I had just recently been thinking about how little I feature the coats I own on this blog. Regardless of how fond I am of my coats, for some reason I always felt like they took away from my outfits in the winter, so whenever I would take photos, I’d treat my coat like some annoyingly practical accessory that needed to step out of the way for the real star of the show. But obviously I do wear coats and I own an embarrassing amount of them if I’m being honest, so really, there is no excuse for the lack of outer wear around here. This year I feel like making a true effort to always have a coat on when it is necessary to be wearing a coat in my photos. While I do sometimes feel like I am in pursuit of some sort artistic vision with the images I shoot for this blog – which can often mean no coats allowed (remember when I did this? holy wow, my photography was cringey though!) – if I am sharing my outfits just for the sake of sharing an outfit, I want to be real with you. It’s bloody cold here in the winter and a coat is absolutely necessary. The clearer the image has become of what I want this space to look like, the more I feel the importance of sharing outfits that are true to the time of year. Ya’ll know how I am though, I feel both practical and impractical in many aspects of my life, and I always aspire to share both those sides with you. So here’s to coats in the blistering cold and reptilian ice princesses who frolic in wintry wonderlands.
Blouse: F21 (similar)
Skirt: vintage via Common Sort
Coat: vintage
Scarf: thrifted
Tights: old pair ballet tights
Boots: Samantha Pleet x Wolverine
Tag: Teen Vogue
Outfit: My Little Sidekick
Having a deaf dog does have it’s share of challenges; it’s far harder to train a deaf dog, eye contact and hand signals are your only form of communication, and being unable to call to them when they are out of sight can be a bit annoying, if not kind of stressful. Honestly, it’s never been that much of a problem in my life. There are not many instances where I wish Gus could hear, the only ones are when we are spending a great deal of time outdoors, he’s off leash and I need to keep on an eye on him in case his nose leads him astray. He’s never been the type of dog to run away off leash – I trust him wholly in that respect – but his sense of smell leads him to wander and that’s when I wish he was able to hear. So naturally, I have never actually done outfit photos on my own with Gus and I. Any time Gus has been featured with me in photos, it’s because someone else has taken them. When I’m taking my own outfit photos, I’m pretty focused on what I’m doing, so having Gus wandering around me off-leash and sniffing his surroundings while my attention is elsewhere seems pretty unsafe for him. But my relationship with Gus has changed quite a bit since his back surgery and since being left to look after him on my own. I bring Gus with me to a lot more places now so he’s never alone for too long and since he’s a bit slower than he used to be because his back legs aren’t in the best shape, I’m less worried about him getting too far ahead of me off leash. Building a bond with a dog can take awhile, I think. Gus and I were bonded pretty quickly, mostly in the sense that he knew I was his person and he wanted to be around me all the time, but it definitely took awhile for Gus to understand what I expected of him and for me to learn his little quirks and what situations he is good or bad in. All this to say, a year ago, I probably wouldn’t have tried to take photos with just Gus and I, but it felt right this time around, and my intuition didn’t steer me wrong. He stuck by me most of the time, and if I did notice him wandering off it was pretty easy to catch up to him and bring him back. I feel lucky to have such a funny and easy going dog. Obviously everyone is biased when it comes to their dog, but I really believe I got pretty damn lucky when this little cloud showed up in my life.
Pinafore: Miss Patina
Blouse & beret: thrifted
Tights: H&M
Shoes: Sylvie and Shimmy
Bow tie: handmade
Outfit: Key To The Heart
I’m not sure when, but at some point I became incredibly disinterested in jewelry. I used to always pick up fun pieces while shopping, but much like my interest in purses began to wane, so did my interest in jewelry. What was once an affinity to big, colourful rings and necklaces with eye catching pendants, I slowly opted for no necklaces (bow ties instead) and very simple, plain rings. I used to let jewelry be the statement piece of my outfit (i mean, bondage necklaces…pretty hard to not let it be the star of the show), but now I much prefer understated pieces, only noticeable when you take a closer look. So I guess it would seem odd that I would own a novelty ring by Good After Nine in the shape of a unicorn. But, it’s fun, and it feels inline with my current aesthetic; eye-catching, cute, but not overpoweringly so. As for my necklace from Happiness Boutique, it’s dainty and subdued, just the way I like it. I’ve also always loved skeleton keys, so having one adorned around my neck with a simple heart pendant hovering above is just the type of necklace I’d be happy to wear everyday. Life has felt so new and refreshing lately, but also grounded in finding my old self, and I think my style has been reflecting my current state of mind; a knowing comfort in what I love, but a little more carefree and a desire to be truly rid of self-imposed style expectations.
