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February 26, 2016

What I wore for Christmas Day (only, you know, two months after the fact :D)





Outfit details

C. 1930s/40s burgundy felt hat with netting: Garb-Oh Vintage
Garnet and gold toned earrings: Claire's (in late November, so they might still be in stock there)
1940s style burgundy winter coat: Thrifted (Jones New York brand)
1980s does 1940s Laura Ashley plaid dress: Lola Vintage
C. 1950s frosted clear Austrian glass berry brooch: eBay
C. 1950s white gloves: Unknown, had for ages (possibly a gift)
Gold tone bangle bracelets: Payless
C. 1950s/60s navy blue handbag: Frugal Frocks
Black seamed nude vintage style stockings: eBay
Navy blue faux patent leather pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Partyline



Photography by Tony Cangiano













































The sharing of said ensemble, not the wearing, that is. :)

If you're a regular follower of this blog, then I won't head into broken record territory too much, but chances are you know that I've been computer-less this month. While I was fortunate to have several blog posts penned and ready to go live throughout February prior to that happening, only a couple of them were outfit posts and as such, I kept pushing their post dates up further and further, as one week turned into the next and I was still sans laptop.

The new one is expected to arrive any day now (yippee!), so I thought I'd take the plunge and share these fun snaps from late December with all of you here today, before we head into March and my thoughts turn far more to loveiversary (the day that Tony I first meet back in 2004) and Easter season outfits, instead of what I was sporting while jolly old St. Nicolas was still in town. :)

This past Christmas was a marvelous one for myself and my family. On the one hand, it was a lowkey event (just the way I typically like holidays of all sorts to be), but on the other, it was delightfully unique - for us at least. The reason for such was that the year before(on Christmas Day 2014, to be exact), my mom had decided, so very sweetly, that she wanted to hold an Italian Christmas feast, instead of the more traditional North American/British style one, in honour of Tony and his homeland.

Thus we both set to work shopping, cooking and baking up a storm for the meal, which saw a handful of close relatives gather around the table - heady, scrumptious scents aplenty wafting up from it - on Christmas Eve and Day alike - and dig into an Italian feast that could easily have fed over twenty. What are the holidays though, without ample food and lots of great leftovers to tuck into for days to come!

It was a fun, delicious departure from our usual winter holiday eats and one that Tony, as well as the rest of us, all enjoyed and appreciated. While we won't be going the Italian meal route each Christmas, given what a smash hit this one was, I sense we will repeat it again periodically as the years roll on.

What was on our plates might have been Italian in nature, but we didn't take the theme quite to the level of national dress or Italian flag only hues (though they are literally the same palette as Christmas, so the latter wouldn't have been too tricky to do at all). I woke up on Christmas morn, fresh snow falling atop of the thick blanket that already lay on the ground around town and felt instantly pulled towards both plaid and the colour burgundy.

Enter, this thoroughly lovely 1980s does 1940s style Laura Ashley dress that I've had for absolutely ages. Though it looks the wool part, it is not, but it is nearly as warm as though it were. This dress is incredibly comfortable and rife with classic styling (from the puffed sleeves to the matching belt to the white collar), and as it hadn't appeared here on the blog before, Christmas seemed like the ideal time to debut

Ditto for this vintage appropriate reefer style burgundy coat from the brand Jones of New York, which I thrifted for less than $10 two or three winters ago from a tiny charity run thrift shop on Main Street right here in Penticton.

To these yesteryear inspired pieces, I added my endlessly beloved 1930s/40s burgundy felt hat, a vintage navy blue purse and (modern) shoes, white mid-century gloves, and a smattering of new and old jewelry (including one of my treasured c. 1950s Austrian glass fruit brooches).

It was a fun, festive, and very cozy outfit that suited the laid back, fun filled nature of Christmas Day spend at my mom and step-dad's house (where these snaps were captured on their deck) perfectly.

Looking back now, two months and a day later, it seems both like these photos were taken just yesterday and also as though they happened eons ago.

A lot has already transpired in the first couple of months of 2016. Some good, some heartbreaking, some exciting, some stressful, and lots that simply makes up the minutia of life. Through it all, the optimism that I felt about this year as we entered into it, has scarcely wavered and I remain hopeful that the positive will far outweigh the negative when all is said and done, and I pose for next Christmas' outfit shoot.

We've got nearly ten months to go before that point however, during which time I'll soon be enjoying my new laptop and continuing to bring you scores more "what I wore" (and other types of) posts to fill the pages of this blog throughout the year. I can hardly wait, especially with springtime (and all of its gorgeous vintage fashions) just around the corner!

