Details: J. Crew shirt, Everlane sweater, Mexx skirt, Pendleton coat (all secondhand)

Thoughts: GUYS!! THIS COAT!! I am in love. Maybe manifesting works after all. I found this amazing vintage Pendleton coat — in mint condition — for a killer price on Poshmark. Honestly, I think it was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time (and swooping in quickly) which is the “secret” to all secondhand shopping. This coat is gorgeous and a total outfit-maker. I’ve been wearing it a LOT lately; it’s an instant “pick me up”. And the timing is right too; the temps are finally rising, so I can ditch my winter coat in favour of lighter ones like this one. Yay for spring and yay for amazing coats!

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck (retail), LizSport vest, Ralph Lauren jacket, Topshop pants (all thrifted)

Thoughts: This was one of my fave recent outfits; it all came together perfectly. I had the pants and vest set aside as “combo” but was missing the topper. I tried a few and nothing was really gelling. Then I remembered that I had this 90s classic monogram RL blazer which I thrifted a while ago but hadn’t worn yet because I couldn’t find the right outfit for it. Well, problem solved. I don’t wear navy a lot, but it’s the right neutral for this colour palette, and the preppiness of the blazer fits right in with the rest.

Details: Rebel Sugar turtleneck (gift), Jacob vest, no label skirt (both thrifted)

Thoughts: I’m calling this vibe “baroque goth”. It’s an aesthetic I didn’t end up exploring as much as I had hoped this winter. I think the main reason for that is the fact that I don’t have a lot of pieces that speak to the ‘baroque’ part. Nor have I been able to find things under that category that I’ve wanted to add to my closet. But that’s ok. No need to force things; if it’s meant to be, it will happen organically. Like this outfit.

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck (retail), Chaps vest, Malorie Urbanovich skirt, Paloma Picasso belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: In case you couldn’t tell, this was an outfit inspired by a Ralph Lauren runway look. The runway version had an almost identical fair isle patterned topper; mine is a vest rather than a jacket, but that’s ok. The key styling note was the belt – RL does a lot of belts over sweaters with skirts (or dresses), which is new territory for me, and that can really transform the proportions of an outfit. This Paloma Picasso belt is a real statement too. It actually works better on skirts rather than pants because belt loops can get in the way of the chain (yes, I tried).

Details: Topshop dress, vintage cardigan (both thrifted), Zara shoes (retail)

Thoughts: My version of transitional dressing almost always involves tights. I hesitated over the colour of the tights in this case. I wasn’t sure whether to go with a ‘safe’ choice like black or a dark green that would blend into the background more; but I ended up choosing burgundy instead — which picks up the red in the floral pattern — and I think that bolder choice works well. I stuck with the funkier vibe by choosing chonky platforms rather than a more delicate shoe. This is still something I’m getting my eyes used to (the different shoe proportions) but I think it helps ‘modernize’ the outfit as a whole.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Everlane sweater, Gap skirt, Nocona belt, Ralph Lauren jacket, Frye boots (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I love how well this outfit came together thanks to the colour palette. Muted but still mighty, with a good mix of textures. Recently, I was able to manifest a portion of my “shop list” and added a bunch of coloured tights to my collection. I am looking forward to putting them to good use with the rising temperatures. More short skirts to come!

Details: Black Brown 1826 sweater, Paul Smith scarf, Theory jacket, homemade skirt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: This was a perfectly nice outfit but I felt it was missing something. Turns out, that something was this floral scarf. I know that adding a third pattern to the mix might seem risky, but the colours here work so well that you almost don’t notice it. To me, the outfit doesn’t look “busy” at all; it’s just right. It was a nice way to re-wear this skirt, which is still one of my fave thrift finds of all time. The length is a bit tricky for me now (I prefer longer) but I could never bear to part with it.

Details: Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo shirt, vintage vest, Ralph Lauren jacket, Topshop pants, Cotton Ginny belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Another outfit with fun pattern mixing and a subtle southwestern flair – my current style sweet spot. I’ve been remiss in wearing my vests recently, so I decided to rectify that. Vests are such an easy and versatile layering trick. I think of this as my “three piece suit”-made-casual formula: a knit, unstructured jacket + vest + pants.

Details: Ralph Lauren sweater and skirt, Stella & Dot necklace (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I’m calling this “rich b*tch vibes” and I love it. It’s simple — just a sweater and skirt — but the pieces here elevate it. I decided to mirror the sumptuousness of the skirt with this decadent necklace and statement cuff bracelet. I wish I had two matching bracelets in this antique, hammered gold finish but, alas. The thrift gods haven’t delivered yet. I love the look of matching cuffs, Wonder Woman style.

