Details: J. Crew shirt, Banana Republic tie, Fred Perry cardigan, Ralph Lauren skirt, Fluevog shoes (all thrifted)
Thoughts: Jenna Lyons meets Thom Browne. I really need to learn to how to tie a tie because this is a look I def want more of this year. I love purple but struggle the most with it when it comes to colour pairings, but black and white are a fail-proof option when dealing with a “difficult” colour. I used to do a lot of graphic monochrome looks, but I’m now pivoting to this monochrome+accent colour formula. Keep an eye out for it, you’ll see more soon.
Details: Ann Taylor turtleneck, Giorgio Armani blazer, Donna Karan belt, Roksanda skirt (all thrifted)
Thoughts: I had to go to the office again recently, and this was my “trying to blend in” outfit. By that, I mean trying to look vaguely “corporate office worker” without entirely losing my personal flair. I always end up wanting to tone down by usual work attire (at home, anything goes!) when I go to the office, even though (a) I don’t see that many people, and (b) everyone knows me and knows what to expect from me, outfit-wise. It’s like this weird reflex slash relic of my pre-pandemic sartorial life. It does feel a lot more like I’m putting on a costume, rather than just wearing my inner thoughts on the outside (which is what my usual outfits feel like). It’s not a bad thing, necessarily; just a thing I’ve noticed that makes me go “huh, interesting”.
Details: Smash & Tess bodysuit tee, Jones NY jacket, UO pants, Anne Klein belt, Alexis Bittar necklace (all thrifted)
Thoughts: Funnily enough, this outfit is more or less in the same class as the one above, but I didn’t think to wear it at the office — probably because of the colour. Maybe I’ve just come to associate the office with somber neutrals, haha! Anyway, I love this shade of green so much and I was pumped to find this vintage-ish suede jacket for not a million dollars at the thrifts. Somebody at VV was off their pricing game that day, to which I say: suck it, I win!
Details: Ricki’s turtleneck, vintage sweatshirt and coat, Banana Republic jeans, Office London boots, Coach bag (all secondhand)
Thoughts: Jessica Fletcher remains one of my style icons, in case you couldn’t tell. Grandma’s couch florals will never not have a chokehold on my psyche, and the colours of this coat are so 90s, I can’t even. That burgundy and pine green combo? Classic. And it pairs beautifully with my Myrtle Beach vintage sweatshirt that I managed to wrest back from my daughter’s clutches recently. Not to mention my vintage green Coach. So matchy, so vibin’. JB would be proud, I think.
Thoughts: The snow ruined my photos, but I didn’t let it ruin my outfit. I was going for a Vivienne Westwood-inspired, layered fit. And by layered, I mean layers — multiple. The key to surviving winter without losing my mind (by having to succumb to the dreaded winter parka) is to keep adding thin layers of cotton and wool (and tulle!) until my body temperature reaches “toasty”. Four usually does the trick, and doesn’t take me into Michelin Man territory.
Details: Ricki’s turtleneck, Abound jacket, Fossil belt, Banana Republic jeans, Office London shoes, Coach bag (all thrifted)
Thoughts: I almost bought a faux fur leopard print short coat at Winners after the holidays, but stopped myself because (a) it was $70 and made of plastic, (b) I am trying to not clothes shop at retail at all this year, and (c) I’m not sure I want to put much more money on leopard. Animal prints have never been my favourite and while I am digging leopard at the moment, I’m not sure if it will ever acquire “classic” status in my closet. That being said, I was ALL over this puffer jacket when I saw it at the thrifts; NWT and under $20 and it looked full of potential. And you know what? The potential is definitely there. I’m really digging it so far … and it’s only a matter of time before my daughter tries to steal it. Not that I’d blame her.
I don’t know about you, but I spent my Christmas holidays being extremely productive: I binge-watched every Jane Austen adaptation I could get my hands eyes on. I mean, that’s not all I did for 2 weeks, but that was one of the highlights. (On the off-chance that my family ever ends up reading my blog: hi, I also had fun hanging out with you.) At the end of that journey, I was naturally left with one question: which Austen hero is the best partner material?
You know me, friends: always asking the important questions.
And let me tell you.
No, really, allow me to tell you the answer … that is, my answers.
If you want to play along at home, here are the ground rules. To make it manageable, choices were preemptively limited to characters from the following adaptations: Pride and Prejudice (1995 mini series and 2005 movie), Sense and Sensibility (1995 movie and 2008 mini series), Emma (1996 movies [yes, there are 2], 2009 mini series, and 2020 movie), Persuasion (1995 movie, 2007 mini series), Mansfield Park (1999 movie), and Northanger Abbey (2008 movie). I made my decisions taking into account (a) the character’s personality as portrayed in each particular adaptation, without regard to its faithfulness to book canon; (b) a hypothetical scenario in which Present Day Adina is somehow transported back to 1815 and required to conform her expectations, as best as she can, to Regency era norms.
