One of the questions I was asked recently on Instagram had to do with outfit building blocks and formulas. I consider myself an “instinctive stylist”, meaning that I tend to follow my gut rather than a systematic process when I’m putting together outfits. But that isn’t entirely accurate, I think. What’s actually happening is probably that I am subconsciously following a process without realizing it. Let’s see if I can reconstruct it all for you here.

To begin with, let’s tackle terminology. To me, outfit building blocks are the individual pieces of clothing in my closet. Some pieces form the backbone of the outfit; they’re like bricks. Some pieces hold outfits together without calling attention to themselves; they’re like mortar. And some pieces are pure decoration; they’re like … I dunno, my architectural vocabulary is pretty limited, guys. Maybe, like, crown molding? Anyway. Here’s an outfit breakdown for illustration purposes:

The backbone of this outfit is clearly the skirt; it’s doing all the heavy lifting here and it’s the immediate focal point of the outfit. The mesh turtleneck and black crop top are very much necessary to complete the outfit, but they are not, in themselves, memorable. They are also pieces that can be worn in an almost-infinite variety of ways because they are simple and versatile. They can “glue” together any number of different outfits. Lastly, the belt is purely decorative (functionally unnecessary) but that doesn’t mean that it’s surfeit. It very much contributes to the overall effect created by the outfit.

Here is another example:

The backbone of the outfit here is blazer and vest; the white shirt is the “glue”. But what about the skirt? The skirt is a statement piece, which is a bit of a sui generis category. More than mere decoration, but not quite foundational either. Going back to our architectural analogy, a statement piece is a like a sparkly brick. It stands out just a bit more, and as a result it’s just a bit less versatile. You can build outfits around a statement piece, but you don’t necessarily need a statement piece to make an outfit.

Now, I don’t want us to get too hung up on taxonomies and classifications. The main thing is to understand that your closet is made up of different types of building blocks, each of which has its own function and purpose in outfit building. In my view, a well-functioning closet depends on 2 key principles:

1. that all or most of the individual building blocks generally align with your personal style or preferred aesthetic(s); and
2. that you have the right proportion of the different types of building blocks suitable to your personal style or preferred aesthetic.

Lets look at that more closely.

If you have a fairly cohesive personal aesthetic, then the first principle is pretty self-explanatory. Don’t buy a bunch of pink clothing if you only like to wear black. Don’t own 10 skirts and one pair of pants if you only like to wear pants. If, like me, your personal style has several facets, the same principle applies but requires a bit more finesse. The “glue” pieces should always be “anonymous” enough and/or versatile enough to work with any and all of your aesthetics. When it comes to the foundational “bricks”, I personally try to find things that can serve as “throughlines” – aka be as versatile as possible across different aesthetics – and then I can rely on the “decoration” building blocks to fully differentiate each particular aesthetic. This is easier to do when the different aesthetics all share some basic DNA. Harder to do if your aesthetics are “goth grunge” and “50s pin-up” (harder but maybe not impossible?). If you’re in that situation, it may be easier to rely on statement pieces – aka “sparkly bricks” – to bridge the gap.

The other thing to consider, when dealing with a multi-faceted personal style, is how much you use each aesthetic. If you’re “goth grunge” 80% of time, there is no point in having half of your statement pieces be “50s pin-up”. You’ll end up with clothes you rarely wear AND feel like you don’t have enough clothes.

This ties in with the second principle.

I’ve seen various recommended ratios for the different categories of building blocks – a common one is 80% “basics” (which I assume includes my bricks and glue) and 20% statement pieces. I don’t like arbitrary rules applied with an indiscriminate hand. The ratio is important because if you have too much of the wrong thing, or too little of the key things, your closet will feel out of whack. But the ratio will very much depend on your personal style and lifestyle. A minimalist aesthetic might need fewer statement pieces than a maximalist one. We’ve already talked about how a multi-faceted personal style (with different aesthetics) will impact the kinds of building blocks you need. I can’t tell you what your ratio is … and you might not know right off the bat either. But there are ways to work out the answer.

The first clue is how does your closet feel? Does it feel chaotic and disorganized? Does it feel like you have simultaneously too many clothes and not enough to wear? If so, your ratio is probably off. In contrast, if you feel satisfied and in control of your closet, you’re probably working with a good ratio.

If you fall into the first category, the fix takes a bit of work but it’s not an insurmountable problem by any means. I would ask myself 2 questions:

1. when I’m getting dressed, do I ever say “boy, I wished I had X to make this outfit?” That is a clue as to what might be missing from my closet. If you start writing down those things as they occur to you, you will start to get a sense of which category of building blocks might be underrepresented in your closet.
2. which pieces do I rarely or never wear? Which category do they tend to fall into? This could be a sign that the category is overrepresented. (It could also just mean that some pieces don’t fit you, or don’t suit your style, so eliminate those first before you draw any other conclusions).

Ultimately, only you can decide what’s too many or too few statement pieces for you. Sorry, I wish there was a generic answer but, hey: if we’ve learned one thing over the years, it’s that style is personal and, therefore, never generic.

