As soon as spring began to show signs of springing this year, I also sprung into action planning my annual clothing swap. The last few years, since I turned it into a garden party, I have been hosting the swap in late June or early July to make the most of Edmonton’s nice weather and my blooming plants. But thanks to uncertainties about this year’s wildfire season, I decided to move up the date. I took a gamble that late May would be warm enough and smoke-free … and I won! The air was clear, the sun was shining (but not too much!), a lovely breeze was blowing. Sadly, my garden wasn’t yet in bloom, but it looked presentable. And I got very lucky: the next day was cold, wet, and there was even a hailstorm.

This was my outfit for the day:

Most of the guests were seasoned veterans of the swap, but we had a couple of newbies as well, which was great. And, as last year, we had some of our tween/teen daughters join in as well, as sort of ‘junior members’ of the swap. It’s nice to see that they enjoyed it enough last year to want to come back – some of them were even inspired to start secondhand shopping for themselves. I know my daughter now looks forward to the swap every year. Not only that, but she helped me to set up this year, and it turned the whole prep process into a lovely mother-daughter bonding moment. Another generation of thrifters in the making! We love to see it.

I had a decent amount of stuff to put up for swap, though less than in some past years. As my shopping has slowed down considerably, so has the turnover in my closet; in turn, the supply of swap material is dwindling, especially as a lot of my discarded clothes are now being diverted to my daughter. But I also had some home décor and books to add to the pile – the swap gave me an opportunity for a much-needed de-clutter of my shelves and various collections. To recap for those who may not have read some of my previous posts, my process for editing my closet runs something like this. Brand name clothing which I think would suit a specific friend gets set aside for them first. (If they don’t end up wanting it, I am fine with them doing whatever they think best with it, either passing it on to someone else or donating it. I know my friends will dispose of things responsibly, aka not throwing good clothing in the trash.) Everything else that’s above-average quality gets set aside for the swap; things that are average get donated right away. Whatever is left after the swap also gets donated. Since I avoid crappy clothing in the first place and take good care of my clothes, I don’t have much stuff that is in too poor of a condition to be donated. That being said, I am also looking into local garment recycling options available for clothing that can’t be donated. I know of Blenderz Garment Recyclers, but I am not sure they accept drop-offs directly from the public, as they typically work with thrift stores. If anyone has suggestions, please leave a comment.

Here are a few of the things I brought to the swap this year:

And here is my daughter’s and my pile at the end — as you can see, we did not come away empty-handed:

That teal skirt is actually one of my own pieces. I swear I had asked my daughter if she wanted it before I designated it as part of my “to swap” pile and she said no. Then, lo and behold, at the actual swap, it was suddenly perfect. Go figure. In fact, most of the things I would have picked for her from the swap, she didn’t want. It’s one of the reasons why shopping for her these days is becoming impossible. I guess this is teenagerdom, lol!

Here are the things she picked out (for herself):

She loves high waisted jeans and skirts, so the crop tops are not entirely surprising. What did surprise me was the skirt: it was her favourite piece, and I never would have picked that as something she would like. But it’s cute (and vintage!) so I don’t blame her. She’s super excited to wear it.

And now for my picks:

I have been wanting a purple crossbody bag for ages, so as soon as I spotted that Rebecca Minkoff bag, my day was basically made. I have the same bag in black and red already, and find it a perfect size and design for my needs. Score! The small MbMJ was a last minute pick, and I was surprised to see no one else wanted it. It’s a good size for me, and since I don’t have a grey crossbody, I think it has potential. The opening might be a tad small, which could impact its practicality, but I am going to take it for a test run and see.

The shoes were another “if no one else wants them” pick — they’re great quality and I love flats, so why not. If I don’t end up wearing them, I can always bring them back next year or donate them. But worth giving them a try first.

The Guns ‘n Roses was a nostalgic 90s pick; I am not sure if it’s my style, but I am going to play around with it. Style risks are what clothing swaps are all about. The bleached denim jacket, on the other hand, is totally me. I especially love the back — so cool!

