what I wore 003
the good, the bad, and the neutral
Someday I will come up with a better name than ‘week of outfits.’ Today is not the day! [Ed. note: about twenty posts later, I did! Hence the rename.]
Occasion: WFH, satisfaction of checking off many errands on the to-do list
Details: Black J. Crew tissue turtleneck, secondhand here; Uniqlo HeatTech black ribbed tights (I’m okay not getting secondhand tights, exact ones here); braided leather belt via Poshmark, similar here here here; burgundy Bass loafers, same and similar secondhand here here here here (go half a size down!); thrifted Tommy Hilfiger black denim shorts that I seam-ripped the hem of (similar here here), vintage Coach bag via Etsy, so many on eBay here here here
Notes: As you can see below… this started out as a completely different outfit. I knew I wanted to wear tights and loafers (honestly, I always want to wear loafers) and started out with the skirt. Sometimes this skirt feels great on, other times it feels flimsy, and I wasn’t feeling the sweater tuck. I’ve been pulling out garments that don’t get a lot of use (these shorts being one) and, as I generally hate wearing shorts in the summer, figured I’d pair with tights to get some use out of them now. The purple felt costume-y with black, so I changed into the button-down/turtleneck combo I’ve tried out recently. It looks better in the picture than it did in real life—the shorts are bulky and it felt clumsy all together. Removed the button-down for a more sleek look on top and ended up in all black.
Occasion: WFH
Details: Sweater from an intimidatingly cool store in Bergen, Norway (Lot333), probably shouldn’t have bought, similar here here here; thrifted men’s striped button down, similar here here; dark brown MUJI corduroy pants, similar here here; Bass loafers again; Breda watch that was a birthday gift, similar here.
Notes: The more I look at this outfit the less I like it. I think the sweater is the issue? Maybe this just isn’t my shade? It’s right in the middle of grey and tan, hard to classify as warm or cool. It’s also not very functional; the sleeves are far too long. I’m also normally fine mixing leathers but the watch doesn’t work here. There’s also no friction—I could have stolen everything out of a tenured male professor’s closet. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, but might have been more interesting if I’d also stolen one thing from an adjunct as well.
Occasion: trivia night with neighbors (placed in the top 3 for the first time!)
Details: Tan COS beanie, similar here; North Face boots, exact style here here here or search “North Face Ballard” on Poshmark; vintage Calvin Klein jeans, similar here here; tan Acne wool scarf via the RealReal, secondhand here here; brand new Ralph Lauren corduroy bomber that my friend Kara found on the street (!), search “Ralph Lauren Barracuda” on eBay or Poshmark for the exact style (generally pretty expensive other than this one), otherwise similar Ralph Lauren ones here here here here here here and other secondhand ones here here here
Notes: Quite a flex to have a friend who regularly finds stuff of this caliber on the street and I don’t take it for granted! These boots are creeping into my regular wardrobe (previously relegated to Active and Inclement Weather wardrobes) because I walk the dog to the park in them—maybe I’ll find a nicer pair of brown lace-up boots for this winter.
Occasion: Monster Jam! Last minute invite from a friend and her boyfriend, who is an excellent date planner. This was not my first Monster Jam (I am from Florida, after all), but I had much better seats this time around! I also regretfully left without a souvenir (breaking a cardinal rule of mine, to be discussed in an upcoming letter: always get the t-shirt) and spent some time in the car on the way home (as the passenger princess, not while driving!) scrolling Poshmark for vintage Grave Digger t-shirts in a post-Jam haze. There’s one on the way—will share when it arrives.
Details: Red cashmere beanie from COS, similar here here; MUJI turtleneck, secondhand here; dark brown MUJI corduroys again; Nike Blazers in coffee, secondhand here here here
Notes: A serviceable outfit. Nothing special. I do like navy and brown together—not sure I’m wild about the red beanie with this.
Occasion: WFH, errands
Details: COS wool shirt (longer list of links at the end of this letter); COS paper bag waist wool pants, exact style here here, similar here here; Bass loafers again; braided leather belt again.
Notes: I haven’t worn these pants in a while—they come with a matching tie belt in the same fabric, which looks a bit dated now. As soon as I subbed in the leather belt they became different pants. Will try them next with a button-down or something looser on top. This is my Bridget Jones shirt, and I own it in four or five different colors. You can’t tell here, but it’s sheer and mildly see-through, and when worn with a short black skirt and tights, I feel just like Bridget, getting berated by a young Hugh Grant for swanning about in her sexy see-through blouse.
Occasion: WFH, errands, dinner
Details: Tan COS hat again; tan Acne scarf again; Bass loafers again; that COS shirt in white; thrifted grey wool coat (no label, and have had trouble finding a satisfying lookalike, but here are four really cool secondhand wool coats with similar vibes.)
Notes: You can’t see any of the layers under the coat (forgot to get a shot sans coat) but shout out to the perfect layering piece underneath (a linen/silk quilted Eileen Fisher number via Poshmark, which I wrote about in my first letter.) Cannot find more of that exact jacket online right now but Eileen Fisher round-up forthcoming!
Occasion: WFH
Details: Tan COS beanie again; COS wool shirt in tan; Ralph Lauren bomber again, Bass loafers again, rented Monse pants, different color here here here, similar here
Notes: I’ve had these pants for several months and I know I haven’t reached their full styling potential. Suggestions welcome!
Overall: Less color this week. I liked several of these outfits a lot, but for the most part feel like I struggle more mixing neutrals than mixing colors. Also a fair amount of non-secondhand garments, mostly COS. COS is the brand that I sometimes pretend is not fast fashion sorry sorry sorry (even though I agree with most of what
What are your fast fashion finds (purchased new or secondhand) that hold up? Which fast fashion store has been hardest for you to quit? And any tips on combining neutrals?
<3 E
I love your outfits for the week, you have a great layered approach to dressing. I’m curious if you have done your 3 words a la Allison Bornstein?
Also, I REALLY committed to quitting Fast Fashion this year! You know what store gets me? Zara 🙈 I’m not even buying the stuff that is knocking off the runway, they make great, interesting basics. And, I hate myself for this, but I get all the clothes for my kids there.
I feel like when I combine neutrals I try to keep it to two, and various shades of those two. So black, gray, and navy for example (gray being the lighter black), or brown, light gray, and dark gray. And then in outfits that are mostly or all neutrals, I love a bright, small accessory (earring, scarf, sock). Maybe you already know of them but Amy Smilovic of Tibi’s IG highlights on the color wheel have given me inspiration in this area! also, I thought it was interesting that the red hat was not your fav in the monster jam outfit bc that was my favorite combo here :)