What I Wore: December 2024, part two

Details: Amaryllis coat, Ralph Lauren sweater, Do+Be skirt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I don’t wear cobalt blue very often, but when I do, I love it. It’s such a great colour, and it’s an interesting choice to pair with leopard print. I can’t take all the credit for that, I got the inspiration from something I saw on IG. As soon as I found this vintage cotton sweater at the thrift store, I knew it would be a perfect match for the Amaryllis coat I bought years ago. That’s how a thrifted closet works! And here’s a little secret for you: the sweater is actually short sleeved. A merino wool turtleneck makes the outfit weatherproof without affecting the aesthetic (because I knew I wouldn’t be taking off my coat on my outing that day). Most of my winter outfits are sorta like nesting dolls; you never know how many extra pieces are hiding under the surface 😉

Details: Ann Taylor sweater & belt, Frank & Oak blazer (all thrifted), Banana Republic pants (retail)

Thoughts: I’ve been wanting to try a grey/burgundy combo for a while, but hadn’t had the right greys in my closet until I found, first this cashmere turtleneck shell (for sure vintage-ish) and, second, this men’s blazer. The check pattern has thin burgundy lines in it, how apropos for these corduroy pants I got a couple of years ago. It’s a no-frills kind of outfit, but the colour scheme is very pleasing. I am not grey’s biggest fan in general, so I don’t plan to add too much more of it to my closet, but I think these 2 pieces will serve me well and add versatility.

Details: Wilfred sweater (retail, old), Limited cardigan, Elena Wong coat, Everlane pants, ASOS boots, Tignanello bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: This is one of the most unusual and fun coats I’ve ever thrifted, and it remains a joy to wear. I build the entire outfit around the colour scheme of the coat, and it turned out awfully well, if I do say so myself. I am a big fan of cropped pants this time of year, because they’re easy to wear with boots; no need to tuck in pant legs, or drag them on the (wet) ground. I do find they look better with boots that have a small heel, and luckily, I have a couple of options that work when there is snow on the ground — keeping in mind that I don’t do a look of outdoor walking this time of year.

Details: Uniqlo sweater, Villager skirt, Gap blazer, Tod’s shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Another simple outfit, who even am I? I don’t know why, lately, I’ve been gravitating more towards what are, for me, very minimalist looks. Maybe it’s the 90s influence. Anyway, the main thing I want to tell you about here is that this Uniqlo merino wool sweater is amazeballs. I guess it’s technically a cardigan, since it buttons all the way down, but I prefer to think of it as a winter-weight button-up shirt. It has a cute collar and everything! I thought it looked darling with this polka dot skirt, without being too twee.

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt, Eddie Bauer cardigan, Liz Claiborne pants, Fossil belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: This red cardigan with white pants? How could I not immediately go there once I thrifted the former? It’s such a punchy combo. I leaned all the way into the preppy vibe and added a classic striped men’s shirt to the mix. Were the pearls a little too on the nose? Maybe. But I committed!

Details: J. Crew sweater, Liz Claiborne vest, Miss Sixty skirt, Donna Karan belt

Thoughts: Here’s an example of how satisfying it is to build an outfit around layer upon layer of the same shade — with textural contrast in the mix, of course. I put the belt into the picture at the last minute, to kick up the contrast a bit more and help “ground” the outfit.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Blu’s shirt, Ralph Lauren vest, Eddie Bauer belt, Levi’s jeans (all secondhand)

Thoughts: This is a vintage pair of orange tab Levi’s from the early 70s. Can you believe it? The silhouette looks so fresh! More proof that fashion is cyclical. The thrift gods have been blessing me with vintage Levi’s lately, and I’m not complaining. I decided to put this pair into action with a classic Papa Ralph-inspired outfit that incorporates another recent thrift find, the chocolate brown suede shirt. I feel like a suede shirt is very RL-coded, and I had been low key hoping to find one for a while. I paid up a bit to get my hands on this vintage one ($18, side-eyes Goodwill), but I think it’s worth it.