Party pics and partial outfit peek

On readers' request (see yesterday's post), here are the holiday party pics with a partial peek at my thrifty outfit.

They'll have to do until I can get better pics from another party in a few weeks.

You can't really see the outfit that well, just the strap and lower part of the purse, and the necklace poking out over the dress. I may change the jacket to a winter white brocade next time; we'll see!





This is a bit of a personal postscript as I have some room left, but it's so refreshing and satisfying to be dating a man who dresses really, like really, well. It's not just expensive clothes part; it's also his way of putting pieces together, with a scarf thrown over his shoulder for panache and some fab vintage cufflinks for quirky class. We both love and appreciate that about eachother. And we both have a thing for statement piece jackets - - except mine are from the thrift shop and his are from Neiman Marcus!!

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Silver sparkle for the holidays

Silver is hot this holiday season, and I love the cool elegance of it. For my first Christmas party the other night I put together a thrifty outfit in a jiff. I bought a silver shift dress (Made in Canada, yah!) at a closing out sale on St. Clair Ave. West for $10.

Then I threw on some vintage crystal-esque beads, a three-tier strand, I found at a thrift store for a few bucks.

To add some contrast, on went a black quilted short jacket by Bergdorf Goodman, dug up for a great price at a 50 percent off sale at a resale boutique. Silver shoes picked up for $20 at Winners went on too.

My best find: a silver sequin handbag (by Danier Leather and in mint shape) found for $1.99 at my local thrift shop, Stretch Thrift, that very day!!

To add a bit of spice to the winter cool I donned a pair of handpainted stockings by DIM, found at a sample sale in the northern Fashion District last year (six pair for $20 if memory serves).

I'd been saving them for the perfect occasion and I found it. My date sure liked them! The outfit looked so classy and pretty!


My date wore a Neiman Marcus black velvet blazer (not thrift!), a red scarf, plaid vest and white shirt with black pants.

I'd say we look like quite the festive couple and our outfits complemented each other: he had a pop of colour to offset my glittery silver!

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Ultra feminine look

I have to admit it: sometimes I buy new.

My latest look is girly chic and I love it: a stretch lace top found at a Mendocino outlet for $38. I'm wearing it here under my Theory blazer thrifted for $6.99.

It's a sexy look, yet one I can pull off at work.

I'm wearing the lacy top with another item I bought new by Forest Hill artisan Joan Kreitzer (sorry no webite). Joan makes beautiful necklaces with crystal and semi-precious stones and retails in some Toronto shops like French Connection on Eglinton Ave. West near Avenue Rd.

I love the combo of the lace and the lace-like work of the necklace.

I'm wearing the top with a vest for a romantic dinner, and just happened to dig up a pair of off-white DIM nylons with pretty tone-on-tone flowers over top that go with the top exactly. Believe it or not the look is not lace overkill, just feminine all the way.

It feels good to sometimes buy new things, especially when they're artisan crafted and you know you have an original. And when the piece is a staple - this lace top will see me through holiday functions and can serve as a nice little wardrobe basic - then I don't mind paying more than I normally would.

Happy Saturday! I have to do a shopping column but I may do some thrifting on the way!

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New pillow, thrift outfit

Yesterday's post mentioning pillows was inspired in part by my dream pillow, pictured here with moi at an event I attended last week in the Beach at Jane Hall Design. www.janehalldesign.com

Jane is a creative colour guru and interior designer who works magic with fabric and rooms. This silk pillow, $88, is just the teeniest example of her decorating verve. I love it, but will have to leave it on my Santa wishlist for now. Besides I bagged a wonderful used pillow for $30, as you'll see from a post earlier this week.

Though I'm hating the way my hair looks in this pic (I'm trying to grow it, arg), I got a lot of compliments on my outfit that night, the entire ensemble being thrift.

