Details: H&M tee & cardigan, YSL River Gauche skirt (all thrifted), Dr. Martens shoes (Poshmark)

Thoughts: This outfit made me very happy. It’s been way too long since the last time I wore this skirt, but it’s one of those pieces that I’ll have forever and will pull out from time to time when the right mood strikes. It will never go out of style, and it will never stop sparking joy. It’s one of my fave thrift finds, from back in the days when finding vintage YSL was still a thing that happened. I really ought to wear it more often, not least because it looks incredible paired with a graphic tee and my Docs. And, remember, this is gonna be my Doc Girl Spring/Summer era 😉

Details: Toni T dickie, Chaps top, Smythe blazer, Fossil belt, Land’s End pants, Miz Mooz shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Taking out my thrifted tan chinos for a test drive to see if they give me the style and fit I want. I think it’s … close. Close enough for now. Paired it with a bright top and, yep, this tan is a good neutral — not too warm, not too cool. And I couldn’t resist adding my new-to-me Smythe blazer for a little colour match + pattern clash action. Inspired by, who else, Papa Ralph. Gotta have a little southwest vibe to balance out the Ivy and goth. Prairie, Ivy, and Goth: my new band name?!

Details: Ralph Lauren sweater & trench, Fossil belt, BR jeans, Coach bag, Bata shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Speaking of RL and neutrals, here I went whole hog on both. Or would that be whole dog? Well, technically not, since it’s just a dog head. Ok, I’ll stop. I promise no alcoholic beverages were consumed in the writing of this post. Caffeine, on the other hand … Now, silliness is not one of its usual side effects, but the world is on fire and I think we all need little bits of silliness now and then. And caffeine. Lots and lots. And thrifting. And repeat.

Details: Uniqlo sweater, Marni shirt, Hudson North skirt, BR belt, Miz Mooz shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: This is basically dopamine dressing, pure and simple. Pulled out this very old Marni top and began riffing an outfit off the colours in the pattern. In the end, decided to go with a bold skirt, and keep the rest of the palette simple. I liked the double collar action a lot. I also love my new (thrifted) Miz Mooz loafer a lot. I had originally bought them for my daughter — who’s been trying to steal my other pair for a while now — but then pulled a bit of a bait and switch and decided to keep them for myself. She’s still mad at me about that … but we have tentatively agreed on a “loan on demand” situation. Negotiating with teenagers, I find, is mostly an exercise in accepting the inevitable.

Details: Uniqlo sweater, Ralph Lauren shirt, BDG jeans, Fossil belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: This, friends, is about to become one of my spring/summer staple outfits. Not this specific outfit, per se, but the formula. Men’s shirt + sweater + jeans. Add loafers, and done. Easy, breezy, Papa Ralph-approved.

My love of vintage Coach bags is well-documented on this blog, but I’m not sure if I ever really talked about its evolutions. So, before we get into the actual topic of today’s post, let’s go back. All the way back … to 2006 or thereabouts. I was a freshly minted baby lawyer. One day, one of my co-workers brought in a new bag she’d just got, and I immediately fell in love with it. It was a canvas-and-leather monogram Coach bag, a style that was very popular in the mid to late 2000s, and it was my gateway to the world of Coach. Also, coincidentally, the world of eBay – where I scoured listings for secondhand Coach bags because, at the time, Edmonton didn’t have its own store.

Fast forward a few years, and I discovered the beauty of 90s leather Coach bags; my personal favourites have always been the turnlock bags. At the time, it was relatively easy to find them for very reasonable prices, because they weren’t considered especially trendy. I ended up getting 3 or 4 of them, in different colours, and wore them a lot circa 2011-2014. After that, I started to get into higher end designer bags and kinda forgot about my Coach bags. Actually, no. It was worse than that. I wish I’d simply forgotten about them because that would have been much better than what I actually did, which was to sell them … probably for peanuts. It’s one of my biggest closet regrets. Fast forward a decade or so; I ditched the large fancy designer bags (but have not sold them! I’ve learned my lesson) and rediscovered the beauty of vintage Coach. Too bad that those same bags that used to cost $50-100 now run $200-500 *cries in terrible past decisions*

Luckily, there was one Coach bag that I never sold; instead, I gave it to my mom, who kept it (though she never really used it). When she passed away, I found it at the back of her closet. It felt like finding a gift, from her to me. That bag became the foundation of my Coach collection 2.0. Over the last couple of years, I’ve been fortunate to have been able to rebuild my collection with very lucky secondhand finds and a couple of swapped/gifted bags. All of the bags I’ve purchased have been in the $100-150 range, which is a relatively bargain these days. As a Canadian, I find Poshmark to be the best bet for reasonably priced Coach, but it does require constant vigilance; good deals come up rarely and get snapped up quickly.

Alright, now that we’ve got all that context out of the way, let’s fast forward and talk about today’s topic: the two most recent additions to my Coach collection 2.0. Each one comes with its own little story, of course.

The Lucky Find

One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is the fact that I have never – in nigh on 15 years of thrifting – ever found a 90s Coach bag at the thrifts. I’ve found vintage-ish Coach bags from the 2000s, and plenty of more contemporary ones, but never one of my beloved turnlock Willises, Courts, Stations, etc. The closest I ever came to that was a re-issue Willis bag from the early 2010s (I think) … which I also, stupidly, sold off. But a thrifter’s hope springs eternal, and I have never stopped looking and hoping that, one day, I’d be blessed to find one of the original 90s leather bags.

