We had so much fun with the last Style Flashback, we are doing it again. I am using the royal “we” and you are along for the ride. Fun, fun! This time, we are going back to 2012 and my back-to-work outfits following my first maternity leave. Bonus cameo appearance from my ill-calculated “new toddler mom” pixie haircut that was definitely not lower maintenance than my previous shoulder-length bob and took entirely too many years to grow out.

Let’s go!

First of all, yes: that is the same brown cardigan and belt from 2011. I didn’t choose the outfit for that reason; it just happens to be one of my favourites from that era. In fact, I’d probably still wear it now – the skirt is a touch short for my current taste, but it has the right ideas. As you might be able to tell from these outfits, I was beginning to experiment with pattern mixing and some bolder styling. These are all outfits I wore to work. At the time, I was a research lawyer in private practice; because my role wasn’t generally client-facing, I had a fair bit of leeway when it came to dress code, and my outfits ran the gamut from business casual to almost-business formal (not pictured here because, let’s face it, it tends to be pretty boring).

Apart from the outfit on the left, the styling and proportions wouldn’t work for me today – and neither would most of the clothing. Apart from the Louis Vuitton bag, I don’t own any of it anymore. I do wish I’d kept that pretty, patterned silk blouse from the first outfit, though. I love the collar! Otherwise, there are various design elements that don’t suit me anymore:

• Fitted blazers with “fussy” details
• Knee-length (or just below) skirts
• Dropped waistlines (middle photo)
• Peep-toe shoes

Here are some 2024 iterations of the same outfits:

The key changes here, for me, are the length of the skirt and the shoes. Look how much taller (and longer legged) I look when wearing a high-waisted midi skirt! But, like I said, the 2012 outfit is still pretty solid.

To be clear, if I were to put together a blazer-and-pants outfit today, it would look nothing remotely like this 2012 version. Indeed, if I’m wearing pants these days, it’s more likely to be with some combination of vest, men’s shirt, sweater, and (outerwear) coat, rather than a blazer. But in the spirit of the exercise, I tried to find the closest approximation of the 2012 outfit, black pants included. I also tried to stick to a restrained colour palette. You will notice the waistline is a lot higher and the pants are belted. The blazer is longer, less fitted, stripped of embellishments; visual interest is, instead, added via a textured, patterned fabric.

Finding a current version of this 2012 outfit was the most challenging of the lot. My lifestyle is completely different now, and I rarely dress to this level of formality for work. The outfit on the right is the closest I could find – something I wore to the office on one of my rare in-person visits. My current role is in-house, and most of my colleagues are, like me, working remote, so the office dress code is about as relaxed as it gets in the legal profession. My corporate goth era is long past, so I rarely wear head-to-toe black at the office; there are always at least a couple of other neutrals in play (white, cream, brown, and blue being some of my usual go-tos). There are still “embellishments”, but they are more subtle: coloured tights (not patterned), a jewel collar, a simple belt. The skirt is longer, but a less traditional style. The blazer is also longer and less fitted, almost a bit boxy. And the textural contrast has been dialed up, between the tweed blazer, the cable-knit sweater, and the corduroy skirt.

I will leave you with this thought: none of these outfits are objectively worse or better – they are simply different. It’s not necessary to completely disavow the things I once loved in service of the things I love now, nor hold them sacrosanct simply because I once loved them.

Details: H&M turtleneck, Limited cardigan, Nine West jacket, Sonoma belt, Office London shoes (all thrifted), Acne skirt, Marc Jacobs bag (both eBay)

Thoughts: Having established most definitively that blue and brown are a fail-proof pairing, it’s become something of a hobby of mine to try out different shade combinations. This aqua colour is one of my favourite blues and, look, it pairs beautifully with a both a cool-toned, medium brown (jacket and cardigan) and an orange-toned brown (boots). Throwing 2 different browns into the mix, and piling on layers, is one of my ‘hacks’ for adding depth to an outfit colour palette, which in turn makes the whole thing look more luxe. I mean, apart from the skirt and bag, none of the pieces here are particularly bougie, but I like to think the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. I loved this one.

