Dress Like a 1970's School Administrator Day

Fine, it isn't an official holiday...yet.

 We had an assistant principal that dressed like this, every single day. Hot weather or cool, rain or shine, it was a wool skirt and polo neck in varying neutral shades for each day of the workweek. Sometimes she'd get wild and wear a yellow polo neck with a beige jacket to match her beige-blonde hair...but not too often as that was reserved for last day before half-term break, and field day.

 Punk was in full-swing at that point, and where I spent most of my time trying to stretch the dress code as far as possible, Miss B. spent most of her time trying to find reasons to make me turn my offensive tee shirts inside out. I liked her anyway-we were like those couples that thrive on good-natured arguing. A few years later I'd be entering the work world and wearing those hideous, "Female ties" that were little more than silk bows that would look alright on a kitten at Christmas but were absurd on women in an office setting. There's a vintage style I hope to never see again. Miss B. stuck to her poloneck sweaters, and in hindsight, I'd have to agree it was a good call. Forty years after the fact, I can acknowledge how put together she managed to look each day-my eyes were too blinded by the flash of my own studded leather jacket at the time to appreciate the classic styling of a wool blazer.

I did attempt a Google search to see if she was still kicking around, but there's zero internet presence for her. If she married, I wouldn't know her new surname. Anyhoo, I hope she's still still around and wearing a different coloured polo neck for each day of the week.

Outfit Particulars:
Sleeveless polo neck-Sears (about 15 years ago)
Vintage late 70's blazer (part of a suit) by Picket-N-Post-Goodwill
Vintage wool skirt-New Life Thrift
Wedge heeled loafers-K Mart a few years ago
Necklace-Salvation Army
Vintage handbag-Goodwill
Vintage Earrings-yard sale
Vintage brooch-Yard sale
Fragrance-Rive Gauche (what else could I possibly wear with this?)

I've been noticing there's even more brown in my wardrobe than in previous autumns. I don't know what's going on with me, but I wear brown the way Goths do black. I really should try mixing things up a bit, but I am clearly in some sort of rut. I need to have a clear out of the wardrobe and accept that I don't need five (count 'em) brown wool suits (three of which are tweed). This jacket has a matching skirt, and it isn't even a nice one (rather too wide and long as 70's skirts often were).

. 

And while we're on the subject of brown...no, not turds (what's wrong with you people?!)...

...here's a vintage corde bag I won't be getting rid of.

As regular readers know, I don't spend much on my vintage pieces and I'm willing to do without or wait until I find a piece at a price I'm comfortable with. At $9.99, this bag was borderline. but I went ahead and bought it because A) Good condition and B) Brown. I'm hopeless. really I am.

Here's the same dress worn almost exactly a year ago. I didn't plan it that way, but I also wore the same brooch! What can I say? It is a good dress between seasons. 

Outfit Particulars:
Peacock Print dress-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage Corde bag-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage Gaymode shoes-Thrift World
Liz Claiborne Satin jacket-Goodwill (brown and navy satin...yeah, that's practical!)
Earrings-Yard sale
Brooch-Goodwill
Fragrance-Guerlain Santal Royal ( I am aware everyone hated this perfume except yours truly. If you have any unwanted bottles you'd like to donate to a good cause (ME!) I'll be happy to give it a good home. I really don't think it deserves the hate it gets, but I'm not an oud snob-I think I prefer it to the fancy-pants oud in The Night, which I've worn a total of once).

 I'll leave you with a photo of this fellow who essentially screamed on the lightpost outside our house all morning. "Caw, caw, caw" it was worse than the budgie! I wonder what he was on about? There weren't any other birds around provoking him.

Do you have a favourite colour that you end up overdoing?

Rosemary's Budgie and other strange tales

"I'm Xerox, and I hate you. Now, listen to me rasp and squawk for the next ten hours. You're welcome."

Anyway, I took my inspiration for today's outfit from Xerox as my mood seems to be about equal to his. Must be something in the air. My hair has been thinning out and you know how cranky I get when I molt.