The statement piece wool jacket made in Toronto by Miranda Lumley was only $3.99 at a 50 percent off sale at Goodwill - the Friday before last my date and I were on our way home from dinner and we saw the sign and ran in 5 minutes before close ... I found this in 2 minutes and I sure think he's a keeper if he can get off on hitting Goodwill after dinner....

The wool turtleneck was $5 or so, the Jones New York lined wool skirt I can't recall how much I paid for, and the chunky retro chain I bought for $15 at Bead Goes On in Toronto (see my Top 10 Toronto Thrift Shops below as that store is one of 'em). Even the blue beret and black cashmere cape (not pictured here) were thrift!

PHOTOS COURTESY PARMJIT PARMAR OF MONTANA RIDGE MARKETING & PROMOTIONAL SERVICES http://www.montanaridge.com/

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Retro bling x 3 for under 2 bucks!

I woke up the other morning with this phrase in my head: wonderful pillows are to couches as great jewellery is to an outfit.

In other words, I can't afford a new couch or a new outfit, but I sure can jazz things up with a new pillow (ok, used, see post from two days ago) and new (used) bling.

So, after unloading a bunch of necklaces at my Grunge Queen Stuff Sale a few weeks ago, I stocked up on retro costume jewellery the other day at my no. 1 neighborhood thrift store, Stretch Thrift (see Top 10 Toronto Thrift Stores posts from last week).

How could I leave this retro silver tone choker necklace by Coro that Mary in the shop let me have ... for .50 cents??

Or this gold-tone retro choker by Monet, again for .50 cents?

The segments look like little fishies, don't they?

I love the weight of this piece - a trait I always look for when buying retro bling. The more substantial, the older, I find, and more expensive looking.

Mary upped the ante when she told me she wanted .69 cents for this three-tier gold tone strand necklace by D'Orlan.

But I took a deep breath and decided to go for it.

Three fab pieces to make countless outfits even better, all for $1.69!

Maybe one or two will be holiday gifts ....

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Ickky thrifty or nifty thrifty?

Reader, were these a mistake?

Blue. Suede. 1980s. Skinny pants. High high waste. $19.99 at Goodwill. Tags still on a week to exchange.

My case: One, love blue suede and velvet (witness new blue suede boots in previous post and countless blue and velvet pieces in my abode).

Two, couldn't afford the Hoss Intropia blue velvet skinny pants I saw at a lush new boutique in Toronto.

So when I saw these on the rack ....


I'm wearing them here with a cashmere sweater and scarf and a thrifted belt, and my amazing leather rider boots I picked up for $40 new at a liquidation store.

The look is sorta horse-y Ralph Lauren rider chick, especially when worn with my brown leather gloves and vintage wool blazer from Holt Renfrew.

I'm leaning towards keeping them. They're uber comfy and I think I can glam them up with high-heeled high boots. Just not so sure of the side angle: they're fitted but are slightly pooky in the tummy when I sit down.

What say you?

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Super thrift outfit

Happy Halloween!

Here's what I'm wearing at work today for my costume, which is a generic Super Girl Hero type ditty. My pal and colleague Jill is Superman, or Superman's gal, depending how you look at it.

One of these outfits is thrift and the other isn't - can you guess which?

Natch, most of my outfit is thrift, and most items I wear in my every day life when I'n NOT super.

The red cashmere cape was $24.99 at Value Village, the short blue skirt was dug up at Goodwill yesterday for $5.99, the tights and top I had, and the funky disco belt was found at True Blue Vintage in the Junction (2919 Dundas St. West, no website yet) for $15 - thought it was pretty special.

The real deals were the blue suede boots made in Italy, bagged for $14.99 at Stretch Thrift on Pape Ave. in Toronto.

But I didn't win the contest, alas; Jill came in second.

Still I think thrift is pretty super. Maybe I should have called myself Shopping Girl?

Was your Halloween costume thrift or used?

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Updates & new thrifted blazer

I have some important Grunge Queen updates:

One, the Oriental Screen in the trash stayed there for a few, very wet and rainy, days and then was hopefully carted off by some brawny person instead of being dumped in the landfill.

