Mon French Look

I may not be posting much in the next week or two as packing and moving are currently overwhelming my life! But I had to show you my French-inspired outfit a la charity shops.

In a word: linen.

Crisp linen blouse: found at a local charity shop. Designer linen scarf, found at Oxfam in Beaconsfield. Pink linen-blend pants by Planet - they`re my latest charity shop acquisition that I`m thrilled about, and only 5 pounds! (No, they are not lopsided, it`s just that I was leaning into my hip).

The leather cut-out sandals with real cork wedge: made in Spain and only a few pounds at a local charity shop.

I think the success of this outfit is largely in the details. The scarf, which I have tried to drape as artlessly as I could to imitate what I perceive as the French **deshabille** way of dressing, carelessly but oh so stylishly.

The pink leather messenger bag (made in France, aptly enough), picked up by my twin sis pour moi in France when she went last year.

The Olsen necklace pendant thrifted for a pound. I love the Robin`s Egg blue tone.

The Bibi belt cuff in the same blue hue, dug up at a fab pop-up shop & closing sale - love!!

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Score: auction house bracelet for two pounds

As a result of my roamings in my new town, I recently found an auction house that features an indoor market where sellers rent out cases showcasing  vintage and antique bling, paintings, pottery and other goodies. I've been sans hubby this week and was feeling sorry for myself, so I popped in and found this amazing bracelet ... for a pound ninety-nine!

I'm not sure how to begin dating it but it's tiny, which could be an indication of its era as people were much smaller in, say, Victorian times. It has a slight ethnic look to it too - very pretty boho, in my opin.

Not sure if you can see but it's quite rough-hewn, so maybe it was handmade. Any ideas out there as to its provenance?

It reminds me a wee bit of the vintage bracelet I picked up in TO (for $35) at a vintage shop, though this one looks more new and is obviously more blingy. I don't often wear bracelets so it takes something special to stop me in my tracks.

Needless to say, since the prices for bling there are so fantastically good, I'll be visiting that auction house again. There are also auctions every three weeks and I plan to drag the hubby to the next one to see what's on the block!

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I heart Avon hearts these days, and Etsy too

I used to have a heart pendant, years ago, but in recent years I've thought of them as too cutsie. Then in February, while waiting to emigrate to the UK to be with the new hubby, all of a sudden, hearts had all kinds of appeal. Guess love was on the brain. Etsy.com, a fab online selling site for vintage and handmade items, yielded this vintage Avon heart necklace for less than $20 including shipping. It's not the style I typically favour, being small and sweet, but I really rather liked it, and I've worn it quite a bit in the UK. I also picked up a filigre ball pendant for my Mom for her B-day from the same seller, which she loved. Yah Etsy!!

I also found this larger Avon pendant that I reacted to emotionally, loving it on sight - don't get me wrong: it's lovely. But it's hard to dind things to wear with as I don't really wear red, and I'm not into wearing it over black as I think it would look silly. A statement piece like this merits just the perfect outfit to go with it.

A word of caution about Etsy: shop around for the same piece to see if you can get it for a lower price. The day I searched (and reacted emotionally, buying quickly), this was the only piece of its kind. Two days later there were two more, priced at substantially less. Vintage Avon pieces are common enough on Etsy, and I've seen many necklace pendants that I already own for prices ranging from $10-$50 for the same piece! So do your comparison shopping, and buy quickly only if you suspect the piece is one-of-a-kind or hard to find. Have fun - and while you're at it grab a glass of vino and take your time - before you know it, I betcha you'll have spent a good chunk of time sifting through all the vintage goodies!

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Purple bling-bling: large & small

My thrifting Achilles heel: anything purple and blingy, like this brooch I picked up in a charity shop in Lytham for a few pounds last week. The style is a bit too Victorian pour moi, and it is a brooch after all, meaning it's not as wardrobe-worthy as, say, a pendant. But I loved its sheeny sparkle and sheer size. Generally I'm not one for the wallflower look, preferring large statement pieces - though my look has modified slightly since immigrating here (see below). Perhaps I can string this up on a thick retro gold chain and wear it as a pendant, or affix to a scarf styled around my neck like some glam-pot hippie girl ....



I found this pendant in a grab bag for two pounds - quelle deal! - at an antique market in Blackpool this past Sunday. The pendant isn't as large as is my usual wont, but the chain is long and the purple is deep and I couldn't leave it there. Since moving to the UK, my look has toned down slightly and I find I'm not wearing some of my larger costume pieces - perhaps because most of my clothing and accessories are still en route; perhaps because I'm still getting used to all the social and cultural differences and it is taking a while for the 'real' Kelly to shine through. So this little baby will do for my subdued look, for now. But watch out: I'll soon be bashing out in all my hyper-large, statement piece costume jewellery glory, and then, my dear vintage pals, North-west England may just experience a style swoon of epic proportions!

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I don't normally do bling "sets"

All my bling-bling is packed away in anticipation of my transatlantic move, but I did happen to have a pic of the lovely Danish and pewter pendant (circa 1960s/70s?) given to me as a wedding present from one of the members of the Toronto Vintage Costume Jewellery Club. I just love it. I'm so attracted to green these days; I think it's a sign of fresh new beginnings.

