Clothes and TEK Brush

My 100th blog post ✨ I had planned it to be another one, but reality went otherwise. Oh well.
*Edit on Oct. 14th 2019 cuz I actually made the post I wanted to be the 100th one.

*Edit on Feb. 27, 2026 cuz after making some changes to my blog, the post linked above is no longer my 100th one.

This post is a bit messy, but let's say it's a haul from stuff I got since the beginning of September.

Clothes

Forest Green Cardigan

I received this cardigan from my mom. I had tried it on during my summer holidays and it fit amazing with my An3 green check retro skirt. However, it was regularly priced at 29,99$ CAD and I wasn't fond enough to buy it. When my mom went to buy it, she expected to pay this price, but instead got it 50 % off for an unexplained reason. I guess both of us had a nice surprise. :-)

Skirt, top and belts from Mia Mix

Last week, I returned to Mia Mix and bought other cute pieces. They're practically the only shop here that carries this type of cute-retro clothes, and it's hard to resist buying when it's so accessible unlike buying online from Japan.

Houndstooth skirt

When I first visited the store, I wanted to try this skirt along with a beige plaid one I was pretty sure of purchasing. However, I decided to take things slowly and only try one skirt (the beige one which I ended up buying). Since I was satisfied with my first purchase, when I came back, I tried on this houndstooth skirt I had still been thinking about.

Zoom in on the pattern

I was pleased with the fit. The waistband is tighter than my beige skirt that I find a little bit loose. Also, the houndstooth skirt doesn't flare as much as the beige one. I like this "narrower" cut because it fits better with flats (I feel I can only wear the beige skirt with pumps; otherwise it looks too big on me.) I also like the fact that the skirt can be paired with almost anything which makes it a great day-to-day piece. I hope they'll have the same model in other patterns in the future because I love it.

Lol... a button fell off the first time I wanted to wear the skirt.

But it's okay, I sewed it back.

3/4 Sleeve Blue Top

This top was displayed in the shop window with the beige skirt I had bought on my first visit and I thought it looked nice. Moreover, I knew I could also pair it with my houndstooth skirt. I admit it's quite a plain top, and the hems (sleeves and bottom) look kind of ratchet, but I don't mind. I like its simplicity and if I ever want to wear a tank top with a frilly collar under, I think it would look lovely.

Diamond Flower Belt

I was looking for a narrow belt to pair with my houndstooth skirt and I instantly loved this one when I tried it on. Sadly, some of the diamonds are cloudy (I'm not sure why—other than because it's a little bit cheap—but most of the belts in the store have small defects or look used.) I mentioned it to the shop seller and she generously proposed to give it to me as a "gift" if I'd buy the houndstooth skirt and the blue top (which I did).

Grey Bow Belt

I had been eyeing this grey belt from time to time while trying on other belts, but since it was on a shop model, I didn't dare to ask if I could try it on. Plus, I somewhat forgot about it when I found the flower belt. I don't know whether it's because one of the shop sellers saw me looking at it or because she has a sixth sense, but when I finished trying on the belts, she removed the grey belt from the model and asked me if I wanted to try it. I did, and as I imagined, it looked charming. The only downside is that I can't sit for a long time when wearing it with my houndstooth skirt, or it feels way too tight on my waist...

Haircare

TEK Brush

Although I had heard a lot of great things about TEK brushes on the Internet, I was hesitant to get one because of the price. Moreover, I didn't feel there was an urgency in changing brushes. I had been brushing my hair for the past 10 years with a plastic one from Zellers and even though I shed a lot of hair each time, I never suspected my brush to be the major culprit.

My old brush

During my summer holidays at home, however, I noticed my hair shed a lot less. I have no idea why. This is even weirder since I also have a cheap plastic brush at home, yet there was considerably less hair fall and less hair on the brush. I came to realize my brush from Zellers may have been the reason for some severe hair shedding and breakage, or at least, may have worsened it. So I made the move and bought a TEK brush on Calia here—RIP bank account. I was originally going for the paddle brush but finally went with the oval one since Calia didn't carry the paddle brush with regular pins. Looking back, I don't regret it as the oval brush is just the right size for my head and my hair thickness.

Benefits of the brush

I find the benefits listed are not that unique from other brushes, but they probably offer more than what my plastic brush did. The "antistatic" characteristic got me pretty excited and I'm eager to see if it truly works since I always look like I just touched a plasma ball during fall and winter.

