Blue Collar Red Lipstick

My name is Adina J, and I’m a 30-something professional, wife and mother of two. I’m not a smarty-pants, but I have lots of opinions. I’m also not a fashion insider, but I love clothes. And shoes. And bags. And pretty much everything else that goes into creating that mysterious element called “style”.

Recent Blog Posts

I Make Things: Wrapping Up the Year
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It’s been a while since we last caught up on my arts & crafts adventures, so with the benefit of a little perspective (it’s almost the middle of January already!) let’s look at how 2023 wrapped up. It was, in many ways, a “best of times, worst of times” situation...
Published at Blue Collar Red Lipstick
What I Wore: January 2023, part 3
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Details: Ralph Lauren shirt, vest & skirt, vintage belt (all thrifted), J. Crew shoes (retail, old) Thoughts: This shirt/vest combo is one of my faves; I’ve worn it before with pants, but I like it even more with this skirt. The brown makes the blue really pop. This skirt was one of my ...
Published at Blue Collar Red Lipstick
Personal Style Diaries: Updating the Avatars
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It hasn’t been that long since I’ve talked about my avatars, but I think my system is up for an overhaul. None of it should be a surprise to those who have been following along lately, but it’s quite different from where it started back in 2018. Quick recap: avatars are characters that represent ...
Published at Blue Collar Red Lipstick
What I Wore: January 2024, part 2
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Details: J. Crew shirt, Everlane sweater, Babaton pnats, Fossil belt, Frye boots (all thrifted), Ralph Lauren blazer (Poshmark), Coach bag (Poshmark) Thoughts: In case you couldn’t quite tell, I score another vintage wool LRL blazer on Poshmark recently; in fact, it was my last Posh purchas...
Published at Blue Collar Red Lipstick
New Year Fashion Resolutions
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The title of this post is misleading. I don’t believe in New Year Resolutions. If I feel that I need to make changes in my life, want to adopt a new habit, or achieve some specific goal, I will start working on that as soon as I feel I have the resources (emotional, mental, financial) [R...
Published at Blue Collar Red Lipstick
What I Wore: January 2024, part 1
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Details: Oak & Fort turtleneck, Tahari shirt, Ralph Lauren vest & skirt, vintage belt, Dooney bag, Laredo boots, Nine West jacket (all secondhand) Thoughts: This outfit was so bang-on the general direction of my current style heading into 2024. I’m planning a post to update my avata...
Published at Blue Collar Red Lipstick
With Belts On
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Today, let’s talk about a small, recent closet reorg project. January is supposedly the season of fresh starts, but you know how I feel about that; I actually did this project in December, after watching a YouTube video from Trinny Woodall about her belt collection. I, too, am a big believe...
Published at Blue Collar Red Lipstick
Shopping Math
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I’m sure that, by now, everyone’s heard about boy/girl math, such being the nature of viral trends. So I wanna talk today about another kind of arithmetic. Adina’s Shopping Math. Now, you may be wondering, “does math even come into Adina’s shopping?!” and, if so, you...
Published at Blue Collar Red Lipstick
What I Wore: October 2023, part four
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Details: vintage sweater (thrifted), Banana Republic jeans, Mia shoes (both retail), Coach bag (eBay) Thoughts: Doesn’t this sweater look like a classic Hudson’s Bay 4 stripe sweater? I’ve always loved that pattern. Well, it isn’t. It’s some random Manitoba brand lab...
Published at Blue Collar Red Lipstick
Slow Rituals for The Season
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We are coming up on the time of year that always feels the heaviest to me. The change in weather and diminishing daylight affect my mood negatively; November feels especially somber because (in Canada) there are no festive occasions to lighten things up. This year, though, I want to lean into the...
Published at Blue Collar Red Lipstick