Sleeve Drama

I had a whole post prepared for this week’s outfits, but it sadly disappeared into the ether. That’s the kind of week I’m having, you guys. In lieu of anything substantive, here’s a simple rundown of what I’m wearing. Blazer is YSL and was a hit at the office, with some people anyway. I don’t expect it to be a piece that everyone loves, which is in line with my aesthetic as a whole. Light grey can be hit and miss for me, but the fabric here has a heathered finish, so it works. I like pairing grey with black and white – it’s instant chic, as far as I’m concerned. Or, put differently, hard to mess up. The blouse and pants are old standbys, both thrifted naturally. I still love these crepe pants from Aritzia; they sit/drape so nicely. The shoes are Hispanitas, which my boss gave to me because they didn’t work for her. Boss of the year? Quite possibly.

Comfort Zone

Drapey sack dresses are it: comfortable and right in my sartorial comfort zone. Add leather, and you’ve got a bit of edge. Leather is always a little bit edgy, okay? Dress is Ayrtight and I’m still madly in love with it. I would happily wear it every day. Because of the deep neckline, it requires an extra layer which is no problem because my Club Monaco thin wool turtleneck is perfect for that. (Sadly, it needs to be retired soon. I’ve been wearing it for coming up on 3 winters, and it’s starting to show its age.) The leather vest is Sarah Pacini and it’s truly incredible. A one-of-a-kind piece I am so grateful to have found at a local consignment store. I don’t want to think about what it would have cost me otherwise. I can throw this over any outfit and feel instantly cooler by at least 25%. The shoes are Jeffrey Campbell and they’re definitely a lewk. I kinda dig the squared toe, which I haven’t worn in years.

Comfort Zone, part 2

A comfort zone of a whole other kind: this is my typical weekend outfit. I’ve worn a hundred iterations of this, but it’s easy and fun to update with new pieces. In this case, the new piece is this scarf I recently thrifted. I love the blue and brown colour palette, and used it to put together the rest of the outfit. The sweater is Oak & Fort (old and thrifted) and the jeans are AG (new-ish and swapped). My other favourite piece are the SoftMoc boots; I’m loving cognac accessories at the moment, and these are comfortable and stylish to boot. Zing! Did I just make a bad shoe pun? Yes, yes, I did.

I mentioned in one of my recent posts that I was going back to a modified capsule approach to outfit planning, and today I’m going to write a bit about my methods and observations.

I am not a typical capsule-devotée; my style skews to the minimalist side of the spectrum, but my closet does not. What I like about capsules is the sense of cohesion. I find it pleasing to the eye to have outfits that are harmonious without being repetitive – for lack of a better description, that look like part of a runway collection. Similar, but not the same. It’s obviously easier to achieve this by mixing a smaller number of items together; however, I also get bored quickly, so I like having variety over time. The compromise that has worked best for me in the past has been the rolling capsule – i.e. one that changes from month to month.

The last time I did a planned capsule, which was over a year ago, my approach was to select 5-7 statement pieces that were my favourites at that time, and build outfits around them. This is certainly a viable approach, but the result is not necessarily cohesive if, like mine, your closet contains a wide range of styles and colours. In principle, it’s possible to take, say, a preppy item and adapt it to suit a boho style, but it will require that you approach outfit building with a different lens; the item cannot be the focus, because it will naturally inspire you towards a preppy vibe.

One alternative would have been to use one (or more) of my style avatars as the “theme” of my monthly capsule. Almost immediately, though, I realized this would not work for me – again, because of the variety of options in my closet, deciding where to even begin would have been slightly daunting. The “building blocks” of my style(s) are fairly basic items, so that would not have helped me figure out the capsule in the same way as using statement pieces for a starting point.

The approach that struck me as having the most potential this time around was choosing a colour theme. Believe it or not, this was not an obvious choice for me. While my wardrobe does have a colour palette, it’s a relatively broad one. My outfit choices are rarely dictated by colour, first and foremost, although there are certain shades I won’t wear, and some that I especially enjoy wearing. In the end, though, I chose colour as my capsule-defining device because it helped me to pick out “starting block” pieces, and also infused cohension into the process right from the get-go. With the exception of blue and neutrals like black, each of my core wardrobe colours is only represented in a half dozen or so pieces, so my selection process was far more manageable than starting from scratch.

Briefly, this is what the process looked like:

– Pick 2-3 core colours (non-neutrals) for the capsule; these would be supplemented by 2-3 neutrals, usually black and cream/ivory.

