Dress, Anthropologie (via eBay); jacket, Anthropologie (thrifted); shoes, Stuart Weitzman; bag, Gucci
Dress, Anthropologie (via eBay); jacket, Anthropologie (thrifted); shoes, Stuart Weitzman; bag, Gucci

Is gold, floral brocade minimalist? Well, it’s all relative. In this case, I made a conscious effort to keep things very neutral to compensate for the eye-catching bottom half of this Moulinette Souers dress, and I think the result is understated chic. Is it presumptuous to declare myself chic? Probably. At any rate, I loved wearing this outfit.

minimalism & florals don't mix?
minimalism & florals don’t mix?
it's all relative
it’s all relative

This cropped Tabitha blazer was a recent thrift find, and I have a feeling it’s going to be a keeper. It’s hard to find cropped blazers that don’t look twee or “junior department”-esque, but I think this one manages to pass the test. Which is a good thing, because cropped blazers looked great with sheath dresses as well as high waisted skirts. This greige-y colour is versatile too, so I’ve got lots of remixing ideas. Stay tuned!

On an unrelated note, this month’s book club post (coming up this Friday) is an Ask Me Anything edition so don’t forget to send me your questions, or leave them in the comments.

cropped lengths
cropped lengths
florals 4evah!
florals 4evah!

11 Comments on Minimalism & Florals

    • Thanks! I was hesitant at first, but I’m glad I tried it on — a good lesson to remember, especially in thrift stores. Things can surprise you!

  1. I love this Adina as a summer outfit but just by adding tights you could wear this again in winter. Very versatile for a gold brocade number 🙂

    I remember this dress, was tempted by it myself many times but I felt it was one I needed to try on in real life rather than order online and have sent to me, it costs £5 to ship in the UK and you pay for returns as well. With Boden shipping and returns are free so I always begrudge paying!

    • I haven’t thought about wearing with tights (I’m assuming you mean the opaque kind) but it’s definitely an idea — will have to try it!

      I feel the same about shipping, but it’s inescapable here in Canada. The only major brands that offer free shipping are BR/Old Navy/Gap, and that is only if you spend over $50. Maybe Nordstrom? I can’t remember, but I do know that Nordstrom returns are free. Oh, and I also think I recently got free shipping on a Zara order, because I chose the pick-up in store option. Anyway, it’s rare and it bugs me so much.

      Anyway … this dress. Definitely need to try it because the fit is a bit weird. Tighter in the hips than the chest but overall quite large. I believe this is a 6, and I’m swimming in the top (the hips are comfortable/slightly loose). I could have easily gone down to a 4 with room to spare in the top. I find Moulinette Soeurs sizing really inconsistent. I thrifted another similar dress recently, and the size 4 is snug on my hips but not the waist. I think the brand is generally cut for column figures with large chests, LOL!

  2. i am such a fan of your outfits lately! i really feel like you’ve hit a sweet spot – last year you veered toward minimalism for a minute, and while you still looked great, i missed your florals and ruffles! i feel like lately you’re really just doing a grown up version of your signature style. the fact that almost everything you wear is thrifted is even more impressive!

    • Thanks! I definitely feel that way too — finally hitting my stride. I hope I won’t look back in 5 years and cringe, though (the way I do now with the archives here, sigh).

  3. Such a cute outfit! The dress looks like a blouse and skirt ensemble.

    For your Q&A, I was wondering
    – How tall are you and what size do you wear? Do you find clothes that fit off the rack easily from thrift stores or do you get items altered often? I’m petite and skinny (in a scrawny kind of way), so I find it hard to find things sometimes, but with thrifting, I’m not as picky about sizing as I would be when retail shopping because of the deal I feel like I’m getting. I then end up with things that don’t always fit that well.

    – What are your tips for cleaning your thrifted items, such as dryclean only items and shoes?

    – Can we see a closet pic one day? Would love to see how you store all of your thrifted finds!

  4. I love that blazer! So much so, that I immediately searched for it on eBay, and I think I found it! We’ll see when it arrives… 🙂

  5. This is a very chic outfit – for some reason I think you look very French. Love the length of blazer with the dress/skirt. Longer blazers don’t always work with skirts, so I think you’ll get a lot of mileage out of this blazer – I look forward to seeing all the ways you wear it!