Details: Jeanne Pierre sweater, Zara skirt, Marquis sandals (all thrifted), MaxMara necklace (retail)

Thoughts: Swamp witch is back!! I thrifted this vintage sweater and Zara skirt on the same thrift trip, and I knew they were meant to be worn together. I see lots of possibilities in each piece separately — the skirt is intriguing in its shape and texture — but they are so wonderful together. The sweater was made in Ireland which seems appropriate given its brilliant green colour. I wasn’t sure at first how to “finish” this outfit. None of the shoes I tried worked. Then I remembered that I had this pair of bright green tights; I had bought them online, hoping for a darker emerald shade, and never found an occasion to wear them because they are so bright. Well, it’s just right for this outfit. I finally attempted the tights-with-sandals combo, which has felt intimidating for me in the past — too “fashion it girl” for me. Wearing this around the house felt like a safe way to test the waters.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Tahari shirt, Ralph Lauren jacket, Issey Miyake skirt, Chico’s belt, Fluevog shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Back to my comfort zone! I recently thrifted this black & white jacket, adding it to my collection of softly structured, southwestern print RL-brand jackets. Some are LAUREN Ralph Lauren, some are Denim & Supply, this one is Chaps — it’s a popular style for the brand. I like them a lot because they are comfier to wear than regular blazers, and are also pretty versatile.

Details: Oak & Fort top, Oscar de la Renta vest, Nocona belt, Fluevog shoes (all thrifted), Topshop skirt (swap)

Thoughts: I’ve been slowly getting into brown over the past year, and I’m not mad about it. Bad gets a bad rep, but it has way more potential than, say, beige, IMO. First of all, there are many shades, to suit many complexions and wardrobe colour palettes. Second, brown is a fantastic (way underrated) complement to many other colours. And, honestly, it’s not bad on its own too. I think this outfit is proof of that. And, yes, you can def wear brown and black together. Let’s also take a moment to appreciate this awesome vest-cardigan — it’s vintage Oscar de la Renta and it’s 100% amazing cashmere.

Details: Jeanne Pierre sweater (thrifted), Paul Smith pants (Poshmark), J. Crew shoes (thrifted)

Thoughts: Same sweater, different outfit. I had to bring out these pants again, it’s been too long and they are too awesome. I love blue/green pairings. Since the colours of the pattern on the pants are pretty muted, I decided to add a brighter pop of blue with the shoes. Simple but effective.

Details: H&M dress, no name cardigan, Marquis shoes, Rafael Alfandary necklace (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Just a fun, loose, knock-about-the-house outfit. I did try out another tights-and-sandals combo. The more I get my eyes used to this formula, the more comfortable I’ll get with it; and maybe, when it warms up outside, I’ll give it a real whirl. I’ve worn the cream version of this dress with this cardigan before, but I wanted to try the black this time. One, because I like brown and black together; and two, because I thought the polka dot pattern would pop with the patchwork of patterns on the cardigan.

It’s been a while since I updated my “thrift hit list”, aka the list of things that I am actively looking to add to my closet. As you know, thrifting is not an exact science; you can’t predict what you’re going to find, so you have to be flexible – sometimes what finds you is what you’ll only later realize you need, or what you never knew you needed but now badly want. That being said, I do like to have a ‘loose’ list in mind when I thrift, if only to possibly better my odds of finding those specific items. I’m agnostic when it comes to the idea of manifesting: it probably doesn’t work, but it can’t hurt to try.

I also keep this list in mind when I’m scrolling Poshmark, because sometimes fate thrifting needs a helping hand, you know?

Here’s what’s on my thrift hit list for spring 2023:

Granny boots

I’ve been wanting a pair of these for a while. I have a pretty clear image in my mind of what I’m looking for: either black or brown, low heel, just above ankle height, laced up. A little bit Baba Yaga, a little bit Edwardian school marm. These would work really well with my various prairie / romantic / southwestern / witchy lewks.

Colourful tights (and socks)

Full disclosure: I’m not against buying tights and socks secondhand (they’re easy enough to wash) as long as they’re in good condition, but this is more of a Poshmark or even Amazon hunt, because I never see interesting ones at the thrifts. Colourful opaque tights are unicorns. I have built up a decent collection over the years, but I would love to add more colours and especially patterns – plaid, tartan,  argyle, or anything graphic would be amazing.

Palazzo jeans

Yep, still on the hunt for these jeans. I did recently thrift a pair of Gap wide leg jeans that is a decent placeholder in this category, but it isn’t 100% what I want so I am on the lookout for an upgrade. I think the style is becoming more popular, so hopefully there will be more secondhand options available soon.

Sunglasses

My current pairs of sunglasses are pretty scratched up and need replacing. I only ever buy cheap sunglasses because I’m rough on them. I usually buy them at Winners, but I’ve started looking at the thrifts too. I’m super picky about the shape, though, so this will take a while. I don’t have a specific shape in mind, per se: I’ll just know it when I see it (and try it on).

Pendleton blanket coat

This is a Holy Grail type of item – rarer than hen’s teeth. There are some options on Poshmark but they are $$$. A dream version would be anything from Lindsey Thornburg, but considering those cost thousands of dollars, it probably won’t be happening. I’ll be very happy with a regular Pendleton version, either current or vintage.

Club Monaco crest sweatshirt

These have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, which means (a) they’re picked clean at the thrifts, and (b) prices on Poshmark are ridiculous. Of course, I want one of the vintages one, not the current version that CM sells now. I wish I had bought one years ago, when finding them at the thrifts was easier. But I am determined to succeed! I refuse to pay $120+ for an old sweatshirt.

Ralph Lauren knits and vintage pieces

This is pretty self-explanatory. I love all things RL, especially vintage, so I am picking up nice pieces wherever I can find them since secondhand prices have been steadily ticking up in the last few years. I would love a teddy bear sweater or any other similar “novelty” sweaters (they’ve done a bunch of fun ones over the years). Also any wool blazers, vests (of course), and wool or silk (midi or maxi) skirts.  

Patterned co-ord set

I’ve been influenced by @mystyleismybrand on IG, who often wears the most beautiful coordinating pant suits (and skirt suits) in the most fun patterns. I’m not sure if it’s something *I* would also wear a lot, so I am not ready to put a lot of money into it, but I would love to try it. A patterned velvet pant suit, or a patchwork tweed one, would be my top choices.

Paco Rabanne-inspired silver disc skirt

This is a hyper specific item and one that would be a “fashion not function” piece. It’s basically a chainmail-like skirt made up of large silver discs (much much larger than regular sequins or paillettes). Anthropologie recently had a skirt that answered to this description, but it was $200+ which is too steep for my budget for impractical items. I’m hoping I’ll be able to find it secondhand at some point, or perhaps even find a vintage version. The chances of it being Paco Rabanne (the original designer) are slim to none, but a girl can dream.

What’s on your shopping list this spring?

Details: Marc Jacobs sweater, Vince skirt (both thrifted)

Thoughts: Somehow, these 2 very different things go together so well, don’t they? I think it’s the colours that pull things together; the blush pink of the skirt matches some of the warm hues of the sweater. The sweater has an early 2000s feel (and it could very well be from that era) and the skirt has a 1930s vibe, but somehow the math ads up to a very 90s outfit. Don’t ask me how. I’ve never been good at math. I just know I like this outfit a lot. This is also your reminder to always look up the RN number of clothing where the label has been cut off. I could tell from the feel of the skirt fabric that it was something worth investigation and, sure enough, the RN number rang up as Vince. A similar skirt was listed for over $500CAD. Wild!

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Gap jeans, Cotton Ginny belt (all thrifted), Ralph Lauren vest, turquoise necklace (both Poshmark), Ralph Lauren dress worn as duster (gift)

Thoughts: This outfit represents one of my style comfort zones, for sure. I’m loving the mash-up up academichic and southwestern boho so much these days. Needless to say, this is one of Papa Ralph’s fortes, so the question of inspiration is easy to figure out. Accessories — judiciously selected — help to pull together these outfits, imo. I like bolder items (belts and necklaces especially) for impact, but I am always thinking about how to avoid going over the “too much” line. It’s a fun challenge to keep me on my toes, so to speak. Another current style challenge-slash-obsession is mixing different fabrics/textures along with patterns when layering. I love the depth this creates in an outfit. You can see that in a lot of my recent outfits, including this one.

Details: Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo shirt, Lord & Taylor sweater, Nanette Lepore jacket (all thrifted), Banana Republic pants (retail)

Thoughts: This was a rather unusual colour combination borne of my continued efforts to figure out pairings for these dark cherry brown pants. I think it was a successful one!

Details: Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo shirt, Ralph Lauren vest, J. Crew jacket, Ferragamo shoes (all thrifted), Ralph Lauren skirt (Poshmark)

Thoughts: I recently got this (what else!) Ralph Lauren wrap skirt on Poshmark, and I am obsessed with it! It’s like a tapestry come to life. Perfect for my “lady of the shabby chic manor” moments. I am also obsessed with this whiskey colour J. Crew corduroy jacket; it’s exactly what I had been looking for last summer. Of course, in the meantime I had purchased a slightly more tan version on Poshmark; while nice, that one was never quite right. I should have been patient and waited for the thrift gods to deliver the right jacket to me … but how was I to know if and when it would actually happen? That’s the downside of thrifting. Anyway, it’s not a huge loss. I’ll be archiving the other jacket for now and, worst case scenario, sell it later on. It’s Ralph Lauren too, and with the way prices are rising on secondhand RL, I shouldn’t come out too badly.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Tommy Hilfiger cardigan, Wilfred coat, Frame jeans, Cotton Ginny belt, Office London shoes

Thoughts: Here is another layering experiment that turned out very well. I love the white and black theme, of course, as well as the subtle southwestern vibe. That white Tommy cardigan is such a great layering piece. Because it’s cropped, it can create a nice juxtaposition with longer items; the chunky knit gives good textural contrast too. Plus, it’s warm, which is never not a practical consideration in Edmonton during this season, best known as “Second Winter”.