What I Wore: End of January 2021

Tulle Explosion

I “upgraded” my tulle skirt into a real tulle explosion and I couldn’t be happier, hah. I put quotation marks around upgraded because it’s not a real upgrade, quality-wise; my old tulle skirt was Boohoo and this one is Chicwish, so both are fast fashion. But until the tulle Dior skirt of my dreams comes up at the thrifts, I will take this. I love the tiers upon tiers of tulle – it’s so frothy and swishy and fun. I’ve been wanting to try this total fantasy lewk of tulle paired with a blazer for while, and recently rediscovered this old Theory plaid wool number which proved to be a good choice. Slapped a belt on for extra waist definition and — voila! A lovely confection, if I do say so myself.

The Cool Spectrum

It’s no secret that I love cool colours – blues, greens, and purples have long been my favourites. This outfit checks off a lot of boxes for me, in addition to colours. I love the mix of textures, the chunky knits, and of course, that wonderful midi skirt I love so much. I think I could honestly wear it every week, with everything in my closet, and never be bored of it. It’s rare to have an item purchased online work out so well, but I am so grateful I found this one. I am also really fond of my accessories here, especially after I added one of my own creations to the mix:

Back to the Past

I’ve never been super into nostalgic clothing until recently, but now it seems to hit differently. I have a newfound appreciation for stuff from the 80s and 90s. Not all of it, of course, but some. This tee was a fun thrift find; I love the colours, and I thought they would really pop with my old pink coat. The heartbreak came later … when my son asked me what the heck Back to the Future meant. Oy! There is some movie education in his future, I think.

Black and White

This monochrome Oak & Fort sweater was a bit of an impulse buy on Poshmark, but I couldn’t resist the graphic colour-blocking – it’s so unusual. I also love the sleeves, although they’re perhaps a bit too voluminous for real life. One thing I wasn’t expecting is how cropped it is; it was hard to gauge that from stock photos. I don’t mind, but it will change a bit how I can style this sweater. More layering (as with this culotte jumpsuit), and fewer low-waisted bottoms. But, let’s face it, that’s my motto in general.

Recent Purchases: Return of the Thrift

Yes, friends, thrifting is back. Sort of. I don’t go as often as I used, nor to as many stores (just the one closest to my house), nor for as long … but even the shortest of visits feels like a gift that I’m not taking for granted. As for Poshmark, well, it is always there. Too much there, if you get what I mean. But don’t let me get ahead of myself. What did I buy recently? Read on.

Pilcro floral jeans (thrifted)

It is no secret, I love Grandma’s Floral Couch Part Deux. I haven’t spent much time in the last 6 months looking at the denim racks, so I am glad I happened to be walking by one day and spotted these. They are stretchy and comfy, which is the only kind of denim I will accept these days. I can’t wait to style them this spring/summer.

Wilfred Cyprie dress (thrifted)

This is the dress version of one of my fave sweaters. I love the details – the sleeves, in particular. It’s a dress meant to be worn loose/baggy, but the slit keeps it from being too potato sack-y. Plus, it can be belted for extra oomph. Speaking of which …

MaxMara belt (Poshmark)

This was one of those “I see it, I want it, I make an offer” situations. I love the chunky resin links, and could imagine so many styling possibilities in my head – I had to have it. I paid $63 (including shipping) which wasn’t cheap, but it was so worth it for this one-of-a-kind belt.

Alexis Bittar ring (Poshmark)

This was a lucky find – the listing had a good price, and I was able to negotiate a bit, to end up with a real score – $31 (including shipping) for this gorgeous Alexis Bittar rings. This is one of my fave jewelry brands, and I love the unusual design and the colours of this ring.

Sarah Coventry necklace (Poshmark)

The next few purchases I ordered on Poshmark before Christmas as gifts from my husband. That guy has it so easy, I swear #kiddingnotkidding Anyway, this Sarah Coventry necklace caught my eye because it had a brutalist feel to it.

J. Crew necklace (Poshmark)

I loved the confetti-like rhinestone design of this necklace, and I got a pretty good deal on a bundle with some Rifle Paper Co. notebooks (it was $18 shipped).

Maria Cornejo dress (Poshmark)

Another great deal – this still had tags on it, and I paid $115 shipped — over 90% off retail. I love the soft velour fabric; it feels like pyjamas or maybe a fancy bathrobe, but can be easily dressed way, way up.

Moon face ring & labradorite ring (Poshmark)

Another great bundle – I paid $38 shipped for both. The little moon face ring just tickled my fancy; I love anything with moon, sun or star motifs. And labradorite is my favourite stone, so I was pumped to find this ring (set in silver) for a low price. I have a lot of green-flashing labradorite, but blue-flashing stones like this one are more rare.