Details: Gap turtleneck, Tommy Hilfiger sweater, Banana Republic jacket, Tristan belt, Eclat skirt, BareTraps shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I took a similar approach with this outfit, using differently textured layers to give depth to a 2-colour palette. Black and brown work together very well, as long as there is enough contrast between them; warm-toned browns, I find, are best. I thrifted the jacket, sweater and skirt within days of each other, and seeing them hung next to each other, post-laundry, I knew I had to wear them together. Sometimes, inspiration comes by happenstance. Actually, it usually comes that way — just the universe, working in its mysterious ways. I have a feeling this skirt is not long for my closet, however; as soon as my daughter saw me in this outfit, she started eyeing the skirt with a speculative look I know well. I guess I’d better enjoy it while I can.

Details: H&M turtleneck, J. Crew cardigan, vintage jacket, Fossil belt (all thrifted), Banana Republic pants (retail, old), YSL bag (eBay)

Thoughts: I initially put this vintage leather jacket in my cart as a bit of a joke; the colour drew my eye, but I figured it would be too bright, and the cut of the jacket too 80s, to actually work. But then I tried it on and both my daughter (who happened to be thrifting with me that day) and I had to admit that, actually, it looked rather cool. It was only $25, so I decided to take a gamble on it; it’s sufficiently unique to be the kind of thing I’d never find again, and nothing haunts a thrifter more than the one-of-a-kind things she didn’t get. Anyway, at home, I ran into the problem I often have with (bright) purple clothes: a lack of ideas about how to pair them with the rest of my closet. Black is an option — insofar as black is always a safe enough last resort — but I don’t super love how it looks paired with purple. In the past, I’ve enjoyed the pairing of dark plum and dark green, so I decided to look for a shade of green that might work with this mauve-ish colour. And after some deliberation, I came up with olive green. I liked how that looked, but felt the outfit needed a third colour to balance it out. Brown was my first thought, black my second, but I’m glad I went with the third, which was this mahogany colour that sits at the intersection of red, brown, and purple. Now, for my next trick (with this jacket) … I’m gonna need to some time.

Details: H&M turtleneck, Ralph Lauren sweater, Fossil belt, Banana Republic jeans, unbranded vest, Coach bag, Office London shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I thrifted this furry vest because it was giving me 70s boho vibes, and that intrigued me. I think it has possibilities vis-a-vis certain aspects of the Ralph Lauren multiverse, which I plan to explore in the future. For this inaugural outfit, I kept things very simple, using the vest to add some flair to a minimalist combo of jeans and cable-knit sweater.

Details: Free People sweater, Wilfred skirt, Manolo Blahnik shoes (all thrifted), silver ball necklace (Poshmark), Rafael Alfandary necklace (consignment)

Thoughts: I love collecting pottery, so I knew I’d have to buy this skirt as soon as I saw — much as I don’t need another skirt in my closet. But the heart wants what it wants, and a pattern of cute vases? Definitely WANT. And, as it happens, the rest of the skirt is also practically tailored to my preferences; it’s the perfect length and tiered, two things I can never resist in skirts. I’m also a big fan of the colour scheme. The background is a purplish grey, with various blues and purples in the pattern; these colours open up a lot of styling possibilities for someone whom the thrift gods have been blessing with a lot of purple clothing lately. Like this vintage Free People sweater. Don’t they look so good together? Also, no, I haven’t started calling everything I thrift “vintage”. I looked up the tag and found an old Reddit post about the same sweater (in a different colour) in which a former Free People employee confirmed it was from around 1992-1994. How neat is that? God, I love the internet! And thrifting!

Details: Tommy Hilfiger shirt, Ralph Lauren vest & blazer, Fossil belt, Banana Republic pants (all thrifted), Timex watch (Poshmark)

Thoughts: Just some Ralph Lauren bizness. Brown and blue. You know how we do.

Details: Emmy Deveaux bodysuit, Ralph Lauren shirt, Italian belt (all thrifted), Margiela skirt (swap)

Thoughts: This outfit was inspired by a photo of Linda Evangelista in an outfit from a 90s Donna Karan runway collection that came across my Instagram feed. A column of black with an oversized white shirt, and a statement accessory. The original outfit featured pants and a chunky necklace; I subbed in a maxi skirt and chunky belt, plus my beloved cuffs. I felt almost as cool as … well, not Linda, who is a goddess and a legend, but one of the not-quite-super models of my teenage years. I’ll settle for that!

It has been a good year for reading, in terms of both quality and material. I read 126 books (and counting!) in 2024, most of them at least respectably solid reads. Some, of course, were standouts – more on them in a moment. Over the summer, after a decade-long hiatus, I restarted the tradition of weekly visits with my daughter to the public library. I still buy a lot of books for my personal library at home, but with space running out, I have to be more selective with new additions, so I’ve been falling back on library loans as a way to supplement my reading material. Plus, it’s a nice bonding experience for my daughter and I; she calls the public library “our happy place”. Well, that and our local bookstore. Like mother, like daughter – she’s got her own burgeoning personal library to consider.

I thought I would share my top 10 favourite reads of the year, because if there is one thing book lovers enjoy more than receiving reccs, it’s sharing them. They’re listed in no particular order; one cannot be asked to rank their darlings, it’s too cruel. And since it’s also cruel to ask someone to choose only 10 books out of XXX, I’ve added one or two bonuses at the end 😉

Top 10 Reads

William Blake vs the World – John Higgs

Described as a “wild and unexpected journey through culture, science, philosophy, and religion”, this book strives to provide a fresh, carefully considered look at William Blake’s philosophical worldview and art. I didn’t know a lot about Blake going in and bought the book off the clearance shelf on a whim. It was a surprise and a delight. As someone drawn to Eastern philosophies (Taoism and Buddhism), I was fascinated by Blake’s ideas; Higgs writing is insightful and accessible, managing to weave together a lot of different sources and strands into a tremendously pleasurable read.

Slough House series – Mick Herron

You don’t have to love spies to love Mick Herron’s Slough House books. At its heart, this is a series about a dysfunctional work culture – with hierarchies, various arbitrary or arcane traditions, idiosyncratic characters, and so on. Sort of like The Office, if the work setting was MI5 instead of a Midwest paper company. And the comparison is not as wild as it might seem, because one of the best things about Herron’s writing – which is fantastic – is its humour. There are so many memorable one-liners and wonderful turns of phrases. But be warned: this is the opposite of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series. Main characters die with alarming frequency and little fanfare. Enjoy the ride, but don’t get attached to any fellow passenger.

Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change – W. David Marx

I love reading about social class and status, and how it influences and plays out in Western culture, so this book was very much up my alley. Fascinating and thought-provoking, it has given me many ideas to ponder. I have returned to it several times, rereading and redigesting. As I get older, I find myself increasingly drawn to any art (books or other) that stokes my curiosity and provides new avenues of exploration, philosophical and/or creative. For me, this is one of those.

Last Devil to Die – Richard Osman

A new Richard Osman book is a dead cert guarantee of a good time, and this one was no exception. His writing is like a warm, soft blanket, enveloping you in comforting cocoon far removed from troublesome reality. Escapism at its coziest.

Black Bird Oracle – Deborah Harkness

I loved the original A Discovery of Witches trilogy, and I am not in the least embarrassed to admit that Diana Bishop is one of my favourite literary characters, even though it might be said (not without reason) that these books are essentially Twilight for middle-aged women. Anyway, Black Bird Oracle is a continuation of Diana’s story, in which she pursues her journey to discover and master her full powers with the help of her Bishop relatives, witches hailing from Salem. It’s an engrossing, fun read and my only complaint is that the ending merely sets up the next book. On the plus side, there will be another book – yay!

The Emperor of Scent – Chandler Burr

As y’all know, I got super interested in perfumes, and perfume history, this year and this was the best book I read on the subject. It covers the story of Luca Turin, a scientist and perfume connoisseur, who shocked the scientific establishment by putting forward a controversial new theory on the human sense of smell (still being debated today). Burr manages to make the science accessible, and the story thrilling. Even if you’re not a fraghead like me, you’ll probably find the book hard to put down.

The Decagon House Murder – Yukito Ayatsuji

This year, I discovered the genre of Japanese locked room mysteries, inspired by classic English detective fiction of the likes of Agatha Christie. They are jolly great fun! And this one is a classic. Its plot is very loosely based on And Then There Were None, but it is masterful in its own way rather than anything like a pastiche. It will keep you reading into the small hours, because you’ll want to get to the end. Ask me how I know.

The Dark Interval and Collected Poems – Rainer Maria Rilke

Rilke is my favourite poet, and I finally got around to adding a collection of his best-known works to my library. It was also the first time in more than a decade that I re-read his poetry; I found it as beautiful, elegiac and meditative as I did in my 20s, though I’m finding different beats in it now. The Dark Interval, on the other hand, is a collection of Rilke’s letters to friends in which he wrote about grief. Having gone through my own journey with grief over the past 4 years, I found his writing deeply moving; he managed to capture and articulate many of the feelings and ideas which my own experiences brought up for me. If you or someone you know is going through a season of loss, this is a book that may speak to you or them.

The Last Murder at the End of the World – Stuart Turton

Turton might be something of a love-it-or-hate-it writer. Some people think his books are gimmicky and/or incomprehensible, and some think they’re inventive and utterly brilliant. I’ll let you work out which category I fall into. Each of his 3 books are genre-bending mysteries, and the only thing they have in common is that they’re unlike any other mystery you’ve read before. The Last Murder at the End of the World combines classic Sherlockian detective fiction and apocalyptic science fiction. I don’t enjoy the latter genre as a rule, but that did not impact my enjoyment of this book. It’s a thrill ride from beginning to end.

Red Side Story – Jasper Fforde

I waited 14 years to read the sequel to Shades of Grey (no, not THAT one), which was one of my favourite books of 2010, and by the time it came out — to relatively little fanfare — I had more or less given it up as a lost cause. But it’s here now, and it’s wonderful. Comic fantasy is a genre that is close to my heart, as a die-hard Terry Pratchett fan (indeed, it’s the only kind of fantasy I enjoy reading on the regular), and Fforde is up there on the list of greats, imo. The universe of Shades of Grey — a world where people are sorted by their ability to see a specific, single colour — is unique and fascinating and full of quirky, memorable characters. The dystopian elements are softened by the humour and zest of the writing, which is the only way I find them digestible these days.

Best of the Rest – Romance

I’m going to present this trio without further comment, apart from the fact that it represents my top 3 fave romance novel heroes: Gabriel St. Vincent; Tom Severin; Wulfric, Duke of Bedwyn. I’ll leave you to discover the rest, should you be so inclined 😉

Devil in Spring – Lisa Kleypas

Chasing Cassandra – Lisa Kleypas

Slightly Dangerous – Mary Balogh

Best of the Rest – Historical Non-Fiction

Historical non-fiction is my most-read category, so I thought it deserved its own separate list. If not obvious from the title, I’ve added the subject matter in brackets.

Marriage and Family in the Middle Ages — Frances and Joseph Gies

House of Lilies – Justine Firnhaber-Baker (history of the French royal dynasty, the Capetians)

The Regency Years – Robert Morrison (society, culture, and politics of the Regency era in Britain)

Embroidering Her Truth: Mary, Queen of Scots and the Language of Power – Clare Hunter

Blood Sisters: The Hidden Lives of the Women Behind the Wars of the Roses – Sarah Gristwood

Young Queens: The Intertwined Lives of Catherine de’ Medici, Elisabeth de Valois, and Mary, Queen of Scots – Leah Redmond Chang

Young Damned and Fair: The Life and Tragedy of Catherine Howard at the Court of Henry VIII – Gareth Russell

A Rome of One’s Own: The Forgotten Women of the Roman Empire – Emma Soputhon

Elizabethans: How Modern Britain Was Forged – Andrew Marr (society, culture, and politics of QEII’s reign)

The Borgias – CJ Meyer

The Burgundians: A Vanished Empire – Bart Van Loo (history of Burgundy, the territories now known as the Low Countries, modern Belgium and the Netherlands)

Two Houses Two Kingdoms: A History of France and England, 1100–1300 – Catherine Hanley

And that concludes my list for the year, but keep the recommendation train going in the comments and share yours!