Details: Bozzolo top, Ricki’s skirt (both retail), eShakti dress, Donna Karan belt, Aldo shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I am sure it will not be a surprise when I say that this technicolour dress was an insta-buy. Except that I don’t plan to wear it as a dress but, rather, as a coat — like here. It’s relatively well made, but the fabric is polyester with a rough weave, not entirely dissimilar from shantung silk. It’s not something I would enjoy wearing next to my skin, even with the lining (which is also poly). But as a coat, it’s doable. And I love the vibe so, so much. This entire outfit was one of my faves of the summer. Thinking outside the box pays off!

Details: Zara tee, Rachel Comey skirt, vintage bag, Aldo shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Chaotic good, outfit edition. I thrifted this incredible vintage leather bag (no tags) and wanted to immediately wear it. As it happened, the Rachel Comey skirt was already hanging on my “next to wear” hook because it’s been an awfully long time since it had seen an outing, and when I saw these 2 pieces together … I had 2/3 of the outfit. I decided to lean into the chaoticness of the skirt pattern (the style was called Delirium, believe it or not), so I added my glitch-Mickey tee — another beloved piece I hadn’t worn in a while. And voila: a mad, and perfect outfit.

Details: Nautica shirt, Max & Co skirt, BR belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I adore the colours of this vintage men’s shirt, and I thought they would pair well with my magenta skirt because they match its boldness. I like to think I was right … and not just because I always like to think I’m right, LOL! The high (and very fitted) waist of the skirt helps to rein in the volume of the shirt a little bit, which is a nice change of silhouette for something so oversize. Whenever I wear really bold, saturated colours like these, I always use black accessories to ground the outfit. The black makes the colours pop that little bit extra. Love!

Details: Brooks Brothers shirt, Tommy Hilfiger jeans, Fossil belt, L’Intervalle shoes, Coach bag (all secondhand), Winners hat (retail)

Thoughts: I’ve been looking for a madras blazer for years and while I haven’t found the one yet, I did stumble upon this shirt. I love its bright colours, and I seem to be unable to resist button-up shirts these days so … YOLO! This was a cute version of my ‘mom uniform’ for an end-of-summer-vacation day of errand running with the kids. Colourful and comfy.

Details: Only & Sons jacket, vintage sweatshirt, Everlane pants, Converse shoes, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I am calling this Jessica Fletcher, 2024 reboot. The vintage sweatshirt is actually from the 90s, so it seems very apropos. Rather than doing denim-on-denim, I decided to pull one of the colours from the sweatshirt — the dusty mauve-y purple — and go a little matchy-matchy instead with these Everlane pants. I feel like this fall will be something of a vintage/graphic sweatshirt moment for me. Casual preppy, except I need to find a less boring name for it 😉

Details: Anna Sui top, Ralph Lauren skirt, Fossil belt, J. Crew vest, Rafael Alfandary necklace (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Lest you think that I’m not still a cottagecore fan, I am here to tell show you that I am. I love vests, and I love a good vest/skirt combo, and this particular one is hitting all the marks for me. Cohesive colour scheme + subtle pattern mix = my jam. Not to mention a failproof formula.

Details: Chepe dress (retail), Side Saddle jacket, Brixton hat, MbMJ bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Still the most versatile dress in my closet, and here’s more proof. I think I could wear this Chepe dress (and the black version I also own) with practically every jacket in my wardrobe … and I might be planning to put that theory to the test. First experiment? My verdict is “success”. This was such a nice, easy summer outfit; the heavy cotton jacket was a perfect cover-up option for the cooler morning, and then it came off in the afternoon. The nice thing about this dress is that it has a lovely cut and interesting neckline, which make it feel like an outfit even if worn alone with minimal accessories.

Details: Tommy Hilfiger shirt, Uniqlo sweater, Ralph Lauren pants, Fossil belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I want to call this “garden chic” — mostly because it looks like a literal garden, from the (brown) ground up. I have been loving the styling trick of wearing a sweater tied around the shoulders, and these corduroy pants float a similar vibe, so I started with those 2 things in mind. The shirt choice was a bit more of a risk, since the floral pattern doesn’t necessarily scream “preppy” but I liked how its colours looked paired with the brown, so I went for it. Choosing a green sweater helped to make the shirt look more intentional by doubling up the green.