Initially I was hesitant to pick something from Happiness Boutique – knowing my fickle attitude towards jewelry – but I quickly realized there is something for everyone (even me!), and to boot, they offer free shipping (also super fast), a customer reward program and you can enter their bi-monthly giveaway; who doesn’t like perks like that?!
Blouse, skirt & belt: thrifted
Coat: vintage via Gisela & Zoe
Hat: H&M (similar)
Boots: Topshop (similar, similar)
Ring c/o Good After Nine
Necklace c/o Happiness Boutique
Outfit: She May Be Weary
I’ve been wearing some form of this outfit quite frequently of late; collared shirt under a pullover, skirt, boots, and always, always this coat. For a long time now I’ve had an affinity to patterned, collared shirts underneath a solid pullover – it’s simple but smart and adds a bit of interest to an otherwise plain outfit, so I always seem to come back to it in the colder months. Aside from loving the combination, I’ve actually just felt quite lazy with dressing lately. It could be that I have grown a bit tired of my wardrobe – it’s been awhile since I have purchased something new – but it could also be due in part to spending about a month and half rotating between only a few outfits, forgetting what clothes I actually own and not exercising my creative mind in that department. Whatever the reason, I’m looking to remedy it. Putting outfits together has always been a passion of mine, since I was a wee one, before I even really understood one could love something like that, so I cannot imagine a life uneffected by clothing. I’ve been feeling a bit of a disconnect between myself and some of my clothes, so I’ve been toying with the idea of starting an insta shop and selling some things I would not be able to sell over etsy (also probably vintage that is long overdue to be listed), and giving the clothes I no longer feel a connection to a new lease on life.
What do you guys think? Do you ever purchase clothes from insta? Do you sell on insta?
Pullover: gift
Blouse: second hand Joe Fresh via Common Sort
Skirt, coat, belt: thrifted
Boots: Samantha Pleet x Wolverine
Outfit: You & I Will Not Be Shaken
Well this last month and half has been a whirlwind! But here I am, sane, and on the other side. I have officially moved into my new apartment, Gus is back and I am beginning to feel like myself again. As lovely as it has been spending so much time with friends and being surrounded by some really amazing humans who have opened their homes and hearts to me, my introverted mind had been yearning for this moment. I am sat here, in my own bed, with Gus sleeping peacefully nearby, burning incense from a sweet soul and I couldn’t feel more right in this space. I remember thinking this moment would come one day – I could always see light at the end of the tunnel, but I never knew how to reach it. Getting here felt like a sequence of painful self-reflection and second guesses and tears and dark spaces coated with my never-ending hopeful nature. I will say, letting go is one of the hardest things to do in life, even when you know deep down it’s right. But you have to allow yourself the time to accept what all the signs and thoughts are whispering (or screaming) your way, and eventually all becomes clear, of that I am certain.
My mother gave me this vintage dress that she made for herself back when she was a teenager. For obvious reasons, it is my favourite dress I own. My mother is an incredibly talented woman, as you can tell, and it warms my heart to have something that she made for herself and so perfectly suits my aesthetic.
This space has been pretty neglected for the last month, but now that my life has some form of normalcy, I’m hoping to get back to my regular posting schedule and be better at responding to all your comments and questions. Please let me know if there is anything you’d love for me to post about. I hope you are all well and happy in life. I feel absolutely positive about all things in my life right now, and I can’t wait to see how life unfolds from here on out. ❤
Dress: vintage handmade by my beautiful mother
okay andie 