It’s been a while since I’ve done any kind of wardrobe review or planning, but in fairness, there has been a lot of sh*t happening in my personal life lately. That being said, I feel like it’s time to do a serious closet edit — one, because my closet is getting dangerously stuffed and two, because I’m at a bit of a crossroads, lifestyle-wise. For the foreseeable future, I will continue to work from home; perhaps indefinitely. I’ve had 18 months to assess my clothing needs for a WFH lifestyle, and it’s clear that those needs are different than those of my previous office life.

Knowing what I need to do and executing said plan are two different things.

My brain is forever in “but what if” mode. But what if things change? But what if I change my mind? And what it really boils down to is AM I REALLY READY TO PART WITH MY BLAZERS FOREVER???

Ahem, sorry for shouting.

For the most part, my dilemma is about how much of my office-only wardrobe I need or should keep. It’s not a simple question of casual versus business. I am happily keeping things that are not casual at all because I still enjoy dressing up, even when working from home. Especially when working from home. I can take more risks than I normally would. But the way I dress up is different. I don’t find myself reaching for blazers, ever. For layering, my 3rd piece is usually some unstructured topper like a cardigan or robe-like duster. Similarly, I tend to wear pants infrequently and it’s usually jeans when I do (on weekends or when I’m running out of the house). I don’t have a large collection of dress pants, but do I need even that?

There are also some one-of pieces in other categories that pose a similar dilemma. I have a plain black wrap dress that is eminently practical for all kinds of more formal occasions (work and otherwise) but I never reach for it in my day-to-day life because, well, it’s too serious and plain.

At the same time, these are all nice, quality pieces I like a lot. At this point, I don’t own much of anything else because I’ve been editing and upgrading my wardrobe for years. I’ve never been in this position before and I have to say that I feel rather at a loss.

Not to get all philosophical, but I think part of my internal struggle is that this isn’t about clothes, after all. Of course not. It’s about accepting change and moving on to a new chapter of my life. The way each of us do that is different, of course, but I would love to hear your stories if you are willing to share. I’m hoping reading them will help me on my journey too.

The other thing I feel I need to do is sit down and revisit my style avatars. In particular, I need to think about whether they still represent the “me” of now and, if not, who or what does. I still feel a strong affinity for some of my old avatars (the Bohemian, in particular) but I think that the changes that have been happening elsewhere in my life mean that some of them will need to shift or perhaps transform altogether. For example, one archetype/theme that has been really resonating with me lately is The Crone. Anyway, I am still thinking through all of it, but consider this a Note to Self: Do Some Homework. More to come, I’m sure.

Art Show Style, Take One

Last weekend, I participated in my first art show/sale/market with a small group of fellow Edmonton artists and makers. It was a very positive experience and a big step for me because I have struggled a lot with the commercial side of my crafts. For various reasons, I don’t view my craft hobbies as a “side hustle”, but it’s nice to be able to cover some of my material costs from time to time … so I can go and buy more for crafting. You know how it goes. Anyway, I had to put more thought than usual into my outfits for the show/market because I had to consider not only practical issues (comfort being No. 1) but also branding; what better way to advertise than by wearing my own jewelry pieces. So I picked my clothes based on their suitability as backdrops for my jewelry. This Banana Republic jumpsuit was perfect; black velvet is wonderful for display purposes. It was also very comfortable (and easy enough to wrangle on bathroom trips) which was a must. I can’t wait to wear this one again.

Art Show Style, Take Two

Despite all that I wrote above, I also knew that I would have to wear my fave dress; nothing else encapsulates me (and my love of colour) as well. Luckily, it matched wonderfully with this older embroidered necklace that I made last year (or was it 2019? gosh, time flies!) As before, this dress is a compliment-magnet. And! I managed to find a matching bag on Poshmark. I am so happy.

Art Show Style, Take Three

This wasn’t my originally planned outfit for the 3rd day of the show, but it worked out even better than my first pick. A friend gifted me this Kate Hewko tunic, and I instantly fell in love with it. Its fun and slightly edgy/kooky vibe works so well with my jewelry aesthetic. I wore a piece I recently made, and I loved the resulting combination. Also, I can now attest that these Fluevog shoes are comfortable even for 5+ hours of standing around. Win!

Last But Not Least

Back to regular outfitting, erm, programming … had to wear my Topshop polka dot dress again. I love it so much. I can’t wait to explore its layering potential next fall/winter; for now, a mock neck sleeveless top is more than suitable. I love the contrast polka dots and how fun/cheerful they look. I’ve been eyeing some similar Marimekko prints, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. It’s funny how we can sometimes rediscover or fall in love again with certain things; I haven’t worn polka dots in years, but am suddenly obsessed again. I think it’s because I’m drawn to oversized geometric shapes and patterns at the moment – both in my art and my outfits.

New Horizons

I love how this outfit came together. I thrifted the dress (Rachel Roy) and one of the necklaces (Lulu Frost) together, and the colours seemed to scream “wear us together”. Then, at home, I realized that the necklace layered beautifully with my Stella & Dot Pegasus bib so … an outfit was born. I believe the Lulu necklace is called “Horizons” which has a hope-filled vibe to it that I appreciate. Here’s to new horizons!

When In Doubt, Sequins

I like doing black and white outfits, and this one had a small twist you probably could see coming a mile away: sequins. But! White sequins. That’s a little less common, isn’t it? It’s why I was pushed to buy this Do+Be top; that, and the casual style (the cut plus the elasticized striped trim look very “athleisure” to me) sold me on the piece as something a little different from your run of the mill sequin top. I dressed it up here with a skirt, but I think it could work just as well with jeans or joggers.

Summer Casual

I feel like this barely counts as an outfit, though I did make an effort with my jewelry. In my defence, it was a hot day and I had a lot of errands to run (plus a kid’s birthday party to oversee) so I wanted to be comfortable and not too fussy. [I switched to my Birks for the backyard, btw; I’m trying to reunite with my heels, but only in small doses.] My favourite part, of course, is the bag. It’s Liz Claiborne, from the same collection as my rainbow dress. I simply HAD to hunt it down, and I’m glad I did. It’s cheerful and bright and also very roomy. A return to my era of big bags? We shall see …