Over the summer, I settled into a good grove with my art projects. A slow but steady pace which produced some hoops I’m really proud of. I’m choosing to focus on interesting design and technical complexity over quantity, and I feel good about it. I am working on disengaging myself from a monetization/commercialization mindset, which makes the volume of production an irrelevant metric. It may sound contradictory, in that context, but I have also signed up for one art market this year. It will be held in November at the same venue as the one I did last year; familiarity was the deciding factor. Plus, the fact that there will be a vintage market held there on the same day, and I’m hoping I can sneak in a little bit of shopping 😉

However, heading into fall, I am not planning to change my pace. I have a few designs lined up to work on that I’m excited about, but I am not rushing to create more “stock” for the market. In the past, I debated whether to create “product” at more entry-level pricing (i.e. smaller and/or less complex pieces) or diversify my offerings. I’ve seen some embroidery artists sell prints of their hoops, for example, but that doesn’t resonate with me — to me, part of the joy of an embroidered piece is tactile, and without the texture, I feel like something is lost. So while I know this will forever hamper my ability to make money from my art, I’ve chosen not to pursue these other options. It’s funny … the similarities to my approach to blogging aren’t lost on me. I have niche aesthetic sensibilities and it seems that I’d rather be stuck in a tiny niche forever than change my creative expression to chase a bigger market. It’s a good thing that I have a day job, lol!

Anyway, here’s what I’ve been working on lately.

I started to explore a slightly different aesthetic with this semi-abstract still life composition. I love paintings that use big, bold blocks of colour, and am always looking for ways to achieve a similar vibe with floss. It’s difficult because large areas of satin stitch (which looks smooth and flat like paint) are tricky to execute, so I have to get creative about cutting up the canvas into manageable “chunks”. Here, I also experimented with a limited colour palette.

This was another hoop in a similar vein (series?) but featuring a slightly brighter colour palette. I struggled with this one a bit more than the previous, but I am happy with how it turned out in the end.

This Van Gogh-inspired design has been waiting for quite a while; I was digging through an old design notebook, came across it and decided it was finally time. I am glad I waited. My original plan, last year, had been to use mostly satin stitch, and I don’t think that would have been quite as successful. Now that I’ve had a lot more practice with yarn-painting techniques, I felt confident to change the execution plan and tackle this in a more impressionistic style, which is certainly more true to the original inspiration. Very pleased with this one.

For this piece, I went back to my own paintings for inspiration. This was based on an acrylic painting I made back in 2018.

Again, the experience I’ve gained over the last year or so enabled me to tackle a design that is more complicated than previous ones (though it may not look like it). It’s a good reminder to self that, even though it may not feel like it, I am constantly learning and improving my technical skills. I have a few designs sketched on paper which are a little scary because I don’t have a very solid plan for how I’ll execute them, but I think I’m going to just “go for it” and trust that I’ll be able to figure it out as I go.

Details: TNA shirt, Gap skirt, Greta Constantine x Danier belt, chunky necklace (all thrifted), Margiela skirt (swap)

Thoughts: I was playing around in my closet using some runway inspo I had saved, and this outfit came together and it was too good not to try it … at least on a limited basis. WFH is great for that. Lumbergoth academichic, would you say? I like it. I like it a lot. I discovered that I could turn this flannel shirt into a turtleneckish looking thing by flipping up the collar. I like that a lot too.

Details: Revello top (retail), Talbots skirt, Mexx cardigan (both thrifted), Mia shoes (retail), Paloma Picasso bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: Another quintessentially 90s outfit that I adored wearing. This cropped cotton cardigan is just perfection. Can you believe I hadn’t owned a black cardigan for years? It wasn’t something that was missing from my closet until it was, if you know what I mean. Suddenly, I had more than a few outfits that called for a black cardigan, and specifically a “shrunken” one like this. So it was very lucky that I found this vintage (pre-2000) Mexx cardigan, still in great condition, just as I started to wish for one. I love cotton knit cardigans; the right weight (not too heavy/warm, but warm enough) and not at all scratchy so they can be worn comfortable with sleeveless or short sleeve tops.

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt (thrifted), Maeve skirt, chunky necklace (both Poshmark)

Thoughts: I love the simplicity of this outfit formula: oversized men’s shirt; full, flowy skirt; waist definition. The busy pattern of the skirt will accommodate any number of other patterns and colours, but it goes especially well with stripes.

Details: Zara shirt, Chaps vest, Cartonnier pants (all thrifted), J. Crew shoes (retail)

Thoughts: Speaking of dressing to a formula, here is another example. This is a new iteration of my shirt + vest + pants formula. I decided to go a little bolder with the colour choices, inspired by the vest palette.

Details: White + Warren sweater, J. Crew & necklace vest, Jessie skirt (all thrifted), Picasso bag (Poshmark), Mia shoes (retail)

Thoughts: Back to the 90s, with another outfit built around this vintage floral maxi skirt that I recently thrifted. This time, I picked up the blush pink in the floral pattern with this lightweight cashmere t-shirt style sweater. It reminded me a bit of those fuzzy cropped sweaters that were popular for a while in the 90s. I added the vest because (a) I love vests, and (b) the result gave me strong Delia’s catalogue vibes.

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt, Fossil belt (both thrifted), Banana Republic jeans (retail)

Thoughts: Rounding this off with the most satisfying “basic” outfit of recent memory. Just a shirt and jeans, but looking ever so chic, if I do say so myself. I feel like the hair really plays up the vibe as well, and I love when that happens. To me, this looks like one of those outfits you see in a magazine and think “surely, it can’t be this easy to look stylish” and, honestly, I feel like I’ve unlocked some next-level fashion achievement to be able to feel that way about one of my own outfits.

This post is about … exactly what the title says. With summer (almost) officially over, it’s a good time to look back and assess what outfits struck a chord. You can see patterns — for successful outfit formulas, colour combinations, etc. — and use the information to refine sartorial strategies. I can talk all I want about theoretical concepts like avatars or about aspirational style inspo, but the proof is in the pudding. What do I like to wear?

A quick glance at my Instagram main page suggests my personal aesthetic is all over the place. Colours, proportions, vibes … all just a mad jumble. I used to get very discouraged by this apparent inconsistency, before I landed on the avatar concept which, essentially, embraces the fact that my style has radically different facets (i.e. different personalities). When you drill down, patterns or throughlines do emerge. For summer 2023, I identified 7 “themes”. If I want to super reductive, each theme can be assigned to an avatar — more on that below — but the reality is that outfit-avatar alignment is not an exact thing, and lots of outfits fall on the periphery of the avatar “identity”.

Theme 1: Colour Maximalism

This “theme” has been a constant one since 2020. In the past, it was strongly aligned with the Bohemian avatar, but as the vibe of that avatar has changed, this association has become looser. If the Bohemian vibe this summer was a prairie-romantic one, the outfits above don’t really fit the bill. But in terms of silhouette and ethos, they are still very much “me”. Note the layering in the 2 outfits on the right; the play with proportions; the length of the hemlines. All very Adina.

Theme 2: Boho Prairie

This theme aligns well with the Bohemian avatar, and not just because of the name. It’s a little bit 70s, a little bit arts-and-crafts, a little bit eclectic. Wide leg pants, voluminous (maxi) dresses, funky/organic jewelry, and everything patchwork. The pants silhouette and dress length is something that will carry through into fall and winter, although the plan is to set aside patchwork in favour of plaid, and go with slightly more streamlined dresses. The vibe will also be darker and a bit more goth than folk, if that makes sense.

Theme 3: Romantic Southwest

This also aligns with the Bohemian avatar, and is obviously deeply influenced by my obsession with Ralph Lauren. My goal lately has been to incorporate southwest elements into outfits without going “full cowgirl”. Usually, that means using one (or at most, two) southwest element so it doesn’t overwhelm the outfit. Again, you see that skirts and dresses are my go-tos, usually with long hemlines (though the addition of cowboy boots to my wardrobe is changing things a little bit) — I call that the “romantic” element.

Theme 4: Preppy

I hate the word “preppy” but I am using it here as a catch-all for convenience. This theme aligns with my Historian avatar. Some of the elements that I plan to carry into fall include vests, men’s shirts, “preppy” blazers, fisherman-type sweaters, and short skirts (with tights). As you may have noticed, I don’t wear short skirts a lot; the main exception is academichic-type outfits (like the outfit on the right, above). I think I will also explore a second exception this fall, in the context of my 90s revival obsession — see more below.

Theme 5: Black and White

This has been a theme in my outfits for the past year, and it’s not aligned with any specific Avatar. For example, of the outfits above, the ones on the left and right are Bohemian fits; the one in the middle might be best described as an older version of the Artist (pre Fall 2023). There is no real rhyme and reason to my black and white outfits, other than my delight in, well, wearing black and white as a high contrast, hyper graphic combination.

Theme 6: Monochromatic Minimalism

Not to be confused with the previous theme, this is a softer approach to monochromatism — a limited palette of neutrals, rather than stark black and white. A better name for it might be “minimalist neutrals” but for some reason, I don’t think that captures this vibe as well. This theme is difficult for other reasons too. I think the outfits above clearly share a certain amount of DNA, but they don’t readily align with any avatars. I detect a subtle 90s flavour that is coming through with these outfits, though, so I am going to put them down as the early prototypes (or fringe examples) of my updated Artist vibe. The key notes here are the toned-down colour palette and relative minimalism of the outfit elements.

Theme 7: 90s Revival

Towards the end of the summer, this theme really kicked in and, as I wrote in an earlier post, will be the touchstone of my updated Artist avatar. I am still working through the elements of that — silhouettes, outfit combinations, prints and colours, etc. — so the outfits here are only a small sample of what is to come. But 90s maxi skirts (long tubular skirts, wrap skirts, and/or dark florals) along with baby tees and graphic tees are sure to feature prominently.