Two, remember my Statement Piece Blazer dug up at the Parkdale Sally Ann for $4.99? Knew it was spanky as it was made in France by Canadian-born designer Tara Jarmon. DIDN'T know it was worth so much until I did a shopping column in Midtown Toronto the other day as saw her blouses for $500 and dresses for $600 in a boutique there. My blazer must have retailed for the same if not more, wowsers!

Three, speaking of blazers, I found this Theory blazer at my local thrift shop. Stretch Thrift, for $6.99. It's a fitted brushed cotton style in this olive-brown colour I'm nuts for these days, and it goes perfectly with my thrifted Bongo jeans (Value Village, $14.99) and magenta Dex top I'm wearing underneath (thrifted for a few bucks).

Also goes perfectly with the Statement Piece Pashmina I bought at a 3-for-1 sale in Yorkville in the summer with my shopping pal, Andrea.

Theory sells at places like Holt Renfrew and the blazers appear to run around $400-$600!

While shopping for the blazer I met a kindred thrifting spirit, Pam, who also shops thrift all over the city. Pam told me she's found Gucci and more in the shops. Hope she calls me so we can do a dig together!!

Thanks to my Editor in Chief at the Town Crier newspapers for letting me pose in front of a picture in his office - makes the perfect backdrop. By the way if you want to read my latest Toronto Shopping Column please follow the link!

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Cashmere cape

I wore this red cashmere cape yesterday - too bad I didn't get a pic with me in it and my new-old boho skirt ....

I found this at Value Village for $24.99 - a bit steep for Grunge Queen blood but I'm so in love with capes this time of year. They're endlessly stylish and can be worn with anything, really.

The tag says it was made exclusively for the House of Cashmere in London, England.

Like my statement piece blazers and other coats, I have several capes that I've thrifted - another one is black and made in Scotland by a famous wool house, so lovely.

They're fab this time of year when it's not quite time to wear winter coats but still too cool to go without a cover....

I can wear it done up as you see in this pic, but I prefer the more dramatic look of the shawl over my shoulder, dah-ling.

Have a great wkend!

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A throne fit for a queen

Lest you think this blog is becoming a catalogue of my various social exploits, let me reassure you that this entry is 1). Related to a shopping column I'm doing about Yorkville in Toronto; and 2) An illustration of how you can rock in second-hand clothing and accessories!

But first: isn't that throne me and my date are sitting on fit ... for a queen?

We were at a party at MoRoCo Chocolat and we just had to get the sweet owner Kelly Kimel to snap a pic of us in this very regal looking chair.

My outfit: a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress found at Toronto resale boutique Extoggery. I found the chunky silver tone necklace at the thrift shop for under $10, and decided to jazz it up a little (and cover the scar on my chest) by simply knotting it - looks neat doesn't it?

We saw some very classy looks walking around Yorkville that night, and also some trashy ones. Just goes to show you can look uber classy even when wearing second-hand duds!

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Family & garage sale necklace

It's been a fun, busy week as family has been visiting.

Here's a pic of me and my sis on a patio in Toronto.

I'm wearing one of my fave garage sale finds here: a 1960s three-tier necklace made of heavy plastic (I think) with gold jangly bells inside the black circles.

Crappy description, sorry, but for $22 - the most I've ever spent on one piece at a a garage sale - this necklace was well worth it.

I wear it with everything. It can morph from a classy outfit to slightly more rocker-hip garb with ease.

Grunge Queen philosophy: you can always jazz an outfit up with an inexpensive piece of costume jewellery found at the thrift store or in someone's driveway.

Nest week I'll have a story for you about a necklace I found for $10 that I just discovered may be worth something, thanks to a B-day gift from my best pal!

Happy weekend!

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Thrift outfit, low end

I rarely get pics of me in my thrifted outfit showing you how to put it all together, so when I was doing a shopping column yesterday with stylist Afiya Francisco www.thestylehouse.ca I asked her to snap a pic of me by the green bins - appropriate for the grunge queen, no?

