I first wrote about this idea back in 2016, and it’s an amusing mental exercise if you’re as obsessed with your closet as I used to be (I’m still obsessed with clothes, but less obsessed with my closet, if that makes sense. I kinda just gave up on thinking about it as a thing requiring active planning, you know? It just … exists. It’s a place I stash All The Things.) 

Anyway, one’s Platonic ideal of, say, a Dress of a Skirt is *not* the same as one’s favourite dress or skirt. This is important. It’s more a representation of all the key elements that person looks for in that type of item. You may not own an item that perfectly encapsulates that, but basically … the Platonic ideal would be the closest thing in your closet. 

Playing the Platonic ideal game can be useful if someone is at a stage where they’re still trying to figure out what they enjoy and want to wear. Beyond that, it’s just for fun. I never took it too seriously (even back in 2016 when I was WAY more into overthinking absolutely everything) because … well, I hate anything overly prescriptive. I’m the kind of person who’s, like, “let’s build a box” and then proceeds to want nothing to do with that box because “let me live, please!” 

So if at this point you’re saying “hey, this useless exercise sounds like fun, let’s do it!” and not “what the hell did I just read, JFC!” then, friend, you are watching the right stories 😊 Let’s, in fact, get started!

Dress

I don’t wear dresses as much as I used to. Like the moon and tides, my interest in certain categories of clothing waxes and wanes. Can you believe there was a period when I was super obsessed with pants?! Yeah, me neither … but the blog assures me there was. Anyway, this was an easier category to decide back in 2016, is all I’m saying.  Speaking of 2016, this was my pick:

And now:

After much deliberation, I picked this Pink Tartan dress for the following reasons:

• it’s midi length
• It’s body skimming but not body-con or tight 
• It’s got some cool draping and other interesting design details (which, sadly, are hard to photograph)
• It’s a plain enough pattern to mix with others, or wear with solid colours. 
• No sleeves – good for layering. 

For what it’s worth, I still love the Phillip Lim dress. Its main drawback now is the length (wish it was longer).

Pants

Hahahaha! Ok but fine. 

Yes, I picked (faux) leather leggings as my Platonic ideal but hear me out. First of all, in the year of our Lord almost 2021, they definitely belong in the pants category. I think that dispute has been settled, yeah? Second, here are the pros:

• comfortable 
• stretchy
• Did I mention stretchy and comfortable?
• Look mildly edgy without requiring one to do anything more than breathe. 
• Great for layering but can also be worn on their own because … pants. 

Blazer

2020 has warped my brain. I don’t get blazers anymore. Well, in theory, I guess I do. I just don’t wear them anymore so I really don’t know what I want from one. Basically, not to be a blazer. 2016 Adina would be horrified, I’m sure:

This is more like it, though:

Here is what I like about it:

• wool-silk blend = mind blown. Cozy but lightweight, non-scratchy. Perfect for home. 
• Unstructured but with interesting design lines. 
• Can be thrown over anything as an extra layer. 

Skirt

Ahhh. Finally, I could write an entire separate novel about The Skirt, but I won’t because I’m lazy and also there’s no fame and money in that. Let’s have a look at 2016 Skirt:

Not bad. That was a good skirt. Too bad it doesn’t fit and it’s knee-length. What about 2020?

Now, again, remember we are not talking about my favourite skirt here. This is the Platonic ideal:

• midi/maxi length
• Body-skimming but not tight
• Interesting design details
• cool texture (in lieu of pattern)
• Good quality material with some weight/drape to it

Shoes

This will surprise exactly no one. 

I almost picked my Birkenstock’s. I did. And then, I almost picked my leather sneakers. But while both are versatile, they’re not quite as versatile as these shoes. 

• flats, because duh!
• Black (but a metallic would be equally appropriate)
• Pointy toe because I am trend-regressive and I don’t care. 
• Plain, black flats can be dressed up or down with basically any outfit. I picked the lace-up ones over a loafer, for example, because I think it’s more versatile for my personal aesthetic. 

Bag

Blame 2020 for yet another thing: making my bag collection superfluous. I don’t go anywhere, and my bag needs are limited. But let’s look first at 2016:

Cute. Not super exciting but a solid, versatile choice. And now?