Stella & Dot necklace bundle (Poshmark)

I love Stella & Dot jewelry, and I was able to bundle these two necklace for a great deal, again ($35 shipped). The first necklace is one I used to own, in a slightly different version. It’s reversible; mine was aqua blue on one side, and brown on the other. This one is also aqua blue, but the reverse is … surprise! … a labradorite. The listing photo wasn’t super clear, but I took a risk and it paid off, as this stone has a beautiful flash to it.

The second necklace appealed to me because I loved the green stone. It’s a simple design but so striking. And then the seller surprised me by adding in the matching earrings as an extra. How lovely!

Marimekko x H&M skirt (Poshmark)

I was drawn to the print of this skirt, which reminded me of Marni. Marimekko is, of course, famous for its prints. I took a risk because the skirt was size 6, and I know that H&M fits small. And … it does. Luckily, I can *just* squeeze into it, and it’s a good thing too because it’s such a cool skirt.

Anthropologie t-shirt (thrifted)

I thought this was a cute graphic tee. Love those umbrellas!

Golden open jacket (thrifted)

This jacket is right up my alley – open, soft, and semi-structured. I like the embroidery detail, and the colour is very versatile for my closet. I think it will look great with denim and, ummm, maybe those Pilcro floral jeans too.

Wilfred Cipriana dress (Poshmark)

I’ve been hunting for this dress for years now, and I finally managed to find it for a good-ish price ($48 including shipping). This wasn’t the colourway I had originally planned to get, but I think it actually works better for my wardrobe palette. It’s the same knit as my beloved Cipriana sweater, which I bought last year; it’s super thick and soft, not itchy at all.

Turquoise ring (Poshmark)

Honestly, I think one of my favourite things to stalk on Poshmark are inexpensive semi-precious stone rings. I spent a long time looking for the perfect shade of turquoise stone, and finally ring popped up AND it was a great deal ($30 shipped). I am obsessed with this ring!

H&M tulle dress (Poshmark)

Impulse buy, but no regrets. It’s everything I’m into at the moment – tiers, tulle, volume, big sleeves. I paid $28 shipped, which is more than I’d spend at the thrift store, but worth it for what it is and how much joy it brings me. I have decided to hunt down the cream version as well; I think it might be even more interesting to style. Or perhaps this can be my winter dress, and the light colour, the summer dress. Or … good Adina, bad Adina? So many possibilities.

Oak & Fort sweater (Poshmark)

Speaking of … how cool is this sweater? It was something I stumbled onto randomly, and purchased immediately. I love its graphic simplicity and, of course, the sleeves are so very cool.

What have you bought and/or loved recently?

What I Wore: Late January 2021

Bold Graphic to the Max

How cool is this Marimekko x H&M skirt? The print has a Marni vibe to it that I adore (or, someone pointed out on IG, maybe Marni has a Marimekko vibe, idk). There are many styling possibilities for it – and I plan to explore them all – but I decided to lean into the maximalist thing, and add MORE colour and MORE patterns to the mix. I loved how it turned out, although having to tuck the sweater into the skirt meant that I had to hike up the waistband pretty darn close to my armpits. I knew I was taking a risk with it, as the skirt is a size 6 and I’m usually closer to a 10 in H&M, but it works *just*! Definitely size up if you end up hunting for this. The plus side? Deeeeeeep pockets. And lots of twirl. I say, go for it!

Goth Jo

I mean, maybe? I’m wearing my velvet “Jo March” waistcoat, and maybe this is an outfit she’d appreciate. Although I’m not sure Jo would have been a tulle fan. I feel like that might be more of an Amy pick. Anyway. Another H&M piece I picked up on Posh (stay tuned later this week for a proper round-up) that was a success. I sized way up because I wanted all the extra tulle goodness. I wanted BIG volume … and I got it. There are many plays to play with so much volume, but I went for perhaps a less obvious route with the waistcoat as an alternative to a belt. I’m mulling another “out of the box” idea for my next outfit.

Colorblocked

Finally! I have been hunting for this Wilfred “Cipriana” dress for so long, and I finally found it for a decent price secondhand. In retrospect, I kinda prefer the sweater version (which I also own, in a different colourway), and would have been happy to have it in this palette as well. As a dress, it’s nice but the silhouette is just okay for me. I probably should have sized way up to get a more tent-like fit, which would have been more interesting to me, but given Aritzia sizing — this is a Medium already, and I haven’t seen larger sizes floating around yet — it might have been an even longer wait. Anyway, I think I can probably wear this as an extra long sweater, or at least I plan on trying that too. I love the colours, and they pair nicely with this Mackage jacket.

Something New

I decided to try out a new photo spot in the house – what do we think? Is it too busy? I enjoy seeing different backdrops in other people’s photos, but I’m not sure if mine doesn’t just look cluttered. But, the outfit. I liked it. It was simple but fun, and I love the cheeky graphic print tee. It had a 80s comic book vibe combined with 90s baby-tee styling. I never would have dared to wear a waistband-skimming cropped tee in the actual 90s (too self-conscious teenager-y of me) but now … why not? Especially when it’s just around the house, haha.