More thoughts on building my wardrobe and meet my new white jeans!

Do you like to get a bargain or intentionally buy things that you need on sale?
If you are on a budget like I am you may search for many weeks to find the right item at a price that you can justify.
Recently I found some new pieces at Value Village or as we commonly refer to it here as "The "VV Boutique."

If you have been following my weight loss journey for awhile you'll recall that I have had to rebuild my wardrobe almost entirely from scratch.
I have pretty much finished replacing the basics for fall and winter and am thinking ahead now to spring and summer.

I have rebuilt my wardrobe for under $1,000.00 which is no small sum when one considers that I am retired but
this includes dressy evening and special occasion wear, everyday casuals, tops, sweaters, lingerie and outerwear.
I opted for quality cashmere's and name brand basics that would mix and match with each other so that I could get the most bang for my buck.

It took me over an hour to scour the racks at VV and like Sheila taught me I looked at all the size ranges.
Sunday is a great day to explore VV at your leisure because there is free parking on the street.

Two new sweaters were found and at such a budget friendly price they were great value for the money...
the first one retails for $100-120 in our local shops.

It is made of cotton in black and has a lovely shawl collar detail.

I'll wear this as a light layer over a tank top or tee.

Or a jacket in the warmer weather.

Are you familiar with the Pure Hand Knit brand?

They make fun sweaters in a variety of styles and bright colours in 100% cotton.

The sweaters are hand knit by women in Thailand...4500 women are behind this company busy knitting.

I can almost hear the collective click of their needles....it is music to my ears.

Lands' End deep V neck cardigan in an angora and wool blend.

Soft and cozy.

I can wear this with my dressy black pants or skirt for evening.

Pop it on with a tank top or tee and my favourite jeans.

I have a white pair of Club Monaco pants (also thrifted for $6.00) which when paired with this cardigan and several strands of pearls like Coco Chanel will be on the dressy side of casual.

White Jeans are a new and exciting discovery!

I love them.

I know many women love bright coloured and pastel jeans but I have never hopped on that bandwagon.

Club Monaco garments are well made and neatly finished.

I blanch a wee bit at the regular price of their garments but I do love to go into their stores and browse.

I get some great ideas of how to mix and match simple pieces and accessorize them to create a polished outfit.

Never underestimate the power of an accessory.

They are easy to find at reasonable prices and it is the best way to personalize your signature look.

If you are loathe to go into thrift or consignment shops try art gallery gift shops, local ethnic stores or antique markets...ebay and Etsy have thousands of great pieces just waiting for the right buyer.

Pearls are wonderful and these days I think the larger gum ball sizes are more fun than the smaller ones...

a little bit of whimsy can make me feel younger!

Massed in a grouping of several strands like Coco Chanel I get more mileage out of them.

I wear fragrance most days now that I am not at school.

(the cats don't seem to mind)

Mitsouko makes me feel very grown up and sophisticated.

NEVER spray it on your pearls or the nacre will dissolve and your pearls will be ruined.

I wish that I had a large mirror with great lighting here in The Humble Bungalow so that I wouldn't need to sneak around taking pictures in the fitting rooms!

It is freezing cold here in Victoria.

I am bundled up wearing cashmere sox and several cashmere sweaters hunkered down indoors.

I walked to the Yoga Studio this morning for a gentle Hatha class instead of walking 5K in minus 4 degree temperatures.

Thank goodness that we have heat and power so that we can keep the freeze at bay and make pots of tea.

The resident hummingbirds are sipping iced sugar water today and they are not straying too far from the feeder.

I think they must be storing up their energy for the cold night ahead.

Snow flurries are in the forecast!

Black and white, pure and simple.

I have been loving the colour black lately.
I am in a black phase...I have recently painted all my wicker  porch furniture black...
I love white too...crisp white shirts, pearls, and white tees...

Chanel camellia

I have purchased all white Egyptian cotton sheets to replace the threadbare set I have had for over 5 years...these new ones are super wrinkled when they come out of the dryer...they have a high thread count and soft sateen finish ( I briefly wondered if I should iron them!)...they feel silky, soft and cool....love to lay longer in my bed now!

I found a wicker table free for the taking on the boulevard last week...it was in need to some TLC...I promptly painted it black!

My BFF has been on a cream kick, she's painted all her wicker porch furniture cream.

I am hoping that she will allow me to come over and take some photos of her divine porch and post them here.

