What I Wore: October 5-12, 2019

Street Style

Not gonna lie: this is 100% outside my style comfort zone. I mean, I am comfortable with maxi skirts and leather jackets, but this particular combo is not really in my wheelhouse. I feel it’s what the young kids might call “street style”? I don’t even know. But I do know these marble-print Docs are amazing and deserve more wears that I have been able to give them so far. I thought they would be a cool pairing with the sporty vibe of this Phillip Lim skirt, which was one part of my most amazing thrift haul ever. [More on that later.] I like how it all came together, but I’m still not sure it’s “me”. Oh well, sometimes experimenting is the main point.

Notes: Line sweater (thrifted, $8.50), Mackage jacket (thrifted, $50); Phillip Lim skirt (thrifted, $7); Doc Marten boots (swap, free).

Walk On The Wild Side

I don’t usually buy H&M pieces, even secondhand (their aesthetic doesn’t appeal as much as, say, Zara) but I had to make an exception for this animal print jacquard coat. It’s utterly ridiculous, and utterly fabulous at the same time. I could picture Tilda Swinton wearing the luxe version of it, and decided I needed to have this regular-person version in my closet. I paid $40 for it at the Wardrobe Exchange event which is a LOT for me as a thrifter, but also not really in the bigger scheme of things. I love the swampy green colour the most; truly, if it had been a regular black/tan animal print, I would not have given it a second glance. I also love the shape of it – masculine and slightly boxy – which is hard to capture in photos; you have a hint of it in the righthand photo.

I would love to say that I went all out and paired this coat with some fantastically over-the-top outfit – hello, Bohemian! – but I wanted to wear it to work so … plain black it was. For now.

Notes: H&M coat (secondhand, $40); Theory top (thrifted, $5); Aritzia pants (thrifted, $8); Rafael necklace (eBay, $160); Cole Haan shoes (thrifted, $20).

The Best Outfit

Does this qualify as burying the lede? Because this is one of my favourite outfits ever, and by that reason alone, maybe I should have put it first. However, we can also look at it as your reward for reading this far into the post. Ta da! This represents the pinnacle – for the time being, if I am gonna be optimistic – of my thrifting career. I found a Rick Owens leather vest, friends. After years of searching and hoping and searching and hoping, it finally happened. It was a personal style victory, because RO is one of my most favourite designers, and a thrifting victory, because this stuff is EXPENSIVE AND ALSO WHO THE HECK JUST GIVES IT AWAY?! Ahem. I am very very grateful to that person. Thanks to them, I got to wear head to toe (almost) Rick Owens and I felt like a million bucks.

Notes: Line sweater dress (thrifted, $17); Rick Owens tunic (secondhand, $133); Rick Owens vest (thrifted, $9!!!!); Stuart Weitzman boots (thrifted, $20).

The Artist

I don’t know what it is – the proportions and lines, the arty necklace, the colour palette – but this whole look strikes me as very artistic. I have been struggling a bit to come up with toppers to wear with this amazing Maria Cornejo dress, because the deep dark green colour doesn’t shine next to black. I like the green-on-green happening here, but I think I will need to branch out to some more exciting colour combos next. Maybe lilac?

Notes: Zero + Maria Cornejo dress (thrifted, $19); Elsamanda sweater (thrifted, $8); necklace (thrifted, $5??); Tory Burch boots (thrifted, $20).

Return of Hygge

Last but not least, this is a pretty simply outfit that ended up being a real winner. I love the look of these over-the-knee suede boots (even though I wish there were flats, not heels) but they have a short shelf-life here in Edmonton. I pulled them out for a dinner date to celebrate my husband’s birthday and, sure enough, it started raining that night and the temps dipped below zero. Sigh. But while it lasted, it was fun. This Pringle of Scotland dress has come to be my go-to when I want to show off some leg; the volume and loose fit balances out the high hemline. Also, the geometric print is aces. For warmth, I added a chunky Line sweater (also part of my epic haul) and a knit beanie (not picture). It’s what ya gotta do when you’ve been working from home and haven’t washed your hair, and your husband says “why don’t we run out for dinner”. Hashtag: real life glamour.

Notes: Line sweater (thrifted, $6); Pringle of Scotland dress (thrifted, $8.50); Paco Gil boots (thrifted, $??); YSL bag (eBay, $500).