Last week, I wrote about updating my inspo board for the Historian avatar with ’20s and ’30s-influenced runway inspiration; this week, let’s do the same for the Bohemian, my other main style avatar. As a reminder, whereas the Historian is professorial and masculine-leaning, the Bohemian is romantic and feminine-leaning. Each avatar can be expressed via different vibes or “flavours”. Here are some examples of different versions of the Bohemian, from last summer’s outfits:

And here are some of the images I have been adding to my inspo board lately, reflecting a 20s/30s vibe:

I am calling this my “I Capture the Castle” aesthetic, which helps me focus in on the mood I want to evoke and to visualize it. [If you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend it.] It’s shabby-chic, rundown English manor house, make-your-dress-out-of-old-curtains, with a dash of champagne picnic extravagance.

Details: Giambattista Valli x H&M dress (Poshmark), Prairie Trail Goods jacket, vintage brooch (gift)

Thoughts: Still dreaming about summer, as you can see. I decided to mix ALL the florals for this outfit, taking inspiration from this glorious upcycled jacket. For extra fun, I pinned it closed with a large vintage brooch gifted to me by a friend. Sometimes, more is just right.

Details: Gai Mattiolo jacket (Poshmark), French Connection sweater (thrifted), Banana Republic pants (retail)

Thoughts: Someone on IG once said this jacket looked perfect for a clown costume, and it has been the “clown jacket” to me ever since. I love it, unironically. It’s fun and it doesn’t take itself seriously, which is very much my jam. The colours also make it a super versatile piece. For example: one of the colour blocks is a perfect match to my wide leg corduroy pants. Outfit done and done.

Detail: Wilfred sweater, Ralph Lauren jacket & skirt, Frye boots, Paul Smith scarf (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I’ve come to think of purple and green combos as my “villain colours” — the colours I would wear if I were a comic book villain. Paired with each other, they just feel badass to me. This outfit is the alter ego version; you know, for blending in with the ‘normies’. My villain alter ego is, apparently, a suburban mom with an affinity for Ralph Lauren. What is my villain self? I haven’t decided yet. But I’m sure that version of me ALSO likes Ralph Lauren 🙂

Details: Mango sweater (Poshmark), Greta Constantine x Danier belt, no name vintage skirt, Banana Republic necklace (all thrifted)

Thoughts: It’s hard to see from the photos, but there is a teeny bit of aqua in the paisley pattern, which explains why I decided to pair these pieces. Paisley is really growing on me as a pattern, and I especially like this version against a black background. The elastic waist of this skirt is a bit loose, and I’m too unmotivated to try to fix it, so I used a wide belt to cinch it in. Now you know all my secrets.

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck (retail), Ralph Lauren vest, jacket and belt, Pilcro jeans, Dooney & Bourke bag (all secondhand), Clarks shoes (retail)

Thoughts: Another “casual mom on errand duty” outfit with an twist. I’ve been pushing myself to get more creative with layering — this isn’t a great example (it’s kinda basic) but I am moving away from sweaters back to vests as we get closer to spring. I am also proud of myself for remembering that I have some cute wool socks, even if only a small peek is visible once I put my shoes on. I think of it as a fun surprise for myself.

I started going through my stash of 2000s Vogue magazines recently, and reliving some of the highlights of my mid-20s sartorial life. Well, mostly my dream sartorial life because, as a baby lawyer at the time, my fashion aspirations far outstripped my budget. This was the period when I started to become very aware of fashion and designer brands, though I was still mostly shopping at discount stores and consignment. Nostalgia aside, looking back, I am finding myself less inspired by this era than by the late 80s and the 90s. Maybe it’s too soon. But I am enjoying the variety and creativity of some of the Vogue editorials of that time. It seems like, in every issue, there was at least one over-the-top, fantastical photo shoot; the styling in those shoots often gives me material to mine for inspiration.

Case in point: this 1920s-influenced editorial.

I was a little bit surprised by how much I loved the vibe of these photos. I’ve never been especially drawn to the 1920s “flapper” style, but these images resonated with me and got my synapses firing. I thought to myself, “surely, Ralph Lauren has referenced the ’20s in some of his collections — let’s have a look” and, sure enough, I wasn’t disappointed. I did broaden my search a bit, era-wise, but I really liked what I saw; so I decided to create a little ’20s/’30s “inspo board” for each of my main avatars, the Historian and the Bohemian. I am adding these to my mental reference library for use when creating outfits. At this point, I have several “flavours” for each of my avatars — e.g. southwestern prairie, romantic cottagecore, English country, etc. — and I like updating these flavours every year. I don’t have a catchy name for it yet, but this ’20s/’30s vibe is a strong contender to be added to the list this year.

I’m going to break this up by avatar, and start by showing you some of the images I’ve been accumulating for the Historian.

I am no fashion historian (no pun intended!) but I am inclined to think that most of these lean more into a 1930s aesthetic, and probably pull a fair bit from the menswear of the era. I think they integrate well with my overall Historian aesthetic, and can be translated into outfits using pieces that are already in my closet.

Although I do need to find a beret or cloche hat, immediately 🙂