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: Vintage
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
How Am I Not Myself?
I wanted to write something thoughtful to accompany these images, but sometimes images should be left to speak for themselves (which is just a cope out way of saying my brain isn’t feeling that stream of consciousness right now). So, that’s what I’ll let them do.
Hope ya’ll had a nice weekend. Tell me about it ❤
Camisole: vintage via Lawrence
Bloomers: Vintage via Petrune
Beauty: Three Easy Hat Hairstyles
Now that the colder weather is creeping in on us in the Northern Hemisphere, hats, I’m sure for most, are a sartorial staple for keeping the noggin’ warm. I usually rotate between toques and berets during these chilly times, but I have a tendency to ignore my hairs and just wear it down. However, there is nothing more annoying than a hat and a scarf and hair sticking to your neck, or worse, having those winter winds blowing it into your face. So, I decided to share with you three super easy and quick hairstyles that look great with a hat on your head and shows that wind whose boss.
Twisted side pony: gather your hair to one side of your neck and braid your hair into one loose braid that will resemble more of a twist, and tie with a clear elastic. if your braid is looking a little too tame, pull it apart a bit, loosening some pieces; the amount you braid will vary on the length of your hair, of course.
Messy buns: part your hair down the middle and gather each section to either side of your head. starting behind the ear, twist each section of hair into a lil’ bun and fasten with a clear elastic; we want this look to be messy, so don’t worry if any pieces are being unruly (although, if anything is really bothering you, a few bobby pins will fix that right quick)
Loose braided pigtails: part your hair down the middle and gather each section to either side of your head. braid each section of hair and fasten with a clear elastic. pull the braid apart a bit to achieve that loose “oh, this? took me no time at all” look
Do you think you’ll be trying any of these styles this winter? Do you have a go-to hat hairstyle? Let me know in the comments below ❤
*see more of my beauty posts here.
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
okay andie 