Wild Thing

You guys might be wondering why I’m still posting outfits like it’s the middle of winter and that’s because, well, it still is in my neck of the woods. We have had something like 170 consecutive days of below 0 Celsius weather since last October. It snowed 2 days after I took this photo. I am so DONE. Ahem. On the plus side, my coat game has never been stronger thanks to thrifting, so I’ll take every opportunity to bust out my pieces. This Zara leopard print number always gets a ton of compliments. I don’t generally like to wear leopard print, but this is a muted version (if there is such a thing) so I like it a lot. It’s a boxy cut, which helps somehow. When the Adventurer is feeling Sassy, this coat comes out to play. I paired it with the usual – chunky knit, my everyday Madewell boyfriend jeans. In this case, even the bag and boots are thrifted, which means I was wearing head-to-toe thrift to go … where else … thrifting.

That Weird Capelet Thing

… is that I call this, um, weird capelet thing I’m wearing here. It’s a cropped cardigan version of a capelet. Parts of it look like they’ve been spray-painted gold. It’s weird and amazing. Since that was my starting point, I figured I may as well go for broke, so I added some more gold into the mix. Nobody wanted to buy this Madewell shimmer tee on the ThriftRats shop, so I decided to keep it for myself. I like the – wait for it – boxy cut though the material is a bit stiffer/rougher than I would like (even with the lining). I still think it’s a keeper because the aesthetics of it are intriguing. I would say this fits the Prince pretty well; there is a kind of knight-ish edge to this outfit. It’s that weird capelet thing, I’m telling you.

Culottes, Again

I bought these culottes because they challenged me; I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them, which normally would be a reason to NOT buy them except we live in a brave new world now, baby. And by “we” I mean “me”, and by “brave” I mean … well, “trying to be different and cool”. I’m all about the non-conventional, yo! Anywhoo, I did what they also say you shouldn’t do, which is pair voluminous culottes with a voluminous sweater. (Eileen Fisher, of course. I am fully committed to this Eileen phase of my life.) Did I look a bit like a potato sack? Maybe. I think this is an outfit that looks better in person/in motion, but it’s definitely not figure-flattering in any traditional sense, any way you look at it. And that’s okay! I really enjoyed it.

(It’s an Artist kind of outfit, I think, in case you were wondering.)

Variations on a Theme

Does it count as a “power outfit” when it’s a simple sweater+pants combo? For years, I gravitated towards clothes that were interesting because of their prints or eye-catching colours; I am now enjoying more subtle details, like the shape of these sweaters, their texture, their plain unadorned-ness. A part of me is concerned that this aesthetic evolution is going to put an end to any pretensions that I may still have as far as being a style blogger. These outfits might read as rather “blah” and repetitive as blog fodder, but they feel perfect to wear. I think I look good in them, but they are not outfits that call attention to themselves in any way. Again, that’s great for real life … perhaps less so for a blog.

Leaving blogging conundrums aside, let’s talk a bit more about the pieces here. I ended up adding a couple of bracelets to the first outfit, to join my fave Alexi Bittar earrings (which you can’t see). One chunky bracelet, one delicate one. As I mentioned on Instagram, I have been very inspired by Iris Apfel lately, so I have been exploring chunky jewelry. The funnel neckline is my favourite part of the sweater so I didn’t want to detract from it with a necklace or even a brooch; a chunky bracelet (silver-grey) seemed like a good bet. I added a thin, gunmetal-coloured rhinestone loop bracelet to the other wrist as a juxtaposition. Sadly, I wasn’t able to take photos of my wrists, so you will have to take my word for how cool it all looked.

The sweater in the second pic is another recent thrift find. I adore the greyish green colour; it’s a kind of foggy, washed out celadon. I have no idea if it’s a most flattering shade for my complexion, but it’s incredibly soothing, so I love wearing it. I added my fave MaxMara chunky necklace, of which I am sure Iris would approve.

Winter Casual, Redux

Winter is a terrible guest this year; it simply won’t go away, no matter how many hints we all drop that it’s time for it to move on. As a result, I am very much still in boots-and-cozy-outerwear mode when it comes to weekends. I still try to have some fun with it; wearing these patched Holding Horses jeans is currently my idea of fun, anyway. They are so very ugly-cool in the very best way possible. They work with all my chunky knits, and you know how much I love those.

Purple Reign

This DVF sheath is the right colour, but a little too feminine for my Prince persona; still, it was free (through my clothing swap), so I am giving it a try. I like it a lot, but I’m not sure that I love it. I think I need to think outside the box a little bit when it comes to styling it, to make it more “Adina, 2018”. In the meantime, I’m including it in this round-up to give y’all a break from my current obsession with pants. You’re welcome.

The Tweaked Formula

This is a very similar silhouette to an outfit I posted last week, which I suppose is a testament to its versatility. Or to my laziness. The cropped jacket is, as last time, by Rebecca Taylor but it fits much better which is why it’s a keeper. (For now. That ominous caveat is necessary given the purge upheaval currently happening in my closet. I was going to make a Stalin joke here but, um, maybe not.) I would love to find some more high-waisted pants – of the non-culottes variety – but they are tricky, tricky things. I like the look of the ones I’ve spotted on ASOS, but I have concerns. One, quality – there is nothing worse than polyester pants that make you feel like you’re wearing a garbage bag that might burst into flames if your thighs rub together for too long. Two, the danger of polterwang. I recently learned that delightful term thanks to FFA on Reddit, and it perfectly captures the awfulness that is an unintentionally baggy crotch.

So.

I have to actually go out there and try high-waisted pants if I want to find a decent pair, and I’ll be honest: unless I find these magical unicorns at the thrift store, it ain’t happening. The thought of going to the mall is exhausting even before I lift a digit off the couch.

The Tweaked Formula, Part 2

This sweater+dress combo is one of my faves, and my thought process in putting together this outfit was simple: how can I wear this combo to work? Add a blazer, duh. Boom. Done. Did I mention how much I love working in a business-casual office? Before you @ me, please note that the dress is lined to the knee, so the devoré overlay does not actually reveal anything scandalous unless you are a time-travelling Victorian, in which case – welcome to the 21st century, but also, why are you wasting time reading this blog? There are far more exciting things of which to partake these days, like Tinder, sky-diving, and watching Black Panther in 3D.

Rust-ic Casual

Yeah, ok. There is nothing rustic about this outfit, per se, but it was the only pun that came to mind. Sorry. The outfit is A-OK, though; 10 out of 10, will wear again. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have been caught dead wearing a shade even remotely close to my hair colour, but times change (see above). This rust/brick red is growing on me. I also dig the deconstructed look of this blazer, so it has that going for it as well. This is almost head-to-toe Anthro, but without a heavy dose of twee which I take as a kind of personal triumph.

The loafers/bag combo is also great, though possibly a little too matchy. But wait! Have we gone all the way back around to the point where matching your shoes to your bag is a cool thing or nah? I guess, sometimes, the more things change (in fashion), the more they stay the same.