Details: MaxMara sweater (Poshmark), Jessie skirt, BR belt, Chie Mihara shoes (all thrifted)

Notes: It’s been far too long since I last wore this MaxMara sweater. I still adore its whimsy; it makes me smile. As I was debating what to pair it with this time, I realized that the colours of the flowers matched those of the skirt flowers. The design is different, but visually “close enough” is good enough. I really love this pattern mix, if you can call it that. I was a little bit concerned at first that it might be too chaotic, but I don’t think it is.

Details: mystery dress, necklace (both thrifted), Zara boots (retail)

Notes: When I say this is a mystery dress, I mean it. I have so many questions about it, none of them satisfactorily answered. There is no brand tag. The inside tag lists the RN # for Michael Kors, but a Google Image search for this pattern only returns Dries Van Noten dresses. It’s silk with hand-finished hems, which you would not expect from a counterfeit (assuming that’s what could explain the other oddities). So, who knows? I like this weird, mystery dress and I paid $4.50 for it, so I am not too fussed about it. It certainly has a 2018 Adina vibe to it, but I enjoy a good throwback now and then.

Details: vintage sweater, Woolrich vest, Everlane pants, Laredo shoes, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Notes: My husband said that I looked very Canadian in this outfit, and it’s hard to argue with that. I love this not-really-Hudson’s-Bay-but-pretending sweater and it makes a statement outfit out of any basic pieces. That being said, the accessories are maybe my favourite part; these shoes and this bag are on repeat and I just can’t get enough. Luckily, they go with everything.

Details: Lewit sweater (swap), Elena Wong coat, H&M pants, Gap belt, Modern Vice shoes (all thrifted), Tignanello bag (Poshmark)

Notes: Remember this coat? It’s still one of my faves. I love how unusual it is; the graphic pattern makes a great visual impact. I like to play up the yellow accents. Here, I doubled up with the yellow bag, and added blue for contrast. This shade complements the yellow really well. I wanted to keep the rest of the outfit neutral so I chose my tan paperbag waist pants; they are the best “blank” canvas piece.

Details: Oak & Fort turtleneck, H&M Studio skirt (both thrifted), BCBG belt (Poshmark), J. Crew shoes (retail), Warren Steven Scott earrings (retail)

Notes: I don’t like to wear orange; I feel like it clashes with my hair and isn’t kind to my complexion either. But I enjoy it in this context, because it’s a splash of colour far enough away from my face not to cause me any grief, but bold enough to make a statement. Since I don’t have a lot of orange in my closet, I decided to use red as an accent colour since the rest of the outfit is very neutral. Red and orange might not seem like a very felicitous combination, but I like it here. I added the white belt to tie the outfit together and I think it does that very well.

Details: Toni T dickie, Esprit vest, Higher State dress, vintage petticoat, Nine West shoes (all thrifted)

Notes: I call this Jo March, winter edition. I know petticoats are old-fashioned, but I like how the mostly-black outfit is bookended by white in this way. I think it makes the outfit “pop” more. The grandpa vest gives it some visual definition – otherwise, the black might be a bit overwhelming (and too Wednesday Addams, which isn’t the vibe I was going for this time).

Details: Oak & Fort turtleneck, cashmere cardigan, Twik pants, Fossil belt, American Apparel coat (all thrifted), Mia shoes (retail), Coach bag (swap)

Notes: I’m obsessed with this shade of brown — I call it whiskey brown — in case you couldn’t tell. I’ve been wearing it a lot this fall, and I especially like it paired with black. Here, I softened the palette a bit, adding yellow and grey into the mix. The grey wasn’t something I came up with on my own; I was inspired by the coat itself, which has a brown collar. It made me realize that brown and grey could work together too. See … inspiration is everywhere!

Details: vintage sweater (thrifted), Banana Republic jeans, Mia shoes (both retail), Coach bag (eBay)

Thoughts: Doesn’t this sweater look like a classic Hudson’s Bay 4 stripe sweater? I’ve always loved that pattern. Well, it isn’t. It’s some random Manitoba brand label, and I’m pretty sure it’s some unholy acrylic blend but I don’t care because it’s chunky and cozy and *vibes*. I mean, just look at how good it looks with my mom’s old Coach bag and my trusty BR wide leg jeans. A perfect fall outfit.

Details: Ralph Lauren sweater (gift), Ralph Lauren blazer (thrift), DKNY skirt (Poshmark), Anne Marie Chagnon necklace (Poshmark), Zara boots (thrifted)

Thoughts: Here is my fave 90s skirt, and another 90s-inspired fit. I loved this so much. This is how I do minimalism: simple but with interesting details. Lots of textural contrast here too, which also helps make minimalist colour palettes more fun for me.

Details: Ralph Lauren blazer (Poshmark), Oak & Fort turtleneck & jeans (thrifted), Gap belt (thrifted), Mia shoes (retail), Coach bag (trade)

Thoughts: OK, this blazer. It’s so good right? When I saw it posted on Poshmark for under $50, I tell you — I squealed like an excited schoolgirl. Ralph Lauren pieces have seen more inflation on the resale market than my grocery store. It’s getting SO hard to find to good deals, and this … this is a GREAT deal. It’s exactly the kind of blazer I adore (wool, professor-chic), and it’s a plaid colourway I don’t have. The colours are fantastic and those real suede elbow patches? Chef’s kiss. I wore this outfit to my kids’ parent-teacher meetings, so I kept things pretty simple, sticking with a brown/black/denim palette. I’ve been obsessed with black-and-brown this fall, and I think this outfit speaks for itself.

