Details: Ralph Lauren sweater, Banana Republic dress, Pelle jacket, Canadienne boots, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Still can’t get over how lucky I was to find this sweater at the thrifts. It makes me so happy! Here, I wore it with a 90s velvet Banana Republic mini dress — a somewhat ‘out of the box’ mash-up that worked smashingly, imo. All the fun with brown!

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Jones NY jacket, Ricki’s skirt, vintage belt (all thrifted), Mia shoes (retail, old)

Thoughts: Speaking of brown, here is another head-to-toe look in a slightly more varied palette. I thrifted this vintage Jones NY jacket because I’m obsessed with tweedy jackets, and this one reminded me of the stuff that Siegfried on All Creatures Great and Small wears. [Siegfried is my current fictional boyfriend, and also kinda-maybe one of my style icons, lol.] The label says Jones New York Country, which must have been a short-lived attempt to copy Papa Ralph. I’ve never seen this sub-brand before, but you guys know that Jones NY is one of my go-to vintage brands. Probably because they were trying to copy RL. Anyway, I belted the jacket here, because it’s a styling ‘trick’ I’ve been wanting to try for a while.

Details: Gap turtleneck, French Connection sweater, Jones NY jacket, BR jeans, Fossil belt, Bata shoes, Coach bag (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Here’s the same jacket, different look. This sweater isn’t something I’d normally gravitate towards, but it spoke to me for some reason. Something about that combination of colours, together with the stripe action — it’s good stuff. The rest of the outfit is pretty basic … but, like, elevated basic. At least, that’s how I’d categorize it in my books.

Details: Tahari shirt, Denim & Supply jacket, Ralph Lauren skirt, Nocona belt, Zara shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: A little Ralph Lauren action, in case you were missing it. I always come back to this, no matter how much I experiment with other things, and it always makes me happy. I dug out this jacket from my archive closet while I was doing a bit of ‘editing’ (slowly starting to prep for my next clothing swap); I’d put it away a while back because it’s a bit too big for me, and I wasn’t wearing it often enough. I still love its colours and pattern, so I decided to try … you guessed … the belt-over-jacket thing again. Can confirm: still works.

Details: Harley Davidson tee, H&M cardigan, Babaton skirt, Dr. Martens shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I loved this outfit so much, you guys. So much, I wore it twice. Yes, I wore the same, exact outfit more than once. That’s very rare for me; I’m a clothes-repeater and an outfit formula-repeater, but not an outfit-repeater as such. When it comes to clothes, I like mixing things up all the time. There are too many possibilities to try, and not enough time as it is — never mind if I just wore the same outfit over and over. But! Some things are too good. So I wore this outfit one evening to go and get my hair cut, and then I wore it again the next day because I felt it needed another, proper outing. Who knows, I may wear it again one of these days. It’s one of those “I want to look cool but not too dressed up and I don’t want to give it any thought at all” kind of outfits.

Details: H&M top (retail, old), Tattered Rose dress, vintage belts x 2, Thierry Raboutin shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I thrifted this dress because it’s giving Edwardian/ whimsigoth vibes, and I’m feeling drawn to that lately. This outfit came about because I ended up trying it on (to see if it fit) over this exact top, which I was already wearing, and decided I liked the effect of the white sleeves and neckline. Next time, though, I think I’ll lean more into the punk side, and pair the dress with some combat boots and leather. Stay tuned.

Guys, I can’t believe we are talking about 2015 … in 2025. Already. How!? No, but, like: HOW?!? 2015 was 6 years ago, and I refuse to believe otherwise. Mind you, I look at my son now, who is just about ready to get his learner’s permit, and then time becomes more or less meaningless. Also, there have been a few times recently when one or another of my kids said “mom, do you remember that time when …” and I had to admit, sheepishly, that, no, I did not. Sigh. I’ve joked about how I’m currently in my Grumpy (Bearded) Old Dad Era when it comes to my fictional crushes (coincidentally while also being married to someone who more or less answers that description) but I am starting to think that I am turning into a grumpy (non-bearded, fingers crossed) old man myself. As my angsty 90s teenager is also alive and kicking and taking up a good chunk of headspace, I guess that makes me a walking, talking ‘odd pair’ buddy comedy. Fun!

