Biker Ballerina

It always makes me laugh when r/FemaleFashionAdvice refers to “witchy” anything because, 9 times out of 10, it turns out the person means “wearing a lot of black”. I am sure that practicing Wiccans are tired of the rest of us co-opting their terminology. I admit I’m as guilty as any; I like the idea of looking witchy without really knowing anything about being an actual witch. But! Apparently there is something called fashion magick and, guys, I am about to fall down a rabbit hole!

Anyway, in the meantime, I decided not to call this lewk “Biker Witch” lest I unintentionally cause any eye-rolls in my audience. Tulle = ballerina, right? Are there any ballerinas in the crowd? No? Good. Biker Ballerina it is, then.

All kidding aside, this was a super fun outfit. I layered my distressed, vaguely dystopian cropped sweater over a very boho eShakti dress, thereby changing its vibe entirely. The leather jacket upped the coolness factor (if you ignore my inherent uncoolness, that is) and added some much-needed warmth. Mornings have been so nippy here lately – we’re talking 40F on a good day, sigh. I have to say that this Mackage jacket is the real deal when it comes to warmth; the leather is so thick and there must be some extra insulation built in somehow, because I was nice and toasty.

Notes: eShakti dress (thrifted, $14); Art Point sweater (thrifted, $7); Mackage jacket (thrifted, $50); Clark booties (retail, $60).

Headmistress in Charge

I love this outfit so much even if it looks like a nothingburger on first glance. All the details please me. The crisp white, bejeweled collar. The midi dress that’s comfortable like pyjamas. The subtle herringbone vest. The classic Manolo pumps. I feel like a Woman Who Seems Very Responsible And Boring But Actually Has A Very Interesting Secret Life. I don’t, but I like to pretend that I do. That is the power of clothes, my friends.

Notes: J. Crew top (thrifted, $6); Elizabeth & James vest (thrifted, $18); Ovate dress (thrifted, $8.50); Manolo Blahnik (eBay, $250ish?).

Formula on Repeat

I have worn this sweater + scarf combo more times than I can count, and I never get tired of it. This light mauve/lilac colour is one of my favourites, and I wish it was easier to find because I want more of it in my closet. Can we call this “millennial purple” and get it declared a trend? Please and thank you. The scarf is a couple of years old now, but proof that fast fashion isn’t always crappy quality. The skirt is a recent thrift find and I really dig its design. It’s a faux wrap effect created by the front of the skirt folding back on itself. The fabric is a thick silk with nice weight to it which, hey, I will take over polyester any day of the week. The brand (Crea Concept) was not familiar to me when I bought the skirt, but I trusted my my assessment of the quality and bought it anyway; I’ve since learned that it’s a French contemporary designer brand (for reference, sold at places like Blu’s). Definitely worth the $8.

Notes: Moth sweater (thrifted, $7); Crea Concept skirt (thrifted, $8); Zara scarf (retail, $30ish?); Stuart Weizman boots (thrifted, $19).

Boyish Charm

I’ve worn some version of this outfit before but it still works and why reinvent the wheel? Especially on a Friday. I love the woodsy colour palette; the brown tweed works very harmoniously with the mossy green of the sweater even if brown-and-green is not a combination that often springs to mind. The metallic loafers add just a bit of pizzazz to what would otherwise be a straight copy of the outfit that my husband wears to work every day.

Notes: AllSaints sweater (thrifted, $8.50); Zara blazer (thrifted, $9.50); Aritzia pants (thrifted, $8); Louise et Cie loafers (retail, $35).

Stealing this idea from Xin who always writes the most thought-provoking and interesting posts, not only on fashion-adjacent topics but also everything from law to personal finance. Go check out her blog (Invincible Summer) now if you haven’t already, then come back and find out how I spent some of my shopping budget in the last 12 months.

Age: 39

How much you spent: $2,617 (August 2018 to July 2019)

How much you spent without accessories (shoes, bags, jewelry): $1,794

A Purchase You Planned – For the most part, I don’t plan specific purchases. The closest I get is having a list of designers to look for (whose aesthetic tends to work for me, based on past experience). Possibly the only recent exception has been Rafael Canada jewelry. After I thrifted my first piece, I started researching the designer and quickly fell in love with his work. I compiled a list of “most coveted” pieces using photos I found online, and then proceeded to haunt eBay, Etsy, and vintage seller sites to see if I could find them. All Rafael pieces are handmade and are, in that sense, unique; however, he used certain designs more than once, so it’s possible to find similar pieces. My approach was planned in the sense that I knew which styles I wanted, but I was open to variations in terms of metal finishes and the colour of glass cabochons used.

The main reason why I had to take a more planned approach was price; I wanted All the Things, but I had to budget. Because Rafael pieces are somewhat rare and collectible, the price points can vary wildly; I’ve been lucky to find a few pieces under $100, but most seem to be around $120-$200, with some listed as high as $400+. In the scheme of things (and considering my overall financial situation), my purchases haven’t been exorbitant, but when you’re used to thrift pricing, they took some mental adjustment. That being said, I adore my Rafael pieces, and I consider them more of a collection than a simple clothing purchase.