I'm not really a matchy-matchy person, but when I saw this used silver and green ring at the TVCJC Sale in November, I picked it up for $20. Even though it's more contemporary, it still goes with the pendant. So now I have a set. Gee, I sure do miss my bling that's all packed away ....

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Jontue perfume necklace - so cool!

I bought this necklace a few weeks ago at the Toronto Vintage Costume Jewellery Club Sale - for a mere eight bucks. A friend from the club pointed it out and thought it would be good for me, and she was right. It's not just the simplicity of it that attracted me.

The petal disc is quite thick - that's because when you pop the top off, you'll find a thick solid circular slab of perfume - in perfect unused condition - called Jontue, a real 1970s classic. It may have gone off a bit but I won't actually wear the stuff - I just loved the retroness of it all. As you can see from the back, it looks like it was even made in my hometown, Ottawa. Perhaps this was meant as some cosmic welcome home pressie as I prepare for my wedding!!

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Turtle love

Aren't they cute? Wee turtles kissing (or hugging?) eachother, wrapped around this 1970s bracelet.

I've been meaning to show you this for some time - my dear gal pal Nadia bought it for me at Stretch Thrift as she knew I loved it. What a sweeatheart. I do love it.

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1970s knit dress and sassy legs

I bought this 1970s knit dress a while back and thought it was pretty sexy. Teamed it up with some thrifted Carlos Santana shoes - who knew there was a line of shoes etc by Carlos Santana? - and some purple fishnets (I love fishnets, anything but black - they're comfy, never run, and make you look and feel super sexy). I'm wearing vintage 1970s Napier around my neck. A true 70s queen! Too bad you can't see the handmade handbag I scored that goes with the outfit.

Actually, it's sitting on the floor there, can you see it? Will have to give you a better peep next time. Even my wine matches my dress! Talk about tone on tone dressing!

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Big bling

Here's a recent find from Canadian Thrift - I just love it. It was only $2.99.

The pendant part is pretty big, but that's my bling bent this days: big statement pieces (cheap helps too).

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Cocktail party at my fave vintage shop

Ah, who has cocktail parties any more - real, live cocktail parties where you actually dress? My gal pal Daina, who owns Continuum Modern Vintage - that's who. 

Daina was celebrating her shop's year-and-a-half anniversary. She dressed the part, and more, in this gorg emerald green silk taffeta cocktail dress from the 1950s.

Not having a proper cocktail dress (other than one that looks good on me only when I have a tan), I decided to wear this royal blue Lauren, by Ralph Lauren microfibre drop-waist frock I thrifted for $24.99 at Value Village - pricey in my books but the dress was brand new and would have retailed at several hundred bucks. And I do look rather smashing in this shade of blue.

I wore the dress with gold-tone strappy wedgies (thrifted of course!) and my Trifari necklace found in London's Portobello Market. Just look at the way the dress swishes when I twirl - je love!

Any one out there gone to a cocktail party lately? What did you wear?

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Know anything about Vendome costume jewellery?

I can't figure out this piece I thrifted for a song recently. It is signed "Vendome", which I know to be a highly collectible line of costume bling that replaced Corocraft, Coro's high-end line, in the mid-1940s. But Vendome is known for its rhinestones and glass beads and lovely designs, not this 1980s-esque look.

So is this a fake Vendome, or am I missing something about Vendome? Any one know?

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The Rock

... or is it an ice cube? What do you think?

Whatever it is, it's my fave new piece of 1970s bling and I have been wearing it every day for a two weeks. Apt ring for the hot summer we've been having!

I snagged it practically before it had the chance to get on the selling floor at Continuum Modern Vintage on Pape at Danforth in Greektown.

Je love it! Rock on!

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Upcycled ring: glam

Isn't this the neatest ring? I bought it from a gal who upcycles old jewellery with various bits and bobs from jewellery castoffs. The original setting is the lavender-hued glass piece in the middle. You can't see it here, but the setting is very traditional on the side. But the creator has jazzed it up with stones (garnet on the upper right) and other wee bobs from various jewellery pieces.

You can find the creator at Eco Finery. I'm pretty sure she sells on the weekends at a new artisan market in Leslieville, Toronto. Some of her pendants are pretty cool - many are too busy for my style but I did see the neatest one with a large hoop earring as the centre piece, with pretty doo-dads hanging in the centre of the hoop.

I wish I had this talent for re-mixing old bling as I am so attracted to those jewellery-piece grab-bags at Value Village that cost a few bucks and you never know what you're getting inside! But this gal does it!

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Pretty mystery pendant

Here I am sporting my new summer do - I've decided to go shorter again as it's so hot and besides, I think it looks better on me. Hopefully my beau doesn't think I look like an alien (that's what the cheeky-pants said when he saw a pic of me from a few years ago with quite short hair). Anyway that's not the subject of this post: this thrifted silver-tone pendant and chain is!

