… not to be confused with Sam Vimes’ Theory of Boots (aka the “boots theory of socioeconomic injustice” — iykyk).

So what’s this all about?

Trends.

I feel like I’ve been seeing a lot of social media hand-wringing lately by Millennials (and others) over trends. The obsession with Zoomers’ clothing choices, in particular, is fascinating to me because I don’t recall a similar existential crisis happening when my generation ceded way to the Millennials as the “hip young things”. Why a 30+ woman would care about whether a 16-year old thinks she’s cool (or “cheugy”) is beyond me. The answer is obvious. So it has always been with 16-year olds and their elders. (For what it’s worth, as a 42-year old, I also don’t think 16-year olds are cool, insofar as I ever think of 16-year olds at all, which is to say, practically never. No offence to 16-year olds, who I am sure never think about me either.)

Fashion has been trend-focused for decades (forever?) but it really does feel like more people than usual are suddenly alert to the concept and concerned about what they ought to do with it. I’m not here to tell you to ignore or follow trends; that’s a decision you should make based on any number of personal values and priorities, including how much you actually care about clothes beyond their utilitarian function. I AM here to tell you about ME, though. This is a personal style blog, after all.

My relationship with fashion has changed a lot over the years, so what I’m writing here is what I feel about this topic today. It might change next year! Life is chaotic like that. Anyway. As someone who enjoys fashion as an art form, I feel somewhat obliged to be aware of trends; it’s kinda like being au courant with the current bestsellers or hot new shows on Netflix even if you haven’t actually read or watched them. I generally don’t rush to incorporate trends into my wardrobe unless they happen to coincide with whatever aesthetic direction I am pursuing at the time. Or if they suggest a new direction that I may enjoy exploring.

For fall/winter 2022, there are some trend elements which will work with my planned Witchy Historian aesthetic — such as wide leg pants and (possibly) mini skirts. But the clothes in my wardrobe aren’t new — nor are the items I may end up thrifting in the coming months, since they are by definition secondhand; they are an older iteration of these trends.

There are often little tweaks and updates that happen between one iteration of a trend and another. From a business perspective, this makes good sense because it encourages people to buy things anew lest they end up lookin — gasp! — dated. You can probably tell from my writing that I don’t think much of this whole concept, but at the same time, I do like the idea of “updating” old clothes by styling them in new ways.

Which brings me to my theory of shoes.

After pondering this topic for a while (okay, like, a few minutes), I’ve decided that one of the easiest ways to update a wardrobe is by adding a trendy new shoe. As you know, I don’t shop retail as a rule; but in order to acquire a currently trendy shoe, it is kind of unavoidable. So after deciding to do it, I had to be strategic in making my choice. It had to be something that was very obviously trendy, but also fit my current aesthetic and lifestyle needs. The style that struck me as most “of the moment” — and, thus, most likely to make an impact in terms of updating my outfits — was something with a lug sole or a platform. Preferably, a combination of both.

Initially, my plan was to get a lug sole boot. I’ve admired them on others (most notably, my friend Lucy on IG) and I figured they would be a practical choice for Alberta weather. But after trying on a few pairs, I was not sold. I have short legs and large feet, and did not like the proportions of these chunky boots on me. They may be trendy, but if I don’t like them on me, they’re a no-go.

Then, I decided to pivot to a lug sole (lite) loafer. Similar vibe — with the bonus of being very 90s revival — but suddenly the proportions worked on me. Still visually chunky, but it a way that didn’t overwhelm my outfit. Loafers are also a good pairing for my RL-inspired Witchy Academic aesthetic for fall, and will work well with both pants and skirts/dresses.

I ended up getting this pair from Nordstrom Rack with a birthday gift card:

I chose this over a black-on-black version because I liked to contrast of the brown sole, and it means that they can be worn with both black- and brown-based outfits. Plus, I like black and brown together, especially for fall. I also like that the platform gives me a major height boost, but they wear like a pair of flats.

Do you think my theory is correct? What are the ways in which you’ve updated your outfits?

Details: Sundress Co. skirt (secondhand), Uniqlo top (thrifted), Barbara Barbieri shoes (thrifted), Tignanello bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I went to another vintage warehouse sale and specifically because I caught a literal glimpse of this skirt on a packed rack in a 10 second IG story. But my instincts were bang-on because how amazing is it? I’ve been looking for a patchwork skirt all summer, and this one is legit patchwork (not a pattern, and not machine made as far as I can tell). It has a label though, so it’s not homemade interestingly enough. I know it’s a piece I can going to treasure for a long time.

