This post is about … exactly what the title says. With summer (almost) officially over, it’s a good time to look back and assess what outfits struck a chord. You can see patterns — for successful outfit formulas, colour combinations, etc. — and use the information to refine sartorial strategies. I can talk all I want about theoretical concepts like avatars or about aspirational style inspo, but the proof is in the pudding. What do I like to wear?

A quick glance at my Instagram main page suggests my personal aesthetic is all over the place. Colours, proportions, vibes … all just a mad jumble. I used to get very discouraged by this apparent inconsistency, before I landed on the avatar concept which, essentially, embraces the fact that my style has radically different facets (i.e. different personalities). When you drill down, patterns or throughlines do emerge. For summer 2023, I identified 7 “themes”. If I want to super reductive, each theme can be assigned to an avatar — more on that below — but the reality is that outfit-avatar alignment is not an exact thing, and lots of outfits fall on the periphery of the avatar “identity”.

Theme 1: Colour Maximalism

This “theme” has been a constant one since 2020. In the past, it was strongly aligned with the Bohemian avatar, but as the vibe of that avatar has changed, this association has become looser. If the Bohemian vibe this summer was a prairie-romantic one, the outfits above don’t really fit the bill. But in terms of silhouette and ethos, they are still very much “me”. Note the layering in the 2 outfits on the right; the play with proportions; the length of the hemlines. All very Adina.

Theme 2: Boho Prairie

This theme aligns well with the Bohemian avatar, and not just because of the name. It’s a little bit 70s, a little bit arts-and-crafts, a little bit eclectic. Wide leg pants, voluminous (maxi) dresses, funky/organic jewelry, and everything patchwork. The pants silhouette and dress length is something that will carry through into fall and winter, although the plan is to set aside patchwork in favour of plaid, and go with slightly more streamlined dresses. The vibe will also be darker and a bit more goth than folk, if that makes sense.

Theme 3: Romantic Southwest

This also aligns with the Bohemian avatar, and is obviously deeply influenced by my obsession with Ralph Lauren. My goal lately has been to incorporate southwest elements into outfits without going “full cowgirl”. Usually, that means using one (or at most, two) southwest element so it doesn’t overwhelm the outfit. Again, you see that skirts and dresses are my go-tos, usually with long hemlines (though the addition of cowboy boots to my wardrobe is changing things a little bit) — I call that the “romantic” element.

Theme 4: Preppy

I hate the word “preppy” but I am using it here as a catch-all for convenience. This theme aligns with my Historian avatar. Some of the elements that I plan to carry into fall include vests, men’s shirts, “preppy” blazers, fisherman-type sweaters, and short skirts (with tights). As you may have noticed, I don’t wear short skirts a lot; the main exception is academichic-type outfits (like the outfit on the right, above). I think I will also explore a second exception this fall, in the context of my 90s revival obsession — see more below.

Theme 5: Black and White

This has been a theme in my outfits for the past year, and it’s not aligned with any specific Avatar. For example, of the outfits above, the ones on the left and right are Bohemian fits; the one in the middle might be best described as an older version of the Artist (pre Fall 2023). There is no real rhyme and reason to my black and white outfits, other than my delight in, well, wearing black and white as a high contrast, hyper graphic combination.

Theme 6: Monochromatic Minimalism

Not to be confused with the previous theme, this is a softer approach to monochromatism — a limited palette of neutrals, rather than stark black and white. A better name for it might be “minimalist neutrals” but for some reason, I don’t think that captures this vibe as well. This theme is difficult for other reasons too. I think the outfits above clearly share a certain amount of DNA, but they don’t readily align with any avatars. I detect a subtle 90s flavour that is coming through with these outfits, though, so I am going to put them down as the early prototypes (or fringe examples) of my updated Artist vibe. The key notes here are the toned-down colour palette and relative minimalism of the outfit elements.

Theme 7: 90s Revival

Towards the end of the summer, this theme really kicked in and, as I wrote in an earlier post, will be the touchstone of my updated Artist avatar. I am still working through the elements of that — silhouettes, outfit combinations, prints and colours, etc. — so the outfits here are only a small sample of what is to come. But 90s maxi skirts (long tubular skirts, wrap skirts, and/or dark florals) along with baby tees and graphic tees are sure to feature prominently.

September is a melancholy time of year in many ways … but it’s also the most exciting time of year and I can sum that up for you in 2 words: Fall Fashion. Fall is my favourite sartorial season – that all-too-brief period of time when I can wear all my favourite clothes. Sweaters! Wool jackets and skirts! Coats! All the coats! I love planning my fall fashion “strategy”. As it’s been a while since I’ve done one, I thought it was also a good time to do an avatar review/update. Let’s dig in!