For what it’s worth, my own ratio is something along these lines: 70% bricks, 20% glue, 10% decoration. Of my “bricks”, I would say that about a third are statement pieces aka “sparkly bricks”. These percentages reflect the fact that, while I do love bold/unique pieces and have a multi-faceted style, there are many commonalities between my aesthetics, I enjoy having versatile pieces, and I am not an out-and-out maximalist.

A last word on building blocks and shopping.

When you are considering a piece of clothing for purchase, it’s good to consider where it fits into the bigger picture of your closet. Which category does it fall into? Is that category over- or under-represented in your closet? Does it align with your personal style or reflect a new style direction you are consciously exploring? Do you already have something similar and, if so, when given the choice between the old item and the new one, which one would you pick? This one is a big downfall for me. I tend to buy different iterations of items I love – maybe with different patterns, or slightly different cuts, or different fabrics – and then struggle to give each of them the attention they deserve. I find it very hard to choose which ones to let go once they’re in my closet, so I try to be as ruthless as I can upfront – i.e. before I buy. While I don’t strictly hold myself to a ”one in, one out” rule, I do try to follow it as much as possible. And, always, if it’s not a “hell, yes” it’s a NO.

I hope you have found this discussion helpful – feel free to share your thoughts and tips in the comments. Next week, we’ll tackle outfit formulas!

Details: Ralph Lauren sweater (gift), Ralph Lauren skirt (ebay), Jil Sander coat, Asos boots, Esprit belt (all thrifted), Echo scarf (consignment)

Thoughts: This was my favourite outfit of the season, and that is no overstatement. It all just came together so beautifully, I was chuffed. The skirt was an accidental eBay find; I was looking for a different vintage Ralph Lauren skirt (and the only listing I found was outside my budget, sadly) when I came across this one and instantly fell in love. And the best part? It was just inside my budget. I took a bit of a risk with the sizing, because the measurements given in the listing looked sus, but it paid off because it fits just right. It’s also a lovely, cozy, cotton flannel which makes it a good choice for fall/spring. The colours, patterns, and patchwork design are so me. I also loved how cohesive the accessories look in this outfit. Just 10/10, no notes.

Details: Ines de la Fressange x Unqilo shirt, Lord & Taylor sweater, Mondi skirt (all thrifted), Rafael Alfandary necklace (eBay), J. Crew shoes (retail)

Thoughts: It’s no secret that I love plaids, and I especially love unusual plaids. This red/chartreuse combo is rather unique, isn’t it? Mondi is an underrated vintage brand, and I was pumped to find this beautiful wool skirt in perfect condition. I decided to play up the unusual colour palette by adding the lemon yellow cashmere sweater, and red shoes for extra oomph.

Details: Alfred Sung top, Club Monaco belt (both thrifted), Paul Smith pants (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I adore this vintage silk top — the mix of plaid and floral patterns is fantastic — but I find the cut a bit of a struggle. The length, in particular, is not my favourite and the style is a bit, well, old-fashioned. Adding a belt helps to change up the proportions and vibe, making it feel more current. I doubled down on the plaid with the pants, making it a tonal outfit head to toe.

Details: Talbots sweater, Gap skirt, no brand belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: If this doesn’t look like fall, I don’t know what does. Loving the texture contrast here between the chunky wool sweater and the leather skirt; it adds depth and richness to the outfit. Burgundy is not one of my go-to colours but it’s my favourite autumnal shade (apart from whiskey brown). Still, head to toe burgundy isn’t something I would normally get excited about, so it’s a sign of how much I love these pieces that I went for this outfit at all.

Details: F21 top, Joie cardigan, Nine West shoes (all thrifted), Giambattista Valli x H&M dress (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I got this iridescent green mesh top because I thought it had good layering potential, but so far, I’m not really sold. The sheen doesn’t come through as well as I had hoped, either in person or in photos. Still, it does work well with this dress, mostly because the black trim around the neckline nicely mirrors the black waistband on the dress. Is it a one-hit wonder? Time will tell.

Details: Pendleton sweater, Twik pants, Modern Vintage shoes (all thrifted), Pendleton coat (FB Marketplace), Ralph Lauren belt (Poshmark), Coach bag (swap)

Thoughts: This outfit was meant to simply be a backdrop for this amazing Pendleton coat, but I was surprised by how much I loved this brown/turquoise combo. It’s so vibrant! I will have to try it again soon. I told you these corduroy pants would make (many) more appearances on the blog, and I was not exaggerating. They really do go with everything!

Thrifting has been good to me over the years. It has given me an amazing closet, plus helped me to minimize my environmental footprint and keep my budget under control. It has brought me many learning moments; I’ve discovered new brands, re-discovered old ones, and learned a lot about quality and design. But maybe most important of all, thrifting has played a key role in the development of my personal style – and even my understanding of personal style.

