Details: Toni T dickie, Pilcro sweater, Nanette Lepore jacket, Cartonnier pants, Emmanuel belt, Manolo Blahnik shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I love purple and yellow together almost as much as purple and green (what I call my villain colours). I think you can almost see the subtle pattern mix happening here; I’m obsessed. Adding this touch of lavender to my wardrobe has suddenly opened up so many possibilities when it comes to colour combinations.

Details: St. John top, H&M crop top, Banana Republic belt, Acne skirt, Poppy Barley shoes (all secondhand), Copper Canoe Woman earrings

Thoughts: It’s been a while since I wore this skirt. It’s a forever favourite, although it has more of a “cool girl” vibe than my current aesthetic. Some pieces have their own strong aesthetic, and there is no point trying to fit them into a different mould. So I pull out this skirt when I feel like going with its flow, rather than vice versa. Here, I made black the accent colour; very happy with the results.

Details: Massimo Dutti sweater, J. Crew shirt, Ralph Lauren skirt, Free People belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: This is more my usual speed these days; quite a simple formula, but ever so effective. It has a bit of a vintage flair, but I don’t think it looks … gasp … dated. (Not that I would care unduly if it did, to be honest.) That said, there is a difference between not looking dated and looking trendy, and this is not trendy. Does that mean it’s, dare I say it, timeless? I don’t like to use that term because nothing is, strictly speaking, timeless; and I also don’t like the word “classic” because it’s too vague. An outfit like this is, to me, neither trendy (aka a trend of this moment) nor dated (aka the trend of a past moment) but rather floats somewhere in the ether between. Clear as mud? Maybe it should be called trendless …

Details: Vero Moda tunic (swap), H&M skirt (Poshmark), Debew poncho (thrifted), Fluevog shoes (thrifted), Michelle Ross long necklace, Lena Bernard short necklace (both Poshmark)

Thoughts: Speaking of outfits that are trendless … I present you this outfit which I call my High Priestess chic. Something about the silhouette and proportions of this outfit are incredibly appealing to me. I have a love-hate relationship with this terracotta colour; sometimes I love it, sometimes I feel overwhelmed by it. But I think it works here because of the layering of textures.

Details: Wilfred tunic (Poshmark), Zara scarf (retail), Anna Paola bag (consignment), Tommy Hilfiger jeans, Office London shoes (both thrifted)

Thoughts: I was obsessed with this sweater dress for years because I finally snagged it on Poshmark. That was a couple of years ago, and now to be honest, I am less enamoured of it. It doesn’t align all that well with any of my current aesthetics, so I never seem to reach for it. But I still like the colours and colourblocked effect, and it’s very cozy; so for a super casual outfit like this, it works — especially worn as a very oversized sweater, rather than a dress.

Details: COS sweater, H&M Studio skirt (both thrifted), Zara boots (retail)

Thoughts: I decided to pair these 2 pieces because the patterns struck me as sort of similar, with the through-line of orange as a cohesive element. I think it was a successful experiment! I’m glad I went with an outside-the-box pairing, since my default for this skirt would be black and white pieces. I am still figuring out if the skirt is a “forever” piece for my closet, but I am enjoying what it brings to the table at this moment.

Details: Tabi sweater, Ralph Lauren skirt, Fluevog shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I loved this outfit even more than I thought I would, and I knew it would be a good one because I love both of these pieces a lot — separately and, evidently, also together. There is something about pairings of contrasting black-and-white patterns that feels very satisfying to me right now. And, of course, floral and plaid is always a winning pattern mix.

Details: Joie sweater, Tommy Hilfiger jeans, Office London boots (all secondhand), Amaryllis coat (retail)

Thoughts: Winter casual at its best. This sweater continues to disappoint quality-wise (it is already pilling) but it is so fun to wear. As you know, I find colours to be mood-enhancing, especially on cold, grey winter days. The other elements of this outfit are all unqualified successes, though. We know this coat; it’s 6 (7?) years old and still going strong. The jeans are my new go-to — the kick flare is perfect with winter boots. Speaking of which, this Office London pair was a great find. They have a nice, grippy bottom (a mini lug sole) and walkable heel which makes them perfect for errands and outings that don’t involve a ton of outdoor trudging in snow (they don’t have enough insulation for that, though wearing them with a thick pair of socks makes them quite toasty).

Details: H&M dress, BCBG belt (both secondhand), Zara boots (retail)

Thoughts: If you’ve been around for a long time, you know how much I love a “potato sack” dress. They’re so fabulous! And comfortable! And easy to wear casual — full potato mode — or dressed up (half potato? lol). Case in point: add a belt (or harness!) and voila! The bold graphic print of this dress really appealed to me as well, and I think the colour palette offers interesting remixing options from my wardrobe. Picture this with a lavender sweater …

Details: Le Lis top, Holding Horses tunic, Topshop pants, Stuart Weitzman shoes (all thrifted), selfmade necklace

Thoughts: I love this colour palette of muted blues and terracotta brown. I also like the mix of plaid and windowpane patterns — both geometric but different.

