Farewell, 1970s frocks; we had a good ride

I've had this post in my drafts folder since April, LOL. Long-time readers may remember my wearing some of my fave thrifted 1970s goodies. This post is dedicated to saying a final goodbye to the items that I have outgrown emotionally, not to mention physically!

Kinda hard to believe I was this wee. Boy, did I love this psychedelic wide-leg nylon pants. This pic was snapped by my hubby-to-be in 2010, on his first trip to see me in Canada after we met in the United States a few weeks before. This was in Niagara Falls, Canadian side.

I consigned these pants at my local shop this summer. The owner recently told me that an 80-year old woman bought them. Rock on, lady!

A friend, who isn't a friend any more, gave me this nylon dress when I left Toronto two years ago to move to the UK. I wasn't that emotional about getting rid of it. It also sold at my local shop.

But I did hang onto the wacky 1970s faceted shades.

I thrifted this pretty prom-like frock in Canada years ago and never wore it, save for this UK back yard photo shoot before I moved to France. Off it went to the consignment shop, where it also found a new home. Vintage is scarce in Annecy so my pieces have sold well.

Again, never wore this slinky 1970s dress I bought off Etsy when I first moved to the UK. My life and style was already in transition then, and I didn't even know it. Bye bye, baby. Oh, the thrifted 1970s necklace went too. And the thrifted Nat and Matt handbag. I kept the amazing vintage bracelet.

I also said goodbye to this fun striped cowl-neck number. I kept the vintage belt and thrifted Stuart Weitzman shoes.

I just dropped off a swack of fall items at the shop, and discovered, to my surprise, that this 1970s scarf dress, and contemporary shoes that are so high I'd surely topple wearing them in Annecy's cobblestone streets, are the only two items from my hoard that didn't sell.

The seller told me the waist was too small. Ok, now I believe it didn't sell. It's pretty small.

I may never wear this again, but I'm glad I still have it. I wore this in Niagara Falls that wonderful weekend with hubby-to-be, so it's drenched in sexy memories.

This is one vintage frock I couldn't consign, though I have little hope of fitting into it again.

Hubby bought it for me in West Palm Beach, the place where we met, a year or so after initially hooking up there. I jetted in to meet him for a weekend when he was on layover, and we found this dress in a wonderful vintage shop. Ah, the romance. I bought the vintage Trifari necklace at the Portobello Road market with him the year before I married him. Natch, I've kept that one too. I'm wearing both here at a goodbye party thrown in my honour when I left the newspaper I used to work for in TO.

I'm not sad to say goodbye to my once-beloved outfits. They served me well when I was a skinny, single big-city shopping columnist and editor. Now it's time to move on to a new style. I think the reason I love to shop continually is that my style is always evolving. Now, sans job, and with a new baby, my look is changing by the day - and hopefully refining itself. We'll see where it ends up. Oh, and I'm still bringing stuff to the consignment shop!

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Thrifted goodies I wouldn't have bought new (partial part deux of vide grenier haul)

Leather jacket: 2 Euros, Annecy vide grenier.
Worn with gifted maternity top, cheapie leggings, new patchwork purse;
Handmade and hand-dyed fringed shawl made from vintage fabric (not by me);
Vintage elasticized velvet and rhinestone belt.

I'm showing off my two-Euros leather jacket, a buttery soft European-label found at the vide grenier from a few weeks ago. Along with a statement-piece shawl and handbag, it jazzes up an otherwise boring black outfit.

Vintage 1990s booties found in Toronto, Canada.
Bracelet snagged for 5 Euros at Annecy thrift shop.
(31 weeks).

It's burgundy, not a colour I'm hugely attracted to and in truth I wouldn't have bought it it were any more than a few Euros. But that's the amazing thing about thrifting: because it can be so inexpensive, it gives you freedom to experiment with new colours and styles that you typically wouldn't if you were to pay full price.

Flashback to 2010, to another thrifted leather jacket find
(to when I had thighs).

Ditto for this slightly sheeny bubble-gum pink cropped leather I found in Toronto in 2010 at a half-off thrift sale. If it were 20-plus bucks, I very likely would have turned my nose up at it. But for about $10 (if memory serves), I snatched it up. The jacket spruces up denim, black or a relatively neutral outfit. And the wacky pink makes me smile. :)

Wearing the same vintage booties, along with a vintage leather bag, thrifted sweater, designer jeans
and purple Coach sunnies.
(Scarf bought new and worth every penny of the exorbitant price I paid for it at Anthropologie).

I kept most of the pieces comprising this outfit when I moved overseas, save for the designer Angel jeans found for a few bucks in a Toronto thrift shop. I was super super teeny back then, as a single girl. Marriage and general happiness (and not eating crackers and cheese for dinner) automatically put a couple pounds on me. But sadly, that meant I had to part ways with these, my favourite, jeans.

A look I've long admired in jewellery but wouldn't necessarily have paid retail for.

I'll quit moaning now. My new and expanding body is a blessing, even though I do sometimes mourn my former uber-svelte self. On another note, check out this bracelet I found at the thrift shop the same day as the vide grenier for 5 Euros. I've always loved this look but never wanted to pay full-price for it. It's got a slightly '90s vibe crossed with a tribal feel. I've been wearing it endlessly.

Does thrifting allow you to try on new or different looks, or acquire pieces you'd never buy new?

Linking up with the lovely ladies at Pattie's Visible Monday - the 90th installment! Thanks to Patti for continuing to host this fun linkup!

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French style: thrifted Weill coat

Made in France Weill coat for 30 Euros, a steal for the label.
Worn with thrifted Italian-made booties, thrifted wool pashmina scarf and handmade bag from Montreal.

All I can say is, can I sleep with my latest thrifted coat? I love it sooo much.

I bought it at the thrift shop where the vide grenier was, on the same day as the vide grenier (see post below), except it was full price in the boutique (30 Euros). But when my eagle-thrifting eye landed on it, even though I didn't know the label, I loved it on sight and knew it was a quality piece. Plus the swing shape perfectly accommodates wee Bobo (AKA the bump - surely I'm not the only preggo attach a name to it?).

The label is Weill, a Paris-based fashion-house that's always been, and still is, family-owned. According to the website, the label pioneered ready-to-wear in France. Established in 1892, it's apparently the oldest French fashion house (though Lanvin, founded seven years later, claims it's the oldest French fashion house still operating).

It's a crepe wool, and has obviously been crumpled for a while as it's a tad wrinkled. Just look at the detailing - those buttons with the "W" on them! The sleeves are three-quarters, but the coat doesn't feel vintage. The corded detailing and shape have a too-contemporary look to me.

A quick peep at the website reveals a spring wool trench-style coat a little shorter than this to be 745 Euros.

And the coolest thing? The collections are made in the company's factory on Laon, which isn't far from Annecy.

It's definitely not an everyday coat, but I'm hoping I can glam up my not-so-glam maternity wear to wear this often, as it's just the perfect spring-weight coat!

Linking up with all the fabulously stylish chickie-boos at Patti's Visible Monday and Lakota's Ta-dah! Tuesday. It's been a busy few days, so I look forward to catching up with you all soon. xo

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Vide Grenier Haul, part one

Wool-mohair blend coat with Paris label and great buttons, 2 Euros at a Vide Grenier

Cripes, talk about baby prep. Sleepless nights characterized by frequent bathroom trips and tossing and turning to find a comfy position, topped off by hubby snoring and cat crying at all hours, has pretty much set the tone this last week for an overwhelming tetchiness that makes me want to hip-check every dawdle-poke or generally annoying person who gets in my way.

Good thing a master haul at my local thrift shop's spring vide grenier (rummage sale, basically) this past Saturday is helping my zzzz-deprived brain manufacture some happy hormones when I think of all the great stuff I found there - two (huge) bags full of clothing for between 1-2 Euros each - including this wool-mohair blend coat from Paris (2 Euros).

The lining is thin so it was the perfect coat to don earlier this week, when temps soared to the teens.

Wool-blend sweater: a Euro at the same sale

I'm not great at this style of vide grenier - basically a big table with stuff tossed on it for all to fight over - but surprisingly there weren't too many pushy peeps. I was able to dig up this red wool-blend floppy turtleneck sweater, again with a Paris label, without any major incident (and for a Euro). I don't wear red often but I can do this shade, and I just loved the dart-like detailing on the sides.

