Details: Mexx shirt (Poshmark), Uniqlo sweater, Ralph Lauren skirt, Anne Klein belt (all thrifted)
Thoughts: What happened here was, I loved the skirt/shirt combo, but I also liked how the green looked with it, but couldn’t decide whether to wear it or not, so I split the difference. Maybe it’s because I’ve been finally listening to the Articles of Interest exploration of Ivy style, and the whole preppy thing has been on my mind more than usual. I never thought I’d be the kind of person who wears a sweater over her shoulders, but here we are. It does have possibilities as a styling trick, I have to say. LOL!
Details: Bonnie Strauss dress, Banana Republic sweater & necklace (all thrifted), Ralph Lauren belt, Lena Bernard necklace (both Poshmark)
Thoughts: I love the richness of the chocolate brown velvet and wanted to pair it with something that complemented it. This plum-ish purple was perfect, as was turquoise as an accent. I used one of my fave styling tricks, of “tucking” a sweater into a wide belt over a dress to create the appearance of separates. This is a simple outfit formula, elevated by a fantastic colour palette.
Details: Tommy Hilfiger shirt, Mexx vest, Ports International blazer, Esprit belt, CoH jeans (all thrifted)
Thoughts: Another much-used formula, and I decided to create visual interest with a bit of subtle pattern mixing. Florals (shirt) and stripes (vest) are always a good combo. And I am loving brown as my default “neutral” these days; a big change for me, as I used to be a “black all the way” girlie. Brown is softer and suits my current aesthetic better, I think — it doesn’t call for as much contrast as my previous ones.
Details: no name turtleneck, Ralph Lauren sweater, Issey Miyake skirt (all thrifted), vintage belt (Poshmark)
Thoughts: Back on the Ralph train with another big skirt/big belt moment. Instead of a jacket, I stuck with a statement sweater, layered over a contrast (thin) turtleneck for an extra pop of colour. I could have (should have?) gone with a more subdued black belt, but I picked this white one because I thought it would be fun to extend the stripe pattern. Sometimes, you have to take a little risk and see what happens.
Details: Joe Fresh shirt, Eaton vest, Cartonnier pants, Escada blazer (all thrifted), Steve Madden shoes (retail)
Thoughts: Doing the villain colours again, this time with plum purple (my usual) and a bright kelly green (not my usual). I was inspired to try this because I thrifted, in quick succession, this older Joe Fresh shirt and this even older Eaton vest; the greens in each piece match, and the vest also has purple in its pattern so … idea born. This preppy take on my villain colours was an interesting departure for me; the combo didn’t feel badass per se, but did feel jaunty and fun.
Details: vintage sweater, Ralph Lauren skirt, Oak & Fort coat (all thrifted)
Thoughts: After an unseasonably warm winter, it was a struggle to adjust to a cold snap — including when it came to dressing. I had to pull out the closest thing I have to a winter coat, which is getting a bit tired after several years; I have been putting off replacing it because (a) finding a heavy-duty coat that is versatile and at least a little stylish is hard, and (b) the weather didn’t make it a priority this year. I guess this is a sign to start looking. Anyway, to make up for the coat, I had to come up with a fun but still extra-warm outfit. Stripes on stripes (and many layers) it is!