I am still making my way through a stash of vintage fashion magazines, and continuing to draw a surprising amount of inspiration from them. Most of them are from the 80s, and it’s now my fervent hope to find a similar trove of 90s issues because I feel like that decade in particular would offer a lot of interesting reference points for the aesthetic I’m pursuing this fall — witchy academia with a touch of baroque.
Here are a few of the images that have been inspiring me lately:
The layering here is fantastic. I like the monotonality, the use of textures to create visual interest.
Super into brown and black combos for fall, and I like how they are used here. The mix of leather and velvet. Brown tights!!
Okay, this is definitely not my everyday aesthetic but wowza — what a gorgeous dress! It’s Gianfranco Ferre, and you bet I’m looking for something similar now because a LBD like this would be *chef’s kiss* in any wardrobe.
I am obsessed with silver cuffs and this is a simply fabulous example of what a powerful accessory they can be. It’s a darker (more autumnal?) take on my summer romantic/bohemian aesthetic and it’s giving me ideas for transitioning some summer pieces.
A stunning silhouette and the accessories are killer.
This colour palette is to die for. This is also very in line with my fall aesthetic. Collared shirt, vest, trousers, and a fabulous coat/blazer/jacket.
This image has single-handedly inspired me to look into adding some baroque twists to my outfits. I love the richness of textures here. I may have to re-watch Dangerous Liaisons for some more inspo.
Thoughts: I couldn’t resist picking up this dress on Poshmark (after a lot of deliberation and a seller offer I couldn’t refuse) — floral prints, especially roses, on a blue background are irresistible to me. The fit of the dress is also quite amazing. Summer is basically over here, but I couldn’t resist one last hurrah.
Details: J. Crew shirt, Jessie vest, Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo pants, Brave belt (all thrifted), J. Crew shoes (retail)
Thoughts: I initially tried this outfit with a shirt that has a large Peter Pan collar and it ended up feeling a bit too Lord Fauntleroy for me. A simple shirt proved to be a better fit. I love the look of vests paired with classic trousers and a button up shirt. I incorporated a more boho vibe here with the patchwork vest and tapestry earrings.
Details: Max Studio dress (thrifted), thrifted and upcycled jacket by Prairie Trail Goods
Thoughts: I am slowly saying goodbye to my summer wardrobe and switching over to fall/winter. This jacket will stay, though, I think. I just love it too much. Even if I only wear it around the house until next summer, I know it will continue to bring me joy. And a challenge too … figuring out how to style it with my fall wardrobe.
Details: Only & Sons shirt, AG jeans, Birkenstock shoes (all thrifted)
Thoughts: It might be bad timing, finding a pair of like-new Birkenstocks at the end of summer, but I’m not complaining. This was a style I didn’t already have, and I think it looks cool. I like in Birks in the summer, and have been wanting to add to my collection. The metallic silver is a nice neutral.
Details: En Saison top (thrifted), Susan Bristol skirt (Poshmark), turquoise necklace (Poshmark)
Thoughts: Saying goodbye to more summer pieces, like this patchwork skirt. I love it’s quirkiness, but I did find myself challenged to style it; luckily, this chambray top is a great match for it. The colour works and the romantic sleeves are a nice complement to the vibe of the skirt.
Details: Tommy Hilfiger shirt, Pilcro jeans, Alexander Wang shoes (all thrifted), Aerie bralette (retail), Anna Paola bag (consignment)
Thoughts: I learned this shirt wrap-tucking trick from Trinny Woodall, and I have to agree with her that it creates a more interesting visual effect than a traditional tuck. You do need an oversized shirt (and high waisted pants) to make it work. Luckily, this vintage-ish Hilfiger shirt is perfect. I did a bit of a looser tuck so a peek of green (from the bralette, which is really like a crop top) could show through.
… not to be confused with Sam Vimes’ Theory of Boots (aka the “boots theory of socioeconomic injustice” — iykyk).
