Details: Babaton turtleneck, Supply & Demand tee, Frye belt, unbranded skirt, Levi’s jacket, Ricki’s bag, Laredo boots (all secondhand)
Thoughts: This outfit was so good, my daughter borrowed it afterwards. I am not joking. She wore the exact same thing, minus the accessories. I can hardly blame her, because it’s one of my fave recent outfits. I just can’t get enough of this slate blue paired with grey and black. Obsessed is an understatement. We are also obsessed with this Levi’s jacket. I was originally on the fence about spending $25 on it at the thrifts, but it has paid off over and over again.
Details: Tahari shirt, Pitlochry sweater, Ralph Lauren jacket, BDG jeans, Land’s End bag (all secondhand)
Thoughts: I love the 70s academia vibes here — and, of course, the colour palette. You may remember how long I spent looking for the perfect pair of palazzo-style jeans before I finally found this one; it was worth it. BDG is actually a brand I always keep an eye out for at the thrifts, not because the quality is phenomenal necessarily, but because they’re a youth-oriented brand which means that they tend to offer a wider selection of trendy pants, especially jeans. Some of them are terrible, but I’ve found a few gems — styles that I wasn’t able to find from other brands. And have you noticed the bag? I saw a blue suede bag in someone’s Reel a few months ago and instantly fell in love. It’s a more saturated version of my slate blue. (See how I just assumed ownership of that colour? Hah!) Anyway, the bag I originally saw was Michael Kors and the only listing of the same style I was able to find on Poshmark expired before I pulled the trigger. But then I found this very similar style — in the same shade of blue — from, of all things, Land’s End. And it was less expensive, score! The downside was having to wait while it sat in some depot during the month-long postal strike in December, but when it finally arrived … it was worth the wait.
Details: Babaton turtleneck, unbranded dress, Wilfred shacket, Ricki’s bag, Laredo boots (all secondhand)
Thoughts: This outfit? Nothing special … just the turtleneck/dress combo I’m utterly obsessed with at the moment. And one of my favourite bags to make up the colour combo I simply can’t stop wearing. No biggie.
Details: Nomi turtleneck, unbranded cardigan, Club Monaco skirt, Brown’s shoes (all thrifted)
Thoughts: I remember when Club Monaco rolled out the collection featuring this iris print. I coveted the dress, but it was pricey (even on sale) and by then I was already a dedicated thrifter with an aversion to paying retail prices. Fast forward about a decade, and here we are: as soon as I spotted this skirt at the thrifts, I knew I had to get it. One, because I adore irises. And two, because of the nostalgia factor. Y’all know I’ve sworn off pencil skirts — BUT — this purchase wasn’t a cheat because it’s short enough not to count as such, in my books anyway. I’m officially classifying it as a mini skirt. A mini skirt, for me, means tights. I recently saw someone talk about what kinds of tights go with what kinds of skirts, and it had to do with the skirt fabric. Basically, they said that if the skirt is silk, you should wear sheer or semi-sheer tights not opaque ones; conversely, if the skirt is a thicker, chunkier material, you should wear opaque tights not sheers. I have no idea if this is some universally known truth — or even categorically true — but it was news to me, and I like the results when applied. So here we are. Make of it what you will.
Details: Babaton turtleneck, Smythe jacket, Mondi skirt, Chicwish skirt, Donna Karan belt (all thrifted)
Thoughts: I know I’ve made fun of beige in the past, and it’s still not my favourite colour by a long shot, but I think it’s possible to make it not-boring. This was an attempt, by moi.
Details: Ralph Lauren shirt & vest, Hudson skirt, Nocona belt (all secondhand)
Thoughts: I was unsure about buying this skirt. I have a LOT of skirts. I need one less than a fish needs a bicycle. But I’m a sucker for this tiered maxi style, and the colour intrigued me. It was $7 at Goodwill so I allowed myself to be swayed — not the best approach, admittedly, but I’m not perfect (at thrifting or life in general). It remains to be seen how much wear it will actually get, because with a closet as large and diverse as mine, it’s a matter of diminishing returns per item; but there is no question that the skirt checks off a lot of important boxes. This outfit is good evidence of that. Also of the power of a men’s white shirt. Ahh, summer: you can’t come soon enough!
Details: Babaton turtleneck, Chaps vest, BDG jeans, vintage belt (all secondhand)
Thoughts: I don’t normally buy Chaps or long vests, but something about the colours of this one appealed to me. Well, I’m pretty sure that “something” is the slate blue/red combo because … do I even need to explain anymore? Anyway, my challenge now is to figure out how to style it in a way that works for me, despite it being outside my wheelhouse. I liked the simplicity of this attempt. Notice how those BDG jeans came in clutch again. Also, shoutout to my cream turtleneck that I practically wear non-stop these days. I’ve abandoned my black turtlenecks and discovered a whole new world of possibilities. This cream one is the most versatile new option — I think of it as the fall/winter equivalent of a white tee.
Details: Tahari shirt, Uniqlo sweater, Coach bag (all thrifted), J. Crew blazer, Zara pants (both retail)
Thoughts: I’ll leave you with this “casual mom” fit featuring a blazer that’s more than a decade old and still continues to elevate every single outfit I throw at it.