The majority of my outfit here is thrifted from my friendly neighborhood thrift store, Stretch Thrift on Pape Ave. in Toronto.

The jeans, long and lean and flattering, were $5.99. Pointy Italian boots: $9.99.

The scarf and bag I already owned and had purchased new.

Now for the jacket and the top - I broke some of my thrift shopping rules here, you should know.

The white cotton ribbed jacket is H&M ($6.99 if memory serves) and the silk floral swing top, $3.99, is Joe Fresh.





Normally I don't buy what I consider to be trendy fast fashion pieces at thrift shops. I find them over-priced because they are mass market and people recognize the labels, so stores generally tend to price them at maybe half of their regular retail price - not worth it in my books.

But I broke my rule here as the price was right, plus the blazer looked of a good quality - I wear it tight and fitted and it's perfect for the really chilly weather we've been having.

Plus when you're just lollygagging about I don't think you need to wear high, high end thrift pieces. If pieces like these fit into your life and look fab on you, go for it.

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Grunge queen at 16

If I told you exactly what year this was, I'd have to kill you.

I'm off to my -- high school reunion near the end of this week, so this week's posts will be somewhat nostalgic in bent.

Can you tell which one is me? I haven't changed much, have I?

I was a grunge queen at 16. The turtleneck and shoes were new (but I had the shoes since grade 8!), and I picked up the funky paisley skirt at a second-hand shop in Ottawa for next-to-nothing. It came with a very retro jacket with three-quarter sleeves and a huge yoke collar, and the waist on the skirt was so huge I had to get the skirt cut in half by my seamstress to wear it!

I loved that skirt and its funky purple and maroon swirls. Why did I get rid of it?

And that blue leather coat? It belonged to my mom when she was younger, and my sis and I wore it do death when we were in high school. Why oh why did we get rid of it, and where did it go?

This is a look I'd wear now, a pretty timeless retro go-go 1960s look. Pretty sure I wore this ensemble with silver hoop earrings too.

Ah, those were the days.

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Breaking thrift rules

Grunge-queen is bagged tonight, so you get a pic of me from my very recent archives, sporting not just a new do but also a sweater I picked up at Value Village last week for $5.99.

I normally wouldn't have given it a second glance as my general rule is to NEVER buy acrylic, especially thrift as it tends to be the old, very scary brand of acrylic.

But this actually looked more like wool, and I just loved the style - a chunky cowl-neck and batwing sleeved three-quarter tunic with silver thread woven throughout. Worn with my crochet silver ball earrings given to me by a Toronto artisan, I thought the look was pretty chic.

The tag is a little incongruous considering my urban hip outfit: it reads "Country Girl."

Well, call me a little bit country.

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Clothing Swap in 3 Hours!

Ok, it's 50-50 for the pink chandelier, below - one resounding no, one yes (I think) ... and both from pretty stylish gents. Get yer votes in so the Grunge-Queen can end this wishy-washy hell!!

No, this pic isn't a style experiment - it's my set up for my clothing swap tonight! In a few hours I'll have 15 chicks in my one bedroom apt!! I've been doing potlucks forever - before they became hip - and sometimes I combine one with a clothing swap. It's heaps of fun - we eat well, drink well, and laugh like mad as we try clothing on and visit. An added bonus: we clean out our closets (that sometimes, for me, contain the odd thrift store mistake) and take home a few new things to refresh our wardrobes. Whatever's left (there's always a ton) is donated to a charity of our choice.

TIPS:
1). WHO: It helps that most of my pals and me are the same size. If you have a swap where there's a few people who aren't the same size, make sure you include housewares, jewellery and accessories, even makeup in the swap - one of my pals is a teacher and she gets hoards of new makeup from her kids that she's never opened! In other words, make sure there's something for everyone.

