Thrifting has been mostly unremarkable over the past month, with a few major exceptions. I don’t know if I can call it a trend; thrifting is unpredictably cyclical by nature. I think a contributing factor is my Poshmark use; it has made me pickier about what I thrift, if that makes sense. But as much as I’ve been getting some great deals on the app, I need to rein it in – it’s too easy to find cool things I “need”, and browsing late at night is not conducive to good impulse-control. With thrifting, at least, the impact on my wallet is a little, ahem, softer.

Let’s have a look at what’s new in my closet.

Dries Van Noten skirt

This was a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of find. A “start the car” kind of find. A “universe is smiling on me” kind of find. Well, you get the idea. Finding a piece from my favourite designer — for SEVEN WHOLE CANADIAN DOLLARS — is a rare and special treat. This skirt is from a 2009 collection, but it still feels fresh over a decade on. The chartreuse green is one of my favourite colours, and I enjoy this more abstract take on animal print (not usually something I’m into).

Etro paisley skirt

This skirt was actually right next to the DVN one on the rack. Can you believe it? Again, I got unbelievably lucky on that occasion. Etro can be borderline for me – sometimes its prints are too much for me, sometimes they’re just enough. I feel like this falls into the latter category, and I am excited to play around with it. I do wish it was a longer hemline, but I’m in a midi-maxi season of life at the moment.

Shirin Guild jacket

This piece is an example of what I love about thrifting. I had no clue about this designer when I picked up the jacket. But it felt lovely to the touch (it’s a silk-wool blend) and felt like great quality. I also was intrigued by the design/cut. A quick Google search told me that this was, indeed, a special piece.

Theory knit vest

I am a sucker for sleeveless turtlenecks – they’re great for days when I want to be warm, but I don’t want to feel sweaty. Is that weird? Arms out = less sweaty. Anyway, I am also a fan of beige, though I know that’s a somewhat controversial opinion, hah. This was a steal of a deal because Value Village hasn’t caught on to Theory yet.

Wilfred Cataphore dress

[Worn in photo above] I absolutely love this dress on the hanger. It checks off all my boxes – style, length, colour. Except, as has been the case lately with a few Wilfred pieces, it fits a little oddly. Because fitting rooms are still closed, I’ve been taking calculated risks with my purchases; I thought I was safe with this one because it’s a size 8 and I’m usually more like a 4/6. Well, yes and no. It’s fine everywhere except across my stomach. I’ve actually lost some weight recently, so Pandemic Pooch isn’t to blame. It looks fine under sweaters (like here), but this may not end up being a keeper.

And here’s what I got on Poshmark:

Zara purple skirt

Impulse buy but I love it. I have been obsessed with this style of skirt lately (loose, long, with tiers) and have been hunting for a dress equivalent. I love the comfort factor plus the drama of the silhouette.

Maeve striped sequin skirt

Another impulse buy but how could I resist rainbow stripes AND sequins?

Gap star sweater

I am also obsessed with stars. I could have waited to find this at the thrift store (some day, maybe) … or just go ahead and satisfy the whim. [Note: my sweater is the dark grey colour way not navy as shown.]

Zara green velvet dress

Impulse buy again (seeing a trend here?) but it’s a style I have admired for a long time. The neckline is somewhat adjustable so it can be a little scandalous or not at all. I love this dark shade of green, especially in velvet. It feels so lush and rich.

And then there was a bunch of accessories (all Posh):

Paloma Spills earrings

These are handmade by an Australian artist and they are perfect for me – I love the natural stones and the stars. Just beautiful.

Anne Marie Chagnon necklace

Anne Marie Chagnon is a contemporary Canadian jewelry designer who does really interesting brutalist/modernist pieces. The photos of this piece on Posh weren’t great but I took a risk. I got it because I was drawn to the blue side of the pendant – it looked like it might be a stone, but it’s actually resin – and was pleasantly surprised to realize it is reversible. I absolutely adore the reverse side, which looks like an “evil eye” (one of my current obsessions).

Birkenstock Madrid sandals

I got this as a back-up for my current pair, which I have worn non-stop this summer.

