Lady in linen

June 4, 2021June 3, 2021 / edebock / Leave a comment

A couple of months ago, I wrote this post about the blue denim shirt that I had recently purchased at Uniqlo. I actually bought two blue shirts that day, but I’ve been waiting for warmer weather to start wearing the second one, Uniqlo’s Premium Linen Long Sleeve Shirt.

In the past, I avoided linen because it wrinkles so badly, but after reading so many positive reviews about this cool, comfortable, all-natural fabric, I decided to give it a try. I do admit that at first I was constantly tempted to take it off and iron it again, but I just kept reminding myself that linen is supposed to look wrinkled. It’s something you just have to embrace if you’re going to wear this light, breathable fabric, and it’s part of what gives it a casual, summery vibe. For a dressier look, I’d definitely suggest a linen blend. While not 100% wrinkle free, they do at least promise a slightly less crumpled look.

I’m wearing a size medium, my usual size in Uniqlo tops. I could probably wear a small, but I like the shirt’s comfy, casual, and slightly oversized look and feel. Here I’m wearing it over a column of navy made up of the sleeveless cabi Scallop Top from their Spring 2019 collection and a pair of capris that I picked up at our local thrift store last summer. The well-worn sandals are from SoftMoc.

One of the things I like to ask myself when I’m considering adding something to my wardrobe is whether I can wear it at least three different ways with items that I already have in my closet. If so, it will probably be a good purchase. This won’t always work for something like a special occasion dress, but it’s a good rule of thumb for most other wardrobe purchases and it definitely works for this one.

Here I switched the cabi top for a plain white crew neck t-shirt from Uniqlo. I don’t often tuck my tops in, but the linen is so lightweight that even though the shirt is quite voluminous, the fabric didn’t bunch up and add volume around my waist.

The beautiful feline is our next door neighbour, Sophie. She thinks that our yard is just an extension of hers and that we are some of her people and we’re just fine with that! ❤

Clearly we should have taken the photos of this final look before I tucked the shirt in! You can definitely see what I mean about linen wrinkling.

Do you wear linen?

What was in the bag?

April 9, 2021April 7, 2021 / edebock / 7 Comments

In last week’s post, I promised to share my purchases with you at a later date. There were actually three items in my bag, all from Uniqlo. One of them, an active wear bra with crossover straps that I purchased specifically for kayaking, won’t be appearing on the blog. Today’s post will feature one of the other two pieces, a basic denim shirt.

I had a similar Levi’s shirt several years ago that I wore until it was practically a rag. I’m really not sure why it took me so long to replace it as it was such a workhorse in my wardrobe. The 100% cotton denim in this one is so soft that it already feels like an old friend.

This particular shirt was on a sales rack and doesn’t appear on the Uniqlo website any longer, but similar shirts are available this spring in a variety of places including Gap, Eddie Bauer, and Old Navy.

I’m wearing a medium in a slim fit. I might have been able to wear a small, but for a comfy, casual shirt like this one, I like a slightly oversized ‘boyfriend’ feel. In the first two photos, I’m wearing it with a pair of earrings that I bought at our local thrift shop for 25 cents!

Although the shirt works just fine on it’s own, I especially love to wear it as a third piece. While it would look great over a plain t-shirt, I’ve elevated the look just a bit here by wearing it over a sleeveless cabi blouse from several seasons ago.

I can see this quickly becoming a go to piece in my wardrobe, one that I’ll be able to wear year round. It fits especially well into the comfy, casual wear-around-home life that we’re restricted to these days.

Hubby and I had our first Covid vaccines this week, but with case numbers rising drastically in our province, I don’t see that coming to an end anytime soon.

What is a shacket?

January 22, 2021January 17, 2021 / edebock / 5 Comments

I’m a self-professed word nerd. I love words and I’m always delighted when I learn a new one. My latest new word is shacket.

Shirt + Jacket = Shacket

Maybe I’m the last one to the party because now that I’m looking, I’m seeing the word all over the place in advertising. In simple terms, a shacket is a cross between a shirt and a jacket. Usually slightly oversized, it’s heavier than a regular shirt, but lighter than a winter coat. Some retailers refer to them as shirt-jackets or overshirts. Whatever we choose to call it, a shacket is a perfect layering piece for fall, winter, spring or even a cool summer evening. It can also be worn under an overcoat in winter.

