Prints

I can't get enough of bold, colorful prints! I'm going nuts over at Pinterest. I have a board for Clothing, Tableware and Home...

Follow Katri's board Prints on Pinterest.

Looking at the dates from my older pins, looks like this isn't really a recent interest, but has been sneakily developing over quite a while. Perhaps it just took some time to develop.

Are you on Pinterest? What are you pinning now? Please share, I'd love to see!

Lost and found inspiration

My inspiration for many things went missing for a long time. The things I enjoyed the most, making things and fashion, felt bland. I wore the same things and barely made anything new. I did get rid of a lot of things and with a very brutal purge of items in my closet, I started feeling lighter and even a tinge of inspiration.

I started feeling drawn towards patterns. The bolder and more colorful, the better. I wanted to find something really over-the-top. I got my wish!

I struck gold at the CAFTCAD movie wardrobe sale. I came home with a jacket, two tops and a large piece of fabric.

Value Village was good to me too, I found the amazing skirt on the left!

I won't be wearing all these things as they are, but I want to try my hand at making something new. I haven't decided if I dare to try sewing a skirt out of the fabric I found, but let's see if I feel brave enough!

I figure if nothing else, I can make some new sofa cushions!

What do you think of my crazy patterned finds?

This is going to be harder than I thought!

I wanted to start that clothing challenge from something manageable and relatively easy. I was going through some items of clothing in my head doing a rough estimate how many I think I have. I know there will be very difficult ones! Like T-shirts. I love t-shirts. I wear them pretty much every day. I'm wearing one right now...

[It has a Superman logo on it, so it's only for home. I won't be caught publicly supporting the wrong superhero. I'm a Batman kinda gal!]

...so there will be a lot of them. I'm pretty happy in my ignorance when it comes to the amount of them. There might, or might not, be an entire drawer for t-shirts.

I started thinking something I don't wear that much... Shorts? I think I have 5 pairs or so. Three of which are for sports. They are in the basement with the out of season clothes, so I'm not going to bring the box and more stuff upstairs right now.

Ok, skirts. I think I have 10.

These are very typical skirts for me in the colder seasons... A lot of black, zippers and fun textures

No. Wait. I forgot about this one. So, elev... No, I forgot that one too.

Screw it. I'll just go count.

...

18 friggin' skirts!

These, on the other hand, are not typical at all. Even the shapes are unusual for me.

It's even possible that there is one more hiding in that out of season box...

I do wear a lot of skirts in the summer, so I knew there would be quite a few. Eighteen just seems a lot!

I might do an actual post about the specifics of this challenge if you guys are interested. I just wanted to share my astonishment and building dread about what I got myself into!

How about you try this out too! Just pick one category of clothing, make a guess and actually count how many you have! Please share the results! I'd love to hear about it!

What's in my closet and why isn't it working for me?

In my need to reorganize and streamline my life, I know there's a huge challenge waiting for me. My wardrobe is not working for me as it is right now. I am working on getting rid of things that don't serve a purpose and I am dreading the project that is my closet!

This is a photo of my closet taken just now as I was finishing this blog post. 

(Sorry for the quality... I'm still testing the various photo editing tools)

I read about an interesting clothes challenge. It's in Finnish, but that doesn't really matter. The gist of it is to challenge you to count all your clothes and share how many you have. There's no exclusions, you're supposed to count every item including underwear, socks, mittens and scarves.

Now, I like numbers. Statistics and percentages. I like to keep track of things. So, clearly this sounds intriguing to me. It also goes nicely with my need to get rid of stuff.

With somewhat limited free time, I'm not committing to doing this whole challenge, at least at one go. I will, however, go through parts of my wardrobe. If I get really into it, then maybe I'll keep on going... If nothing else, I'll get rid of some additional stuff. This is just a start in a larger quest to really figure out what my style is, how will it work for me and how to reduce the stress of getting dressed!

Some of my shoes... You can see exactly the two types of shoes I love, crazy heels and (Adidas) sneakers!

I've gotten rid of a whole lot of clothing since the move to Toronto just over a year ago. It has been an ongoing project since moving and every time around I get rid of a few more things. What I do with all of the clothes is another topic that I'd love to get into another time, but for now it'll suffice to say they will no longer crowd my limited storage space.

