Maximalism To The Max

There is a *lot* happening here, I acknowledge that. But, like … I think it works? Here’s what happened. I thrifted this Anthro brand skirt a while back; I liked the wild (no pun intended) pattern mix, the length, and the overall swishiness. I took a risk on sizing, hoping it would fit – my waist is the slimmest part of my body, so I usually have more leeway there. When I got home, I realized that it was a bit more snug than I had hoped. So I threw it up for sale. Fast forward a couple of months; the skirt hasn’t sold and I’m trying to clear out my basement storage a bit so I decide to give it another whirl. It’s still snug but feels doable, so I start to experiment a little with possible outfits. A crop top was a given (don’t want to have to tuck anything in and further reduce the available waist circumference) but I wasn’t sure about a topper … until I remembered this Phillip Lim x Target thin blazer that I thrifted recently (it’s really more like a pyjama top, cut like a slouchy blazer). The colours worked perfectly together, and the print was similar albeit on a different scale. And I LOVE how it turned out! It’s a lot to take in, but in a good way, I think.

And the accessories:

Restraint, I Remember Her

And here’s proof that I can still do a more subdued outfit, if need be. Need here is, of course, subjective but it’s nice to know I still have some variety in my repertoire. Though, come to think of it, I *have* been using this belt an awful lot lately as an outfit finishing piece. It’s just SO good for that! Here, the top and skirt would have worked just fine alone together, but the belt makes the outfit a bit special.

A Desert Palette

It wasn’t exactly intentional, but I think this ended up as a very southwestern-inspired palette – terracota, goldenrod, and sky blue. It makes me miss the desert, and think fondly of future trips to Arizona (here’s hoping!). All of it, I need not add, inspired by the graphic tee which, naturally, I had to buy because CACTI! And speaking of which:

Aqua, Green and Brown

It may not sound especially exciting, but I love this colour triad. I started this outfit with just the skirt and sweater, and it looked fine. But then, inspired by some of the more creative maximalist accounts on my IG feed, I decided to up the ante with a third piece – the vest. While it does perhaps take a little away from the drama of the sweater sleeves, I think it adds a nice twist to the outfit as a whole. And the accessories:

Happy Spring, friends! I hope the new season — and it IS a new season even here in frigid Winterfell Edmonton — is treating you well. So far, 2021 has been a dumpster fire year on a personal level, so I am doing everything I can to try to find fun and positivity wherever I can. Since this blog is devoted to fashion, let’s talk about what’s been cheering me up, fashion-wise.

Vintage

I haven’t been interesting in vintage since my teen years, back when I was thrifting out of necessity and all I could find was 70s polyester confections. Nowadays, I thrift for fun, and vintage is getting ever harder to find; at least the kind that I’m interested in, which is to say 80s, 90s and Y2K stuff. Basically, all the things I couldn’t afford to buy at retail the first time around, and which are now having a resurgence in popularity. I *could* buy the 2020s version at retail but … ahh, the vintage is more fun! And, often, better quality even if we are talking about non-designer brands. Specific vintage things that I’m looking for (a non-exclusive list): waistcoats, chunky knits, denim, graphic tees. Speaking of which …

Graphic Tees

The love affair with graphic tees continues. My personal preference is more towards pop art-inspired stuff than, say, band tees but I am an equal opportunity collector if the colours speak to me.

Harness

Record scratch. Wait, what? I hear you. Blame this on Timmy Chalamet (I still think about his jewelled Louis Vuitton harness ALL THE TIME) and Simone Rocha. My ideal version is more “high fashion” than “BDSM”, and while I would love to find a leather version, I am exploring other options like super cropped sequin tank tops (inspired by the recent H&M x Rocha collab). I am excited about all the layering possibilities, especially worn with voluminous dresses or tops (and puffy sleeves – be still, my heart!).

