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.

Details: Bozzolo top (retail), Pelican Cover shirt, Jil Sander coat, Emmanuel belt, Ralph Lauren skirt, Storey’s shoes (all thrifted), Dooney bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: Trying out olive green paired with camel, and I think I’m a fan. Layered outfits like this one represent my favourite styling approach for cool weather dressing. A relatively lightweight cashmere jacket can be sufficiently warm when paired with 2-3 thinner layers (cotton and wool, ideally). I will go to any lengths to minimize the amount of time I need to spend swaddled in my heavy-duty coats … and layering doesn’t require me to take too drastic measures. Plus, it allows me to wear more of my clothes, which is a bonus because I have a lot of clothes to wear 😉

Details: French Connection sweater, DKNY blazer, Gap belt, Calvin Klein jeans, vintage bag (all thrifted), Mia shoes (retail)

Thoughts: This might seem a relatively basic outfit — minimal layering involved, simple colour palette — but I loved how beautifully all the individual pieces came together. The wood bead necklace and the bag tie everything together, and also provide visual interest. Something for the eye to pause upon and delight in. Which is the only way I can embrace any semblance of minimalism.

Details: Ralph Lauren sweater & trench, Do+Be skirt, Storey’s shoes (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Still rocking this leopard print skirt and having fun exploring its styling possibilities. This time, I paired it with brown-and-cream stripes. I’m trying to stay away from using too much black in these outfits, because I want to dial back the contrast. (A black bag was my sole exception, and a special one at that as this is one of my mom’s old bags.) To create depth and richness, I mixed different shades in the same colour family: dark brown and camel; cream and beige.

Details: J. Crew shirt, Lord & Taylor sweater, Gap jacket, Fossil belt, Eddie Bauer pants (all thrifted)

Thoughts: The idea behind this outfit was pretty simple: brown and blue (one of my fave combos) and textural contrast. Again, you’ll notice that I mixed 2 different shades: light blue and cerulean; chocolate brown and whiskey brown. I think this helps make the outfit “pop” more than sticking to a strictly binary colour scheme, but still creates the impression of a harmonious minimalist palette.

Details: Jeanne Pierre sweater, DKNY blazer, Dolce & Gabbana skirt (all thrifted), Manolo Blahnik shoes (eBay)

Thoughts: I don’t buy (or wear) knee-length pencil skirts these days, but I had to make an exception for this one because I could not resist that beautiful tulip pattern. (It was an exception in more ways than one, because I also don’t usually buy or support D&G as a brand. I have mixed feelings about making that exception, but ultimately decided to go ahead since I was not directly putting money into the brand’s hands.) I paired it with a vintage longline blazer and sleeveless turtleneck for a look that, to me, feels very “Y2K corporate chic”. I have a nostalgic appreciation for it, but I am not sure if it feels very “me”. Next time, I think I’m going to try adjusting the proportions of the skirt, probably by rolling the waistband a little bit so the hem comes up above the knee. I don’t want to permanently commit to making it a mini skirt, however; it’s possible that I’ll come back around to knee-length skirts again in the future, or else I may pass it on to someone who prefers it as-is.

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck (retail), Danier vest, Kate Hewko skirt, Ermo bag, Ann Marino shoes (all thrifted

Thoughts: Here is another red and navy pairing, with plum picking up a minor supporting role. That would be the turtleneck, which I assure you is not black, though it may look like it is. In fact, the only black to be found in this outfit is on my feet; these shoes are black and navy, which is a handy combination for footwear (much like brown and black) because it allows one to wear the said footwear with either colour as the base neutral. The star attraction, however, is that fabulous vintage suede vest (featuring my new favourite shade of red) and that no less fabulous velvet bag (ditto).

Details: vintage sweater, Danier jacket, Donna Karan belt (all thrifted), Banana Republic pants (retail)

Thoughts: More vintage suede! I love the cut of this jacket — it’s serving some Jackie O vibes, I think. I didn’t want to go full “first lady” mode with this outfit, so I paired the jacket with pieces that have a more casual vibe thanks to their fabrics (corduroy and chenille). The palette is, once again, mostly brown — in different shades, natch, to keep things interesting as well as cohesive. That cream belt came in clutch, and not for the first time — nor last, I should imagine.