Simple Family Friday

Creating a Uniform

        I think for me and many other busy Mommas across this fine country one of the biggest challenges is getting out the door in the morning attired in an outfit that does not warrant a call from Stacey and Clinton.* Personally I love clothes- I love fashion- I just don't love the conditions under which most conventional clothing is made or the hefty price tag that accompanies most "quality" goods. The quandary then becomes what to wear as opposed to What Not To Wear!

     So to make getting dressed for myself easy I have curated a simple personal uniform- my closet is stocked with basics that I can blindly reach in and grab and on any given day be happy with what I have come out with! The secret to my super simple Momma wardrobe? Everything goes together- the only thing I like to avoid is double denim- you know the Texas Tuxedo! Aside from that fashion faux pas everything else is fair game.

    I started with a few basic bottoms- I have a great pair of dark jeans, the perfect pair of boyfriend jeans, skinny cargo jeans and a fun trendy colour (turquoise)pair of jeans that works year round- that's right I have four pairs of pants. From there I have a number of tops that can be paired with all of these- throw in a few (count em 3) great dresses and leggings and call it a day. I do also have yoga and jogging clothes but those don't really count as part of my daily gear- my rule- no sweat pants outside of the gym or house- straight up Momma- leggings and a dress are just as easy and comfortable as jogging pants!

    When shopping for clothes I like to look for companies who's values are aligned with my own- Maiwa on Granville Island is one of my go to places for great sustainable fashion. Another fantastic local company is Mandala Sky- love their yoga clothes- these are the exception to the rule- they are street worthy yoga clothes- such good dresses- I'm wearing a pair of their pants right now in fact! If you start to look and pay for good quality, sustainable items for your closet that will last- you will find them.

    These days fashion for me is so much more simple- I don't even need to think about what I am going to wear- but in a good way because I love each piece that's in my closet. Shopping is fun and easy because I only shop a few places- besides thrifting and clothing swaps. For me half the battle is won if I can get up and dressed and feel confident in what I have on- if I can do this before everyone else is up and starting their busy day then all the better. Living with quality over quantity- fewer items that last longer- thats what makes my life super simple!

     Friends it is Friday again- yippee! It also happens to be a Pro- D day here which means no school- my Littles are already up and bouncing off the walls- they are super excited to have all their friends over this afternoon! I hope your weekend is snug and dry- warmed with lots of love, grace and a box of fine wine- Happy Friday Friends!


* Ok so if you have no TV or have been living under a rock for the past 10 years Stacey and Clinton are the stars of What Not To Wear my Hatewatch- I love it because it's about clothes- I hate it because it encourages people to conform- but they do have a lot of good "rules"!

   

Thrifted Thursday

     I have not done a Thrifted Thursday post in a super long time- like since last fall- so I thought it was high time that I start posting about some of my super fun thrifted items! My latest favourite item comes from Erin Templeton's collection. I have long been an admirer of her bags and decided to stop into her Gastown studio last week- which is where I stumbled upon this vintage gem!

    A simple kimono cut dressing gown in plum- covered in a yellow and white stylized floral- I think this is a great colour combo for fall- on trend with the plum shade but with bright pops of colour. I have no idea when this piece hails from- I am guessing maybe the seventies- the great thing about vintage dressing is that it really doesn't matter- if you like it wear it!

     Not to turn this into a "what she wore" post but if anyone is interested my sandals are Eileen Fisher, jeans are Citizens of Humanity, basic grey t-shirt is Club Monaco and the vintage bag hails from Community Thrift and Vintage- I blogged about it last fall here! I love how with such a simple item of clothing my entire outfit was transformed from basic and prosaic to interesting- thats the beauty of vintage!

Thrifted Thursday

    It all began with this pile of thrifted goodness in the spring- a length of Swiss Dot, a piece of tatting, some embroidery. My mom and dad were visiting us and my mom came up with the brilliant idea to leave the kids with my dad for a few hours while we hit the antique stores near our apartment- well you didn't need to ask me twice! Of course once we had sifted through the main bits of the antique stores we started in on a box of random fabric bits- old curtains and throws- which is where I came across all these lovely treasures!

  I always knew the Swiss Dot would end up on a dress or skirt for Miss Lo- in it's previous life the fabric had been a window valance - perfectly pleated with finished edges. This week I finished a full fall skirt for the little miss and used the Swiss Dot as an accent - obviously it goes super well with sparkly stripped tights! I didn't use any pattern as such and just sort of made it up as I went - we are both happy with the outcome and Miss Lo has declared this is her new twirling skirt!

 Another bit of fabric seemed to obviously be perfect for a bib like accent on a tunic for me- I believe at one time this piece was a doily of sorts but I thought it went perfectly well with this grey linen that I have been hoarding!  The pattern came from Simple Modern Sewing and is pattern 2a- the Short Raglan- Sleeve Top- I have made several things out of this book this past summer and love the overall simplicity as well as the beautiful images.

   When one starts to think outside of the proverbial box a person can achieve a much more interesting life- this holds true for many things including my wardrobe- never will I have that awkward moment when walking into a room and spotting someone else wearing the same thing!

p.s.- thanks to Caro for taking my picture- I have no idea why I always squint when getting my picture taken but there you go!