While the word is new enough that it doesn’t appear in most dictionaries, the garment is not. In fact, the one I’m wearing here is more than 40 years old!

Shackets are worn by both men and women and this one originally belonged to my Grandpa who passed away early in 1980. It was handed down to my older brother and ended up hanging in the cabin that my parents built overlooking a little lake northeast of Yellowknife. My brother may have worn it some, but whenever I visited the cabin it was I who wore it. When my parents left the north, my mother, knowing how much I loved wearing Grandpa’s old shirt-jacket, brought it to me and it’s been my campfire jacket ever since. It usually stays in the trailer year round. With a hole in one elbow and a slightly tattered cuff, it’s a little worse for wear, but I still love it.

In keeping with our pandemic desire for casual comfortable clothing, shackets have been very popular this fall and winter and they’re a trend that isn’t likely to disappear anytime soon. Though my shacket is 100% wool, most of the ones sold today are made of a cozy wool blend. Since I only wear Grandpa’s for camping, I may just have to add another one to my wardrobe! I especially like the colour and length of this BB Dakota Eldridge version. It also has side pockets.

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A quick online search will result in many others like these two.

Casual elegance for Christmas 2020

December 18, 2020December 17, 2020 / edebock / 2 Comments

As a detail oriented person and one who makes lists for almost everything, a couple of years ago I started making a list of all the Christmas events that we expected to attend and planning in advance exactly what I was going to wear to each one. It made getting ready so easy and took a wee bit of stress out of a very busy time of year.

Then came 2020, an oddly quiet Christmas season! The page is blank. There are no Christmas parties, concerts, or programs to attend. Nothing! On December 8, the Alberta government declared a State of Public Health Emergency. All indoor and outdoor social gatherings, public and private, are prohibited until at least January 12.

In spite of the fact that hubby and I will be home alone for Christmas, I decided to pull out a few dressy pieces and add a bit of sparkle to the season. It’s time for a bit of casual elegance even if it’s only the two of us at the kitchen table or dancing alone in the living room!

I’ve worn this sweater several times lately. It was purchased on a Christmas shopping trip three years ago. The shimmering gold sections add a festive touch of elegance. For a casual at-home look, I’m wearing it with my comfy old tan cords. It also looks good with my grey skinny jeans.

This lightweight blazer with a silvery pinstripe has been in my closet for too many years to count and has been part of many different Christmas outfits over the years, but for a 2020 look I’ve paired it with jeans and a plain white t-shirt from Uniqlo. Perhaps I’ll switch the t-shirt for my green sequinned top for Christmas Eve.

With Christmas and New Years Day both falling on Fridays this season, Fashion Friday will be taking a two week break. This feature will be back on January 8th with my annual fashion shopping review. In the meantime, I do plan on writing some other non-fashion posts, so please stay tuned!

Casual summer look

August 7, 2020August 5, 2020 / edebock / 6 Comments

Like many of you, we’ve been experiencing a heat wave lately. Summer clothes that literally never saw the light of day during last year’s non-summer have finally come out to play again! I’ve been wearing shorts and sleeveless tops almost every day.

When I culled my summer closet during my wardrobe funk back in June, I didn’t identify sleeveless tops as something I needed more of. In fact, I have quite a few of them. Some stay in my closet year round and are worn under sweaters and jackets in the cooler seasons.

No, I didn’t really need another sleeveless top, but I spotted this one in the local thrift store earlier this week and it came home with me. I was actually there to look for books because I’ve been reading more than ever this summer and I was running out. The fitting rooms are still closed, but I was able to try the top on over the one I was wearing. I knew it fit but there was no mirror anywhere. I had no idea how it looked on me, but I decided to take a chance. At just $3.00, with all it’s original tags still on and an original price of $75.00, what did I have to lose? Besides, I wanted something new to share with you today!

The greige (is it grey or is it beige?) colour, the soft, breathable fabric, the mother-of-pearl buttons, and the lacy inlays give the top a romantic, vintage look.

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I’ve styled it with an old pair of light cotton capris for a cool, casual look on a hot summer day. A thrifted necklace that I’ve had for several years, a pair of gold flip flops, and a hat finish off the look.