Like I said before, I dream of a closet where everything fits and has a purpose. I'm OK with storing out of season clothes in the basement, but those will have to be in good working order and functional without any crazy prep-work. I also mentioned that since I absolutely hate clothes shopping, I have a lot of things that are almost what I need. Fact is though, that 'almost' means that it'll either stay in the closet or I don't feel fully comfortable in it when wearing that piece of clothing! And neither those sound like a really good outcome to me!

I love fashion, but trying things on can be such a drag. I have admittedly on more than one occasion bought things that are "close enough" instead of waiting for the right one. I am working on my bad shopping habits, but that's what I have to work with right now. 

I promise to share at least some of my clothes counting and wardrobe overhaul results with you!

Do you know exactly what's in your closet? Does everything have a purpose?

What's up Montreal - m0851 Sample sale

Just a quick heads up guys, the m0851 sample sale is going on right now and it ends tomorrow, November 25th! They have their offices full of really awesome stuff and it's up to 70% off!

Source: m0851.com via Katri on Pinterest

This bag is a good example of their products. I've been wanting this weekender for a while.

The address is 5555 Casgrain Ave (right next to Jeans, jeans, jeans). Definitely worth dropping by, maybe get started on the Christmas shopping.

P.S. Regular posting coming shortly!
P.P.S. This is not a paid ad, I just really like the products and am more than happy to support a Montreal company

Vintage Moschino

I mentioned in the previous post that yesterday was a good day. I was happy with the crafts tape, but after those I made another, even better, find.

Yup, as the title says, it's a vintage Moschino.

I've seen the belts around here and there, and they are apparently quite popular and hard to find.

I saw this at one of my regular charity shops and at first thought it was a fake. On closer inspection and with some online research, it looks like I found the real deal. All the markings are correct, including the lining and the serial numbers. The letters are marked on the back and the zipper-pull has the correct names as well.

So, it seems like I finally made my first designer bag find. (I've already shown you a few of the non-bag finds, like a YSL tie and a Coach silk scarf)

I was really excited when I realized it's real. There's only one but...

It's a friggin' fanny pack!

Good news is that these have been making a comeback in the last few years. Bad news is that I'm certainly not trendy enough to pull this one off.

So, opinions guys... What do I do with it? Sell it? if so, where? Ebay? Somewhere else? Any ideas? Does any of you want to buy it? Make an offer if you do!

What would you do?

Prada FW12

I just saw this image from the Prada Fall/winter collection. Makes me feel like it should be a poster for a sleek western movie.

Photo from GQ

Questionable trending

As much as I love following fashion and trends, every now and then I run into a few that leave me confused or even baffled. By this I don't mean that something looks good, but I wouldn't try it out myself (which happens all the time) but those WTF moments...

The latest one of those is the clear shoes.

Don't know what that is? No worries: clear shoes are exactly what they sound like. Shoes made out of completely see-through, clear material. A.k.a. plastic.

This is the predecessor of the somewhat recent rise (or attempt at least) of the see-through bag/purse/clutch. (Which, like with this one, I applaud the idea, but am baffled by the execution for two reasons: 1) your bag has to be extremely organized and not have random crap like receipts floating around and 2) wouldn't that show the potential purse thief exactly what's in there and if its worth stealing?)

Photos from here, here and here

Now, I can actually appreciate the novelty of this. I really can. They do create a very interesting visual and can look pretty funky when done right. (and to clarify, I am talking about the recent updates to this type of shoes, not their predecessor, the proverbial stripper-heel)

What I don't understand is the execution and practicality of this. Without getting too graphic, I will skip the more... umm... life-like (!) examples and just say this:

Since these are plastic (or some other presumably water resistant material) and most often worn on bare feet, what happens when it rains?

I mean think about it... What will these look like when water gets on the inside of the shoe? Let alone wearing these when it's warm outside combined with rigorous walking around? I don't even want to mention attending an outside music festival/concert... I'm sure you catch my drift...

Where did this come from? Presumably Prada spring 2010. I know it wasn't started there, but those got the most visibility. In all honesty, I was baffled by those shoes. Especially the ones with the chandelier look. However, all was soon forgiven since the Prada Fall 2010 shoes were phenomenal. I still dream of them! Anyhow, the plastic/PVC/Lucite shoes needed a bit of time to digest, but looks like they are coming. Check street style blogs and see that the culprit is Cheap Monday SS2011. Marc Jacobs had some in the SS12 collection. Looks like this time it might come for real...