So what’s this all about?
Trends.
I feel like I’ve been seeing a lot of social media hand-wringing lately by Millennials (and others) over trends. The obsession with Zoomers’ clothing choices, in particular, is fascinating to me because I don’t recall a similar existential crisis happening when my generation ceded way to the Millennials as the “hip young things”. Why a 30+ woman would care about whether a 16-year old thinks she’s cool (or “cheugy”) is beyond me. The answer is obvious. So it has always been with 16-year olds and their elders. (For what it’s worth, as a 42-year old, I also don’t think 16-year olds are cool, insofar as I ever think of 16-year olds at all, which is to say, practically never. No offence to 16-year olds, who I am sure never think about me either.)
Fashion has been trend-focused for decades (forever?) but it really does feel like more people than usual are suddenly alert to the concept and concerned about what they ought to do with it. I’m not here to tell you to ignore or follow trends; that’s a decision you should make based on any number of personal values and priorities, including how much you actually care about clothes beyond their utilitarian function. I AM here to tell you about ME, though. This is a personal style blog, after all.
My relationship with fashion has changed a lot over the years, so what I’m writing here is what I feel about this topic today. It might change next year! Life is chaotic like that. Anyway. As someone who enjoys fashion as an art form, I feel somewhat obliged to be aware of trends; it’s kinda like being au courant with the current bestsellers or hot new shows on Netflix even if you haven’t actually read or watched them. I generally don’t rush to incorporate trends into my wardrobe unless they happen to coincide with whatever aesthetic direction I am pursuing at the time. Or if they suggest a new direction that I may enjoy exploring.
For fall/winter 2022, there are some trend elements which will work with my planned Witchy Historian aesthetic — such as wide leg pants and (possibly) mini skirts. But the clothes in my wardrobe aren’t new — nor are the items I may end up thrifting in the coming months, since they are by definition secondhand; they are an older iteration of these trends.
There are often little tweaks and updates that happen between one iteration of a trend and another. From a business perspective, this makes good sense because it encourages people to buy things anew lest they end up lookin — gasp! — dated. You can probably tell from my writing that I don’t think much of this whole concept, but at the same time, I do like the idea of “updating” old clothes by styling them in new ways.
Which brings me to my theory of shoes.
After pondering this topic for a while (okay, like, a few minutes), I’ve decided that one of the easiest ways to update a wardrobe is by adding a trendy new shoe. As you know, I don’t shop retail as a rule; but in order to acquire a currently trendy shoe, it is kind of unavoidable. So after deciding to do it, I had to be strategic in making my choice. It had to be something that was very obviously trendy, but also fit my current aesthetic and lifestyle needs. The style that struck me as most “of the moment” — and, thus, most likely to make an impact in terms of updating my outfits — was something with a lug sole or a platform. Preferably, a combination of both.
Initially, my plan was to get a lug sole boot. I’ve admired them on others (most notably, my friend Lucy on IG) and I figured they would be a practical choice for Alberta weather. But after trying on a few pairs, I was not sold. I have short legs and large feet, and did not like the proportions of these chunky boots on me. They may be trendy, but if I don’t like them on me, they’re a no-go.
Then, I decided to pivot to a lug sole (lite) loafer. Similar vibe — with the bonus of being very 90s revival — but suddenly the proportions worked on me. Still visually chunky, but it a way that didn’t overwhelm my outfit. Loafers are also a good pairing for my RL-inspired Witchy Academic aesthetic for fall, and will work well with both pants and skirts/dresses.
I ended up getting this pair from Nordstrom Rack with a birthday gift card:
I chose this over a black-on-black version because I liked to contrast of the brown sole, and it means that they can be worn with both black- and brown-based outfits. Plus, I like black and brown together, especially for fall. I also like that the platform gives me a major height boost, but they wear like a pair of flats.
Do you think my theory is correct? What are the ways in which you’ve updated your outfits?
