I don’t know about you guys but 2022 was a mixed bag of a year, and I am being fairly generous in that description. I’m feeling generous because, style-wise at least, it was pretty darn good. This year, I felt good in my clothes; able to express myself — the me of now — in a way that felt authentic and eloquent. Towards the end of the year (the last few months), I began to feel a little more disoriented, shall we say, but that is not unusual as my mental health tends to dip in the winter months and this deeply affects all my creative pursuits. There have been other things contributing to a not-so-great mood heading into the holiday season and that always seems to end up reflecting in how I dress. There were still some stellar outfits recently, but I’ve been feeling less sure of myself and my aesthetic “vision” as I did earlier. However, I think I’ll be able to steer the ship right again as we head into a new year. New year, new me. Same as the old me, but better (one hopes).
Here’s a look back at some of my favourite outfits of 2022.
It’s easy to spot some trends here, isn’t it? I played with a few themes this year: the summer Prairie Bohemian, the spring/fall Historian, plus the perennial favourite All Things Colourful. I brought back mini skirts and kick flare jeans, bought some trendy shoes and a million belts, and did my best to make Papa Ralph proud (kidding not kidding). It will be more of the same next year, but also maybe a few new things. I’ve been super into graphic black and white patterns lately, and I would like to continue to play around with that. I’ve also been seeing some new intriguing trends coming out with that 90s nostalgia influence that I love, so I will be keeping my eye on those. I would love to hear what you’re excited for in 2023 too — fashion, travel, or anything else. Let’s get hyped together!
Details: H&M shirt, Marie Saint Pierre dress, Issey Miyake skirt, BCBG harness (all secondhand), Zara boots (retail), Copper Canoe Woman earrings
Thoughts: I haven’t watched the new Wednesday series on Netflix but I have heard and seen so much about it, that I almost feel like I have. It did inspire some nostalgia for the Christina Ricci version I watched when I was young; hence, this homage. I haven’t done a witchy outfit in a while, and it was nice to build all the layers here including this beautiful MSP dress I don’t think I’ve worn since 2020. The harness was the perfect finishing touch.
Details: Club Monaco turtleneck (retail, old), Judith & Charles jacket, Paul Smith pants (both secondhand), J. Crew shoes (retail, old)
Thoughts: This is a remix on an outfit I wore not too long ago; I substituted the turtleneck for the sequin top this time, as I was going to the office (for a long day of meetings) and needed something warmer. I got lots of compliments on the outfit, and the pants in particular. I will say that I find that D-ring belt to be extremely finicky although perhaps I am to blame — maybe I’m not using it properly? Off to Google for a belt tightening tutorial, hah!
Details: Ralph Lauren sweater, vintage velvet dress, BR belt (all thrifted), J. Crew blazer (retail, old)
Thoughts: I really wish I had chosen a trendier shoe for this outfit, to add a little bit of edge. Something with a platform would have been good. Otherwise, this is an old Ralph Lauren formula that never lets me down. Belting the sweater makes it work — imagine this without the belt, and the proportions would be all wrong for me.
Details: Vince dress, Second Female cardigan (both thrifted), Zara boots (retail)
Thoughts: Isn’t this such a 90s throwback? But, at the same time, it feels fresh to me. I’ve stayed away from silk slip dresses before because I find they often don’t sit “right” on my body — it’s a tricky silhouette to cut well. I like this one, though. I also think the dark colour and the small pattern help; the material doesn’t end up looking super shiny (which I don’t like). I felt this needed a long topper, and this cardigan was perfect not just in terms of the length and material (a nice textural contrast) but also the colour. The pale, slightly faded blue works beautifully against the brown-black pattern.
Thoughts: This blazer is stunning IRL and has a baroque-meets-rock ‘n roll vibe that immediately fired my imagination. However, I’m finding it harder to style with my actual clothes than I thought I would, which has been rather disappointing. This outfit turned out pretty well, but it was the only one that I tried and worked. It’s back to the drawing board, but let’s take a moment to appreciate this effort.
