Playfully Punctilious in Plaid

And what he greatly thought, he nobly dared. 
    Homer

A city covered in snow. This is the view from my balcony this 

morning. We've had non-stop snowfall for the last two days. 

Outfit: Plaid Wool Dress (Thrifted), Boots (Le Chateau), Brown Dress, 

worn under (Thrifted), Orange Ring (DIY)

   The snow is back! For a few days we were experiencing some spring weather, with temperatures at plus three, and boy was it nice! Now everything is wet and slushy, making the shoe choice very, very, very limited.  

   Oh plaid.... I swear, everyone wears it here. It's about the only thing the bf wears, no lie.  How about you, do people where you live where a lot of plaid? I love this dress but I can only wear it when the bf is around when I get ready; I can't do the zipper up by myself! When I didn't live with the bf and I wanted to wear a dress that I couldn't do up alone (I have a couple), I would be thankful for coat season 'cause I would leave it undone until I met up with a friend. Just one of the many things a live-in bf is good for! 

   I always have a tricky time trying to pair jewelry with this dress. It has a bateau neckline and is very high, perhaps it is best left alone? What would you suggest dear reader? 

   

Until next time!

xo, The Rag Trade 

Method to My Madness

A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. 
    John Steinbeck

Outfit: Shirt (c/o LuLu*s), Boots (Le Chateau), Skirt (Thrifted), Bracelet

(Souvenir from Florida), Sweater (Thrifted), Necklace (Vintage- my Great 

grand mother's), Bag (Vintage)

    I'm excited about this outfit for several reasons, and I'm ever so glad to have this style blog to express my happiness because the bf is tired of hearing me talk about clothes! 

    This delightful shirt is the item I received from LuLu*s via Chictopia.com. I was suppose to receive the white dress I had posted about last week, but instead this came. It was instant love when I tried it on and I've forgotten all about the white dress I was meant to have!         

   Before trying this shirt on I had never given peplum any thought but now it's my best friend! How can I express how much I love this shirt? Hmmm... you know how cartoon characters only have one outfit? This shirt would be my cartoon perma-shirt. I'm a petite person and I love how it gives the illusion of curves. Easy peezy for a girl who has always dreamed of having hips! 

   And some more orange! I like the look of orange and white- I find it has more of a spring feel than an autumn one.  Surprisingly, I've never worn this necklace with my orange bag before, even though they are the perfect pair. 

Ta-ta for now!

xo, The Rag Trade 

Song on repeat for me today: Dionne Warwick, Walk On By 

Finding Your Feet

Confidence is 10% hard work and 90% delusion. 
    Tina Fey 

Just as we were taking pictures someone and their dog walked by 

and Kobe could not pay attention to the camera! Hence his side pose.  

Outfit:  Skirt (Thrifted), Circle Sweater (Thrifted), Boots (Thrifted),

Top (Thrifted), Bag (Thrifted), Rings (DIY)

   The weather is warming up, woot woot!  Needless to say, I jumped on the opportunity to wear shorter boots and even a light sweater. It was a little misty though, hence my hair's puffiness, it never has this much volume! 

   Again brown and black; I swear I could live in these colours. I promise to bring in some colour during the spring! 

   Lately I've been into orange, not so much in clothing but accessories. I've heard that there's an orange for everyone (flattering wise) but I have yet to find "my orange."

   I saw this picture in the window of a store on our way home (I take my photos while on walks with Kobe) and fell in love instantaneously! I mean, a picture of various doors?! I love how imperfect they all are, with chipping paint, cracked walls, and even graffiti. 

   Hope you had a wonderful weekend! 

Until next time!

xo, The Rag Trade 

Song on repeat for me today: The Stone Poneys, Different Drum

A Golden Gloomy Day

You have to let people see what you wrote. It will never be perfect, but perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring. 
    Tina Fey

Outfit: Sweater (Jacob), Leather Satchel (Thrifted), Dress 

(Thrifted), Boots (Thrifted) 

   I almost didn't post this look, something about just screamed booooooring. But then again, this is my style diary and this is what I wore today, on yet another cold winter's day. 
   I think this sweater may be my only soft wool sweater.  I have dry skin and coarse fabrics can really irritate it, which is why I usually wear layers under my wool skirts and sweaters. Not so with this sweater. I love the gold in it too, it shimmers in the sun! 
   And another look showcasing my love of the colour brown.  I'm trying to wear all my darker brown clothes before they become too drab for spring and summer. Not that I'm much of a colourful person, as I've stated before. I was never one for pastels and I've only recently veered towards floral prints.  

Ta-ta for now! 
xo, The Rag Trade 

Bal de Neige

The grey winds, the cold winds are blowing 
Where I go,
I hear the noise of many waters
Far Below
     James Joyce 

Outfit: Dress (Thrifted), Red Dress (Thrifted), Leaf Belt (Thrifed), 

Bag (Thrifted), Boots (Vintage)

   Today was a holiday in my province, which made for a perfect day for the bf and I to visit Winterlude (again).  During the weekend it's much more festive; there was a fire burning-emitting the most wonderful smell, a tire d'érable stand, ice sculptures, wooden crafts, and more. 

    I'm starting to get an itch for spring and when that happens I begin to dress as if I were experiencing spring weather. For example, I forgo sweaters, although I did layer two dresses.  I'm also looking forward to spring so that I can show you that my shoe collection extends beyond the five pair winter boots I've been wearing! 

   And I'm excited to showoff (what I call) my gummy bear bag! I remember seeing it and the bf asking, "you don't really like it do you?"  I think that comment made me want it all the more! Not to mention it coincides with my addiction to gummy bears....

