Mish Mash Flair

My BFF is currently obsessed with Ari Aster’s Midsommar so I chose to wear this blouse as a sort of tribute to that whole aesthetic. The rest of the outfit was a total grab bag of stuff, though. Somehow, it came together quite nicely. I attribute it to my favourite pendant (well, one of them) because it ties everything together.

Notes: Jil Sander jacket (thrifted, $10); H&M blouse (thrifted, $8.50); Cartonnier pants (secondhand, $20); Rafael necklace (eBay, $80); Derek Lam flats (thrifted, $12).

Light Gothic

I added a new Rafael necklace to my collection (of course), and it just so happened to vibe perfectly with this outfit I had planned for a Saturday outing with the fam. I have been remiss in not giving this Rick Owens dress the attention it deserves, so the idea was to remedy my neglect. I also wanted to try something different with it, so I layered it over a knit tunic instead of its usual slip. I love how the muted greys of these two pieces work together. And yes, please believe me when I say I actually wore this, in July. Such is the state of our summer. In fact, I added the leather jacket as a necessity. Sigh.

Notes: Rick Owens dress (secondhand, $133); by Malene Birger tunic (thrifted, $9); Iris Setlakwe leggings (thrifted, $9.50); Mackage jacket (thrifted, $50); Rafael necklace (secondhand, $126); Geox booties (thrifted, $15).

Black & White

After my first few years in the work force, I stopped wearing the white-top-black-bottom combination. It felt very “stock photo business person”, and that hasn’t been my jam for a long time. But you know what? With the right pieces, it can still be interesting. Here, those pieces are the skirt and the statement necklace, neither of which reads as “business casual catalogue”. The pop of green, in particular, was important. Black and green together can be tricky, but when white is in the mix, it works so so well.

Notes: No name top (thrifted, $7); Antipast skirt (thrifted, $6.50); Smythe blazer (thrifted, $8); necklace (thrifted, $5); Cole Haan shoes (thrifted, $10).

My earlier post on my discovery of Rafael Canada jewelry was a bit of a preview of my current state of mind. Long-time readers know that I am woman of sudden and deep obsessions, and that is precisely what brutalist jewelry has become for me. In some ways, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. I haven’t been particularly interested in bags (or shoes) for a few years, and nature abhors a vacuum, as they say; it was time for jewelry to become the focus of my attention to sartorial details. Jewelry is also a more natural channel of expression for my current aesthetic, which is all about flirting with edge. (I say “flirting” because I am keenly aware of the fact that I am a middle-aged suburban mom, which is not the first thing that comes to mind when most people hear “edgy”.)

Whenever I get into a new obsession, I like to read up as much as I can on the topic. Brutalist jewelry has stumped me. While there is a lot of content on the internet about brutalism as a whole, much of it is not directly applicable to my interests. There are bits and pieces here and there, mostly from various vintage jewelry dealer/auction sites, but nothing that can sustain the sort of deep dive exercise I like to pursue. Books on the history of jewelry are hard to come by, and/or very expensive. Surprisingly, I haven’t (yet) found any online forums for collectors – that’s usually a great resource for information.

But all my largely fruitless searching has given me some food for thought. Could my personal style be described as brutalist?

As far as architecture goes, brutalism is highly divisive. I grew up in the 80s in the Eastern Bloc, where brutalism was the default aesthetic (buildings-wise), so I can’t say that I have fond feelings about it … but I also don’t hate it as viscerally as some people. People who hate it, really really hate it. But it’s having something of a renaissance, apparently – or, at least, a reevaluation. According to Brad Dunning of GQ:

“Brutalism is the techno music of architecture, stark and menacing. Brutalist buildings are expensive to maintain and difficult to destroy. They can’t be easily remodeled or changed, so they tend to stay the way the architect intended. Maybe the movement has come roaring back into style because permanence is particularly attractive in our chaotic and crumbling world.”

That’s kind of lovely (in a world-is-burning way), isn’t it? I’m not sure my style is stark and menacing, though, by dog, I kinda wish it was. I do think the simplicity and starkness of the lines is something that I strive to echo in my outfits.

