Somehow, I’ve accumulated an extensive collection of casual pants — denim, cords, chinos, you name it — in a variety of “Adina” colours (black, blue, grey, olive, mustard yellow) — which is (a) weird, because I’ve always hated pants, and (b) nice, because maybe I don’t hate them quite so much anymore. It’s a strange turn of events, for sure, but this is basically my go-to weekend casual outfit these days. And these Clarks booties are a great addition to the line-up, especially now that the weather is exhibiting some worrying signs of fall. Shudder.

So, what am I wearing? My trusty Joe Fresh moto leather jacket which has replaced my denim jacket as my most versatile casual topper. It goes really well with my grey fisherman-like (sleeveless) sweater, which is why I wear them together a LOT. Plus, the sweater is a great layering piece because, hello, sleeveless. These (new to me) Pilcro cords are great — soft & comfy. They’re actually a dark khaki but look grey here. The scarf is a warmer olive, so there’s a bit of a clash going on there but … eh, close enough. The boots are Clarks, as I mentioned, and they are fantastic. I know I’m late to the game, but I would definitely recommend the brand for comfort.

I wore this Maggy London dress on the day I had to take new head shots at work, because I wanted to have a little bit of colour near my face. I also used that opportunity to road test a new way of doing my eyebrows … which, in retrospect, was a terrible idea. Inspired by my beauty idol, Jessica Chastain, I’ve been wanting to try lighter eyebrows for a while, and finally took the plunge after buying a cheapie eyebrow pencil from Essence. I think the results were … mostly ok, but not so much in front of the (professional) camera. My makeup looked natural enough in normal lighting, but I ended up looking pretty washed out in the profesh photos. Sigh.

As for the rest of the outfit, it was fine. Lace always feels a bit risqué to me, but I felt the were enough more conservative/formal elements to the outfit to balance it out. I think I’ll have to try is dress a few more times before I decide whether it’s a keeper or not.

I rarely wear head-to-toe black … though, I should do so more often because it’s so, so easy to feel polished wearing black … but I digress. I switched up my outfit plans on the day I wore this iteration because I had just thrifted these Stuart Weitzman pumps and couldn’t wait to wear them; a simple, all-black outfit seemed like a good idea given the bold look of these shoes. They remind me so much of the Roger Vivier flats I’ve admired on others but which I’ve found in the wild, err, thrifting; the only difference is that this pair has a low chunky heel.

The rest of the outfit is pretty straight-forward. The top is quickly becoming a favourite of mine; it’s by Theory, and it has a very flattering, subtle peplum and pockets. Yes, pockets! How cool is that? The pants are Talula brand (from Aritzia), and they’re a slouchier take on my usual Sloans, which somehow feels a bit more … elegant? Effortlessly chic? Something. Moving on, the blazer is another new fave — the heathered knit is a nice alternative to plain black, and it lends a bit of texture to the outfit. It’s hella comfy too. The necklace is an old J. Crew Factory one, and it always garners a compliment or two; it’s the only retail piece in the picture. But, let’s be honest: they’re all supporting players here. Those shoes are stealing the show, for sure.