Details: Everlane sweater, Emanuel Ungaro vest, BDG jeans (all secondhand), Simons belt (retail)

Thoughts: I got this amazing wool vest from one of my favourite vintage resellers, who has an incredible eye for special pieces with a boho flair. I have so many plans for this vest, but I had to start by pairing it with these palazzo jeans. Felt amazing! The belt helped tie it all together. You may have noticed that it’s new and retail, and I feel like I need to explain because belts are normally something I don’t buy new. There are so many incredible ones at the thrifts, there is no reason to choose retail. So what happened? I received a gift card to Simons last year, and have been trying to spend it ever since. As I don’t often go to WEM, this proved more challenging than I was expecting. (The last time I went to that mall, there was a lockdown due to a security incident! It did not recommend the experience to me, lol!) But I finally came up with a plan, which was to focus on accessories. So I got this Western-style belt and a bunch of opaque, colourful tights (on sale!), which are all things I know I am going to get lots of use from. Simons tights are usually good quality, but this belt proved to be a bit of disappointment. It looks great. But the quality turned out to be meh. I accidentally dropped it on my bathroom floor, the same day I bought it, and a couple of the stones popped out! It was an easy fix with Gorilla glue, but not a good first impression. All the more reason to stick to vintage, I guess.

Details: Emmy Deveaux bodysuit, no label tulle skirt, Only & Sons jacket, vintage belt & boots (all thrifted)

Thoughts: This is actually the outfit I wore when I went to Simons and bought the above-noted belt, hehe! I felt pretty darn amazing in it. I love the tulle skirt with these boots and this jacket. I have a feeling this is going to be my go-to summer jacket this year. Did I already say that before? Probably. I can’t stop raving about it, or wearing it. I am also in love with my cowboy boots which isn’t something I ever expected to hear myself say.

Details: Tahari shirt, Ralph Lauren sweater & skirt, Fossil belt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I’ve worn this shirt/sweater combo before and loved it, so I did it again paired with one of my fave skirts. The colour palette works so well together. It’s a pretty basic outfit formula, but I’m not about to mess with what works and makes me feel great.

Details: Sandro top, Smythe blazer, Max & Co skirt, J. Crew necklace (all thrifted)

Thoughts: It’s been a good long while since I found a legit designer piece at the thrifts, so this Smythe blazer was a nice surprise. And I only paid $10 for it, which is a legit miracle these days. I wasn’t sure at first if it was a “hell, yes” for me, for a couple of reasons. One, I don’t tend to wear a lot of light-coloured toppers. Two, I don’t tend to wear sharply tailored blazers like this anymore, especially ones that emphasize the shoulders so much. I have broad shoulders as it is, and want to avoid looking like a quarterback. In the end, I was swayed by the quality … and I’m glad. I think this is going to turn into a good summer staple for me, even with the tailoring. I think I can dress it down if I need to. Obviously, this wasn’t it. But here, it provided a nice balance to the other colourful pieces.

Details: Anne Klein shirt, J. Crew vest, Ralph Lauren skirt, Fossil belt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I feel like I need to put aside my brown clothing for the summer, but I couldn’t resist one last outfit in the Jo March vein. As much as I do love bright colours, this kind of subtle, muted pattern mixing is deeply pleasing to me as well.

Details: Alfred Sung blouse, Boss belt, United Colours of Benetton pants (all thrifted), J. Crew shoes (retail)

Thoughts: Speaking of bold colours, here ya go!

Seasonal transitions are always an exciting time for my closet, especially this time of year as we head into summer. I recently switched out my fall/winter clothing for spring/summer, and it feels like I have a brand-new wardrobe to play with. Fun times! But unlike in previous years, I’ve been giving very little thought to planning for the new season … and it’s not because I’m not excited about getting dressed every day, because I am. In fact, I’ve never been happier or felt more comfortable in my style. I just barely think about it anymore.

Let’s unpack this!

If you’ve been following me for a long time, you will know that personal style has been a constantly evolving journey for me. There was the J. Crew and Anthro era, the corporate goth era, the colour!sequin!pattern! extravaganza era (the pandemic was a weird time, ok?). Has the journey reached its final destination with this current Ivy-and-boho, all-things-Ralph era? It feels premature to make a definitive statement. I am only 43, after all; hopefully, I have a few more decades of living ahead of me. I cannot say that my self-discovery is at an end because I hope I never lose the capacity to surprise myself – in other words, the capacity to learn and grow. But I know who I am, now. I never expected it to take so long to figure that out. Your 20s are supposed to be the decade of self-discovery; I thought I had everything figured out at 30 but, looking back, I think that was only because I believed that I should have had it all figured out – who I was, what I wanted out of life, etc. As it turned out, I didn’t know. Not really. It was my 30s that were actually the “figure me out” decade. In documenting my personal style over that period of time, this blog became a snapshot of that process. Kind of neat, in a way, when you think about it.

Knowing what I like is part and parcel of the whole knowing-who-I-am bit. I’ve been noticing that a lot of what I buy these days are simply variations of things I already own and love. I see that as a sign of confidence in my own taste, though I am mindful of balancing that with receptiveness to new ideas, which is also an important value to me. I don’t want my aesthetic sensibilities (or my mind in general) to become a vacuum-sealed closed system. To learn and grow, we need to be exposed to new ideas. When it comes to fashion, I like to visualize that balance using a travel analogy: I am always interested in seeing new places (i.e. trends) but I use my own compass (i.e. personal taste) to find my way around rather than relying on the signposts put up by other people. I don’t mind looking like a tourist in the process – aka untrendy and, therefore, uncool – because I am comfortable showing up as I am, whether I’m at home or abroad (metaphorically speaking).

