Let’s start the annual review with something practical: the pieces I consider my most versatile purchases. Things I wore again and again this year, which formed the backbone of my closet. Y’all know I love statement pieces, and I do buy a lot of them, but my closet wouldn’t function without the “quiet heroes” — the pieces that are the glue holding my outfits together. So I think it’s worth spending a bit of time talking about these pieces, to break down how and why they are useful, as this may be something others can relate to.

We have a lot to go over, so grab a drink and cozy up.

H&M beige pants ($9.50) / Urban Outfitters black pants ($4)

My go-to outfit formula is statement bottom + basic top + topper (sometimes statement, sometimes not). However, when the bottom piece is a pair of pants, the formula usually gets inverted: I tend to use basic pants with statement tops and/or toppers. When I say “basic”, don’t misunderstand. I mean something that serves as a “canvas” for the outfit, something that recedes into the background allowing other pieces to take centre stage but, at the same time, which contributes to the outfit looking good as a whole. That usually means that the pants have to have a nice, interesting structure or shape without being too attention-grabbing. Both of the above pants tick those boxes for me. The paperbag waist beige pants are a shape that feels fresh and modern to me, the colour is a good neutral, and therefore can suit any number of different aesthetics. They elevate any outfit, as they say. Same thing with the black UO pants; it’s a modern cut, neutral colour, go-with-everything sort of style.

Cartonnier pants ($8)

You might think these would fall into the “statement” category because of the stripe pattern, but to me, they are more of the “quiet hero” type. The pattern is subtle, and doesn’t call a lot of attention to itself, while quietly elevating the outfit.

Pilcro sweater ($4.50)

This sweater became a surprise hit for me because it’s a colour that I didn’t already have in my closet but which works shockingly well with the rest of my palette — especially yellow, brown, and dark purple as shown in these photos. But because it’s plain, it’s also a piece that can complete many different outfits. I am not sure I need to run out and buy a bunch of other lavender pieces; this one is probably enough to add that punch of colour when needed.

Esprit belt ($3.50) & Cotton Ginny belt ($9)

Belts are one of my favourite outfit-completer pieces, and these 2 belts saw the most action this past year. Compared to some of the other pieces on this list, both belts are more “one trick ponies” in that they really do work best in outfits with a boho/prairie aesthetic. That being said, they have worked with a wide variety of looks within that aesthetic – pretty much my entire summer wardrobe. I like having the option of both black and brown belts, as sometimes one colour works better than the other based on the outfit colour palette. Both have large buckles that communicate the aesthetic; both are silver tone, which is what my boho/prairie jewelry tends to be — and I prefer not to mix metals when it comes to belt/jewelry combos.

[FWIW, my hands-down most versatile belt is a plain, wide, black leather belt with a simple buckle. I didn’t buy it this year, so I am not including it in this list, but I have worn it with a million different outfits, from gothic to preppy to boho, and everything in between.]

Adriano Goldschmied ($9) & Tommy Hilfiger jeans ($10)

The first pair was my go-to summer denim; the second has been my go-to fall and winter denim. They have different cuts, but both are what I consider relatively current styles which helps to keep my outfits fresh (especially when I am wearing a fair bit of vintage). Both are light wash denim, which I really like at the moment, is fairly trendy, and works well as a “neutral” with my wardrobe colour palette. Light wash denim tends to read as more casual, so it suits my relaxed summer boho looks, while also creating a fun juxtaposition with my more preppy (RL inspired) fall and winter looks.

Pilcro tank top ($6)

This is the very definition of a basic, foundational piece. It’s a super useful layering piece but has little details that elevate into a “proper” top (not just something to be worn under things and not seen). The little cut-out in the neckline is really genius. I have a couple of other coloured tank tops in frequent rotation, but this cream one is the most versatile for me.

Toni T dickie ($7)

Finding this dickie was a life-changer. It allows me to create layered looks without dealing with extra bulk (or warmth) when I don’t need it. I am actively looking to add another dickie to my collection (in a darker colour) but this white one is incredibly versatile. It’s the perfect finishing touch to my sweater+blazer+bottom outfits, which is one of my staple formulas for fall and winter.

Ralph Lauren sweater ($10)

I’ve written about my love of black (cashmere) turtlenecks before, so I will not repeat the paean here. I use them constantly during the fall and winter and they are truly a foundational piece in every sense of the word.

Old Navy sandals ($30 for 2 pairs)

Remember how much I agonized over whether buying Old Navy shoes on Poshmark was worth it? Well, it was … 100% worth it. I love this style of sandal (in both brown and black) and they work with almost anything I might wear in the summer — skirts, dresses, pants, you name it.

Mia shoes (gift) & Office London boots ($33)

While I consider both of these pairs to be trendy shoes, neither is especially “statement”. They don’t draw your eye immediately, but they do immediately update the outfit by virtue of their trendiness. I wrote a post about my theory of trendy shoes, and I stand by it.

