For background context, please read this post.

The Adventurer (casual/off-duty)

Key words: adventurous, confident, inquisitive, cocky

Vibe: androgynous, utilitarian, comfortable

Style notes: Scandi chic, dash of safari, knits, jeans + leather jacket, boots

Favourite colours: olive, mustard, denim/blue

The Adventurer is my tomboy side, coming back to life after a thirty-year dormancy. (Can you believe I used to be a tomboy? True story.) To be fair, this has been my go-to vibe for casual weekend wear for ages now – I’m just refining and fully embracing it. The Adventurer, as the name suggests, likes to roam and hunt for treasure – which is one way of looking at weekend errands, mom duties, and thrifting. There is a hint of safari in the Adventurer’s aesthetic, but he is rather more at home in the urban jungle than the wilderness. He is the Prince, incognito, gone on a modern day Grand Tour – metaphorically speaking, of course; most of my roaming is of the literary sort. In spirit, if not in sartorial matters, there is more than a dash of this guy:

As I mentioned, this is one persona whose style I have been perfecting for a while, but in browsing online for inspo, I realized there a couple of new directions I might explore here. Some ideas:

And some of my past outfits that fit this aesthetic/avatar:

For context on this discussion, please see this post.

The Artist (work)

Key words: creative, intuitive, confident, elegant

Vibe: Minimalist, soft, flowing structure, dramatic silhouettes

Style notes: draping, interesting texture, muted lighter colours, bold but limited accessories

Favourite colours: mauve/blush, sage, cream, grey

The Artist and the Prince (see previous post here) share a lot of DNA; the Muse is a more relaxed, softer version – one that reads as more “femme”. The silhouettes are still architectural, but they are created through the use of volume (softness) rather than angles (sharpness). The colour palette is also lighter. The Artist wears skirts and dresses, instead of trousers, but in non-expected pairings. Like the Prince, the Artist is an analytical creature; she is more Alien Goddess than Earth Goddess, if that makes sense.

My inspiration/icon here is the divine Tilda Swinton. I adore her aesthetic, and actually I think she would look amazing wearing any one of my 4 styles. (She would make a phenomenal Prince, for example.)

And here’s some more inspo:

And some of my past outfits that sorta, maybe fit this vibe (it’s a work in progress, folks):

For context on this discussion, please see this post.

The Prince (work)

Key words: cerebral, poised, principled, efficient, elegant, enigmatic

Vibe: Minimalist, menswear inspired, tailored, architectural

Style notes: solid colours, menswear-inspired patterns, luxe fabrics, no frills, blazers + pants (mostly), interesting but subtle accessories

Favourite colours: black, dove grey, dark plum, cream

Never would I have thought I’d live to see the day when I would choose trousers over skirts (or dresses), but the day has arrived. If I am looking for something tailored, a trouser-blazer (or trouser-sweater) combo is my go-to these days.

Menswear-inspired clothing has always been a tricky proposition for me, because it sort of goes against my body type – a pear-ish hourglass. Sheath dresses and skirts would be traditionally considered more flattering for my body type, or at least more likely to highlight my “best” feature (waist-to-hip ratio). I do look good in those option, but as I get older, I find that dressing for conventional standards of attractiveness has, well, less attraction for me. I think that, in general, I have less patience for and desire to meet external expectations regarding personal choices. In fact, the opposite is true: it’s almost as if I enjoy thumbing my nose (politely, because the Prince is always polite) at those expectations.

For many years, menswear was also largely ruled out by my love of florals and bold colours. This is not to say that the two cannot mix but, generally speaking, florals are typically paired with more feminine-leaning clothes. I still love my colourful prints, but I am learning that I can appreciate them without wearing them. Not all of them, anyway. I am now starting to express my love in other ways – by taking up embroidery, for example.

For each of my style character, I have tried to pick an individual (real or fictional) who embodies the spirit — though not necessarily the aesthetic — of that persona/avatar. The Prince gave me the most difficulty because, while I have a very clear image of who he is, I haven’t been able to think of a perfect representation in popular culture. There is some elements of Westley (Princess Bride) but with a darker edge, though not quite Machiavellian all the way. Maybe if Westley and, hmm, Snape had a baby, we would be getting closer to it

Anyway, here’s some inspo:

And are some past outfits that would be in the right ballpark: