In Retrospect: Style Flashback, 2013

Today, we are going back in time to 2013, a year I predominantly growing out the previous year’s ill-considered pixie haircut and being pregnant and, thus, in various degrees of discomfort. I remember struggling a lot to find cute maternity clothes, and making do by buying oversized regular stuff, mostly dresses. This was a time when I was starting to be obsessed with Anthropologie and J. Crew – cute, twee, colourful stuff. Everybody wanted to be Zooey Deschanel back then, ok? Not an aesthetic particularly adaptable to pregnancy, so you can understand why I struggled. But at least my bag game was on point.

Let’s take a look!

Pour one out for these three bags I no longer own. I only regret one of them. Can you guess which one? I sold the black Chanel one so I could buy a different version (which I still have), and the Mulberry Alexa never really did it for me, but the Coach? Ahhhh, she was a beauty and she is missed.

This collage is a pretty good cross-section of my 2013 style, attempting to translate my whimsical pixie dream girl aesthetic to my dichotomous downtown lawyer/suburban mom lifestyle. There were some hits, and many, many misses, I have to say. Proof that an eye for personal style is developed, not bought. And in 2013, I was still at the beginning of that journey. That being said, these outfits were terrible; at worst, they are of their time. Skinny jeans, round-toe ballerina flats, colourful statement necklaces, skinny belts, ‘nude’ shoes – they were inescapable in 2013, and we all thought they were the cat’s pyjamas. Don’t even try to tell me otherwise; I’ve got Tumblr to back me up.

Anyway, here’s the 2024 version:

The overall effect is very different, but a lot of the elements are actually quite similar. Minus the J. Crew bauble necklace, which I don’t propose to revisit any time soon. But look: button up shirt, check. In 2024, we are doing texture and layering. Belt, check; but chunkier and with a fun buckle. (Statement buckle, not statement necklace could be the slogan of 2024, hah!) Pencil skirt, check; but longer, always. Fun fact: I’m actually wearing this Ralph Lauren skirt backwards, because having the slit in front makes it a little edgier. As for the accessories, they’re also not dissimilar. I wouldn’t wear ‘nude’ shoes anymore, but these beige-and-black ones are so fun. You can’t see the bag I’m wearing in the right-hand photo, but it’s a small crossbody Dooney. It has the structure that the Alexa didn’t, but a similar vibe.

Again, I chose a current outfit that incorporates a lot of similar elements, but to different effect. Instead of a striped top, I chose a (cotton) striped sweater; both are J. Crew, and actually from the same era (2013-2014). In both cases, there is a white underlayer, but for different reasons. The 2013 striped top wasn’t maternity and, thus, not long enough to go over my bump; a longer, plain tank covered the gap. In 2024, I am all about the high-waist life, so everything is tucked in – but I’m also all about layers (for the sake of fashion, not exclusively function), and a pop of white collar always works. Jeans, check. Obviously, the silhouette is different and makes a big (visual) impact. Skinny jeans are starting to make a comeback, but I am not ready to go (back) there again. Flats, check; but instead of ballerinas, I’m wearing loafers.

And, last but not least, 2024 has (i) a belt, of course, and (ii) a third, ‘outfit completer’ piece, the trench. The power of the third piece cannot be underestimated. In terms of “styling” an outfit, it makes the biggest impact. One area of my wardrobe that has expanded significantly since 2013 is my coat collection; I have different styles in different fabrics, so I am never short of options for my ‘outfit completer” piece, no matter the season.

The dress-with-blazer formula used to be a big favourite back in my law office days, but these days, I tend to prefer separates. Still, the biggest different between these outfits is (a) the style of blazer, (b) the length of the dress, and (c) the styling of the whole look. These days, if I wear a classic, structured blazer that hits at hip level (as in the left photo), it’s always in a heavier wool or tweed material, and never in suiting wool or ponte. In general, I tend to gravitate towards jackets that are either cropped and boxy, long and lean, or oversized. If I’m wearing a mid-length cut, it’s usually in an unstructured, non-traditional cut, like the photo on the right.

Of course, the difference in hemlines should come as no surprise. I spent altogether too many years wearing just-below-the-knee dresses and skirts, which is probably the worst choice for someone like me, who has short legs and a long torso and would like the world to believe the opposite. These days, it’s the 3 Ms or bust: mini, midi, or maxi. Midi is my current favourite, and specifically mid-calf, like the skirt on the right.

As for styling, the differences are small but important. My focus is on subtle details, like belts or a touch of layering, to add balance, depth and visual interest. I went through an overtly maximalist phase back in 2020-2022, but that chapter is now closed, at least for the time being. While maximalism remains part of my style DNA, it manifests in different ways now: layers, texture, richness of colour and materials, minimal but impactful accessories. The eye has developed … and it continues to develop.