Details: Lewit sweater (swap), Marc Cain skirt, American Apparel coat, Canadienne boots (all thrifted), Ralph Lauren bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I think we all know how much I love wearing blue and brown together, and I think this outfit makes it easy to see why. I’m also really loving this skirt-tights-boots combo, which is unusual for me as I don’t typically go for short skirts. I think the slightly over-the-knee boots make a big difference by creating the illusion of a longer leg line — something that, as a tall person with short legs, always makes me happy.

Details: Wilfred sweater (retail), Ralph Lauren coat (FB Marketplace), Frame jeans, Office London shoes (both thrifted), Dooney bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: In putting this outfit together, I chose a couple of colours from the jacket to set a simple palette — mustard and blue, in this case. The black pants create a sharp contrast that highlights the other colours beautifully. It’s just the right amount of black, I think; not too much, as that would overwhelm even a coat as stunning as this.

Details: Ralph Lauren sweater & skirt, Club Monaco turtleneck (all secondhand), Steve Madden shoes (retail)

Thoughts: This was a super simple (2 piece) outfit that I made a little bit more interesting by adding the striped turtleneck. You can’t see a lot of it, but the glimpses at the neck and wrists are enough. The chunky shoes give the outfit a bit of edge too.

Details: Toni T dickie, Twik vest, Chaps jacket, Ralph Lauren pants (all thrifted), Zara boots (retail)

Thoughts: Black and white patterns with a pop of turquoise is one of my go-to, never-fails formulas. Piling on a few different geometric patterns creates visual interest, but sticking to the monochromatic palette means that it doesn’t feel overwhelming. Here, I had the idea to stick a large pendant on a choker-style necklace and wear it close to the collar, always like a bolo tie. I think it was the correct move, as a longer necklace would have interfered with the lines of the rest of the outfit.

Details: H&M shirt, Charlie Holiday dress, vintage necklace (all thrifted), Zara boots (retail)

Thoughts: I’ve been missing my summer dresses, so one day I pulled this one out and thought about how to “winterize” it for a day of WFH. Not too difficult, really, all things considered. I chose this white shirt, instead of my usual go-to turtleneck, because I wanted to go for a Wednesday Addams meets Little Women vibe.

Details: Jeanne Pierre sweater (thrifted), Acne skirt (eBay), Madison West bag (retail), Arnold Churgin boots (thrifted)

Thoughts: This skirt remains one of my fave eBay finds of all time. It’s such a cool design, and that colour is perfection. I love pairing this shade of blue with green — it’s unexpected and that’s fun. I’ve worn other green sweaters with this skirt, but this might be my favourite combo of all. The colour and texture of this vintage cotton sweater provides fantastic contrast.

Details: Ralph Lauren turtleneck, If By Sea jacket, Gap skirt & belt, Aimee Kestenberg bag, Zara boots (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I have to admit, as much as I wasn’t jazzed about shackets when I bought this one — I didn’t hate them, I was just indifferent — I am starting to really appreciate this style. Because our winter has been so mild this year, this coat has been a great throw-it-on-and-go option with sweaters and different bottoms (pants and skirts). And the plaid pattern is so nice!

It’s the festive season so what better time to talk about sequins? As with our sweater discussion last week, not all sequins are equal. Well, actually, at a basic level, sequins are kind of the same: they’re not good for the environment because they’re generally made from fossil-based plastics. They will live in our landfills forever, so the best sequins are the ones which already exist aka secondhand and vintage. It always makes me uncomfortable to see all the new sequin clothing in every store when I go to the mall. More so than other clothing, sequin trends don’t change that much over the years, and the exact same styles that are currently in stores can be found at the thrifts in healthy supply. So if you’re looking to add sequins to your closet — which, as a magpie, I totally understand — always shop secondhand first.

While sequins might all be the same (outside of couture houses, perhaps), the construction of sequin clothing is not all the same. There are 2 things in particular which, in my non-expert-but-sequin-loving opinion, make or break sequin clothing: (1) the manner in which sequins are sewn on, and (2) the backing used for the sequins.

Let’s start with sewing.

If you look closely at a lot of sequin pieces, you will notice that the way in which the sequins are sewn/attached vary widely and that it makes a huge difference in how the overall piece looks. Take this, for example:

This looks like someone spray-gunned sequins onto this shirt. It looks sloppy up close and the garment looks cheap from a distance. Because the sequins don’t sit flat, this is much more likely to be scratchy (especially around the neckline and armholes) and not catch the light in the same way.

Sequins that are sewn onto the garment in a more orderly fashion (rows, for example) and lie flat result in a much nicer-looking garment, IMO. Here is another example:

Nothing special but still miles better than the first photo. But compare it to this piece:

Similar concept but the execution is visibly so much poorer. That white thread – yikes! Looks messy and prone to snags.

Here is a similar design but with somewhat better execution. Still not great (you can see the sequins are lifting in places) but at least they used better thread and more rows to create better coverage and visual appearance.

The above is actually an H&M skirt that I own. It’s probably one of the worst quality sequin pieces in my closet but I’ve kept it because I haven’t found a better quality silver sequin skirt yet. It’s not awful, but it’s not good either. Writing this post made me realize that I probably should just let it go. It’s not a coincidence that I haven’t worn it as much as my other sequin skirts over the years. Compare it, for example, with this (older) H&M skirt I also own:

This is actually one of the nicest sequin pieces I’ve ever found. Look how nicely the sequins are attached. This skirt shimmers like whoa — it looks like a mermaid’s tail in the best way:

Here are 2 more examples of nice sequins; the first is a MICHAEL Michael Kors skirt, the second is a BCBG skirt:

Again, you can see how nice and orderly these are. They’re laid out in rows like the silver H&M skirt but the way the sequins are attached is different — the sequins are attached in 2 places versus just one. It makes them more secure and also flatter.

