By Request: Outfits By You!
In which I took requests for what you wanted to see me wear, try, emulate, copy or incorporate, all while I go about my regular ol' week that I thought was going to be quiet and wasn't.
Hello, and welcome, my friends! Come on in, the water’s fine. A quick expression of gratitude for old/new/young/silly readers, and a head’s up for what you can expect from me. Who am I? A slightly deranged Gen-X badass who wears mostly secondhand clothes, drapes herself in gobs of vintage jewelry, and bops around in funky shoes. I’m not your regular fashion human!
I’ve been at this outfit-journaling thing for a while - in addition to being on Substack for a year and a bit, I still blog almost daily over at Ephemera1. 18 years! Crazy!
So, last week I put it out to you - friends, readers, lurkers - to request what you’d like to see me wear. Excited to see?
Let’s go!
Not Versace
Okay, so I had to cheat a little at the start of the week, as I publish on Monday evening, and I obviously needed to wear something to work that day. There’s no saving it, I had to wear the loud-and-proud fake Versace2 shirt!
I felt completely amazing in this - it hit my sweet spot of badass-artsy-joyful.
Let us add all of the rock and/or roll.
Perfect spring layering. Not too hot, not too cold.
Branded items: Schiaparelli silk scarf. Gloves are Parkhurst. Shoes by Chanii B. Notes du Nord snake belt. D’Orlan necklace. Earrings are by Biko. Brass/glass ring is Raphael of Canada.
Everything’s secondhand except for the shoes and the gloves, but I bought them both locally many years ago.
Favourite Fluevogs
Thank you to Marsha Banks for submitting her request:
Pick your favorite Fluevogs (I know...like picking your favorite kid) and create an outfit around them...including sparkle, leather, and your choice!
I don’t have a favourite pair of Fluevogs - I buy what I love - but I had been wanting to wear these sparkly pink metallic booties for a few weeks. No time like Tuesday!
What to wear when it’s windy, rainy, sunny, warm and cold? Black! Pink!
It’s Spring Goth!
I reveled in wearing this leather top again - it’s incredibly supple. The skirt needs a trim, as I often collect leaves, twigs and once a branch! along its hem, and it’s getting a little ratty from dragging on the ground (although I do roll the elastic waistband before setting out on a rainy morning). Fetch the scissors!
Where’s the boots?
I walked both ways to/from work in them - they are practically flat once you do the Shoe Math (it’s all about the pitch). The leather gets softer every time I wear them. Heaven!
I took a deep breath and committed to the rain.
Got soaked in the morning, and walked home in sun and whipping wind. Fun!
Branded items: F-This mulberry silk scarf is by John Fluevog. Boots are the Mellow Bebop, also by John.
I excitedly showed all my colleagues my cobra ring! COBRA!
Broken Queen
Wednesday and the requests continued to roll in, but Marsha Banks had one more:
Now, I think I need a dragon and an Erdem skirt!
This seems like a wardrobe oversight, but I do not own a single thing with a dragon on it. Snakes galore! Spiders ahoy! But no dragons. Tsk.
Hopefully Marsha won’t dock me for my lack of dragons, but I do have an Erdem skirt3. You know it, you love it, it’s a crusty, sparkly, brocaded, CAR-WASH, Swiss-dotted piece of gorgeosity!
This symphony of wine/burgundy tones makes me happy.
BUT THEN.
I felt a bend-y creak in the heel as walked in the house…
Oh noooooooo…That is irreparably done-for.
And later when I got home from work, I reviewed my history with them. They were my 18th anniversary gift from Logan in 20154, bought at the Fluevog store in Gastown, Vancouver.
Paid: Well, I didn’t pay for them, Logan did, but they were around $299.00.
Worn: 26 times in 11 years!
Cost-per-wear: $11.50.
After a bit of a mental mope - for about 20 seconds, because I had to go to work - I snapped out of it and picked new shoes for the fit.
These are even older - I got them in 2011 on our anniversary trip to Van.
