Styling Pieces I Almost Gave Away
At the start of quarantine I Marie Kondo-d every closet, set of drawers, basket and hook storing my copious amount of clothes. With the ruthless help of my friend Aly (who also worked the camera; you can find the closet de-clutter videos on my IGTV), I took a fairly aggressive approach to the task at hand. The “no’s” were strong and unblinking, and I knew with confidence the pieces that deserved to stay. The least girthy pile was the “maybe’s”, made up of a select few pieces to try on and see whether they still fit not only my body but the rest of my wardrobe. In this post I take you through four of the “maybe’s”, my reasons for keeping them around, and the outfits that have given me hope for their futures.
Maybe No. 1 - Thrifted Striped Blazer
Thrifted blazer, Aritzia bodysuit, vintage brooch, Monoj Skirt, Dr. Marten’s sandals
Why I kept it - You’ll soon notice most of the pieces in this post we’re scored at second hand stores. I would love to call them “vintage”, but at less than $20 (or £10 respectively), I’ve surrendered to the more crafty term “thrifted”. There’s something about second hand pieces and the almost complete impossibility of ever finding them again that makes it more difficult for me to let go of something that no longer serves me. It’s like giving away something that was limited addition — “but it was exclusive” — “the resale price is crazy” — “I could change my style to suit just this one piece, that’s how much I spent on it”! But with thrifted pieces, the money I spent isn’t a guilt tripping factor to whether or not I keep it, only pure wearability and residual sentiment. With this pinstriped, tight fitting blazer I was apprehensive about the fit, arguing that I suit a more oversized look. But then Pinterest street style reminded me that oversized looks, though still near and dear to my wardrobe, may be passé. Maybe I need a bit of structure to my style, something a little closer to the body than I’m normally comfortable with.
Why I love this look - Styling it with this doom and gloom hued midi skirt I scored at Box Park in Shoreditch last fall was the perfect way to convince me to keep the blazer. Like sneaking vegetables into the cheesiest mac and cheese for a kid to trick them into liking cauliflower, I was tricked into keeping this piece by my love for this skirt. I’m obsessed with the not-so gen-z silhouette with the blazer hitting right at the hips, covering up any little curve my body has. The addition of my Dr. Marten chunky sandals in casual contrast with an (actual) vintage brooch made my heart flutter like all good, slightly awkward outfits do, and so the blazer stays.
Maybe No. 2 - Thrifted 50’s Dress
Thrifted dress, Dr. Marten’s sandals
Why I kept it - In all honesty, I have no recollection of ever buying this dress. I know it was in a thrift store in England, but that’s where my memory goes blank, and with it my original reasons for buying the piece. I imagine it had something to do with the warming spring weather in Hatfield and a keen interest in retro pieces I could score for under £10 and donate at the end of my semester to save space in my overflowing suitcase. Somehow this one made it home, I couldn’t part with the silhouette then and I obviously couldn’t this time around either.
Why I love this look - I love the opportunity this dress presents to create such stark contrasts between 50’s suburbia and grunge. I only want to wear this dress with black oversized shoes of all kinds, like my sandals captured here for the spring season, or my Eytys patent leather combat boots and black tights in the winter. The dress itself fits comfortably and has the warm colour pallet I adore for all times of year, plus it matches my favourite socks!
Maybe No. 3 - The Long Lost Pink Cowboy Boots
Zara denim shorts, Madewell tee, Boots (I have no idea where they materialized from)
Why I kept them - Pure stubbornness. That’s why I kept these kind of cringy, kind of cool pink suede cowboy boots. Am I rocking them? Or am I as blind as Ted with his infamous red cowboy boots (shout out - How I Met Your Mother quarantine marathons)? I’ve owned these boots for roughly 7 years, and worn them roughly 3 times, and that’s a liberal estimate. You’re probably wondering how in the hell they wound up in the keep pile. Well, just look at them! When am I ever going to invest in something like them ever again? I’ve kept them this long because they hold the key to hidden great outfits, I’m sure of it. There’s also the possibility that I’ve been treating them like a statement piece all this time when I should have been wearing them with absolutely everything. With so many unanswered questions, I really had no choice but to keep them and further investigate their potential.
Why I love this look - This look gives me hope that I will one day wear the cowboy boots to our local corral. Not that line dancing at the corral is a specific dream of mine, but I think it would be a good way of proving to myself that the boots were worth keeping all these years. To me, this look leaves the perfect blank slate to see what else I can pair the boots with, such as a denim jacket for a truly Canadian look. A graphic tee could easily be swapped out to bring in more colour, and the addition of a warm toned suede cross-body bag could bring the look to the perfect point of summery western.
Maybe No. 4 - Thrifted Leopard Print Jacket
Thrifted jacket, Aritzia tube top, Topshop jeans, Dr. Marten’s sandals
Why I kept it - The indecisiveness surrounding this jacket was not due to a lack of affection towards the piece, I simply haven’t worn it in AGES. I picked this up many years ago from a small town BC thrift store at the very fresh start of my thrifting days. The oversized fit called out to me, as it still does, and the limp faux suede fabric hangs just in the way you want an overtly large statement jacket to hang. So with no complaints, why consider parting with it? As 17 year old Emily would have said, “it’s killer”, but is it “me”? Is it something worth keeping for the three or four days I may wear it each year on the specific days when I want to feel a little more bad ass than I truly am? Even as I type it out I’m once again convinced the answer is yes, it is worth it. I want to bring back the fever the jacket once sparked in me. I want to have the conviction of a 17 year old and label clothing as “killer” once again.
Why I love this look - As I’m looking back on this outfit all I can think is that I wish I had worn animal print pants. The look works well for a day of shopping or meandering city streets. The sandals are comfortable and add a hipster subtlety I quite enjoy for an average day. But I’m currently locked at home, with nothing better to do than dress up in outrageously bold looks only to snap a mirror selfie and return to my sweats. These are my favourite jeans, but imagine how much more delectable the package would be if they were black leather trousers or a moody tortoise shell print. There’s no point in playing it safe with quarantine style, and if this continues for much longer I hope I’m inspired to care much less about offending onlookers with clashing animal prints when the world re-starts.
If you enjoyed the outfit inspiration in this post make sure to check out the Shop My Style & Shop This Season (right now, complete with some AMAZING deals from The Outnet sale) for my latest picks for the best sh*t you can put on that body of yours.
Thanks for reading.
Em