Ralph Lauren blazer ($15)

This is something of a borderline statement piece for me, although I probably see it as such because I love it so much that I tend to focus on it first. However, to others, it probably doesn’t stand out per se — it just makes any outfit look good.

Mexx skirt ($11)

I think of this as the skirt version of those H&M pants I started with. It’s a blank canvas for outfit-building, but it has little details that make it special (like those large pockets and crossed belt loops).

With the exception of the Mia platform loafers, all of these pieces were purchased secondhand. This is par for the course, as it has been my habit to buy 99% of my clothing and accessories secondhand over the last 5 years. In fact, I only bought 4 items at retail in 2022 — 2 clutches and 2 pairs of shoes, including those loafers (and, technically, 2 of the 4 items were gifts). I try not to be preachy about the Gospel of Secondhand, but I do want to normalize secondhand buying in all its various forms, from thrifting to consignment to Poshmark to FB Marketplace and other online platforms.

Details: Toni T dickie, Pilcro sweater, Nanette Lepore jacket, Cartonnier pants, Emmanuel belt, Manolo Blahnik shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I love purple and yellow together almost as much as purple and green (what I call my villain colours). I think you can almost see the subtle pattern mix happening here; I’m obsessed. Adding this touch of lavender to my wardrobe has suddenly opened up so many possibilities when it comes to colour combinations.

Details: St. John top, H&M crop top, Banana Republic belt, Acne skirt, Poppy Barley shoes (all secondhand), Copper Canoe Woman earrings

Thoughts: It’s been a while since I wore this skirt. It’s a forever favourite, although it has more of a “cool girl” vibe than my current aesthetic. Some pieces have their own strong aesthetic, and there is no point trying to fit them into a different mould. So I pull out this skirt when I feel like going with its flow, rather than vice versa. Here, I made black the accent colour; very happy with the results.

Details: Massimo Dutti sweater, J. Crew shirt, Ralph Lauren skirt, Free People belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: This is more my usual speed these days; quite a simple formula, but ever so effective. It has a bit of a vintage flair, but I don’t think it looks … gasp … dated. (Not that I would care unduly if it did, to be honest.) That said, there is a difference between not looking dated and looking trendy, and this is not trendy. Does that mean it’s, dare I say it, timeless? I don’t like to use that term because nothing is, strictly speaking, timeless; and I also don’t like the word “classic” because it’s too vague. An outfit like this is, to me, neither trendy (aka a trend of this moment) nor dated (aka the trend of a past moment) but rather floats somewhere in the ether between. Clear as mud? Maybe it should be called trendless …

Details: Vero Moda tunic (swap), H&M skirt (Poshmark), Debew poncho (thrifted), Fluevog shoes (thrifted), Michelle Ross long necklace, Lena Bernard short necklace (both Poshmark)

Thoughts: Speaking of outfits that are trendless … I present you this outfit which I call my High Priestess chic. Something about the silhouette and proportions of this outfit are incredibly appealing to me. I have a love-hate relationship with this terracotta colour; sometimes I love it, sometimes I feel overwhelmed by it. But I think it works here because of the layering of textures.

Details: Wilfred tunic (Poshmark), Zara scarf (retail), Anna Paola bag (consignment), Tommy Hilfiger jeans, Office London shoes (both thrifted)

Thoughts: I was obsessed with this sweater dress for years because I finally snagged it on Poshmark. That was a couple of years ago, and now to be honest, I am less enamoured of it. It doesn’t align all that well with any of my current aesthetics, so I never seem to reach for it. But I still like the colours and colourblocked effect, and it’s very cozy; so for a super casual outfit like this, it works — especially worn as a very oversized sweater, rather than a dress.

A few weeks ago, I started following a popular trend-focused personal stylist’s IG account. I found her through social media “mutuals” — i.e. people I follow reposted her content — and was intrigued, mostly by her general approach. You know, the “hot, not hot” and “this, not that” style of fashion blogging that seems to be popular on Tik Tok (don’t know her!) and slowly seeping into older corners of the internet (hello, it’s me!). I say “intrigued” because this is not something I’m interested in doing, but I enjoy rubbernecking when others do it. Anyway, I think I might need to unfollow.

It’s not for the reasons you probably think. It’s not because of my lukewarm interest in this account’s raison d’etre (trends). Nor because I’ve seen myself reflected in the “not hot” carousels. No, it’s because I am finding myself being pulled, ever so slowly but surely, towards an aesthetic that I do not want to pursue. If I keep watching these stories, I’m going to wake up one day in February looking like Hailey Bieber, and that is something I do not want to countenance.

The reason I am writing this post is not to sh*t on Hailey Bieber or popular IG stylists; what I actually want to talk about, in maybe a roundabout way, is how I navigate style inspo in the realm of social media, and how I curate my social media feed to serve me in the ways I need, and not the ones I don’t.

