Details: Reitmans sweater (thrifted), DKNY skirt (Poshmark)

Thoughts: This is the kind of outfit I could wear forever. The sweater is a nothingburger brand (as they say) but the design makes it a perfect statement piece for me. It’s relatively minimalist, but with a wow factor. The skirt … well, we’ve already talked about how much I love it. I’m wearing it here at its full length, and it’s still sexy without being too in-your-face about it.

Details: Revello top (retail), cashmere cardigan, Zara blazer, Danier skirt (all thrifted), Dooney bag (Poshmark), Mia shoes (retail)

Thoughts: How’s this for a fall outfit? This (real) suede skirt is a showstopper and I’m chuffed to have found it at the thrift store for $25 rather than have to pay retail prices. The colour is *chef’s kiss*. I decided to stick with an autumnal palette of browns and yellows, inspired by this mystery cashmere cardigan I thrifted. It’s a mystery because the brand label is missing, but it’s made in Perugia so it must be a little bit fancy, right? Hah! My platform loafers are still going strong in their second year, and I am forever congratulating myself on having had the foresight to pick a pair with brown soles because it makes them so easy to wear with both brown and black. Super versatile!

Details: Gap tank, UO pants, Zara duster, Josef belt (all thrifted), selfmade necklace

Thoughts: This was inspired by a Ralph Lauren SS 2024 runway look. I love Papa Ralph’s use of accessories; it’s always so thoughtful and intentional. Here, if you ignore the fringey duster, you have a pretty simple outfit, made special by accessories. There were been a few RL collections with a similar aesthetic — all black (or black and white) clothes with statement accessories. As someone who love bold jewelry and belts, I find it endlessly inspiring.

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck, Gap blazer (both thrifted), Margiela skirt (swap), Paloma Picasso bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: My obsession with the 90s has introduced a strong minimalist streak into my outfits this season. The challenge of minimalism for me is making something very simple still look visually impactful — to myself, whose eye has been conditioned by maximalism for years. Here, one bold (but simple) pattern, textural contrast (leather), and interesting proportions do the heavy lifting.

Details: handmade hoodie, Chicwish skirt (both thrifted), Laredo boots (consignment)

Thoughts: I couldn’t resist the flair of this homemade patchwork hoodie at the thrift store, just like I could not resist the exuberance of this outfit at home. I’m calling it Patchwork Grunge Princess, and it’s one of the more obscure corners of my 90s obsession. Someone on Instagram recently brought up the Romantic Grunge aesthetic of the 90s, and it sparked something in me. I loved that back then, and it has so many possibilities now — it has lots of synergy with my Bohemian avatar. I feel like this outfit is part of my exploration of that aesthetic.

Details: COS sweater, BDG jeans, Brave belt, Stuart Weitzman shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: More 90s stuff. I love these baggy jeans so much, after resisting the style for so long. It’s a different look from the wide-leg denim I’ve adopted over the last couple of years, but it definitely has a place in my current outfit rotation given the 90s influence. When I wear them, it’s the trendiest I ever feel which, surprisingly, does make me feel a little bit self-conscious at times. I never want to feel like a trend is wearing me, rather than vice versa, so I have to be more intentional with the styling to make it feel like “me”.

Details: Rebel Sugar mesh top (gift), Zara top (thrifted), BCBG belt, Carven skirt (both Poshmark), selfmade necklace

Thoughts: I love this outfit a lot and I can’t believe I didn’t think to pair this skirt and belt before. Long-line skirts like this one remain one of my style obsessions. Some people might think the extra length would only serve to overwhelm me — I am not especially tall (5’7) with short legs — but I think it actually makes me look taller (which I love, for the same reason).

Details: Emmy Deveaux bodysuit, Vero Moda blazer, Nicole Miller skirt, BR belt (all thrifted), J. Crew shoes (retail)

Thoughts: I wore this outfit to the office recently. Yes, I went into the office for once. It was nice to see everyone but the commute was awful. Once again, thankful I’m WFH … even if it means nobody usually gets to see my awesome outfits. Well, apart from all of you. Anyway, I had put this blazer away last year, as I had stopped reaching for it. It doesn’t really suit my Historian or (summer) Bohemian avatars. But I’m glad I held on to it because as soon as I thrifted this skirt, I knew this was the first outfit I wanted to try. They’re made for each other! I also think this blazer might serve me well with some 90s-inspired outfits so it’s sticking around for a bit longer.

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck, Gap sweater (both thrifted), Banana Republic jeans (retail)

Thoughts: How perfectly does this turtleneck match up to this sweater? It creates this cool trompe l’oeil effect that looks like I’m wearing a rainbow vest over a striped turtleneck. But, actually, the sweater has sleeves! That’s it. That’s the whole reason for this outfit. I am easily amused.

Details: Oak & Fort top, vintage vest (both thrifted), Ralph Lauren skirt (gift), Rafael Alfandary necklace (eBay), Holt Renfrew belt (retail)

Thoughts: This was a pretty literal translation of a runway look from (IIRC) Chloe. Or Celine. Sorry, I can’t remember anymore. But this is basically my Fall 2023 Bohemian avatar come to life. Big “Jo March” vibes. I loved it. Easy and simple and comfortable.

