Details: H&M top (retail), Ralph Lauren vest, InWear blazer, BDG jeans, vintage belt, Dooney bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Guysssss! This is it! I finally found my palazzo jeans — the style I’ve been hunting for nearly 2 years. They were worth the wait, I love them so much. This one is called the BDG Puddle jean. I think there might be different versions with the same name, though, because the one’s I’ve found on Poshmark under that label look different. Why am I looking for another pair on Poshmark? Because my daughter also loves them and has been trying to steal this pair ever since I found it. Yes, friends, a new era is dawning: my daughter is starting to wear the same clothes as me. Sometimes literally. She’s not quite as tall as me (yet!!) but her inseam is almost as long as mine *cries in long-torso-short-legs* Anyway, the jeans are amazing. As is this wide wale corduroy blazer/jacket. I haven’t had a proper black blazer for a while, but couldn’t resist this one. I’m currently obsessed with corduroy, and I’m also really leaning into a 70s academia vibe — this blazer is perfect on both counts. I’ve been wearing it a lot lately … as you will soon see.

Details: Ralph Lauren skirt, sweater & shirt, Silverado jacket, Nocona belt, Laredo boots (all secondhand)

Thoughts: The weather has been so up-and-down lately, it’s hard to know how to plan outfits from day to day, but I always try to take advantage of warmer temps whenever they grace us. This outfit being a case in point. I am so excited for spring (and summer) and all of the layering possibilities, especially in Trailblazer mode like here.

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck (retail, old), Ralph Lauren sweater & jacket, Cleo skirt, Coach bag, Office London shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I call this my Escape to the Country outfit — IYKYK. I love this earthy colour palette. Words I never thought would come out of my mouth, because I used to be the kind of person who only had 2 modes: black or rainbow. I still love bright colours (summer will prove that) but it’s true that I have been drifting away from black lately — especially heavy doses of black. Brown and brown-adjacent shades seem to fit my current aesthetic much better, and are also probably more flattering to my colouring. I’ll never swear off black completely, but I’m enjoying my Brown Period quite a lot … even if it sounds so, so wrong, lol!

Details: J.Crew shirt, Pitlochry sweater, Ralph Lauren skirt, Paloma Picasso belt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Speaking of brown, hah! I loved this sweater-skirt combo, with the peek of blue to liven up the browns. The belt was the perfect extra touch. It’s a tricky one to wear because of the chain — though the chain is what makes it special — but it worked here because the skirt has no belt loops to interfere with it.

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt, Pendleton blazer, H&M pants, Gap belt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I enjoyed this simple pattern mix a lot, not least because it features some of my fave colours. I’ve come to appreciate the versatility of khaki/tan pants as part of the Ivy-adjacent aesthetic of the Historian. I guess there’s a reason why they’re a classic. Light-coloured trousers make it feel like a spring/summer ensemble, even with a darker jacket. Taking notes for later in the year.

Details: Tahari shirt, Ralph Lauren sweater, Twik skirt, InWear blazer, Gap belt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I had to go into the office a few weeks ago, and this was the outfit I chose. I wanted something a little preppy but not too buttoned up. The skirt and blazer are both wide wale corduroy and, while not an actual matching set, go together very nicely. The chambray shirt was the right choice to balance out the classic cable knit sweater. I don’t like wearing very bright colours to the office, but I also want to keep my personal aesthetic in the mix, and an outfit like this represents a good balance for me.

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck (retail, old), Everlane sweater, InWear blazer, no label skirt, Sonoma belt, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Fall 2010 is one of the Ralph Lauren runway collections that lives rent free in my head. It’s a huge inspiration for the Bohemian avatar. It featured lots of muted, earthy colours; frothy floral silk dresses and skirts; and contrasting textures. I have been looking for one of those maxi dresses or skirts for years now. No luck. Recently, I found this vintage (unlabelled) skirt at the thrifts, which has a similar vibe even though it’s less floaty (and not silk, alas). I decided to get it as a placeholder for the time being. It’s also reversible, with a small ditsy floral pattern on the other side. To achieve the RL vibe, I paired it with a cashmere sweater and my trusty corduroy jacket. Gimme all the textures!

