What I Wore: August 2024, part three

Details: Adelyn Rae dress, Barbara Barbieri shoes (both thrifted)

Thoughts: I got this dress last year and have been waiting ever since to wear it. This summer did not provide me many opportunities — life having unfolded in a pretty casual manner — so I was running out of time and decided to stop waiting for an extra fancy event to materialize in my calendar. So I ended up wearing this to my MIL’s birthday dinner, and it was perfect. I think the cutouts made me feel like the dress was fancier than it actually is; in reality, it’s totally wearable for daytime and other non-wedding events. Very much an “outfit in one” which is not my usual MO — I like being able to layer and mix and match things — but it’s not a bad thing to have a few easy standbys like this one in one’s closet.

Details: Emmy Deveaux bodysuit, Ralph Lauren skirt, Only & Sons jacket, cowboy boots, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: This kind of outfit is more my speed: three pieces, plus accessories. The jacket will be very familiar to y’all by now (are you sick of it, #sorrynotsorry) but the eagle-eyed will spot something new. Yes, I got another Ralph Lauren skirt. Hear me out. I present you my defence. Exhibit A: I have been looking for a black floral, maxi skirt in floaty chiffon for ages. My specific inspiration was the RL F/W 2010 runway collection. This skirt hits all the right marks, save for the hem; I was not specifically looking for a handkerchief hem — and, indeed, it’s not a style I prefer — but this one is acceptable. The layers of the skirt (there are 3) overlap each other slightly, which minimizes the jaggedness of the hem. Exhibit B: this is purple label Ralph Lauren Collection, made in the US, aka the Good Stuff. And I paid $30 for it on Poshmark. Score! Exhibit C: it gets better. Inside, I found a union tag! Based on that, the skirt is mostly likely late 90s to very early 00s. Exhibit D: it’s silk. All of it. Exhibit E: this outfit is hella cute. I rest my case.

Details: Bozzolo tee (retail), Beechers Brook dress, CoH jeans, Aldo shoes (all thrifted), Coach bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: Speaking of the 90s, this sheer floral maxi shirt dress gave me such nostalgic flashbacks — I had to get it. (Thrifted, obvi.) And I did a very 90s thing, and decided to wear it over a pair of jeans. With a white baby tee. And chunky platforms. Loved it. LOVED. IT.

Details: Marimekko x Uniqlo top, Lucy & Yak jacket, Everlane pants, Coach bag, Stuart Weitzman shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I love Lucy & Yak, so I couldn’t resist thrifting this chore coat even though the pattern leans towards “clown chic” in a way that doesn’t align as well with 2024 Adina as it would have with, say, 2020 Adina. But it’s so fun! And sometimes, I still enjoy being nonserious with my outfits. It made sense to pair this bold pattern with another one, courtesy of Marimekko, and then draw out the bold colour palette by throwing my green Coach bag into the mix.

Details: Bozzolo tee (retail), LNA dress, NBA jacket (both thrifted), Maguire shoes (retail)

Thoughts: This is a little more streetwear than I normally lean, but the outfit was mostly just an excuse to wear my fab new shoes. I think you can now start to appreciate what I mean when I tell you that cropped tees (mostly of the white, cream, and black variety) have been my wardrobe MVPs this summer. They are not the pieces you notice in my outfits, but they’re the glue holding most of them together — across most of my aesthetic spectrum.

Details: Ricki’s skirt (retail), Lee x H&M top, Mannequin vest, Esprit belt, Old Navy shoes, Stella & Max bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Another one of my fave pieces this summer has been this white skirt. I don’t buy many things at retail, and I am very pleased with myself each time that I buy something which ends up being a wardrobe hero. That’s always the goal when buying retail: pick something that you’ll keep and love for as long as possible. Not all my choices are perfect, but this one was. And I feel like there is good mojo flowing in my direction, because I haven’t spilled anything on this skirt. Yet. Did I just jinx myself? Damn.

Details: Toni T dickie, Nautica sweatshirt, Twik pants, Fossil belt, Ferragamo shoes, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: When the weather dips, time for a little fall preview, baby! I’m really feeling this vibe — preppy sweatshirts instead of sweaters, paired with collared shirts. And corduroy. I’m so ready to have corduroy back in my life. Not quite as ready to say goodbye to summer just yet. But there are things to look forward to, that’s for sure.