Remember when I said that I had started running? Well, I stopped. Not stopped stopped – it was more of a slow stop: there were few “it’s too hot to go for a run”, many“I just got my hair done, so I don’t want to mess it up” and some “it’s wayyyyy too cold to go out today”.
One thing I did pick up – and ultimately stuck with – during the pandemic is walking. Confession: I live at the base of a mountain. And yet, before Covid, you couldn’t pay me to go on the trails. But eh, that’s what the past two years have been all about: discovering new hobbies! Baking was definitely out of the question because the goal was to get out of my house. And so, a couple of girlfriends and I started meeting up to go on walks – and the occasional proper hike.
What started as occasional thing turned into a solid commitment. So imagine my joy when I came across Hike Mtl, a diversity and inclusion outdoors club.
As a black person, you don’t see a lot of people that look like you in these spaces, or in advertising. As an outdoor enthusiast I found a need to create a safe and inclusive space. A space that inspires and encourages black, racialized and marginalized people to get outdoors. A space for everyone to take advantage of nature’s therapeutic benefits.
The club’s founder, Jamillah Jean, had me at hello. While I enjoy my solo lunchtime walk, it’s just as nice to go out there with a few kindred spirits.
Right about now, I’m probably making my way down the top of Mont-Royal. Or I’m sitting by Sir George-Étienne Cartier’s monument, planning my next outing with the other members. Either way, I’m taking care of myself – mentally and physically.
Walking, you should give it a try. It’s the new chicken soup for the soul.
Last month, I told you that I had started selling some of my clothes that no longer fit – let it be my body or my style – on Poshmark. The assignment was clear: make some extra cash. I, of course, misunderstood said assignment.
Everyone – minimalists and maximalists alike – will tell you the same thing: shop with intent, shop with a list. So that’s what I did. I went in looking for a bargain. And while looking for good deals, I found myself going down a rabbit hole.
So here’s some of what I’ve gotten in the past few months:
1- Somethingwoven: To know me is to know that I’m a bag lady – which is not to say that I haven’t refined my collection. The idea was to keep only one purse per style, plus any – ok fine, all of the investment pieces. Even the bags I don’t use anymore. This means that I’ve retired my Speedy, but since I see retirement the same way Jay-Z does, there’s always a chance for a comeback. All this to say that after taking inventory of the bags I had left, I realized that I didn’t have a handheld everyday bag in a decent size. You know: not too big, not too small. So I got this Club Monaco navy woven tote.
Now, I normally would have gone with a black or tan purse, but it reminded me of a Bottega intrecciato tote. Plus, it was brand new, so at $22, it was a no-brainer. FYI, the smaller version is still for sale.
2- Something leather: As you know I turned 40 this year. I had visions of wearing leather – a leather skirt or leather pants – at my birthday celebration and therefore became obsessed with finding the perfect leather item. Now, no way was I going to drop the $500 Massimo Dutti is asking for. And while I know that vegan leather is all the rage, I just can’t. I don’t like the feel of them. I don’t like the look of them. And the look of them sure doesn’t like me. What makes me say that? Aritzia and Zara do sell many models at a reasonable price. But unfortunately, finding pants at these two stores has always been quite a journey.
So I looked for something on the secondhand market. I did find a pair of Danier leather pants in excellent used condition for less than $40. But I had to resell them – at a loss – because they didn’t fit. It isn’t just Aritzia and Zara that have something against le bum. Leather pants are pants made out of leather, ie. extra tricky to pull off. I will not be making that mistake again.
I did get a Danier leather skirt instead this month. Bon, it has a high-low hem and not exactly what I wanted, but I got it for a great price ($25) and it fit me perfectly. This is funny because this time I applied a lesson learned from my ill-fitting leather pants: it’s better to overshoot and get them fixed after. The joke’s on me, I guess…
3- Something Miu Miu: Speaking of making a list, these wedges were not on my list, but I couldn’t resist. They were listed as being in EUC (excellent used condition – three letters/words that are very sought after in the resale market) and designed by Miuccia Prada. Need I say more?
I’ve been an espadrilles girl – whatever that means – for the longest time. I’ve owned this one navy same pair for years and then two years ago I finally took the plunge and invested in the quintessential pair of espadrilles, Castañer – only to wear them less than five times. To be honest, I can only remember wearing twice: once in Costa Rica before the pandemic and once this past summer. I don’t know why I got them with a wedge so high and, of all colors, in ivory…
Anyhow, here’s to hoping that I am a wedge girl and just hoping to become one.
So these three items were my best secondhand purchases. Whether they were actually on my wish list or not, they’re the ones I look forward to building an outfit around and wearing. Don’t worry, I’ll talk about the letdowns in a later post.
Oh, by the way, the only leather I wore on my birthday was some old Nine West leather pumps that survived the great purge.
Black Friday is – well, one could say that any sale is my Achilles’ heel. Je réponds présente à chaque fois. That being said, I’m working on it.
That’s because the pandemic made it hard for me to justify buying stuff. No matter how great the dress looked on me or how much of a discount COS was offering, it just felt pointless. I’m the first one to say that I dress for myself. Yes, for myself to go somewhere.
