Battling unseasonably cold winds in a leopard palette inspired outfit

"You know what you look like?" Tony asked. I shook my head and smiled inquisitively. "Cold!!!" Came his swift reply.

And, boy howdy, was he ever right! The bitingly cold temperature and fierce wind would never hint at the fact that these photos were taken earlier this month on the first day of May.

When I'd gotten dressed in the morning it was fairly sunny and the air was calm. I was in the mood for just a little dollop of leopard in my outfit, so I went with an animal print hair flower and an outfit comprised of brown, beige in brown to mirror to hues in the leopard blossom. I thought this ever-so-subtly safari inspired look would be a fun way to usher in the fifth month of the year.

Little did I know that later that evening I'd be extremely grateful I'd opted for a fairy heavy weight cotton twill vintage skirt as we battled against the aggressive wind and chilly temps while trying to grab a few outfit snaps at a park in Rutland (an area in the northern end of the neighbouring city of Kelowna).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outfit details Leopard print hair flower: Arden (last month, so they might still have them in stock if you're looking for one, too)Black sash waist blouse: ZellersVintage beige button front skirt: etsy seller Have Mercy Vintage Gold toned, rhinestone and faux pearl brooch: eBayBlack plastic carved bangle bracelet: Penticton consignment store Pipsqueaks and DamselsWood veneer bangle bracelets: thrifted1950s corduroy bucket purse: etsy seller Rue 23 Vintage Clothing Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano
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So as I shivered and tried to keep my eyes from squinting too badly in the wind (a thick layer of goose bumps coating my arms), Tony very quickly snapped away. I kept trying to push my wavy locks out of my face, but it was a losing battle and after a couple of minutes I just gave up and let the wind play hairdresser.

This skirt and blouse outfit is an example of the kind I wear a lot of the time. I generally opt for mid-calf to ankle length skirts, and adore where this one hits (a couple of inches above my ankle). It's uber neutral beige hue makes it a definite workhorse in my wardrobe, as it pairs fabulously with just about any colour.

Though the black blouse looks as though I tied the bottom ends together, it actually boasts a tie sash around the waist and that's what you see in these images (the remainder of the blouse below the sash is tucked into the skirt).

This 1950s corduroy bucket purse is one of my very favourites (you may remember it from this post back in March). Much like the beige skirt, it goes well with a myriad of colours and has a laid back vibe that means it can easily toe the line between casual or more dressy, depending on what I partner it with.

I've really been getting into brooches this year (so much so that I'm planning a post in the near future on that very topic), so I went with an aged gold hued, faux pearl, and rhinestone leaf design pin for the hit of sparkle in this springtime outfit (the fact that it has a bit of an autumn feel to it makes it all the better suited to the November like weather we were experiencing that day!).

As a teenager and into my early 20s, I wore black eyeliner on my top and bottom lids nearly every day, however a couple of years I dropped the bottom liner (most of the time) in a favour of (just) a classic upper lid cat's eye look. Once in a while however, I like going for a slightly more vixenish make-up look, and this day was just one such occasion. Tony always loves it when I do, so maybe I should start sporting liner on the bottom of my lids a little more often.

Both of our teeth were chattering after a few minutes out in the elements, so having gotten in a few shots before the day's sunlight vanished entirely (it was about 6:45pm in these images) we made a mad dash to the car and flicked on the heater right away.

If I wasn't there myself, I'd have scarcely believed how cold and windy our May 1st was. All I can say is that I hope this isn't an ominous sign of the kind of summer we're in for this year!