I thought it might be fun to do a little recap/lookback at pieces that I added to my closet this summer that proved to be “superstars”. Overall, I think I am getting better at choosing more “wins” than “fails” (even when it comes to pieces that are calculated risks, aka style experiments); that is definitely the case for Poshmark purchases, likely because I tend to sit with those decisions longer than my thrift ones. By its nature, thrifting does tend to encourage snap decisions, which is ones of its downsides. The mantra I’ve been repeating a lot lately is “if it’s not a Hell Yeah, it’s a No”.

Let’s look at some Hell Yeahs.

Gap Dress

I got this because I have a thing for early 2000s Gap, and the pattern (rose floral on a blue background) is catnip to me. Turns out, this dress is probably pre-2000 — even better!– and fits so much better than I could have imagined. The material is light and airy, perfect for hot summer days.

Patchwork jacket

For once, my obsessions overlap with current trends — I have been wanting a quilt patchwork jacket for ages, and finally got one courtesy of my very talented friend. It’s made from upcycled thrifted textiles, which is even better. The vibe fits perfectly into my Jo-March-on-the-prairies summer aesthetic. Although it might not look it, it’s super lightweight and the balloon sleeves allow for good ventilation, making it one of the few toppers appropriate for the warm August weather.

Lace skirt 

I “sat” on this Poshmark purchases for ages and ages, unsure if it was going to look nice in real life (the listing photos were poor). I’m glad I took a risk with it — thanks to a tempting price — because it’s absolutely perfect for my summer style. It allowed me to finally bring to life some outfits I had been dreaming about for a long time, influenced by (who else) some of my fave Ralph Lauren runway collections.

Max & Co magenta skirt

High waisted full skirts are my jam, and this one was extra special because of that gorgeous colour. I also thrifted a similar one in dark turquoise silk, but I think this one has the edge because of its material; I love the swishiness and feel of silk, but I prefer the more hard-wearing cotton fabric. High waisted skirts paired with crop tops has been one of my go-to outfit formulas this summer, and I think there is potential there to explore come fall as well.

Esprit belt + Turquoise belt 

I have been finding SO MANY amazing belts this summer, and they’ve become one of my favourite accessory. Almost all my outfits now include a belt — have you noticed that? Anyway, it was hard to pick which ones I like best, but I eventually narrowed it down to these two. The Esprit belt (left) is one of the most versatile; the brown colour works well with my summer clothes (better than black in most cases) and the buckle is just the right balance of versatile and statement. The vintage belt (right) was chosen as a sentimental favourite — I am obsessed with turquoise and silverwork.

Adriano Goldschmied jeans

I finally found the perfect pair of not-too-tight-not-too-loose broken-in boyfriend jeans … and found them in the light wash that best fits it with my summer aesthetic. They’re so soft and comfortable! I’ve barely worn any other jeans this summer.

Old Navy sandals

I really questioned my decision to buy Old Navy sandals on Poshmark, but I am so glad that I did. They’ve proven as versatile as I had hoped (you can spot them in a few of these photos, they’re the plain brown pair) and I’ve gotten lots of wear out of them. And I *still* haven’t seen a similar pair at the thrifts all season! If I had waited to thrift them, I would have been SOL.

Capelli bag

This was definitely a more frivolous purchase, but it brings me so much joy. It’s such a well-made bag, and the flowers are a lovely touch — not to mention, they pull in some of my favourite colours.

Max & Co green dress 

I got this dress fairly early in the season, and knew immediately that it was Peak Aesthetic. And so it was. It’s got that prairie/cottagecore vibe, plus it’s long and airy — two of my must-haves. I don’t love the feel of the material (it’s a kind of rough, synthetic crepe) or the quality (meh), but the style is perfection. I also think this will transition to fall easily — just imagine it with a velvet blazer.

Suttles vest

You guys know how much I love vests — they’re the perfect “third piece” for summer outfits — and this vintage patchwork number (see above) is the best one I thrifted this season. Plus, you guessed it: it’s gonna rock for fall too!

And there you have it: 10 recent purchases that have jazzed up my outfits this season. Speaking of which, next week let’s talk about the summer aesthetic and how that “journey” panned out.

It has been a while since I thought about a capsule wardrobe. In recent years, I have not found the concept attractive or useful; having an arbitrary limit on my “creative tools” (aka my clothes) seems rather pointless when the goal is to have fun and give full rein to my creative expression. That being said, when I was preparing for our family’s summer vacation this year, and preparing the clothes I was going to bring, it struck me that I was engaging in a bit of capsuling. Or, in other words, making a list.

But “capsule” does sound fancier, doesn’t it?

What is interesting is that, for the first time, I actually do have a legitimate vacation “capsule” — that is, a bunch of clothes that I keep specifically for our annual vacation to the lake (or similar activities, I suppose, though we don’t tend to be a very outdoorsy family). I have them packed away from the rest of my closet, and pull them out as the need arises. For the trip this year, I merely supplemented with a few new pieces — some from my current wardrobe, some bought specifically to add to the capsule.

Let’s talk specifics.

My sartorial goals for this type of vacation are, well, actually nil. I want to be comfortable, and I want to wear clothes that aren’t too fussy or expensive to replace if damaged. Let’s pause here to appreciate that this is a huge departure for me; I used to see vacations as a great opportunity to dress up, and let’s face it — I dress up to go to the grocery store. But since our vacationing has changed (we are less likely to travel to an urban centre, and more likely to be somewhere in the middle of nowhere), this is what progress looks like. Pants are long, loose and elastic-waisted (or leggings, for hiking). Shirts are cotton or linen; ditto dresses, which are also loose and flowy. Everything can be tossed in the washing machine, and I’m not going to lose sleep over it if I get some sunscreen onto anything. Basically, my vacation capsule is “coastal grandmother” minus the coastal part and the chic.