Details: Zara top, Jones NY blazer, Roksanda skirt (all thrifted), Chloe shoes (gift)

Thoughts: I wore this outfit on a rare day at the office. I tend to stick with a neutral palette when I go to the office. I don’t know why; our office had a relatively relaxed dress code even before the WFH/hybrid work schedules became a thing. I think it’s just what I still associate in my mind with “office wear”. I liked this outfit a lot (wouldn’t have worn it otherwise) but I’m glad it’s not my daily uniform. I like the freedom to dress a lot more creatively at home.

Details: Ralph Lauren sweater (gift), Silverado jacket (gift), Cotton Ginny belt (thrifted), BR jeans (retail), Chloe shoes (gift)

Thoughts: This outfit was made possible by 2 kind friends giving me things that weren’t working for them. The sweater and shoes came from J, and have been in almost-constant rotation since I got them. The cream cable knit, in particular, has turned into a cornerstone of my fall/winter wardrobe this year. It goes with nearly everything! The jacket came from S, and it is beyond fabulous. I love the pattern and the colours so much. It’s really more of a mid- to lightweight jacket, so best saved for warmer weather, but I couldn’t resist getting in at least one wear this year. When I tell you I’ve been imploring Mother Nature to hold off on the snow for now, you’ll understand why.

Details: Benetton sweater, Oak & Fort jeans, Converse shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: About 10 years ago, I bought my first pair of Chucks. I know because I recently came across the photo I took in the store that day on my IG feed. At the time, I debated between getting a grey pair and a red pair. Grey won out … but a decade later, I finally got my red pair too. To be honest, while I got lots of use out of my grey pair over the years (and I still have those shoes, by the way), red is SO much more my speed these days. The only problem? I am, ummm, sharing custody of these shoes with my daughter. Yes, we can basically wear the same shoes (there’s about a half size difference). On one hand, it’s fun. On the other hand … I’m a little scared, hahaha!

Details: Mexx shirt (Poshmark), American Apparel coat, Kimchi Blue pants, Asos boots (all thrifted), vintage bag (from my mom)

Thoughts: I had this vintage (made in Hong Kong!) Mexx shirt on my Poshmark watchlist for a long time before I finally decided to go for it. I’m glad I did; the collage-like pattern is so cool, and the colours — black, brown and yellow — are totally up my alley right now. I stuck with that theme, and added grey, bookending things with the jacket collar, bag and shoes in my fave shade of brown. A very satisfying outfit.

Details: Wilfred sweater (retail), J. Crew blazer (retail), Banana Republic pants (retail), Josef belt (thrifted), Chloe shoes (gift)

Thoughts: This is a perfect fall outfit for me. The colour palette is perfection; I usually gravitate towards the cool end of the spectrum, but these browns and yellows have a cool tone which really works for me. The sweater and blazer are super old (2016-2017) and the pants are recent, so this highlights the possibilities of a versatile wardrobe. This might not be trendy, but it also doesn’t look dated; the pant silhouette does make things feel more modern, without screaming “trendy”.

Details: ElevenParis tee, Joie cardigan, Ralph Lauren skirt (all thrifted), MaxMara belt (Poshmark)

Thoughts: Another outfit that I loved wearing. I adore this skirt — it’s wool and has a beautiful check, the very definition of autumnal; I tend to wear it backwards to highlight the slit. To me, it’s pretty much the perfect skirt silhouette. Here I emphasized the vertical line by pairing it with a long cardigan (with a nice textural contrast), and added some juxtaposition with a fun, irreverent t-shirt. I still felt like something was missing, so I added this tonal but funky belt. It basically takes the place of a statement necklace and adds extra definition around the waist, which highlights the shape of the skirt.

Details: Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo shirt, cashmere cardigan, UO pants (all thrifted), Ralph Lauren belt (Poshmark), J. Crew shoes (consignment), Zara tie (from husband)

Thoughts: I really like the colour scheme of this cardigan; it’s not my usual colours, but there is something very pleasing about it, so I decided to let it be the focal point of the outfit. I picked up on the marigold yellow with a tie, and kept everything else pretty simple. Simple but effective.

Details: Revello top (retail), Second Female cardigan, Jessie skirt (both thrifted), Laredo boots (consignment), Paloma Picasso bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: This skirt-top combo was one of my fave late-summer fits, and I decided to update it for fall, taking advantage of the gorgeous weather on (Canadian) Thanksgiving. These boots … I cannot say enough good things about them. I bought them last spring because I had been looking for a pair of granny boots for ages, and these seemed like a good compromise. But I was still a bit unsure. Were they a bit too masculine? While they are not a classic granny boot, they can lean in that direction, but they can also lean into combat boot territory, and these are both very pertinent to my current aesthetic. And they are so comfortable! Good job, Old Me!

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt, Jeanne Pierre sweater, Talbots skirt (all thrifted), Jimmy Choo shoes (eBay)

Thoughts: This outfit was inspired by a look from the Dries Van Noten SS 2024 runway collection. What captivated me was a combo of chunky green sweater and blue-striped shirt. My versions are totally different from the DvN ones, but it doesn’t matter; I love this combo, and I probably wouldn’t have thought to pair them like this on my own. Yay for inspiration! I struggle a bit with choosing a bottom, but ultimately took the cue from the runway again, and chose this camel hair skirt. The runway original was khaki and had a totally different silhouette, but again – it was the general colour palette I wanted to replicate. I really liked the relaxed vibe of this.

Details: H&M top (retail), Everlane sweater, Ralph Lauren jacket (both thrifted), Icone skirt (swap), Laredo boots (consignment)

Thoughts: Those boots again — see!? They are so good. This was another 90s-influenced outfit that took me back to my teenage years. And I even got a compliment on it at the thrift store! Sweet!