2). WHAT: Anything goes except undies and used makeup, I think. The first time I hosted one I thought some of my stuff was too junky - but the gals loved it! I go through my closet the afternoon of the swap and am pretty ruthless: if I haven't worn it for a year, chances are I'll never wear it again, so into the pile it goes. And that undie thing? It can be stretched slightly. Last year I picked up a lovely cotton spaghetti strap nightie by Robin Kay, a Canadian knitwear designer. I joked with its owner that she better not have done anything dirty in it, then I washed it and my beau at the time loved it!

3). HOW 1: Displaying masses of clothing can be hard, especially if in a small apartment like me. I'm lucky to have a brass bed: scarves hang over the head bars, pants over the lower bars, and sweaters and tops go on the main portion. I ask people to bring extra hangers and hang dresses, jackets, and nice tops across the shower bar in the bathroom - if there's room that's where we hang peoples' coats too, except you need a clear dividing line so people don't swap each others' coats by accident!!

4). HOW 2: Wine, women and clothing: you can see how things may get out of hand fast. You want every one to walk away with at least one good find, and you want it to be fair, yet fun. Since I'm having 15 gals in tonight, my plan is to let everyone sift through items as people arrive, have drinks, and visit. Once every one gets a chance to get a good gander, we'll draw numbers and have every one pick two things they want. After that, let the games begin: it'll be a free-for-all! I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

NOTE ON FAIRNESS: I'm not too hung up about who brings what, so long as every one contributes something in the form of food or drink and clothing. The point, natch, is to have fun, and that's exactly what we do!!

5). HOW 3: I get tons of big store bags in press kits (ok, and from my shopping column) so I store them up so the gals can take their new duds home in a nice bag.

Gotta go make meatloaf! If I've missed anything you'll find out tomorrow, and Lamp and Lighting Week starts Monday!

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Value Village Victory

We went; we shopped; we conquered.

Today a friend and I shopped VV for a good hour and a half. It was looking grim for a while. Nothing in the jewellery case. Ditto for jeans and dresses. After a troll in the sweaters I knew I was getting desperate; a chunky acrylic bat-wing sweater was actually looking good. I hit a low point in suits, where another acrylic creation of gold and brown had me thinking if I couldn't perhaps stretch the look to Boho....

But we fought the good fight and stuck our shopping ground, my pal finally emerging with a cute suit and picture frame. Still thinking of my short velvet skirt from the day previous (see post below), I didn't have issues with this skirt, $5.99. A thick crepe with white braiding detail, it was obviously a good make (though no tag could be found). I'll wear it tomorrow with black opaque tights, a black turtleneck, my green Simon Chang belt (see Jan 22 post), a bright scarf, and my rock n' roll booties (see Jan 25 post).

We celebrated our victory with beer and nachos after - the perfect end to a Sunday afternoon

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Sexy Boho Chic Outfit Outta Nothing At All

In theory this outfit is wrong on so many levels. Orange and black, a fashion no-no; a super short velvet skirt; a strange orange vintage wool jacket with an even stranger arm length.

But with a sheer black nylons, pewter heels, and a vintage elastic belt, this is a boho-chic outfit with a dash of come-hither thrown in (that'll I'll likely try out at a party next week).

The skirt, TeenFlo, $4.99 at Sally Ann; the jacket was under $10 at some thrift store; the belt $30 or so at the Toronto Film Studios semi-annual sale; and the RALPH by Ralph Lauren sleeveless turtleneck and old staple in my closet.

THRIFT TIPS:

1). Don't automatically disqualify something if it calls to you (orange jacket) or even if it appears to go against every fibre of your fashion being (short velvet skirt). I haven't worn a skirt this short (at least 2 inches above my knee) for years 'cos I have definite knee issues, but I decided to try point number two, which is to ...

2). Play up your assets: I have long legs and often forget all about them. A short tight skirt like this, with sheers and sassy BCBG heels, makes my gams look miles long. An extra high waist on the skirt helps lengthen my legs, and the belt detracts from any little tummy I have by highlighting my waist. An outfit that is technically wrong can blossom into a butterfly if worn with a little attitude (wool and patterned velvet and silver shoes), especially if it's calculated to show you and all your bodily parts at their best. (I like that the length of the jacket balances out the short skirt ... and hey, if the skirt doesn't work out it's going to be the most Boho looking pillow in my place).