Details: Everlane turtleneck, Pitlochry sweater, BDG jeans, Nine West jacket, Dooney bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I think it’s appropriate to bookend this outfit roundup with another palazzo jean fit, featuring a couple of other fave pieces including this Shetland sweater and my beloved leather bomber jacket. I wasn’t kidding when I said I was feeling a 70s kind of vibe. Dig it?

Details: Ralph Lauren blouse & skirt, vintage vest, BCBG belt, Thierry Raboutin shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: To me, this is a quintessentially Jo March outfit and I love it so much despite its very muted colour palette. It’s all about the details, like the delicate paisley pattern on the blouse and the lace insert, and the texture contrasts. I chose a jeweled belt instead of something more southwest-inspired because I wanted to lean more into the late Victorian vibe than the prairie vibe with this outfit, and also felt that a juxtaposition of influences might overwhelm the outfit. Sometimes, it doesn’t have to be loud to be special.

Details: Dries Van Noten dress (eBay), Zara jacket, vintage scarf, Thierry Raboutin shoes (all thrifted); DKNY skirt (Poshmark)

Thoughts: Remember this dress? It’s been a while since I wore it last, but it’s as lovely as ever. Dries Van Noten truly is a genius when it comes to patterns. I decided it was time to pull out the dress again because I wanted another go at a Ralph Lauren collection look (from 2014, I want to say but don’t quote me on that) that has lived rent-free in my head for a long time. It’s a long, floral, diaphanous dress with a brown tweed long-line blazer; long patterned scarf, sandals with chunky wool socks. It’s one of my core moodboard looks for the Bohemian avatar, and I’ve done different takes on it before. I’m still hunting for the original RL dress, but use this dress in the meantime because the bottom part is floaty floral chiffon so it has a similar movement. I added to it by wearing my sheer panel DKNY skirt underneath, to extend the floatiness. I skipped the sock-with-sandals part because it’s not my thing, but did use my sock-shoes as a hat tip to that idea.

Details: no label cardigan (thrifted), CoH jeans (thrifted), Ralph Lauren belt (Poshmark), J. Crew blazer (retail, old)

Thoughts: I loved the stripe pattern of this cardigan and wanted to build an outfit around juxtaposing it against the blazer pattern. (Side note: I always used to call that pattern a “check” but recently saw a Reel that revealed I was wrong: it’s actually a houndstooth, but colourful not monochromatic. The more I know!) But the cardigan has a deep V neckline, which means, by the time I tuck the front and put the jacket on, little of the stripes can still be seen. So I wore it backward! Instant sweater.

Details: Uniqlo sweater, Cartonnier jacket (both thrifted), Ralph Lauren skirt (eBay), Tignanello bag (Poshmark)

Thoughts: For this outing of THE skirt, I decided to pick green as the focus colour, and add the yellow as a pop. The jacket was a compromise to the weather, which required me to wear a heavier topper. I don’t love-love it, but it’s ok and it was the best option I had in relation to the rest of the outfit. I hate when Mother Nature gets in the way of my sartorial goals, haha!

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt & vest, Ports International jacket, Ferragamo shoes (all thrifted), Paul Smith pants, Ralph Lauren belt (both Poshmark)

Thoughts: Just another Historian outfit, remixing pieces I call “old faithfuls” — reliably great staples. The vest and jacket, in particular, fit that bill perfectly. I can wear them in so many different combinations, with so many different pieces and different colours. And they also work great together. The pants are great too, though they’re a little more statement than staple thanks to the plaid pattern; I feel they tend to stand out a bit more. But I love the cut, and I wish I could find more pants like this — I’m really struggling lately to find trouser-style pants that are neither skinny nor full wide-leg. Anyway, on to the rest of the outfit. I picked the green shirt to pick up on the green in the plaid, and added the belt as a nod to Papa Ralph, who often wears a big buckle number with his preppy fits.

