Starting with a Bang
Visually, this is a very punchy outfit so I thought it only right to start with it. To make sure you’re paying attention, haha! I was influenced by one of my favourite style IG-ers (@stufflucywore) to start lusting after chunky, brightly coloured cardigans. It wasn’t hard: she makes everything she wears so appealing (hello, graphic tees!) and I was already predisposed to like chunky knits. So when I saw this handmade number on a local vintage reseller’s site, I jumped on it without hesitation. It’s so fabulous! And the attention to detail is impressive – the colours are very thoughtfully arranged, and there is method in the visual chaos. I was debating what to wear it with as an inaugural outfit, and this Acne skirt jumped straight to the head of the line. The colour works so well with the cardigan’s palette, and the mix of textures is *chef’s kiss*. I am also quite pleased with my accessories:
A New(ish) Silhouette
I’m sure you’ve heard by now the battle cry of Millenials and younger Gen X-ers whose love of skinny jeans (and side parts?) has been challenged by the younger Tik Tok generation. I am not strongly militant on either side of this debate, though I have been sorta experimenting with a middle part (growing out my bangs is a desperate project all around) and also with some new denim silhouettes. Not because I’m trying to recapture my youth but because … well, it’s fun to switch things up from time to time, isn’t it? Anyway, as it happened, these Gap denim culottes — they’re called a wide leg crop, or something like that, but let’s just call a spade a spade — came across my path at Goodwill recently and I simply had to give them a whirl. They’re inspiring me to try some new outfit proportions and formulas. This one, featuring a long-line vintage Escada cashmere (!) blazer and graphic tee, has a nice vintage vibe to it that I quite like.
Casual Fancy
This Maria Cornejo dress is a glorified bathrobe, but it’s super easy to dress it up. Just add belt. Instant outfit makeover. I can go from the couch to a cocktail party in 30 seconds flat. I don’t *need* to, mind you, but I could.
Navy & Red
I don’t wear a lot of navy, as it’s never been one of my go-to neutrals, but I have to say that it looks quite sharp paired with red. Here, I used the skirt to echo the balloon shape of the blouse sleeves; it’s the kind of little detail that amuses me. But, really, this is a pretty basic, no-brainer kind of outfit so I can’t take much credit for styling chops on this one.
Black & White
I’ll end the post with another one of my faves from last week. I’ve done a lot of B&W outfits in the past, and this is one of the simpler ones but I love it. Instead of using red as an accent, I went with gold. Chunky gold jewelry, to be precise. The focal piece, in my opinion, is this fabulous Oak & Fort blouse; it has strong Simone Rocha vibes, which is my current obsession. I thrifted the same style in black a while back, and eventually hunted this white version Poshmark because I love it so much. The sleeves are just perfection. This is the Large size (my black top is size Small) which means a little extra room in the body, a little extra length, and a little extra drama in the sleeves. It’s just long enough to loosely tuck into this Zara skirt – another recent Poshmark buy. I was drawn to the abstract face print, and I love the cut of it, but the quality is on the lower end for Zara. Ah well.