I have, no joke, at least 3 of these small black crossbody bags and they are pretty interchangeable except for the difficulty of shoving in my iPhone 10. This Rebecca Minkoff bag scores highest on that metric, because it’s the largest of the bunch, so it wins the title. Here are the important elements:

• Small, lightweight, can be carried cross-body
• Fits essentials (credit card, phone, mini hand sanitizer)
• Is black, goes with everything
• The end 

For the record, this remains my favourite bag:

Thank you for checking in and reading my frivolous musings, today and all year. Happy holidays!

More so than even other recent years, 2020 was the year of secondhand. Of the top of my head, I can think of only one clothing item I purchased at retail; everything else was either thrifted or Poshmarked. My experiences with Poshmark are reflected in the fact that both the cost-per-item and overall cost-versus-retail-value percentage increased slightly this year compared to last.

For those who may be curious, the items I purchased this year cost, on average, $15 (up from about $13/item in 2019). I paid, on average, 5.7% of the retail value for the items I did buy (up from 5.3% last year). Overall, I bought less and spent (slightly) less this year than in 2019 and, in fact, any of the past 5 years. In large part, this was due to the fact that thrift stores were closed here from March until late May, and I didn’t get into Poshmark until later in the summer. If you take those “no-buy” months out of the equation, I actually bought more during the months I did shop.

If I had to justify myself (and I don’t, really), I think it’s because 2020 is the year I fell in love with fashion all over again. Discovering new designers has been fun. There were so many good deals to be had on pieces that are beautiful and well-made, and I couldn’t resist buying them and enjoying the experience of wearing them – for myself. Alone (well, not really, but you get my point) in the house. It was a source of joy in an otherwise stressful year. I always take good care of my clothes, and my goal is to ensure that my pieces can end up having another lease on life in someone else’s closet once I’m ready to move on. This is one way that I can minimize the environmental impact of my hobby – and share the joy of beautiful clothes with others.

Okay, enough navel-gazing. The title of the blog post promised you a Best Of list, and that’s what you’re going to get.

In thinking about how to prepare this, I realized that I would have to honour the spirit of the Year of The Skirt, by breaking down my list into two (and, after further deliberation, three) sections.

Best Skirts

Without a doubt, my favourite purchase — of all – this year. When I bang on about how clothing should be fun, this is what I’m talking about. Nothing gives me more joy than wearing this skirt … at home, alone at my desk. It makes me feel fabulous, even if I have nowhere to go. This is the year I began to fully appreciate that “fabulous” is a state of mind.

Note: Dries van Noten skirt, via Poshmark ($185).

Honourable mention has to go to this amazing “mermaid” skirt. I am obsessed with the cut, the design details, the colour, and the texture. It came to me all the way from Australia, and I am happy to have her in my closet.

Note: Acne skirt, via eBay ($80).

This was an early thrift find of the year, but it’s a one-of-a-kind – literally. This was a skirt made by someone by hand, from one of the most wonderfully coloured fabrics I’ve ever seen.

Note: handmade skirt, thrifted ($6).

This is a kind of bookend to the previous, being one of the last purchases of the year. Looking at it with semi-sober eyes (I’m still in the infatuation stage with it, haha!), it’s a mash-up of the Acne skirt and the rainbow skirt, isn’t it? Maybe it’s why I love it so much.

Note: Carven skirt, via Poshmark ($83).

I feel a bit guilty for not giving this amazing skirt more love this year, but I haven’t been wearing black as much as usual. That being said, Issey Miyake is one of my fave designers, and this skirt is a beautiful example of his work. Photos cannot do justice to the details – the layers, the intricate pleating, the movement.

Note: Issey Miyake skirt, thrifted ($10).

Best of the Rest

Full disclosure: I haven’t worn this yet, but for sheer excitement factor alone, this Gucci blouse would have to make the list. I love the muted aqua colour and the creepy floral print. I can’t wait to see outfits I can concoct with it in 2021.

Note: Gucci blouse, thrifted ($8).

I’ve given up trying to photograph this Shirin Guild topper for the same reason as the Issey skirt – they cannot capture its beauty. I wear this a lot at home whenever I get cold while working; it’s the perfect weight – not too heavy, cozy without being scratchy (it’s silk-wool blend).