Details: InStyle sweater, American Apparel coat, CoH jeans, Asos boots (all thrifted), Brave belt, Tignanello bag (both Poshmark)

Thoughts: This outfit was built around the turquoise/orangey brown colour combo. That’s basically it. I added the grey coat because I’ve noticed how well it works with outfits that feature brown; as a “grounding” neutral, it works better than black in this kind of situation, I think.

Details: Ralph Lauren sweater & skirt, Nine West jacket, Brighton belt, Canadienne shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: This outfit made me so incredibly happy, I can’t even explain. It’s not just that I’ve been dreaming about this skirt for so long and it’s finally mine; the whole outfit is pieces I love, and came together beautifully. I continue to be obsessed with this jacket and its versatility, which is once again, evident here. This is just happiness in (Trailblazer) outfit form.

Details: Anne Klein blouse, Club Monaco vest, Ralph Lauren skirt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I also adored this outfit. The vest has been sitting in my closet for months, and I just wasn’t sure what to do with it. When I thrifted this vintage silk blouse, I finally felt inspired. I actually didn’t have huge expectations for this outfit, but it came together in a way that blew me away. It’s so me! It’s a very Bohemian outfit that gives me all the feels — to me, it could tell so many stories. Bohemian moves to 1920s London and becomes a famous mystery writer. Bohemian becomes the headmistress of a girls’ school and also a secret agent. I could go on and on. I should call it my Agatha Christie outfit because that’s the main theme I seem to be circling here.

Details: J. Crew shirt, Uniqlo sweater, Frame blazer, Mondi skirt, Emmanuel belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I know it’s dicey wearing red and green so long after Christmas, but who cares about rules anyway? I only thought of this (Historian) combo in February, so I am wearing it in February. Besides, the different shades of green, together with the yellow, make this feel more spring-adjacent than holidays-adjacent to me. I will brook no argument 😉

Details: Liz Clairborne sweater, Ralph Lauren blazer, CoH jeans, Gap belt, Paloma Picasso bag, Laredo boots (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Like everyone else, I’ve had an eye on the Toteme striped sweater for a while. The original wasn’t in the cards for me, but this vintage cotton turtleneck was another story. It’s not super similar, but it has a cool vibe that makes it more interesting than a run-of-the-mill striped sweater. And you know how I feel about vintage cotton sweaters — we shall say no more. This is my “fashion girlie” version of the Historian avatar; it’s more minimalist (style and colours) than my usual outfits, but there are fun details, like the bag, that elevate it for me out of the “zone of anonymity” I feel that a lot of those IG/TikTok outfits fall into.

Details: Ralph Lauren sweater & skirt, Gap blazer (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I’m somewhat on the fence about this outfit because it’s a bit too matchy-matchy, which I don’t tend to love these days; on the other hand, I did it to myself because I couldn’t resist the matchy, so I can’t entirely hate it either. This vintage cotton (of course) sweater is the exact shade of blue as the skirt — I had to do it! But now that I am looking at this outfit a few days removed from wearing it, I think part of the issue might also be the length of the skirt. I love long skirts, but I feel like this one might be just a smidge too long on me. I’m not sure what I’m going to do about it; the pattern is so beautiful, it seems like a shame to hem it, even by an inch or two. Something to ponder …

Details: Pendleton sweater, Liz Clairborne dress, vintage belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Just a hit of serotonin in clothing form. That’s it. No other notes.

Details: Uniqlo sweatshirt, vintage cardigan, Gap jeans, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I’ll be frank: this outfit doesn’t really fall into any of my current avatar aesthetics, but I loved it anyway. The sweatshirt and cardigan are older pieces that suited earlier iterations of my style, but they still make me happy so, guess what? I still wear them. I’m comfortable enough with my style — and my own sense of self — that the occasional digression from it doesn’t faze me. Congruity was a huge preoccupation of mine for years, as I was figuring things out (myself and my style), but it has become a lot less critical. Just part of the journey, I guess.