It’s safe to say that 2021 was an all-around awful year for me, and there aren’t many positive things I can say about it. It’s also safe to say that I did a lot of thrifting and Poshmarking as a way to distract myself from the bad stuff I was dealing with. Considering that fashion is one of my main hobbies, I suppose that is to be expected. For all that I spent on it this year, it did bring me a measure of enjoyment that was otherwise hard to come by. And, for that, I am thankful.

Having a blog, one gets into the tradition of recapping things at year end, and I am nothing if not a creature of habit; but I am far less interested now in statistics than I’ve been in the past. Though I still keep track of my purchases, I won’t bother you with the minutiae of the numbers. I will say that, between Poshmark and rising thrift prices, my spending has increased over previous years. But, hey, inflation is everywhere these days! Some of my spending has been offset by my selling things from my closet that no longer work for me; apart from the monetary aspect, doing so is important to me from a sustainability/circularity aspect. All of my clothing purchases (apart from undergarments) this year were secondhand, and I try to take care of my clothes so that they can continue to have a useful life after they leave my closet.

Anyway, let’s use this as an excuse to look at some photos – here are my 21 favourite purchases of 2021.

Handmade patch work cardigan ($26)

2021 was the year I fully embraced colour again, perhaps as an antidote to sadness. This cardigan was a good example of the kind of clothing that sparked joy for me this year.

Kimchi Blue culottes ($9.50)

Not perhaps an exciting item, but these ponte knit culottes have been so versatile and useful. One of my most worn pairs of pants. I love the cut, the size zipper, and the comfort level.

Topshop dress ($64)

I searched for this dress for a long time, and when I finally found it, it totally lived up to all my expectations. I love the unusual pinafore style, the way it fits, and the mixed patterns.

Everlane black jeans ($9.50)

Another pair of pants that fit well and got tons of wear.

Tabi skirt ($13)

I have many skirts in my closet, and many favourites. It’s not easy to make it to the top of that list, but this skirt climbed up surprisingly high this year. It’s my favourite style and length, and I love the Plaid.

Liz Claiborne dress ($20)

Favourite dress, period.

Atlantic Pacific x Halogen skirt ($70)

I fell in love with this skirt last year after seeing it on a friend’s IG page, and eventually I tracked it down for myself. It’s so much fun! My kids call it the cupcake skirt.

Wilfred sweater dress ($35)

I first fell in love with this sweater dress back in 2015 or 2016, when it was in stores. But I couldn’t pay full price, and hunted it secondhand for years. I’ve previously bought another colourway, but I finally found the original this year!

Everlane jeans (free/swap)

I got these jeans at my annual clothing swap and it’s pretty much the only pair I wear now. I really like the way Everlane fits me (but size up!)

Lanvin x H&M dress ($75)

Could there be a more fun dress? Honestly, no.

MaxMara sweater ($54)

This sweater was love at first sight. It’s perfect. I mean, those cats!! I am now hunting for more pieces from the same collection, but they’re proving elusive. Fingers crossed.

Elena Wong coat ($13)

I bought a bunch of great coats this year, but this unique one might just be the best of the bunch.

Rachel Comey skirt ($210)

This skirt was another love at first sight affair. It was my most expensive purchase of the year as well, but I think it was worth it. I adore the abstract painterly pattern, it’s so unique and cool.

MaxMara sweater #2 ($73)

I’ve been looking for a Fair Isle type sweater for a while, and this MaxMara one checked off all the boxes. I love the colour palette and the pattern mixing (the back is a different pattern).

London Fog coat ($26)

This coat is the most beautiful colour. It helps to brighten up those grey winter days.

Frame blazer ($8) and H&M skirt ($33)

I love the dark green velvet blazer; it’s well cut and the colour is stunning. I don’t wear blazers often anymore, but I will make an exception for this one. The skirt is one I had before, but was too small for me. Upsizing was a very smart decision; I love wearing this skirt now that I fits well.

Jenni Max skirt ($7)

By now, it should be no surprise why I love this skirt: it’s the style and length I love, plus velvet! The colour is very unique also; a kind of mushroom grey with ice blue iridescence. I think it’s an intriguing shade that will work well with many other colours.

Twinset maxi dress ($83)

Definitely a close runner-up in the favourite dress category. I adore the colour and the Pre-Raphaelite vibe, and it’s the most comfortable thing ever.

MICHAEL Michael Kors skirt ($12)

I couldn’t not include this incredible sequin skirt – it looks like molten metal when I move. Plus, elastic waistband for the win!

Favourite accessories coming next week!