I've been using the brush for about two weeks now, and it's okay. I still shed a lot of hair with it—I'd say the same amount as before I got it. I also remarked that my hair texture feels different after being brushed, like silkier, but that sometimes makes it more prone to tangling. I'm a bit confused.
All in all, the brush is not bad nor does it do a significantly better job than my old brush. However, two weeks may be too premature to come to a conclusion. Maybe the effects will be more noticeable long-term. Anyway, here's a pic of my hand holding the brush to give you a glimpse of its size (the dimensions are also given on the brush's page):

And finally, posting here an update of my hair length as of August 9th, so a little more than a month ago:

(My apologies for the dirty shoes...)

I was quite satisfied with how much had grown since my last hair update on my blog—until I saw the last picture I had posted and didn't feel there was that much of a difference... anyway. I guess measuring my hair would give me a more precise indicator of how much it grew, but frankly, I try to not scrupulously keep track of it, or else I'm gonna become obsessed. Right now, I'd say it's not mid-thigh yet, but it's a bit past classic. It's been tempting to cut the ends as they've begun to turn fairytale, but I've been resisting...

Thrift haul (& online shopping rant)

(Rant alert 🔔 for the first two paragraphs)
There are a lot of nice vintage clothes for sale on Etsy, but damn, it is expensive. I've seen a lot of skirts labelled "vintage" being sold 40$+ CAD. Most blouses are also 30$+ CAD. I didn't know vintage fashion online was that pricey. Some skirts are even stained or damaged (which is understandable because vintage is secondhand), but the seller still prices them very high. Is it normal or are most vintage items on Etsy overpriced? Add to that the shipping fees. This explains why I haven't bought anything (yet?) from the website. I concede I bought some expensive secondhand Liz Lisa pieces on Fril and Mercari, so maybe I'm being biased cuz the clothes on Etsy are not jfashion...

As for shopping in person, I'm pretty sure Montreal is home to cool thrift stores. I've looked them up on the Internet since they are hardly accessible by subway and I didn't want to bother going on multiple buses for nothing. That was a good idea because my research wound up disappointing. Not only the stores don't carry the type of clothes I'm looking for, but the prices are almost as costly. I do plan on going to some Value Village stores near my place, but that's all.

During the first two weeks of August, I took two weeks off from work and spent my summer vacations in my hometown. 🌿 I never believed the city where I had grown was gushing vintage stuff but it seems like it has more potential than I thought. I visited a couple of thrift stores, including the ones from charitable organizations such as The Salvation Army. The thrift stores where I found vintage/retro pieces in my style were actually places like these.

So here is my haul. I also indicated the prices (all in CAD) so you can assess the price contrast between buying vintage online versus in-person. Following this experience, I'm not too keen on buying vintage from online sellers anymore, especially on Etsy (of course, exceptions would be made when it's a really unique piece—free shipping would help too). And note that this thinking doesn't apply to retro pieces sold brand new in online stores.

I'm still away from my apartment, but I decided to take the pictures with my current phone. Although the quality is inferior to my former phone, it's undoubtedly better than what you get with the old Fujifilm camera.

Thrift store #1

Floral pleated skirt — 1$

Granted, this skirt may not be vintage, but I liked it the moment I saw it. The pictures don't really do it justice as the colours are more vibrant in real life (similar to the pic below).
What I liked about this skirt were the flowers in three different colours: violet, forest green and some grey-ish green/yellow. Coords ideas instantly flowed in my head (e.g. white sailor blouse from Fi.n.t with a purple or forest green cardigan and a round buckle belt).

I admit I wouldn't have bought it for 5$+, but for 1 buck this was definitely a steal.

My mom gave me this eggplant purple belt she had in her closet.

It goes perfectly with the skirt. ✨

I also really liked this blouse (0.50$ !!) but it was way too big for me:

I returned to that thrift store one week later, and sadly the blouse was gone...

Thrift store #2

Vintage blouses in red, grey and white — 3 for 5$

N.B. All three blouses were too big on me, so they were altered by my mother to fit me better.

Blouse #1

The colour of this blouse wasn't picked up correctly on my phone, but it's a very deep red. The condition is mint as if the previous owner barely wore it. I had been looking to add more colours into my wardrobe and this red wine piece will look nice with my Mia Mix beige plaid skirt or a navy one. I also liked the hidden button placket with a sole button placed where the collar.

Strangely, I had assumed that this blouse wouldn't be so big on me until I tried it on properly at home. It is actually the loosest among the three blouses; the waist, the sleeves circumference as well as their length were all adjusted. The shoulder seams were also shortened with an elastic on each side. Finally, the sleeve buttons had to be moved so that the sleeves (a bit too long) wouldn't cover my hands. The total length of the blouse is a wee bit long, but I tuck it inside a skirt anyway.

Shoulder seams were tightened with an elastic such as the yellow blouse.

This was also done for blouse #3. I absolutely love this tip.

Blouse #2

I love the colour of this blouse as it's very peculiar, like an icy grey. I plan on pairing it with dark-coloured bottoms.

In terms of size, the blouse is short but wide, so the waist had to be reduced as well as the circumference of the sleeves.

Blouse #3

When I first tried on this blouse, I wasn't fond of it. I don't remember exactly why, but I didn't think it looked great on me. It was actually my mom who talked me into getting it. Well, I'm so happy I listened to her because it is probably my favourite blouse out of the three. It fits extremely well. I can fasten the top button and it still looks really pretty. As for the size, the length is perfect and the waist + sleeves circumference had to be only slightly altered.

Ending this post with a picture of a piece of forest cake from Walmart. I feared it would taste like chemicals, but actually, it tastes AMAZING:

An another angelus FIRST Haul

Isn't it crazy how you can find something ordinary, only to be in awe for it a while later (and vice-versa)?

I discovered Fi.n.t around the same time I got into jfashion (circa fall 2016). I saw the brand on IG and then followed it, but I only had eyes for Liz Lisa. I did like a couple of Fi.n.t's posts, but in general, I found their coords plain and boring and eventually unfollowed them. 💔

Around the beginning of July, I don't remember how exactly, but I came to like Fi.n.t again, even more so than when I had first followed them on IG. I think this has to do with a variety of reasons. The ones I can think of right now are:

• Discovering longer skirts with the Liz Lisa gingham cafe one. Not only they fit me nicer than I thought, but the length is also much more suitable where I work.
• Being more inspired by vintage fashion from the 1960s and before (I always wanted to transition towards this style, but I thought it'd be around my 30s... lol).
• Watching Mad Men and falling in love with the ladies' outfits (esp. Peggy and Betty).

Fi.n.t and An another angelus

Fi.n.t really caters to my interests and needs. The brand is retro (hence makes longer skirts) and is mature, yet still youthful and feminine. 🌼 I love the embroidery work on some tops like this blouse, the below the knee plaid skirts and how you can create colourful outfits by mixing and matching their tops and bottoms. Their coords on IG look amazing. ✨

I've been saying "Fi.n.t" since the beginning while there's also An another angelus (abbreviated An3). From what I understand, the latter is a sister brand of the former. However, it seems like Fi.n.t is the "main" brand (or used to be) because clothes from both brands are exposed on fint-shop, fint-blog, fint official, etc. (An3 still has its own IG and Twitter though.)

That being said, I'm not an expert so I'll refer you to this page and this page if you want to know more about Fi.n.t and An3.

As amazing as their collections are, I noted they are recycling items from past collections (that were slightly or tremendously modified). In some way, I think this is great because if an item was really popular in the last collection, you can buy it in a similar (and maybe better) version the year after. In another way, sometimes the change is so insignificant that it's kind of a bummer to have to pay full price (or wait for weeks 'till it goes on sale) for an almost exact copy of an item from practically last year's collection. Or to see an item from last collection being branded as an item from this seasons' collection. Seems to happen the most to skirts and cardigans.

Example 1 (similar skirts):

SS2018

ハンドペイントギンガムチェックスカート/an another angelus

SS2019

チェックプリントタックスカート/an another angelus

I like these kinds of changes. Both skirts share the same retro check concept, but the belt and the colours are still clearly different. I wouldn't mind owning a skirt from each collection.
This reminds me of Liz Lisa's strawberry OPs in 2016 and 2017.


Example 2 (almost the same skirt):

AW2016

アンティークベルト付きパウダリーフレアースカート/an another angelus

AW2019

レリーフ金具ベルト付きフレアースカート/an another angelus

This belt-skirt design seems a classic with Fi.n.t and An3. I've seen it released in multiple variations (colours + belt style) through the years while foraging for their past releases. Here, the belt barely changed. The colour looks a bit browner in the most recent release, but that's all. I compared the 2016 skirt with the 2019 one, but I'm certain it has been released similarly in 2017 and 2018 also.

