What I Wore: February 8-14, 2020

Villain-esque

When I posted this outfit on IG, someone commented “Kylo Ren, but make it fashion”. I was flattered because I like to think I project a “dark side” aesthetic even though I’m as unexceptional as your average middle-aged suburban white woman. Is Kylo Ren a villain? Villain-adjacent? Anti-hero? I don’t really know because I’ve yet to see a single Star Wars movie. It’s not my thing, don’t @ me. All I know is that he wears a lot of black and the actor, Adam Driver, has a face which – much like Timothee Chalamet’s – looks like it belongs in a 17th century painting. Pardon the tangent, but have you ever wondered what some of the people in old school portraits would look like in 21st century real life? Or vice versa? Like, people you see on the street look very modern, for lack of a better word, and I can’t imagine how they’d be rendered by painters 400 or 500 years ago. But sometimes you see a person whose face would totally look at home in a Caravaggio picture, and you can’t help staring at that person for way too long because it’s so startling and fascinating. No? Just me? Ok.

Anyway, this outfit continues my exploration of the dress-over-skirt formula. The only thing I switched up this time was the skirt I chose – a long, tubular piece rather than a frothy tulle one. I dig these proportions too; there is less texture mixing, and greater reliance on angles and silhouette as the focus so you might say it’s all quite minimalist.

Notes: Marie Saint Pierre dress (thrifted, $8.50); Aritzia skirt (thrifted, $13): Greta Constantine x Danier belt (thrifted, $12); handmade necklace; Cole Haan shoes ($20).

Rainbow, Squared

We will get to the double rainbow bit in a moment, but let’s take a minute to appreciate this low-key date night effort. The grey in the sweater pairs nicely with the silvery metallic of the skirt, tying together two fairly disparate pieces. Beyond that, there was definitely an element of “scr*w it, I’m wearing these pieces whether they go or not” in my approach; it’s part of my Bohemian avatar, the wild card.

Anyway, my favourite part of the outfit turned out to be the addition of my favourite rainbow stripe scarf:

Notes: Gap sweater (thrifted, $8); Yerse skirt (thrifted, $6.50); Tory Burch boots (thrifted, $25); Zara scarf (retail, $40); Max & Co coat (thrifted, $32).

90s Classic

I’ve started experimenting a little bit with vintage clothing in recent years thanks to the fashion industry’s ongoing revival of 80s and 90s style. This Armani Collezione blazer was a no-brainer purchase; it fits like it was tailored for me, to the inch, although I assume that the original intent was for a looser fit on a smaller body. The cut definitely reminds me of something Agent Scully would have worn – score! I love that the shoulder line, while very strong, isn’t overwhelmingly quarterback-like. It’s the best kind of “power shoulder”.

I wanted to emphasize the stark elegance of the lines of the blazer, so I kept the rest of the outfit pretty basic. I don’t wear jeans a lot to the office these days, but this outfit was a winner.

Notes: J. Crew shirt (thrifted, $4); Armani Collezione blazer (thrifted, $10); Madewell jeans (consignment, $**); Cole Haan shoes (thrifted, $20).