The Fawnia Soo Hoo leather jacket. Sorry, Fawnia, you’re now forever associated with these bigass shoulders. We’re walking here! Make room!
Pointing out the Swiss dot (the dots are velvet!) inserts between the car-wash skirt flaps. It flips around when I walk, such joy!
Branded items: Delux hat. Fake LV scarf. Parkhurst gloves. R&G Co. Nu-Wite 1920s bangle.
I felt armoured in the amber.
Mom’s Taste
Fashion pal Angela Jones mused:
What about some of Mom’s favorite pieces?
Indeed! As I replied to her, I originally thought of wearing jewelry that used to belong to my mom, some “liberated” from her jewelry box c. 1984-55 and some of her Brutalist pieces that she’s given me more recently…
But then I thought, “What kind of clothes does MOM like? What are HER favourite things?”
She likes bright, bold colours, especially red, pink and green, and bold florals. She prefers “femme” dressing (she was a teen in the 50s!), so that ol’ fit-and-flare silhouette.
But of course, I had to add my own badassery in the form of a grommety belt, the sheer sweater layered under it, and the kick-ass boots.
Let’s not forget the coat!
After hanging with Mom for the afternoon, I went to a party in the evening.
I know, on a School Night! Shocking! And at my age!?
Where are those pearls, I need to clutch them!
Branded items: Yves Saint Laurent scarf. Bond Girl boots are by John Fluevog X Anna Sui. Belt is also Fluevog. Earrings are Betsey Johnson.
Stats: I took five buses in 8 hours. Zero people said anything about my outfit. I met 6 new people at Casey’s party. I ate 16 Cadbury Mini-Eggs.
‘Vog Variation
Bringing us to…Friday’s work outfit, the last day of (frankly) a slog of a week. What would the theme be?
ET of fabulous Substack Duck Fat suggested:
oooh yes!! would love a fluevog styling post 💯
I admit, my heart sank a bit.
A whole post on styling Fluevogs? It’s just too much!6
But after I pulled myself out of the Mental Hole of Despair, I realized that Fluevogs really aren’t any different than other brands when it comes to styling. Yes, they are weird-looking and often incorporate details that are A LOT for my minimalist-loving fashion siblings, but when it comes down to it, they are just SHOES, people. You got this.
But here’s a few tips, anyway, because who doesn’t love being asked their opinion? NO ONE, that’s who!
Pick shoes by colour. Either they match, kinda, sorta or perfectly, or are the only colour in the outfit. Choose a colour that will go with other things in your wardrobe. Matching is okay! I also sometimes wear them as the only colour, like in the Gothy black outfit above with the pink boots, especially if they are bossy or a difficult mix of colours/print.
If you’re terrified by the weirdness of Fluevogs, buy solid colours or two colours (where one is black). Green boots. Pink booties. Burgundy heels. Black and cream heels (with coloured laces, which can always be switched out). The pairs that last longest in my closet are the ones I can wear with the most things. Versatility is key!
I went all-in on Fluevogs over 20 years ago - Logan and I have been buying them for each other for around 25 years - so I started with plainer styles and have added/culled/sold/replaced them with styles that truly speak to me. I’m also replacing most of my 3+ inch heels with flats/flatforms/platforms and boots7.
Weird doesn’t equal uncomfortable! I don’t keep shoes that pinch, rub or hurt my feet after wearing them. Try on lots and when that glee starts bubbling up in your chest…those are the ones! If you have access to a Fluevog store, go in, try them on, take lots of pictures, and then stalk them until they go on sale (which sometimes takes a year), or watch for them secondhand. I also ask for gift cards for special occasions and save them up.
So, having stated the bleeding obvious about How To Pick Shoes, what Fluevogs did I end up wearing on Friday?
Red sneakers! Big chunky monkey ones, like the ones that were in style a few years ago8. I have big feet (size 9.5/Euro 40) so I delight in making them look even bigger, ha ha! Decades-ago me would have recoiled in horror at these red beasts, but Now Sheila cackles with glee at how hugely ugly and odd they are.