Details: Moschino tee, Jones NY blazer, Frame jeans (all thrifted), Warren Steven Scott earrings
Thoughts: I haven’t done a graphic tee outfit in a while, and thought this newly thrifted blazer provided the perfect opportunity to revisit. I’ve been mildly obsessed with velvet-collar blazers in the last few months, and finally found one that checked off most of the boxes. I especially love the way the black velvet pops against the grey wool; it looks so sharp and modern to me. I would have preferred the blazer to be a touch longer and the waist a bit more cinched, but thrifters can’t be choosers. It’s a vintage number in perfect condition, so I know the quality is better than what I could find today at Zara.
Details: Ralph Lauren turtleneck, Maison 500 blazer, Michael Kors skirt worn as dress (all thrifted)
Thoughts: This was my Christmas dinner outfit this year. We had a very low key day, but I made the effort to dress up a bit for my dad; I know this time of year is hard for both of us, without mom here. Our celebrations will probably never be as festive again, but I wanted him to feel that spending that time with him is very special to me. Was I overthinking an outfit? Maybe, but what’s new around here.
I hope you all enjoyed a peaceful and joyful holiday season with loved ones. See you on Thursday for the last post of 2022!
Details: Lord & Taylor sweater, Toni T dickie, Nanette Lepore blazer, Maeve skirt (all secondhand)
Thoughts: I am convinced that everyone has a “comfort zone” when it comes to wearing sequins for day (aka outside of cocktail parties and such). For me, that’s sequin skirts. I love pairing them with very classic combos like this sweater + collared shirt + jacket fit. The colours here make me really happy; this yellow is a wonderful complement to the colours of the skirt — it matches the brightness of the skirt but isn’t too loud (which would overwhelm the outfit, I think).
Details: Selected Femme sweater (retail, old), Maison 500 blazer, UO pants, Emmanuel belt (all thrifted)
Thoughts: I am that basic b*tch who loves wearing red and green plaid around the holidays. Maybe it’s not fashion forward but I don’t care. I think choosing this sage-leaning green, rather than something more pine-y, gives it a bit of a twist. I am pretty happy with this blazer; I’ve been wanting to add a few plaid ones to my closet and actually had this very same one on my Poshmark watch list for a while before I found it at the thrifts. It has some metallic thread woven through, so it has that extra festive vibe.
Details: Jacob vest, no label skirt, Pam Hiran necklace, Stella & Dot necklace (all thrifted)
Thoughts:
Details: Ralph Lauren turtleneck, Jessie jumpsuit, Fluevog shoes, Rafael Alfandary necklace (all thrifted)
Thoughts: Not much to say about this one — using my “turtleneck hack” to winterize a summer jumpsuit except it’s really too obvious and simple to qualify as a hack, to be honest. If I were going to wear this outside, I would also add some fleece-lined tights under the jumpsuit and knee-high boots; the nice thing about culottes-style pants is that they are wide enough to accommodate extra layers and winter footgear.
Details: Club Monaco turtleneck (retail, old), Marni shirt, H&M skirt (both Poshmark), Zara boots (retail), selfmade necklace
Thoughts: Ok, stay with me. I know this is not everyone’s everyday look. I love it. I wanted to wear this skirt in funky/maximalist way, rather than leaning into the “elegant mermaid” thing. The Marni shirt, worn open like a jacket, was just the ticket — it’s cut like a (silk) shacket. I was going to choose plain black pumps at first, but didn’t feel quite right for this outfit. So I swapped in chunky platform boots and loved how they bookend the turtleneck.
Thoughts: I thrifted this denim dress without trying it out because the silhouette seemed promising. I wasn’t sold on it once I got it home, but these pictures are maybe changing my mind? It looks quite nice, especially belted — the fit around the waist feels a bit off to me and the belt helps to camouflage that. I am not sure this is a keeper for me, but I am going to give it another try or two before I decide.
