The current 90s revival has kicked my nostalgia into high gear again. To be fair, it doesn’t take much to do that. If something like immutable character traits exist, susceptibility to nostalgia is surely one of mine. Indeed, I consider it one of the most important milestones of my personal growth that I have reached a stage where the pleasure in looking to the possibilities of what is to come neatly balances the pleasure in looking back at what already came to pass; for most of my life, the uncertain thrills of the future seemed but poor competition to the established delights of the past. But I digress – digression also being something of an immutable trait of mine 😉 With all this sartorial nostalgia floating about, I was struck by a thought: wouldn’t it be cool to look back on what I actually wore in, say, 2000-2004 and compare it to what I’m wearing now, influenced by my memories and ideas of that time?

It would be SO cool.

Sadly, that’s all this thought was destined to be: a cool idea. The concept of photographically documenting one’s daily outfits (as a non-celebrity) is a progeny of smartphones and fashion blogs, neither of which yet existed back in 2000. Sure, I have photos of myself from before 2010, but they were usually taken on special occasions and rarely focused on what I was wearing. So, goodbye, cool idea.

However, I hate giving up. Settling for “something vaguely similar” is, in this case, a preferred alternative. And that’s how we end up here, with this post. In lieu of 2000, I present you 2011 and the beginnings of my fashion blogger era.

I chose a sampling of outfits that felt accurately representative of what I was wearing in 2011. Obviously, the 90s did not figure strongly (or at all) in my sartorial inspiration at the time. It was too soon, for one thing. For another, I was in my “figuring out colours and proportions” phase. Well, to be honest, I was in my “figuring out fashion, period” phase. At a first glance, I would say that the middle outfit is closest to something I might wear today – though not in that exact silhouette. Indeed, I was rather pleased to see myself even wear brown 13 years ago; I had forgotten all about it, in the wake of the intervening corporate goth era (2017-2019).

That being said, most of the clothing I’m wearing in these outfits are things that, for one reason or another, I wouldn’t wear today. They include:

• Thin cardigans with cap sleeves
• Knee-length pencil skirts
• Low rise pants
• Baby-doll style tops
• Peep-toe shoes

The black shoes, white shirt, brown cardigan, and brown belt are items I would still wear today, if I still had them, which I don’t. I would also wear those jeans, were it not for the almost-certain fact that they were low-rise, just like the black pants. I do like the bootcut style, which is all the proof you need that denim silhouettes are eternally cyclical. The leather jacket is almost another “yes”, but the ruched collar frill thing kinda ruins the vibe for me.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how god-awful low-rise pants look on me? Visually, they cut my body in half, as perfectly illustrated in the middle outfit. I’m sad to say, the relevance of the fact I have a long torso and short legs remained lost on me for almost another decade.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to compare each of these outfits to a current-day equivalent.

The main difference here is silhouette and proportions. Longer hemlines and a higher waist help me to achieve an impression of (extra) height, which I appreciate. You will also note that the sleeves in the current outfit, while still short, are different. The triangular effect they create on the top half of the outfit nicely balances the fluted silhouette of the skirt. Most of this stuff is, of course, a question of preference not objective value. I’m not here to rain on your pencil-skirt-loving parade.

Once again, it’s a question of silhouette and proportions. The pants are higher-waisted and have a menswear-inspired pleated cut. The shoes are also more masculine in style, and chunkier. Also, the current outfit offers a juxtaposition of vibes – casual chambray with preppy corduroy blazer – that makes it more interesting, imo, than the 2011 version.

In some ways, this side-by-side offers the least jarring contrast. Sure, my current jeans have a wider leg and higher rise but, to my eye, it’s a difference that whispers rather than screams. The proportions of the jackets are surprisingly similar. Obviously, it’s the tucked-in shirt that represents the biggest difference. The baby-doll top is probably the piece that feels the most “dated” (i.e. of its time) but, ironically, is probably closest to making a comeback as the fashion trend cycle continues to churn, getting ever closer to the late 2000s as a source of inspiration.

Well, that’s it. If you thought this post was building up to an interesting thesis of some sort, sorry to disappoint. Like a lot of nostalgic exercises, this one offers no special insights, its sole reward being the pleasure of remembering what was, and marvelling how different it has since become.

Let’s do it again, yeah?

Details: J. Crew shirt, vintage vest, Gap jacket & belt, Twik skirt, Tommy Hilfiger bag (all thrifted), Mia shoes (retail)

Thoughts: I don’t wear a lot of black these days but I do enjoy a black-and-brown combo. Whiskey, in particular, looks really sharp paired with black. This outfit has a dandy vibe that pleased me a great deal. Ties are a trend for womenswear this fall, and I’ve been experimenting with it off-and-on, but sometimes it feels “too much” and also too cumbersome (since I haven’t learned how to tie a proper tie knot, and require assistance from my husband). This bow pin is a rather perfect alternative for me; thanks to the striped fabric, it has a flavour of tie about it, but it’s much easier to put on and feels jauntier and more me.

