October just flew by, didn’t it? We have been lucky to get a taste of real fall for a change – cool but mostly dry, and best of all, no more snow. Somehow, I can’t really account for this month; I was busy, but I don’t feel like I have much to show for it. I keep wanting to stop and take a moment to enjoy this season, but the days just keep slipping through my fingers. It’s nice when the weekends seem to come so quickly (though they also go just as fast) but there is a part of me that worries about all the time flying away from me. Is it just a sign that I’m getting older.
Hmm, maybe let’s leave that as a rhetorical question.
As promised, this month’s outfits make a nice little collection:
A lot of muted colours, admittedly, but it’s what feels comfortable these days. With that said, I know that the pendulum can – and probably will – swing again as I (hopefully) continue to grow and evolve. The biggest lesson I’ve been learning these last few years is that nothing is static. Nothing should be static. Life is dynamic; it’s a constant state of change. So I’m trying to be smart about how I edit my wardrobe to suit my current needs in a way that won’t leave future Adina completely bereft of options. Who are we kidding? I’m never not going to have things to wear. Unless the thrift shops close down …
For fun, I did a composite of the past 4 months (starting from the top row, July, August, September, and October respectively).
I see more cohesiveness developing, and certain silhouettes emerging as new favourites. Nothing remarkably out of the ordinary, but at the same time, a marked departure from, say, 2016. To wit:
Way different, right? And I know … most people prefer the old stuff. Which is cool. All fine and good. It is a little weird when they make a point of informing me of that fact but OK, thanks, Janet. I don’t know what to do with that information which is one of those aspects of blogging I’ve never really figured out.
I will leave you with this public service announcement: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is currently streaming on Netflix, and it is delightful. If you are looking for some visual “comfort food”, I highly recommend you check it out.
This scene, by the way, is the precise moment at which I realized that my dream man is a sensitive, literature-loving pig farmer with a penchant for strategically ripped fisherman’s sweaters. Better late than never.
I started following the 2016 Adina because I loved that look, but I absolutely am a fan of your current style too, and find myself choosing similar shapes lately as well. I suppose it has to do with the evolution of my career (similar to you), in that I no longer would even fit in around my current office in a structured blazer and shift dress like I used to in my former workplace, but nonetheless, I’m here for the new stuff!
Thanks! I do appreciate people who stick around even if they’re not getting what they used to get from this blog – I.e. outfit inspiration. I hope I didn’t come across as snarky in my comments because it wasn’t my intent. It’s just weird to have people tell you they liked your old style better because I don’t know what they expect me to do with that information. If they’re just making conversation then I guess that’s ok.
I love seeing collections of what you’ve worn, both recently and flashbacks to other years, because your style evolution is so interesting. As a reader it’s sort of a physical representation of the changes that I’ve noticed happening within myself and my friend group as we navigate through our 30s—less concern for what others think, a deeper understanding of self, etc. Whether or not your current (or past, or future) style is my exact preference is almost immaterial because I get a lot more out of your blog than just outfit ideas. It’s nice to see a woman coming into her own, so to speak.
That said, I love your new style, and you were the push I needed to start wearing more loafers instead of heels all the time. I would see yours and think, “that look is cute as hell!”
Hey, I’ll take credit – loafers are dope as hell. I’m starting to have joint pain in my feet (not all the time but it’s probably the onset of arthritis or something) so I’ve been gravitating more and more towards flats and low heels. I wish I could find more cute ones at the thrifts – but, of course, all I see are cute heels, lol!
I actually like your current aesthetic more, for what it’s worth. Also, Dawsey is probably the most attractive pig farmer to ever exist. 😉
There is no probably about it 😜
Oddly, I follow you despite the fact that none of your iterations are my style. It’s still interesting to hear how someone else makes decisions.
I feel that way about Refinery’s Money Diaries.
I’ve loved seeing your style evolution. “A woman coming into her own” , as a previous commenter said, is a great way to describe it. Two of your your blog posts in particular have really inspired me: dressing for your face (not your body), and having style avatars/characters. I hope that I’m finally coming into my own, too!
I like to think that as well, though I also think the process of becoming never really ends. I am certainly more confident now, and that matters a lot. May we all continue to grow – in style, in strength, in confidence, in your own voices.
2016 = Gorgeous, fun outfits to appreciate on you, but an aesthetic that past experiments have proven to just not work on me.
2018 = Simple elegance. We are about the same age and I’ve definitely shifted towards more neutral, less structured and occasionally quite masculine looks in the last year.
Either way, keep inspiring the world!
Thank you!
Been following you since we crossed paths on GOMI way back when….
Somehow there’s a 1920’s influence I see in you lately and I love it! Maybe it’s the hair, but either way, it suits you!
I can see that! It’s the longer length of dresses and skirts, and the de-emphasis on the waist (in some cases). And the bob as well, of course. Hey, I can cos-play as Phryne Fisher finally 😉
I’ve been following you for years. As a person working in a start-up company in a hot country (i.e. jeans and t-shirt all day, every day) – your outfits are and always have been very different from my day-to-day and yet I love seeing what you wear and how it’s evolved.
Thank you, and thanks for reading!