Pen Pals: Rifle PaperCo. – A Fashion Love Letter

Love, style

While organizing the basement I came across a box with the label “Letters From My Love”. It contains all the correspondence between my grandmother and grandfather during WWII. Unfolding the yellowed paper and seeing their words to one another on the page is real romance, right before my eyes.

I am a sucker for a good romance. Whether it’s “The Notebook” or a Rifle Paper Co. patterned dress, in the same print as the notebook that my wife and I used as a guestbook and then as the ‘Year One Of Our Marriage’ journal… a little flowers never hurt, to add a touch of rose-hued nostalgia to the scene. I was thrilled when I found a Rifle Paper Co. dress in exactly the pattern of our notebook. I plan to wear it with a sweetly patterned coral, cap sleeve cardigan, a carousel necklace (from yyzimports.ca, pictured above) and a vintage piece of my Nana’s, costume jewellery at its finest. I will be in bloom – and loving it.

Rifle Paper Co.

The Dress. Rifle Paper Co.

A sweet vignette; I imagine that this is what life looks like in a sweetly patterned dress.

It is. Truly.

Pen Pals: Rifle Paper – A Fashion Love Letter by jc-alison featuring blue wall art

Falling Deeply – Day and Night

style

Look of the Day:

For a cool fall day, veering into night, a blouse with sheer details and lace. Switch up those accessories for evening, but definitely keep a bold lip, perfect skin and a flush on your cheeks. Faux fur, of course.

Falling Deeply – Day and Night by jc-alison featuring a black jacket

Quick Change Artist

style

Quick Change Artist by jc-alison featuring j crew jewelry

Stay Golden

style

Headed to a birthday party… with live steel drum band. I’m wearing a hand painted silk top with bat wing sleeve, and depending on how much I need to carry, how much the temperature drops and how long I’ll be on my feet … the rest will figure itself out. I can hear the music already!

Stay Golden by jc-alison featuring a vintage purse

Royal Botanical – button ups and maxi skirts with a flora and fauna twist

style

What I wore: an Anthropologie Kelly green maxi skirt with embroidered waistband, plus whimsical footwear and a sleeveless button-up patterned with monkeys, pineapples, toucans and ferns = botanical perfection. What a prized specimen!

Royal Botanical – button ups and maxi skirts with a flora and fauna twist by jc-alison featuring a green vase

Flowers, All Grown Up – Fresh prints, cutouts and new lengths

style

I love a good floral print dress. But I’m trading the youthful, sometimes juvenile vibe of a mini dress and taking it to a midi-length. Florals with a dark background, cutouts or abstracted print are my favourites. I am keeping these variations in rotation this fall! Let’s call them perennials.

I have loved this look for quite some time and was happy to see my dress crop up on Aria in Pretty Little Liars.

Flowers, All Grown Up – Fresh prints, cutouts and new lengths by jc-alison featuring a canvas painting

First Blush – My Favourite Shade for a Ballet

style, Wedding

After being on stage, or attending a live performance, an after party needs a look that is soft and gorgeous. A dress that is easy to sit in, or slip into after a long performance, should be beautiful and look like it just stepped off the stage.

For the wrap party I put on my wrap dress in a soft blush, which looked great against flushed skin and the remnants of my washed-off stage makeup. I topped the cross back slip of a dress with a sequined tulle bolero.

Bonus points for pulling off this shade at a wedding. Blush for all seasons.

First Blush – My Favourite Shade for a Ballet by jc-alison featuring a cream dress

Fringe Mentality

style

Keeping it crisp in a white linen tunic, thick black leggings, chunky boots and a statement necklace. Swap in, or out, a bag for a versatile outfit. I wore this today at work, with my ‘cat lady’ purse… purrrrfect for carrying all my stuff and a delicate balance between old lady and awesome.

My purse (not the one in the photo) is a medium brown, much more substantial piece with studs on the flat bottom and a shoulder/cross body strap. However, the embroidery is pretty much in line with the image above.

Fringe Mentality by jc-alison featuring black leather handbags

She Sells Sea Shells

style

A Casual Friday Sea-inspired Outfit, with options for comfort and heel height. Throw on a nubby sweater for cooler evenings.

She Sells Sea Shells by jc-alison featuring white home decor

Pick Your Own Bouquet

style

Wednesday was humid. Just like Tuesday. But armed with a bold pattern and sunny disposition, I put on my sweetest face. I paired a vintage high waist midi skirt of my mother’s, in a deep purple pattern, with a loose fitting ecru blouse, laser-cut ruffles at the neck, tucked primly into the skirt to emphasize the waist; chandelier earrings in teardrop shapes and a rose gold flatform sandal added some sparkle.

Just like my garden, which is planted with great intentions, but mostly left to its own devices… I like my outfits to evolve organically, to suit the mood, the weather and the moment. Each items plays well with others.