Note: I changed the title of this series to hopefully clarify the intent. I have a lot on my mind, but this is a snapshot of the things that are inspiring my creative expression, be it in art, fashion, home decor, or other adventures.

One. Pastel rainbow nails

I love rainbows, that is a given. But pastel rainbows seem extra happy and uplifting, somehow. Adding them to my fingertips is like a daily reminder to smile. I recently did a gel manicure very similar to the photo, albeit sticking mostly to the cool side of the colour spectrum. Loving it.

Two. French country shabby chic

I don’t know if I am using an industry-approved term, but I have been very into what I call a “French country shabby chic” aesthetic for home decor, particularly fabrics. It’s basically all old fashioned florals (toile fabrics, especially) mixed with textured fabrics, against white furniture (perhaps slightly distressed, and not even intentionally because, well, kids). Fresh flowers (especially irises, roses, hydrangeas, and other equally lush blooms). White, billowing curtains. Lightness and airiness, mixed with some vintage charm. I’ve been thinking a lot about a quote from Nancy Mitford, who said something to the effect that “all lovely rooms are a little bit shabby”.

Three. Libraries

With the basement renovations well under way, I’ve had libraries on my mind a lot. We are adding 2 more walls of shelves in the basement, which will drastically increase the overall library capacity; and it means that our collection will need reorganization. This is one of my favourite things to do; I think it’s a throwback to my undergrad days when I worked as a page at one of my university’s libraries — still, to this day, one of my favourite jobs. I spent my working hours there re-shelving books and moving collections around to accommodate new additions. Being around books, and handling them (often picking out new reads along the way) is close to the perfect way to spend time, as far as I’m concerned. Anyway, for the reorganization project before me, the added benefit is that it will also involve some shelf styling — I am a big fan of using random decor items as book ends — so I have a lot of planning to do.

Four. Magnolia skies

We don’t have a lot of magnolia trees around here, which makes me sad. But I love seeing pictures posted by friends on social media. There is something so soothing about the delicate pink against a blue sky.

Five. 90s style

I recently acquired a large lot of vintage magazines (mostly from the late 80s and early 90s) and have spent many blissful hours engrossed in their pages. I am really enjoying rediscovering 90s style from my 40-something lens; I am able to buy all the things I coveted as a teen, and enjoy the fashion without the body hang-ups I used to have as a teen. The image above is of a Romeo Gigli outfit, which is such a throwback name to me; it’s also something that looks incredibly fresh and inspiring to me now, in 2022.

Details: Wilfred sweater, Gap skirt, Jil Sander jacket, Tignanello bag, Rafael Alfandary necklace

Thoughts: A friend was recently kind enough to gift me this vintage Gap skirt she thrifted in Calgary. It’s from the same collection as my blue triangle Gap skirt (which I wore not that long ago) and in fact the same design — just a different colourway. It’s also silk and heavenly to wear. Historically, I haven’t worn a lot of brown, but I am coming around to it, especially this sort of whiskey colour. I surprised myself by adding yellow as an accent (blue is my usual go-to pairing for brown) but was pleased with the result.

Details: J. Crew shirt and blazer, Comme des Garcons cardigan, L’Agence jeans, Ferragamo shoes, Dooney bag

Thoughts: I’ve worn the almost identical outfit before, years ago. It’s kind of a classic, really. Other than the cardigan, I think the pieces are all different — some old, some new. Speaking of old, I had planned to sell this J. Crew blazer, but it didn’t find any takers; in the meantime, my style has swung back around to tweed in a big way, so I’ve taken in back and very happy about it too. Style swings like this make me increasingly reluctant to part with good quality pieces anymore because it’s sometimes hard to know what I will want to rediscover and love again down the line; thrifting is getting increasingly difficult, so the days when replacing special pieces was relatively easy are long gone. But I struggle with my instinct to hold on to All The Things because space at my house is at a premium too. First world problems, I know.

Details: Bl_nk London top, Tabi skirt, Ferragamo shoes

Thoughts: I adore this blouse — it’s so unique! — but I struggle to style it. Had a brainwave, and decided to try it with this green plaid skirt. Loved the result. Red and green can have a tendency to look “Christmassy”, especially when plaid is involved, but I don’t think this does; the floral mixed pattern takes it into different direction.

Details: J. Crew shirt, St. John vest, H&M pants, Ferragamo shoes

Thoughts: I am obsessed with this St. John knit top I thrifted recently. The trompe l’oeil chains are wildly fun, and make this such a statement piece. I haven’t seen another one quite like it, but it’s giving me 90s Versace vibes. Rather than go full glam, I decided to something a little more in my current ballpark, and paired it with my current go-to pieces of white button up shirt and beige paperbag waist pants.

