I love thrifting for many reasons. One of them is the chance to find special/cool/unique things I might otherwise never come across. When you go to a retail store, you generally know what you can expect to find there. At a thrift store, the surprises never end. The story of the pink dress is one example of that.

I have been almost exclusively thrifting my clothes since around 2017 or thereabouts. Thrifting as often as I do (and you do have to go often if your closet is thrift-sourced), I have seen a LOT of clothes during that time, from different eras, different brands and designers, different styles. I have learned a lot about fashion and design, in a passive but nonetheless useful way. I’ve learned by sight, by feel, by trying things (sometimes with success, sometimes not). I have learned what I like, what works for me, and how to spot it (with increasingly high though not perfect accuracy) in a store packed with random things.

But enough singing of praises for thrifting.

Back to the story: the pink dress.

It was a fairly unassuming find, insofar as a bright pink dress can be unassuming. The colour is what caught my eye, and my heart, immediately. It’s almost Schiaparelli’s hot pink, but lighter and softer. It reminds me of roses and sunrises. There is some blue in its DNA, which always appeals to me because I love the cool end of the colour spectrum.

I was sold on the dress by the colour, but I still cast an eye on it before deciding whether to put it in my cart. The material was very light and felt like silk (there is no fabric tag). The shape was hard to gauge from the way in hung on the hanger, but at least it looked long enough to suit my preferences. The brand tag told me nothing; I didn’t recognize it: Myne by Ashley Ann. There were some subtle signs of good quality in the finishes (mostly around the neckline) but nothing determinative. I felt I could rule out a high end designer piece; for one thing, the dress wasn’t lined which it would have been, given the lightweight fabric, if it were a true designer dress. But it might be anything from a mid-tier contemporary label to a well-executed fast fashion piece, such being the state of the fashion industry these days. The dry-cleaners’ tag still attached to the label was intriguing, and did make me lean more towards the former; my assumption is that, in general, people don’t spend money on dry-cleaning inexpensive clothes.

At home, my first attempts to research the dress proved ineffective. I’m usually pretty good at tracking down brands and even specific pieces, but I struck out in this case. Then, I posted the dress is one of my weekly thrift round-ups on Instagram and a couple of followers pointed me in the right direction.

It turns out that this *was* a boutique brand, and this particular dress had in fact been (famously?) worn by Kim Kardashian at one time. I Googled and, sure enough, found the photos.

Based on the blog posts that discussed it, it looks like the dress was originally sold sometime around 2012/2013. It’s almost a decade old! Yet, to me, the design doesn’t feel especially dated. When I tried it on, I was struck by the draping in particular — it’s definitely the kind of thing I enjoy wearing now.

When I was deciding how to wear it (for the first time), I went with something simple: a belt and some jewelry.

This suits my updated Artist avatar almost to perfection. Coincidentally, around the same time I took the photo, I came across some outfits from the most recent Tory Burch runway collection and was struck by how similar the belts used in some of those outfits were to the belt I wore with this dress. Another thrift find, of course: a vintage Caleche by Anne Klein asymmetrical wrap belt. Out of curiosity, I did a side-by-side and realized that the whole outfit, in fact, bore similarities to the runway look:

Of course, it isn’t a literal copy; far from it. But the lines and the draping are similar, so they have a similar vibe/feel to me. What old is new again? That’s always the way that fashion goes, and it’s why thrifting remains enormously exciting for me. You can experiment with fashion exclusively by secondhand means and still engage with trends (if that appeals).

Details: Maxmara sweater (Poshmark), Marc Cain skirt, Ports coat, Stuart Weitzman boots (all thrifted), Marc Jacobs bag (ebay)

Thoughts: I still can’t believe I was able to score this mint condition lamb’s leather coat for $20 at the thrifts! It’s such gorgeous leather, and feels incredibly luxe. I also think the style is quite on-trend with the dropped shoulder and oversized pockets. I wanted to take it out for a quick spin on one of our warmer days, but it will have to wait for spring to make its proper debut.

Details: Gap sweater (thrifted); Topshop dress (ebay); J. Crew shows (retail)

Thoughts: I was inspired by a Pre-Fall 2022 runway look from Christopher John Rogers to pair polka dots and rainbow stripes … and I loved it! To be fair, there are no outfits featuring this dress that I’ve hated, but this is definitely one of my faves. I might have to try the same idea with a rainbow check shirt instead.

Details: Jacob vest, Oak & Fort top (both thrifted), Babaton skirt (Poshmark); Rafael Canada necklace (eBay)

Thoughts: I love this vest so much, it’s one of my favourite vintage (90s) finds. Here, I decided to pick up on the metallic brocade bits by pairing it with this antique gold, pleated skirt. I think the sleeves add just the right amount of extra drama and a bit of romantic flair.

Details: Braemer vest, Marimekko x Uniqlo top, Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo pants (all thrifted), J. Crew shoes (retail), Warren Steven Scott earrings (gift)

Thoughts: Speaking of vintage vests, here is another one. I’m really digging vests right now as an alternative to blazers for WFH or just general LAH (lounge at home, haha!). They’re a functional layer while adding some outfit pizzazz. These pants are new and — apologies — forever wrinkled because they are a linen blend. I do love the cut/style: high-waisted, with a tapered leg. Luckily, they fit relatively generously. I’m currently a bit of a cusp size on the bottom, but these fit in my old size just fine.

Details: pink Wilfred cardigan, blue Second Female cardigan, Marc Cain top, Lena Bernard necklace (all thrifted), Wilfred pants (Poshmark)

Thoughts: Tried this outfit in 2 ways and ended up liking both almost equally. I think the pink edges out the blue, but only just — mainly because I like how it picks up the pink in the pants. I also like how the pattern of the pants works so well as a kind of “night sky” pairing to the top. Overall, one of my fave “lounging at home” outfits of recent weeks.

As mentioned in a previous post, I decided to have a closer look at the Spring 2022 runway collections to glean new inspiration for my style avatars. On the whole, I didn’t find a lot of designs that spoke loudly to my personal aesthetic. This is okay. Fashion and trends are not meant to be synonymous with personal style. My own goal is two-fold. On one hand, I want to remain open to change and new ideas in design/style (and all things, tbh) because it is how we grow and evolve, and to the extent that style is an extension of who we are, it should also evolve. On the other hand, I want to be able to maintain my own perspective on style, rather than merely wearing whatever trends are popular at a given time simply because they are popular. It’s a fine balancing act, but I find it gets easier with age. Yes, even the openness to change. I have never been more curious and excited to learn new things.

Anyway, here are some of the images that spoke to me in relation to my avatars.

In truth, these outfits fit an older iteration of the High Priestess/Crone avatar. I’m finding myself look towards a slightly modified aesthetic here — more Byzantine and ornate and colourful. But the silhouettes are fantastic.

The Artist is definitely all about soft, fluid lines, but with additional volume. Lots and lots of volume. And more colour than before, especially soft colours and pastels. And pink and green! My inspiration continues to be an amalgam of Pre-Raphaelite and Art Nouveau art — long hair, fancy nap dresses.

There were slim pickings for the Historian/Luxe Academic/Diana Bishop avatar on the spring 2022 runways, but that’s okay. I have my own ideas and have been experimenting more with this avatar again. But I’m intrigued by the images above – those high waisted pants (drool!), the luxe menswear inspired suiting, the creative layering.

The Bohemian always garners lots of inspo, and this year was no exception. I am especially loving the patchwork/colourful knits moment that is happening right now.

What is inspiring your 2022 style journey?