Friday Inspiration

I'm all for good basics in my closet. It make life so much easier, I lose my nerves very easily when I need to think too long what to wear. Sometimes, and this is extremely rare, I don't mind spending quite a bit of time thinking about what to wear, but most of the time I need to just get ready as fast as possible.

As much as I love fashion and all the crazy things that go with it, I don't really wear extravagant things myself. I'm all about a basic t-shirt, nicely cut jacket and jeans. I'm ok with splurging on shoes or the occasional bag, but even those are usually very basic. The only thing I find myself going a little outside my general comfort zone are my shoes and sometimes the colourful t-shirt. This is one of the reasons I don't write a fashion blog. Honestly, I would imagine people would be bored with my "outfits" after a week. (let's not forget the fact that I am extremely uncomfortable getting my photo taken. This is why I haven't yet added one of myself. I just can't find a decent one)

Anyhow, all this is to say that I love reading about fashion and checking the latest collections (If you've ever wondered who takes the time to go through all the photos of a designer's collection, not to mentions several designers, the answer is me.) but most of the time I get inspired by very simple outfits.

Photos found on Pinterest

Jeans, t-shirts and a well cut blazer. Add funky shoes and a nice bag. That's really what I wear, all the time. So, I will happily admit that I would wear every single one of these outfits. (Ok, I would need longer shorts, or maybe just replace the shorts with jeans)

I'm still looking for that perfect t-shirt though. I'm testing a few new brands, we'll see how that goes. Any suggestions for great t-shirts?

Balancing act

Just because I would prefer to wear heels all the time, doesn't mean I don't understand the awesomeness of (some) sneakers. I'm definitely in favor of the old school sneakers, so I'm always happy to see some. As an added bonus, if you want to be (or appear to be) in the know in fashion, there are some sneakers you need to know about.

Photo from Jak & Jil

New Balance. You won't get anywhere without seeing them, they are going to be everywhere. Mark my words. The colours don't really matter, although this would be an excellent way to incorporate some colour into your wardrobe. Also, totally works for everyone.

Photo from NAP

Another, more fashion-y option (and considerably more expensive, if you go for the real deal) comes from Isabel Marant. They look a bit like the 90s Nike Air hightops and have a hidden platform. Good news is that if you really like them, there will be cheaper options available. H&M already made their version and I believe Aldo as well.

So, which ones are your favourites?

Back to black

I actually started a wardrobe overhaul some time ago. I did have a lot of clothes, yet nothing to wear. I used to go by the "more is more" approach with my clothes, shoes and accessories for quite a while. And to afford that, I also went for quantity, not quality. I assume that's a very common approach and I still understand why it's so appealing. It's nice to have a extensive wardrobe.

Nonetheless, I did rethink this philosophy some time ago and have been slowly (painstakingly slowly) building a good collection of things to wear. I'm nowhere near finished, but at least I can see some progress.

I try periodically to review everything I have and try to figure out what I still need. I just came to a realization that was quite unexpected. I figured I was doing pretty well and then realized I'm missing some definite basics. Like black shoes. I have one pair of black shoes, they're square-toed with a gold buckle. Very basic and work appropriate. But that's it.

How is it possible for a self-proclaimed shoe-addict like myself to have ONE pair of black shoes? This should be remedied immediately! (What do you mean "looking for an excuse for shoe shopping"?)

Top row from here

bottom row here, here and here

These are some of the shoes I've been thinking about. The top row are all Christian Louboutins (From left Lady Lynch, Pigalle and Rolando) and the bottom row from Fendi, YSL and Brian Atwood. I haven't quite decided what I want yet, but I think I need to go try some of these on. I'm now leaning towards to CLs, just because they are very basic. The ones from Fendi and YSl are gorgeous, but to be honest, they are both on my all time favourite shoes list, so I might want to get them in a funkier colour or material... I love my blue suede Brian Atwood's, but for basic black pumps, I might skip the peeptoe.

I do think a really good pair of black shoes should be the next thing on my list... (notice the key word "should". There's always a good chance I fall for a pair that's not practical at all...)

If you are at all curious to other things on my "I wish" list, you can check out my board "the (imaginary) shopping list" on Pinterest.

Second hand

I've made some amazing finds recently. Like I mentioned, lace if one of those trends I would like to try out. As it so happened, I found this top from a second hand expedition recently. It's a good way for me to try out wearing lace, without making a significant investment. And, as an added benefit, I get to try out the upcoming 90's trend too (yeah, the 90's are coming)

At least for me Kookai is very 90's as a brand. I associate it to that time period and used to be a fan. Is it just me? Anyone else?