The eligible bachelors:
It’s a stacked line-up and, at first glance, picking one (and only one) option was hard. I have a lot of favourites, ok? If you are a woman of a certain age (cough, late Gen X who came of age in the mid- to late-90s, cough), Austen heroes are a part of the rock-bed of your romantic landscape. I mean, Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy alone launched a thousand and one impossible expectations, not to mention an entire multi-media cottage industry. Add in the fact that Austen adaptations have, thankfully, been very plentiful in the last 30 years, and the problem is compounded; for each hero, you have various flavours to choose from. I decided to tackle the question in 2 parts, then sort of collate the results and see who ended up on top. So to speak, ahem. And you know what? I ended up surprising myself. Which is a fun thing to do in your 40s – makes life a little bit more exciting.
Part One involved making a shortlist based on physical appeal alone. This entire exercise is subjective, of course, but perhaps no part more subjective than this. Don’t be mad at me if you disagree with my picks, which were (in no particular order):
That left me with the following protagonists to assess on personality and other individual considerations: Mr. Darcy (1995 and 2005), Edward Ferrars (2008), Col. Brandon (1995), Mr. Knightley (2010), Edmund Bertram, Henry Tilney, and Captain Wentworth (2009). In my deliberations, I kept in mind the totally unscientific but absolutely legit Black Cat, Golden Retriever Theory of Happy Marriage. For those of you who don’t meme, the idea is that, in every successful romantic relationship, there is one partner who is a black cat (introverted, quiet, emotionally reserved) and one partner who is a golden retriever (friendly, energetic, demonstratively affectionate). I, myself, am a black cat. Ergo, my ideal partner would be someone with golden retriever vibes. [Coincidentally, or rather not, my husband is a textbook golden retriever.]
So let’s break it all down.
Mr. Darcy (1995): nice house, but too uptight. TOTAL black cat. As a teenager, I was obsessed with Firth’s Darcy, but I also had absolutely zero experience with marriage, obviously. Middle-aged me finds the prospect of day-to-day Darcy rather hard work, to be honest. Maybe, over a few decades, that man could learn to lighten up a bit more, but there’s no guarantee.
Mr. Darcy (2005): even nicer house (that statue room, OMFG!), but a bit too emo for me. Also black cat-coded. I do think this Darcy would make a cozier husband. Like, I can imagine couch-potatoing in my sweatpants around him, or whatever the 1800s equivalent might have been, if you catch my drift.
Edward Ferrars (2008): not quite as much of a wet blanket as the 1995 version, but still kind of reserved. On the other hand, he is really hot, especially while chopping wood (NOT a euphemism!) and I do have a weakness for hot, nerdy guys who can handle big tools (also not a euphemism). On the third hand, I can’t decide if the vibes are black cat or golden retriever, which doesn’t help. Ultimately, it does come down to this: can you see me as a vicar’s wife? I think not. Sorry, Edward.
Col. Brandon (1995): devoted, loyal, mature, but also? Kinda has a lot of emotional baggage. I am very torn about this. I also realize that a good deal of Col. Brandon’s appeal (for me) boils down to Alan Rickman and Alan Rickman’s voice. It seems like an unfair advantage to allow that to sway the outcome here.
Mr. Knightley (2010): rich and down-to-earth? Caring, considerate, thoughtful? And he has a sense of humour? And he gets along with my family and is willing to put up with their neuroses to make me happy? I don’t want to spoil the rest of this race, but you can probably tell where I am going with this.
Edmund Bertram: how can I put this delicately? Edmund is a stone cold fox. Who also happens to be a bit of a stick-in-the-mud goody two shoes, but nobody’s perfect. That being said, the 1999 adaptation tones down book Edmund’s uptightness and his tendency to take Fanny for granted, and dials up the hints of repressed passion lurking beneath his reserved demeanor. (It’s a sexier movie than you remember, trust me.) However, at the end of the day, Edmund is ALSO a vicar and if we’re disqualifying Edward on that basis, we have to be consistent. Especially since I’m not convinced that Edmund is the type to swing an axe or know his way around a house DIY project.
Henry Tilney: finally, a hero with undeniable golden retriever vibes. Charming, extroverted, kind, likes to tease affectionately, thinks he has superior taste in music/books/whatever … sounds familiar, actually. Out of all Austen men, Henry is probably the one most similar in temperament to my husband, which obviously counts for something in this game. But! And who would have seen this coming? He’s yet ANOTHER clergyman. Sigh.
Captain Wentworth (2009): if you had asked me a month ago, this would have been my pick for the best Austen husband material. Loyal, hard-working, successful but not arrogant about it, and capable of writing a letter than people are still swooning over 200 years later? Sign. Me. Up. Ok, he’s also a bit grumpy and a champion grudge-holder, but, well, so is my husband if you catch him on a bad day. All that being said, here’s what hit me after watching the 1995 adaptation, which doesn’t gloss over this bit as much as the 2007 mini-series: this dude is career navy. He will almost certainly be going back to sea at some point. And I am even less a navy wife than I am a vicar’s wife.
