Thrifting Finds: Fabric, and Lace, and Boots, oh my!

There is a pretty large thrift store down the street from me, and while they might not always have the best price, the fact that they are central in the city does mean they get a large amount of stock all the time. I had an errand to run yesterday, so popped in to see if they had any fabric there. 

Turns out that they do. And for pretty decent prices. Of course they don't have a wide range, but they did have a few gems that caught my eye. If I was looking for something specific, I would have been disappointed, but I think I want to find the fabric, then create with it, as opposed to thinking of something, then go looking for fabric.

What I liked:

 A lace, a stripe, a multi-colored knit with a tiny row of sequins.

 Close up. The lace will be perfect for trim, it has rows of solid fabric, with the lace in-between.The knit I have a great plan for already.

And picked these up for $6. Vintage leather boots with an embossed front. I will put a new insole in, because that is slightly icky otherwise for me.

 Happy weekend everyone!

Forever21 Review: Yes, Some More Dresses

Why always dresses? Mostly because I am lazy and do not want to pair tops and bottoms in the changing room. Dresses are a bit easier to handle in small box sized rooms.

Here are a few that might catch your interest:

Dress #1

 Ignoring the funny look on my face, this maxi dress I actually really liked. The colours are nice and vibrant, and the chiffon-like fabric floats away from the body nicely. Not such a fan of the straps though, they are pretty much non-existant, so I am not sure how the bra issue would be addressed.

 You can see how low the dress dips in the front, so a strapless bra might not work?

Dress #2

 Lovely colour on this dress. The tag say dusty blue and I think that suits it perfectly. Not a dress for me though. I have too much on my bottom half for a medium, not enough on top to fill out a large. There is some really nice pleating detail at the waist, and the sleeves have a bit of a puff to them. This dress would be adorable with some brown accessories.

Dress #3

 My face says it all. I picked this up because of the pattern on the fabric. Shapeless and lumpy looking.

 Side view does not make this any better!

Review at Forever21: 2 Dresses, 1 Success

I had some time to kill before work yesterday, so I stopped into Forever21 to search out that cream and orange lace dress that That Damn Green Dress found and looks super duper awesome in. I saw it online earlier this month, but there seems to be a bit of a delay between what comes to my store, and online.

Luckily, I found the dress right away!

 It is really nice in person. The fabric is substantial enough and not see through (hint, I am wearing a bright blue bra, and the length is very decent for Forever21. This piece is in the Love21 line, which is a bit more modest in length normally. Alas, this dress is not for me. The colour washes me out. In fact, I think the dress' shoulders have melded into my own.

 Side view is less then stellar. I don't think this dress is cut well for my body shape. This was a size small, but it is all puckered in the upper back and pulling away from my frame. Insert sad face here. I really did like this dress. Priced at $35.80, if it works for you, it is awesome! Dress found here.

This was another dress I tried on, but is not on either website at the moment.

 After trying on that over priced maxi dress at H&M (which was adorable), I am on the hunt for a few to add to my summer dress collection. This was is very reasonably priced at $18.50 CAD, and it made from rayon. Not my favourite type of fabric, but it flows very nicely, and very soft to the touch. The top is lined with built in cups, since the back is a cross between halter/racer back. The length is perfect on this, it hangs about 1/2 inch above the floor.

Please excuse the wayward hanger strap wrapped around my arm. I was having issues apparently. I also saw this dress in a maroon colourway, but the navy was better for my colouring. This was a popular dress to try on when I went. You can see it hanging in the stall next to mine. I wonder if she liked it as well?

What I like: Forever21

So I am liking this idea of having a weekly post featuring a store, and a few items I am liking from them at this moment. Would you all find this to be something good to continue?

Before Forever21 opened at my local mall I was ehh on them. Too much stuff overload with a few gems here and there. The problem would be that things online look so much different then they do in person. But now that there is one very close by and accessible to me, I can look at things in person, and have more fun browsing.

My advice? Go on a day that teenagers should be in school! My favourite time so far is around 10am, just after they open. Clean, relatively organized, and not a lineup for the fitting room.

What has caught my eye at Forever21 right now:

 A-Line Lace Skirt: $29.80 CAD. Ivory lace skirt, that is not short (yay!) How cute would this be with brown boots or booties, and a blazer?

 Button Tab Slv Coat: $35.80 CAD. Saw this in person the day after the new store opened. I held onto it, but put it back at the last second. Of course, it was gone the next time I was there. It is back online now. The colour is this great dusty rose/brown, with crocheted detailing at the sleeves.

Colourblock Wide Belt (Brown): $6.80 CAD: Nice earthy tones with antiqued brass buckle.

Fish Whimsical Necklace: $6.80 CAD. I saw this in the gold colourway, and I really like the "crystal" scales. Fish things make me happy, if you could not tell, and this look like a perfect everyday type of necklace. I am sure the silver version is great too.

Anything from F21 that has piqued your interest?