The Historian (formerly Adventurer) style avatar was a sleeper for a long time. At first, the shift to WFH moved me away from my more “formal” avatars, the Prince (now High Priestess) and the Artist, towards the fun and quirky Bohemian. In the last few months, though, it’s the Historian that calls to my imagination. Don’t get me wrong; I still wear and will continue to wear a lot of Bohemian outfits because I adore colour and patterns, and summer is coming. But the Historian is where a lot of my creative energies are being drawn.

I was looking back at some of the recent Historian outfits I’ve loved the most, and it struck me that they had a definite Ralph Lauren flavour. The fact that two of my most beloved pieces of clothing are vintage RL helped the realization along. I started digging into online archives, looking for 80s and 90s Ralph Lauren images. I quickly realized that I’d hit a rich vein of inspo. Finding lots of pictures from 30+ year old runway collections or magazine ads isn’t easy, but the thing about Ralph Lauren is that their collections self-reference a lot. That’s why it’s really easy to spot a Ralph Lauren look.

I have never considered myself a fan of Americana in fashion, so the cowboy end of the RL spectrum isn’t really my bag. And as a non-WASPy immigrant, I have complicated feelings about preppy style. But! I do love the tweeds and the plaids, the wools and leathers and linens. Especially anything with a more “dark romance” edge to it.

As in all things style-related, I struggle to explain in words the ideas and moods I want my clothes to evoke, but basically: I know what it is when I see it.

Here are a few of the images I’ve bookmarked for inspiration:

I also took a deep dive into the brand’s history, and came across some interesting articles including this one on its influence on 90s hip hop culture. It expanded my view of the brand and what I had perceived as its WASPy connotations. I should also add that my current obsession with all things 90s (from pop culture to fashion) is going strong. It feels re-energizing to find new sources of inspiration, and there is a nostalgic element to revisiting an era from one’s own living memory.

Details: Zara vest (Poshmark), Noul coat (thrifted), Vero Moda pants (thrifted), Stoney Clover x Target bag (retail)

Thoughts: My friend Lucy posted a photo of this bag a few weeks ago and I immediately fell in love with it. I mean, a rainbow bag? C’est moi. Because it’s a Target collab, I knew my chances of getting it (as a Canadian) were slim unless I fancied paying scalpers’ prices for it. [I don’t.] But it was meant to be! My boss (and friend) happened to be visiting California at *just* the right time, and she managed to snag me one right before they sold out. I was over the rainbow! I don’t care if this is a bag “meant for a child” (thanks, Reddit!) — my inner child is very happy with it.

Details: Loft top (thrifted), Babaton skirt (thrifted), Stella & Dot necklace (thrifted), J. Crew shoes (retail)

Thoughts: I don’t often buy Loft pieces because they’re not usually OTT enough for me, hah. This top was an exception because those sleeves are proper dramatic. I hesitated a bit with the colour because orange is still a dicey proposition for me; but it was close enough to my favourite shade of orangey red to be worth the risk. And I think I made the right decision. I love the sleeves and the fabric is very nice also (cotton poplin). I think I will get a good amount of wear out of it, and have fun doing it too.

Details: Cloth cardigan (thrifted), Gap jeans (thrifted), Ash shoes (thrifted), Tignanello bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: Couldn’t walk away from this cardigan, it was weird and funky which is my catnip. Pieces like that do all the heavy lifting in an outfit — you get maximal impact for minimal effort. What’s not to love?

Details: Equipment blouse (thrifted), Icone blazer (thrifted), Kimchi Blue pants (thrifted), J. Crew shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: I had listed this blouse for sale ages ago, but it sat and sat. So I decided to take it back because it’s getting harder to find nice pieces like this at the thrifts, and a silk blouse is nothing to sneeze at. Plus, the colours work great with my beloved blue-green colour scheme.

Details: Zara tee (thrifted), Do Everything in Love cardigan (thrifted), Cartonnier pants (thrifted)

Thoughts: You shouldn’t be surprised that I bought this tee — it was too on the nose not to, given that I was working on some Van Gogh-inspired sunflower embroidery at the time. The real revelation here are the pants; I didn’t think I would love them as much as I do. They are a navy-and-burgundy stripe, but read purple in photos. I like the silhouette and the colour. I thought they would be a great pairing for the yellow tee — yellow and purple is an eye-catching combo — and decided at the last minute to add the chartreuse. Good decision, I think.

Details: Selected Femme sweater (retail), velvet vest (thrifted), Ralph Lauren blazer (thrifted), Babaton skirt (Poshmark), Rafael Alfandary necklace (ebay), Chelsea Crew shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: Still loving with this blazer. I’ll have a post coming up soon about my current obsession with vintage Ralph Lauren. I’ve been strongly drawn to the Historian avatar lately, and trying out different outfits using similar formulas.

One. Irises

It’s almost iris season. My mom and I both loved irises, especially the white and blue Siberian variety (we both had/have them growing in our gardens). After working on sunflower embroidery inspired by Van Gogh’s paintings, I decided to move on to his irises. Coincidentally, it’s a painting that I love using for colour inspo in general. Blue and green is one of my favourite combinations.

Two. Statuary

I have been obsessed with classical statuary for a long time — probably since around the time I went to Paris and visited the Rodin museum (still one of my favourite places). Who can forget my search for a garden statue last year? I am happy that statuary is making something of a comeback in interior design, as it might mean having more options down the line when it all trickles down to the “masses” (since I don’t have access to an antiques dealer or $$$$). Anyway, I recently remembered being absolutely dumbstruck by a detail in Bernini’s Rape of Proserpina statue — Poseidon’s hand on her thigh. It’s almost hard to believe that it’s marble and not actual flesh. So I’ve been looking up photos of it and of some of my other favourite statues, like Canova’s veiled lady.

Three. Witchy rings

Still under a lunar spell at the moment and loving witchy jewelry, like this moonstone ring and the agate witch’s-eye ring here. I am also looking for a large silver moon pendant to add to my collection. And I’m adding other moon touches to my closet and house. Modern day talismans, if you will.

Four. Lily ponds

Another pipe dream, but I love lily ponds and having one of my own would be incredible. I find them so peaceful and contemplative. The closest I’ll come to one these days is working on a waterlily embroidery hoop, but I enjoy mentally designing my own English garden and this is one of the must-have features.

Five. Style vibes

A friend sent me this photo from a fashion magazine editorial. I am obsessed with the colour story and mood. It makes me think of mermaids and water nymphs, and water is, of course, associated with the moon. Plus, blue and green — my favourite colour combo. It all ties together 🙂