So, yeah, listen: I’d marry Jonny Lee Miller’s Mr. Knightley.
In. A. Freaking. Heartbeat.
I am not opposed to a May-Decemberish pairing, though JLM didn’t seem that old anyway – says she, with her middle-aged woman goggles on. The 2010 mini-series serves up my favourite version of the Emma-Knightley relationship, downplaying its paternalistic overtones, and highlighting their friendship. Knightley clearly sees Emma as an equal, though he frequently disagrees with her (and she with him) and is not afraid to tell her so (ditto). They banter and tease each other, and their whole dynamic has the cozy, lived-in feel of close friendship. They like each other as people first, and it’s fun to watch their growing realization that they like each other in that way too. They are comfortable around each other, enough to share their candid thoughts and opinions and be their true, imperfect selves, and that’s something I’d rate highly in a marriage partner. Enemies-to-lovers (aka the Lizzie/Darcy dynamic) is one of my favourite romantic tropes to read/watch, but when it comes to real life, I much prefer the friends-to-lovers route to romance.
The irony here is that, out of all Austen heroines, Emma is my least favourite. The only thing we have in common is that we both love books, staying close to home … and George Knightley, OBVI.
Details: Gap turtleneck & shirt, Abound jacket, Ralph Lauren skirt, Fossil belt, Laredo boots, Coach bag (all secondhand)
Thoughts: I loved the subtle pattern mixing – the turtleneck is black with thin brown stripes – and the colour palette. This wash of denim is a perfect pairing for black & brown. Instead of my usual over-the-knee boots, I tried this mini skirt with my beloved kiltie lace-ups … and I didn’t hate it. At all. In fact, I’m a big fan. It stirred up memories of 1995 – Empire Records, anyone? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, fellow gen Xers, but that movie turns 30 this year. Which is strange, because 1995 was only, like, 18 years ago … surely?
Details: Nomi turtleneck, Levi’s jacket, Atlantic Pacific x Halogen skirt, BR belt, Laredo boots (all secondhand)
Thoughts: I call this pretty princess meets pretty goth. Sometimes you just want to go about your business looking like a cupcake in combat boots. And by “business” I mean thrifting, of course. We are at that stage of winter when I avoid leaving the house at all costs unless I’m on my way to (a) a thrift store, (b) a library, or (c) both of the above. I also see my friends, sometimes. Luckily, I hang with a bunch of lovely hermit introverts just like me, so when winter rolls around, we mostly just text each other memes and random heart emojis.
Details: J. Crew shirt, Free People sweater, Club Monaco skirt, Browns shoes (all thrifted)
Thoughts: It’s the little bow tie thingie that makes the outfit, isn’t it? Watch me put a bow on everything from now on. No, you think I’m joking, but I’m not. The number of bow tie listings I’m currently watching on Poshmark: not zero. I can’t be more specific because I don’t want to start a panic 😉
Details: H&M shirt, Tabi vest, Ralph Lauren jacket, Babaton pants, Fossil belt, Ferragamo shoes (all secondhand)
Thoughts: Sometimes I feel like a princess, sometimes I feel like your grandpa. Isn’t self-expression a wonderful thing? You know what the drill is here: layers, textures, layers, subtle patterns, layers. I’m in a weird place with pants right now, where I don’t love some of the older silhouettes I have – like this kick flare cords – anymore, but I am not sure what direction I want to go now. I like straight leg jeans a lot, but regular pants are harder to figure out. Well, I know what I want, actually: more pants like my vintage white Liz Claiborne chinos. But good luck trying to find that. I need alternatives … which have not manifested yet 🙁
Details: Babaton turtleneck, Jones NY cardigan, Ricki’s skirt, vintage belt, Browns shoes (all thrifted)
Thoughts: Speaking of classics, any Practical Magic fans out here? Because I definitely feel like this outfit is an (unintentional) homage. I’m obsessed with – you’ll never guess – the colours and textures of these pieces, the cardigan and skirt especially. Both vintage, natch. I paid FIFTEEN whole dollars (but they were Canadian so, like, $3.50 USD) for this cardigan because I love the cottage-witch vibe of it all.
Details: Pendleton tee, Limited cardigan, BDG jeans, Fossil belt (all thrifted)
Thoughts: This tee-cardigan combo is pure *chef’s kiss*. The jeans were a no-brainer for that 70s boho vibe. Not much else to say here, except that the pattern on the Pendleton tee (Chief Joseph) is the same one on the blanket I thrifted last year. I like that little bit of symmetry from the universe-slash-thrift-gods.
Details: Babaton turtleneck, United Colours of Benetton sweater, unlabelled skirt, Suzy Shier coat, Ricki’s bag (all thrifted)
Thoughts: Nothing fancy here – in fact, I debated posting this outfit at all. I feel like it looked really cute in real life, but I’m not sure it looks that way in photos. With a lot of stuff I’m wearing these days, the beauty is in details that are hard to capture in a still image; the movement, the texture, the feel of the pieces.
