I cannot seem to wrap my head around the fact that 2025 is just days away. It’s going to be a year of ponderous milestones that somehow feel unreal; 20-year anniversary of my law school graduation, 30-year anniversary of coming to Canada, 45 years all told. I feel less old than I did a year ago, until I look in the mirror and realize that time does, in fact, flow in only one direction – at least as far as bodies are concerned. But 2025 is still days away, which might as well be another country. Today, let’s look back on the recent past which, though equally inaccessible, has the advantage of being familiar. Quantum physics I don’t know; but outfits, outfits I know. My own outfits, especially. It’s right there in the title, after all.
There are a lot of outfits to squeeze into this eulogy of the year’s sartorial adventures; I’ve been having a lot of fun getting dressed. And a lot of fun thrifting, too. It’s bittersweet, because I am more convinced than ever that we are witnessing the end of thrifting’s Golden Era. We are standing on the deck of the Titanic, listening to the band play, as it were. I’m taking extra good care of my clothes, thinking ahead of the time when I might release them back into the circular economy; by then, good quality clothing will be even harder to find than it is now, and I like to think of my future contributions as a kind of paying forward of my current good (thrifting) fortune. The thrift gods have been kind to me in 2024. And I made the most of it. As I also did of a warm spring, temperate summer, and mild fall. Indeed, I could not have asked for more perfect weather to suit my personal style … which feels extremely odd to say when I think about how rather unusual the weather has been for our climate. Best not to dwell on that, huh.
I can’t seem to stop myself from waxing gloomy, so I think we’d best move on to the outfits. I made some effort to find common threads (no pun intended) among my picks, but I’m presenting them in no particular order because, when it comes down to it, picking favourites is hard.
My favourite silhouettes haven’t changed much this year, and midi skirts continue to be high on my list of most-worn pieces.
This year, I’ve gravitated more towards subtle pattern mixing, but I also enjoyed the occasional bolder mix.
I fully embraced the preppy side of the Ralph Lauren universe, including the whole sweater-tied-over-the-shoulders classic styling trick.
Another thing I embraced this year was brown. Need I say more?
90s minimalism was a trend I did not expect to fall for quite so hard, but nostalgia is a powerful drug. I regret nothing because revisiting the fashion I never got to enjoy as a teenager the first time around has been hella fun.
But maximalism is fun too!
Shoutout to my favourite floral skirt! It wasn’t the only thing I wore this summer, but it was definitely one of the highlights. The summer was probably my most (sartorially) eclectic season, with outfits that ran the aesthetic gamut.
Prairie- and western-core was less in evidence in 2024, but not entirely absent. I have been leaning more towards incorporating elements of it into different styles, taking a page from Papa Ralph who is the master of mixing genres.
Last but not least, special mention to my favourite pants of the year. And, yes, in a surprising twist, they’re white. That wasn’t on my bingo card for 2024.
Details: Amaryllis coat, Ralph Lauren sweater, Do+Be skirt (all thrifted)
Thoughts: I don’t wear cobalt blue very often, but when I do, I love it. It’s such a great colour, and it’s an interesting choice to pair with leopard print. I can’t take all the credit for that, I got the inspiration from something I saw on IG. As soon as I found this vintage cotton sweater at the thrift store, I knew it would be a perfect match for the Amaryllis coat I bought years ago. That’s how a thrifted closet works! And here’s a little secret for you: the sweater is actually short sleeved. A merino wool turtleneck makes the outfit weatherproof without affecting the aesthetic (because I knew I wouldn’t be taking off my coat on my outing that day). Most of my winter outfits are sorta like nesting dolls; you never know how many extra pieces are hiding under the surface 😉
Details: Ann Taylor sweater & belt, Frank & Oak blazer (all thrifted), Banana Republic pants (retail)
Thoughts: I’ve been wanting to try a grey/burgundy combo for a while, but hadn’t had the right greys in my closet until I found, first this cashmere turtleneck shell (for sure vintage-ish) and, second, this men’s blazer. The check pattern has thin burgundy lines in it, how apropos for these corduroy pants I got a couple of years ago. It’s a no-frills kind of outfit, but the colour scheme is very pleasing. I am not grey’s biggest fan in general, so I don’t plan to add too much more of it to my closet, but I think these 2 pieces will serve me well and add versatility.
Details: Wilfred sweater (retail, old), Limited cardigan, Elena Wong coat, Everlane pants, ASOS boots, Tignanello bag (all secondhand)
Thoughts: This is one of the most unusual and fun coats I’ve ever thrifted, and it remains a joy to wear. I build the entire outfit around the colour scheme of the coat, and it turned out awfully well, if I do say so myself. I am a big fan of cropped pants this time of year, because they’re easy to wear with boots; no need to tuck in pant legs, or drag them on the (wet) ground. I do find they look better with boots that have a small heel, and luckily, I have a couple of options that work when there is snow on the ground — keeping in mind that I don’t do a look of outdoor walking this time of year.
Thoughts: Another simple outfit, who even am I? I don’t know why, lately, I’ve been gravitating more towards what are, for me, very minimalist looks. Maybe it’s the 90s influence. Anyway, the main thing I want to tell you about here is that this Uniqlo merino wool sweater is amazeballs. I guess it’s technically a cardigan, since it buttons all the way down, but I prefer to think of it as a winter-weight button-up shirt. It has a cute collar and everything! I thought it looked darling with this polka dot skirt, without being too twee.
Details: Ralph Lauren shirt, Eddie Bauer cardigan, Liz Claiborne pants, Fossil belt (all thrifted)
Thoughts: This red cardigan with white pants? How could I not immediately go there once I thrifted the former? It’s such a punchy combo. I leaned all the way into the preppy vibe and added a classic striped men’s shirt to the mix. Were the pearls a little too on the nose? Maybe. But I committed!
Details: J. Crew sweater, Liz Claiborne vest, Miss Sixty skirt, Donna Karan belt
Thoughts: Here’s an example of how satisfying it is to build an outfit around layer upon layer of the same shade — with textural contrast in the mix, of course. I put the belt into the picture at the last minute, to kick up the contrast a bit more and help “ground” the outfit.
Details: Babaton turtleneck, Blu’s shirt, Ralph Lauren vest, Eddie Bauer belt, Levi’s jeans (all secondhand)
Thoughts: This is a vintage pair of orange tab Levi’s from the early 70s. Can you believe it? The silhouette looks so fresh! More proof that fashion is cyclical. The thrift gods have been blessing me with vintage Levi’s lately, and I’m not complaining. I decided to put this pair into action with a classic Papa Ralph-inspired outfit that incorporates another recent thrift find, the chocolate brown suede shirt. I feel like a suede shirt is very RL-coded, and I had been low key hoping to find one for a while. I paid up a bit to get my hands on this vintage one ($18, side-eyes Goodwill), but I think it’s worth it.
Today, I bring you one of my OG Period Drama BoyfriendsTM: Rufus Sewell. To give you a sense of the chronology here, I’ll have you know that I still have the photo I cut out from the 1998 Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair of a very Byronic-looking Sewell somewhere among my personal effects. He had come to my attention a couple of years before, when I watched the BBC’s Middlemarch series for the first time. I would have been 16 or 17 at the time, and if I didn’t have a type before, I certainly did after. The mid-90s were the heyday of BBC period dramas, and Pride and Prejudice ruled them all but, personally, I had a massive soft spot for Middlemarch, and an even more massive soft spot for Rufus Sewell in Middlemarch. Mr. Darcy, who?
Let’s take a look!
Birthday: October 29 (Scorpio, I mean of course)
Middle Name: Frederik
Posh: no. He studied drama at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London and was set up with an agent by Dame Judi Dench, who directed him in a play there. Not too shabby!
Height: 6’
Favourite period drama: The one that started it all: Middlemarch. I know that Austen adaptations top the list of many people’s period dramas but, for me, Middlemarch is right up there. One of the best ensemble dramas, with a bunch of intertwined plots that are each interesting on their own merit. Of course, I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that Sewell’s Will Ladislaw is one of the key attractions of the series. My main quibble with it, in fact, is that he doesn’t get nearly enough screen time, and his story is wrapped up in a rather rushed manner at the end. It still boggles my mind that, after this role, Sewell ended up getting pigeon-holed by Hollywood as a “baddie” for a long time (see Knights’ Tale, Legend of Zorro, The Holiday, The Illusionist, etc.). Listen, I am not a huge fan of Byronic heroes in general, but Sewell had that whole vibe locked down, and I feel like it was a major missed opportunity to have let that go to waste in the 2000s.
Honourable mention to Victoria, in which Sewell played Lord Melbourne as the ultimate silver fox. It’s rare that I tolerate factual liberties being taken in historical dramas, much less actively enjoy them, but this was one of the exceptions, and I confess that I found myself rather wishing that Vicky and Lord M gave in to all that (totally fictional!) UST, pretty boy Albert be damned. [I actually like Tom Hughes a lot, so that is saying something.] I also found myself wishing for a young Lord Melbourne-focused mini-series, because his actual personal life was messsssy – hello, love triangle with Caroline Lamb and Byron! – and I love mess.
