What I wore for Christmas Day (only, you know, two months after the fact :D)

Outfit details

C. 1930s/40s burgundy felt hat with netting: Garb-Oh Vintage
Garnet and gold toned earrings: Claire's (in late November, so they might still be in stock there)
1940s style burgundy winter coat: Thrifted (Jones New York brand)
1980s does 1940s Laura Ashley plaid dress: Lola Vintage
C. 1950s frosted clear Austrian glass berry brooch: eBay
C. 1950s white gloves: Unknown, had for ages (possibly a gift)
Gold tone bangle bracelets: Payless
C. 1950s/60s navy blue handbag: Frugal Frocks
Black seamed nude vintage style stockings: eBay
Navy blue faux patent leather pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Partyline



Photography by Tony Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

The sharing of said ensemble, not the wearing, that is. :)

If you're a regular follower of this blog, then I won't head into broken record territory too much, but chances are you know that I've been computer-less this month. While I was fortunate to have several blog posts penned and ready to go live throughout February prior to that happening, only a couple of them were outfit posts and as such, I kept pushing their post dates up further and further, as one week turned into the next and I was still sans laptop.

The new one is expected to arrive any day now (yippee!), so I thought I'd take the plunge and share these fun snaps from late December with all of you here today, before we head into March and my thoughts turn far more to loveiversary (the day that Tony I first meet back in 2004) and Easter season outfits, instead of what I was sporting while jolly old St. Nicolas was still in town. :)

This past Christmas was a marvelous one for myself and my family. On the one hand, it was a lowkey event (just the way I typically like holidays of all sorts to be), but on the other, it was delightfully unique - for us at least. The reason for such was that the year before(on Christmas Day 2014, to be exact), my mom had decided, so very sweetly, that she wanted to hold an Italian Christmas feast, instead of the more traditional North American/British style one, in honour of Tony and his homeland.

Thus we both set to work shopping, cooking and baking up a storm for the meal, which saw a handful of close relatives gather around the table - heady, scrumptious scents aplenty wafting up from it - on Christmas Eve and Day alike - and dig into an Italian feast that could easily have fed over twenty. What are the holidays though, without ample food and lots of great leftovers to tuck into for days to come!

It was a fun, delicious departure from our usual winter holiday eats and one that Tony, as well as the rest of us, all enjoyed and appreciated. While we won't be going the Italian meal route each Christmas, given what a smash hit this one was, I sense we will repeat it again periodically as the years roll on.

What was on our plates might have been Italian in nature, but we didn't take the theme quite to the level of national dress or Italian flag only hues (though they are literally the same palette as Christmas, so the latter wouldn't have been too tricky to do at all). I woke up on Christmas morn, fresh snow falling atop of the thick blanket that already lay on the ground around town and felt instantly pulled towards both plaid and the colour burgundy.

Enter, this thoroughly lovely 1980s does 1940s style Laura Ashley dress that I've had for absolutely ages. Though it looks the wool part, it is not, but it is nearly as warm as though it were. This dress is incredibly comfortable and rife with classic styling (from the puffed sleeves to the matching belt to the white collar), and as it hadn't appeared here on the blog before, Christmas seemed like the ideal time to debut

Ditto for this vintage appropriate reefer style burgundy coat from the brand Jones of New York, which I thrifted for less than $10 two or three winters ago from a tiny charity run thrift shop on Main Street right here in Penticton.

To these yesteryear inspired pieces, I added my endlessly beloved 1930s/40s burgundy felt hat, a vintage navy blue purse and (modern) shoes, white mid-century gloves, and a smattering of new and old jewelry (including one of my treasured c. 1950s Austrian glass fruit brooches).

It was a fun, festive, and very cozy outfit that suited the laid back, fun filled nature of Christmas Day spend at my mom and step-dad's house (where these snaps were captured on their deck) perfectly.

Looking back now, two months and a day later, it seems both like these photos were taken just yesterday and also as though they happened eons ago.

A lot has already transpired in the first couple of months of 2016. Some good, some heartbreaking, some exciting, some stressful, and lots that simply makes up the minutia of life. Through it all, the optimism that I felt about this year as we entered into it, has scarcely wavered and I remain hopeful that the positive will far outweigh the negative when all is said and done, and I pose for next Christmas' outfit shoot.

We've got nearly ten months to go before that point however, during which time I'll soon be enjoying my new laptop and continuing to bring you scores more "what I wore" (and other types of) posts to fill the pages of this blog throughout the year. I can hardly wait, especially with springtime (and all of its gorgeous vintage fashions) just around the corner!