Details: Ralph Lauren shirt, Danier skirt, Nocona belt (all thrifted), turquoise necklace (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I adored this outfit — peak Adina! Sometimes, all you need is a statement skirt and crisp white shirt. I am a white shirt convert now. The key is to have an oversized one, and wear it loose and casual not buttoned up and businessy. Well, buttoned up works too, but only under sweaters and vests for me … and it has to be a different white shirt because the one used for layering must be fitted not oversized (for obvious reasons). All of which to say, yes, I have multiple white shirts in my closet now. I barely recognize myself! But the real star here is this incredible vintage suede skirt. It’s the perfect cut for me and the quality is amazing; a skirt like this would cost $500+ at, say, Banana Republic these days. It’s soft but has a good weight to it without sacrificing movement. It’s quite swishy. I realized that the length, on me, works best with a heel (even a modest one) that shows off the ankle a bit. Which is fine by me, as it all plays into the rather glam vibe of the skirt.

Details: H&M top (retail), Ralph Lauren blazer, Everlane sweater, vintage belt, BR pants (all thrifted)

Thoughts: The pleated pants are back for another iteration of the Historian. I don’t know what else to say, guys: it’s all just constantly remixing the same pieces in ever-so-slightly-different ways. I’m never bored, but I won’t speak for you 😉

Details: Wilfred sweater, Nicole Miller skirt, Aldo shoes (all thrifted), Lena Bernard necklace (eBay)

Thoughts: Speaking of remixing: considering how much I love this skirt, I struggle a bit too much with finding different ways to style it. That is the difficulty with some statement pieces, especially uniquely patterned ones like this. That being said, I am very happy with how this outfit turned out — it’s simple but very satisfying. The loafers were the perfect shoe choice, IMO. I recently admitted defeat over my old Steve Madden pair; the double platform was simply too high and bulky for me. This Aldo pair with its more modest platform works much better for me. Lesson learned.

Details: Ralph Lauren sweater (gift), Jessie skirt, Talbots vest (both thrifted), Laredo boots (consignment), Coach bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: A little bit 90s, a little bit funky. This is a very plain colour palette for me, but as always in such cases, I compensated with texture to keep things interesting. Every time I wear this skirt, I am transported back to 1997 except I feel much cooler now than I did then and if isn’t the definition of winning at life, what is?

Details: Pendleton sweater, Ralph Lauren skirt, Ash shoes (all thrifted), vintage cardigan (secondhand), Coach bag, Le Chateau belt (both Poshmark)

Thoughts: Contrast the previous outfit to this one — proof I can still do mad-bold colour when I feel like it. This vintage handmade cardigan continues to get me compliments every time I wear it. And it’s such a joy to wear quite apart from the external validation. Paired it with a graphic skirt, and I feel like it was an excellent choice. The belt and shoes play up the slightly punk-ish vibe.

Details: Jeanne Pierre sweater, vintage belt (both thrifted), Ralph Lauren skirt (eBay)

Thoughts: Spring prairiecore romance … is what I would call this vibe. Love the colour story, love the pattern, love how I feel when I wear my favourite clothes.

While I’ve talked before about my intentional shopping goals for the year, I recently realized that I never really addressed what was on my said intentional shopping list. My closet has been in a very stable state for a while now, which means that my focus, as far as new purchases go, has become quite narrow. For the most part, I have been looking to limit significant purchases to certain key items, and otherwise be quite ruthless about anything else I buy (i.e. at the thrifts). Let’s talk about those key items in more detail, and see how things have been shaping up so far!

There were 3 categories of key items that I singled out at the beginning of the year: 1) vintage Ralph Lauren, 2) vintage Coach bags, and 3) Pendleton blankets. The first category is a catch-all, though my focus remains on consolidating my Ralph “capsule” — i.e. pieces that embody the brand’s ethos through the years. I have a number of specific items in mind, none of which I’ve been able to source yet — either at all, or within my budget. As for “wild cards” in this category, nothing has come up so far; thrift stores have become a poor prospect, and Poshmark these days is both wildly overpriced, and lacking in vintage offerings. So, while this remains an important part of my intentional shopping list, there have been no new additions.

For vintage Coach bags, I had a clear goal: I wanted to add a black bag, a green bag, and an ivory/cream bag. This was based on a number of considerations. One, 90s leather Coach bags are not only wonderful quality, but their aesthetic really suits every facet of my current style. The designs also align with my functional preferences; I like smaller bags that can be worn crossbody. The lack of logos and simplicity of design also suits me perfectly. My rationale for selecting these specific colours was that (a) I didn’t already own Coach bags in those colours (I had brown, mahogany, and red), and (b) they would work well with my wardrobe palette.

The price of 90s Coach bags has gotten quite high lately and, as much as these were a priority for me, there was a ceiling to what I was willing to pay. So patience was the name of the game. After a few months, I was able to find a black Court bag in relatively good condition on Poshmark for about $150CAD all in. It needed a bit of rehabbing, but nothing that a good wash and condition couldn’t fix:

The green bag proved a more difficult quest. I missed out on a great deal early on, before I had acquired enough information to recognize it as such. Green bags are rarer than other colours, and their prices reflect that. I had resigned myself to a very long wait, and then fate intervened. An internet friend reached out, after I posted about my quest on Instagram, and offered her own bag as a gift. She had bought it years before at a charity auction but hadn’t used it, and wanted it to go to a good home where it would be appreciated. Needless to say, I was bowled over by her generosity. The bag is a beauty and her origin story makes her all the more meaningful to me.

So, at this point, all that remains on my shopping list is an ivory bag, and I am waiting for the right one to cross my path. I briefly borrowed a bone-coloured Coach bag from a friend of mine to test its versatility with my wardrobe; while it was a lovely bag, it made me realize that true ivory (more white than cream) is the best option for me, which helps to narrow down my search.