Details: H&M top, Esprit belt, Mexx skirt, Chelsea Crew shoes (all thrifted), thrifted & upcycled jacket from Prairie Trail Goods

Thoughts: Another outfit I absolutely adored. I am obsessed with this vintage Mexx skirt; it’s my favourite style and, even though it’s beige, it works so well as a piece around which to build outfits. This H&M top is another new fave. I have avoided Peter Pan collars for years now, as I thought they looked too twee on me, but this exaggerated style is cool. I think it can work in a cottagecore outfit, but also in a Victorian goth one (maybe for winter?) And, of course, it’s always a good outfit when I can wear this jacket made by my friend, J.

Details: Only & Sons shirt, Pelican Cove vest, Cotton Ginny belt, H&M pants, Barbara Barbieri shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: My default is to pair Western-style shirts like this one with jeans, but that limits the layering possibilities. However, pairing it with these khaki pants (my go-to pair) means that I can incorporate denim via a vest while avoiding the Canadian tuxedo look. This is an outfit formula — paperbag waist pants, top, vest — that I have come to love a lot over the summer. I’ll be looking to transition it for fall soon.

Details: H&M top (Poshmark), H&M pants (thrifted), Copper Canoe Woman earrings

Thoughts: These pants were an impulse “why the heck not” purchase, and have turned out to be more fabulous that I could have expected. They fit wonderfully, are incredibly comfortable, and look pretty good too (if I do say so myself). Wearing high waisted pants with crop tops has been another go-to formula this summer. Easy and breezy, indeed. Here, I was also experimenting with a new hairstyle … well, not exactly new but a re-discovered one. I really like how these “bubble braids” look, and I’m happy that my hair is now long enough to try them. And speaking of things I love, last but not least, the earrings were a birthday gift from my best friend; they are made by an Indigenous designer.

Details: Aria dres, Jacob vest, Golden jacket, Tommy Hilfiger bag (all thrifted), J. Crew shoes (retail)

Thoughts: You know how Nap Dresses were (are?) super popular not long ago? Well, I got an original Nap Dress aka a vintage nightgown. It’s a lovely thick, striped cotton with beautiful hand-embroidery around the neckline (which can’t be seen here) so I figured that I could wear it around the house and, with some clever styling, outside. I think the vest here is doing some heavy lifting to allow for the latter option, but I think it mostly works 😉

Details: Uniqlo tee (thrifted), Everlane pants (swap), Isabel Marant belt (thrifted), Converse shoes (eBay)

Thoughts: This is just a fun, simple outfit dressed up with cool accessories like the belt and shoes. This Uniqlo x Basquiat tee was a surprise hit at my house; everyone loved it and my daughter is actively trying to steal it as we speak. It’s giving me Comme des Garcons vibes, but quirkier.

I struggled with my motivation and drive to work on creative pursuits this summer, but eventually was able to find a good-ish groove towards the latter part of the season. I’ve been slowly gearing up for the art market I have signed up for in October, and have created a few new embroidery pieces for that. I plan to also bring some of my older beaded jewelry to the market, and may end up adding a few new designs (or new takes on old designs).

If you will excuse the tangent, let’s talk a little bit about the business side of things; it’s something I don’t enjoy and rarely talk about, but probably something I should spend more time thinking about when events like this are on the agenda. As I haven’t done any other markets this year, it’s hard to know what will sell and what won’t; I am focusing on embroidery hoops because I will be the only vendor in that category. I am also cognizant of current economic realities, and I wonder how that impacts the art/craft market and how I should account for it in my pricing. The cost of my materials has gone up, of course (and, for a while, there was a shortage of embroidery floss, of all things!). I want to find a balance between creating art that is financially accessible and getting fair compensation for my work … and it’s not as easy as it might seem. If you are also a creator grappling with these issues, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Okay, let’s have a look at what I’ve been making:

I decided to revisit an old favourite theme — the “evil” eye motif — and create a series of three smaller hoops based on a design I created a few years ago. I made a blue eye, a green eye, and a brown eye, each with a unique rainbow array of colours I felt would be most complementary:

I also decided to give Picasso-esque portraits another try, and created 2 new designs:

Last but not least, I did something a little bit different (and a little bit the same) by upcycling a fabric tote I thrifted using a handmade beaded applique of, what else, an evil eye:

Depending how the rest of this month goes, I may have one more hoop to add to my market line-up — something abstract and floral, I think. After the market, it will be time to regroup and see where the inspiration strikes next. With winter in the not-too-distant future, I will be spending more time indoors and may be ready to tackle some more ambitious creative projects.