What I Wore: October 2022, part three

Details: J. Crew top, Line sweater, Marc Cain skirt, Chelsea Crew shoes (all thrifted), Ralph Lauren blazer (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I almost got rid of this skirt last year because I wasn’t quite ready for mini skirts then. I ended up keeping it because it’s such good quality and, boy, I am glad I did. I’ve enjoyed experimenting with this silhouette again this year; I think the key to making it work for me is opaque tights. Then I can adapt it to my Historian/Witchy Academia aesthetic for fall, as an alternative to midi skirts or pants. I quite enjoyed the warm tone palette of this outfit — it’s surprisingly (to me) flattering to my complexion and colouring. I think I look best in cool colours but maybe it’s not quite absolute?

Details: J. Crew shirt, Gap sweater, BDG pants, Jil Sander jacket (all thrifted), J. Crew shoes (retail)

Thoughts: I’m also rediscovering my Gap striped sweaters — paired with a button-up shirt, they fit my current aesthetic really well. This isn’t quite Witchy Academia, but it’s fun.

Details: Denim & Supply dress (Poshmark), Everlane sweater (thrifted), BlankNYC jacket (retail), Ash sneakers (thrifted)

Thoughts: This outfit gave me strong 90s grunge vibes, which I loved. I was nowhere near stylish as a teen in the 90s, so getting to re-live that fashion moment now is nice.

Details: MSGM sweater, Tabi skirt (both thrifted), Club Monaco turtleneck (retail), Ash sneakers (Poshmark)

Thoughts: Green and orange is a bit of an odd duck combination. I took my cues from this varsity-style sweater and added the skirt because it has similar colours. The result is more student than professor, but it’s still sorta academichic-adjacent, right?

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck (retail), no name cardigan, Tommy Hilfiger jeans, Brave belt (all thrifted), Mia shoes (retail)

Thoughts: I don’t normally thrift Shein-equivalent fast fashion — which is what this cardigan is, I’m pretty sure — but I made a (reluctant) exception in this case because I liked the looks of it. The quality isn’t good but I plan to keep this piece in circulation for as long as I can. It’s a good piece to throw on for super casual errands (like school pick-ups) when I still want to look cute. It takes a super basic outfit and makes it a bit more interesting.

Details: Wilfred sweater (retail), Tradlands jacket (thrifted), Ralph Lauren skirt (swap), Chelsea Crew shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: Purple and green are my villain colours — I feel like a badass when I wear them together — but they felt subdued in this outfit by the addition of the whiskey/tobacco brown. Is this a bit too matchy? Possibly. This outfit felt like it was on the edge of greatness (haha) but not quite there. I’m not sure what would have taken it over that line, but ah well. It was still pretty cute.

Details: Max Studio dress, Frame blazer, BR belt (all thrifted), Club Monaco turtleneck (retail), Mia shoes (retail)

Thoughts: I’ve been thinking about this outfit since the summer when I thrifted this dress. It’s transitional dressing at its most appealing (to me). The addition of the velvet blazer, together with the turtleneck, totally changes the vibe of the prairie dress. You may have noticed that I wear these Club Monaco turtlenecks a lot. I have them in 2 colours: dark green and dark purple. They are very fine, lightweight, super soft merino wool; they are so thin, they are slightly sheer, which makes them perfect for layering. I wear them as a base layer because they are not scratchy or bulky at all. They’ve held up very well over the past 4 or 5 years (handwash and air dry, always) and I so wish I had bought more at the time or could find something similar again. They’re a staple of my fall and winter closet.