What I Wore: 2024 wrap-up

Details: Bonnie Strauss dress, BCBG belt, vintage necklace (all thrifted)

Thoughts: It was a brown Christmas this year, so I wore brown! Actually, I was just looking for an excuse to finally wear this amazing vintage velvet dress I thrifted a while back. It is the softest thing ever! And I love the full skirt — full swish effect. The neckline is a bit challenging, as it requires a strapless bra. It also ended up making the outfit look waaaaay fancier than it felt (or I intended it to be, tbh) … but my family is used to my propensity to dress up so they took it in stride, LOL!

Details: Ralph Lauren turtleneck, Vince dress, Nine West jacket (all thrifted), Coach bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I love this outfit so much — I felt pretty damn cool in it. Putting a cashmere turtleneck over a slip dress feels luxurious and it’s a good way to wear these dresses in the colder seasons. The whole look has some 90s vibes but also feels really modern to me. This jacket is one of my favourite things at the moment. It has that great distressed leather + boxy look that is both classic and trendy right now, and the colour is fantastic too. Plus, it’s nice and cozy. Wins all around!

Details: Lewit sweater (swap), Woolrich vest, Oak & Fort turtleneck (both thrifted), Ralph Lauren skirt, Coach bag (both eBay), Laredo boots (consignment)

Thoughts: I was so excited to snag this vintage Ralph Lauren skirt on eBay and couldn’t wait to wear it. The goal in putting together this outfit was to (a) match the colour palette of that incredible pattern (and add a bit of a print-mixing too), and (b) stay warm. I think I did well on both counts. I am so excited to keep styling this skirt in different ways, through the next few seasons into summer.

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck, Gap jeans (both thrifted), Joie sweater (Poshmark)

Thoughts: Just a chill outfit, but I added that striped turtleneck just to make it a bit more interesting. Sometimes, a small detail like that is enough.

Details: French Connection tank, Lida Baday jacket, Linda Lundstrom pants (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I wore this for a pre-NYE get-together with friends, and it was a good balance of festive and laidback. Yes, there are sequins, but the colour is soft and almost neutral so they’re subtle. And yes, the pants are lamé (which is why they wrinkle as soon as I breathe on them), but they’re also just glorified pyjamas. A soft, unstructured jacket and voilà: a dressy-but-not-too-dressy outfit.

Details: Wilfred sweater (retail), Rick Owens dress, Cartonnier jacket (both thrifted), Mia shoes (retail), Chanel bag (consignment)

Thoughts: I found myself going down a Reddit rabbit hole recently (as one does) and ended up on the a few luxury handbag brand sub-Reddit where I was shocked to see the prices for which current bags are selling. They were always expensive, but now they are in a different league! I’m glad I was able to create a small collection buying secondhand when that was still relatively affordable — it’s one of those things I am glad to be able to pass on to my daughter some day. But it did get me thinking and wondering whether I might start using them again. I put them away years ago because they didn’t seem to fit my lifestyle anymore after I changed jobs — not to mention once I started working from home. I decided to pull one of them out — this lovely vintage Chanel Jumbo XL flap I got at Swish years and years ago — and give it a whirl over the holidays. To be honest, while I enjoyed this outfit, I felt self-conscious about the bag. I felt like I was wearing someone else’s bag, which in a way I was; I was wearing another Adina’s bag. It’s a great bag, by the way — so roomy! Some day, I’m sure my daughter will love it … it’s not only a little piece of fashion history, but also a memento of a time in her mom’s life.