Stella & Dot labradorite ring / Mango cactus earrings / Moonstone ring

These pieces were part of my first-ever bundle on Posh. I think I paid about $40 for all three. Which is a steal of a deal, IMO. I’ve been on a huge jewelry kick lately, probably because in times of stress, my magpie instincts kick in extra double hard.

What has been on your shopping radar lately?

Plaid + Stripes

I forgot to include this Wilfred sweater in my Poshmark purchase round-up earlier, which is a real shame. It’s a great sweater. I have been hunting the dress version (both are called “Cipriana”) since it first came out at retail, but haven’t spotted it at the thrifts. Eventually I decided to get the sweater because (a) I figured it would be more versatile, and (b) I stumbled on a great deal on Posh. I find that Wilfred (and Aritzia in general) is very over-priced on Posh, but this was an exception – I got this for $20 plus shipping (so, about $33CAD) and it’s in pristine condition. It looks amazing paired with my plaid Ralph Lauren skirt, but I have so many other plans for it.

Mix Master

Taking a tip from my favourite designers, I totally went for it with this outfit. By “it”, I mean mixing patterns. It seems fitting that I used 2 pieces from the aforementioned designers – Dries Van Noten and Marni – to create this look. Each piece already incorporates different patterns, so this is patterns upon patterns upon patterns. When doing something a bit wild, it helps to commit, I guess. I used the common colours in all the prints to (sort of) tie everything together.

Funky

I was gonna call this “punky” but it really isn’t, so I settled for funky instead. I don’t know if it’s that either, but it’s different than some of the other outfits I’ve put together lately. I ended up wearing this outfit twice, because it was that comfortable and I loved it that much. I feel like it’s an outfit that my imaginary BFF David Rose (shoutout to my fellow Schitt’s Creek lovers) would approve.

Thrift Lucky

Here is a look at [spoiler alert] the Dries Van Noten skirt I thrifted last month – full post to come next week. It, along with all the other cool skirts I’ve added to my collection lately, has inspired me to do a theme for my October outfits. That theme? Is skirts. All skirts, all the time. I’m calling it Skirtober. See more next week – same time, same bat channel.

I haven’t been reading as much as usual over the last couple of months; my To Be Read pile is a constant source of guilt. This is the time of year when I struggle the most with my mental health, and this is probably a side effect of that. Still, I have managed to read a few new books since the last update (July-ish?) and I thought I would share them here.

Bad Girls Go Everywhere – Jennifer Scanlon

This is a biography of Helen Gurley Brown, legendary editor in chief at Cosmo. Brown’s early career was a story straight out of Mad Men, and she was a trailblazer in the publishing industry both for her debut book (Sex and the Single Girl, published in the 60s) and her work at Cosmo. Yet, somehow, this biography fell flat for me. It wasn’t bad, just meh.

Unto Us A Son Is Given – Donna Leon

Another Guide Brunnetti mystery, this one felt like one of Leon’s weakest. It took forever for the story to get going, and the mystery was very basic to say the least.

Catch & Kill – Ronan Farrow

Even if you are familiar with the story of how Harvey Weinstein’s crimes come to light, this book is an interesting read on the how. I didn’t know much about investigative journalism going in, and found it fascinating to see how it works behind the scenes. Be warned that, while not especially graphic, this book is hard to read in parts. I struggled the most not with the descriptions of violence, but actually the efforts that so many in the entertainment and news industry put into protecting its monsters. Truly horrifying.

Educated – Tara Westover

This book was fascinating but by the end, I couldn’t wait for it to be over. I’m fortunate not to have first hand experience with familial abuse, and reading Westover’s story of her childhood (and young adulthood) in a deeply religious “fundie” household in the US was eye-opening and brutal. I thought it was going to be a memoir about her experiences in pursuing education after home schooling, but it’s really more a memoir of trauma.

Notes of a Native Son – James Baldwin

Although written almost 70 years ago, this collection of essays is still incredibly poignant and relevant. Balwin’s writing cuts like a knife, it is so good. In these essays, he talks about growing up in Harlem, being a Black man in America (and not much has changed, honestly, since the 1950s and 60s), and a Black American in Europe. Highly recommend.