Thyme maternity skirt, thrifted in Canada; Benetton patent leather brogues, thrifted in Annecy;
Scarf, Annecy market; Vintage bracelet, UK auction house;
leather purse, new and handmade by Montreal, Canada artisan.

30 weeks: POP!

As you can see, I've really popped out in the last week. I'm still going strong with the support hose, and comfy shoes that highlight my flipper feet ... funny how I'm trying my best to be stylish but won't compromise when it comes to sensible - and safe - footwear. I wouldn't want to topple over wearing heels, now would I?

I have heaps more to show you from the vide grenier. Must snap some pics one of these mornings, when I have more oomph. Now if you'll excuse me, but I'm off to beddie-by.

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Second-hand dress love affair

Consignment store dress; thrifted carpet bag and Kenneth Cole booties - all found in Toronto;
ring, a gift from Hubby from eastern Europe;
necklace, found in a France thrift shop
(29 weeks)

I have such a love affair with this dress. I bought it in Toronto, Canada a few years ago for about $35 in a consignment shop. It was a bit steep for what it was, I thought, but I loved it so natch, I bought it.

Single gal when I bought it: Sept. 2010, with consignment store shoes, thrifted earrings and lacy tights.

At the time, it was fall 2010, and I was getting ready to fly overseas to the UK to visit my then beau, now my hubby. I bought this dress especially for that trip.

It took me through the courting phase, haha. (EDIT: Had to crop hubby out on request).

During that trip, hubby-to-be took me to the lovely Inn at Whitewell on the edge of the Lake District. Here we are getting smashed at dinner. I wore the dress with black tights and pewter-toned heels. Great memories!

Single gal to wife-to Mom-to-be dress!

I almost got rid of it while doing my closet-cleanout before moving overseas - and I'm so glad I didn't. At this stage in the game, it makes a perfect pregnancy dress. I just tied the removable belt under my boobs for comfort, and to give me the illusion of a waist.

(You can see in the background that I've been reunited with one of my long-lost vintage bags left in Canada - a gorg and great-sized satin-lined carpet bag in boo-tiful colours - that a friend brought over for me - YAY!).

I don't think I'll ever get rid of this dress - it holds too much meaning now. I tend to be like that with clothing.

Do you have many love affairs with clothing or accessories, for sentimental reasons?

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How I Wear My: Greens (mostly thrifted, of course!)

Olive green: jazz up a conservatively-cut Windsmoor coat (thrifted) with thrifted MEXX booties,
bright blue accessories, a patchwork bag, and a cheapie ethnic scarf from the market.

Many thanks to Adrienne over at The Rich Life (on a budget), who, in partnership with Jill over at Everything Just So, is hosting How I Wear My: Green today. I'm really grooving on green these days - all different kinds, in fact. So I thought I'd show you how I've been wearing my greens these days.

Yesterday: Olive green leather booties, thrifted in France.

I bought these olive green booties this week at the thrift shop. The dress is thrifted, the necklace was a buck at a vintage jewellery club meeting in Toronto, and the cashmere was a gift.

The great thing about this kind of green, as you see in these pics, is that it doesn't have to really "match anything" - it can work as a neutral.

Emerald green hat, thrifted in France for 3 Euros.
Antique carpet bag, about 40 pounds at a UK auction.

Or, as you see above and below, green - from emerald to forest to mint - can stand on its own as an accessory with a bit of zing.

Vintage mint green angora beret: gift; forest green Bally purse, thifted in France for under 10 Euros.

I bought this ring new before I moved to the UK, but it was 50 percent off.

I love this emerald green stone and silver filigre ring so much that I wear it whenever the hell I want, with whatever the hell I want.

Thrifted Ellen Tracy silk blouse; new Hermes scarf.

Or you can go full on with green, matching colours and fabrication for a real style whammy.

Vintage forest green jacket by Thierry Mugler, 4 Euros.

And as I recently discovered, dark green rocks with black - who would have thought?

