Vintage Perfume Bottle & Velvet

I feel like I say this a lot (maybe too often?) but I am honestly so incredibly excited to share out the photos in this post. I've had this idea brewing in my brain for quite some time now but I delayed executing, partly due to logistics, but also a little bit out of fear that it wouldn't live up to the image I had built up in my mind.

Still, when I headed back to Toronto for Chinese New Year and Family Day long weekend, all the pieces were finally together, there was no more room for excuses.

Here's my little product shoot inspired by Valentine's day:

vintage Frankel Mercel perfume bottle made in France

When I saw the previews on the camera, I could barely contain my excitement. There was a little bit of editing but this is pretty much how they looked when I saw them for the first time. I really wish I could better articulate the amazing feeling when I finally got to see my idea become a reality. I feel like I'm doing a poor job of explaining how I feel but maybe another photo would help shed some light into my mindset at the time.

check out my set-up

Yes, that is my velvet skirt taped to my chair with the tripod pointing down on it. I snapped up this behind-the-scenes photo after I stepped back after the last photo and laughed out loud at how silly and giddy I felt. The contrast to how the photos were turning out despite the ghettoness of my set-up reminds me of those "photography vs reality" pictures on the internet -- and now I'm one of them!

The product shoot actually uses a component of this month's fashion theme: velvet.

Outfit 1 (left): Velvet peter pan collar and polka dot bodysuit from Urban Outfitters, thrifted vintage velvet pencil skirt, preloved nude Prada heels
Outfit 2 (right): thrifted J Crew schoolboy blazer, cream blouse from LOFT, Club Monaco Sonica pants, vintage Bata brogues

Outfit 1: The Polka dot bodysuit 

I've owned this bodysuit for a few years now but it had been sitting in my donations pile for the last little while. I had trouble pairing it in a way that felt appropriate. I used to pair it with a black pleated flare skirt. I don't even have that skirt anymore but whenever I looked at the top, my mind kept conjuring up the image of how I previously paired it, and it felt a little too juvenile, and a little too Wednesday Addams. So even though I still really liked the bodysuit, I was trying to give it up, certain that I had outgrown it.

That's where this vintage velvet pencil skirt comes in. Classic black, high waisted, and the perfect pencil skirt shape falling at a ladylike vintage length -- this skirt was the piece I needed to bring my bodysuit to grown-up levels. Since the outfit is quite dark, I avoided choosing one of my (many) burgundy heels, and instead opted for pale pink/nude pumps. Finishing touches include the rarely worn pink lipstick and delicate rose gold accessories to soften what could have been a harsh, gothic, look.

Outfit 2: The Schoolboy Blazer

I didn't mean to do another skirt vs. blazer for this post but when I realized velvet would be a good theme for the month, I knew I had to feature this gorgeous sapphire thrift store find!

J Crew does a great job with their blazers and this one is no exception. The sizing fit pretty well (00P) and while my height isn't actually considered "petite", I appreciate the shorter sleeve length to show off the cuffs of my blouse and the cropped length to avoid being too boxy. Completing the look with my favourite pants, the Sonica from Club Monaco (which I also own in black and grey denim -- honestly my favourite pants) and new vintage brogues from the recent 613Flea market! Funny story, when first I saw the shoes, I picked it up and the seller had written on the sticker, "size: tiny". My friend Joanna had said, "omg that's your size!" I laughed and was initially skeptical but clearly they were meant for me! I already owned a pair of "vintage-styled" brogues from Aldo but I was never completely happy with them for a number of reasons. When I got home, a quick side by side comparison confirmed my decision to keep the Batas instead.

please excuse this cellphone photo

As you can see, the colour on the Batas is more brown, which is what I wanted. The Aldo's are more orange-y and the colour is so even and consistent on the leather that it looks fake, even though it's not. The toe shape and the heel on the Batas are also closer to what I wanted. One nice thing about the Aldo's though is that the outersole has a layer of rubber on top of the leather, so it's has more grip when walking. When I wore this outfit earlier this week, I was sliding a little on the carpet at the office!

So I got a few questions around why I didn't just do a "winter fashion" post to follow my previous fashion posts (fall and summer). Short answer: winter in Ottawa is not a fashionable time for me (but really, is it for anyone??) I wear the same uniform pretty much every day: heat-tech pants or tights (praise Uniqlo), and a sweater/sweater dress, all covered up by a big scarf and my parka. I dress this way not only for warmth, but also out of laziness. The dreary mornings in the winter always get me down and it's hard enough to get out of bed, let alone be motivated enough to put actual thought into an outfit. But that's part of the reason why I believe the lookbook/fashion aspect is a good goal for me: it forces me to flex those brain muscles to think about fashion when I kind of don't want to. As I'm writing this however, we're seeing hints of warmer weather in Ottawa. Let's hope that winter is gone for good?? But I'm not putting away my winter coat just yet...

Hope you enjoyed these photos! It's only the second month but the fashion lookbook portion went a lot smoother compared to last time. Although somebody kept interrupting the first outfit's flat lay:

damnit Rocky why you so cute

Thanks for reading :)