That is not to say that I didn’t have the urge to buy. As rational as this behaviour might seem – let’s not buy things that you don’t need – the pandemic also highlighted that I’m an emotional shopper. 2020 was all about survival: that’s probably why I can’t recall buying any clothing item that wasn’t an absolute necessity from March until December. Things now are much different though: this past year has thrown me for a loop. Not being able to see my friends and family at will, working from home, being alone for most of the day, not being able to make clear mid- or long-term plans – all of it has been difficult for me. So I resumed shopping because it’s something that I can do from home while going to the mall gives me a respite from being at home 24/7. Plus, I enjoy shopping alone.
Thankfully, being stuck at home made me realize that I needed to find a more qualified therapist.
That explains why after virtually dog-earing many sweaters on aritzia.com and a few pairs of boots on theoutnet.com, I only got a black blazer and a headband. It’s all I really want – I mean, need.
I’m not a belt person. Hold on, does such a person even exist? Anyhow, I’ve owned belts before but I’ve never been excited about belts the way I get excited about shoes, bags, watches or even scarves… Plus everything I used to wear was oversized and shapeless – basically potato sacks. Go ahead, ask my husband, he’ll tell you. Need further proof? Check out this past post. Potato sacks, the reason why I never really felt the need for a nice belt before.
That being said, the past five years have tested my love of potato sacks: my body had started to change pre-baby and continued on changing post-baby. Have no fear: I’m not here to vilify my body. It is what it is: I’ve gained weight. And now I fully understand the need to – actually no, the power of a defined waist.
I guess I should have named this post“I invested in a designer belt for my birthday” because I definitely spent more on it than I should have. But since one only turns forty once… Many have the Loewe Obi belt on their wish list – the ultimate waist cincher if you ask me. However I do not have Loewe money. Plus, that belt can’t be that comfortable seating down. That’s why I went with the Isabel Marant Lecce. To no ones’ surprise, it took me forever to decide which colour to go with. I’ve had for 2 months now and I’mstillnot sure that I pick the right one. Entre bordeaux, khaki, marron et noir, mon coeur vacillait… I ended going with the khaki one. It’s not black, but goes with black. Perfect, right?
So here I am at 40 with an overpriced belt that I’m hoping will cinch my waist back to the early 00s. Here’s to hoping…
“Instead of a buckle, Isabel Marant’s ‘Lecce’ belt coolly fastens with a wraparound knot that makes adjusting the size so easy.” – NET-A-PORTER’s editor’s notes
I really wished that mine came with instructions because it takes me a good 10 minutes to tie and yet it looks nothing like this on me…
Short PSA: I posted my draft by mistake around noon. This is the real post. Thanks to those of you who’ll take the time to read me twice.
If last Wednesday’s post was all about la-la land, this one is very much grounded in reality. This is what I’ve actually bought and will be wearing this fall.
Much like a lot of people who are still working from home, the days of wearing old leggings and stained sweaters are behind me. I just couldn’t do lounge wear 24/7 anymore – it was affecting my mood. I either had to start investing in cashmere leggings (and we’re back to la-la land) or resume wearing my normal work clothes. I really needed to get dress in the morning – especially in winter. The weather is dreary enough without me looking like the grim reaper.
And then summer came. And getting dressed was no longer something I did to stay sane, but rather something I did because since we only get 3 months of warm weather in Montréal, there was NO WAY I was spending them in my holey sweats. I still had nowhere to go, but at least I looked good for my computer.
For Fall, I knew I wanted to replace my linen shirts with (surprise surprise) wool sweaters and my high-waisted shorts with jeans. With Totême being out of the question (I stopped teaching, but someone at the government still signs my pay check), I turned to some valeurs sures: Club Monaco, Banana Republic, Aritzia and Uniqlo.
So here’s some of what I wore for my computer last week and what I plan of wearing during the colder months.
Uniqlo Soufflé yarn mock neck sweater, (old) Club Monaco Alessia corduroyBanana Republic cardigan sweater, (old) Citizens of Humanity jeans, 2017 Nike Air Max 97 Silver BulletOn weekdays, should you bump into me on my daily walks on Mont-Bruno, this is most likely what I look like. I take athleisure to a whole new level…
(Old) Eileen Fisher Stand Collar Cocoon Coat, Echo scarf, HM shirt, Stance socks and (destroyed) Mizuno sneakers Uniqlo soufflé yarn mock neck sweater – Have no fear, I did – nor would I ever – not get in light blue. But if blue is your thing, know that it comes in blue. And in heather grey and in tan and in cream. And of course, in black.
Photo provided by UniqloThe High rise Skinny Cord – I like this new version even more than mine, because they have slightly wider leg opening and they’re cropped (l had to get my tailor to shortened mine).
Photo provided by Club MonacoThe Silver Bullet is the only pair of sneakers that one – ok fine – that I need to own. Except maybe for a ball gown, they work with any outfit in any colour. I will forever regret not owning an original pair from 1997, but I was there in 2017 and I’ll be there for its 25th anniversary next year.
Today, I wore black. 