I loved this outfit so, so much. Others seemed to really love it too, if Instagram is anything to go by. Love all around, you might say. If only sartorial success came so easily every time – because, seriously, this was the easiest outfit to pull together, ever. To be fair, I’ve noticed that my outfits are generally coming together much more easily these days, a fact which I attribute to the increasing (slowly but surely) cohesiveness of my personal style. I also feel like my outfits are simpler than ever — featuring few or no accessories — which used to bore me, but now delights me. Adding a necklace used to be instinctual; now, as often as not, I take it off before I leave the house, or never bother with one in the first place.

Clearly, this outfit was an exception. I couldn’t say no to my favourite necklace, which has been seeing the light of day less frequently than before. It’s still a great piece, and I still wish Banana Republic made stuff like this nowadays instead of the cheapo crap that falls apart in a couple of wears. Yep, I’m still bitter about the last pieces of costume jewelry I bought there. Anyway, this necklace is great and I am actively hunting for a back-up on eBay. In the meantime, I am also pondering this Verena necklace from Anthro (non-affiliate link). Does anyone have thoughts on the quality of Anthro jewelry? Lemme have them in the comments.

I should keep track of all the recurring features on BCRL a lot better but … eh. You know how it goes with your favourite (?) most lazy blogger. Heart’s in the right place, but execution sometimes leaves something to be desired. But, yes, here are a few of my current favourite things. In no particular order …

Numero uno: this top. You’ve seen it before, and it’s still awesome. I’m starting to be a big fan of crepe. It’s not as finicky as silk, care-wise, and it feels nicer (and less sweaty) than plain poly. I love the colour palette, and I had to restrain myself from playing up to it. I chose neutrals, but it’s only a matter of time before I try a slightly wilder combination.

Numero dos: Aritzia pants, y’all. Not the same style as my old ones, mind you, but the same Japanese fabric. The cut is a little less slouchy than my other pair, but not as body-skimming as my BR Sloans. Thrifting anything Aritzia makes me extra happy these days because I’m loving the aesthetic but not the retail prices.

Numero tres: my shooooooes. These Ferragamos are excellent, and I was dying to wear them again so I did even though I’m not entirely sure this combo is a match made in heaven. But we’re talking Purgatory, at a minimum.

Can it be called monochrome if it involves a floral print? I guess that’s a rhetorical question; Imma go ahead and file this under “purple”, which may be more generalization than truth. What’s for sure is this is another Peak Adina outfit. I like the slightly offbeat proportions, and the fact that it’s undeniably feminine without being at all girly. I note, with some concern — she says, tongue firmly in cheek — that it features pants, just like the last outfit I tagged as most representative of my current sartorial aspirations. Since my love-hate relationship with pants is well-documented on this blog, what does that mean?

Best as I can tell, it means that I’m still figuring out how to translate my new interest in unusual and/or architectural silhouettes to dresses and skirt outfits. For example, while I love sheath dresses and pencil skirts, it’s too easy to default to my old trusted outfit formulas when I wear these pieces; those resulting outfits, while certainly figure-flattering and suitable to my lifestyle, don’t excite me all that much anymore.

Here are some dress/skirt details to which I find myself drawn these days: (knife and regular) pleats, paperbag waists, tulip skirts, two-piece dresses (aka dresses that look like separates, with the top part “untucked”, but which are attached — is there a term for this style??). Some of the details can be found on pieces I already own, and I am by no means rushing out to replace everything else. It’s just taking me a while to figure out how to remix my favourite pieces in new ways that let me explore some new sartorial territory. And what could be more fun?

Another thing I want to explore these days is playing with volume and texture, rather than colour combinations and print mixes as in the past. This outfit is a good example of that, too. Who says monochrome has to be boring?