November 2024, part two – Blue Collar Red Lipstick

Details: J. Crew sweater, LizSport vest, Ralph Lauren blazer, Fossil belt, Coach bag (all secondhand), Zara pants (retail)

Thoughts: This ended up being one of my fave outfits of the season. I thrifted the sweater and vest on the same day (same store) and they’re a match made in monochromatic texture heaven. I knew I would wear them together — not exclusively, but definitely to begin with — and then it was simply a question of choosing complementary pieces. With its darker olive tones, the blazer was an easy pick. And then the pants became the obvious choice because their colour matches with the plaid. It’s a kind of outfit domino effect: one piece leading to another leading to another. Easy peasy.

Details: Bonnie Strauss dress, Jaeger vest, Jones NY blazer, Sonoma belt, Fossil bag (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I love this vintage velvet dress so much, but it has a challenging (though stunning) wide neckline that really likes to go off-shoulder on me. Not particularly practical for the average day. But! Layering to the rescue. Layering is the hero who never fails to show up and get the job done. I recently thrifted this vintage Jaeger sweater vest, and it’s a nice colour match for the dress. Bonus points for the fact that it’s cropped, which makes it easy to further enhance the illusion of ‘separates’ by the addition of a belt. I was originally going to go full-monochromatic, but at the last minute decided to switch to a grey blazer for a bit of contrast. Grey and brown are supposed to work well together, and I took my cue from the vest itself, which has some grey in it.

Details: Ralph Lauren blazer, H&M turtleneck, Pitlochry sweater, unbranded tulle skirt, YSL bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I am a big fan of high-waisted silhouettes, as we all know, so this was a bit of a departure for me. Rather than go with my usual partial tuck*, I decided to keep the sweater untucked for a more relaxed vibe that leans into the volume of the chunky sweater and tulle skirt. I think it would have been 10/10 if the skirt were a bit longer, but I wasn’t mad about it as it was either. This outfit gave me the opportunity to pull out one of my favourite older bags, which still brings me a lot of joy. Even though it’s not as practical for my current lifestyle as my small crossbody bags, sometimes you gotta go with the heart.

*With longer and/or chunkier sweaters, my trick is to tuck just a bit of the hem then drape the extra material over the waistband. It ends up being less bulky and awkward than trying to tuck what might be as much as 5-7 inches of material. As long as the waistband is relatively snug, it will hold and keep everything in place.

Details: Calvin Klein tee & jeans, Limited cardigan, Fossil belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Super basic outfit that I inexplicably loved so, so much. I’m obsessed with the classic straight cut of these vintage CK jeans, which seems to possess the magical ability to make my legs look longer than they actually are. I mean, nobody is going to mistake me for an off-duty model, but I feel spiritually closer to that whole vibe when I wear these jeans. I am also obsessed with the cut, colour, and texture of this vintage Limited zip-up cardigan. There is something about boxy, cropped jackets that is really speaking to me atm.

Details: Zara top, Judith & Charles jacket, Ralph Lauren skirt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Shoutout to my favourite statement skirt. Still making a statement.

Details: Gap turtleneck, Tommy Hilfiger jacket, Calvin Klein jeans, vintage bag (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Those jeans again, with another boxy, cropped jacket. It’s like I have a type. Well, duh. I am a creature of fairly predictable outfit formulas.

Details: H&M top (retail), Ralph Lauren vest, Tough Duck jacket, American Eagle jeans, Gap belt, vintage bag (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Chore coats are trendy this fall, and it’s a bandwagon I’m happy to jump on because the vibes are aligning. Chore coats are Ralph Lauren-coded, aren’t they? I don’t remember the last time I was near a barn, but I watch a lot of shows set in the English countryside and I like to pretend that my life in suburban Edmonton is, somehow, the same sartorial ballpark. Anywhoo, this vintage Tough Duck coat came fashionably distressed, courtesy of its previous owner who obviously had a more outdoorsy lifestyle than yours truly. I am obsessed with the corduroy collar, but then again, I am obsessed with all things corduroy.

Details: Club Monaco turtleneck & sweatshirt, Mackage jacket, Gap dress, Canadienne boots (all secondhand)

Thoughts: It finally happened: I caved and bought a vintage Club Monaco crest sweatshirt, a thing I’ve been coveting for years. You might even say decades, since teenage me couldn’t but dream of owning one of these at the height of their original popularity in the 90s. I kept hoping I’d find one at the thrift stores, but it’s one of the few items on my thrift wishlist that has eluded me for the better part of 10 years. This ended up being a Poshmark pick-up, after many months of patiently waiting for a decent deal to pop up. These sweatshirts are once again (niche) popular, so resale prices are higher than you’d expect. Anyway, holy grail having been acquired, I had to do it justice with a ‘cool girl’ outfit, and this was my best effort. I even wore a short dress, which is effort indeed on my part. Between you and me and the rest of the internet, I am mostly wearing this sweatshirt with leggings at home … but it does ‘clean up’ nicely.