Details: H&M x Moschino sweatshirt, Philip Lim skirt, Only & Sons jacket (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I dusted off a couple of pieces I hadn’t worn in a while — this skirt and this sweatshirt — because I thought the jacket would bring them off together into a cool, casual outfit. And I was right! Sorry, that sounds insufferably self-congratulatory, doesn’t it? But I felt great in this outfit, and I continue to be impressed by the versatility of this jean jacket. I haven’t worn jean jackets in a few years, but the combination of the men’s (oversized) cut and the colour make this particular jacket feel really fresh and fun to me.

Details: F21 sweatshirt, Woolrich vest, BDG jeans, Fossil belt (all thrifted), Converse x Woolrich shoes (eBay)

Thoughts: This is the kind of outfit I never felt cool enough to wear as a teenager. Or had the money to purchase, for that matter. I loved wearing it this time around! These jeans were a calculated risk on my part; it’s definitely a cut/design that’s out of my style comfort zone, but I dig how they look. And they are comfy AF.

I was at the mall recently because Banana Republic was running a 40% off everything sale and I figured it was my best chance to get some of their Argent+Aureus jewelry for a decent-ish price. In case you were wondering, this is what I got:

Stunning, right? My honest review is that the design is fabulous and the stones are beautiful (but only buy in person, because I’ve also seen very blah/grey labradorites being used), but the quality otherwise is very meh. I am skeptical about the durability of the gold tone finish; the ring is already starting to tarnish slightly. At the sale price, this isn’t egregious but I would be deeply wary of buying any of their A+A stuff at full price.

I have been seeing a few comments on Reddit about the “renaissance era” of Banana Republic so this was a good opportunity to check it out. Some Redditors are calling it “affordable MaxMara” which struck me as a stretch, tbh. Maybe MaxMara quality has declined lately, idk. Current BR doesn’t quite strike me as being anywhere near that quality level, though it does appear to be a lot better than the last 10 years or so. The designs are much improved as well, at least in my opinion. What’s for sure is that BR prices have become very aspirational. Most pants and skirts seem to start around $200 and go up from there. On sale, with extra discounts, it’s worth checking out, as I do enjoy the elevated aesthetic they are currently offering.

But, as always, when I go to the mall, the question in my head is “can I thrift that for less”? I like to go into stores – BR and Zara are my faves for this – to see what’s new and figure out whether I’m likely to find it for less secondhand.  So let’s have a look!

Leather skirt

This retails for $650CAD at BR. This silhouette is relatively easy to find in vintage iterations, with or without a front slit. Vintage leather is usually great quality; the only thing to watch out for is cigarette smells which can be hard to get rid of. I have a Gap leather skirt from 2000 which is almost identical and cost me less than $25. Danier is another brand worth keeping an eye out for.

Same story with this leather mini skirt, which retails for $530CAD. This flared silhouette will be a little bit harder to find than a basic mini, but there are similar options out there. For example, this LizSport skirt listed for $36 on Poshmark is quite nice:

Verdict: Thrift

Waistcoat

Vests and waistcoats are very trendy right now. This one retails for $190CAD at BR. I am happy to report that thrift stores always have a decent selection of waistcoats, including ones inspired by men’s suiting. I recently thrifted a vintage wool Mexx vest for around $5; I love its 90s vibe:

Verdict: Thrift

Wide Leg Pants

These wool pants retail for $240CAD at BR. The fact that they’re not even lined makes me side-eye the price a bit, but the design is really good. This is a category where I find that vintage falls short. I do have a pair of early-2000s, wide leg wool pants from Aritzia – which are lined!! – but they are a very low-rise so the silhouette is noticeably different. I have not been able to find older vintage trousers that replicate this current version of the wide-leg pant, and vintage wool pants on the whole are hard to find (polyester is more common). This is an item I may keep an eye on, to possibly catch on clearance sale at the end of the season. I like this silhouette a lot, so it would be worth a little “investment” because I can see myself wearing it for at least a few years.

Verdict: Retail

Oversize Shirting

I saw this at Zara but there are versions available all over the place, at various price points. But why buy retail when you can thrift a vintage (or new) men’s shirt and get that same oversized vibe and coolness factor for a fraction of the price. Thrift stores are overflowing with men’s shirts – WFH has decreased the demand substantially, I imagine. Just keep an eye on the collar to make sure they’re in good condition.  I have added a few vintage Ralph Lauren shirts to my collection including this one, which is my fave:

Verdict: Thrift

Sheer Things

Sheer skirts, tops and dresses are a big trend this year. They come in many flavours, often with a 90s twist which makes sense because sheer was also a Thing in those days. Some sheer things are easy enough to find at the thrift stores; mesh tops in particular, because they’ve been percolating in the market for a while. Sheer items made of other fabrics (non-mesh) are harder to find. I have not seen a lot of vintage iterations of this trend floating around (no pun intended), perhaps because of the inherent fragility of the materials, perhaps because it was never a trend that achieved full-market saturation so there would be fewer pieces left behind. On the whole, my personal strategy in situations like this is to spend at least a few weeks checking Poshmark and the thrifts, and if nothing interesting pops up AND I’m still very into the trend, then I will consider retail. In this particular case, by a VERY lucky stroke, I was able to find a nearly identical vintage DKNY skirt on Poshmark; it didn’t end up costing me less than the H&M version above would have, but I am sure the quality is much better (plus, the H&M skirt was sold out everywhere).

Verdict: It’s a toss-up!