I bounced around the office in these - my colleague Nour absolutely LOVED this outfit. Yay!
I needed a big shoe to keep my Raf for Calvin shiny 100% cotton pants (I know, right, they look look like nylon/synthetic, but they’re NOT) from dragging on the ground while I swagged around the office and strode to and from work through a bajillion construction sites.
I was shocked that I hadn’t worn this JPG optic 90s top for almost a year - sometimes, I just forget about things, or they take up a small amount of space and fall in behind another pile.
I was enchanted with the bits of red (including my red lippy) and how they worked with the shoes.
Branded items: Halston scarf. Parkhurst gloves. Soul Speed Duesy sneakers are by John Fluevog. Rimanchik leather/steel cuff. JLA silver/gold cuff. Soul Flower silver/crystal ring. Tania Gleave earrings.
I pinned the kilt pin along the seam of the vest pocket to keep it from making too big of a hole in the fabric.
Poll Time! What’s your favourite Office Fit?
Conflicted? Can’t choose? Tell me about it in the comments!
Shopping With the Fishes
Julia Benbow requested I base an outfit around Logan’s style…and we’ll get to that in next week’s missive, but she did inspire me…or should I say, she was my “FIN-spiration”??
Logan and I joined pals Greg/Rosanna and Spence/Kim (visiting from Vancouver) for brunch on Saturday at John’s Place, and then the boys wandered off to do boy things9, and the girls10 went thrift shopping at the big Women In Need warehouse store. I always do well at WIN and I enjoy the Saturday crowd, which is a mix of teens thrifting haphazardly and experts (like me, Rosanna and Kim) looking for the weird and wonderful.
I still have 1-3 backwards hangers in my closet - and Thursday is when I start the Closet Swap-Over! - and I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to wear this gorgeous tiger-printed dress.
In the same way I added a bunch of red to Friday’s work outfit, I added lavender to this pink, blue, red, orange and black dress. The lavender mesh top makes another appearance, and I paired it with super-comfy shoes for walking to and from town, and standing/shopping for over 4 hours.
Despite wearing this billowing, joy-inducing dress 8 times, I have never worn it with lavender before! Can you believe it? That’s a sign of a good Jammy Dress - it goes with a bunch of colours!
Branded items: Steve by Steve Madden leather purse. Danier Leather driving gloves. Call It Spring creeper shoes. Roberto for RLM fish necklace. Tom Binns 2012 gold-plated shark jaw cuff.
I was thrilled to get THREE FISH into this outfit! I pinned my new-to-me carp brooch onto the placket of the dress so that it was just below the hanging fishtail of the necklace. I hope you approve, Julia!
Thrifted at Women In Need (WIN)
Notes:
The cats like to “help.” I discovered the hidden Perry Ellis name on the scarf when I got home.
The neon scarf reminds me of Kate Spade.
A cotton/ramie ikat/Navajo-inspired patterned sweater that is both knitted (not a printed pattern) and thin enough for my taste. I dislike bulky sweaters.
That red skirt is going to be worn once, and then is going into Limbo. It’s not my size, but the price was so good.
The summer version of my pink Boss Pants! I adore the cargo pockets. Very rock and roll!
I’d eyeballed that denim jacket before and passed on it…but I had a wee case of the Spendies, so why the fuck not? It’s not like I spend money on ANYTHING else during the week11.
Rosanna and Kim had to leave me early, but I kept on shopping!
Found at CSino’s Vintage Collective
Notes:
Back in the mid-90s, I wore a VERY bodycon dress similar to this. I might have worn it to see Napalm Death live, or that may have been the time I smoked weed (illegal at the time in Canada) in the band loft with Alice in Chains at Harpo’s Nightclub (Layne Staley was very kind). Oh, those were the days…and they’re all kinda blurry, hee hee.
