Moss Witch is Back!

One of my fave coats, paired with my fave “moss witch” skirt, and the result was just too too good. This is why I love fall, friends. I love me some hot summer, but my style is all crisp mornings, cool days, and golden leaves. Apart from the necklace, this outfit was thrifted from top to bottom — I always feel like I unlocked an extra achievement when that happens. 99% of my wardrobe is secondhand at this point, but quite a few things are now Poshmarked; this is fine, but it does seem like a bit of a cheat, somehow — it’s so much easier to find exactly what you’re looking for, as compared to thrifting where it’s all blind luck. Speaking of which, I am always reminded of how lucky I was to find these Stuart Weitzman boots every time I wear them. They’re the perfect slouchy OTK pair. I am starting to worry about what I’m going to do when they wear out. As luck would have it, Poshmark hasn’t come through with a back-up yet. One day, hopefully.

Black and White All Over

I loved this outfit a lot too. As much as I love colour, I also appreciate the possibilities of a black and white outfit. It’s always a crisp combination, and when you add some bold pattern mixing, it really takes it to another level. I’m glad I held on to this F21 top; it had fallen out of favour last year, but now I’m rediscovering its potential, especially for layering. And those sleeves still get me, every time.

Butterfly Instinct

I remember looking at these Elevenses culottes years ago, during my Anthro-obsessed phase. It must have been nostalgia that pushed me to impulse-buy them on Poshmark one night recently; that, and the bargain price ($30 shipped). I always loved the print but otherwise, on paper, these were a bad idea. The size was extremely aspirational and no measurements were included in the listing (what was I thinking?), and the length looked shorter than my current preference. I had half-hoped the seller would forget to ship these, so I could cancel the order, but to my initial disappointment and later pleasant surprise, it didn’t happen. Turns out, the fit is great (sizing is way off, clearly) and the material is lovely (silk, with pockets!). The culottes *are* shorter than I would prefer, but I am learning to live with that. I like how this outfit came together — I built it around the pairing of pants and vest, which offered a fun pattern contrast.

Arts & Crafts

I have been seeing Morris & Co v HM pieces at the thrifts for the last year or so, but hadn’t been fully sold on a pattern until I saw this dress. It’s odd, because I love William Morris prints, but the ones chosen for this collab felt a bit meh to me. I was drawn to this one because of the colours; the sky blue against the soft yellows and browns really spoke to me. And I had had had to pair it with my sky blue coatigan because … well, match made in cozy fall heaven.

Return of Coat Season

Thanks to thrifting, I became a “coat person” over the last few years. Coats used to be a big investment for me, back in my retail shopping days, so my focus used to be on practical functionality only. Living in Alberta, that still needs to be accounted for in my coat collection, but thrifting has allowed me to expand into new territory. Coats as a fashion statement? Oh my. But they can be, and it’s one of the reasons why fall is my favourite season for style. This is a good example; I paid up (relatively speaking) for this L.A.M.B. coat — I think it was $25 — but it was still a great find and super fabulous. Instant outfit elevation. But let’s also take a moment to appreciate these rainbow plaid Converse — my 41st birthday present to myself. They are so fun! AND practical too! Because, let’s face it, outside of outfit photos, I am mostly living in sneakers and flats these days.

Butterflies on the Grid

A very simple outfit, but the pattern mixing was so satisfying that I didn’t feel the need to add anything else to it. Red and blue is one of my favourite colour combinations, and this sky blue one of the best shades for it (along with aqua blue). I like how the grid-like pattern of the skirt complements the stripes of the sweater. The butterflies become my accessories – almost like brooches.

Summer’s Last Hurrah

I am a fan of wearing “summer” clothing year-round, but this was probably the last bare-leg outing for this Roolee dress. Next time, fleece tights and extra layers will likely be in order (unless I wear it solely indoors). But here, I had fun pairing the buffalo plaid with my patchwork cardigan; a good pattern mix with some extra pops of colour.

Fluffy Flouff

This Zara tulle top was a sorta-impulse buy on Poshmark but that neck ruffle proved irresistible. The top is verrrrry cropped, which I usually don’t mind except in this case it’s basically a bra with ruffles attached. Still, gonna make that tulle-exploding-from-my-torso thing work for me because … I never don’t love a good tulle explosion. The blue colour is fun too; it’s been a while since I’ve worn it.

It has been a year, I can’t keep track of time or details like old blog posts. I think we are quite far along the “Things Adina Has Made” path in any case, although my journey has stalled a bit in recent months. But let’s not dwell on the sad bits, let’s look at some colourful things!

First, a few more upcycled necklaces

I also made an embroidery commission for a friend in Germany:

And, lastly, as I mentioned in a previous post, I went back to my crafting roots with a fully beaded pendant:

Beaded necklaces (mostly bibs) were the first projects I got into, a dozen years ago, so it was cool to revisit this type of work with the benefit of added years of experience. I did create a waterlilies-based design as part of my on-going exploration of waterlilies as a theme (inspired by my family trip this summer to a lake in BC).