The minute the snow melts, I’m, like, “summer’s coming, b*tches!” Which is, of course, a ridiculous attitude to have as a Canadian living in the most northern city** in the world, but also not what I’m here to talk about. The fact is, May is just around the corner and, somehow, I feel like I’ve missed the boat on getting excited for spring, so all the more reason to start diving into my summer plans.
My summer wardrobe/outfit plans, that is.
And friends, I’m stoked. Over the last 6-9 months, there’s been a kind of quiet overhaul going on in my closet, arising from my reconnection to 90s nostalgia; moving into a new season means that I get to finally wear a lot of pieces and outfits I’ve been dreaming about for a while. I’m calling it a “quiet overhaul” because, on one hand, I don’t feel like anything too drastic has changed in terms of my overall personal aesthetic. Fundamentally, I’m still a Papa Ralph girlie, with a slightly goth heart. On the other hand, there has been a series of small shifts in how my core aesthetic is translating to outfits which, over time, have created a noticeable drift towards the minimalist end of the style spectrum. This is, in large part, due to the influence of 90s fashion.
Anyway, I spent some time recently going over various inspo images I’ve been saving up on my phone, and put together a little mood board for spring/summer 2025. These days, I don’t do a lot of planning ahead for outfits. In years past, I would spend an hour on weekends trying out and putting together outfits for the week ahead, which gave me time to put thought into each one. I never do that anymore; instead, I might pick out an outfit the night before or, more likely, the morning of. [For what it’s worth, I think this is a function of (a) being far more comfortable/familiar with my own style and having less need to experiment to ‘figure it out’, and (b) being so busy with writing that I don’t have time for other hobbies, including clothes/fashion.] Choosing outfits when I’m pressed for time means that I sometimes find myself needing reminders of the outfit ideas I’ve collected, which is why I’ve started taking screenshots of inspo photos I randomly come across, as well as making notes on my phone whenever a particular combination pops into my head. Having these references handy helps me to avoid a situation where I’m staring at my closet blankly, overwhelmed by too many choices.
Speaking of that, I’ve continued to procrastinate on doing a DEEP closet edit, which is about to come back to bite me in the you-know-what, because it’s almost time to do the seasonal closet switch-over. I don’t think my secondary closet (for out of season clothes) can accommodate all the fall/winter stuff that I’ll need to move into it to make room for summer stuff in my primary closet … but that’s still future Adina’s problem for now. However, knowing that I’m sitting on a ticking time bomb of clothes has made me very determined to cut way, waaaaaay back on new (secondhand) clothing purchases. So far, this spring, I’ve stuck to that resolution. It helps that, as I look at my spring/summer mood board, I see nothing that requires me to add new pieces to my closet. Even if the vibes are a little bit different than in previous years, translating them into outfits will require nothing more than wearing my old clothes in (slightly) new ways. Yay!
Here’s what I’m thinking about.
You can see both the Papa Ralph and the 90s influence here. This is how I want to wear pants this summer — laidback prep with maybe a hint of coastal cool mom. Relaxed fit jeans, khakis, and menswear-inspired shorts paired with men’s shirts and blazers. Belts and loafers, minimalist jewelry (not necessarily dainty), hats and scarves.
Consider this my summer 2025 take on the Historian: academichic meets romantic Bohemian. Earthy colours, mixed textures, loose and comfortable fits. Throw a little Annie Hall flair into the mix as well.
This is an updated take on the southwestern/prairie side of Ralph Lauren, with some romantic elements added to the mix. I am very obsessed with the runway look on the left — the mix of a very dreamy, soft, romantic dress with the concho belt. I want to play around with similar juxtapositions. I also want to experiment with more pared down outfit palettes, where one boldly colourful piece is paired with neutrals (white, brown, etc.).
While there is, arguably, a bit of a throughline with the other vibes, this one is an outlier. But the heart wants what it wants, and I guess my heart is still a 90s teen at heart. She loves grunge, and Vivienne Westwood, and vampire boys (that’s a Buffy reference, to be clear). I intend to have some fun with this, now that I don’t need to worry about coats and heavy layers. And I’m thiiiiis close to buying my second pair of Docs, which would be the perfect accessory for all my big, twirly skirts.