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Two Buck Pick-Me-Up

Ok, so the grunge-queen has gone out the last few nights and her posts have not been so sparky - forgive me, fellow grungers.

Thrift stores are havens for tacky brooches and pins. Even at good 'ole Value Village, you can find 'em for a $1.99

I steer clear of the snowmen and go for the simple pins, as a rule - and lately the ones I've been digging are circular. I found this gold-tone leaf pin on my way home tonight at Salvation Army for $1.69 - not in the showcase but in this crappy plastic container near the cash.

Again near the cash at another thrift shop, this silver-tone pin was a mere buck. I wear this one on the lapel of a blazer, and the heavier gold one is coat-worthy.

COMING TOMORROW: Sexy chic boho-chic outfit with a weird orange blazer and a short velvet mini - who would of thought??

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This Yellow ain't Mellow

This was to be a decor post until a Sunday afternoon "let's just move this picture" morphed into a full-blown re-org gone bad (DO NOT attempt a re-do if you're not in the mood, and don't try "streamlining" your space if you're a junky clutter-bug).

If the sea of black coats on the subway in January as much of a downer for you as it is for me, consider a pop of colour to blast you out of those winter-blah doldrums. This Bill Blass swing coat was in the window of my fave neighborhood thrift store and looks amazing with everything from jeans to dress pants - not the best coat for a skirt or dress, I'll admit. The best part: the $12.99 pricetag.

TIPS: Don't ignore thrift items if the colour isn't so great but everything else like size and style are perfect for you. Yellow is horrid on me, but I look great in this coat if I wear my teal pashmina and make sure the blue is closer to my face than the yellow (and the overall look is enhanced by the fact that the two colours are complementary). Paired with a fab Value Village pin I found for $1.99, this outfit is so spiff it almost doesn't matter what I wear under it. The lesson: 1980s pieces with huge shoulder pads can be resurrected without your being run out of town by the fashion police, especially if you zoot up the glam appeal with tailored pants, big sunglasses and a cloche hat.

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Cashmere Dreams

People often say I dress like I shop at Holt Renfrew: in truth I've never set foot in the place. How serendipitous that I should pop by the Salvation Army on my way home yesterday and find a cherry red cashmere V-neck tunic sweater with a Holt Renfrew tag on it, brand new. The price tag read $290 - AK! - and the Holt Renfrew powers appear to have marked down to $199 (do I care if it was last season?). Good 'ole Sally Ann had repriced it at $6.99 - YAY! It didn't matter that it was a (very small-fitting) size large - belted with this vintage belt dug up at the Toronto Film Studios sale this Fall ($30) the pookiness at the back went away in a jiff (and forced me to suck in my tummy all day long). Worn with a Jones New York lined wool skirt ($3.99), a lined wool blazer by J Crew ($7.99) an old silk scarf and a 1970s chain necklace ($5.99), I have me a spanky work outfit for just under $60. Throw in some patent strappy shoes for $6.99 and you got some serious sex appeal ... that garnered some attention in the office today, let me tell you. Items shown here were found at the Salvation Army or other thrift stores.
TIPS: Shop high on the food chain - ie: go for good quality fabrics like wool and cashmere, and look for good labels. If you're not sure what fabric it is, go by what feels wonderful (and there's really no mistaking cashmere). Look for nice detailing (lined jackets with coloured piping in the J Crew jacket; neat thread detail and clasp on the leather purse); Build your wardrobe around basic pieces (the skirt and jacket) and add colour and flair with all the other accessories you add on (chain, scarf etc). And - Shop regularly at charity thrift stores like the Salvation Army, of course! The prices rock and you can find some real gems if you train your eye to look for 'em.

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