A New Take on Mixed Prints

Blazer, Ted Baker (thrifted); top, Gap (thrifted); skirt, Anthropologie (via eBay)
Blazer, Ted Baker (thrifted); top, Gap (thrifted); skirt, Anthropologie (via eBay)

This outfit is definitely leaning all the way into the boho side of my style persona, but I enjoyed it a great deal nonetheless. It probably helps that all the colours here are quite muted, which is where my current sartorial mood is at. And while there is quite a bit of pattern mixing going on, it’s all rather subtle. Muted and subtle? Who am I, even? I don’t know what to tell you. I’m just going with the flow and seeing where this takes me. Or, rather, what sort of closet is left standing at the end.

tweedy!
tweedy!
all the prints
all the prints

Let’s talk pieces. The skirt is new-ish, but you’ve seen it before. The midi length definitely calls for the highest of high heels; however, much as I am tempted to bust out my Louboutin platforms, they’re sadly not office-appropriate in my case. Sigh. I went with my next highest pair of (non-platform) pumps, which luckily worked with the whole colour scheme. Metallic pumps are surprisingly neutral particularly in a (more subtle, hah!) gold-foil finish rather than a mirrored finish. My pair is old, but I recently saw a very similar one at Nine West. The blazer is a new thrift find. Ted Baker blazers always have the prettiest linings, and this one is no exception. The cropped style works well with skirts, and in fact helps to balance out the longer length of this particular skirt and keeping that frump factor low.

going to midi lengths
going to midi lengths
plumes away!
plumes away!

Peplum Philosophy

Blazer, Philosophy (thrifted); pants, DVF (thrifted); shoes, Sam Edelman (thrifted)
Blazer, Philosophy (thrifted); pants, DVF (thrifted); shoes, Sam Edelman (thrifted)

One of my favourite things about thrifting is finding, from time to time, some truly unique piece. This Philosophy blazer definitely falls into that category. The construction is impeccable and plain to see; this blazer is tailored within an inch of its life. Were it not for the weight of the fabric, it might almost be a top rather than a jacket. Needless to say, I love its aristo-quirkiness. Incorporating it into an outfit was rather challenging, however, because I had to find pieces that would let it take centre stage. A plain black tank (not visible) and simple black cigarette pants ended up doing the trick.

J. Crew Factory necklace
J. Crew Factory necklace

I also added a short statement necklace to keep things from looking too severe. I would love to use a large statement brooch as accessory next time, but none of my current pieces seem like a good fit for the style and vibe of the jacket. I’ll either have to MacGuyver a suitable brooch bouquet, or … it will be time to go brooch shopping. Twist my rubber arm, why dotcha?

olive & black
olive & black
all the ruffles
all the ruffles

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Strange Beast

Coat, J. Crew (swap); dress, Target (thrifted); boots, Seychelles (thrifted)
Coat, J. Crew (swap); dress, Target (thrifted); boots, Seychelles (thrifted)
If I had to guess, I’d call this “leopard”. But a rather psychedelic one, hmm? I remember this dress from back in the day when the Phillip Lim collab hit the stores, during that brief but glorious time when Target had stores in Canada. I didn’t buy it at the time, but I was tempted by its funky colour palette when I spotted it at the thrift store 3 years later. It’s made of cotton, and for $7 I figured it would be a good throw-it-on-and-go kind of dress for an upcoming trip (more on that soon). I was in a rush, so I just eyeballed the dimensions and bought it without trying it on. As it turns out, the fit is kinda weird. There is a lot of asymmetry going on, which is probably what’s throwing me off, but it somehow feels both too big and not big (or long?) enough. It looks really good with my blue-purple J. Crew coat, though, so I couldn’t resist a quick weekend test-drive. I don’t think this will turn out to be a wardrobe staple for me, but it will surely spice up my vacation outfits.

making waves
making waves

bright combo
bright combo