The Long & Short Of It
This outfit was inspired by @nitrochic on IG (she’s a fellow thrifter, and her style is always on point), but if your mind went to the Cake classic “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” then I don’t blame you, fellow Gen X-er. Because that the immediate association my mind makes when it comes to those two items.
I’ve talked before about my attempts to update traditional silhouettes and staple closet items for my current style; some have been more successful than others. The pencil skirt has been stumping me, I have to confess. I’ve paired it with voluminous tops with okay results, but nothing that felt like a “wow”. This combo – shorter pencil skirt plus tailored longer topper – is definitely making me feel things, though. The extra few inches of exposed skin above the knee feel a liiiiittle bit risqué, but I think they are successfully balanced by the buttoned-up Oxford shirt. I also quite like the subtle pattern mix of stripes (blazer) and geometric tiles (tiles); it livens up an otherwise pretty basic, mostly navy outfit. I don’t even really like navy! That’s some kind of magic there.
Offbeat Friday
The notion that Casual Friday = jeans sometimes feels a little limiting to me. Sometimes, I don’t want to wear jeans to work, no matter what day it is. That concession to casualness might have seemed like a bigger deal when I worked at a law firm, but in my current work environment, it’s much less meaningful. I could have, for example, worn this outfit on a Thursday. And perhaps even on a Tuesday! And I may do that yet, because this is one outfit I can definitely see myself repeating.
It’s nothing fancy, which describes a lot of my favourite outfits, doesn’t it? Paperbag waist trousers are my current obsession, so it’s no surprise to have them pop up again. I’m pretty sure I’ve been wearing them at least once a week for the last three months. This pair from COS is really, really good and worth tracking down on eBay, ahem. Just saying. Wool-cashmere-poly blend? As for this filmy tank + thin turtleneck combo, it’s another repeat that’s too good to, well, not repeat. There are other ways of layering this tank to mitigate its sheerness, but for now this is the option I can’t get enough of. It’s also perfect for fall, so there’s that.
Witchy Woman
On Saturday, I checked out the Elevate Fashion clothing swap co-hosted by my thrift pal Jenn (Life Preloved) and come home with a couple new pieces … including this hi-low MinkPink skirt. I think it’s a skirt. It’s a weird skirt, in any case. It’s pretty see-through, so I’m not sure if it was ever intended to be worn without leggings or pants underneath. But it swishes nicely. As soon as I saw it, I was inspired. I’ve been feeling the witch vibes lately – blame early winter in September – and I thought this piece had a lot of potential. Jenn was not entirely convinced, and I love a fashion challenge, so the very next day, I gave it my first shot. It’s probably not everybody’s cup of tea, but I loved this outfit. It was a bit goth, a bit rock-n-roll, and a whole lotta DGAF attitude. Even the sleet couldn’t kill my mood. And that’s saying something.
