, coat, and shoes several times since I found this coat a few years ago – and every time I wear it, I still love it just as much as the first time.

I only wear this dress paired with this coat, because it is a tunic, that I turned into a dress (but is impossible to alter so it is more fitted, as it has to be pulled on over the head.) The dress is rather baggy, and so it isn’t very flattering on its own, but when worn under this coat, it suddenly looks like a 1960’s shift (and so it is worth keeping in my wardrobe, even if I only wear it a couple of times a year!) Adding my trusty old low navy peep-toes, furthers the 1960’s theme, and when you are wearing a 1960’s inspired outfit, you have to pair it with a ridiculous feathered pillbox, right? I don’t know why, because they are rather silly, but I just love 1960’s hats. I picked this one up in the spring, just in time to pack it away for summer, so this was it’s official debut. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this hat while I was wearing it; it almost seems too tall and narrow. However, there is a benefit to taking pictures for your blog- you can look objectively at things later when you go through the photos! After looking at the hat in this pictures, I actually think it’s grown on me a bit, but what do you think? I’m still trying to decide if it is a yes or a no.

So, there you go, even though I have worn this exact thing before, I enjoyed wearing it all over again. That’s the magic of a Tried and True! The only sad thing about this lovely coat, is that it is wool, but only lined with a lightweight satin, and so it isn’t warm at all. I only get to pull it out a few times each Spring and Fall, but I do love wearing it while the weather permits!

Do you have a Tried and True outfit you love to wear? Or do you like to experiment and wear something different each time you get dressed?

Outfit details:

Actually now that I think about it, every piece in this outfit, except for the sunglasses and earrings, was a hand-me-down, was thrifted or bought at a vintage store. That’s cool, as that doesn’t usually happen! 🙂