Saturday, November 22, 2008

Setting sail

Wednesday's weather was a strange not-quite-warm, not-quite-cold combination, so I used it as a good opportunity to wear this thick polyester dress I found in NZ for $5. To me it's rather nautical, but the boy described it unromantically as looking "half like a uniform".

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The tie around the neck was originally a waist-tie.

I mainly bought it for the collar:

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I had wanted to wear it with my newly-acquired vintage triple strap black Mary Jane heels but knew the day would involve a lot of walking, so grudgingly settled on flats. This internal debate is one that happens often... My brain says heels, but my feet plead otherwise!

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I do a lot of walking, which is mostly motivated by guilt. My place of work is in an unforbidding hell-hole of a suburb and working 10+ hours a day means that I drive each day. This flagrant useage of my personal carbon footprint (and the guilt accompanied) means that on my days off I try to take public transport or walk everywhere. Which then leads to a depressing lack of heels. (I've still amassed a huge number of them, some of which have never been worn, only stared at wistfully).

Many things in my life are, in fact, motivated by guilt. This blog, and the nothing-new policy for one. I have real materialistic tendencies, particularly with clothes. I am also the WORST for buyer's guilt.

One thing I've had a happy lack of this year though, is the lack of buyer's guilt. I never feel guilty about buying second hand. Even if I don't get around to wearing it, I can send it back out into the sphere of vintage clothing for someone else to purchase, and (hopefully) acquire good clothing-karma. Plus, things bought from op shops give money to worthy causes, even if the said things weren't really a good purchase to begin with.

I should really work on kicking my ebay habit, though... That's next on the list!

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Dress: thrifted from op shop in Dunedin, NZ
Beret: gift from my boy
Shoes: ebay
Belt: vintage from my mum
Bag: from Newport op shop

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh gosh. I feel you on the heels front. I love gallivanting around in heels but sometimes they're just not workable. That's why I have a lot of mid-height wedges. As for the lack of buyers' remorse buying second-hand - i tend to be indiscriminate when I'm buying 2ndhand and therefore come back home with all sorts of things I know I will never never wear! Despite this, I agree - the regret would be a lot lot more if I had paid full price rather than $5.

Lavender said...

I like that about thrift shopping too. Instead of feeling guilty about buying new things I know my money is going to a good cause and when I tire of it, it will go right back in the charity bin for someone else to find.

Anonymous said...

This dress is seriously adorable! It definitely has a nautical theme. With our economy in turmoil, you can feel especially good about buying from charity shops. Non-profits suffer even more than other businesses during economic downturns.

Anonymous said...

Oh I love the collar on your dress too! You look wonderful. :)

My new years resolution will be to stop buying new clothes. And possibly give myself a spending limit. oh and lay off the make up :(

Anonymous said...

Totally agree about the heels thing and I always buy dress for the collars!

esme and the laneway said...

I know exactly what you mean. About all of that!
I love the dress. I definitely see the sailor-ness.

esme and the laneway said...

Oh and multi-strapped vintage mary janes? OMG!

Missa said...

Awesome dress, the collar is SO good and even better with the waist tie as bow around it, just brilliant!

Andrea Eames said...

You look great! I really like that dress.

Trish Hunter said...

Um ok...
203928432904832094823094823094 times jealous of that dress.
It'd be one of those every day dresses for me.
I have a real thing for navy and that colour seems to be my colour for days with out motivation.
So thats my reason of jealousy!
Great find

Kim said...

Love it! :)

SHIZUKA said...

aw how cute, it reminds me of a flight attendant! x

thevintageyear said...

Ana B: mid height wedges sound like the perfect compromise :)

Lavender: exactly, I feel like it's just a wonderful cycle of reusing nd recycling.

Brook: to be honest the economy has never occurred to me but that's just another good reason to buy 2nd hand!

Karen: Thank you! I wouldn't wnat you laying off the make up too much because you do it so wonderfully.

Strikematch: good, I'm glad I'm not the only one :)

Esme: thank you!

Missa: thank you, the collar is the best part

A cat of impossibe colour: thanks!

Trish: thanks, I'm loving navy at the moment too!

Kim: thank you!

heartofpearl: oh yes, flight attendant, I can definitely see that now :)