Details: French Connection sweater, Prairie Trail Goods jacket, Gap jeans, vintage belt

Thoughts: I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed the 70s boho vibe here. In the past, that hasn’t been my decade, style-wise. Maybe that’s changing now, with all the prairie influences that I’ve been accumulating. These jeans have been my stand-in alternative for palazzo jeans, the perfect pair of which I still haven’t found. I find the top part to be more snug that I would like; I would prefer a pleat front cut that goes out right from the waist, not from the top of the leg. The hunt continues.

Details: Zara shirt, Eddie Bauer sweater, Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo pants (all thrifted), Steve Madden shoes (retail)

Thoughts: I threw this outfit together mostly because I’m trying to figure out how to wear these massive platform loafers I recently impulse-purchased at Nordstrom Rack. They are a major style risk for me, because I had no real plan for them; this is not my usual approach, as I like to have a very clear picture in my mind of how I’m going to style a piece before I buy it. But I’ve been hearing so much about how exaggerated+chunky are fashion keywords this year, and I was intrigued by the colour and double platform. It remains to be seen if this risk pays off. I do enjoy the extra height boost (I’m nearly 6 feet tall in these shoes) at no cost to my comfort.

Details: Pilcro top, Jones NY jacket, HM Studio skirt, Poppy Barley shoes, upcycled necklace (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Doing the monochromatic thing again, this time with a pop of orange. I was inspired to add the necklace because the orange matches the skirt perfectly, making the whole outfit look more intentional. I’m now at the point of mixing and matching all the black & white pieces in my closet and seeing what works. I’m still into this “vibe” although I think it’s going to get phased out as spring rolls around. For me, it’s definitely a winter thing.

Details: no name cardigan (thrifted), Club Monaco turtleneck (retail), Marc Cain skirt (thrifted), Stuart Weitzman boots (thrifted)

Thoughts: We had some warmer weather recently and I tool FULL advantage. It’s so nice to dispense with the big, heavy coat for a bit — it makes me so excited for spring and summer. I like the proportions of a short skirt with a long jacket (or cardigan, in this case) and the check pattern of this particular skirt seemed like a perfect match for the pattern patchwork of the cardigan. The colour palette is nicely matched too; I am loving these grey tights as an alternative to black.

Details: Wilfred sweater & pants, Ports International jacket, Michelle Ross jewelry (all secondhand), J. Crew shoes (retail)

Thoughts: I like pairing cool colours with warm brown, and this time I decided to try purple (with blue accents). It worked for me! I haven’t been getting a lot of use out of these pants, which is a shame; I still like them, but this style/cut is not a current fave. I may transition them to “home use” — aka loungewear; in my world, that’s a bit of a downgrade but at least it would mean getting use out of them. They’re comfy enough for that, even though they’re “fancier” than my usual sweatpants.

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck (retail), Ralph Lauren vest & belt (Poshmark), Pilcro jeans (thrifted), Ralph Lauren jacket (thrifted), Clarks shoes (retail)

Thoughts: Back on the Ralph Lauren train! I’m rarely on a different track these days, let’s be honest. This outfit was also inspired by my recent re-watching of old seasons of Vera on BritBox. Whenever I’m spending a lot of time watching English murder mystery shows, I start fantasizing about moving to the country and living in a converted barn … and dressing accordingly. Well, according to my ideas of what I would wear if I were an artist living in a converted barn in the English countryside (with a sideline of amateur detection?) … which basically means some version of an RL catalogue come to life. I am nothing if not predictable.

Details: Black & Brown 1821 sweater (thrifted), Club Monaco turtleneck (retail), Zara belt (retail), Carven skirt (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I had been missing this Carven skirt, so it was time to give it a wear (even though it doesn’t really fit my imaginary English rural idyll aesthetic, lol!). Pairing it with a sweater in a complementary colour is my usual go-to formula, but I decided to liven things up a bit with this funky Zara belt I picked up at the end-of-year sales. It has a bejeweled chameleon on it!

Details: Jones NY turtleneck, Woolrich vest, Tommy Hilfiger jeans, Cotton Ginny belt, Office London shoes (all thrifted), Eddie Bauer x Pendleton bag (gift)

Thoughts: I thrifted this Woolrich vest recently and I am a little bit obsessed with it. I had to layer two turtlenecks (one thin merino blend, one thick cashmere) to make it work for the (mild, but even so) weather in Edmonton in February, but it was worth it. It’s a simple outfit, but for me, it’s one of those “elevated basic” situations that make me feel put together with minimal effort.