Pre-pregnancy green: vintage dress, gifted.

I can't resist throwing in some miscellaneous pre-preggo green shots, when my stomach was reasonably flat and my thighs thinner.

Thrifted emerald green hoodie with matching (new) turtleneck.
(Rest of outfit: all thrifted except the pendant, which matches the ring).

Newborn jacket in emerald and mint greens: thrifted today for 2 Euros.

And, in a few short months, someone else will be wearing green too! :) :)

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Ancient thermal springs and 90s velvet

Another eventful and busy week! On the pregnancy front, we went to a few appointments, sussed out different places to give birth (hospital vs. clinic), chose the place where I'll give birth, and met with a midwife or **sage-femme** to start the ball rolling on our baby education! 

Also saw the new Tarantino flic in ENGLISH in Annecy (a rare thing to find Original Version English-speaking films here), and received eight boxes of Sultana (or Raison) Bran from a Brit expat mail-order company in the post. The French don't seem to be as obsessed with fibre as are other nations, and hey, a pregnant chick needs her fibre, doncha know! Also went to a **braderie** with a gal pal on the weekend and scored some super cute stuff for a Euro each - will show you soon!

Yesterday hubby and I discovered a town near us that we've never been to, Aix les Bain, an old Roman town known for its thermal sulfur springs (**bain** = bath). In the centre of town stands an old Roman arch dedicated to some old emperor's family or something.

It's a wonderful spot that we'd consider moving to if we stay in this part of the world - smaller than Annecy, but cosier, somehow (and cheaper, by the looks of it). It's warmer as the altitude is lower, but it's still surrounded by the foothills of the Alpes. Like Annecy, it sports a lake right alongside the town.

The Romans enjoyed the thermal springs here, and in the 18th century a spa was erected over one of the main thermal springs in the form of this building, which I think is a government building now. The city became  known as a major wellness spot for the likes of Queen Victoria, Napoleon Bonaparte's Josephine, and many others in the well-heeled set. There are still water spas there today.

After meeting our pals at a Thai resto on the lake (YES! The first Thai resto we've found in this region! We are so becoming regulars as it was amazing!), we took a walk along the lake. It was 10 degrees and lovely.

I'm wearing another 1990s velvet grunge frock purchased from Etsy for a song. It has a high waist and lots of room and is rather tent-like (will be good for later), so I've accessorized it with a blingy velvet vintage belt to accentuate what remains of my waist. The cashmere cardi was a gift; comfy crochet tights and boots were bought new (tip: the crochet or fishnet tights never run, I swear - they truly can last years as this pair has!).

Here's a close-up of the pretty pattern. Jeez, I had my hair cut a few weeks ago and already it looks like a mop. They say your hair grows more quickly when pregnant, mmm.

Bump view. We will def be going back to this town soon, so I hope to take more and better pics of what's on offering there. It's a really pretty place.

Off to buy a French verb book. Have made it to only one class this week, but I did speak French mostly with the sage-femme. I have loads of maternity gifties sent my way from fellow thrifty style blogger pals that I will be showing you very soon! Hope every one has been having a great week - I see a lot of posts I want to catch up with!

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Steampunk, Annie Hall,1990s Grunge, Anne of Green Gables look

Hubby swears he'll never go out with me if I wear this emerald green chenille hat I thrifted for 3 Euros at the dingiest and most depressing of thrift shops in Annecy, a first-time (and last-time) visit on my part (and definitely on his). But I loved the hat; the chenille, and the way I turned it up, reminds me so much of the 1990s and how we used to dress 'way back' then.

Anyone having a (bad?) flashback? I can also wear the bring down for a floppy 1970s crossed with a Great Gatsby look.

I'm channeling my inner Holly Hobby/Pippi Longstocking/Anne of Green Gables/Annie Hall look with today's outfit, but the look is comprised of mostly all 1990s pieces, like the thrifted lace-up boots that have made an appearance many times before on this blog. The dress, a recent Etsy acquisition, is the exact label (All That Jazz) and style I used to wear in the early-to-mid 1990s - in fact I had two dresses in this style, with short sleeves, that I loved and wore the hell out of (why, why did I get rid of them?). You can't see the wooly brown and black mottled stripe-like tights I'm wearing, but they're Pippi to a tee.