So, after $5 and some cleanup, I'm good to go.

What do you think? (not just of the top, but the photos too. I've complained before how hard taking photos of clothing is. Any comments or tips?)

What to wear now, part deux

These are trends that will work in real life and I believe will be useful even after something new replaces them.

I can't, in any possible way, call myself trendy. I just don't have that flair it takes to really be on trend or even fashionable. But, I still follow fashion (quite intently actually) and sometimes try a few trendier things. So, continuing from my first post on the topic, I figured I'd try putting together ideas that I, and I guess anyone like myself, could try out. These are actually things I really want to test out in practice.

Crazy pencil skirts

Pencil skirts have always been my favourite kind of a skirt. It works for my body type and it has that subtle pin-up vibe to it. I would absolutely love to find a few funky ones. This fad might be gone soon, but I think these are pieces I could wear for quite a while after. This is, of course, if I could find pencil skirts that fit properly...

Photos from Vogue UK (Prada) and Style.com (Stella McCartney)

Where did this come from? For me at least, there's two places where the idea solidified in my head, Prada  SS11 (that's the one with the crazy banana prints and the now infamous creepers) and Stella McCartney RTW 2011.

Lace

Oddly girly for my regular taste, but I can't help it. I've seen it everywhere and I really would love to try it.  I found a Kookai black lace top a little while ago from a second hand shop, so at least I have a start. I am on the hunt for a skirt or even a dress...

Photos from Style.com

Where did this come from? 3.1 Phillip Lim resort 2010. When I saw that black lace skirt... I was done. I still think about it.

So, what do you think? Are you trying out or already over these trends?

Suede and glitter

I must've mentioned my love for shoes. I've been extremely good recently and haven't bought any in a while. In fact, the only ones I've bought this year were the ones I needed for winter outdoor activities (I bought a very basic pair of Sorels on sale, nothing interesting).

Until now, that is.

2 Pairs in the last two days. One pair is on their way to me and I'll show you once they get here. The other... well, here you go:

I don't know if I ever mentioned this but I have pretty big feet. In a world full of 7s and 8s, being a 10 can be tough (shoe size, not looks). But, the good news is that sometimes you can really find some treasures. Like Thursday.

I've been wanting a pair with some glitter, so these work perfectly. A (rather direct) reference to the Miu Miu glitter shoes from fall 2011 but with a fraction of the price. I figured this is definitely a pair that will make it's money's worth in number of wears. I paid 20 bucks... Last pair in the store. These guys are by Kimchi Blue and are perfect for the season.

Now, I'm just waiting for the other pair to arrive. Those ones are something I've been lusting after for quite a while...

So, found any good shoes recently? What do you think of mine?

Friday Inspiration

This lady pretty much sums up what I wrote about a few days ago

Photo form Moi Contre la Vie

The photo's from LFW and looks effortless yet very put together. Very nice!

What to wear now

So, I read a lot of fashion related materials. If I were an trendy person, this is what I would wear right now:

1. Printed pants, especially floral

Seriously, the printed pants have been around for a while now, but you still have time to be fashionable if you act now. Get floral pants a.s.a.p!
Runner up: patterned or colourful pants. Not the hight of trendiness any longer, but you'll still look stylish. Extra bonus points if your pants resemble pyjama pants or are pale mint green.

Photo from Stockholm Streetstyle

2. Neon

Keep it to a minimal though. It came with a bang and goes easily overboard. Get a neon purse or a belt. On a budget? nail polish or a piece of jewelry, like a bangle.
Runner up: bright colours in tiny splashes

3. Scarf prints

Best bet would be a button down shirt, preferably slightly sheer. (Didn't this try to break in a few years ago, but didn't get much further than a few dresses?)

Runner up: old school scarves

4. Peplum

Get a top with a peplum hem, wear it with everything.
Runner up: scalloped hems and other details

5. Metallic cuffs

This would be best around your neck, but if that isn't your thing, around your ankles. Wrists work too if that's all you can find, as long as you're wearing one on each.
Runner up: friendship bracelets (yes, still)

Also, keep in mind colour blocking and mixing prints.

One step ahead? Tone on tone outfits.

Photo Chloe S/S2012 from here

P.S. don't forget, your pants need to be either skinny and too short or optionally wide and too long!