ANYway.

2015: it was an okay year. I remember ages 35-37 being a difficult period for me, both at the personal and professional level, and 2015 was the start of that. At work, I began to ramp up and transition into a new, more demanding role — all the while hating private practice more and more. I won’t get into the details of that here, but suffice it to say that it simply wasn’t a good fit for me, and I tried to make it be a fit for much longer than I should have. But, lots of lessons learned and all that. Style-wise, 2015 was the start of my ‘settling’ into my own personal style. Or, to put it differently, the start of my developing a personal point of view. Don’t get too excited; it was a very slow start. Took years to get anywhere. But, looking back on it now, I can see the early stirrings of something recognizably “me”. 2015 was also the year when I began to pivot more towards thrifting, though I was still shopping retail a fair bit, and consignment remained my main secondhand shopping outlet. I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that my style became increasingly more experimental (which is not to say ‘avant-garde’ or anything) as my thrifting increased. Thrifting made it possible for me to experiment with fashion in a sustainable way, and in the process helped me to hone my eye. But that was later on; in 2015, I was still mostly taking my styling cues from J. Crew and Anthro.

Let’s take a look!

As always, I tried to pick 3 outfits that are representative of that era. Two were work outfits, and one (middle) was a casual look. I had to include the outfit on the left because the original post featuring it remains my most popular post of all time (in terms of site traffic and such). I think it even got re-posted on some bigger blog, and for half a nanosecond, I was almost internet famous, LOL! Anyway: those cigarette pants, wow. They were a look. I was OBSSESSED with them at the time. Now, they look so strange to me. Funny how the eye gets used to things — and unused to other things — over time.

Okay, let’s see how I’d wear these outfits now.

Again, I tried to find the closest version of the original in my recent photos folder, and I think this is actually a pretty good comparison. I recently thrifted these pants and they are a much slimmer cut than most of my other pairs — though, obviously, still a far cry from the cigarette pants of old. I like them a lot as an alternative to the wider leg pants I’ve been wearing in recent years. I’m not sure my personal pendulum is ready to swing all the way back to skinny pants, but there’s a tiny bit of pull happening, for sure. Definitely more so when it comes to pants than jeans; I do not miss skinny jeans, AT ALL. As for the rest of the outfit, a sweater is more my current speed than a cardigan — though I have added a few cardigans back into my wardrobe lately. They’re def a different style than the one from 2015, though; shorter/more cropped and chunkier.

The other thing to note is the pant rise and resulting proportions. I have a long torso and short legs, but I don’t think I knew that in 2015. Not that it would have made a lot of difference, because ‘high rise’ was not a thing back then. That’s one trend I am never, ever moving on from. Low rise pants are not kind to folks with long torsos, ok?

Full disclosure: I would probably still wear this 2015 outfit today. Like, it’s not something I’d intentionally put together now, but if I had to go back and re-wear something from that era, this would be an outfit that wouldn’t make me feel uncomfortable in my own skin, you know? But you can also see how the 2025 version is different. While I still love and wear the 2015 dress silhouette, I love a full, voluminous dress these days. Also: colours and layers. One thing I’ve done a full 360 degree turn on, however, is big bags. I used to wear them almost exclusively up until 2020, then switched to small crossbody bags, and now I’ve reintroduced some larger ones again.

This before/after was a little trickier. Since I’ve been rediscovering short skirts again recently, I thought about picking an outfit with a mini skirt to showcase against the 2015 version. However, I only wear mini skirts in casual outfits, and I thought it was important to try to match the vibe of original, which was a work outfit. So, I decided to put aside silhouette and go with something that would be a good example of a skirt outfit I’d wear to the office now. On the plus side, it’s still on theme with the green. I also thought it was neat to contrast these outfits because they are both pretty minimalist — no pattern mixing, bold colour combos, etc. — but in different ways. I do think the 2025 version is a lot more interesting, despite being simpler in some ways (no patterns at all). That’s all down to texture and colour layering, something 2015 Adina hadn’t yet figured out.