Note: Shirin Guild topper, thrifted ($10).

Not all my favourite purchases are designer. I bought a few Gap striped sweaters this year that I simply adore, but in the end I chose this Wilfred one instead as my most favourite – it was a close call though. I love the colours and the colourblocked stripes, and it’s incredibly soft and cozy. The oversized style works surprisingly well with my midi pencil skirts.

Note: Wilfred sweater, via Poshmark ($33).

I’ve written before about this dress and our history (going back to 2015!) so of course it had to make the list. I haven’t been as into dresses this year as in the past, but this one puts a smile on my face every time I see it.

Note: Pink Tartan dress, thrifted ($25).

Okay, this is a bit of a cheat in that we’re talking about 2 pieces not one, but it’s a matched set so I think I get a pass. I love the print and the funky silhouette, and I think it will be easy to mix and match with other pieces from my closet.

Note: Kaliyana set, thrifted ($14).

Best of Jewelry

Note: Stella & Dot necklace, via Poshmark ($83).

Note: Stella & Dot necklace, thrifted ($5).

Note: Monica Vinader ring, via Poshmark ($33).

Note: Paloma Spills earrings, via Poshmark ($133).

Note: Gemma Redux necklace, via Poshmark ($53).

What were your favourite purchases of the year?

2020 was such a strange, surreal year. Fashion was probably the last thing on people’s minds, but since fashion is what we talk about here, I will apply the usual myopic lens for purposes of this and other year-end posts. Let’s talk about my favourite outfits.

Things started off much as one would expect at the beginning of the year, but by March veered into a different course altogether. Sartorially, I floundered for a while; switching to working from home, whilst trying to adjust to the day-to-day realities of life in a pandemic, took a lot of adjusting.

[Not to get off-track, but I think the psychological trauma of this whole experience will take years for most of us to unpack – even for those of us fortunate not to have been directly impacted by COVID or involved in the front-line efforts to contain it. I can’t imagine what those who were (and are) have gone through, and I can only hope that at some point when the immediate threat of the pandemic is over, governments will turn their attentions and funding towards mental health initiatives to ensure that people have the support they need to process their trauma.]

Once I settled into the “new normal” somewhat, I quickly realized that my “working from home” uniform would never look like others’ if I wanted to be happy. I love to dress up. It brings me joy and brightens up my day. Trying for that “Zoom casual” aesthetic was sapping my spirits – ok, maybe that sounds overly dramatic, but it was killing my buzz, for sure. So I said “to hell with loungewear” and plunged right back into my most feverish of fashion dreams.

This was the year I truly embraced my love for dramatic fashion. I moved away from the Prince avatar (I love wearing black in public, but alone at home, it felt too depressing on a daily basis) towards the excess of the Bohemian and the luxuriousness of the Artist. Not having to deal with public transit, the weather, or an actual office, I could simply indulge myself. A skirt with a fabulous train? Why not. It didn’t have to be “practical” as long as it was comfortable and made me feel happier wearing it.

This year was also a return to whimsy – not the twee kind, but the kitschy/surreal kind. I think that trend was a reflection of my mental space, trying to grapple with the world around me. Graphic tees and over-the-top prints began to take over my closet. There was a resurgence of colour. Rainbows. I can be quite literal in my wish fulfilment.

This was, unquestionably, the year of the skirt for me. I will always love dresses, but for some reason, I find myself gravitating towards separates, with skirts in particular. I think it’s the freedom to do random mash-ups of items and patterns; the kookier, the better. After all, if 2020 is not chaotic energy in its purest form, I don’t know what is.

I went back and picked some of my favourite outfits to share; the majority of them are from August onwards. I wouldn’t say that I’ve come to terms with 2020 as a whole, but I feel like I’ve finally found my style groove again – one small way to cope with the ongoing uncertainty and challenges.

You can see here that I really honed in on certain design details that I like. Midi length skirts and dresses; interesting patterns; draping details; texture. The things I buy now are cohesive from that standpoint. I wouldn’t say that I have a “uniform” per se, but I am pretty consistent in how I style the pieces I wear and what the final result looks like.

I cannot begin to fathom and will not attempt to predict what 2021 has in store, but I look forward to enjoying my current style groove and seeing where it ends up taking me.