Leather & Knits

I call this Elevated Casual, Winter Edition. The whole thing boils down to a humungous sweater and an over-sized scarf, which should add up to the Abominable Kn-Yeti, except … leather pants. Cliché or not, there is a certain “cool factor” to leather pants. Even when they’re not real leather. Or even fully pleather. These ones have stretchy ponte panels on the back, so you have the coolness as well as the comfort. Or, put another way: rockstar-party in the front, Netflix-on-the-couch in the back.

Both the pants and the vest were on my Favourite Purchases List for 2017, no surprise there. The scarf should be on there as well. I have greatly limited my retail purchases in the last twelve months, but I knew as soon as I saw this scarf that it would be the perfect winter accessory. It’s big, and soft, and cozy – things I cannot get enough of when it comes to knits. And the colours! Perfection.

Backpack Chic

My husband and bestie both made fun of this outfit, calling it 90s Teen Chic. I can assure you that this is NOT what I was actually wearing in the 90s; what I was wearing in the 90s was far more hideous, I’m sure. There is nothing particularly interesting about this outfit. Well, maybe the sweater coat. I love me an Anthropologie brand sweater, especially one that costs $5. I also love these Sam Edelman boots, which I thrifted for under $20 and which are pretty close to perfect. If your calves are on the narrower side, and you want a comfortable boot that still looks fairly stylish, these are the boots for you. The (small) backpack is, as far as I’m concerned, the most ostensibly 90s element here but, again, it’s a new-to-me trend so I don’t think that should count. I ought to do a review of it; there are things about it I LOVE, and things that kinda drive me crazy, but all in all, it has become a closet staple. So, to circle back to the beginning, there is nothing particularly interesting about this outfit except for the fact that it’s made up of pieces I really, really, really like.

Denim & Knits (are you sensing a theme)

Another day, another Anthropologie sweater. I loved everything about it as soon as I clapped eyes on it – especially the colour – and I don’t back down from voluminous knits, ever. In fact, the opposite. Bring on the huge, chunky knits! They give me liiiiiiiife! For this outfit, I didn’t even bother to balance things out with slim-fitting bottoms; I went with my Madewell boyfriend jeans which might just be my new favourite pair of jeans. The fit reminds me a bit of my beloved Pilcros, except without the big knee patches which can be an acquired taste. (To be clear, I have acquired the taste and love it, but I can’t say the same for others – my husband, for example.) I had been looking for boyfriend jeans for ages before I found these, which is the downside of shopping secondhand – you can find anything, but not necessarily at the precise time you want it. I almost didn’t bother with these because they’re a size 25, and I’m not a size 25 … except Madewell seems to think I am. I will confess that these gave me a good amount of muffin-top at the beginning, but have since stretched out to a very comfortable size. Did I mention how much I love that the length goes perfectly with my Frye Chelsea boots? I always hated how these boots looked with skinny jeans – the shaft is too narrow to allow for pants to be nicely tucked in, and simultaneously too bulky to be tucked under skinnies – so this is a game-changer.

The Unicorn Dress

Behold: one of my eBay unicorns. I can’t recall precisely how long I stalked this dress online, but we are talking at least 3 years. For much of that time, I was searching for the wrong (Anthro) brand, which surely did not help. More recently, it turned up for sale on a local Facebook group, and I missed out on it by mere MINUTES. Gah. But, all’s well that ends well – even though the happy ending did cost me a pretty penny. No regrets; it’s a lovely dress with lots of interesting (but not too quirky) details.

Someday, I will wear a classic little, black dress. Some day. Just not today. And probably not tomorrow either.

Cool Factor

Words can’t quite express how much I love this Marni top and how much it tickles my sartorial fancy. It’s just so very … me. It’s different without being fussy or precious. Layered over a thin turtleneck, it’s seasonally appropriate even though we are talking about linen here. I have spent the last couple of months lusting after Marni pieces on eBay, but no dice; outside of thrift stores, it ain’t happening. Sigh. Getting back to the outfit, this is a 2017 Top 5 moment for me, for sure. It received very little love on Instagram, much like the majority of my Absolute Favourite Peak Outfits, which I find oddly hilarious. I am basically an anti-style blogger. I am kinda tempted to lean into that whole vibe – like the ManRepeller for basic suburban moms.

The Old Formula

Fundamentally, this is a very boring outfit. Top, skirt, accessories, done. There is nothing particularly interesting about this silhouette, which is the sort of thing I get excited about these days. There is nothing baggy, or slouchy, or chunky, or knitted here, bah! But! I do like a well-executed monochromatic outfit, and this one is made in matchy-matchy heaven. I also appreciate the quality of this lacy Club Monaco top, and the texture play with the wool skirt. So, fine, let’s call it Peak Outfit.

Unrelated side note: I remain deeply conflicted about my bangs, and specifically about how they look with my bob, but I have to admit that they have increased the versatility of my current haircut. I think they actually look better with my hair pulled back – either like this, or in a pony tail – which means I now have way more styling options, especially for third- (and fourth-) day hair. Perhaps the dreaded curse of the Every Two Years Pixie Cut can finally be broken. A girl can only hope.

Sack of Glory, 2017 edition

Shut up, it’s amazing. Yeah, this dress makes me look like I’m gestating (I probably am, but it’s just a food baby). Yeah, it’s a glorified potato sack. But it is amazing all the same, and we’ll just have to agree to disagree if you have a different opinion. I want to wear this dress all the time. I may have worn this dress all the time over the holidays. Forget Thankgiving-dinner-eating pants; this dress doesn’t even have a waistband – it has pockets instead. A 125% improvement, if you ask me.

We are also going to have to agree to disagree about these loafer slides. They are exceptionally jolie laide, and I adore them. Insult them at your own peril. I paid a whopping $12 for them at Winners, and they will probably fall apart next week, but I will enjoy the heck out of them in the meantime.

Marni 2.0

Marni does it again. Weird proportions (is it a top? is it a tunic? who knows what, who cares) and charming-though-extraneous details (that extra-long sash thing – who knows why, who cares) are just my ticket. They may not be yours, so you will have to indulge me. I wore this outfit for my big family Xmas party and what it lacked in festive spirit, it made up in Adina Spirit.

Goodbye, 2017

I haven`t celebrated NYE for the better part of a decade; it was a last minute decision to do so last year, but it seemed fitting given everything my husband and I went through during those interminable 12 months. Celebrating the birth of a new year, surrounded by family and friends, was amazing. Also amazing? This Betsey Johnson dress. It makes me feel like a princess, and everyone should have a dress in their closet that makes them feel that way, IMO.

It`s been a hot minute since I wore this skirt, but here it is again. And again with a Tabitha jacket. A *different* ruffled Tabitha jacket, mind you. I have 4 of them now. Yes, four. Including 3 colorways of this particular jacket. Can you really blame me, though? It`s such a good jacket. And, psst: it`s frequently available on eBay for decent prices. This version is the only one I bought at the Anthro store — one of my few Anthro retail purchases, in fact. Which is funny when you think about how much of the stuff I wear regularly; this whole outfit, in fact, is all Anthro. It looks like it, too, but strangely I don`t mind. Something about autumn makes me gravitate towards the twee, I guess.

I don`t have much more to say except: look, still no black. I committed to not pairing this skirt with black (which is my default whenever a bold print is involved) right out of the gate, and I made it 2-for-2. Finding these navy CK pumps earlier in the year was a stroke of real luck. Plain navy shoes are not the easiest to find, and these are comfortable and versatile as heck. CK shoes are pretty ubiquitous at places like Winners and Marshalls, and they are a solid workwear option in the $30-60 range. I like a fancy shoe as much as the next person, but sometimes plain and classic is the way to go.