An Impulse Buy – Almost everything I purchased in the last year can be characterized as an impulse buy. I see, I buy; that’s how thrifting works. You can’t really “sleep on it” because good stuff moves quickly. That being said, if we look at “impulse buy” as something on which I took a risk, then one of the best was the Zara faux leather crop top. I have been loving leather jackets for a few years now, but this was the item that opened my eyes to the possibilities of incorporating leather into my regular outfits outside of outerwear. It was $12, which at the time seemed ridiculous for a secondhand fast fashion brand (and a crop top, of all things), but it was a bargain considering I have already worn it 9 times and counting. Time and again, it has been that perfect finishing touch to an outfit, adding texture and visual interest and generally elevating my style. The cut makes it a great layering piece, which means it works more or less year-round. As I said, it also made me look at leather pieces in a different light. I now have a few leather skirts, a pair of leather culottes, not to mention my beloved Sarah Pacini leather vest, and I believe that my closet is better for it.

Your Favourite Purchase:This is impossible, you know that, right? Picking one favourite thing? Forget it. I can maaaaybe commit to a top 5 … for today. Ask me tomorrow, and it might be something else. What can I say, I love my whole closet. For what it’s worth, today’s top picks would be:

• Aritzia midi skirt – I wear this every other week, it seems. I just love everything about it, and it’s super comfortable to boot. I paid $13 for it, and the cost per wear is already well under $1. It’s a wardrobe staple for me.
• Dries Van Noten floral dress – If money were no object, I would be a collector of Dries’ beautiful creations. As it is, I feel very fortunate to have been able to find this gorgeous dress on eBay for a reasonable price (not cheap, but it’s all relative). Every time I wear it, it feels like a treat.
• il Sander blazer – I’ve found a ton of awesome blazers in the past year, but this one inches ahead of the rest on quality alone. It’s a wool cashmere blend, and it feels like heaven. It’s also a classic colour and design, so it’s one of those unicorn timeless pieces that fashion magazines always tout; I can see myself wearing this for years to come.
• YSL plaid skirt – This skirt just brings me so much joy whenever I wear it. And I don’t even like plaid that much! Or, at least, I didn’t until I found this skirt. Now, I’m reconsidering my stance. This skirt is the best kind of vintage; it still looks so cool and modern, plus is a bit of fashion history. It was $13 at Value Village and, honestly, I would cry if anything happened to it.
• Cartonnier fur collar coat – I don’t know what it is about this coat, but it makes me feel like such a bada$$ every time I wear it. I am … the opposite of cool and deeply aware of it, so this is quite the sartorial magic, you guys. It’s also the kind of coat that I can slap onto any outfit, and it just works. Like, I said, MAGIC.

Honourable mention to all my Rafael Canada pieces, but I decided to keep them off this list because I already talked about them above.

A Purchase you regret – There are ** items I purchased in the last year which I’ve decided to pass on (sell, donate or swap). That sounds like a lot (and it is) but keep in mind that almost all of these pieces were thrifted and I should be able to recoup a decent portion of my out-of-pocket costs. (In some cases, I already did through the pop-up clothing sale back in March. Will be doing the same event again in September.) So in terms of actual regret, I have little.

A Purchase you regret not making – Nothing comes to mind. Probably not surprising, given how much I buy.

Someone on redditt/FemaleFashionAdvice recently posted an inspo album that deeply appealed to my newly awakened “goth” sensibility. These two photos in particular caught my eye:

What do we call this? Vaguely Edwardian goth dandy? Is that a thing? Let’s make it a thing.

Typically, I don’t like to put together outfits that are literal copies of someone else’s; I like to add my own spin on things, if only because that way I’m less likely to be disappointed if I don’t end up looking as cool as the original. [Sometimes, it’s not so much that I want to dress like someone one, as it is that I want to be the person I imagine them to be. Know what I mean?] This was an exception. My first thought was “damn, too bad I don’t have a cane and top hat” because, yes, I wanted to wear this literal outfit immediately. Since that wasn’t option, my next thought was to try to figure out how I could get as close as possible using the pieces I have in my closet.

Attempt No. 1 was fairly predictable, if you’re at all familiar with my closet.

My AllSaints ruffle blouse was a natural choice. The Sarah Pacini tunic thing was a good match, because the stretchy, deep V-neckline allows the blouse to shine; the bottom half of the tunic also adds some volume and texture and angles when layered over my Aritzia Johan skirt. [Sidenote: that skirt has become one of the cornerstones of my wardrobe. I probably wear it once a week which, given my wardrobe numbers, is quite a feat.] To further emphasize the waist, I added a wide obi-style belt.

I liked the result a lot, but it had one drawback. To account for the lack of sleeves and the weather, I had to add a cardigan before leaving the house, and that kinda spoiled the effect I was going for. Oh well.

Attempt No. 2 was a much less literal interpretation.

The skirt and shoes are the same, but I substituted a simple silk button-up shirt (Equipment) in place of the fancy ruffle blouse. I buttoned it all the way up to emphasize the collar. In a stroke of inspiration, I added the cropped faux leather top (Zara) for a bit of extra texture and edginess. [Sidenote: this cropped top is also becoming a key piece in my wardrobe. It’s shockingly handy for adding interest to outfits.] Then I threw on a sharply-tailored blazer (Smythe) because I was going to the office, and wanted to look extra badass.

I wish I had taken a photo of the outfit sans blazer as well, because it looked very cool both ways. This was an outfit I loved, and it received quite a few compliments at work as well.

Attempt No. 3 was a kind of compromise between the two previous ones.

Here, I used the skirt, blouse, belt and shoes from the first outfit, but subbed in a long coat (Boss) for the tunic. The higher neckline of the coat allows less of the blouse ruffle to be seen, so the effect is more subdued. However, the coat sleeves add their own bit of drama.

This was a fun little exercise in outfit-making, and I plan to use this photo for general inspiration when out on my thrifting adventures. Who knows, maybe I’ll even find a cool cane one of these days.