Maybe I'm overreacting because LL also does that; I noticed several of their OPs have a repetitive design/style, it's merely the print that changes. I know Ank Rouge also has really similar tops coming back each new arrival. I don't know why the practice struck me with Fi.n.t and seemed to give me a more negative impression of the brand...

Purchases I had planned

Despite wanting to raid the store's summer collection, I kept my composure and tried to make a strict selection. The fact that the embroidery blouse in lavender got sold out "helped" because I didn't buy anything else afterwards. In fact, I had planned to pair the blouse with three other skirts, but when I learnt that it was sold out, I was much less enthusiastic about purchasing the skirts.

Embroidery blouse in lavender

ラベンダー刺繍シャツブラウス/an another angelus

I also intended to buy these sailor tops in white and black but decided I could instead try to DIY them:

Sailor top in black

レーススカーフ衿テレコT/F i.n.t

My actual purchases with DEJAPAN

I bought three items from the brand An3—one from Fi.n.t's official store (on July 10th) and two from Fi.n.t's store on Rakuten (on July 10th and 11th). I ordered through DEJAPAN. I made a dumb (voluntary) mistake and purchased the three items individually without checking the option to consolidate the items. I hadn't checked the int'l shipping fees and thought I was being smart for shipping each item individually and not having to pay 100 JPY for each consolidated item. 🤓 But once the moment came, I found out there was a minimum shipping fee even if your item weighed less than the minimal shipping cost. So instead of paying something like 2 720 JPY for three items (+ 300 JPY for consolidation), I paid 3 x 2 000 JPY lol FML. 💀 But—and knocking on wood—I usually learn pretty well from my mistakes so I shall not make it again.

Also, my apologies for these dark pictures. I forgot my phone at my apartment and resorted to using an old camera to snap these.

Puff sleeve top in ivory コルセットパフスリーブT/an another angelus

Although I was interested in this top, I was a bit skeptic because the price was 50% off (it was one of the few shirts with such a good sale price at the time), the sleeves looked too big and not a lot of people seemed to have bought it despite the good deal. I still bought it because of the price and because I thought it would go extremely well with this skirt I had planned on purchasing:

南フランス柄ベルト付きギャザースカート/an another angelus

I ended up not buying the skirt because of the lavender blouse I didn't get. I had already bought the top when I made that decision, so I was a bit disappointed. Despite this, I figured the top could otherwise look good with a brown skirt or other colours like deep purple, navy, forest green, etc.

When I received the top, my doubts vanished. The quality is really good. 💕 The fabric is a little bit thick and elastic which is a nice difference from the usual polyester fabric that always carries a lot of static.

I feel I can wear this top both tucked in skirts or untucked with pants. Although the description on the website says the top is ivory, it looks more like beige. I expected it though since I had previously seen try-on pictures of it.

Green check retro skirt チェックプリントタックスカート/an another angelus

I immediately loved this skirt when I saw it—it gives such retro vibes. Look at that green check skirt on the right that looks like the one from An3:

source

Close-up of the belt

The skirt has stretch in the back plus a zipper and two hooks on the side

With the puff sleeve top. Really like the fit of both pieces.

The bust area is a little tight, but a snap would easily solve the issue.

Sailor 3/4 sleeve blouse in white マリンタイカラー5分袖ブラウス/an another angelus

I really like 3/4 sleeve tops and sailor collars, so naturally, I wanted this piece. Because it's white, I knew I could pair it with anything.

The sailor knot is made simply by buttoning

I absolutely love this blouse. 💗

I can wear it with a skirt as well as with pants of any colour.

Onto Fi.n.t's AW2019 collection...

Fi.n.t started to release some items from their upcoming collection and nothing is on my radar yet. I feel relieved in some way because it means I won't spend or won't be tempted to too much. Nonetheless, I plan on purchasing a few Fi.n.t and An3 items from past collections, on Fril (preferably) and Mercari. 💸

Liz Lisa & other cute stuff

It's been hot here... 🌋 (it's a volcano.) Not as hot as the first two weeks of July last year, but still. I went downtown this past weekend and the heat was unbearable. 🌞 Plus, too many people.

