End of October 2024 – Blue Collar Red Lipstick

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.