The last category on my intentional shopping list is, strictly speaking, a different kind of priority than the others, as it isn’t related to my wardrobe at all but, rather, my house. I want to upgrade some of the textiles we have, starting with blankets. And in particular, I have been dreaming of having a couple of Pendleton blankets. Good wool blankets are hard to find at thrift stores these days, much less Pendleton ones, so I had expected to buy these — over a few years — brand new. But then, randomly, the thrift gods smiled on me, and I found one, in excellent condition, at Value Village. Things being what they are these days, it was not cheap by any means ($200). For its condition, and considering the retail price, I felt it was a good deal nonetheless. It’s the Chief Joseph pattern, and I adore it:

I am still planning to buy at least one more Pendleton blanket, but as I have a very specific pattern in mind, I am pretty sure it will be a retail purchase that I will need to plan around the family’s overall budget. It may not end up happening this year, but that’s ok. The anticipation will only make it more special in the end.

Speaking of Pendleton, while this was not on my shopping list, I would be remiss not to mention here the absolutely fabulous vintage wool Pendleton blazer I scored on Poshmark for $35CAD all in:

I haven’t been spending much time on Poshmark lately, apart from checking new Coach and RL listings (and perfumes!), but finds like this one are the reason I am not planning to entirely quit browsing the app. Just a real hidden gem. While I wasn’t specifically looking for it, it’s very much my jam — wool plaid blazers have my heart.

The last thing I want to mention is my success in a quest that started almost 2 years ago. Remember my search for the perfect palazzo jean? Yes, I finally found it … at the thrift store, no less:

And with that, my intentional shopping list shrinks down a little bit more. Not coincidentally, my thrifting has recently shifted away from personal clothing purchases; I am now mostly shopping for my (constantly growing) kids and husband — and books!! — and also just buying fewer things in general thanks to the decline in quality I’ve talked about in the past. I will not rehash that conversation here again, but it’s something that’s often on my mind. I’m curious to see how the rest of the year unfolds … in thrifting, and in my intentional shopping project. Stay tuned.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Massimo Dutti sweater, Ralph Lauren skirt, Old Navy belt, Coach bag (all secondhand), J. Crew sweater (retail, old), Mia shoes (retail, old)

Thoughts: How much did I love this outfit? A lot. I’m so excited to start shifting my closet towards spring/summer, and this was a baby step in that direction. Summer for me is all about the Trailblazer, heavily prairie-core; I will miss the layering, but it will be nice to be reunited with pieces like my vintage RL skirts (like this one) and patchwork jackets. In the meantime, I took inspiration from the skirt patterns here to pull together the rest of the outfit. Fair isle pairs well with florals (in a matched palette, of course), and I chose this plaid jacket because its grey and blue also slotted in nicely. The harmony of colours keeps everything in check, no pun intended, so it looks purposeful and not like I got dressed in the dark.

Details: Everlane turtleneck, Ralph Lauren blazer, BR pants, Fossil belt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I have been looking for a pair of menswear-inspired trousers — something that Katharine Hepburn might have worn — for AGES. Pleated wide-leg pants have been having a moment, but for some reason, it proved challenging to find a style that fit me the way I wanted. The trouble always tended to be the pleats, and how they sat on me. But, as you can see, there is a happy ending. It was an accidental happy ending. I spotted these BR pants at the thrift store and was drawn to the heathered brown colour (very me, currently) and the cut of the leg. They were misplaced, as things often are at the thrifts, and I also didn’t have my reading glasses with me, so I misread the label. I thought it said 10, but in fact it says 16. I was about to put them back, and then I had a lightbulb moment. What if I just really, really cinch in the waist (they are very high-waisted) and see what kind of pleating/draping happens? So I did, and well … here is the result. I love it! It’s exactly what I’ve been wanting all along. The bottom of the leg is wide but not exaggeratedly so, but meanwhile there is enough volume in the top half to have a nice fluid drape — no gaping of the pleats and resulting weird poochiness. It basically looks like I’m wearing men’s trousers but, like, in an elegant (not dress-up) kind of way.

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt and skirt, BR necklace (all secondhand), J. Crew shoes (retail, old)

Thoughts: I’m a convert to the power of a crisp white shirt. Sometimes, that’s all you need to make a statement skirt into a statement outfit. And we know how much I love my statement skirts.

Details: St. John top, Jones NY blazer, Icone pants, vintage belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I love this trompe l’oeil top so, so much and yet constantly struggle to style it. It’s such a distinctive piece. It’s tempting to pair it with black so it becomes the focus of the outfit, but I find that ends up looking unbalanced. On the other hand, finding other good pairings is difficult because it has, well, that very distinctive vibe. I think these camel pants work quite well.

Details: Ralph Lauren sweater, Twik skirt, Fossil belt (all secondhand), J. Crew blazer (retail, old)

Thoughts: A rather sedate (for me) outfit, colour-wise, but not without a little wink. Those tights really do make the look, I think. This is the type of thing I’d be wearing if I still worked in the office all the time. It’s my current style, for sure, but toned down a little bit — but not all the way down.

Details: Wilfred sweater, Talbots vest, vintage belt, Coach bag (all secondhand), BR jeans (retail, old)

Thoughts: I have never actually shopped at a Talbots store in my life, but I own a surprising number of Talbots pieces — like this recently thrifted vest. Their pieces are surprisingly versatile, and the vintage ones are fabulous quality too. This is a more recent one, I can tell from the quality which is only so-so; but it is cool-looking, at least. I like sleeveless blazer-style toppers like this one as layering pieces for spring, and the funky houndstooth pattern gives me a lot of pattern-mixing possibilities. I kept this outfit very simple, though. Simple is nice too!