Details: Toni T dickie, J. Crew sweater, Ralph Lauren trench, American Eagle jeans, Gap belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I loved this combo of red stripes and tan trench. It felt classic and effortless. Now, these are objectively meaningless terms, so what I’m saying is that this is what classic and effortless looks like to me — or at least one version of it, at the current moment. Easy, relaxed, but also polished and elegant in an understated sort of way, and trend-neutral. The trendiest thing here are the jeans, a category of clothing that is often the most obvious clue to an outfit’s era. Something to think about in that, eh?

Details: Northern Reflections sweater, Ungaro vest, Donna Karan belt, Mondi skirt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Plaid on plaid is a fun way to do pattern mixing, and in this case, it solved for me the problem of choosing a colour palette for an outfit built around this skirt. Red-and-green plaid is tricky given its tendency to come across Christmassy, and the choice of accessorizing colours can often play that up. Here, by adding another red-dominant plaid that doesn’t prominently feature green and doubling-down on the red, I think I managed to avoid looking like someone who puts up her Christmas decorations immediately after Halloween. Which, for the record, I am not.

Details: H&M shirt, Ralph Lauren sweater, Eddie Bauer pants, Fossil belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I was so excited to find this brown striped shirt. Brown shirts are relatively rare, have you ever noticed this? But now that I have one, I could finally put together a monochromatic version of this favoured outfit formula: oversized striped shirt, menswear-inspired pants, contrast-colour sweater. So simple, so good.

Details: Club Monaco sweater, Gap jacket, vintage skirt, Ann Marino shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Also simple is this 90s coded outfit animated by my love of contrasting textures: leather, chunky knits, chiffon. Minimalism has certainly infiltrated my sartorial aesthetic — it’s part of the DNA of the kind of 90s style that appeals to my nostalgia — but I am still me, and I still need visual interest in my outfits, or else I end up feeling very blah. I cannot do blah. If an outfit feels blah, it is not worth wearing. Luckily, colour and texture are most effective tools to zhuzh up minimalist outfits (which, to me, means any outfit that doesn’t involve more than 3 pieces and at least one statement accessory).

Details: Jeanne Pierre sweater, Ralph Lauren jacket, Fossil belt (all thrifted), Zara pants (retail)

Thoughts: Brown and yellow, who knew? This is a combination I tried thanks to the influence of Instagram; I guess my mindless strolling does occasionally pay off. Special shout-out to this blazer, which is probably my best thrift find of the year, if we are going by prestige alone. It’s a Ralph Lauren Collection wool and cashmere blazer that probably originally retailed for $3,000CAD+. Ralph Lauren Collection is the highest tier in the RL brand universe; the fact this non-vintage blazer was made in the USA is an obvious giveaway of that. Anyway, it feels pretty darn luxurious, which might seem like a “duh, obviously” statement given its retail price, but honestly isn’t a given these days even for higher-end designer brands. I don’t have the budget for $3,000 jackets, so I am happy I got to have this experience for the thrift-queen price of $25. As a PSA, I should mention that I found this (undeniably women’s jacket*) on the men’s blazer rack, which is a reminder that you should look at every section, even in a cursory way.

*I can tell it’s a women’s blazer because it has zero inside pockets. As far as I can tell, the pocket-looking slits on the outside are also merely decorative. A men’s jacket would NEVER.

Details: Danier jacket, Jones Collection vest, Talbots skirt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I’ve mentioned how much I’m loving navy and deep red as a colour pairing lately, so this vintage (made in the USA) Talbots skirt was a no-brainer buy. I knew it would look smashing with this navy wool vest, but I surprised myself in choosing the 3rd piece. This burnt orange suede jacket wasn’t my first choice, and I only ended up adding it to this outfit because it happened to be hanging nearby when I was weighing up my options. Turns out, this shade of orange looks great with navy! Noted. I will be exploring the possibilities later. I decided to add one more thing to this outfit — minimalism plug-in not detected! — because my neck felt a little bit naked, and went with an extra special piece: my mom’s Hermes scarf.

As much as I enjoy wearing perfume and am fascinated by the science and art behind it, I made the decision earlier this year to step back from the fraghead community and the constant exposure to new fragrances. I have a curated collection that offers something for every season and mood, so there is no need for me to keep looking for the ‘next thing’. As I mentioned in my last post, I also generally prefer fragrances of older vintage, which tend to get less attention in the community than current and new releases. And being happy with my current collection, it seemed to only make sense to stop buying perfume.