Thrifting is vastly different from the typical retail experience and people who don’t realize that upfront are more likely to be disappointed and/or frustrated and decide that thrifting isn’t “their thing”. Retail is organized and prescriptive; it directs you to certain items and even offers helpful suggestions for how you might wear those items (via mannequins and in-store displays and media). Each store has its identity and point of view, and it tends to impose a sort of tunnel vision so that customers see the clothing through the lens of that store’s brand vision.

Thrifting offers zero help. It is chaotic and non-prescriptive. It doesn’t tell you what’s good and what’s trash – in fact, prices are a useless metric in that regard; it’s up to you to decide what’s worth buying, and how to wear it.

Now, given those considerations, you might think that already having a strong sense of personal style is a key requirement for being a successful thrifter. But that isn’t necessarily the case. Certainly, going into a thrift store with a clear vision of how you want to dress will make that trip a much faster, more efficient one. More akin, perhaps, to a regular retail experience. You can go in, home in on pieces that suit your personal style, purchase, and leave.

But that isn’t the only definition of successful thrifting, in my opinion.

Instead of looking at a thrift shop as simply just another kind of clothing store, think of it as a giant style laboratory. It is a place to acquire clothes, yes, but your real goal is to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. You don’t have to go in with a complete vision; you can go in to figure out what your vision might be.

Viewed from that perspective, the greater and more random – aka chaotic – a thrift store’s inventory is, the better. It gives you so much more material to experiment with! Don’t be stressed about finding the perfect thing. The key is to just look. See all the different colours, patterns, styles, fabrics, design elements. The more, the better – your eye will get trained all the faster. Touch things. Find out what feels nice and what doesn’t. Figure out which colours and patterns you like, and which ones makes you want to hurl. Maybe you’ll see some things that intrigue you and tempt you to buy. Do it … even if you’re not sure those things are “you”. Especially if you’re not sure. Thrifting offers a low cost, low risk opportunity to experiment.

If you still feel overwhelmed by the idea of being left to your own devices to sift through a thrift store, you can take a 2-pronged approach. First, visit the mall and take notes about clothing that catches your eye. Not the brand, but the specifics: colours, patterns, lengths, cuts, sleeve details, necklines, etc. Then, go to the thrift store and look for similar things. You don’t need to find something identical; you’re just testing different things.

That being said, even if you go into the thrift store with an idea about what you’re looking for, stay open to other possibilities. The beauty of thrifting is that it exposes you to a much greater number of ideas and trends all at once – today’s trends, yesterday’s trends, trends from 5 years ago, and trends from 20 years ago. All that exposure … it’s the best kind of style education you can get.  

Getting a handle on what you enjoy and don’t enjoy wearing is Step One in developing your own sense of style. Individual pieces are the building blocks of style, but we don’t all need to use the same building blocks. For example, I prefer skirts over pants, and long skirts over short ones. My version of a “preppy” aesthetic will be informed by that and will look different compared to the aesthetic of someone who prefers short skirts and jeans. Knowing what buildings blocks are out there, then knowing what building blocks work best for you is the starting place for developing a personal style point of view. Personal style is not about echoing what someone else is saying; it’s about figuring out what you want to say. Fashion provides the communication tools; your style is your message.

Thrifting lets you try out all kinds of tools to find out which ones serve your message the best; it doesn’t tell you which tool you need but gives you the space to figure that out on your own. Success in thrifting can be measured by metrics other than “I bought the thing and the thing was exactly what I needed right at that moment.” Success might look like the exact opposite of that: I bought a thing and it was TERRIBLE! Because, you know what? You probably learned something from that “fail” – about how a certain thing makes you feel, about how you like to feel, about what to never buy again, etc. In science, an experiment isn’t successful only when it proves a particular hypothesis; it’s successful if it helps to advance our understanding of the world. Or, in this case, our personal style.

The downside of fashion experimentation is, of course, waste. In an ideal world, there would only be as much clothing as people actually wear. If 50 people loved a fuchsia dress with chartreuse butterflies, 50 fuchsia dresses with chartreuse butterflies would exist, and no more. Obviously, the real world doesn’t work like that. But thrifting can reduce the impact of style experimentation. If one person buys a pair of wide leg jeans, realizes the style doesn’t work for them, and donates it … this can mean that the next person who wants to try out wide leg jeans doesn’t have to consume a brand new pair, they can just thrift one. And if they don’t like the jeans either, no harm done – there is still one less pair of jeans in circulation, and the existing pair (if re-donated) still has the chance to find an owner who will love it.

I can speak from experience: thrifting has reduced my retail shopping to almost zero. Multiply that across a larger population and the scale of the impact will make itself felt. Thrifting will never replace retail shopping entirely, if for no other reason that at some point, new clothes will need to be brought into circulation. But, in my view, that isn’t the point anyway; I don’t see thrifting as the answer to the problem of clothing over-production (which, btw, is driven by corporations’ profit motives rather than consumer demand). Thrifting can be, however, one answer to the problem of unwanted clothing. In other words, it doesn’t stop more clothes from being made, but it does keep existing clothes in circulation longer (and out of landfills). And that’s a good thing for those of us who love style.