Happy Spring, friends! I hope the new season — and it IS a new season even here in frigid Winterfell Edmonton — is treating you well. So far, 2021 has been a dumpster fire year on a personal level, so I am doing everything I can to try to find fun and positivity wherever I can. Since this blog is devoted to fashion, let’s talk about what’s been cheering me up, fashion-wise.
Vintage
I haven’t been interesting in vintage since my teen years, back when I was thrifting out of necessity and all I could find was 70s polyester confections. Nowadays, I thrift for fun, and vintage is getting ever harder to find; at least the kind that I’m interested in, which is to say 80s, 90s and Y2K stuff. Basically, all the things I couldn’t afford to buy at retail the first time around, and which are now having a resurgence in popularity. I *could* buy the 2020s version at retail but … ahh, the vintage is more fun! And, often, better quality even if we are talking about non-designer brands. Specific vintage things that I’m looking for (a non-exclusive list): waistcoats, chunky knits, denim, graphic tees. Speaking of which …
Graphic Tees
The love affair with graphic tees continues. My personal preference is more towards pop art-inspired stuff than, say, band tees but I am an equal opportunity collector if the colours speak to me.
Harness
Record scratch. Wait, what? I hear you. Blame this on Timmy Chalamet (I still think about his jewelled Louis Vuitton harness ALL THE TIME) and Simone Rocha. My ideal version is more “high fashion” than “BDSM”, and while I would love to find a leather version, I am exploring other options like super cropped sequin tank tops (inspired by the recent H&M x Rocha collab). I am excited about all the layering possibilities, especially worn with voluminous dresses or tops (and puffy sleeves – be still, my heart!).
Mixed Prints
I’m back on the maximalism train full time, so of course I am once more obsessed with mixed prints. That means both pieces that feature mixed prints, or pieces with bold prints that I can mix and match myself. My favourite kind of prints are abstract, plaid and geometric prints, along with florals of course. The more colourful, the better. Colorblocked pieces are, in fact, a whole separate category that I am keeping a close eye on.
Coordinating Sets
Trinny Woodall, whom I have recently re-discovered on IG, is a big fan of “co-ords” and seeing her styling efforts has only fanned the flames of my lust for them. What I love about coordinating sets is the versatility; you can wear them separately, of course, and then create a whole different silhouette by wearing them together so they look either like a dress or a jumpsuit. My preference, of course, is for sets featuring fun, bold prints. They are not easy to find at thrift stores (although I think more and more stores are selling them now), but it’s possible to find them on the resale market if you focus on the designer side — often, designers will use the same fabric to make different pieces for a particular collection (top, pants, skirt, etc.) and you can assemble a coordinating set by hunting for pieces individually.
Ok, now tell me: what are you currently obsessed with?