I did add a pair of shorts to the capsule this year, but mostly because I spotted a cute madras pair at the thrifts and couldn’t resist the colours. It was not an especially useful addition, I have to admit.

Here’s the list of what I packed for one week (we’ll get to some outfits in a moment):

• 1 windbreaker (wish I had also packed a warm hoodie as it was chillier than expected for a couple of days)
• 2 pairs of pants
• 1 pair of shorts
• 1 pair of leggings
• 2 dresses
• 2 shirts/tunics (doubling as cover-ups)
• 2 tank tops
• various swimsuits
• 2 pairs of sandals
• 1 pair of sneakers

On any given day, I had a couple of changes of clothes (we were in and out of the lake, and had some other outdoors activities mixed in) but pretty much everything was mix-and-match, and got re-worn at least once. I am never going to be the backpacking type, but I feel like I’ve managed to become far less “high maintenance” than I used to be — at least as far as my vacation wardrobe is concerned.

And now, for some outfits:

Very much mix-and-match practicality here — I probably could have done a few more combinations using these same pieces.

The shorts turned out to have been a good addition to the capsule — they’re very short which initially seemed liked a drawback (I prefer longer shorts) until I realized that they’re perfect for wading in lakes when I don’t want to get fully wet.

I didn’t take any outfit photos during the trip — can you believe it?? — until the very last day when I remembered:

I wore this dress two or three times, in fact — it’s easy to pack, easy to throw on, soft and stretchy, and perfect for when I feel the need for some colour without being the least bit fussy.

Occasionally I miss our “fancier” vacations (and the opportunity to dress up for them) but I have to say that, as sartorially boring as this trip was, I really enjoyed the slower pace and the beautiful scenery. Here’s one more photo of the view from our (very rustic!) motel balcony where I spent many hours soaking up the scenery and reading (4 books!):

And a few random photos to make up for the lack of fashion content on the trip:

Details: Everlane top (thrifted), Max& Co skirt (thrifted), Liz Claiborne bag (Poshmark), Old Navy shoes (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I was surprised by how much I loved this spur-of-the-moment-brainstormed colour combo. I’ve made a note to try this top with other cool colours. And yes, that is the (oversized) tote bag that matches my rainbow dress. After a year of searching, I finally snagged it on Poshmark. Patience wins the day again!

Details: Jessica jumpsuit (thrifted), Uniqlo top (thrifted), Capelli bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: Vintage pinafore jumpsuits aren’t that common, or at least I had never seen one before so I was immediately intrigued by this one. The best part? It fits my long torso. The next best part? The pattern is a great match with this straw bag, which might just be my ultimate summer accessory.

Details: Denim & Supply top (thrifted), Elevenses vest (thrifted), Babaton skirt (thrifted).

Thoughts: Using a vest as a “3rd piece” is my favourite summer styling trick. It makes outfits look more “polished” while still making appropriate concessions to the weather. Plus, it’s an opportunity to inject some pattern mixing. This burgundy-based scheme (with the subtle floral in the background) is quite eye-pleasing.

Details: Valentino scarf, as top (thrifted), Urban Outfitters pants (thrifted)

Thoughts: I learned how to tie a scarf as a top from one of my favourite IG accounts (Sabra of MyStyleIsMyBrand), and it’s quite a nice trick for hot summer days. I wore this while working from home because I’m mostly a calculated risk taker, but you could also easily hedge your bets by wearing a light topper. In my case, I managed my risks (ahem) by actually wearing a strapless bra underneath — it happens to be the same shade of blue as the scarf.

Details: thrifted & upcycled jacket, Wilfred dress (thrifted)

Thoughts: I am lucky to count Josh, the talented maker behind Prairie Trail Goods, among my “real life” friends now (we have known each other online for a few years) for any number of reasons, not least of which (a) we both love thrifting, and (b) she can make an amazing, one-of-a-kind jacket out of thrifted textiles like this one. Which I am not lucky enough to own. The sleeves were pillow shams in a former life, can you believe it? Not only is this jacket beautiful — and my new favourite thing to wear — but it’s so easy to wear: light and airy, and super versatile.

Details: Tabi vest (thrifted), H&M pants (thrifted), Isabel Marant belt (thrifted), Everlane shoes (thrifted), Dooney bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I hate golf with a passion, but I couldn’t resist this vintage Tabi golf-themed vest; it’s so cute! I didn’t want to go full-on pastiche with my outfit, so I paired it with pieces I felt were more modern, like the paperbag waist pants, and a little edgier, like the studded belt. Although the outfit is a little more beige than I usually go for, I felt great it in. Very jaunty, in fact!

Details: Vince top (thrifted), Shoshanna dress (thrifted), Adriano Goldschmied jeans (thrifted), Cotton Ginny belt (thrifted), Barbara Barbieri shoes (thrifted), Dooney bad (Poshmark)

Thoughts: On my quest to find a long, floaty duster like the one from that old Ralph Lauren collection I posted a while ago, I picked up this dress as an experimental “maybe”. It’s polyester, not silk, and because it’s lined, a bit heavier (less floaty) than ideal, but it does have a coat-like vibe when worn unbuttoned. Perhaps not an unqualified success, but … a success nonetheless?