Spoiler alert:

My best friend was recently visiting from Montreal and, naturally, we went thrifting. The first store we went to is organized in such a way that the bags are very close to the entrance, so that’s where I started my store “loop”. [Bags are not usually the category where I start at other stores.] And lo – the first thing I spot on the first rack … like, literally the first thing … is this bone-coloured vintage Coach bag. I think I actually screamed a little bit, and not just internally. Not only is it the first vintage Coach I’ve ever thrifted, it’s also a colour that I’d been hoping to add to my collection for a while. And, get this: it was $10. And I had a coupon, so I paid $8. Friends, thrifting does not get better than this. [Well, actually, it might: at the same store, I found 2 brand new Smythe blazers too.]

The moral of the story here is that, if you wait long enough, the thrift gods will eventually deliver. It might just take a while … like, “a decade” kind of a while. But it will feel all the sweeter when you find that holy grail.

The Splurge

As I mentioned, turnlock bags have my heart; there is something about that beautifully simple hardware that I just love. I’ve never paid too much attention to 90s Coach bags that didn’t come with the turnlock … until one day, randomly, I spotted a bag that changed that. What I mean by “randomly” is this: I had just started watching the first season of Jonathan Creek, an old British murder mystery show, after seeing it recommended on Reddit. The first season originally aired in the late 90s, so it’s a smorgasbord of retro fashion, most of it not especially memorable. But there was one thing that Maddie, the female protagonist, wore (repeatedly) that immediately caught my eye. It was a large, black Coach duffle bag. Super low key, no logos, no turnlock; I’m not even sure if it had the usual Coach hang-tag. But if you know, you know. And the more I kept seeing that bag pop up in various episodes, the more I fell in love with it.

So, I decided to add it to my wish list.

By now, it won’t surprise you to hear that these duffle bags are very popular now; and, because of the size, more expensive than some of the other 90s styles. I was resigned to be looking and waiting for a long time.

Spoiler alert:

In the end, it only took a few months. I couldn’t believe my eyes when this beauty popped up on Poshmark for only $250. I know, but believe me: “only” is an appropriate qualifier. Much, much smaller bags are currently listed for that much. I figured, from a quantity-of-leather perspective alone, this was a good deal. I debated with myself, and even made a short-lived offer of $225, but then quickly decided this was not the time to try to save $25. So, I paid the full list price … and I have ZERO regrets. Guys, this is such a stunning and classic design — and it looks even better in real life. I also think this colour will be very versatile for my closet, even more so than black. I’m so, so pumped to start wearing it.

And, who knows, maybe it will inspire me to solve a murder or two. Or, at least, to write about it 😉

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt, Gap vest, vintage skirt, Pedro Mirailles shoes (all thrifted), Rafael Alfandary necklace (eBay)

Thoughts: My bestie was visiting recently from Montreal and we went thrifting (natch!) and she found this amazing vintage patchwork Gap vest for me. I adore it! Bestie knows me so well. I paired it here with a paisley LRL shirt I also found recently, and then decided to do something different from the usual, and add a short skirt. In the past, I’ve stuck to wearing vests with either pants or long skirts, and changing up the proportions/silhouette switches up the vibe. I liked it!

Details: Ralph Lauren turtleneck, Jones NY cardigan, Pendleton coat, H&M jeans, Cotton Ginny belt, Coach bag (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Wore this to go thrifting with my bestie and had the most wonderful time. Let’s pretend you can’t see that bag, because I have a story about it and I think it deserves its own post. The rest of the outfit was built around the coat, of course. I picked colours that would go with those in its pattern, without pulling too much focus. I also wanted pieces that could add variety of texture, hence that chunky cardigan. I love that it’s a “neither here nor there” kind of colour, but somehow a super versatile neutral. Fringe jeans came in clutch again. The vibes were vibin’!

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Ralph Lauren vest, Club Monaco shirt, Gap jeans, Pedro Mirailles shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Another layered outfit inspired by Papa Ralph. I got these almost-vintage (2007) Gap jeans almost entirely for the colour — obsessed with this weathered brown wash — but they also happen to fit great. A bit on the lower waist side of things, but not egregiously so. I think they’re going to be a versatile option this summer. I love that I can pair them with denim shirts without going full Canadian tuxedo.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Chaps vest, Danier skirt, Ralph Lauren belt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Long over long is not an outfit formula I use very often, but I like this belted silhouette. I was inspired to pair the vest and skirt because the colours, together, spoke to me. It’s my fave shade of blue, which happens to look amazing with dark red and brown — plus white/cream as the neutral. I still can’t get over the fact that I found this vintage suede maxi skirt, in impeccable condition, for something like $25 at the thrifts. Even there, it would now probably cost $50, and you’d have to add a zero to that for retail. It’s a forever piece, and I feel so lucky to have it.

Details: Toni T dickie, Uniqlo sweater, Smythe jacket, Twik pants, Ferragamo shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Don’t hate me, but when I was thrifting with my bestie, I found not one but two brand-new Smythe blazers at one store. This is one of them; the other is a similar windowpane pattern, but in red. And each of them cost less than $15. Total “start the car” moment. Did I mention how lucky I feel? Anyway, this outfit came together in two parts. First, the sweater and pants — for obvious reasons. This shade of brown might just be the perfect match for my fave blue. The length of the sweater also works well with the rise of the pants. Second, I decided to add the jacket. Why? It has leather elbow patches that are the exact same brown as the pants. It had to be a sign. Also, I thought it would be interesting to add black as a contrast neutral and see how that might change the visual impact of the outfit. I thought it ended up looking quite sharp.

Details: Ricki’s turtleneck, Everlane sweater, Jones NY jacket, Hudson North skirt, Coach bag (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I’ve worn this jacket with a white/black/blue combo, as well as a white/black/yellow combo. Naturally, it was then time to wear it with blue and yellow together. And that’s how this outfit happened. It was cute. This is def a summer skirt, but I just can’t wait anymore, friends. I need all the joy I can get in my life … and a fun, swishy, summer skirt is one small hit.