The cardigan is an upcycled piece made by my friend Josh of Prairie Trail Goods, and of course I had to snap it up immediately. It looked great with the outfit I was wearing, so I know it’s going to fit in well with my summer wardrobe. Ditto for the oversized chambray shirt. The skirts were pieces that didn’t find other takers, and I took them for different reasons. I think the polka dot one (HD in Paris) has potential; it’s midi, albeit perhaps a little bit shorter than I prefer, and the black and white pattern is very much up my alley. I don’t tend to wear polka dots a lot, though, so we will see if this skirt has staying power in my closet or not. The plaid skirt (Tracy Reese) was a sentimental pick. I used to be obsessed with this skirt back in 2015/2016 and never managed to track it down in my size. The hemline is too short for my current preference, but I still love the colour palette. I couldn’t let it get donated … for now. I am going to try and see if I can make it work for the me of now.

This tabard-style knit vest was one of my favourite pieces from the swap. I love the design so much! Everyone told me I had to take the Stetson jacket, and I see why they would say that: the vibe is very me. But I am actually a bit on the fence about it, mostly due to the cut/style. Not sure if the proportions will work for me, but I plan to experiment with it and see. If not, I’m definitely saving it for the next swap — it’s a special piece that deserves a good home.

And that’s a wrap on another fabulous swap!!

Details: Everlane sweater, Emanuel Ungaro vest, BDG jeans (all secondhand), Simons belt (retail)

Thoughts: I got this amazing wool vest from one of my favourite vintage resellers, who has an incredible eye for special pieces with a boho flair. I have so many plans for this vest, but I had to start by pairing it with these palazzo jeans. Felt amazing! The belt helped tie it all together. You may have noticed that it’s new and retail, and I feel like I need to explain because belts are normally something I don’t buy new. There are so many incredible ones at the thrifts, there is no reason to choose retail. So what happened? I received a gift card to Simons last year, and have been trying to spend it ever since. As I don’t often go to WEM, this proved more challenging than I was expecting. (The last time I went to that mall, there was a lockdown due to a security incident! It did not recommend the experience to me, lol!) But I finally came up with a plan, which was to focus on accessories. So I got this Western-style belt and a bunch of opaque, colourful tights (on sale!), which are all things I know I am going to get lots of use from. Simons tights are usually good quality, but this belt proved to be a bit of disappointment. It looks great. But the quality turned out to be meh. I accidentally dropped it on my bathroom floor, the same day I bought it, and a couple of the stones popped out! It was an easy fix with Gorilla glue, but not a good first impression. All the more reason to stick to vintage, I guess.

Details: Emmy Deveaux bodysuit, no label tulle skirt, Only & Sons jacket, vintage belt & boots (all thrifted)

Thoughts: This is actually the outfit I wore when I went to Simons and bought the above-noted belt, hehe! I felt pretty darn amazing in it. I love the tulle skirt with these boots and this jacket. I have a feeling this is going to be my go-to summer jacket this year. Did I already say that before? Probably. I can’t stop raving about it, or wearing it. I am also in love with my cowboy boots which isn’t something I ever expected to hear myself say.

Details: Tahari shirt, Ralph Lauren sweater & skirt, Fossil belt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I’ve worn this shirt/sweater combo before and loved it, so I did it again paired with one of my fave skirts. The colour palette works so well together. It’s a pretty basic outfit formula, but I’m not about to mess with what works and makes me feel great.

Details: Sandro top, Smythe blazer, Max & Co skirt, J. Crew necklace (all thrifted)

Thoughts: It’s been a good long while since I found a legit designer piece at the thrifts, so this Smythe blazer was a nice surprise. And I only paid $10 for it, which is a legit miracle these days. I wasn’t sure at first if it was a “hell, yes” for me, for a couple of reasons. One, I don’t tend to wear a lot of light-coloured toppers. Two, I don’t tend to wear sharply tailored blazers like this anymore, especially ones that emphasize the shoulders so much. I have broad shoulders as it is, and want to avoid looking like a quarterback. In the end, I was swayed by the quality … and I’m glad. I think this is going to turn into a good summer staple for me, even with the tailoring. I think I can dress it down if I need to. Obviously, this wasn’t it. But here, it provided a nice balance to the other colourful pieces.

Details: Anne Klein shirt, J. Crew vest, Ralph Lauren skirt, Fossil belt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I feel like I need to put aside my brown clothing for the summer, but I couldn’t resist one last outfit in the Jo March vein. As much as I do love bright colours, this kind of subtle, muted pattern mixing is deeply pleasing to me as well.

Details: Alfred Sung blouse, Boss belt, United Colours of Benetton pants (all thrifted), J. Crew shoes (retail)

Thoughts: Speaking of bold colours, here ya go!