Until we meet again!

xo, The Rag Trade

Mi Mundo

Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of the telescope.
      Dr. Seuss

Outfit: Dress (Thrifted), Sweater (Thrifted), Scarf (Handmade), Bag

(Thrifted), Necklace (Souvenir from Mexico), Hat (Aldo), Shell Ring (Souv-

enir from Calgary), Leg Warmers (Thrifted), Boots (Le Chateau)

  Isn't this scarf scrumptious? A good friend of mine knitted it for me, and she did such a great job! And now my bright orange bag has the perfect match, for there are orange specks in the scarf.  

  When I look at this ensemble I can't help but think it would be better suited worn on a  pleasant autumn day- surrounded by orange, red, and yellow leaves falling from the trees,  with the sun shining brightly, where the cry of geese flying south can be heard, and the warm wind blows.  I wish it were a warm autumn day! 

  

And now I bid you adieu!

xo, The Rag Trade 

Je T'aime Plus Qu'hier Moins Que Demain

A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men. 
    Roald Dahl 

Outfit: Dress (Trivium), 

Cardigan (The Bay), 

Boots (Le Chateau), 

    Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you're all surrounded by lots of love! On this day of love I decided to wear a dress that is extra special to me...

   This lovely number was once upon a time my high school prom dress! It used to look a little different, it fell below the knee and was much fuller. I loved wearing it though, so after seeing it sit in my closet untouched for six years I decided it was about time I put it to use! I took out the crinoline and brought the hem up several inches, making it more of an every-day dress as opposed to a formal dress.  And now, every time I wear it, I am reminded of the wonderful night I spent with the bf, and how lucky we are to still be able to cherish that memory with each other. 

   And, I added the last photo to show the dress in it's original condition (that's me at 17!) What have you done with your prom dress? Have you kept it, thrown it out, donated it, gave it to someone else for their prom? Do you still like the style of it (like me), or have you changed drastically and wonder how you ever chose that dress in the first place?

Until next time!

xo, The Rag Trade 

Longstanding Love

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. 
     Dr. Seuss. 

Outfit: Skirt (Thrifted), Sweater (Sister's), Beaded Clutch 

(Goldco-Vintage), Sweater Clasp (Vintage- my great-grandmother's)

  'Tis that time of year! Tomorrow is the day of love. (St.) Valentine's Day is such a controversial day isn't it?! To celebrate, or not celebrate. 

    I myself have never really given the day much thought. I neither hate on it nor love it.  It has nothing to do with singledom, it has more to do with my dislike for days where there is pressure to buy things. I don't come from a family with money, and I've never been fond of the societal pressures to spend a lot of money and have that as a representative of one's appreciation or love for another. 

   That being said, I am all for the celebration of love in the many forms it comes in! I do give my friends and family cards, but the bf and I don't plan anything.  

   On to my ensemble now I suppose...I know I've donned this red sweater before, but the red is such a rich, vivid red it's perfect for love day, especially paired with white. I wanted to wear pink and red, for the ultimate love day look, but alas, I own no pink (I find I look too barbie-ish in pink). I tried to do romantic accessories too, so pearls of course. 

  How do you plan to spend your Valentine's Day? 

Until we meet again!

xo, The Rag Trade 

Laced With Poison

   I'm sure a few of you have heard or come upon the site Chictopia -it's a wonderful site that displays street style of the world. Anywho, you gain points which you can in turn redeem for things. So I just wanted to share the dress that I redeemed the other day! 

   I used to wear a lot of black, and I mean a lot. I wasn't gothic, I just found it looked nice with my blonde hair, a stark contrast. Since last year and my resolution of adding more colour into my wardrobe, I've definitely brightened up! I still only own two white dresses though, so I'm excited to add this white dress with lace detail from LuLu's (www.lulus.com) to my closet! 
   I love it's simplicity, femininity, and shape (the little flare at the bottom). I adore lace too, especially in the form of smaller details since a full lace dress is ever so easy to snag upon something (I'm quite the klutz)! And achromatic dresses make accessory choices all the more interesting and the opportunities endless. 

Until next time!
xo, The Rag Trade

Tea for Two, Two for Tea

Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.
   Roald Dahl 

Outfit: Maxi Skirt (Thrifted), Blouse (Thrifted), Bag (Thrifted), Boots 

(Le Chateau), Belt (Thrifted)

  

  How was your weekend? For me, same old, no spectacular event for me to discuss. The weather was better which made for a nicer weekend off, relaxing around the house. And of course, making the outfit choice easier as well! 

   I usually don't wear maxi skirts in the winter season, seeing as I can't really wear flats and the boot decision can be a bit tricky. Boot wedges work though I think.  The maxi skirt can be the ultimate protector against the winter cold, layering couldn't be made easier!

   I must admit, I'm getting pretty tired of this winter weather. The sun today has been reminding me of warmer seasons, it even feels a bit warm. I'm getting excited thinking of spring and summer; all the things to do, all the pretty dresses and skirts to wear! It's undeniable that I'm feeling the winter blues... anyone else? 

Cheers!

xo, The Rag Trade 

   

Ice Imagination

A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.
    Carl Reiner 

  I apologize for the lack of style posts the past few days, it's just that I'm finding the weather unbearably cold! Even though today's temperature of -20 hasn't been the coldest day, I don't want to take my coat off! 

   So... instead I show you these exquisite ice sculptures. They almost look like glass, my favourite is the last one, the bird.  I think this celebration of winter is an attempt to get Canadians excited about the season. When life hands you  freezing weather, make ice sculptures! Between you and I however, it's going to take more than ice sculptures and a skating rink to get me to enjoy winter! 

   Alright, I've had my anti-weather rant... I will now go back to dreaming of B.C. and the warm place in which I was born... I'm a summer child through and through! 

Sincerely, 

The Rag Trade