– Write down all of the items I own for each core colour; ideally, there would be 4-5 items per colour. I had a vague goal of using each item in at least 2 outfits that month. [A typical month for me requires 15-18 work outfits.]

– Make a list of the number of outfits needed, and proceed to fill it out using the colour items previously identified, and adding other pieces from my closet as needed to complete the outfit. In determining how to complete an outfit featuring the core colour item, I focused on my style avatars as guidelines for silhouettes, combinations, etc.

So, for example, the exercise was not simply “complete an outfit using this green sweater” but, rather, “complete an outfit using this green sweater and make it fit the Artist vibe.”

When I was putting my October capsule together, this process hadn’t quite fully crystalized, but it was more or less what I did. Rather than core colours, I ended up focusing on neutrals; my colour palette was black, brown and pale grey, with plum and green accents. For November, I deliberately started with core colours: blue and forest green; my neutrals were black, ivory and grey. For December, I am thinking of switching to a warmer palette: red, pink and plum, with brown and black as neutrals. But we shall see.

A side benefit of my recent capsuling efforts is that I have started to pay closer attention again to what’s actually in my closet – and especially what’s missing and what doesn’t need to be there. Based on those observations, I have refined my thrifting list.

On my “buy” list:

cropped sweaters
chunky, textured knits
thin v-neck cardigans (for layering)
thin turtlenecks (ditto)
interesting toppers (shapes, textures, etc. – anything but your traditional, hip-length blazer)
sack dresses
waist belts
maxi and midi skirts and dresses
paperbag waist trousers
culottes
loafers

On my “don’t buy” list:

structured, traditional blazers (see above)
pencil skirts
sheath dresses
pants (other than as above)
jeans (especially skinnies)
frilly, girly stuff (it’s still my Achilles heel)

Newly focused, I am excited for the possibilities – both for my outfit plans and for my thrifting. Hey, with winter coming, I need all the distractions I can get!

I may have slightly over-hyped this on my IG stories and in the title of this blog post, but I think you will agree that my enthusiasm was understandable; even for a seasoned thrifter, scoring $5,000 worth of clothes for $65 is not an everyday kind of event. I’m gonna go ahead and chronicle this thrifting milestone for posterity, because I have a feeling it may prove to be one of a kind. I have said that before, I know – and, hey, I would love to be wrong – but indulge me a little, won’t you?

I have been neglecting Value Village a bit lately because their prices are getting to be bananas. Goodwill has been good to me in the meantime; I have no complaints. I ended up visiting the VV on Whyte Avenue purely out of impulse, motivated by what I call my thrifting “spidey senses”. I don’t know if other thrifters experience this, but I occasionally feel especially drawn to visit a particular location; not “drawn” in the usual sense of “I feel like thrifting today!” (that would be any place, any day, hah) but in the sense of “something over there is calling my name”. I’m not a superstitious person, but I do believe in following your gut … which is maybe just a hipster way of saying I am superstitious. Anyway, on the particular fine Sunday morning in question, my gut told me to go to the Whyte Ave VV so, instead of hitting up my usual Goodwill, that’s where I headed.

Thrifting Pro Tip: All metaphysical chat aside, remember that the key to thrift success is consistency. The more often you go, the more bargains you will find. This is my hobby, and not a side hustle, so I tend to stick to the stores that are most conveniently located, foregoing the chance to score elsewhere. However, every now and then, I do check out some of the stores farther away from me … and you should too. Thrifting is highly location-specific, and inventory can vary wildly from store to store even in the same city.

My visit began innocuously enough; my rounds of the homewares aisles did not yield any interesting finds, and I didn’t feel like looking through the book section on this particular visit. I hate thrifting during the Halloween season, because the racks tend to be reorganized around those seasonal displays (which don’t interest me) and I have a hard time figuring out where everything is located. When in doubt, I hit the dress racks.

Thrifting Pro Tip: I tend to follow the same sequence whenever I’m at a particular store, which depends on how the store itself is laid out. Thrift stores can be overwhelming, and it helps to have a plan in hand before you head in. Some people like to go in with a list of specific items they want, but that’s not my style. I like to take my chances with whatever the universe wants to send my way. So, rather than a shopping list, I go in with a plan for which section(s) of the store I will visit and in what order. This might seem like a complicated tactical task, but when you know the stores well, it’s not; just a matter of routine. I find it helps me focus and avoid the distraction of a hundred racks, all clamouring for my attention.