As a quick back-of-the-napkin summary, my avatars are characters that embody the different vibes/ flavours/moods of my personal style. They are the High Priestess/Crone (previously the Prince), the Artist, the Historian (previously the Adventurer), and the Bohemian. You can read my thoughts on the last iteration of my avatars here. Over the years, the influence of each avatar on my actual outfits has waxed and waned. For example, 2018 had big Prince energy: edgy, architectural, dark clothing was my comfort zone. 2020, in contrast, was very Bohemian: colourful, zany, unconventional. In the last few years, I’ve been alternating mostly between the Historian and the Bohemian, with subtle shifts and changes in the flavour of each avatar from season to season.

Taking stock of my sartorial landscape this fall, I think it’s safe to say that the Historian and the Bohemian will remain my primary avatars. I also feel like there is another player coming into the mix. Initially, I wondered whether it was a wholly new avatar, but I’ve decided that it’s simply an evolution of the Artist in a slightly new direction. In the past, the Artist was a character very much under the sign of the moon; a dramatic but soft feminine energy, fluid and elegant. Now, I feel like it has acquired an edge – call it grunge elegance. If it was Mucha before, it’s Basquiat now.

Now let’s put all this into visual terms of reference.

The Historian avatar remains a Luxe Academia crossed with English Manor Chic vibe. I still very much identify this avatar with Diana Bishop from A Discovery of Witches who is a university professor, a witch, AND the wife of a super-rich Anglo-French vampire who looks like Matthew Goode. In other words, my dream life, hahahaha! For fall 2023, here is my Historian style inspo:

The Bohemian avatar has lately had a distinctive Jo-March-meets-Ralph Lauren-on-a-prairie. I’m taking that into fall mode with darker, rich colours and an Edwardian flair:

As for the Artist, I am feeling very inspired by 90s grunge – plaid is a fall staple for me anyway. But this is a dramatic, glam sort of grunge and not too masculine.

I haven’t talked a lot about the High Priestess/Crone avatar, and that’s because this one remains a little bit in the wings, so to speak. It’s not an energy I feel strongly at the moment, so I am content to keep it in reserve for the time being. It might be something that will resurface again in the winter, which is very much a time of regeneration and rebirth when the wise mother aspect of the High Priestess/Crone makes itself felt.

Having taken stock of my inspiration, the next step in my fall fashion planning is to think about what pieces I already have and what pieces I would like to add to my closet, and compile a “thrift hit list” for the season. Stay tuned next week for that!

I started going through my stash of 2000s Vogue magazines recently, and reliving some of the highlights of my mid-20s sartorial life. Well, mostly my dream sartorial life because, as a baby lawyer at the time, my fashion aspirations far outstripped my budget. This was the period when I started to become very aware of fashion and designer brands, though I was still mostly shopping at discount stores and consignment. Nostalgia aside, looking back, I am finding myself less inspired by this era than by the late 80s and the 90s. Maybe it’s too soon. But I am enjoying the variety and creativity of some of the Vogue editorials of that time. It seems like, in every issue, there was at least one over-the-top, fantastical photo shoot; the styling in those shoots often gives me material to mine for inspiration.

Case in point: this 1920s-influenced editorial.

I was a little bit surprised by how much I loved the vibe of these photos. I’ve never been especially drawn to the 1920s “flapper” style, but these images resonated with me and got my synapses firing. I thought to myself, “surely, Ralph Lauren has referenced the ’20s in some of his collections — let’s have a look” and, sure enough, I wasn’t disappointed. I did broaden my search a bit, era-wise, but I really liked what I saw; so I decided to create a little ’20s/’30s “inspo board” for each of my main avatars, the Historian and the Bohemian. I am adding these to my mental reference library for use when creating outfits. At this point, I have several “flavours” for each of my avatars — e.g. southwestern prairie, romantic cottagecore, English country, etc. — and I like updating these flavours every year. I don’t have a catchy name for it yet, but this ’20s/’30s vibe is a strong contender to be added to the list this year.

I’m going to break this up by avatar, and start by showing you some of the images I’ve been accumulating for the Historian.

I am no fashion historian (no pun intended!) but I am inclined to think that most of these lean more into a 1930s aesthetic, and probably pull a fair bit from the menswear of the era. I think they integrate well with my overall Historian aesthetic, and can be translated into outfits using pieces that are already in my closet.

Although I do need to find a beret or cloche hat, immediately 🙂