Details: Garage turtleneck, Gap vest, Kate Hewko skirt, Chicwish tulle skirt, Danier x Greta Constantine belt (all thrifted), Dr. Martens shoes (Poshmark)

Thoughts: This outfit was an homage to Vivienne Westwood, and amazingly fun to wear. How good is that vintage plaid patchwork Gap vest? And look at that: my Docs are coming in clutch. I’m soooo pumped about spring and summer and all the possibilities that are about to open up once I don’t have to limit myself to wearing boots outdoors. Really gonna lean into that goth/punk princess vibe … along with the whole 90s revival. I think those two things will nicely balance out the Ralph Lauren side of the equation (preppy/academia & prairie/cowboy). It’s all about balance!!

Details: H&M turtleneck & cardigan, vintage dress & belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Thrifted my fave cardigan in a new colour, which means I can try the blush pink/brown combo I’ve been seeing all over my IG feed. Can report that it works! Then again, show me a colour that doesn’t work with brown. I mean, ok, fine: you technically can. Those colours exist. I think. But who cares about them? Anyway, this vintage dress is still sparking all the joy for me. Easy, comfortable, makes me feel like a million bucks. What’s not to love?

Details: Guns ‘n Roses tee, Old Navy cardigan, Chicwish skirt (all thrifted), Dr. Martens shoes (Poshmark)

Thoughts: More goth princess shenanigans. That cardigan? Not the same brand as my black and pink ones, but pretty much the same style. Naturally, I love it. I’ve been wanting to add a bit more yellow to my wardrobe for spring and summer. For my needs, a topper like this is a great option for that. In this outfit, the yellow really pops and takes the whole look to the next level, without being too in-my-face, if you know what I mean. The fact that it’s a bright, crayon-like yellow (rather than a pastel or buttery yellow) works for this particular aesthetic. And even if it’s not the best yellow for my complexion, there’s not so much of it that you’d even notice.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, vintage sweater, Ralph Lauren skirt, Suzy Shier coat, Coach bag (all thrifted), Laredo boots (consignment)

Thoughts: This fun, vintage Hudson’s Bay-lookalike sweater (also made in Canada!) has 4 stripes, and I tried to match them all in my accessories. We have the bag, the hat, the tights … and the red lipstick. We can never forget the red lipstick! Is this too much matchy-matchiness? Is there ever such a thing? My heart says no, I don’t know about yours. Have you heard the news about the Hudson’s Bay Company shutting down? I haven’t really shopped in their stores for years (since I stopped going to malls) but, considering its historical significance in our country, I was sad to hear that the company is going out of business. The timing feels especially poignant given everything else going on right now. Sighhhhh.

Details: Ralph Lauren trench & shirt, H&M cardigan, BR jeans, Bata boots, Coach bag (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Quick, let’s move on to something less depressing. Pink? Lots and lots of pink. That’s a happy colour for me, always. I wanted to try a different way of styling one of my oversized men’s shirts. I usually tuck them in so, this time, I didn’t. Instead of layering a sweater over the shirt, I added a cardigan and only buttoned one of the buttons. I wanted a layer that could “rein” in the volume of the shirt, without completely covering it. And added the trench as I wanted a lighter neutral to pair with the pink, to avoid a high-contrast situation. To me, this feels more spring-like than a black/pink pairing, for example. What do you think?

Details: Ricki’s turtleneck, Liz Claiborne vest, Gap jacket, Ralph Lauren belt (all secondhand), Zara pants (retail)

Thoughts: Alright, I’ll leave you with this (loosely) RL-inspired outfit. I would normally wear jeans and a jacket in a different fabric, but decided to switch up the “polarity” and wear denim on top. This Gap jacket is an interesting piece, because it straddles the line between a traditional jacket and a shirt — so, like, a shacket, except denim. I like it. It has interesting possibilities as a layering piece, in terms of both weight and cut.