Details: Tommy Hilfiger shirt, Ralph Lauren sweater, Fossil belt, Coach bag (all secondhand), Banana Republic jeans (retail)

Thoughts: With fall approaching, I feel a shift in aesthetic coming — Prairie Ralph to Preppy Ralph. And I am here for it!! I think this year’s version of the Historian is going to be a mix of 70s and 90s, Ivy/collegiate, Annie Hall, and the usual RL influences mixed in. Men’s shirts, sweaters, sweater vests and waistcoats, midi skirts, and a lot of wide leg, pleated pants. Oh, and corduroy, of course! Sorry, getting carried away here a bit. Anyway, this is a transitional outfit for a rainy late-summer day. Loving navy and dark blue lately, especially with cream and different shades of brown. So simple and satisfying!

Details: Zara top, Grass Rags dress, vintage cowboy boots, turquoise accessories (all secondhand), Ricki’s skirt (retail)

Thoughts: But I’m not letting go of summer just yet! This skirt has been one of my fave purchases this year; it’s such a great addition to my summer wardrobe. It works both as a focal piece in outfits, and as a blank canvas. Here, it’s a bit of both. Denim and white with turquoise accessories is my total jam.

Details: No label dress, Prairie Trail goods jacket, Brixton hat, Hondo boots (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Can you believe that I thrifted this cotton dress specifically for this jacket and these boots? I mean, I think it makes sense, no? The colour is a perfect match for the jacket, and the length is perfect for showcasing the boots. I’ve been loving short, swing dresses this summer even though the length is a big departure from my usual style. For me, short + voluminous is the way to go — I would not feel like “me” if the dress was short and very form-fitting. I think part of it has to do with my torso-to-legs ratio (which favours the former); swing dresses make it seem like I have longer legs than I actually do, because they don’t let you see where my waist actually is, and I do enjoy feeling like a gazelle every now and then, LOL!

Details: H&M top, Only & Sons shirt, Mexx skirt, Napoleoni shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: A little Disco Southwest moment. I thought it would be fun to layer a sparkly crop top under this SW patterned shirt … and I was right. I kept the colour palette very simple, so the textures could be the focal point. It’s minimalism, Adina style 😉

Details: Uniqlo top, Prairie Trail Goods jacket & bag, Ralph Lauren skirt, Old Navy shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I just threw a bunch of my fave floral summer pieces together, and called it an outfit. And it was a good one! I’m surprised I’d never thought to pair this skirt and jacket before; the colours go together so well, and despite the fact that there are a million different patterns involved, the result is very harmonious and pleasing to my eyes. And you’ll notice that I added a new, solid-colour tee to my cropped top rotation; I think the soft lilac colour will be versatile for my wardrobe. Crop tops are one of my closet staples these days, since I wear so many high-waisted skirts and pants. They eliminate the need for tucking, and still let me show off my waist (and belts).

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt & pants & scarf, Fossil belt, Ferragamo shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: One last, basic outfit — but there is something satisfying in its simplicity, isn’t it?

Details: Chepe dress, Maguire shoes (both retail), Anna Paola bag (consignment), Warren Steven Scott earrings

Thoughts: It’s very very rare, these days, that I wear (almost) head-to-toe retail but here you have one of those unicorns. Winners got me. I usually only shop there for skincare, but I received some gift cards for my birthday just as they were running their summer clearance sales and I ended up having a good nose around. I found the black version of my “perfect blank canvas” dress and I could not resist getting it. Here’s the thing: I had spent a long time looking for a dress like this one — the cut, the style, the length, the fabric — before I found the original last year. I had been hoping for either black or white but, at the time, Winners only had it in navy. So I got the navy because, colour aside, it checked off all my boxes. And I have not regretted that decision even though navy is not one of my fave neutrals. It proved to be a good option for me, as it works well with lots of colours in my wardrobe. But black is still my OG so when I found this colourway … well, I just had to get it. I think this outfit shows what I mean when I call this my “perfect blank canvas” dress; it’s so incredibly easy to dress it up and down with different toppers and/or accessories. Speaking of the latter, peep those shoes. Now these were a total impulse buy, but as soon as I touched them, I had to have them. They are made from the most incredibly soft leather I have ever felt. I normally avoid shoes with a narrow peep-toe opening because they tend to cut into my feet and feel like torture … but not these ones. THE most comfortable sandals I own. And the colours are fun too!

