Daily Outfit: The Old Man and the Tweed

I have been tweed curious for a long time now, and the idea of finding a tweed jacket or Blazer that doesn’t have me looking like an escapee from a retirement home has become something of a passion.

With this in mind, when my mother told me she would be going on a thrifting excursion in a large country town, I asked her to look for a tweed jacket for me in a shade of blue.

Wardrobe Stories: Stretch Wool Travel Jacket

On Saturday morning last week I went to a Church Fete with some of my favourite Canberran Style Bloggers, to check out what sorts of pre-loved treasure we could find.

To be frank, there wasn’t a great deal on offer, and I had all but given up on finding anything for myself, poking fun at garments instead; and this is how I found it.

The garment in question is a dull navy ‘blazer’ shaped thing, in an unidentified material. I’d picked it up to make fun of the truly ghastly feeling material, but Jiawa and Albert saw a potential that I did not, and insisted that I try it on.

Daily Outfit: Travel Jacket Trial-run

This morning the boyfriend and I braved the dreary wet conditions Canberra was experiencing, and headed to Chatterbox in Belconnen for breakfast.

I was excited because not only did I get to eat a delicious breakfast, but I also got to give this blazer that I picked up at a church fete yesterday, its first trail run. I was really skeptical about the blazer at first, and in fact I picked it up to laugh at it. However, Jiawa from Cloaset Voyage and Albert both saw something in it, and suggested that I give it a go.

I'm really glad that I listened to them now.

Daily Outfit: Stepped-up Blues

I decided to step things up a little, being a Monday, and my daily outfit today was really channeling my Blue Goth aesthetic more than I have in recent weeks. 

I really like how this outfit turned out and frankly I'm surprised I haven't thought to layer this cardigan, which I have had for years, before. It dresses-down the look, but without making it too casual, which jeans really would have.

Daily Outfit: It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane...

It’s Superman!

On my necktie and my sneakers, that is. I decided to get a little matchy-matchy with my Friday Daily Outfit, so I’m wearing the two accessories that I own which feature the Superhero I have had a crush on since I was a kid.

Daily Outfit: Workplace Blues

To be perfectly honest, I am having an awful week.

I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say that my current working environment has lead to my spending more than a little time this week seriously considering the logistics of a relocation to a small fishing village somewhere on the north-east coast of American where I could reinvent myself as a waiter at an Oyster Bar...

Daily Outfit: Fox Fur Collar

Another beautiful grey day here in Canberra, marking the perfect opportunity to bring my vintage fox fur collar out from hiding and lend some warmth to an otherwise cool daily outfit.

Daily Outfit: Sports Luxe

I've always been curious about trying Sports Luxe as a style, and with incorporating this look into my own wardrobe.

This jersey was a last-ditch effort to try and salvage an otherwise dismal thrifting adventure (for me) that I had recently with Heather and Jiawa. My chief issue has always been that I'm just not sports savvy: It took me several Google searches to narrow down which team this jersey represents (the Dallas Cowboys) and then more to figure out which sport they play (Gridiron, apparently). Trying Sports Luxe as a look has always felt a little disingenuous to me.

Daily Outfit: Sporting Style

Today I'm getting about in a sporting style by wearing one of my favourite neckties ever.

The thing about this particular necktie is that it is pretty beaten-up. I bought it at least second hand from Etsy, and it is a pure navy silk fabric with a woven gridiron player motif. It has worn through to a really sad threadbare state in several places, and you can see the padding on the inside of the tie. 

To me, however, that's a part of the charm of the piece.

Daily Outfit: Buried Treasure

Growing up, I always had a tendency towards buried treasure.

When I got something that I loved, I would squirrel it away safely and try to make it last for as long as possible. For example, after seeing a particularly risqué add for Gucci Envy and becoming obsessed with the label, my mother bought me one of those 5mil perfume samples. This lasted me for four years, and I think that I still have the original bottle somewhere to this day.

The only area where my buried treasure hoarder mentality has not applied, ever, is with food.

Daily Outfit: Casual Thursday

I was at a training day all day today, and so I decided to take the liberty of dressing more casually, given that I didn't have to be in the office and I didn't really have anyone that I wanted to impress. Also, I wanted to be comfortable.

