The Reason I Dressed
I mentioned here that we had a Sunday night aperitivo date with some friends, but we stopped off at the park to play. It’s getting chilly here in Modena, but I honestly can’t complain. When you are used to having your tears freeze on your eyeballs after you’ve lived through a Canadian winter (or many, many Canadian winters) a little “chill” doesn’t quite cut it to keep you indoors. The only problem is that I find the other Italian moms no longer bring their kids out to play, so we’re usually the only ones at the playground these days.
What I Wore
I’m already sick and tired of my winter coat and it’s only December. If I’m going to blog about fashion it’s gonna be pretty tough to do this outdoors if I’m wearing the same thing in every picture!
A few weeks ago I was searching online for a new heavy sweater when this orange cardigan caught my attention. The description called it a”Coatigan” and I was all “Coatigan?, what the hell is that?”. Turns out a Coatigan is not quite a cardigan and not quite a coat. It’s a big heavy cardigan sweater that is meant to replace your coat.
To be perfectly honest I thought it was going to be warmer and a little smaller, but such is shopping online. This particular coatigan was not lined, it is just a really heavy wool blend knit. I am naturally freezing all the time, so I was not about to risk being cold by just wearing this Coatigan. I tried it on over top of my leather blazeresque moto jacket and I love the way the combo turned out.
Without investing in a new coat or taking up too much closet space (which is VERY limited in Italy) I get a completely different look and I love it! It’s granny chic, totally works with the fall/winter 2013 oversize trend, and can be worn to make a jacket or sweater warmer. It can also be worn on its own in the fall or early spring.
I plan on wearing it buttoned up with tights and over the knee leather boots, I’m really into over the knee boots and oversized sweaters these days so I apologize in advance for the number of looks you’ll be seeing.
The Details
Urban Behavior
Three Cheers for Cheap Canadian Shopping.
To all of my Canadian friends out there that don’t realize how lucky you are to have Urban Behavior and Le Chateau….you’re lucky!! In fact UB (Canadian brand/store) has been picked up by International online retailer Chictopia.
So If you’re reading this and you’re not Canadian have no fear, Chictopia has you covered. In fact they feature a whole section on the brand on their site, which features all the great looks that Canadian bloggers come up with using super cheap UB clothes.
My “UB” jeans were under $30 and have not discolored, shrunk,stretched, faded or come apart at the seas. They give me a great butt, are an excellent fit, and are great replicas of some pricey designer jeans (insider scoop has it that the UB designer in jeans wear was working with some of the biggest brands in jean fashion).
Le Château
My leather blazer / moto jacket is from Montreal Canadian brand/store Le Château. I bought this a LONG long time ago, and I’m sad to say that Le Château has shifted their focus to primarily polyester cocktail dresses, that although cute, pale in comparison with the variety they used to offer years ago.
***An insiders scoop on leather***
Some of you may have noticed that leather is not what it used to be. The leather jacket or purse or belt you bought last year is in rough shape, meanwhile the leather bag you bought ten years ago still looks fantastic. This is not in your mind, this is real. There is a HUGE leather shortgage right now in the fashion world. And even the most “designer” brands have no choice but to charge luxury prices for what is known in the industry as “covered” leather, meaning it is not the first, second or third choice, but a primarily “covered” leather of poor grade. It is very likely that whatever leather you have in your closet from 7,8,9 or even 20 years ago is a MUCH superior product to what can be found on the market today. My Le Château moto is a fantastic soft nappa leather, it has never cracked, buckled or “chipped”, I compare it to a few designer peices I have acquired in recent years and there is just no comparison LC all the way! Want to invest in your children’s future? Fill your closets with hides, they will be hard to come by in 10 years as we move towards one of the biggest leather shortgages the fashion world has ever faced.
My Booties
My blue suede booties are by an excellent Italian brand based out of Bologna (15 minute drive away from Modena) called Chiarini Bologna. I got them from a small boutique in Modena called Barbara Ferrari Shoes, who have just launched their own store online. I’m way into Elvis these days and have rediscovered my love of all things Motown and Country Blues, so it’s no wonder that lately I’ve been reaching for these shoes a lot!
My Scarf
My scarf is from the historic Italian knitwear brand Gallo, which has been artisanally weaving socks, scarfs, coats and hats since 1927. They are a little pricey with a scarf like mine running anywhere from 100 – 150 euro (or more!). But they make excellent gifts for dads, husbands, boyfriends etc. And, in my case, it was my husband that received this scarf as a gift and I promptly stole it!
My Bag
My bag is by Torino brand Toty Bags, which have offered all Reasons To Dress.com readers a leather makeup case for free with every 30 euro purchase, see details here!