Details: Ardene top (retail), Icone blazer, vintage skirt, Rafael Alfandary necklace (all secondhand)

Thoughts: It might seem bonkers to add more pattern to an outfit that features this skirt, but in fact it somehow makes a lot of sense. You just have to pick a good pattern. This one looks like it could almost be part of the skirt, so it works quite well. To keep the outfit from sliding into total pattern mayhem, I stuck with a plain white cropped tee as my third piece. Cropped tees — usually white, but sometimes black — have been my wardrobe MVPs this summer. They are the “glue” that holds together all my fun statement pieces.

Details: Glamorous top, Prairie Trail Goods cardigan, BDG jeans, Ralph Lauren belt, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Really leaning into a 70s boho vibe with this outfit, and I loved it. The mahogany brown accessories complement the pink and blue colour palette so well. The pattern mixing might seem a bit adventurous but it feels very harmonious thanks to the cohesiveness of that palette.

Details: Ardene top (retail), Lira jacket, vintage skirt, Hondo cowboy boots, vintage belt, Dooney bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I’ve been loving my cowboy boots so much this year, I bought another pair — this one. Now, I was hoping to find a brown pair (still looking!) but when this beauty walked into my life, so to speak, I couldn’t let it get away. It’s similar to the boots I already have, which are also grey and black, but the design on the shaft is different. For $30, I’m happy to have a second pair … especially since my daughter now wears the same shoe size and has started to, ahem, take advantage of that fact. Cowboy boots are hella expensive, so I’m considering this pair a hedge against future replacement needs. Anyway, since I love my boots so much, I’ve also started to wear shorter dresses and skirts again. In fact, I ended up buying this skirt specifically to wear with my cowboy boots. Is it too on the nose with the cowboy theme? Quite possibly. But it’s hella fun so YOLO yeehaw!

Details: Zara top, Pelican Cove vest, Brave belt, Ralph Lauren skirt, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: You can’t tell from this photo but this top is actually dark green, not black. It’s important for me to tell you that because, IRL, that little detail made the outfit even better. Otherwise, what can I say about this? It’s my “climate control” three-piece outfit formula for summer days: crop top, vest, skirt. For me, the 3rd piece is a one of the easiest ways to make outfits look intentional, and in hot weather, vests are the ideal 3rd piece to incorporate extra colour, or pattern, or texture into an outfit.

Details: Ardene top (retail), Only & Sons jacket, Suttles & Seawinds skirt, Aldo shoes, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I was not kidding when I said that cropped white tees have been my summer wardrobe MVPs. Here, it plays a supporting role in a composition I would like to call “Juxtaposition”. The jacket and shoes are a different vibe from the skirt and bag, but I really enjoy the conversation they’re having. It’s unexpected, and unexpected is usually jolly good fun. As far as fashion goes, anyway 😉

Details: vintage dress, DKNY belt, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Funny story: I thrifted this dress for my daughter thinking that she would appreciate its fun, whimsical pattern. It was a bit of a risk, since she’s becoming increasingly picky about her style, but worse case scenario I knew that if she didn’t like it, I could exchange it (VV doesn’t do returns). I showed it to her at home and had her try it on, and she loved it. Great! I took off the tag and popped it in the wash. A week later, we’re getting ready to go for brunch and I ask her if she wants to wear it. She puts it on and decides she hates it. Gah! Pre-teens, man! It was too late to take it back to the store, so I guess this dress is mine now. It’s fine. Joke’s on her: it’s hella comfortable and perfectly breezy for summer. I’ll probably mostly wear it around the house, but it’s cute enough to take outside too. And I love cherries!

Details: Old Navy swimsuit (retail), vintage pants, Birkenstock shoes (both secondhand)

Thoughts: And now for something completely different … this is what I wore on a family outing to Voyageur Park in Devon. We had a lovely time hanging out on the “beach” by the North Saskatchewan River — the kids swam a bit, I walked along the shore and looked for rocks (which is almost as much fun as looking for seashells by the ocean), and we had a lovely picnic en plein air. This is a beautiful little spot, just a short drive from our house, and relatively quiet on weekday mornings/early afternoons. We will be going back again for sure. As far as my outfit, a wide brim hat is always a must when I’m going to be out in the sun (along with sunscreen, of course) and my plastic Birks are my go-to choice for outdoorsy shoes. I mean, I probably wouldn’t hike in them, but I can walk for miles and they’re great for sand/water. For my “cover-up”, I love these elastic waist, lightweight cotton pants because they’re breezy, easy to roll up or take off, quick to dry, and machine washable. And they just happen to coordinate really well with my favourite bikini.