Seasonal transitions are always an exciting time for my closet, especially this time of year as we head into summer. I recently switched out my fall/winter clothing for spring/summer, and it feels like I have a brand-new wardrobe to play with. Fun times! But unlike in previous years, I’ve been giving very little thought to planning for the new season … and it’s not because I’m not excited about getting dressed every day, because I am. In fact, I’ve never been happier or felt more comfortable in my style. I just barely think about it anymore.

Let’s unpack this!

If you’ve been following me for a long time, you will know that personal style has been a constantly evolving journey for me. There was the J. Crew and Anthro era, the corporate goth era, the colour!sequin!pattern! extravaganza era (the pandemic was a weird time, ok?). Has the journey reached its final destination with this current Ivy-and-boho, all-things-Ralph era? It feels premature to make a definitive statement. I am only 43, after all; hopefully, I have a few more decades of living ahead of me. I cannot say that my self-discovery is at an end because I hope I never lose the capacity to surprise myself – in other words, the capacity to learn and grow. But I know who I am, now. I never expected it to take so long to figure that out. Your 20s are supposed to be the decade of self-discovery; I thought I had everything figured out at 30 but, looking back, I think that was only because I believed that I should have had it all figured out – who I was, what I wanted out of life, etc. As it turned out, I didn’t know. Not really. It was my 30s that were actually the “figure me out” decade. In documenting my personal style over that period of time, this blog became a snapshot of that process. Kind of neat, in a way, when you think about it.

Knowing what I like is part and parcel of the whole knowing-who-I-am bit. I’ve been noticing that a lot of what I buy these days are simply variations of things I already own and love. I see that as a sign of confidence in my own taste, though I am mindful of balancing that with receptiveness to new ideas, which is also an important value to me. I don’t want my aesthetic sensibilities (or my mind in general) to become a vacuum-sealed closed system. To learn and grow, we need to be exposed to new ideas. When it comes to fashion, I like to visualize that balance using a travel analogy: I am always interested in seeing new places (i.e. trends) but I use my own compass (i.e. personal taste) to find my way around rather than relying on the signposts put up by other people. I don’t mind looking like a tourist in the process – aka untrendy and, therefore, uncool – because I am comfortable showing up as I am, whether I’m at home or abroad (metaphorically speaking).

I still get excited by clothes, though these days, I’m mostly excited about the clothes I have in my closet, rather than clothes I see at the store. I wear a lot of what, to me, feels like “the same thing” – which is actually just different iterations of the same formulas. I used to love the high of creating a “brand new” outfit (either through a novel formula, new clothes, or some combination of both), but I’ve come to appreciate and value the pleasure of a “perfect” outfit (something that feels most “me”) over novelty. I still enjoy taking photos of my outfits – and, in any case, lack the resolution to break the habit – so I expect that I will continue to share them here and on social media, but I am probably going to shift to writing more about my other hobbies that are taking up the majority of my active mental focus. Lately, that has included books, art, home décor, perfume and a few other niche interests. This is neither a warning nor a promise, by the way – though you can probably expect to start seeing a slightly more diverse range of posts in the coming months.

So, yeah: I am excited for a new sartorial season, which isn’t really a new beginning but, rather, an opportunity to riff on my favourite themes.

To get myself in good shape for that exercise, I did a little bit of housekeeping that I would recommend to everyone this time of year. I went through my closet and pulled out fall- and winter-weight pieces and replaced them with summer-weight ones that have been in storage since last year. Even if you don’t have a large amount of clothes, I think it’s helpful to separate clothes by season (unless you live in a seasonless climate); no point keeping heavy sweaters at hand during summer, as it can make it harder to see what pieces are actually wearable. This “closet switch” is also a good opportunity to evaluate clothes. Before I put away my fall/winter pieces, I look back on the past season and think about how often I wore them. If I didn’t, it may be a sign that I need to let them go, or at least put them on a “maybe purge” list to be re-evaluated come fall. I also check them for signs of wear or damage that needs to be fixed before they go into storage. Then I do something similar with incoming summer clothes: consider if they still fit my style; assess if they still fit my body; check for signs of wear or damage and take notes of anything that requires replacement. It’s a kind of working edit of my closet – a few key tweaks rather than a major overhaul – but it helps keep it running smoothly into the new season.

Here’s to new (and not so new) sartorial adventures and happy almost-summer!