Poncho Time

Technically, it was still November when I wore this but what the heck. I loved this outfit so I am including it here. This was a happy accident. The poncho and the skirt were hanging near each other after being steamed, and they looked … kinda nice together. So I gave it a try. And … they looked nice. And an outfit was born. I have to say, I really like the juxtaposition of textures with velvet and wool. I’ll have to remember that for future reference. The skirt is a vintage (?) thrift find — label is Jenni Max, with which I am not familiar. The poncho is something even more random (Debew) but I liked its muted colour palette. Both are thrifted, natch.

Magenta + Turquoise

I’ve been dying to try a pink+turquoise combo, so much so that I ended up thrifting this magenta cashmere cardigan and wearing it backwards because I got tired of waiting to find a sweater in the right shade. Plus, you can’t go wrong with <$10 cashmere, you know? Thank the thrift gods. Still loving this Markantoine x Icone skirt, which you can see better here than in the previous post. The ruching detail is cool.

Pattern Blend, part 1

I’ve been waiting to try my Delirium (Rachel Comey) skirt with this H&M top, and I was right — they look great together. It’s too bad the skirt kinda fades into the background of this photos because of the books. What I especially like is the mirroring effect between the black straps on the top, and the black stripe going down the front of the skirt. It helps to tie together and ground the outfit. Plus the black cardigan which was functional as well as aesthetic; winter has fully arrived and even the house is feeling a wee bit chilly these days.

Pattern Blend, part 2

I picked this Phillip Lim x Target blazer to go with this Gorman dress because the pattern fit right in; the colours are similar, and it looks like it could be a larger scale version of one of the dotty prints on the dress. This dress always makes me happy with its many zany prints. I just love how unique it is, not to mention cheerful. Always a plus on a grey winter day.

Pre-Raphaelite Nap Dress

I’ve heard the term Nap Dress bandied about the internet over the last year, and I have a mental image of what that refers to (which may or may not be accurate). Basically, it’s a long potato sack. Am I correct? Regardless, let’s talk about this dress. I’m obsessed with it. It was an impulse buy on Poshmark — is there any other kind of Poshmark purchase? — but je ne regrette rien, friends. It is amazing. It has a vibe that makes me feel like a Pre-Raphaelite model when I’m wearing it, but it’s also an aforementioned Nap Dress, aka the most comfortable thing on earth. I “styled” it (lol!) with pieces inspired by the runway photo posted on Poshmark — a chunky cardigan and big jewelry. In this case, two Lena Bernard necklaces layered together. This was one of my fave outfits of the year.

Winter, Baby

I hate winter. Look, you are going to hear that from me for approximately the next 5 months, better get used to it. I hate winter and I miss fall when wearing cute outfits outside was still possible. This is the best I can do, for now. It will get worse in another month or so.

Winter Baby, Part Deux

OK, I lied. Here’s another cute outfit. This is only possible because the temps are still hovering nearish zero (they’re below, but close enough) and I have become a layering master. You can’t even tell how many layers I’m wearing here, but trust me … it’s a lot.

Cute Coats For All

As you can see, this was a pre-snow outfit. I’m still obsessed with this coat. The skirt is also great. It’s a MarkAntoine x Simons collab. The former is a Montreal designer. I really dig the geode-like print and, of course, the colours scheme. Very Adina 2021.

Peacock Power

Here, I am revisiting a January 2019 (yes, I checked) outfit except that it’s been tweaked. Or “elevated”, if you will. The blazer has been upgraded (from Zara to Frame, which I recently discovered is a $$$ type of brand). As much as I don’t wear blazers that often anymore, I am willing to make an exception for this one. One, because it’s pretty comfortable. Two, because I am in love with the dark green velvet. The skirt has also been upgraded, or rather, upsized. I thrifted it in a size 4 years ago, and because it’s H&M, it was always snug. It would be even more snug now because I’m extra fluffy these days. Luckily, I snagged a size 10 on Poshmark earlier this year, and I’m loving the extra room in the hips and the extra length.

Summer, Revisited

Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean that I have to put away my favourite dress. Just layer a cashmere turtleneck on top, add a wide belt and “tuck” the sweater into it. Voila, outfit ready.

Hot (Pink) All Over

The dress above reminded me of this ridiculously over-the-top cardigan, and I had to wear it again. And, of course, double down on the colourfulness of it all by adding hot pink pants and a pink tee. I loved it and since no one else got to see this (except my family), that’s all that matters.

Getting Into The Christmas Spirit

This is what I wore to the Xmas craft fair (except with boots). Yes, it’s the same velvet blazer as above, plus a plaid maxi dress — it seemed like an appropriately festive combination. You can’t see it very well, but I also wore a very bright and colourful necklace which reminded me of Christmas lights.