 

47 comments:

  1. Hello Jessica, how beautiful these photos and I'm happy to think about Christmas, the month of December. A pleasant time and pretty quiet even for me, the year began with new projects and some bitterness and pain. This is life, but I need to live more calmly: I do not immediately think to summer like many "fashion blogger", the sun will come, but now I want to live every moment of this present life is too precious to live only of expectations!
    That your dress is lovely, I really like, romantic and practical, I love the color and the tartans, they contain much heat! The coat is fabulous, and everything you wear it divinely!
    But we come to the most important things! An Italian Christmas !? WOW! I'm happy about that, I guess even Tony! You are lucky, in your family have different traditions and cultures to choose from! And the best thing are the leftovers, which become more good and make the days after Christmas a lot more relaxed!

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  2. Your description of your Christmas sounds amazing, like I was invited too! That is so awesome and sweet that your Mother wanted to change up tradition and honor Tony's heritage, so welcoming and respectful too!

    You look like a beautiful Christmas and with all the perfect trimmings!!! Cheers to an optimism and the upcoming year ahead <3

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  3. I love this plaid dress! Burgundy is a favorite color of mine during the winter. An Italian inspired Christmas dinner sounds absolutely marvelous! It sounds like you had the perfect holiday :)

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  4. I hope you come back to regular programming soon :)
    I think you look marvelous in these picture pretty lady - and I cannot believe that coat was so inexpensive.

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  5. What a lovely Christmas day outfit! I love vintage Laura Ashley pieces, especially the fact that this is a 1980s does 1940s one - such a lovely twist. You're right, it does look like wool from the pictures, and I'm glad it's almost as warm! I inherited a late 1980s/early 1990s Laura Ashley dress and matching jacket from my mum who wore it to my Christening. As a teenager, I wanted to hack the bottom off to make it shorter, and I'm definitely glad she didn't allow me now! Though it hasn't yet had much wear as it's quite summery and slightly formal.
    My Christmas day outfit this year never made it to the blog as I never managed to photograph it, so you're ahead of me in that respect! But I've also been just as late, if not later, in previous years :D
    Sian xx Rebel Angel

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  6. You look so fab here. The hat and gloves make it! I love how you look in these 80s does 40s frocks. They look so fab on you. I think on me they'd be too matronly but I love the look
    Retro rover

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  7. What a beautiful dress! Burgundy is such a great color!

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  8. Oh my.
    What can I add! This ensemble is stunning: i love it all! All its pieces are great ! And this colour on yourself , waaa!
    <3

    Love From Paris,
    Lorna
    HTTP://lornasharp.blogspot.com

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  9. That colour suits u so well, my dear. Boy it looks chilly though outside. I have recently bought an original wool coat very similar to yours, it's just gorgeous and il treasure it for many years. You look gorgeous my dear and I'm so very happy you had a wonderful family filled christmas. May your year be overflowing with love from your family and friends and may it bring you much laughter and joy xx

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  10. Belated or no, you looked lovely!! Love the colors!!

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  11. So much glorious snow! And your outfit stands out beautifully against the the bright white setting. The burgundy is such a rich and luxurious colour that flatters beautifully!

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  12. Love the whole outfit! Your coat looks so toasty warm. I can't believe Christmas was 2 months ago already. Italian feast?? I'm very familiar being Italian, lol.

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  13. What an amazing white backdrop for your gorgeous burgundy. You have such a tiny waist!
    That glass brooch is to die for.
    But I can't take my eyes off your colour change shoes! They turned white with snow.
    Get indoors your feet must be freezing! :-D
    Xo Jazzy Jack

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  14. What a lovely outfit! And there's nothing wrong with sharing a Christmas post two months later - there's always time for Christmasy stuff, IMO, no matter the season! ;-)

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  15. I just love how you accessorize so much, love the hat, jacket, gloves, pin, bag and of course that tartan dress...very stylish! xo

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  16. Happy Saturday Jessica!
    I hope, with all my heart that, by now, you are removing the wrapping off your new computer, and that you will no longer call yourself "technologically challenged" :)
    This post came on time.
    No, honestly.
    Come Christmas, there is just so much posts related to it, that one gets overwhelmed and can not fully enjoy the beauty of it all. Come February, it's all forgotten, but it is NOW that I can enjoy all the details.
    This dress is spot-on amazing!
    Your entire style on Christmas day was (I use this word because there is none better to describe my feeling) perfectly "suitable". So: two thumbs up.
    I am happy to read about your family's Italian-day, not many would dare to move just a bit from their regular holiday tradition.

    Give my best to your folks, to Tony, Annie... and everyone around you.
    Have a great, great day!

    (..and I'll be mingling around TONS - literally - of sausages on the Sausage Fair today) :)
    M.

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  17. You look so sweet! And you know, I thought it was woolen dress too :P I think I'll go and get something to eat... was that your talk about Italian food or the Austrian glass fruit brooch (that looks absolutely delicious!) but I'm hungry. Thanks a lot! :)

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  18. That coat is perfection. I am seriously jealous because it is exactly what I've been looking for!! And you also know I'm a sucker for plaid dresses... uhm.. this outfit is just swoon-worthy!! I can't believe how cold it looks!! The snowwwww - whoa!