Sexiest period drama role: As fond as I am of Will Ladislaw, for sheer beauty nothing beats Marco in Dangerous Beauty. That whole movie is a visual delight, and Sewell is so, so sexy in it. Again, who looked at this man and thought “yep, this guy has the vibe of someone women will definitely not want to fall into bed with”. I mean, look at that photo and tell me you care about the finer points of his personality. Also, for the record, Sewell does romantic yearning extremely well, so it’s not like he can’t compete in that category. Dangerous Beauty is proof enough, I think.
I have to give a separate shout-out to Cold Comfort Farm, which is an absolute hoot and joy to watch. It’s a movie that knows exactly what Sewell has to offer, and serves it up with tongue firmly in cheek. Seth Starkadder is a brooding hunk who doesn’t have much to offer in the sparkling conversation department but looks extremely fetching with his shirt off. The character is a parody of the Byronic hero trope delivered perfectly.
Austen adaptations: Sadly, none. Speaking of the 90s, I would have loved to see Sewell attempt Mr. Darcy or, as a less obvious choice, Henry Tilney. Alas, that boat has long sailed.
Favourite contemporary role: Zen is one of my fave detective series ever – and certainly the most stylish one – and Aurelio Zen, the Italian police detective struggling to navigate the murky waters of Rome society, is a fantastic character played brilliantly by Sewell. Zen has swagger (and plenty of smarts) but he’s also kind, honest, and loyal which make him an incredibly appealing character. And, god, so sexy! I am still mad that there were only 3 episodes of this show made.
Honourable mention to the obscure but underrated ShakespeaRe-Told, a series of 4 adaptations of Shakespeare plays set in modern times. Sewell played Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew episode, which is the best of the series and one of my fave rom-coms. I know, it’s an odd choice – particularly since I loathe the trope that underpins the original play, and I’m not even that big of a fan of Ten Things I Hate About You – and I can’t really explain it except to say that the chemistry between Sewell and Shirley Henderson (who plays Kate) is incredible. Also, Sewell has surprisingly great comedic timing.
As far as I know, ShakespeaRe-Told (god, that’s such a dumb title!) isn’t streaming anywhere at the moment, but it’s worth digging up if you can. I bought it on DVD years ago. The versions of Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream were meh for me (which is funny, because I like those plays more than the others), but Macbeth was a banger. The setting is a fancy restaurant owned by a celebrity chef (aka the king), with James McAvoy as Joe Macbeth, the ambitious sous chef. Yes, that James McAvoy. And, yes, it is sexy AF. Did I mention that Richard Armitage has a cameo as McDuff, the head waiter?
Least romantic role: Given Sewell’s extensive villain filmography, there are plenty of options in this category – even if we stick exclusively to period dramas. My choice may be a little out of left field, but it was a recent watch for me, so it’s top of mind: Mark Gertler in Carrington. The movie is based on the life of artist Dora Carrington (and featuring Emma Thompson in the titular role), and Sewell plays one of her lovers who is, to put it mildly, a real sh*t. Not in a cartoonish villain kind of way, but in a depressingly realistic “supposedly nice guy who’s actually completely toxic” kind of way. I actually enjoyed the movie – it’s Bloomsbury Group-adjacent, and I love that stuff – but it’s full of unlikeable male characters, and since I don’t know much about the real people on whom they are based, I have no idea if that’s a function of historical accuracy or artistic choice on the part of the filmmakers. Poor Carrington, plagued by unsatisfactory though extremely good-looking lovers! [In addition to Sewell, that line-up includes Jeremy Northam and PDB alumnus, Samuel West.]
Murder mystery cameos: Strangely enough, Sewell hasn’t done the usual round of British mystery shows, which is the bread-and-butter of a lot of his peers. I wonder if that was a function of his work in American film/television. Anyway, apart from Zen, there is the recent role in the new adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The PaleHorse. I did not enjoy it – it’s an adaptation only in the loosest sense, they completely changed the plot – but Sewell’s performance was ok.
Watch at your own risk: I have not subjected myself to all of the lesser known entries in Sewell’s filmography (hi, Bless The Child) so I can’t say for sure which one is the worst of the lot, but as noted above, I did not like The Pale Horse AT ALL.
Adieu, darlings, and till next time: happy period drama watching!
