Your Dodgy Prom Date

 

Honey, your prom date is here.

I'd been wanting to wear my Dior suit all summer but the truth is, I'm never going to be a pink linen Dior suit sort of woman. I tried styling it like a normal person with a plain, cream silk blouse beneath it and I hated it. So I did a prom date inspired take, mixing the blazer with the trousers from another vintage suit. If I had a ruffled tuxedo shirt, that would have been better, but I have to say, I'm delighted with how this came out. 

They'd be beautiful pieces together if I was going to a summer afternoon wedding. 

Don't let that size 12 fool you-the skirt has a 25 inch waist FFS. That's not even a 1980s 12. That's a very small 12. The jacket is roomier. 

Well if you don't want to go to prom, can I interest you in some brand new electronics that "fell" off the back of a truck? 

I was joking on Instagram that I took a Dior and made it Gucci, but I can't help myself. Nice things are wasted on me, I'll just do something like this to them. Anyway, that was fun. I didn't wear it out. I would have, as we all know I'm pretty indifferent to side eye from strangers, but the tie kept falling off and it was too warm for a blazer. 

Here's how I really went out. Same trousers and shirt but with the addition of a matching waistcoat. This suit also has a jacket but it is much too large now. The trousers are as well, but I cinched them tight with a belt. I'm short, but with 4 inch heels and a cuff on the trousers, it was wearable without alterations. 1970s men's suits are still easy to come by and generally inexpensive. This one's wool but not scratchy and beautifully made. 

How about a new mobile phone? I've got a special price just for you for you. Oh well, I'd be terrible at fencing stolen goods-I'd end up just giving it away. Good thing I didn't pursue a life of crime.  Fashion crime maybe. Thought crime for certain. Crime crime? Probably not.

Last week was a tough one. There's not much more to say other than perhaps next week will be better. Also, there's no substitute for Gatorade for putting back what my body keeps violently pushing out. I've tried Powerade, Vitamin Water, some other one I can't remember, but it won't do any good if I can't keep it down and keep it there. Pink Gatorade is the best one. I'll drink the orange if that's all there is, but the pink one is the best. 

l'chiam! Cheers! Sante! Prost! Cin Cin! Salud! etc. etc. I'm certain it would taste better with a swig of gin as a mixer but I'm off the booze until my guts get straightened out. 

Enough about that. Let's take some photos in the cellar. Yes, it is dark down there. Yes, there's stuff stored in the crawl space beneath the stairs. Yes, that's part of my cookbook collection.

I did a cull a few years ago, but I could stand to do it again. There's still several other bookcases. Those are old cooking mags stacked up. I rarely cook from books save for a few well loved volumes I know are dependable. I guess if I don't know what I'm doing by now, I never will. Anyway, I just spotted a couple non-cookbooks in there that need to get moved. 

A belt with gold, silver, and copper to match almost everything. The skirt was a vintage purchase online that was listed as 50s because of the metal zipper. I have my doubts, especially as the skirt style is so classic it could be worn from the 50s to the present day. I know I had skirts like that in the 80s. It doesn't matter, I love the skirt, but dating something based on a metal zip, especially something home sewn overlooks the fact that the zipper might have been in the sewing box for decades waiting for the right project. I won't tell you how many zippers I have stashed away. Hint: too many for someone that never sews anymore. 

The coyote brooch got worn. It is handmade. Keeping it polished is a chore, but then I wear it and remember why I bought it in the first place. The earrings are something I bought in the 80s with silver, brass, and rose quartz. 

I AM acting normal. What are you on about?!?

Oh, that. Yeah well, I thought you might be bored with the same beige wall and a new perspective would be fun. IS it fun? I'm sure having fun. Just look at me. Having fun. Wheeeee. 

How about this mirror photo? Is this fun? 

Yeah, the mirror is dirty. No, I'm not cleaning it. I mean, eventually sure, but not today. I think the dust adds a certain mood to it. 

And this is the mood. So good news, the hoodie also comes as a dress. I bought it. As with the hoodie I plan to wear it year round. It is the softest brushed cotton inside and is a delight to wear. 

Speaking of soft clothing, chenille is back in fashion. I was never really excited by the stuff, but now I'm happy enough to have it in my wardrobe. I'm not excited by the short cardigan over a long tunic look, so I threw a belt at it (when in doubt, deploy a belt. I'll probably wear the pieces separately as I don't like them together, but I must say I was happy with how they matched this vibrant Da Rue of California skirt I thrifted years ago. 

 Chenille ought to be warmer than it is, but I guess the loose weave doesn't hold much body heat. That's perfect for this time of year that can't decide what season it is. 

Last week I had the very good luck to find three dresses in the same size, same style, together on the rail at the thrift store. I'm convinced they came in together and hit the floor at the same time. This one is vintage, the others were not, but the two newer ones still had their tags on. I wasn't going to complain about six dollars each when I saw what they cost new! 

As the print really made me think of William Morris, I wore a Victorian hollowware brooch. It is a little banged-up, but pretty good given the age. If I owned an Arts and Crafty era pottery brooch, I'd have worn that but for some reason I don't have one. I need to remedy that. A nice piece of Ruskin Pottery would go well. 

