Thoughts: More b&w pattern mixing! I found another early 2000s Gap sweater and I’m thrilled. Not only does it fit the b&w theme, but it’s also cool AF. I love that the pattern has that apres-ski vibe that is always a good winter choice, but also kinda looks like a lace doily which suits my cottagecore aesthetic. It’s a thicker lambswool knit, so I probably won’t be able to wear it past March (fingers crossed, anyway!) but I want to try it with my more prairie-ish pieces.

Details: Polo Ralph Lauren dress (Poshmark), upcycled quilted vest via Prairie Trail Goods, Ferragamo shoes (retail, old)

Thoughts: My friend dropped off a bunch of her upcycled goodies for me recently, including this amazing quilt vest. I couldn’t wait to wear it, so I decided to give myself a little preview of summer style by wearing it with the amazing patchwork RL dress I got on Poshmark last year. I adore the over-the-top pattern mix! And it makes me so excited for this spring/summer.

Details: Eddie Bauer sweater, Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo shirt, Topshop pants, Ferragamo shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: This is one of my fave vintage sweaters, and I’m happy to have found its perfect match in these Topshop pants. The windowpane pattern perfectly complements the floral trellis on the sweater, doesn’t it? And the blues are a match too. Gotta love some wardrobe kismet!

Details: Upcycled gilet via Prairie Trail Goods, vintage dress (thrifted), Rafael Alfandary necklace (eBay), Nine West shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: Here is that upcycled gilet again – it really is an outfit maker. Here, I threw it over a vintage velvet 90s-style tank dress. Love the mix of moody blues. And this is one of those easy-to-wear-looks-fancier-than-it-is outfits that always gives me a mood boost even when I’m just puttering around at home.

Details: Upcycled jacket via Prairie Trail Goods, Zara dress (thrifted), Fluevog shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: One more piece from my dear friend — how fabulous is that peony print? It started like as a commercial April Cornell quilt. J has an amazing eye for colour and pattern mixes, and that’s on full display with this piece; the choice of teal is especially inspired, imo. This outfit is another little preview of what I’m planning to wear all summer — easy dresses, funky patchwork pieces.

Despite my musings last year, I don’t think my winter aesthetic has coalesced into a fully standalone concept. After a strong showing in 2022, this was briefly frustrating to me. But then I remembered that winter is my least favourite season, I spend a lot of time at home, and by the time winter is in full swing – i.e. right about NOW – I am already dreaming about spring fashion. So, I am fine with my winter style merely being a carryover of my spring/summer/fall aesthetics. I have started to think about how I want to tweak those in 2023, and that’s giving me plenty to mull over.

But one thing that I am having fun exploring now, and which is relatively new, is black and white outfits. You may have noticed that I started experimenting with such graphic b&w pattern mixes at the end of last year, but I’m sticking with it for the next while. I haven’t been drawn to all-black outfits for a few years now, but the addition of white (and pattern mixing) is making me reconsider black. It’s also a combination that feels very wintery to me, which makes this the perfect time to experiment. I wouldn’t call this a whole aesthetic – I have no desire to wear only black and white for months – but it’s a vibe.

Here is some of the vintage fashion inspo I’ve been accumulating as reference material:

And here are some of the outfits I’ve been creating:

You will notice that these outfits reflect, for the most part, my other aesthetics; which is why I don’t consider this its own style, per se. Put differently: it’s a different medium, not different content. Like black and white film versus Technicolour. It tests my creativity, though, which is always fun.

For the most part, I am trying to stick with pieces that are already in my closet; I don’t want to go too wild buying new b&w patterned items because I am not sure what kind of longevity this “trend” will have in my life. When I am adding pieces, I try to make sure they are things that will work with some of my other vibes/aesthetics. Examples include: white button up shirt, cottagecore-ish sweater, preppy-ish blazer. I did buy a pair of boldly patterned pants that might not be super versatile … but also might be. One thing I am learning about black and white graphic prints is that they go with a surprising variety of other things.

I did not have this on my bingo card for 2023 a few weeks ago, but this year is already showing a tendency towards the chaotic — chaotic good, so far! — so I am not surprised to find myself embarking on an unexpected new project. But a super fun one! I think you know my feelings about the role of instinct in creative expression; well, my gut has been telling me lately that I need to get back into writing. Proper, creative writing, that is. (To me, this blog isn’t about writing; I use words to communicate about stuff, but it’s the stuff that’s the focus here, not the words.) I had initially toyed with the idea of a podcast, but my enthusiasm in that direction far outstrips my technical abilities.

So I am writing a newsletter!

I have a Substack and everything. You can sign up (for free) here: adinaj@substack.com

I am not entirely sure what the long-term future of this newsletter will be BUT, for now, I am running a “limited series” recapping Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels. Yes, I — the person who doesn’t read romance novels and has a heart colder than ice — recently became obsessed with this saga. And when I become obsessed with something, I like to talk about it … at length … and pore over every little detail. So that’s what we will be doing for the next 2 months-ish. There are 8 books in total and — as a little surprise — I’ve already done the first one! You can go read it right now!

Ok, small print: it’s not the actual first book in the series; we are doing this out-of-order, but I promise that will not significantly impair your enjoyment. I, too, read them out of order and I lived. Also, expect a very healthy dose of snark in these recaps — heart of ice, and all that. I don’t have a “lovey-dovey” setting; but I do aim to crank the “funny” one all the way up. Hopefully you will agree that I succeed.

New issues drop every Sunday — find them in your inbox and see you over there in the comments.