I still get excited by clothes, though these days, I’m mostly excited about the clothes I have in my closet, rather than clothes I see at the store. I wear a lot of what, to me, feels like “the same thing” – which is actually just different iterations of the same formulas. I used to love the high of creating a “brand new” outfit (either through a novel formula, new clothes, or some combination of both), but I’ve come to appreciate and value the pleasure of a “perfect” outfit (something that feels most “me”) over novelty. I still enjoy taking photos of my outfits – and, in any case, lack the resolution to break the habit – so I expect that I will continue to share them here and on social media, but I am probably going to shift to writing more about my other hobbies that are taking up the majority of my active mental focus. Lately, that has included books, art, home décor, perfume and a few other niche interests. This is neither a warning nor a promise, by the way – though you can probably expect to start seeing a slightly more diverse range of posts in the coming months.

So, yeah: I am excited for a new sartorial season, which isn’t really a new beginning but, rather, an opportunity to riff on my favourite themes.

To get myself in good shape for that exercise, I did a little bit of housekeeping that I would recommend to everyone this time of year. I went through my closet and pulled out fall- and winter-weight pieces and replaced them with summer-weight ones that have been in storage since last year. Even if you don’t have a large amount of clothes, I think it’s helpful to separate clothes by season (unless you live in a seasonless climate); no point keeping heavy sweaters at hand during summer, as it can make it harder to see what pieces are actually wearable. This “closet switch” is also a good opportunity to evaluate clothes. Before I put away my fall/winter pieces, I look back on the past season and think about how often I wore them. If I didn’t, it may be a sign that I need to let them go, or at least put them on a “maybe purge” list to be re-evaluated come fall. I also check them for signs of wear or damage that needs to be fixed before they go into storage. Then I do something similar with incoming summer clothes: consider if they still fit my style; assess if they still fit my body; check for signs of wear or damage and take notes of anything that requires replacement. It’s a kind of working edit of my closet – a few key tweaks rather than a major overhaul – but it helps keep it running smoothly into the new season.

Here’s to new (and not so new) sartorial adventures and happy almost-summer!

Details: Toni T dickie, Bonnies Strauss dress, Nocona belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: To the surprise of none, I was quite inspired by the Ralph Lauren FW 2024 runway and took notes. There was a lot of beige involved, which admittedly is not my bag, but the styling is always noteworthy, and there were some all-brown and all-black outfits I loved head-to-toe. This was my attempt to recreate one of them. To add a white collar to the dress, I added my trusty dickie, and I wore the dress backwards (and pinned the V-neckline at the back) to create a different silhouette. I loved the result! A concho belt — a Ralph signature accessory — was the perfect finishing touch.

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt, Chaps tie, Gap jacket, Esprit belt, Banana Republic pants (all thrifted), Mia shoes (retail)

Thoughts: This was another runway-inspired outfit, translated to my own wardrobe staples. The thing about inspiration is that it doesn’t have to involve slavish copying; the fun part is tweaking the idea to suit yourself and your preferences. And your existing closet. These days, when I look at runway collections, I am not looking for new things I need to buy; I am looking for new ways to wear the things I already own.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Miss Sixty skirt, Ralph Lauren jacket, Old Navy belt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: This skirt has been in storage for a while and I decided to pull it out again and give it a wear. It’s so ‘me’ and yet I have struggled to style it in the past. I think the length is the issue. I love long skirts but this is too long and ends up making outfits feel a bit unbalanced. But a part of me is hesitant to hem it because it is so dramatic at this length, and I keep thinking that might come in handy one day. On the other hand, it means I don’t wear this skirt nearly as often as I could (or should). I think I need to make a tough decision and take the plunge to alter it.

Details: Tommy Hilfiger shirt, Lord & Taylor sweater, Ralph Lauren pants, Fossil belt, Ferragamo shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I never thought the day would come when I would unironically wear a sweater tied around my neck but here we are. I loved this outfit way more than I thought I would, too! Maybe I just need to accept that I have entered my Peak Prep era? No, I don’t like that — I have never seen myself as a ‘preppy’ and I don’t want to start now. That being said, there is a reason why this styling trick is so popular. The yellow sweater, worn like this, provides the perfect touch of colour that “finishes” the outfit. Had I actually worn it, it would have thrown off the colour balance, and also made the outfit a lot more “buttoned” up. This felt more casual and fun, but in a very grown-up sort of way. I thought I looked like a person who very much has her sh*t together, which I am not but … fake it till you make it, right? 😉

Details: Wilfred sweater, Elisa Franti skirt, Manolo Blahnik shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: The friend who gave me the green Coach bag also surprised me with this Italian brand skirt. She really knows me well! I cannot resist a statement midi column skirt. And this one is really worth a statement — just look at that fab pattern, and the design. The front zipper slit is understated sexiness personified. I kept the rest of the outfit super simple to balance out the equation.

Details: Gap tank, DKNY skirt, Andrea Jovine top (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I wore this for (Orthodox) Easter supper at my in-laws, and it was a great choice, if I say so myself. Whenever a lot of yummy food is expected to be consumed, I try to wear the most comfortable thing I can that can be disguised as a “made an effort” outfit. In this case, a stretchy, elastic-waist skirt with a matching plain black top and a statement topper. The topper makes it all look much fancier than it is and, as a bonus, the cut is perfect for concealing any food baby I might conceive along the way. This is my version of Joey Tribbiani’s Thanksgiving Eating Pants, and I think I nailed it.