Back in April, I ordered two Liz Lisa pieces with From Japan. I received them at the beginning of July. A week later, I made two purchases in physical stores (it had been a really long time since I had purchased anything clothes-related—except underwear—from a physical store.)

Liz Lisa lavender gingham sukapan

This sukapan looked really cute in the seller's picture and I love gingham. Also, I had never seen it before. Despite its exorbitant price, I decided to buy it... 💸

Unfortunately, I didn't know that between the time buying it and receiving it, I'd come to prefer wearing longer skirts, below the knee...

The sukapan looks really cute, but I feel it just isn't my style anymore... so I put it up for sale.

I love the embroidery on the hem. It says "Baby's Breath ❤ Bouquet Story".

(I didn't know the sukapan was from this collection.)

Two little snags which infuriate me because I paid a lot for this sukapan

Lodispotto/mille fille closet light pink sweater

I've wanted these sweaters since I saw them released from mille fille closet's 2018 Spring collection. Indeed, all three, because it is also made in white and light blue. But I had to abstain myself because of the price.

I was surprised yet very happy to see the sweater for sale secondhand. It was actually listed by the same seller who I bought the LL sukapan from. Strangely, the sweater was so inexpensive compared to the sukapan and I'd thought it'd be the opposite.

I haven't even tried the sweater yet (blame the hot weather) but I love it already. The sleeves, the frills, the (removable) bow, the hem, everything is so well-made. Also, I haven't found any flaws or defects like on the LL sukapan.

The details on the collar are so beautiful. I had not noticed them on the stock pictures (or I forgot about them cuz the release was one year ago). Thankfully, the collar is removable, so I will be able to wash the sweater without having to worry about damaging it.

Beige plaid skirt and white bow belt

I bought this skirt at Mia Mix. I've been seeing this store for a few years each time I exit Les Cours Mont-Royal to go to the subway. Although I always noticed the lovely outfits displayed on the models at the front of the store, I had never stopped by because I thought the clothes were very cheap (like some stores from China on eBay).

That day I finally couldn't resist and ended up in the store. I didn't dare take any pictures inside but I would have liked to. The store decoration looks really cute. 🌷 I found nice blouses with lace in beige and ivory, the kind I can only find online. Most of the clothes are free size but the seller told me they also carried multiple sizes at the back of the store.

Except for clothes, they also have accessories; the ones I can think of on top of my head are belts and jewelry. They have a lot of cute belts in different designs and colours. A lot of them have bows in the middle. I admit they look quite cheap (it's no Gucci belt) and I guess you could find exact/similar models on eBay for less than half the price. However, you'd probably have to wait 1-2 months for shipping and the chance of seeing these types of belts in other physical stores is pretty slim.

I was surprised to see the store carried vintage-like skirts as I had never seen such designs in physical stores, like Simons or H&M. A beige plaid one and a black x white one caught my eye, but in the end, I decided to go easy for my first visit and only choose to try one of them. I chose the beige one and eventually bought it. I like how I can match the skirt with shirts in different colours: white, ivory, purple, black, navy, red, bordeaux, grey, etc.

The skirt isn't lined and the fabric isn't the best quality. Also, the hem of the skirt slightly rolls up, but when wearing it, you don't really notice it. Nonetheless, these inconveniences don't affect how the skirt looks when worn and the price paid is a good deal IMO (24.99$ CAD). Maybe I could have gotten a cheaper one on eBay, but I really didn't have the patience of skimming through several hundreds of skirts just to save some bucks.

Love the buckle on the belt

The salesperson helped me found a belt as I wanted one to match with the skirt. Since there were a lot of models, finding the best-matching belt took a while, but the seller was really nice and had great taste.

The bow is sticky on the sides (no idea why), but I just don't touch it.

As you can see, the inconvenience of this belt is that it attaches with a hook that risks damaging the skirt by rubbing constantly against it. I'm presently thinking of a way to prevent that from happening, even if it involves replacing the hook by something else*. I'd also like to make the belt tighter since it is a bit loose (and the same goes for the skirt—the waist could definitely be smaller, which surprises me because it is Asian clothing.)

Cute bag

With a white shirt I had bought earlier from Simons.

Sorry, the bow on the belt isn't centered, ugh!

*Edit August 14th 2019: My mom moved the "patch" with the three holes further to make the belt tighter. She also sewed a black piece of fabric behind the white patch so that the hook won't rub against the skirt fabric and damage it. It's perfect now: