Details: Marc Jacobs sweater, Vince skirt (both thrifted)

Thoughts: Somehow, these 2 very different things go together so well, don’t they? I think it’s the colours that pull things together; the blush pink of the skirt matches some of the warm hues of the sweater. The sweater has an early 2000s feel (and it could very well be from that era) and the skirt has a 1930s vibe, but somehow the math ads up to a very 90s outfit. Don’t ask me how. I’ve never been good at math. I just know I like this outfit a lot. This is also your reminder to always look up the RN number of clothing where the label has been cut off. I could tell from the feel of the skirt fabric that it was something worth investigation and, sure enough, the RN number rang up as Vince. A similar skirt was listed for over $500CAD. Wild!

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Gap jeans, Cotton Ginny belt (all thrifted), Ralph Lauren vest, turquoise necklace (both Poshmark), Ralph Lauren dress worn as duster (gift)

Thoughts: This outfit represents one of my style comfort zones, for sure. I’m loving the mash-up up academichic and southwestern boho so much these days. Needless to say, this is one of Papa Ralph’s fortes, so the question of inspiration is easy to figure out. Accessories — judiciously selected — help to pull together these outfits, imo. I like bolder items (belts and necklaces especially) for impact, but I am always thinking about how to avoid going over the “too much” line. It’s a fun challenge to keep me on my toes, so to speak. Another current style challenge-slash-obsession is mixing different fabrics/textures along with patterns when layering. I love the depth this creates in an outfit. You can see that in a lot of my recent outfits, including this one.

Details: Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo shirt, Lord & Taylor sweater, Nanette Lepore jacket (all thrifted), Banana Republic pants (retail)

Thoughts: This was a rather unusual colour combination borne of my continued efforts to figure out pairings for these dark cherry brown pants. I think it was a successful one!

Details: Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo shirt, Ralph Lauren vest, J. Crew jacket, Ferragamo shoes (all thrifted), Ralph Lauren skirt (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I recently got this (what else!) Ralph Lauren wrap skirt on Poshmark, and I am obsessed with it! It’s like a tapestry come to life. Perfect for my “lady of the shabby chic manor” moments. I am also obsessed with this whiskey colour J. Crew corduroy jacket; it’s exactly what I had been looking for last summer. Of course, in the meantime I had purchased a slightly more tan version on Poshmark; while nice, that one was never quite right. I should have been patient and waited for the thrift gods to deliver the right jacket to me … but how was I to know if and when it would actually happen? That’s the downside of thrifting. Anyway, it’s not a huge loss. I’ll be archiving the other jacket for now and, worst case scenario, sell it later on. It’s Ralph Lauren too, and with the way prices are rising on secondhand RL, I shouldn’t come out too badly.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Tommy Hilfiger cardigan, Wilfred coat, Frame jeans, Cotton Ginny belt, Office London shoes

Thoughts: Here is another layering experiment that turned out very well. I love the white and black theme, of course, as well as the subtle southwestern vibe. That white Tommy cardigan is such a great layering piece. Because it’s cropped, it can create a nice juxtaposition with longer items; the chunky knit gives good textural contrast too. Plus, it’s warm, which is never not a practical consideration in Edmonton during this season, best known as “Second Winter”.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Tahari shirt, Chaps vest, Nocona belt, Golden jacket, Max & Co skirt, Fluevog shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: This outfit was my take on a favourite classic Ralph Lauren ad from the 80s (see below). I had to improvise, since I don’t have the exact pieces or anything super similar, but I think I did pretty well. It seems appropriate that my version is a bit more colourful — although I also love the more muted colour palette in the original. This level of layering is a new obsession of mine; I am trying to push myself creatively when it comes to creating depth through layering of different textures and materials.

Details: J. Crew blazer, Ralph Lauren skirt, Chico’s belt, Louboutin shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Also inspired by a Ralph Lauren runway look from a few years ago — he uses belts a lot, in different ways like over a jacket. It might not be easy to see in this photo, but there is a bit of pattern mixing happening; the jacket has a very subtle white pinstripe. It’s velvet, which always feels luxe to me, and gives a nice textural contrast to the wool skirt. I’m still loving black & white outfits, as you can see.

Details: Equipment shirt, H&M pants (both thrifted), Ralph Lauren vest and belt (both Poshmark), Tradlands jacket (thrifted)

Thoughts: This is the most beige you’ll see me wearing, I promise. Still, I think there is enough colour and pattern in the outfit that we can safely say it’s miles away from “vanilla girl” style. Wouldn’t want to be accused of being trendy, hahaha! I recently got this belt on Poshmark, and I love it. It’s got a bit of that southwestern flair, but it’s not too flashy so it’s quite versatile. This outfit is rather professor-on-the-prairie, don’t you think?

Details: Prairie Trail Goods jacket, French Connection sweater (thrifted), Cleo skirt (thrifted),Warren Steven Scott earrings

Thoughts: Here is another jacket made by my super talented friend, J. I’m slowly building up a collection of upcycled quilted jackets from her, and I love each piece so much. Her eye for pattern mixing is incredible — just look at this jacket. The choice of skirt here was a bit of a wildcard, but I think its plaid is a lovely complement to the plaid sleeves. The black grounds the whole outfit nicely too.

Details: Tahari shirt, Everlane sweater, Woolrich vest, Mexx skirt, Office London boots (all thrifted), Prairire Trail Goods tote

Thoughts: I call this Femme Lumberjack. I’m still obsessed with this Woolrich vest and I wanted to try to mix things up (and away from jeans), so I went with a skirt. I think the tan works well. I did end up adding a bit of blue, via a chambray shirt collar, to accessorize with this marvelous tote. I’m liking this colour story a lot!

Last week, I wrote about updating my inspo board for the Historian avatar with ’20s and ’30s-influenced runway inspiration; this week, let’s do the same for the Bohemian, my other main style avatar. As a reminder, whereas the Historian is professorial and masculine-leaning, the Bohemian is romantic and feminine-leaning. Each avatar can be expressed via different vibes or “flavours”. Here are some examples of different versions of the Bohemian, from last summer’s outfits:

And here are some of the images I have been adding to my inspo board lately, reflecting a 20s/30s vibe:

I am calling this my “I Capture the Castle” aesthetic, which helps me focus in on the mood I want to evoke and to visualize it. [If you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend it.] It’s shabby-chic, rundown English manor house, make-your-dress-out-of-old-curtains, with a dash of champagne picnic extravagance.