Great white

Oh, mighty white t-shirt, why are you hiding from me? Seriously, it's such a basic yet versatile piece and somehow near impossible to find.

Ok, let me clarify. You can find tons of white t-shirts, most stores carry them. But a GREAT white (insert 'Jaws' intro here) T-shirt... That's the holy grail of.... T-shirts. Fine, I know I'm sounding overly dramatic here, but I'm really having a tough time with this one. I've tried a number of different ones, some very inexpensive, others a tad more pricey, but I've yet to find that specific style or brand I can count on.

Photo from Chictopia

The problem for me is usually a combination of lenght and thickness of the material. I'm relatively tall, so a lot of them end up being too short. Another issue tends to be the material. White t-shirt (or white *anything* for that matter) can be a disaster waiting to happen. I need a shirt that's thick enough so I don't have to worry if anything underneath is showing through.

I know this is a long ramble about something really basic. Is this just an issue for me? Any suggestions for places to find great T-shirts?

Trying new things

Sometimes it takes me a little while (OK, who am I kidding... A LONG time) to actually try something I've been thinking about. I'm talking about clothes and outfits here, but this applies to a lot of aspects of my life. I get these ideas from everywhere, something that instantly clicks in my head as "Yeah, that would totally work". But... it takes me a while to put these ideas to practice.

Photo from The Sartorialist

I have the excuse to not try it, if there's something I need to get to make it work. A color, type of garment, anything... But every now and then there's an idea that I actually have everything I need already to make it happen. And still... I just don't.

I'm taking small steps towards putting all these ideas to use, I guess I need to learn more patience. Just a random thought for today. Am I alone stuck in what's safe?

Purse shopping in Hawaii

I was thinking about purses today (mainly how I should clean mine out of all that extra crap that's in them) and decided I should share an interesting story with you.

This story takes place in Honolulu, Hawaii. Chris and I were there about a year and a half ago for our honeymoon. I wasn't planning on doing all that much shopping, but figured I could treat myself to a pair of nice shoes. Now, Honolulu is a paradise not just from weather/scenery perspective, but if you're into shopping, you're in for a treat. There's luxury brands everywhere. Seriously, they are everywhere.

So, after walking around a bit, I realized that instead of a pair of shoes I should actually invest in a purse. It's something I have with me every time I leave the house and I carry a lot of stuff with me. I should just invest in a good, sturdy leather purse that will last me a long time. So, that's what I decide on and start keeping an eye out for a good one.

I decided that the purse should be tan or brown, medium sized and leather. (Yeah, that only restricts to selection to 15,000 or so). I am a huge fan of vintage, and I plan on using this purse for a long time, so I wanted a classic shape, perhaps with some old time-y flair to it. I walk around (We actually only used one day for shopping, this is to clarify before you think I spent the entire honeymoon in shops) and look for this purse. I find a few I like, but still want to walk around and compare what's out there. While I do this, I see an ad for Ralph Lauren. In this ad (which I couldn't find online) there's a woman with a purse in her hand. It looked really funky and I realized that I didn't even think to go into Ralph Lauren, I had no idea he makes purses that are that nice. So, why not drop by and see what they have?

I go in and walk around, I saw a few nice purses, but nothing that I really loved. And then, I see the same purse from the ad! Well, I wasn't actually thinking they'd have that exact one, but since it's here, let me try it out. It's this one:

It's called "Ricky", Photo from Ralph Lauren

Now, the alarm should have gone off in my head, when I see the purse is in a glass cabinet. However, no alarms go off. The lady working in the shop asks if I want to try it out. I say yes and she opens the case with a key (still no alarms). I'm carrying it around, checking out the size, rummaging through it and kinda like it. So, I ask (all casually) how much it is. And I receive the answer...

$17,000 USD

I look at the purse and laugh. I tell the lady that I am on my honeymoon and I did plan on splurging, but not like this. I give the purse back and leave.

No moral to this story. Just thought I'd share.

What to wear and more importantly, who to talk to about it?

Since my last Friday Inspiration post, I haven't stopped thinking about clothes. On the contrary, I've been thinking about clothes even more. And not just clothes, about the dreaded F-word (not THAT F-word silly, the other one. Fashion). I do think it's the imminent return of spring that's filling my head with all this, but I can't help it. Soon, I can wear other things than just winter stuff. My poor shoes have been neglected for months now.

This is going to be a long rant, so more under the cut. If you're not interested in a lot of clothes talk, skip the post.