What I Wore: November 12-17, 2018

Midi Love

I am obsessed with midi (and maxi) skirts and dresses right now, can you tell? This is the 3rd or 4th such skirt I’ve acquired in the last couple of months, and it’s an interesting piece. It’s 100% silk, but the top layer has a roughhewn feel to it that’s similar to linen, while the underlayer is your typical satiny silk but left with raw hem for an overall casual-luxe feel. Did I mention it has a drawstring waist and not one but TWO sets of pockets (one in front, one in the back, both faith unobtrusive). The bran is Raquel Allegra, an indie (?) designer from California; I found it at Swish, my favourite local secondhand and vintage designer boutique. I love the architectural lines of the two-layered construction, and the casual elegance it projects. The other pieces – Lida Baday blazer, Aritzia turtleneck sweater – have a similar vibe, so this is an outfit that, to me, comes together in a really organic way.

Colourful Friday

This is very much the return of Old Adina. Don’t believe me? Here is a comparison to a 2015 outfit:

This got me thinking about the intersection of fashion, personal style, and trends. To me, having personal style doesn’t necessarily make someone stylish – or, put differently, a style icon a la Jane Birkin, Audrey Hepburn, or Tilda Swinton – or trendy. For what it’s worth, I aspire to be stylish (though I have no illusions in that regard), but I prefer not to be trendy. There are several reasons for that, not least of all the fact that I don’t want to invest – the mental energy or the money – into trying to stay “on trend” at all times. With that said, the 2015 outfit does look dated to me … except it’s dated in the context of my own style evolution, rather than by reference to external trends. It wasn’t a super trendy outfit back in 2015, but it doesn’t look completely out of place in 2018 (at least, not around this part of the world). I don’t think there is any truly “timeless” clothing out there, but having a personal style that let’s ME decide when I’m ready to part with an item is a bonus.

Winter Florals

I keep debating whether to keep this Rachel by Rachel Roy dress or pass it on. The quality is nothing to write home about, and the silhouette isn’t really my jam – too short, not enough drape. The print looks a bit, well, cheap to me. But it photographs so well! Which always makes me question whether it looks better, in person, than I realize. I have taken to calling it my “knockoff Dries” because it fills the hole in my closet for over-the-top, mixed up, bold prints … which, in an ideal world, would be reserved for all the Dries van Noten pieces my heart desires. Alas, we live in a world where by heart has to contend with a non-Dries budget, so I’m holding onto this dress, for the time being. I tried to make it a bit “smarter” with a few polished pieces, like my MaxMara camel coat and a nice Wilfred sweater. I’m not sure if I’m helping my case with these OTK boots, though. I blame that decision on the short hemline.

For fun, here are a few other ways I’ve worn the dress before.

My IG peeps loved seeing the side by side comparison; let me know if you agree and I’ll see about doing them more often.