Empress of the Night – Eva Stachniak

I love historical novels, and I love reading about Catherine the Great of Russia, but this novel of her life was meh. I think the author has a good grasp of the history (and thankfully did not take liberties with the characterization of the main figures in the way that The Great Netflix series did) but I did not enjoy her narrative device. Catherine’s story is told in snippets of memories, as she looks back on her life as she is dying. When I say snippets, I mean each chapter is composed of 1-2 page “scenes”. It all felt too disjointed to me.

Strindberg’s Ghost Sonata and other tales – Tanith Lee

I love Tanith Lee’s dark fantasy short stories, and this is good collection (not inspired by fairy tales so the settings are more diverse).

The Back of the Turtle – Thomas King

This is a darkly comic fable about environmental destruction, capitalism, and the impacts of colonialism. It’s funny and topical and quietly heartbreaking because everything it says about capitalism is true, and awful, and not getting better. One of my fave recent reads.

Grandes Horizontales – Virginia Rounding

This was a disappointment. I love gossipy non-fiction and what better subject matter for a juicy read than famous courtesans of the 19th century? Sadly, this was a snooze. I think the author was aiming for a more scholarly type of book than my usual fare, but the writing was blah to me. There were some interesting tidbits regarding the daily lives of courtesans (think a R29 Money Diaries type of thing — which, OMG I love that idea!) but the rest was faux intellectual boring whatever.

Tennyson’s Gift – Lynne Truss

This was an odd little novel. I thought it was amusing in parts (as advertised) but not laugh-out-loud funny. I think it would have helped if I had been more familiar with the historical figures who are at the centre of the story — Tennyson, Charles Dodgson (of Alice in Wonderland fame), Julia Margaret Cameron, etc. It did made me want to go and read up on them and their circle of acquaintances, like Ellen Terry (a famous actress in the 19th century). But the book was also weird in some ways. Speaking of Terry, the book just glosses over her marriage at 16 to a 49 year old painter (apparently short lived and not consummated) treating it as a bit of a lark/joke. Same with the treatment of Dodgson and his interactions with young girls. Just … some odd choices.

Lola Monte: A Life – Bruce Seymour

This is a biography of Lola Montez, an entertainer and celebrity figure in the 19th century, and best known for briefly being the mistress of King Ludwig of Bavaria (and almost toppling his monarchy in the process). It is a mostly sympathetic portrait of a “difficult” woman; I appreciated the author’s view that a large part of why Montez was considered such a scandalous “spectacle” in her lifetime is because she simply refused to conform to the norms set for women of that era. She was loud, witty, utterly egotistical, and unapologetic about it all. Not necessarily a relatable figure but an interesting one. The book did feel a bit plodding in parts, but it was a decent read overall.

A Very British Murder: The Story of a National Obsession – Lucy Worsley

I love Worsley’s books – they’re a good balance of well-researched and entertaining (and never dry!) – and this was no exception. It’s a look at the history of the murder mystery genre in Britain. If you’re a whodunnit nerd like me, you’ll enjoy this.

Dear Girls – Ali Wong

If you like Wong’s stand-up, you’ll enjoy this quasi-memoir-slash-advice-book written in the format of letters to her daughters. It’s raunchy as hell, though, so be forewarned. I didn’t think it was as sharp as her Baby Cobra special, but had plenty of laughs.

Dark Saturday – Nicci French

This was a thriller/murder mystery in the vein of Tana French (no relation). This author is actually a husband-and-wife duo writing together under a pen name. Kinda wonder how that works, but anyway. I enjoyed it, but would like to read a few more of their novels before I decide to add them to my list of fave contemporary mystery writers.

The New Jim Crow – Michelle Alexander

Terrifying, and enraging, and heartbreaking. I am not American, and am not directly impacted by the US criminal justice system, but I consider this is a must-read along with watching Thirteen (the Netflix documentary). Some of the most enlightening parts of the book are the ones where Alexander talks about the ways that racism is deeply intertwined with and in service to capitalism. It’s something I am grappling with and trying to wrap my head around the biggest question: where do we go from here. So much food for thought (and action) — highly recommended.

Mexican Gothic – Silvia Moreno Garcia

This was a pretty thrilling story in the traditional gothic mold. I loved it. It reminded me a lot of Crimson Peak, a movie I adored and which inspired me to try my hand at a couple of gothic pastiche novelettes a few years ago. Another favourite recent read.