I could have done without the pleating on the bodice as I definitely don't need to make my chest any larger, but everything else about the dress is so nice I'm willing to overlook it. My bra size has gone down quite a bit from a 36DDD (E in Europe) to a 34C, but that's still large enough to stay away from pleats, ruffles, and the like. In theory. In reality I'll wear pretty much anything.

Time for my favourite autumn belt. 

The second of the three dresses is this flouncy, floaty snakeskin print (!) ruffled shoulder number. I don't like elastic waists showing, so I tried this giant 80s belt. 

See how unfinished it looks without a belt? This dress reminds me of a Diane Fries design. 

Vintage handbag

Antique necklace sold as Whitby jet, but I suspect bog oak or something similar. No matter, it is a lovely piece I enjoy wearing. 

The final dress of the group is my favourite. Made of a sheer, lightweight fabric it has a dark enough print to work in Autumn. 

I was delighted to find something marked "Petite" because at five feet tall most dresses aren't proportioned for me. The sleeves were, for a change, the perfect length. 

I belted this one also as the blouson top looked silly without one.

The tapestry belt was purchased long ago, but it was only today I found something to wear it with. Patience wins out.

Vintage shoes by Selby

A garnet bracelet I never wear. The earrings belonged to my mother, and the cameo necklace was thrifted. 

 

Join me on the floor? I just hoovered. 

I'm convinced those dresses belonged to the same person. I'm glad to have them. Dresses are so easy to wear, at least until it gets cold enough that I need to coordinate a cardigan or jacket. 

Anyone hungry?

Meals for the boys have been nice, if not photogenic. Lentils are regularly on our menu as they're nutritious and inexpensive. 

It all looks rather brown on the plate, but that's also due to my poor photography skills. By the time dinner rolls around the light is terrible in the house. 

Steelhead trout is a seasonal treat the boys enjoyed. I served it with leftover kasha and a courgette/tomato sauté. Tomatoes and basil are from the garden.

I'm always looking for things to eat that won't be hard to swallow, or difficult to tolerate once it goes down. I bought a jar of pumpkin butter thinking it might be nice in yoghurt but it was disgusting. So sweet my head hurt, and I can tolerate quite a lot of sweetness. It didn't taste like pumpkin at all, but a jar of maple syrup spiced with too much cheap cinnamon. Blech. Today I got ambitious and made what is essentially a crustless pumpkin pie to eat like custard. Pumpkin is rather fibrous so I had to limit myself to a few tablespoons to start, but fingers crossed, so far it seems to be tolerable. I wouldn't typically bake just for myself but they both dislike pumpkin, so I was spared trying to make it sugarless and dairy free. I'm going to work on the recipe because I think it would work well as a savoury too (pumpkin is a vegetable). I know I've done that with squash in years past, so it shouldn't be too hard. Anyway, I enjoyed my tiny ramekin of pumpkin pie filling and whatever nutrients it contained. 

When my mother was pregnant with my sister her doctor told her to try and drink some Ovaltine (a vitamin fortified malt powder that can be used hot or cold similar to Horlick's) because it would be  good to get extra vitamins. Mum being Mum, she took that to mean several glasses a day, which mixed with full fat milk added up to quite a few extra calories a day. Over the course of her pregnancy she gained 90 lbs! When the doctor found out what was making her gain so much weight (it couldn't have all been from the malt) he was flabbergasted. He meant a glass now and then, not swigging down chocolate frappes all day. To be fair though, between all the gin and cigarettes, it was probably the only decent food Judi ever had inside or outside the womb. With that in mind I'm trying to drink it (I prefer it warm) as I need the calories. Never thought that would happen. 

Back to the clothes...

I can't decide if they're culottes (a split skirt) or gauchos (short trousers). I suppose it doesn't matter. 

They're super comfortable.

And they look great from strange angles. They're vintage, polyester, and made in the US. 

The vintage blazer is also US made, by Catalina-a brand better known for their swimwear. This outfit was such a pleasure to wear, and was perfect for a day that started cold and ended warm. The long sleeved tee shirt is a recent purchase from JC Penny's. I'm tempted to go back and purchase a few more as they're well made and look good right out of the wash. They weren't a bargain, though Penny's often has good coupon codes online. It is so rare to find decently made basics these days. You can find it HERE. 

I'll leave you with one more outfit for the road, also featuring a JC Penny's tee shirt, this time in green with a v neck. 

Silly pose or Slavic squat gone wrong? Quick, someone fetch my balalaika and Kalashnikov😏. The teenager has informed me I do squats incorrectly, but I'm sure that information comes from Russian YouTubers not his PE teacher. 

Brooch has matching earrings

Corde bag

My ugly mug

Cool belt buckle I've had for years, and a new cuff bracelet with a Minoan bull rider scene. Probably someone's souvenir from a trip to Greece. 

And that my friends is about all I have. Thanks for getting through a long, photo heavy post without much to say. Maybe someday I'll have something interesting to talk about but until then, there's always clothes. 

Honey, hurry up, don't keep your date waiting...

Until next time.