Well, unless the thrift gods dangle something too tempting to resist in front of my nose.

Which brings me to today’s subjects — a true mix bag, if there ever was one.

Under the “old” rubric, I randomly stumbled on a perfume that had caught my attention months ago, while reading Luca Turin’s original guidebook. Turin and his co-reviewer Tania Sanchez are economical with their 5-star reviews, so I usually end up doing a little extra research into the perfumes that land one of them. Beyond Paradise from Estee Lauder was released in 2003, so it fits right into the timeframe of most of my favourite perfumes. It’s a white floral fragrance created by Calice Becker, with top notes of Hyacinth, orange blossom, grapefruit, bergamot and lemon; middle notes of jasmine, gardenia, honeysuckle and orchid; and base notes of hibiscus, plum wood, and amber. It has since been reformulated and reissued, but the internet consensus is that the current version doesn’t really smell like the original. Bottles of the original are pretty expensive on the resale market, and while I was intrigued by Sanchez & Turin’s descriptions of the fragrance, I wasn’t convinced it was something I needed to try.

But I was very pleased when I came across a travel size rollerball of it for less than $20. I knew it was the OG formulation because the glass had the distinctive rainbow ombre effect of the original bottle design.

I have a feeling that the ‘juice’ in my rollerball has suffered a bit from the effects of time (though it came in a box, so it was likely not over-exposed to light, the main culprit in the denaturation of perfumes); it is not as potent as Beyond Paradise is described in reviews to have been. That being said, it’s a really lovely fragrance. The fruity notes are well blended with the floral ones, giving it a tropical vibe. I am tempted to compare it to Calyx, which also blends fruits and florals in a tropical way, but they are interestingly different; Calyx smells greener and more humid/aquatic, but less sweet, than Beyond Paradise. That being said, and despite the tropical vibe, Beyond Paradise is not an overly sweet or heady fragrance but rather a very elegant, understated floral. There are definite similarities with Estee Lauder Pleasures as well, though this one is fruitier.

Under the ‘new’ rubric, and on the other end of the brand scale, there is Sweet Melon:

I picked this up purely based on a quick sniff test: despite the name, it’s a cherry-forward fragrance, which is something I had wanted to add to my collection. After some googling, I was able to determine that Sweet Melon is made by a “dupe” brand, specializing in perfumes that smell like various popular designer fragrances. I believe Sweet Melon is intended to be a dupe of Tom Ford’s Lost Cherry. Having subsequently had the opportunity to test Lost Cherry at Sephora, and I can attest that the two do, in fact, smell very similar. I have no idea what the notes in Sweet Melon are, because it doesn’t pop up in Fragrantica or similar websites, but they must include cherry and sandalwood. There is a pleasant woody smokiness that takes the cherry from candy-like to something a little darker. It’s not an overly sweet perfume, and the cherry doesn’t veer into medicinal territory as far as my nose is concerned. (Online reviews are mixed on this.) The potency and longevity are pretty poor — this is NOT a two-spray perfume, more of a spray-liberally one — but for the price, one can hardly complain. I paid $10 at the thrift, and I’m pretty sure that’s its regular retail price as well.

Lastly, there is Hypnose by Lancome:

Released in 2005 and created by Annick Menardo (who also created the original Lolita Lempicka perfume, another fave of mine) and Thierry Wasser, Hypnose is the same vintage as Beyond Paradise; unlike the latter, however, it is still around in more or less the same formulation. It’s listed as having passionflower as a top note; jasmine and gardenia as middle notes, and vanilla and vetiver as base notes. The best way I can describe it is as a pillowy cloud of vanilla marshmallow. It’s soooo smooth and soothing. It has the sweetness of a gourmand fragrance without any heaviness, and without smelling like actual dessert. There is a creamy, dreamy vibe that, well, I just can’t get enough of. To me, it’s a vanilla-forward fragrance that doesn’t smell like a run-of-the-mill vanilla-forward fragrance. Maybe it’s the passionflower, but there is something unusual, out of the ordinary about Hypnose. I wear it to bed a lot, and also on days when I want to feel relaxed and happy.

Hypnose was not a thrift find, but rather a birthday gift from my dad. I thought it would be a nice tradition to create for us; perfume is what my dad would often buy for my mom for birthdays and Christmases, and it’s easier for him to do the same for me than try to figure out a different present every year. I chose Hypnose (and told him about it) because it had stuck with me for months after I sampled it. I like to think it’s a perfume my mom would have loved too, and it reminds me of both of them when I wear it.