The Thrift Gods Have Smiled Down On Me

Photos by Kyler Kelly

  

Vintage dress

Sandals from India

We at Bouquet of Frocks love a good deal more than anything. Debbie and I love to frequent thrift stores and vintage shops, and although these hunts are very hit or miss, once in a while, we find gems worth the hours of riffling through the musty racks only to come up empty-handed.

This is one jewel I snapped up recently at one of the popular vintage shops here in Montreal. Can we first just talk about how this was totally meant to be....just look at how perfectly floor length this is on me! Trust me when I tell you that in all my 5 feet 1 inch glory, this NEVER happens. I have to hem most of my pants. I buy "capris" and wear them as regular pants. I have never seen the top shelves in my kitchen.

And I just love the flowy, retro, boho silhouette this number cuts on me. It's so unique and flattering. And we all know about my floral addiction...it was a no-brainer. I love wearing it with the sandals I picked up in India, minimal makeup and free-flowing hair, or tied in a low bun. This number has been a real no-fuss, go-to number for me this summer and the black will wear really well into the fall! Thank you, thrifting gods!
                                                     

The Culottes

Top: Jessica Simpson / Culottes and Shoes: Winners / Headband: Aldo Accessories

I really love trying out a new trend and a big one this year has been the culottes. I also accompanied them with a few other of the moment summer trends namely the floral headband and the metallic tattoos. Speaking of summer, it's scary to think that we only have maybe one to two months (max) left of this beautiful hot season here in Montreal...so sad! Once I start seeing the school supplies hitting the stores, the anxiety kicks in.
Back to the culottes, what did it for me was the crochet detail on the bottom. When do I NOT love a crochet detail? And it sort of matches the detail on my top which I love. The length and silhouette of the culotte is not very conventional but trying a new look can be definitely rewarding and that's why we do it!

Riverside Stroll

F21 jumpsuit
H&M hat
Sandals from India
Old handbag

I live close to the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal and every summer, it's teeming with swimmers, fishermen, joggers....just about every outdoor activity you can think of, you're bound to come across it just by strolling along the river. They even have kayaks you can rent and I think I saw a beaver once while kayaking down the river. It was an exciting day.

On those muggy Montreal summer days, there's nothing better than a promenade down to the river in something as light and airy as this cute floral jumpsuit I picked up earlier this season. I threw on a wide-brimmed paper panama hat and my favourite sandals from India and I was ready to beat the heat.

                                                          

Bici-Chic

Shorts: Lux (via Urban Outfitters) / Top: F21 / Hat: F21 / Sandals: Old Navy

Nothing I love more than taking the ol' bike out for a spin on one of those perfect sunny days. But I also love a little effortless bicycle fashion too. I discovered the most perfect term "bicichic" on instagram recently and thought that word perfectly captured that kind of vintage image in your head of a charming woman on a bike in a dress with heels hanging off the bike pedals with maybe an Italian city like Rome or Naples in the backdrop...hmm, is it just me? Well anyway, here is my own little version of that look, not quite as cinematic and romantic, but feeling good!

   

Something Old, Something New

Top: H&M / Skirt: American Apparel / Sandals: The Bay (old) / Bag: F21

This is one of those outfits where one freshly bought item helped me revive a few older pieces from my summer wardrobe. And I bet you probably wouldn't even be able to guess which is the new item but I will tell you anyway. The top is a recent purchase from H&M and the skirt and sandals are waaaaaaay old dating back about 7-8 years. So yeah, loving this combination today and in keeping with our wedding theme lately, here is something old & something new!

Flower Princess

Maybe I'm a little late to hop on the bandwagon but the flower crown has quickly become my new favourite accessory! I've purchased this one at Aldo Accessories and have also been experimenting with my own creations (coming soon!). Jackie and I recently attended a "tropical" themed party so it was the perfect occasion to debut my flowers, what do you think?

A Little Spring in your Step

Skirt and Tee: Joe Fresh / Jacket and bag: Thrifted / Shoes: Converse / Hat: Target

With this sudden burst of warm spring weather, I'm starting to feel inspired by fashion again. I, along with many of you I'm sure, was experiencing a bit of a winter slump. But finally, I can say I feel revived. No more black clothes, I'm all about white, white shoes, white jean jacket, bring it on!

Ditching the Coat

Jeans: Zara / T-shirt: H&M / Kimono: Forever 21 / Sweater: Joe Fresh / Booties: Target / 

Necklace: Smart Set

This week, we had a few days of what we could call almost-Springlike weather so I decided to ditch the coat. It doesn't mean I've officially packed up my winter gear but at least for a brief moment, I could enjoy a Spring day. Instead I went with a layered look consisting of a kimono and a long cozy sweater. I must admit, I was feeling so naked without wearing a hat so I whipped on a new lipstick (recommended by none other than our resident lipstick queen, Jackie), it's called Bordeaux by Rimmel and I love it. I'm calling it now "Burgundy is the new Red." You heard it here first! Have a good weekend, Frockers!

Bagage Perdu

I don't know about you, but I always watch those carousels anxiously, praying to the globe-trotting gods that my purple pack or green valise or whatever I happened to lug on this journey or that, will round that corner and make its slow way into my arms after hours of restlessness in that big ol' metal tube in the sky.

Up until now, my prayers had always been answered. 

On a recent sojourn of mine, a company that shall remain nameless (but rhymes with MAir MIndia) failed to deliver to me the goods that I had deemed quite necessary to my comfort and continued style on a trek many thousands of kilometers from home. What was even more disheartening was the callous way they treated my dilemma, ignoring phone calls and attempts to gather information, failing to offer any kind of compensation or sympathy, and after finally locating my things, refusing to deliver them to me. Needless to say, threats were made, arguments were had, and a week later, I was reunited with my purple companion and all was well. 

*Before I get to the point of this post, I would like to just sincerely warn anyone from using said company. I was hesitant to go with them from the beginning and they have just proven me right. There were four people in their office to file a complaint about missing things including me, and that's just how many I was witness to. Their customer service is non-existent and they clearly do not prioritize organization, customer satisfaction or any kind of minimal standard for delivering a pretty common service. Oh and by the way, a couple of weeks ago, they "forgot" to schedule several pilots and passengers were stranded at Heathrow for 12 hours. Yeah.

Anyway, rant over. My point is, I really wanted to share with you guys what I managed to whip up in my dire time of no change of underwear. Turns out, it's pretty easy to go anything-clean-will-do shopping when the prices are about a tenth of what you're used to and the aesthetic is bold colours and floral prints. Yeah, exactly, right up my alley! I may have had to wear this tunic for three days in a row and also sleep in it, but damn, did I feel pretty. And the trousers had a handy zipped pocket at the waist that was the perfect built-in fanny pack. All in all, it could have been worse. At least I have a few fun additions to the old wardrobe and a story.