The second thing to look for is the backing.

On the BCBG skirt above, the sequins are sewn on to silk, which is doubled up to create a kind of built-in lining. This is pretty rare, and it does have some downsides like lack of stretch. Most sequin pieces are backed on some kind of (polyester) mesh, like my H&M skirts:

It’s probably not easy to see from these photos, but the mesh fabric is slightly different too. The silver skirt mesh has no stretch, whereas the black mesh has quite a bit of stretch. This is important because the mermaid skirt is a fitted style (pencil skirt) and the stretch of the mesh allows the skirt to fit more comfortably. The silver skirt is a fuller style, so stretch is less important. If your sequin garment is a form-fitting one, check how stretchy the outer sequin layer is.

I mention the “outer layer” because a separate lining is an absolute must, otherwise the scratchiness factor will be off the charts. Even a lining, if it’s very thin, can be dicey. One of the reasons why I prefer sequin skirts over dresses is because a polyester-lined dress often ends up feeling like a bag of sweat to me, especially if it’s long-sleeved too (whereas I find polyester linings less bothersome on bottoms).

A knit fabric backing is more rare than mesh, but my MK skirt is one example:

This material is also polyester (so it has stretch) but feels softer and less sweaty than the typical polyester used for linings. The downside of this particular skirt is that there is no additional lining; the sequins sit on top of this knit fabric, which sits on your skin. It’s juuust thick enough to not be too scratchy, but it’s not great. An example of cutting corners by a so-called “nicer” brand.

So, to summarize, here is what I look for when buying sequins:

• How securely are the sequins attached? Ideally, they should be neatly sewn and secured with 2 stitches, not just one.
• How do the sequins sit? Ideally, they should lie flat and not stick up in different directions.
• What kind of backing does it have? Mesh backing gives stretch, but there should be a good lining to protect the skin. If sequins are sewn on silk, consider whether it might be worthwhile to size up, since the material will offer little stretch.
• How does the finishing look? This is more of a general tip, but it’s always worth checking how the seams and hems are finished because that’s a good clue to the overall quality of the garment.

Details: Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo shirt, Massimo Dutti sweater, Gap blazer, Chicwish skirt, Chelsea Crew shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I love the way Molly Goddard incorporates tulle and wool sweaters in her collections, so I have been mining that inspiration for a few years now. Every outfit I try always feel better than the last one, and this continues that trend. It was inspired by a FW 2023 runway look. I am particularly happy with the decision to pair this fair isle sweater with the (vintage!) plaid blazer. It gives a slightly whimsical twist to the usual Historian vibe.

Details: Jeanne Pierre sweater, Mondi skirt (both thrifted), Jimmy Choo shoes (eBay)

Thoughts: Green and red can be a difficult combination to wear; it inevitably reminds people of Christmas. I wasn’t feeling especially festive when I wore this outfit, but I also feel that the chartreuse yellow in the skirt helps to cut down the Christmassy vibe a lot. In fact, this outfit feels more spring-like to me than anything else.

Details: Talbots dress, Frame blazer (both thrifted), Stella & Dot necklace (Poshmark), cuffs (Etsy)

Thoughts: But you know what always feels wintery to me? Dark plaids and velvet. And this outfit has both, in spades. I tend not to wear this style of dress very often these days — and if it had been any shorter, I wouldn’t be wearing this one — but this vintage wool (made in USA) version was hard to resist. When they say “they don’t make them like they used to” … this dress is a prime example.

Details: Wilfred sweater, Everlane pants, Elena Wong jacket, Aimee Kestenberg bag, Arnold Churgin shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: When I wear this statement coat, I usually pick a colour palette that harmonizes with or amplifies the yellow. That generally means blues and yellows. This time, I decided to stay more neutral, going with light grey, black and silver. In a way, it allows the coat to shine even more. I like the simplicity, and there is still enough visual interest so it doesn’t feel like a boring outfit to me.

Details: Tommy Hilfiger vest, Marc Cain skirt, J. Crew blazer, Canadienne boots (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I wore this to the second day of my art market; another outfit built around a pair of comfortable shoes. I love the combination of these boots and this skirt along with the tonal tights. I’m not a huge fan of mini skirts, but this is A+. I decided to wear this cotton mock-neck vest because it was really hot at the venue on the first day, and I wanted the option of being sleeveless if the temps warranted it. What I love about this vest is that, under a blazer, it looks like a regular sweater but it’s actually much easier to layer without any bulky sleeves. It has a good weight to it (like a regular sweater) but it’s very breathable too.

Details: Jeanne Pierre sweater (thrifted), Denim & Supply dress, BCBG harness (both Poshmark), Zara (retail)

Thoughts: Same green sweater, I can’t get enough! I was going to use a regular wide belt so I could “tuck in” the sweater and create that separates look (it’s actually a dress) but then I decided to switch it up a bit and use this harness belt instead. Because the sweater is cotton, it’s a lot easier to do this with it than with a thick wool sweater, but it still has enough thickness to work as an over-layer.

Details: Oak & Fort turtleneck, Tse sweater, If By Sea jacket, Tommy Hilfiger jeans, Fossil bag (all thrifted), Laredo boots (consignment)

Thoughts: I know shackets aren’t really a hot trend anymore (though they’re still popular) and it’s ironic that I got one now, when I wasn’t interested in them at all when they were super trendy. What sold me on this one was the colour palette. I adore teal and plaid, and the combination is irresistible. For this outfit, I doubled down on the teal, making it an almost tonal outfit. Doing so makes it a lot more interesting, to me, than it might have otherwise been. And, let’s face it, it’s a pretty basic outfit.