Details: Eddie Bauer sweater, H&M dress, Mexx skirt, Geox boots (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I looooooooved wearing this outfit. It was shockingly warm too (I wore a coat over it). Layering the Mexx skirt under the tulle dress — and over some fleece leggings — kept my legs nice and toasty. I also had 3 layers on the top, but the one that really matters is this vintage Eddie Bauer sweater that I adore. This outfit was inspired by a 1980s Ralph Lauren look (what else) and has that Jo March-on-the-prairie vibe that I’ve been loving this year.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Tommy Hilfiger cardigan, Denim & Supply jacket, H&M pants, Brave belt, Eileen Fisher shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Once again, bringing the prairie/southwestern vibe into the winter season with some judicious layering. What I liked there was the different textures and contrasts — black cotton turtleneck, white chunky knit, patterned jacket. It gives depth and intentionality (is that a word??) to the outfit.

Details: Equipment shirt, Lord & Taylor sweater, Etro skirt, LAMB coat, Office London boots (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I took advantage of some warmer weather to wear one of my lighter winter coats, this fabulous plaid number. I used some of the colours in that pattern — yellow and olive, to be precise — to guide the rest of my outfit-building. It was a bit of a cheat, as I wore this sweater/skirt combo before, but it worked so well in this iteration too.

Details: St. John top, Nanette Lepore jacket (both thrifted), Babaton skirt (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I still love this St. John top so much – I adore the boldness of the trompe l’oeil chain design. It’s a thin knit (which St. John does so well) so it has a nice weight to it without being too heavy/thick. This blazer has been something of a revelation; in some ways, it’s pretty traditional — what, in my mind, I call an “office blazer” — so something I have not been gravitating towards lately, but for some reason, this has been such an outfit-maker for me lately. I think it’s the pattern and the colours (purple and chartreuse though they don’t photograph clearly as such), which make it unexpectedly funky.

Details Club Monaco turtleneck (retail), Ralph Lauren tank top, Zara blazer, H&M pants, Brave belt (all thrifted), Louise et Cie shoes (retail)

Thoughts: This is a pretty standard Historian outfit formula, and I don’t have much else to add — it works for me every time. I’m thrilled to have found this vintage RL knit tank top because, under a blazer, it looks just like the sweater vests that I have been coveting for months.

Details: Polo Ralph Lauren dress (gifted), Zara top, Holding Horses tunic worn open, Nine West shoes (all thrifted), selfmade necklace

Thoughts: A friend of mine gifted me this RL dress because she knows how much I love the brand. I had been waiting for the right outfit inspiration and feeling a bit stumped until I thrifted this plaid tunic. The colours and contrasting plaid seemed like a fortuitous combination, and so they are. This was such an easy, comfortable (but still fun!) outfit for WFH for a day when I didn’t feel like “dressing up”.

Details: Oak & Fort shirt, Ralph Lauren skirt (both thrifted), Gap vest (Poshmark), Zara shoes (retail), Warren Steven Scott earrings

Thoughts: In contrast, here is a “dressed up” version of my WFH outfit. Effort-wise (and comfort-wise), it’s not really any different, but it feels dressed up to me. I couldn’t resist this vest: patchwork plaid? Yes, please. Since one of the patches is Blackwatch plaid, I had to try it with my favourite RL skirt. Am I an honorary Scot yet? 😉

Details: Wilfred shirt, Everlane sweater, Gap skirt, Avec Les Filles jacket, Office London shoes (all thrifted), Warren Steven Scott earrings

Thoughts: I’m sure you can see why I picked up this skirt — the colours and pattern, of course. Luckily, I am still in my “mini skirt experimentation” phase and, also luckily, it’s going well. I think I’ve found the key (for me) to mini skirt outfits: tights. They don’t have to be black (although black works well here) as long as they are opaque. I just don’t like the bare leg look on me — the proportions look wrong in my eyes, as if the vertical line is being chopped up at the wrong place(s). Somehow, opaque tights solve that problem!

Details: Suncoo blouse, no label cardigan, Jenni Max skirt (all thrifted), Rafael Alfandary necklace (consignment), J. Crew shoes (retail)

Thoughts: There is a flavour of Edwardian schoolteacher to this outfit, and I’m not mad about it. We can call it academichic of another era, right? I love the colour of this velvet skirt; it’s a sort of mousey greige with silvery highlights — very unusual and cool. I do wish there wasn’t a zipper in the front, as it adds bulk where none is required; if it weren’t for that, I think I would wear this skirt a lot more often.