You know how some days you just feel anti-social, but not enough to go and punch someone in the nose or do anything criminal? Really? You don't? Well okay, you're special, but anyway, my way of dealing with anger at the world is to wear a striped skirt with striped tights and see how many people I can make dizzy and nauseated. Fine, it isn't but you probably shouldn't stare at the photo too long.

Outfit Particulars:
Skirt-Target (ages ago)
Tights-Halloween shop (because every damn day is Halloween in my world)
Ecco comfort shoes-Goodwill
Norton McNaughton top-I dunno, probably Jordan Marsh 25+ years ago (I had an employee discount)
1970's jacket (part of a dress)-Goodwill
Vintage purse-Antiques mall
Fragrance (some Taylor Swift fragrance I forgot the name of-"Bumblefucked...Thunderstruck...something like that. It smells like a scented candle (and not in a good way).
Vintage necklace-Goodwill
Vintage Brooch-Hand-Me-Ups
Earrings-Had them since university
Ring-Walgreen's

 Don't worry, they're plastic not gemstones.

Cat or bat? I can't tell. I'd prefer cat as we already have real bats and they are keeping me up at night making terrible noise in the roof. The exterminator is coming tomorrow. I can't stand it anymore. I know they're beneficial, but geez-can't they go live outside?!

I learned something interesting about myself yesterday at my eye exam. It seems I sleep with my right eye partially open and it is causing my eye to dry out-enough to be visible to the optometrist.

"Is that a problem?" I asked. 

She handed me some eye drops, mumbled something about my cornea (or the film over it) sticking to my eyelid and told me to Google it when I get home. So I did. Yeah, go on, you know you want to see the pictures, I'll wait. 

I guess I'll be using eye drops for the rest of my life. I don't know how I've managed to get to my age without anyone mentioning I sleep with a eye open-surely someone must have noticed. I wonder, do budgies sleep with their eyes open?

We're nearly through the first week of grade six. I've never taught grade six-I'm finding it all rather exciting. Plenty of maths and science to keep things interesting. 

 My weekday wardrobe has been as varied as the weather, but I try sticking the easily launderable items as I'm also the art and home economics teacher. I've ruined enough good clothes in seven years of this teaching gig to know better.

I bought this 80's monstrosity of a dress for a dollar with the idea I'd harvest the pretty lace from the collar and trim...then, I tried it on. Once I got the 4 inch thick shoulder pads out of it, I rather liked it. Next time I wear it I might even be motivated enough to iron it. 

I'm off to bed, but I'll be keeping one eye open, so don't stay out too late. 

Oh La La Sassoon

When it comes to the early 80's looks, my immediate thought is to wear the pieces as I would have at the time. The thing is, that would look stupid (on me-your mileage may differ). Combat boots and kilts have been done (and done, and done) so I went looking for a way to re-work the 80's pieces in my collection without looking like I was headed to an 80's themed party. Enter, the vintage Sasson jacket.

The early 80's jackets were a bit shorter without being boxy, and the shoulder pads hadn't quite reached the absurd proportions we saw by the end of the decade. These jackets are still wearable with more modern styles, and have the advantage of looking good with wide-legged trousers.

I tried to keep the 80's influence down to one item of clothing, and an accessory. Wide belts are having a moment again, so I went with that as my showpiece accessory. I like the use of red and green together (not just for Christmas) though it would have been a tougher sell to my younger self.

My younger self was, by the way, an idiot-so who cares what she would have thought?

Outfit particulars:

1980's Sassoon jacket-New Life Thrift
90's kilt (part of a suit)-Goodwill
Vintage belt-Hand Me Ups
Earrings- K Mart
Antique Celtic brooch-antique mall in Western Massachusetts
German-made shoes-Hand-Me-Ups
Tights-Walgreens
Bag-Target
Skull ring-Walgreen's
Red bakelite clamper bracelet-Salvation Army
Rhinestone bracelet (really a choker) Gordman's
White linen blouse- K Mart
Fragrance-Knize Ten (I was looking for my bottle of Bandit, but couldn't find it and went for Knize Ten instead. I'd forgotten how much I love it)

 Red and green? Yay or nay? And would you trust your younger self about anything? I need to know. Tell me!
*Updated:
Should read "Yea" . That'll teach me to blog and talk at the same time.
They learned us real good talkin' at skoool.
Geez.

