What I Wore: Holidays 2021

Cool Cool

Can I say how much I love this blue-and-green palette? It’s very cool, and while I have been leaning towards more balanced colour palettes lately, this is … well, cool. The coat is one of my new obsessions. It’s the same brand as my pink wool coat (Amaryllis) and it’s a vibrant cobalt colour of which I can’t get enough. The culottes (Vero Moda) are also new and, while I don’t love the quality, I thrifted them for the colour and the style. Cropped culottes have become my go-to pants. I want them in every colour, and I’m well on my way to getting the rainbow.

Technicolour Dream

Speaking of the rainbow, this duster was a dream come true. One of the IG accounts I follow is a local textile upcycler who takes vintage fabrics, including crochet blankets, and re-fashions them into new pieces. I’ve been wanting a granny square blanket coat for a while, and recently I found the perfect material for it — this vintage blanket:

Prairie Trail Goods made it over into this amazing duster-style coat. I am so in love! It’s cozy and colourful and it sparks so much joy. I’ve been wearing it non-stop around the house during these colder days.

Christmas Shine

This was a very subdued Christmas for my family, but we did follow our long-standing tradition of going to my parents’ house for Christmas Day dinner. Although it was bittersweet (we all missed my mom more than words can say), I did want to make an effort for my dad and the kids. So I threw together a low-key festive outfit: a jewel-collar sweater and a velvet skirt, nothing over-the-top but still a little fancy.

Orange to the Max

I guess I became an orange-lover this year. Orange was one of my least favourite colours, for years, and now it seems to be one of the fastest growing categories in my closet. I blame a lot of that on this Zara skirt; it’s a great skirt, and now I keep buying things that “will look so good with it” because, well, one has to. Like this Marimekko x Uniqlo top. Such a fun pairing between the graphic floral print and the oversized houndstooth.

Layers Upon Layers

I would say ’tis the season for layers but, let’s face it, it’s always layering season in my world. I love changing up the proportions of certain clothes by adding layers. Like a pair of culottes under a short(ish) dress. I love this Tory Burch tunic, but it’s quite a bit shorter than my current preference; adding the pants instantly transforms it. Adding the mesh turtleneck also adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the outfit. I almost prefer the neckline modified in this way than the original. It’s funkier and more unusual.

Tulle Makeover

Speaking of transformations by layer, this old Anthro dress — also too short for me now — got its own by the addition of a tulle skirt over it. I couldn’t put it under because the skirt portion of the dress is too tight for that. But this works even better. My favourite part of the dress was always the top, anyway. I could have it altered into a top by a tailor but this “fix” is much cheaper (aka free) and easier.

A Last Hurrah

Don’t get me wrong, this skirt isn’t going anywhere. But it was a last chance to wear it in 2021, as it’s been quite neglected this year. I’ve been adding a bit more magenta to my closet recently, so it was a good time to bring it out and try a new combination. The turquoise accessories really make this outfit for me; I love the combination of blue and pink.

Hope you all enjoyed a nice holiday break, and here’s to having a pleasant start to the year.