It's the perfect preggo dress, what with its tent-like shape and clippy-thing at the back (remember those? Love!), which will also transition seamlessly into a post-pregnancy and eventually an 'I have my body back' frock. I loved this simple style then, and I love it now. The vibrant colours are right up my alley too (whereas the ones I had in the past would be a little too water-coloury for my current taste).

I can even steampunk it out a bit with a cashmere cardi and a vintage carpet and embroidery purse. Thanks to my darling and oh-so-patient hubby for taking these pics.

I accessorized with a fave thrift find, a gold-filled Edwardian-style chain pendant with a pretty piece of fuchsia cut glass. I found it at good 'ole Value Village in Toronto at a 50 percent off sale, for under $10 CAD. I think it kinda adds to the Steampunk look.

Speaking of bling, I actually managed to drag hubbie into several thrift shops this week (and he actually bought a few things!! But that's another post), and in one, I found these brownish-maroon beads for a few Euros. I'm not normally a bead type person - I think they look rather old-fashioned around the neck; either that or just plain cheap, if the beads are cheap, that is - but I loved the colour and the (what appears to be brass) details, and also the way the light hits and reflects off the beads. I can't tell if they're wooden or plastic, or another substance like bakelite, but they struck me as unusual.

I also dug up this this Modernist-Space Age steel pendant with amazing orange centre for 2.50 Euros at the same shop, an even more incredible find considering the costume bling at French thrift shops is generally crap. It doesn't have a stamp but I know a lot of these pieces come from Sheffield in the UK, a steel town.

I became obsessed with pieces such as this after finding this baby in a UK charity shop for a pound. They're all over Etsy and aren't horribly priced at all, but nothing beats a thrift shop find!

Linking to all the stylish chicas at Patti's Visible Monday.

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Magenta Monday

Happy New Year to you, and a most heartfelt thanks for all your kind wishes, comments and emails about our happy news. Today I thought I'd show you yet another purple coat I thrifted in Toronto (scroll a few posts down if you missed my purple chenille vintage coat), and decided to hang onto when I moved overseas. The label says ZIM and I don't know the fibre content for sure as it's in Chinese, methinks, but the coat is definitely a wool-cashmere blend, very soft and plushy and showing no signs of wear. It has a belt but I prefer to keep it open - the weather's warm enough in Annecy to stroll around like this!

Aside from the sassy crochet tights, which are uber comfy on the leg but which my expanding waist won't be able to handle much longer, this outfit is entirely thrifted. The Teenflo skirt is a pre-preggo skirt I don't think I'll be able to squish into anymore. It was loose when I bought it and I used to wear it low-slung on my hips. Now it's around my waist to accommodate my belly.

Outfit deets:
Magenta ZIM wool-cashmere coat, thrifted in Toronto for under $20
Teenflo brown velvet skirt with tie-dye pattern, thrifted as part of a suit in Toronto
Wool turtleneck, made in Paris, thrifted for about $4 CAD at Stretch Thrift, Toronto
FAVE (now beat up) wedgie leather Kenneth Cole Reaction boots, $49.99 at Value Village in Canada (worth the splurge)
Distressed leather bag, handmade by SAS in the United States, Etsy, $40 US
Vintage 1970s "Rafael" brass/glass pendant chain, FREE (worth maybe $200 CAD?), from a friend - designed and made by Canadian Modernist jewellery designer (and engineer) Rafael Alfandary
Brown leather gloves, thrifted somewhere for next-to-nothing.

You may remember the maching blazer to the skirt, which I showed you in the fall. I never wear the two together as I think it's too much, but on their own they make fab separates to mix and match according to my whim. They can keep each other company for the next 8-12 months as they slumber away in my closet, unworn, in the hopes of being reborn when I get my figure back.

I'll leave you with a view of the mountains shot overlooking the canal that leads to Lac Annecy, taken at dusk the other night. Thoughts and prayers are going out to Sarah today in Australia, hoping for the best with the wildfires that are raging there.

Linking up to Patti's Visible Monday.

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