She came over the other day and gave me this...

A vintage wire birdcage!

She has a larger one that looks more like a house and she painted hers cream and put an ivy in it.

I will be painting it black, and 

I aready have an ivy!

I have wrapped the giftaway parcel...just waiting until the June 17th draw date to find out who will be receiving it.

This quote is one of many from the book that I borrowed from the Library.
 "CHANEL."
...the book is a glimpse into the life of a famous Coco Chanel...she apparently had the very first tube of lipstick designed for her personal use. She needed it when she was driving in her car... mindful that her red lips might need touching up! It is chock full of interesting facts and beautiful images.

My friend Janet over at the Gardeners' Cottage loves black and white and I have been reading her blog for months now and I think she's onto something very Zen and elegant.

I really do not run a B&B just have friends who like to stay...
I do leave the "Welcome" mat out all the time...that's the kind of Hostess I am.
 I mentioned in a very early post that we had to replace our mat once as the "Welcome" was worn out!
(see sidebar image at right)

Simplicity

Elegance

Purity

Not an Hermes for the Hostess this time....or a Chanel for that matter!

Long scarves are on display in shops everywhere.

Have you seen them too?

Fan of scarves that I am, I see them before I see the clothing that they adorn.

The fabrics are light, loose and floaty.

Colours, patterns, prints.

They call to me....."Yoo-hoo hostess, over here!"

I only need one, but it has to tick ALL THE BOXES...it has to be versatile, long enough to knot and tie without feeling shortchanged, and work with my wardrobe, and not cost the earth...my wallet has been opening up far too regularly of late.

My Hermes scarf collection are all square silks.

For spring and summer, I found this one at the Hudson's Bay for $35.

It will brighten up my black trench and go with ALL my BLACK!

Fringed edges

Jungle print

Black and white is my camo

I can already tell I'll be wearing this one a lot.

I threw it around my neck when I darted out for a quick stop at the Market...I took these photos just before I ran out the door!

I was wearing my wide legged striped Gap trousers, Dolce and Gabbana grey leather belt, blush pink tank and off white Tribal sweater and Miz Mooz red flats...my new Tory Burch was dangling from my many bangled hand...

I picked up the latest Bazaar uk, Thinking Fashion...read it with a cup of tea in hand and it is one of the better issues I have seen.

Lots of beautiful images and ideas for spring and summer.

I need to go and shop my closet.

Get creative, reinvent, switch it up.

Just take a peek at this dreamy Chanel!

April 2010 Harpers Bazaar and Chanel

Sumptuous, neutral and the texture!

I would add

Layers of pearls...lusterous and warm, oh yes, I think so!

and maybe Chanel nail varnish in #505 Particuliere..you either love it or "not love it"!

( I do not like to use very strong or offensive terminology here in the Bungalow)

I am in the "I do not love it" camp.

My skin tone needs more colour.

How about yours??

Simon Chang and Chanel, may I introduce you to the Hostess!

Oh don't you love going shopping when you find something wonderful?
I HAD to buy this Chanel-esque jacket by Simon Chang. I mean, it gave me a thrill when I put it on, it felt elegant and could stand on it's own. The loose threads at the collar soften and flatter, the fabric is soft and does not cling to my ample bosum and it skims my curves without looking baggy. It does all this and yet does not look too "Mumsy" (translate DOWDY, for those who may not be familiar with that terminology!) It  will go with everything from jeans, black pencil skirt, black trousers, and some of my black LBD's.

I like the neutral golds and creams, I can dress this up or down. I am thinking pearls, of course!

Maybe my newer mocha tank by ca va de soi, or my standard white T and black denim jeans.

My Furla Carmen leather bag will be a great partner with this jacket.

I am planning on wearing this to the theatre with my Mother. We have seasons tickets and I find dressing up essential when accompanying Mom. (command peformance, if you get my drift!) She dresses up even to stay home, and at 82, has an amazing fashion sense. I fear that this gene was not passed down to me, but rather skipped a generation and my lovely daughter was the recipient of said gene. My fashion genetics lean more to casual, simple, white and lots of black, Hermes scarves (color!)  and my fave JEANS!
I wear diamonds and pearls with jeans and white T's; they are not jeans for gardening or painting nor are they $$$ Jeans. DKNY, GAP, LIZ and a few other generic jeans.

Looking at this image don't you think Simon deserves a better hanger?