I'm sure that the way that I wear this double-breasted blazer isn't for everyone, but I really love it this was. It kind of feels like having a big blanket draped around my shoulders, and I love the way that the lapels sort of flap about when I walk, almost like wings :)

Daily Outfit: Stripes on Stripes on Stripes

I’ve gone a little batty for stripes on stripes in this daily outfit.

In my humble opinion, patterns are really where you have a chance to show off and peacock a little when it comes to menswear, especially corporate menswear. It can feel like you are stuck in an endless cycle of following the heard when you’re a man in an office: Monday – Blue shirt, Tuesday – White shirt, Wednesday – Pink shirt. However, patterns help break out of the drollery and to set yourself apart.

Daily Outfit: Gameshow Host Vibes

I’m not really sure why, but I’m getting Gameshow Host vibes from today’s outfit.

Between the coral shirt and the patchwork necktie, I’m feeling like I could be hosting some sort of community access television game show. I'm not saying that this is a bad look, in fact, I sort of dig it. I'm just marveling at how different I can look from one day to the next, based solely on what I throw on my back.

Daily Outfit: Table cloth or scarf?

Taking a break from the whole ‘Blue Goth’ look today and wearing this beautiful wool scarf/table cloth that I thrifted from Material Pleasures in Fyshwick. The scarf is 100% wool and has a gorgeous floral motif printed on in the Russian/Soviet style.

I say scarf/table cloth because I honestly don’t know which this is supposed to be. It is an odd choice of material for a table cloth, but at the same time it is huge and an awkward shape for a scarf.

Daily Outfit: Volatile Patchwork

Patchwork is volatile. It is one of those design elements that needs to be treated with respect and handled carefully, much like explosives. The volatile nature of patchwork stems from the fact that it can look incredibly scruffy, or worse still incredibly crafty, if it is not done properly. It takes a daring dresser or someone with advanced style to pull this compound fabric off, and in all honesty I am neither of these things. That is why I take volatile in small doses, like I have today with this vintage Gap necktie.

Daily Outfit: Michigan Blues

I bought this vintage Pintail necktie knowing absolutely nothing about the company, and nothing about Michigan, other than that it is a State in North America. I still know nothing about either. Some might say that it's a little on the nose wearing such a tie, like wearing the T-shirt of a band whose music you do not like or listen to. And it probably is. But I just really love this stile of necktie.

Daily Outfit: Dictators in scarves

I'm not sure what possessed me to try wearing a scarf in this fashion to work, given how Dictatorial it makes me look. I'm thinking that somewhere between my morbid curiosity with Robert Mugabe and the Game of Thrones episode that I watched Saturday night, some synapses got crossed and this is the sartorial result. It certainly made for some next-level Monday Morning dressing, and it is sure to set the tone for the rest of the week. Whether that is for better or for worse remains to be seen though.

Daily Outfit: Monday Morning triple threat

Monday mornings call for something a little out of the ordinary. I didn't want to start the week off on a dull note, knowing ahead of time that it would be hectic and that I would have a lot of running around and a lot of potential stress to deal with, especially being such a strong believer in the way you dress on a Monday having an effect on the way the rest of your week plays out.

Daily Outfit: Raining and Pouring

I knew it would be raining and pouring today, and still feeling a little under the weather from Wednesday, I thought it would be best to layer a little and to keep myself snug and warm. Don’t get me wrong, I love the rain and I’m happy to endure it to see the grass green and my garden healthy; I am, however, a terrible patient and the worst company in the world when I am sick. Trying to keep myself healthy is a top priority as a result.

Daily Outfit: Orange Alert

There was something of an Orange Alert in my building today, and no, I don't mean any sort of terrorist activity. It seems that my sartorial choice for the day of almost head-to-toe orange struck something of a chord with my colleagues. I have never received so much attention for an outfit that I have worn to work than for what I wore today, even my pants that are embroidered all over with lobsters garnered less interest. I very nearly decided not to wear this today as well! I'm so glad that I didn't listen to my inner critic on this one.