But brutalism in jewelry is something different. The focus is on “abstraction and asymmetry … with interest flowing from the juxtaposition of disparate forms, colors and finishes.” (Antique Sage.com) Brutalist jewelry uses massive, jagged, highly abstract designs; mixed metals; avant-garde colour combinations; unconventionally shaped stones – “at once intriguing and perhaps slightly disquieting”. This is definitely my aesthetic aspiration, particularly as reflected in my Prince, Artist and Bohemian avatars. It’s why, at a certain level, mixing my 70s Rafael Canada pieces with my favourite contemporary clothes works so well; they “speak” the same language. And my new (asymmetrical) long pixie haircut is on the same wavelength as well.

You might be thinking, “well, fine and good, but so what?” For me, it’s always exciting to find a new way to look at fashion (one of my creative outlets) and new sources of inspiration. Non-literal inspiration, in particular, is fun because it blows the door wide open on experimentation. I’m starting to feel like I’m getting my mojo back, after a bit of slump. It remains to be seen exactly how this will all translate when it comes to my monthly recaps, but I expect there will be some interesting things in the mix coming up.

Have you looked for or found sartorial inspiration in art? Do you have a process for translating it to real life? As always, would love to hear your thoughts.

Thrifting has been something of a disappointment lately. I would attribute some of that to my more exacting standards, but I know others are having similar experiences and we’re not all holding out for that perfect pair of Rick Owens leather pants, if you know what I mean. While I have been finding a few gems here and there, it’s taking a lot more effort and a recalibration of my focus. Instead of clothes, I’ve been spending more time looking at home wares and accessories. So, today, I’m going to talk about some of the home décor projects I’ve been working on, thanks to thrifting.

Glass Rainbow

I love being surrounded by colour, as anyone who has ever visited my house can attest. I am the person who has 4 pieces of living room furniture (sofas, chairs and the like) in 4 different colours. It’s not for everyone, but if it is your jam, this rainbow glassware collection might be a project you’d enjoy. This wasn’t an original idea on my part, though I was surprised by how few examples I found online; maybe I didn’t use the right key terms in my searches. This was my main inspo:

Colorful glassware abounds in my local thrift stores, and pieces tend to be reasonably priced – under $5 per item. For me, the key was to find a good variety of shapes and the right colours; the quality of the glass wasn’t a major consideration. I did end up with a few finer items (including some Fenton glass) but that was mostly by accident. The beauty of this project comes from the grouping of items, not necessarily from the aesthetic appeal of any individual piece; keep that in mind when sourcing.

I was initially planning to use 2 top shelves of my living room built-in unit to house my new collection, but ultimately expanded to 3 in order to give it full effect. I re-arranged some shelves and moved some books around to make room. Bookcases and displays are evolving creatures at my house, so this is not unusual. Even if I love a particular display, I usually end up tweaking it or completely changing it over time. To me, a house – like life in general – isn’t meant to be static. In fact, I am waiting to move my old teacup collection to a new location (and/or downsize it a bit) and then I will be working on the second iteration of my glassware rainbow using the corner shelves. Somehow. We shall see. For now, this is what my rainbow looks like:

I love how cheerful this looks, and how much “lighter” the bookcase appears. I would like to do a bit more “layering” on the 2 wings of the rainbow – by adding a few more pieces at the cool end of the spectrum – but it’s looking pretty sharp as is. If you’re looking for something to brighten up a space that doesn’t get a ton of light, I would definitely recommend this idea. It’s simple and relatively inexpensive, and makes a big impact.

Japanese Pottery

My other new obsession is Japanese pottery. I love its scale – pieces tend to be small but with interesting shapes – and the colours – muted and earthy. [Yes, I especially like the muted colours – a big contrast to the rainbow glassware. What can I say, I am a woman of contradictions.] Somehow, they make great companions for my plant babies. There isn’t an abundance, precisely, of these pieces at thrift stores but they do regularly pop up, and tend to be quite inexpensive (usually under $5). So I always keep an eye out for them, and have managed to get a little collection going.

Again, as with the glassware, part of the aesthetic appeal comes from the grouping itself. I was inspired in large part by the display shelves at a pottery studio off Whyte Ave; there was something so lovely about all the pots and vases of different shapes and sizes, all in harmonized tones, lined up in a row. I am especially drawn to asymmetrical and “slightly off” shapes – things that look (and usually are) handmade and imperfect. I don’t have the time or resources to pick up pottery-making as a hobby, so collecting is my next best option.

Are you in the habit of thrifting home decor? What have been some of your most favourite projects?