Silver Belle

Because everyone needs a silver, satin jumpsuit in their wardrobe. 

(Go on, click the photo to enlarge it, you'll want to see the outfit in all its 80's glory).

You should have seen the shoulder pads I ripped out. They had to be eight inches thick. As the jacket also had absurdly large shoulders, I still managed the 80's silhouette without feeling like I ought to be running with a football.

Wearing this roomy jumpsuit was a little like going out in a really luxe spacesuit. Or hazmat. I should hang onto it for future Halloween inspiration. People kept approaching me at the library to tell me how elegant I looked, which is funny because I was going for edgy. I thought for sure the oversized 80's blazer and wedge trainers would have taken some of the formality out of it. No matter, I'll take a compliment, and you certainly could dress this up with rhinestones and perhaps a velvet coat to transform it into evening wear. 

Now that's how you match a belt. Sometimes I impress myself. The jumpsuit still has the original belt, but this one is nicer. 

Not dressy shoes but oh-so-comfortable. 

 Can you imagine how big the shoulders would look if I hadn't taken the pads out of the jumpsuit? I'm trying to remember how I dealt with this in the 80's, and as far as I can remember, we just wore them. I had a friend that would buy extra ones to stuff into shirts making them even higher. I'm just too short and buxom for huge shoulders, but I love the look on other people.

 That's a pretty badass necklace, but it is made of aluminum and is very lightweight.

The cookies were a huge hit at the library, and one of the volunteers gifted Danny some vintage joke books. "Knock-Knock"

"Go Away!"

The creepy lion on the wall approves. 

Outfit Particulars:

1980's satin jumpsuit-Goodwill .99 cents

Wool double breasted blazer-Goodwill

Wedge trainers-K Mart a couple years ago

Chain necklace-Gordman's

Earrings- K Mart

Rings-Assorted places

Reindeer brooch (on jacket) Hand-Me-Ups

Fragrance-Jovan Woman

I have a couple events this weekend that require a little nicer than usual attire. So of course the big question is, "Sequins, or lace?" Yeah, I know-"Both!" We'll see. 

Almost Friday!

Do I look Like I Give a Rat's Ass?

Spring finally sprang by leaping directly into summer! We are headed to a high of 80 degrees F. today, and with the sun shining, I thought it only fair to do my part contributing to the overall brightness. These clothes can't work their magic if I don't wear them.

Still, the mornings are cool, so I employed a series of layers to ease into the day. You need layers-like air and water-blue, blue water.

 

...and shimmering things. Come on people, what's the point if you don't shimmer?!

But as the day warms, it makes sense to strip off a bit, even if it gets you the stink-eye from the women your own age. Too over-dressed for Aldi? *Shrug* the day I start caring what people think of my appearance is the day...well, I can't find a way to end that sentence because it ain't happening.

 

 

 

 

Do I look like I care? Well how about now? Look again...still no? Good. I can think of many things that will ruin a day, but my appearance, or what someone thinks of it are not on the list. I'll go as far as saying if your friends DO care what you look like, it is probably time for new friends. I know a lovely group of non-judgmental  bloggers I can introduce you to.

Outfit Particulars:

RK Originals dress -Thrifted
Blue cardigan-Target
Pink neon leggings-Tif and Tam (at the grocery store-no shit!)
Blue Straw purse-Thrifted
Beige Nordstrom's linen blazer (80's) thrifted
Earrings-upcycled vintage earrings-The Mexican Shop, Evanston, Illinois (circa 1987)
Bracelets-thrifted here and there
Owl ring-K Mart
Hair flowers-Tif and Tam
Blue rhinestone necklace-Sears (I think) a few seasons ago

 

 

Okie dokie, I'm out of here to bask in the sun in front of the house, and yell at people to keep off the lawn. You go have a super day, and don't let anyone give you the stink-eye. Send 'em here, I'll straighten them out.