Mixed Prints

I’m back on the maximalism train full time, so of course I am once more obsessed with mixed prints. That means both pieces that feature mixed prints, or pieces with bold prints that I can mix and match myself. My favourite kind of prints are abstract, plaid and geometric prints, along with florals of course. The more colourful, the better. Colorblocked pieces are, in fact, a whole separate category that I am keeping a close eye on.

Coordinating Sets

Trinny Woodall, whom I have recently re-discovered on IG, is a big fan of “co-ords” and seeing her styling efforts has only fanned the flames of my lust for them. What I love about coordinating sets is the versatility; you can wear them separately, of course, and then create a whole different silhouette by wearing them together so they look either like a dress or a jumpsuit. My preference, of course, is for sets featuring fun, bold prints. They are not easy to find at thrift stores (although I think more and more stores are selling them now), but it’s possible to find them on the resale market if you focus on the designer side — often, designers will use the same fabric to make different pieces for a particular collection (top, pants, skirt, etc.) and you can assemble a coordinating set by hunting for pieces individually.

Ok, now tell me: what are you currently obsessed with?

Starting with a Bang

Visually, this is a very punchy outfit so I thought it only right to start with it. To make sure you’re paying attention, haha! I was influenced by one of my favourite style IG-ers (@stufflucywore) to start lusting after chunky, brightly coloured cardigans. It wasn’t hard: she makes everything she wears so appealing (hello, graphic tees!) and I was already predisposed to like chunky knits. So when I saw this handmade number on a local vintage reseller’s site, I jumped on it without hesitation. It’s so fabulous! And the attention to detail is impressive – the colours are very thoughtfully arranged, and there is method in the visual chaos. I was debating what to wear it with as an inaugural outfit, and this Acne skirt jumped straight to the head of the line. The colour works so well with the cardigan’s palette, and the mix of textures is *chef’s kiss*. I am also quite pleased with my accessories:

A New(ish) Silhouette

I’m sure you’ve heard by now the battle cry of Millenials and younger Gen X-ers whose love of skinny jeans (and side parts?) has been challenged by the younger Tik Tok generation. I am not strongly militant on either side of this debate, though I have been sorta experimenting with a middle part (growing out my bangs is a desperate project all around) and also with some new denim silhouettes. Not because I’m trying to recapture my youth but because … well, it’s fun to switch things up from time to time, isn’t it? Anyway, as it happened, these Gap denim culottes — they’re called a wide leg crop, or something like that, but let’s just call a spade a spade — came across my path at Goodwill recently and I simply had to give them a whirl. They’re inspiring me to try some new outfit proportions and formulas. This one, featuring a long-line vintage Escada cashmere (!) blazer and graphic tee, has a nice vintage vibe to it that I quite like.

Casual Fancy

This Maria Cornejo dress is a glorified bathrobe, but it’s super easy to dress it up. Just add belt. Instant outfit makeover. I can go from the couch to a cocktail party in 30 seconds flat. I don’t *need* to, mind you, but I could.

Navy & Red

I don’t wear a lot of navy, as it’s never been one of my go-to neutrals, but I have to say that it looks quite sharp paired with red. Here, I used the skirt to echo the balloon shape of the blouse sleeves; it’s the kind of little detail that amuses me. But, really, this is a pretty basic, no-brainer kind of outfit so I can’t take much credit for styling chops on this one.

Black & White

I’ll end the post with another one of my faves from last week. I’ve done a lot of B&W outfits in the past, and this is one of the simpler ones but I love it. Instead of using red as an accent, I went with gold. Chunky gold jewelry, to be precise. The focal piece, in my opinion, is this fabulous Oak & Fort blouse; it has strong Simone Rocha vibes, which is my current obsession. I thrifted the same style in black a while back, and eventually hunted this white version Poshmark because I love it so much. The sleeves are just perfection. This is the Large size (my black top is size Small) which means a little extra room in the body, a little extra length, and a little extra drama in the sleeves. It’s just long enough to loosely tuck into this Zara skirt – another recent Poshmark buy. I was drawn to the abstract face print, and I love the cut of it, but the quality is on the lower end for Zara. Ah well.