I thought it was so pretty, almost like a medal, but with a feminine twist. The chain has three tiny chains entwined, to give it extra girl-power oomph. Not surprisingly, I found it at my friendly neighbourhood thrift shop where I dig up a lot of my jewellery, Canadian Thrift.

It's stamped "NR" on the back, which would be so fab if it stood for Nina Ricci. But my guess is it's an Avon piece. Apparently some such pieces were stamped "NR" to signal one of the manufacturers that produced for the company. Whatever it is, I love the piece and as usual I got it for a steal!

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All-American pendant

I'm not an American, but I was so drawn to this pendant necklace I found in Toronto's Continuum Modern Vintage, a lovely vintage-esque shop on Pape at Danforth. The pendant reminds me of one of those bead counting toys (can never remember the name) that kids learn to count with.

As you may be able to see by the tag, it's a Sarah Coventry piece. SC jewellery is pretty easy to find, quite collectible though not worth tons of bucks. I don't care as I love the SC bling from the 1960s and 70s.

Though I sometimes wear this shade of blue, I don't wear these colours, really (and who, other than an American patriot, would wear them all together?), so I'm still not sure what I'll wear this with. But don't you worry, I will find my way with it!

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Boho bling, not yet worn

I'm supposed to be hanging around the Blackpool Tower today, but alas, the Holiday Gods want to give me more nesting time with my Brit mannie, who has not only been looking after me and my broken foot, but is as of this morning flaked out on the couch after an emergency tooth-pulling episode.

Aren't we a pair of sad sacks.

So, in honour of the Glastonbury Festival that just wrapped up in England (which is the new millennium version of Woodstock, I'm gathering) I'm showing you a fab piece of boho-inspired bling I bought the day I left Canada for England (which I haven't had a chance to wear here yet as I've been living in yoga pants).

I loved it on sight when I plucked it out of the case at my fave neighbourhood thrift shop, Canadian Thrift in Toronto, as the chunky, rough-hewn chain reminds me of the 1970s pendant necklaces designed by Raphael. The large disc pendant also has a distinctly boho vibe to it, and you know my penchant for bohemian chic. Not sure if it's vintage - what do you think?

It's quite large, which could be a style challenge as all I'm seeing in my mind's eye is some Woodstock hippie dude from the 1960s wearing it with super wide leg jeans ... and nothing else --- but perhaps it's the painkillers.

On that note, back to the couch.

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Can you really let go of nostalgiac stuff, even if you never wear it?

As you look at this rather freakish close-up, that is the question I'm pondering tonight. I bought this 1970s?-esque pendant at a church sale years ago for a couple bucks at most. I have worn it - once. It doesn't really fit into my life or style, but I still love it.

I love it because it reminds me of those 1970s Christmas Tree ornaments we used to hang on the tree while growing up - you know, the cut-out balls with the foiled concave insides. It is just special, even though I never wear it.

But the agony sets in as I'm in the process of saying goodbye to some material things in my life, and this baby has gone in the sell pile, then out, then in, and is now in limbo. So the question is, do you get rid of pieces that rank high on the emotional resonance scale, or do you favour practicality, and pass it on to someone else? That, dear readers, is the existential question for tonight!

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99-cent thrifting streak??

Nothing could beat the find featured in yesterday's post, but I have to show you another 99 cent find I dug up this weekend in the most unexpected of places: a bead and craft shop selling mostly imports from the Philippines, largely jewellery making supplies.

But there's a section of vintage bibs and bobs in the store, mostly broken, that you're supposed to do something crafty with. Since I am not at all crafty, but rather a vintage bauble junkie, I sat on my butt on the floor for a good half hour rifling through the stuff, eventually unearthing this modernist style pendant - completely intact! For 99 cents to boot.

Totally my style. Maybe I'm on a 99-cent spending streak!!

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1980s necklace that will present a fun challenge!

I've admitted that I find 1980s plastic bib style necklaces oddly attractive, and that even though I am drawn to them I have mixed feelings about wearing them. Ditto for this 1980s necklace with painted blue, yellow, peach and gold detail, $4.99 at Canadian Thrift.

Not sure what I'll do with it but I'll try to snap a pic when I figure it out!

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Steal of a boho ring

Thrifted vintage costume jewellery can be such an inexpensive way of not just getting that retail thrill on but also expressing the essential you. Perhaps that's why I'm such an addict: a ring bought at the thrift shop, such as this $5.99 vintage mega cocktail ring, allows me to express my burgeoning boho style ethic in a cheap, yet forever chic, way.

I'm really pleased that places like Value Village over price the mass market stuff and under price vintage finds such as this ring - perhaps they know the masses go for all the mediocre sterling stuff and contemporary costume bling in the case, and realize there's only a niche sort of customer that would find this ring attractive.

But if H&M suddenly decided to knock off this ring, it'd suddenly become all the rage. Do I sound cynical? Perhaps. But the pricing system of these places, generally, benefits me and feeds my particular style whims in a way that's wholly conducive to my budget. So how can I complain?

What gems do you find in the thrift shops that tend to be, in your opin, woefully under priced?

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