Tina Boetto, I’m still trying to work the sheers like you do! I have high hopes for this sheer crinkly skirt. Wish me luck.
A new addition to my Weird Adidas collection, this jacket is probably from the early 90s. It deeply reminds me of the Adidas gym bags my brother and I had in the elementary school in the 1970s. Same colours12.
I know, my shopping can be rather rando - nothing goes with each other, but it all works with my closet (or it doesn’t! we shall see).
Wait! One more poll!
I can’t! I love them both.
These Are My People
Much gratitude and love to my Chosen Family, in addition to my dear mum.
Big hugs to you all!
And These Are My Cats
They’re eagerly awaiting warm days - our glassed-in deck will then be available to them for chirping at all the birds and squirrels.
And there we have it - a week of Reader Requests! I still have a couple in the hopper (Julia Benbow and Maddy Kwaka, stay tuned!), but I might have room for one more if you are dying to see something before the Closet-Swap-Over happens.
As always, I’d really appreciate it if you’d give me a heart/like - just so I know you’re there! If you’re moved to comment, I always respond, and if you restack, you’re pretty much guaranteed good karma forever. Thanks so much!
So…what’s ahead? A short week, finishing up Reader Requests before the Easter long weekend. I’m jonesing for time off, but nearly every day is going to be packed, and that closet won’t swap itself!
I’m outta here!
Cheers,
Sheila
Suddenly, the whole “(of Ephemera)” thing made sense. Hellooo! Welcome to the footnotes, where I add little tidbits of info, like links - just like that blog one! - which are always ‘cause I love. I’m also a bit of a swearer, so you’ve been warned. Also, every single typo and shitty picture is me - there’s no fucking AI invited to my parties.
It says “Versace” in the print, but the brand is Miss Ann. I did find the OG Gianni V shirt that this was based on - scroll down to the Vintage Fair booty.
Bought for and worn on the cover of TWEED MAGAZINE (photoshoot, and the mag), which I will never NOT mention. Modeling and making the cover was a bucket list thing I didn’t even know I wanted.
Some good pics of the shoes there, and hello, that’s me with short purple hair with a blonde streak in front! That’s also the trip when I bought that beautiful embroidered jacket that I have.
When I was 16-17 years old. And those things just disappeared from her closet and jewelry box…to reappear on me! I still have jewelry and accessories I’ve been wearing far longer than Mom even owned them.
I don’t have the bandwidth to write bastard-massive posts anymore. I work 32 hours a week in a taxing job, I have a busy social life, two cats, my mom, and I write 4-5 blog posts a week, plus this bigass newsletter every week. TOO MUCH. Maybe I’ll do them when I retire? Two more years!
I grew up wearing heels - a standard 3” starting when I was 15ish years old until very recently. This does a number on your feet over time, but heels are so pretty. I do regret walking long distances in heels. That was stoopid.
Taking a trend opportunity to buy a style that called to me, even though now it’s passé. Don’t care!
I don’t know, whatever the fuck boys do. Buy music, drink beer, talk shit about sports teams.
Such a gender divide, although the intent was for us all to meet up after at the Garrick’s Head Pub, but it was CLOSED. All the plans fell apart after that.
TRUE! I sometimes take a bus or buy some snacks on the way home, but I don’t spend any money on coffee or lunch out during the week. I’m a cheapass human.
I had the red/navy one, and my brother Dave had the two-tone blue, which was HIGHLY DESIRED, only the cool kids had them and yes, I was NOT a cool kid, and my younger brother was. Sigh.
Sheila this is GENIUS!! The coolest rain jacket I've ever seen, first of all. A tragic day for the Queen of Prussia shoes, but you recovered and dare I say I like the second pair even more!? And I love all your fish pieces! You've outdone yourself
So sorry about those spectacular shoes, Sheila. I’m looking forward to their reincarnation as a hat. I LOVED your spring goth outfit! I had a pair of stilettos in hot pink during college that I loved and would often wear them with black so this brought me back 💕