I always check the entire dress rack, from the Small end to the XL. Things get misplaced all the time. At this particular store, I found my beloved Zero+Maria Cornejo dress (size 6) in the middle of the Large section; it looks baggy, and the size label is not easily visible, so the store employees probably just took a guess. On this occasion, I wasn’t having much luck spotting anything of interest when, lo, I came across a blazer.

Thrifting Pro Tip: Have a close look at things that are in the wrong section entirely. This is not always the case, obviously, but you might stumble upon a goldmine. Do people intentionally “hide” items around the store? I don’t have proof of that, but sometimes I wonder. It could also be an item that someone initially picked out as interesting, only to later decide against buying it. Either way, worth a look … just as it’s always a good idea to scan the “reject” racks by the changing rooms.

I cannot drag out the suspense any longer: the blazer was an Yves Saint Laurent piece from one of their 2007 collections. Here it is:

Although it’s 11 years old, I think it looks surprisingly current. The sleeve detail is fantastic. I haven’t found this exact blazer online, but similar ones run anywhere from $2,500 and up. This one was tagged at $12.99 (and I scored it for 30% less with a coupon).

Y’all can bet that, as soon as I saw it, this beauty went straight in my cart, which I proceeded to guard closely. Finding a designer piece early on during a thrift store visit is an encouraging sign for me; I assume (perhaps overly optimistically) that it means there are other great finds to be discovered. My rationale goes something like this: most people donate a bunch of things at the same time, and whoever has a YSL they’re willing to toss out, probably has an interesting purge pile.

Had I been on top of my game, I would have scoured the rest of the racks closely; but I’ve been spoiled by my thrifting luck, and I ended up half-assing the job. Rather than spend extra time in the Whyte Ave store, I decided to wrap up my visit quickly so I could hit another location on my way home. More on that in a minute.

I did find two other pieces at the first store. The first was a beautiful Oak & Fort for $6.99 less 30% off.

The other was a pretty major score in its own right, even if it was overshadowed in this case by the YSL. It was this 100% real suede fringed jacket from Maje:

Best as I can tell, this retailed for something like £400 or, roughly, $800 CAD. It’s in very good condition, and was tagged at $30 (less 30%). I wasn’t sure about buying it because it’s way outside my comfort zone, but I ultimately went for it because it was an unusual piece and I thought I would regret not getting it. Later, I found this inspo pic online, which gives me some ideas for how I might style this:

Thrifting Pro Tip: The challenging thing about thrifting is that you have to make purchasing decisions on the spot. There is no “sleeping on it” – you leave the store empty-handed, be prepared to never find that exact piece again. You might come back even an hour later and, chances are, it will be gone. So you have to make split-second decisions, sort of. Having a really good handle on your style parameters helps tremendously; for years, I didn’t quite have those nailed down, which was a huge contributing factor in the constant turnover of clothes in my closet. in effect, I would buy things to try them on in the comfort of my own home, without distractions and with my whole closet readily available. If they didn’t work out as expected, I would cycle them out. The low upfront cost make this a feasible strategy (and you can usually recoup some or all of the cost), but it can be emotionally tiring, if nothing else. It’s much better to spend time refining your style parameters, and go from there. With that said, if ever in doubt about a purchase, I tend to err on the side of buying it IF it’s a very unusual piece AND one with a high retail (and resale) value.

As planned, on my way home, I stopped at the VV near my neighbourhood. I hadn’t had much luck there recently, but I had half an hour to spare and was feeling quite satisfied with my previous purchases – I had nothing to lose. The first fifteen minutes of my visit yielded no interesting finds, so things did not get off to a good start. I was beginning to think about cutting my visit short when I came across my first find in the skirt aisle: an Eileen Fisher silk-viscose blend midi skirt for $11. I love Eileen Fisher. I’m currently obsessed with midi skirts. This one would have retailed for around $250 or so; not a huge score, but one that made me very happy nonetheless.

A few minutes later, in the blazer aisle, I found the last gem of the day: a wool blend, cropped boyfriend style jacket by Smythe. This one looked to be new, and it was tagged at $10. The original retail price would have been $800 and up.

After that, I basically gave up. I had hit the jackpot, and didn’t want to push my luck. Also, it was close to lunch time and I was hungry. But as a coda to my story, later that same day, someone posted on IG about their find of a Miu Miu skirt … at the Whyte Ave VV. I don’t know if the moral of the story is that you shouldn’t let yourself be ruled by laziness and/or hunger because you might miss out on some great find … or whether it’s that, no matter how many of us dedicated thrifters are out there looking for the next big score, there are great finds waiting for us all.