I don’t know how common this is, but I am a ruthless social media curator. Even after 10 years on IG, I still don’t follow a ton of accounts — around 300 at last count. Some of those are friends and family, some are what I would broadly categorize as entertainment accounts (everything from pop culture memes to my favourite museum), some are “trusted sources” (social activists, news media, etc.), and some are of course, fashion related. This is a mix of mostly “small” personal style bloggers like myself, a few “bigger” influencers, some brands, and some industry accounts like Diet Prada. Except for folks I know, I feel no obligation to keep following accounts if they start to annoy me, or if their content is no longer of interest. It’s a 3 strikes rules: three annoying posts and I unfollow.

When it comes to fashion though, it can get a little bit more complicated. Here, I mainly have 2 red flags. One, I do not follow accounts that give me FOMO. As a person who loves beautiful things but tries to be mindful about consumption, FOMO is my Achilles heel. It is better for me not to know about all the beautiful things out there — I will find plenty of them on my own and struggle to contain my impulses, without help from anyone else. Now, you might think this is why I don’t follow a lot of big influencers. Wrong. Most rich people buy stuff that doesn’t interest me. I wouldn’t follow, say, a Housewife of Insert-Metropolis-Of-Your-Choice-Here because I am not interested in the content, not because of FOMO. But FOMO is why I can’t follow, say, Carla Rockmore. She is a maximalist whose taste and interests align almost entirely with mine, but with a budget (and closet) I couldn’t dream of replicating. I enjoy watching her content in small doses — people keep sending me her posts, bless them, because they think I would enjoy it and that is true but the problem is I enjoy it TOO MUCH — yet I know that if I watched it every day, it would make me want to Buy. All. The. Things.

The other red flag is when I start to feel myself wanting to copy what someone else is wearing. Time to immediately unfollow! Ok, you might be thinking: Adina, what ARE you talking about? Isn’t that what “style inspo” is all about? NO. Not to me, anyway. My favourite fashion accounts are those whose perspective on style I admire but don’t feel a desire to imitate. They make me think about how outfits are put together, about colours and proportions, about style as a language. They give me ideas for creating my own looks … but the key is that they are informing my own expression, not dictating it.

I generally don’t follow people who have the same exact aesthetic that I am pursuing at any given moment; I prefer to follow people with a broad range of aesthetics (some of which may align with some facets of my own, some which are wholly outside my box) and get bits of inspiration from all of them. For me, personal style is the alchemy that happens when you digest a lot of inspiration from many disparate sources (fashion history, magazines, social media, people on the street, books, art, etc.) and create your own story out of it. It’s why, as I have gotten older, I have moved away from the concept of “fashion icons” — the idea that there is any individual worth imitating in something as personal as style is anathema to me.

But it can get tricky. If someone has a very strong and unique point of view and is very eloquent in expressing it — in other words, has great personal style — I can become susceptible to the allure of imitation. Sometimes, it doesn’t even take that much; sometimes, all it takes is an easily-digestible aesthetic consistently messaged and positioned as hyper desirable — which brings me back to the IG account I mentioned at the beginning of the post. Show me enough photos of Hailey Bieber captioned as the embodiment of cool, and after a few weeks I might start to believe that an oversized blazer will change my life. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE WIDE SHOULDERS AND THIS WILL MAKE ME LOOK LIKE A LINEBACKER! Ahem.

If the person who’s making me want to turn copycat is someone whose content I otherwise enjoy (or whose relationship I value), then I would not immediately unfollow; rather, I might take a step back from their content for a little while, until the feeling passes. Trinny Woodall often falls into this category for me. I enjoy her “Closet Confessions” and the way she analyzes and talks about style, and find it both interesting and helpful. Our styles do not align very closely, although there is some overlap (we both love colour, for example). But every so often, I start to feel like one or both of my red flags are waving with Trinny. She does frequent Zara “shop-ups” and if I watch too many of them, I can start to get retail FOMO — the worst kind of FOMO there is. (But not always; sometimes, it’s nice to be shown what’s out there in stores, and get ideas for what to pull from the back of my closet and wear again, in new ways). It’s the same with the outfits she wears. Most of the time, I appreciate her POV and find it inspiring. But sometimes, I notice that I am suddenly putting together “Trinny” outfits, and I know I’ve crossed the line and it’s time to put her account on “ignore” for a bit until my head clears.

So much of it comes down to a gut feeling. I choose not to engage with content that makes me feel frantic, or makes me feel as though fulfillment is something positioned outside of my own self. I know that feeling even before I’ve had time to process what is happening. And I am convinced that learning to recognize it and be guided by it has been a hugely positive influence on my personal style (and mental health, too). So I guess what I am telling you is to not let social media dictate your personal style, but to dictate what social media is allowed into the conversation around your personal style.

But, you know, I am not dictating that or anything 😉