Details: Revel tulle overlay, Hemant & Nandita jacket, upcycled necklace, Nine West shoes (all thrifted), BR jumpsuit (secondhand)

Thoughts: I wanted to play around with this tulle piece, which I haven’t worn as much as I might have a few years ago. I don’t reach for black very often anymore, but it does make for a good “backdrop” for statement jewelry like this necklace I re-fashioned from 3 pieces of thrifted jewelry (more on that another time). The jacket was a lucky thrift find – I was looking at it on Poshmark just before I found it (and, needless to say, for a fraction of the price). I can’t wait to wear this outfit outside soon. For convenience, I will probably tweak it a bit; either wear the tulle overlay with a black dress, or the jumpsuit without the overlay.

Details: Charlie & Robin cardigan, velvet vest, Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo pants, Lena Bernard necklace (all thrifted), Zara shoes (consignment)

Thoughts: This was a very random outfit I threw together on a whim but I ended up loving it. I like wearing cropped vests as a top with high waisted pants. A little bit sexy, but as long as the neckline isn’t too low, not unacceptable for work (they won’t see any accidental glimpses of my midriff on Zoom).

Details: Rag & Bone vest, Zara skirt (both thrifted), Equipment blouse (ebay)

Thoughts: Just call me Orange Crush 😉

Details: United Colours of Benetton sweater, Manolo Blahnik shoes, plastic bangles (all thrifted), Anthro pants (gift); Warren Steven Scott earrings (gift)

Thoughts: Just a simple, cozy outfit. I extended the colour palette from the sweater to the pants, which is like insta-outfit making.

Details: Twinset dress (Poshmark); Shirin Guild topper, Stuart Weitzman shoes (both thrifted), selfmade necklace

Thoughts: I love this dress so much because it’s basically a glorified nightgown as far as shape (and comfort) goes, but it has gorgeous little details that make me feel like a dainty princess. So, minimal effort, maximum style. That’s my 2022 vibe, TBH.

Details: My Little Pony tee, Vero Moda pants, Carolina Herrera belt, Stuart Weitzman shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: The tee and pants combo was a no-brainer, but I wasn’t sure at first which belt to use. Then I noticed the red accents in the tee, and decided to try a red belt. And you know what? Red is an unexpected choice, but it really pops. I shouldn’t be surprised though; the colour of the pants is a close cousin to aqua, which always looks smashing next to red.

One. Cacti gardens

I keep going back to this image from a recent Arch Digest magazine. I love cacti and have a few of them in my house, but I would love to have a whole back yard filled with (old) ones. Our one “senior” cactus recently had to have an amputation on an arm that became infected/sick, and I was devastated. I would love to get more cacti, but I don’t have enough room and light in my house to give them a thriving environment. So, instead, I dream of visiting the desert again.

Two. Favourite shelf

I have a lot of shelves in my house — the better to display all my treasures — and a lot of competition for the “favourite” title. But, yes, I think there is (currently) one clear winner. I recently added a Gauguin framed print, which proved to be the perfect “tie it all together” thing. It joins a miniature bust, glass vases from my favourite artist, and some of my own work.

Three. Cross-stitch

I’m working on a new series of beaded pieces based over cross-stitch style designs. So I have been looking up vintage floral cross-stitch for ideas. Pansies are some of my favourite flowers to incorporate into my art because they are so exuberantly colourful.

Four. Byzantine fashion

I’m exploring some new directions for my High Priestess avatar, and Byzantine and Baroque influences are top of my list. We’ll save the later for another post. Did you know that there have been a few runway collections inspired by Byzantine fashion, including one based around the Empress Theodora? They’re quite lovely. Obviously, a very literal translation isn’t very practical for my lifestyle, but I am looking at identifying small details (like jewelry, embroidery, rich coloured and/or textured fabrics) that would infuse my outfits with that flair. Also, fun fact: my daughter is named Teodora, in part inspired by the Empress who was a *fascinating* character.

Five. Midsommer Murders

I am SO late to the game on this, but have been recently binge-watching this series during my crafting sessions. It’s so, so good – up there with Poirot and Miss Marple as my favourite “comfort” shows. I love the rural/village setting, which gives the episodes a vibe reminiscent of Christie while still being contemporary mysteries. Not too much gore, but plenty of tea and scandal.

Details: United Colours of Benetton sweater, LAMB coat, Commando leggings (all thrifted), Josef Seibel boots (retail, old).

Thoughts: I’ve gotten burnt before buying vintage sweaters because the fit is usually boxy and oversized, which is *fine* except that it has to be the RIGHT kind of boxy and oversized for my body. I almost passed on this Benetton sweater for that reason, but the colours and charm (those wee little houses!) pulled me in, along with the fact that it was only $5 which is an acceptable level of risk to assume. But it turned out great! I love it. And this was a good outfit all around.

Details: vintage cardigan (secondhand), Zero+Maria Cornejo dress (via Poshmark), Club Monaco belt, Free People shoes (both thrifted)

Thoughts: I tried this outfit with and without the belt, thinking I would prefer the former, and … actually, I liked both. I will never not love a statement belt, but the unbelted fit has its appeal too. Plus, oversized and chunky fits like this are still all over the runways so it’s fashion too 😉

Details: Wilfred dress, Linda Lundstrom pants (both thrifted)

Thoughts: Speaking of runways, this was my take on that Giambattista Valli outfit I posted last week. Quite happy with how it turned out. I had to belt the dress to “hike up” the slit so that more of the pants could show, but ended up draping the excess material over the belt so it can’t be seen — which is a shame because the belt also matched.

Details: Kenzo top (via consignment), Wilfred cardigan (thrifted), Rachel Comey skirt (via Poshmark).

Thoughts: Just playing around with patterns and silhouettes.

Details: Love Moschino dress, J. Crew vest (both thrifted), Obakki jacket (swap); Hue tights (retail, old), Chelsea Crew shoes (thrifted).

Thoughts: I was drawn to the pairing of what I call a full-bodied floral (kind like a full-bodied wine, but also I know nothing about wines, don’t mind me) dress and the neutral check vest. Then I was stumped for the third piece. It could have worked without too, but I am always up for a style challenge so I kept trying different things. Settling on this Obakki jacket was a stroke of inspiration — the colour is similar to the vest, but it has a (subtle) pattern that is different which adds some more visual depth to the outfit.

Details: MaxMara sweater (via Poshmark), H&M skirt (thrifted).

Details: Debew poncho, William Morris x H&M dress, Club Monaco belt (all thrifted).