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  19. What beautiful colors! And I like you in a shorter hem-length than you usually wear.

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  20. You've got such a great eye! I love how you are able to pair items from several time periods to create your classic vintage looks! Such a gorgeous outfit! That sounds really great about your Italian Christmas meal! Sounds like it was a fun and delicious time. Looking forward to seeing your Easter season outfit posts! <3 And Yay on getting your new computer soon!

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  21. Such a beautiful ensemble, the colors in the plaid are so rich and pretty together! That coat is cut so nicely too. I also can totally relate to taking outfit photos with your shoes covered in snow ;) I'm happy to hear your computer is nearly there, I can't imagine going so long without one!

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  22. What a beautiful look! It makes me think of "Christmas in Connecticut" :)

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  23. Lovely outfit Miss Jessica. I love the berry hues in your plaid dress. The coat is also lovely and that hat is like icing on the cake! I know how you feel about so many things happening right at the beginning of the year, but hopefully as we move into spring things will start to settle down. Good luck to you and all your year's endeavors. Looking forward to this year's Christmas outfit post and all the others between now and then you share with us ;)

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  24. What an elegant look for Christmas. I love how a few, well chosen, vintage accessories can completely turn a non-vintage dress into lovely vintage look. (Although I guess the 80's does count as vintage now). As a fellow western Canadian, with very few real vintage pieces to choose from, accessories are so important!
    http://www.theartyologist.com

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  25. i hope your feet are thawed and warm again! :-)
    love love love that ensemble!!! and yes - it is very x-mas-y!
    gorgeous idea to make a italian dinner! very lovely in the direction of tony and a wonderful change of pace for the whole family.
    you had all what i missed last x-mas: snow and a lovely family.....
    sunday greetings to you!!! xxxxxx

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  26. This is such a sweet look, it does indeed have quite the '30s feel overall. I love all the accessories - the hat, the brooch - it all comes together to be perfectly lovely! It's very seasonal, yet not overly festive, you could wear this through Autumn too. Super! xx

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  27. So lovely - burgundy always suits you so beautifully. This couldn't be more Christmas-appropriate if it tried :) I'm not quite ready to think about the next one yet though ;) I hope your feet weren't too cold in all that snow! Fingers crossed your new laptop gets to you quick sharp! You've had a lot more patience and good humour about the delay in its arrival than I would have had, for sure! xx

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  28. This outfit is amazing! Love the color of your coat. The dress is superb!

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  29. When this post, and the first photo, popped into my blog reader I instantly knew that you were wearing a Laura Ashley dress! My mum lived in Laura Ashley throughout my childhood, both in the 70s and 80s and quite probably had this dress. I can spot them anywhere these days and it certainly looks lovely one you. The coat is gorgeous too and burgundy and wine are definitely colours that suit you really well. The photos in the snow are wonderful too. We never get snow like that here :( xx

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  30. Dearest Jessica, you outfit was lovely and perfect for Christmas. You are always picture perfect in your vintage fashions and you wear them so well. I adore your hat! I do hope that your journey this year will be filled with the most wonderful things that life has to offer. Life can be so incredibly amazing and so very hard at times. We can be traveling down a path and suddenly we are at a crossroad or even a road block but in truth it is more in how we handle these things than it is what happens to us. If our spirit is such that we can travel these paths and readjust as needed then we can carry on and in the end enjoy our journey. Here's to a happy journey as we move into Spring. Gentle hugs, Beverly

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  31. This is such a splendid Christmas outfit. I really like the colours in the plaid. The coat is gorgeous, what a good find!

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  32. Don't you look festive and fetching! This is going to sound really silly, but something about this makes me think about Anne Shirley. I mean, if she was grown up, and lived in the 40s. I love the burgundy, the plaid, the gently puffed shoulders. I just can't get over how smart and sweet the whole ensemble is. You really knocked it out of the park.

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  33. Thank you all so much for your immensely lovely comments on this belated Christmas outfit post. I truly appreciate them and all of you.

    Tons of hugs & happy start of March wishes,
    ♥ Jessica

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  34. What a delightful festive outfit, I really love the burgundy! Sometimes it's nice to depart from the more traditional color scheme (and meal, for that matter).

    P.s. A very much belated e-mail will be headed your way either today or tomorrow.

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    1. Isn't it though? In 2014 I opted for cranberry and metallic shades and this time around it was burgundy. I wonder what next year will bring. I swear, I'm already feeling silver, but there's nearly 10 months to go and I haven't even begun to plan my Christmas look yet.