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck, Anthro skirt, Zara blazer, Chelsea Crew shoes, Dooney bag

Thoughts: I got this skirt at my last swap, or rather I should say I “rescued” it because nobody else wanted it and I liked it too much to see it go. It was actually a piece I had stalked on ebay a few years before, but which currently doesn’t quite work for me because of the length (I prefer longer skirts). This one is also quite snug. So it’s a stretch for me, no pun intended, in more ways than one. What I love is the fabric, so I kept the skirt with the vague notion that I might upcycle it down the line. Well, recently I was reorganizing my various stashes, and came across it and decided it was time to give it a proper try. I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t unreservedly love it — nothing will make me love knee-length pencil skirts right now — but I appreciated this outfit a lot. The colours and textures were lovely.

Details: J. Crew shirt, husband’s tie, Tabi vest, Gap jacket, Urban Outfitters pants, Everlane shoes

Thoughts: I like menswear-inspired outfits, but this was the most literal interpretation I’ve ever attempted. I just wanted to try wearing a tie, after seeing others on IG rocking the look. Plus, my husband has a huge collection of beautiful ties that I have always admired (I bought a lot of them, haha!). I don’t think it’s a look that would be a go-to for me, but it was fun to try.

Details: For Cynthia shirt, Tulip skirt, Denim & Supply jacket, BR belt, Chelsea Crew shoes

Thoughts: I am trying to pivot into summer style, although the weather hasn’t been cooperating very much. I’m hoping to take a page out of, what else, Ralph Lauren past collections and try a sort of romantic/boho/prairie aesthetic. Voluminous skirts and dresses, long dusters, chunky belts, patchwork everything. That’s the idea, anyway. This outfit is a baby step (vaguely) in that direction. I had planned to tuck in the shirt, but the eyelet hem was too bulky, so I left it out and belted over it instead … and I loved how that looked. It was a pleasant surprise and a reminder that it’s good to switch things up from time to time.

I think I’ve written about the concept of sprezzatura on the blog before. It came back into my mind recently, as I’ve been thinking about style inspiration. To recap, the term was coined by Baldassare Castiglione in his 1528 Book of the Courtier, who defined it as “[a] certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without thought.” It originally described the attitude of an ideal courtier who could display “an easy facility in accomplishing difficult actions which hides the conscious effort that went into them.” The Oxford English dictionary defines sprezzatura as “studied carelessness”. Sprezzatura was not originally about fashion, but it’s now most commonly used in that context in North America – and, specifically, primarily men’s fashion.

Some general rules of sprezzatura have been promulgated, including wearing of clothes that are visibly well-worn or a bit shabby, wearing vintage clothing, and combining casual and formal dress. I also found this quote instructive:

Theorists and purists believe sprezzatura is an ever-evolving concept of always but carefully going against the grain. When others keep their shirts buttoned all the way up to the collar, the daringly sophisticated man, for instance, always leaves one or two undone. These days, though, with the undone collar being the accepted casual norm, the sprezzatura-inspired guy would find pleasure in the specific formality of an up-to-the-collar buttoned shirt …

But if you search for sprezzatura inspiration online, its popular definition seems to be flattened to what is, basically, a type of dandyism. More annoyingly, from my perspective, sprezzatura as applied to women’s fashion seems to be equated to effecting menswear-inspired looks. While I am a fan of dandy fashion (and its femme equivalent), I feel like this approach misses the point and the potential of sprezzatura. I want to see outfits that embody “studied nonchalance” without resorting to a waistcoat or tie. Searching key terms online hasn’t been very fruitful.

After giving up on Google, I pondered what sprezzatura might look like in women’s fashion. Prairie skirts and combats boots? Satin slip dresses and leather jackets? Tulle skirts and traditional wool blazers? I think juxtapositions can definitely be an illustration of sprezzatura. Mixing vintage and contemporary pieces, or wearing vintage pieces with decidedly contemporary styling, too. I think, for me, the key would be for the outfit to be just shy of “perfectly finished”. The look can be maximalist and accessorized to the max, but not pat. It must have the faintest hint of rebellion, of deconstruction of the expectations which the outfit itself creates.

Now, most of my outfits probably do not achieve sprezzatura and if they do, it’s entirely by accident. Which is ironic. But revisiting this concept at this time has made me want to give more considered thought to how I build my outfits and, specifically, how I can incorporate an element of subversion (that going against the grain) into them. I don’t have answers, but I am inspired.

I would love to hear your thoughts on what sprezzatura means to you.