      Thank you very much for your lovely comment and email alike. Now that I finally have a computer again (yay!), I look forward to replying to it asap.

      Tons of hugs & happy start of March wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  35. Burgundy! Plum! Plaid! oh, my hat!! Or should I say ~ oh, your hat... Because, that too! I love every single detail of your winter berry ensemble, that little frosted berry brooch really does add the perfect touch.

    I'm glad you have a new computer now, I can imagine how stressful that must have been, so it's great to have you back! ❤

    xox,
    bonita of Lavender & Twill

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    1. Thank you sweetly across the board, darling gal. It wasn't exactly a picnic by any means. After a month solid of being computer-less, it's fantastic to be back on a keyboard (aka, not just my iPhone) again. Sooo much catching up and moving forward alike to throw myself into in the coming weeks. Hopefully by April, thing will be back on their usual track (fingers crossed!).

      Many hugs!
      ♥ Jessica

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  36. Such a lovely outfit! You look wonderful dear Jessica.
    All the snow! It snowed here yesterday, just your typical south of England flurry which settled then melted soon after, but I appreciated it while it was here and I am very sure the birds appreciated the fact it was short lived xx

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    1. Thank you sweetly, lovely Melanie. I wonder if the snow is (at this lower elevation at least) behind us now or if we'll get another flurry or two before winter officially hightails it out of town. There were a couple of nights last week when the air had that distinct feel of snow to it, but none actually fell.

      I have at least one more snow filled shoot from this winter to share here still, so you'll be seeing this Canadian wintertime staple for a bit longer still. :)

      Tons of hugs & happy Sunday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  37. What a fabulous plaid dress! So perfectly Christmas without being ordinary Christmas red. Burgundy and green are perfect together. And that coat! Wow! Even your lipstick matches perfectly.

    What do the Italians eat on Christmas eve? I don't know, but what a fun way to celebrate. You have a fantastic mom, I'm sure. I'm a little behind with your blog, but tonight I'm home alone, since my men are to a men's birthday luncheon. I ironed their shirts and pants and sent off the most handsome guys of the town. ;) Now I will go watch Iris Apfel on Netflix. Do you know her? She's a 94 year old style ikon, clever and funny. I'm sure you'll like her too. :)

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    1. We have such similar tastes! I watched that documentary about 4 - 5 weeks ago, daydreaming the entire time about what it would be like to actually witness her staggeringly huge (and extremely impressive) clothing + jewelry collection in person. She's a one woman fashion museum unto herself!

      Thank you for your lovely compliments on this outfit, dear Sanne. It's strange, you know, though these photos were only taken a few weeks ago, it feels like a staggeringly long time since then in so many ways. It will be very interesting to see how 2016 as a whole feels when all is said and done.

      I hope that you have a serene, enjoyable time at home alone and that the coming week is a great one for you and your family.

      Scores of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  38. Great outfit. Love it from head to toe!

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    1. Thank you so much! I adored it as well and think it's one of my favourite Christmas Day outfits to date.

      Many hugs & happy wishes for the new week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  39. I love everything about this look! The colours, the hat with the veil, the plaid...and that brooch is extremely cute. Wonderful details!
    Christina ♥ https://caliope-couture.com

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    1. Thank you sweetly, Christina. It really was a fun, classic look for Christmas. Hard to believe that about 2.5 months have already flown by since then. At this rate, I'll be thinking about my outfit for December 25th again in the blink of an eye. :)

      Wishing you a splendid week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  40. Oh you look just lovely! I always have grand plans to get dressed up for Christmas day, but when it rolls around I generally tend to get swept away in the presents and food and wanting to catch up with everyone and wind up just throwing on something very casual. Your ensemble is so perfect for Christmas Day with the family.

    And what a sensational idea, holding an Italian style feast in place of the usual Christmas fare. While I enjoy all the favourite Christmas foods, it's always nice to do something a bit different. This year we tried something new on Christmas Eve, with my eldest cousin taking charge in the kitchen and whipping up a selection of gourmet picking platters, including seafood, tiny duck pancakes, salmon hand rolls and a delicious plate of fresh fruit. We all nibbled while we chatted and sipped champagne and watched the Carols by Candlelight on television. It was a nice change from our usual beer-chips-christmas cake routine.

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    1. Thank you sweetly, dear Vanessa. It really was a marvelous Christmas from start to finish - complete with the feast to end all holiday feasts! I think we all gained at least a couple of pounds that night (lol!).

      Your own holiday spread sounds downright marvelous. Duck is my favourite of all poultry meats and I go weak in the knees for a good (GF) duck pancake. Yum! I really enjoyed switching things up this time around, too, and think that whether its with Italian food or some other less traditional feast, we'll be experimenting more as a family with different types of Christmas dinners as time goes on.

      Many hugs & joyful wishes for March,
      ♥ Jessica

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