Style reflections 2020 oops 2021

Well, friends, I’m due for a style renewal, and I hope I can get some suggestions from you wise people. But more on that in a looking forward post.

As for looking back — it seems I didn’t even set a goal last year! No wonder I feel the need of some focus on my closet. I was just too depleted and uncertain of what the future might hold to set goals.

My purchases mainly fell into the essentials replacement category. I did buy a few statement items, however, and those were my “happy” pieces.  I bought 30 items (apart from socks.) (Purchases in Finds). I retired about the same number. 

My MVPs from this bunch were the patterned linen shirt from M&S, the taffeta skirt, the hibiscus sneakers and sandals, the V-neck leopard print merino bought on super sale, and the pewter RM backpack, which unfortunately is already looking awfully worn out. Sigh. 

My fails were the pink Gap shirt (seriously, when will I learn that however flattering a pale or mid-pink is, I'll only wear it in a pattern and much prefer a vivid fuchsia?). The cream wrap top from Gap. Too "dirty" for my colouring. The balloon jeans, which look great and are lovely and Mr. Suz loves, but they just didn't cut it for me (and did cut into my waist when I sat...). And the BR jeans, which turned out to be such a pain in length and I don't like the whiskering. That was desperation buying. Never mind. Onwards!! 

My happy fashion season was the autumn when I was teaching outside the home and on campus three days a week. Out came the jackets, the wool trousers, the silk blouses, and varied footwear options. I also got to wear my new taffeta skirt a bunch, and that was fun

Other than that, this was a “treading water” kind of fashion year for me — wearing things that had gone unworn in a while due to the pandemic and not really thinking about my style much at all. 

Time to switch that up!  I think I'm due for a major edit and a style re-think. Onwards! 

Happy holidays to all and stay safe out there! 

25 comments

Style BVP

I'm awfully late to this discussion, but I've enjoyed reading the responses! It's been fun getting to know how you see yourselves in relation to your clothing, and quite revealing -- I'm sure these conversations will help improve future outfit labs and the like!

Beliefs:

  • Clothes can express who we are and who we want to be in the world.
  • Style is for everybody. It’s not limited by a person’s age, size, income bracket, race, ethnicity, gender, body type, nationality, etc. Stylish people come in all kinds.
  • Style can be learned and developed over time. You don’t have to be born with it.
  • Clothing can be a source of aesthetic pleasure, and aesthetic pleasure is a good in the world. It brings us joy.

Values

  • Practicality: Clothes have got to work for the wearer. (Or at least this wearer).
  • Beauty: fabrics that drape well or hold their shape, well-cut designs, rich colours, interesting textures—these enrich our lives and are worth seeking out.
  • Fun: Girls just wanna have it. And for me, fashion’s a place I can play. Learning is also part of that fun, which is one reason YLF is such a great gathering spot--so much to learn from Angie and all of you! 
  • Sustainability, which for me means maintaining a moderate sized wardrobe that includes a mix of older and newer pieces, buying consignment/ vintage at times and at other times seeking out locally designed or mindfully sourced fabrics, continuing to learn about the impact of the industry on the planet, and donating my gently used items so that they get a second life.
  • Coherence: Meaning, significance, making or revealing connections. I'm not sure this will make sense to some, but it's about a felt need to make sense, to make, period, and to communicate. 

Personality:

If you look in my closet, you’ll see a whole lot of blue! Alas, it’s true, I have a melancholic streak…but I like to think I’m also lucid and reflective. Often, I appear calm, but you know what they say — still waters run deep! (Gah…to think this woman calls herself a writer, right? ;)  Okay, okay…)

Also…see those flashes of red and berry and magenta and fuchsia? Yep, I have a fiery side, and I’m warm and energetic, too. I need to move, and I need to spend time outdoors….hence, the importance of practical clothing.

There’s a fair amount of white — for clarity. And grey, because I’m the farthest thing from a black-and-white thinker — in fact, my friends and family tease me that one of my favourite phrases is: “It’s complicated.” Ambiguities intrigue me. 

Look at all those stripes and tartans and patterns —even on the footwear!— and all that silver and pewter—there’s the spunk and fun coming out. I’ll mix them in, mix them up, and happily wear them every which way. In other words, I don't mind standing out a bit, don't mind drawing attention to myself. Sometimes. And unexpected associations delight me. As does the slight friction of juxtaposition. 

In shorthand, I’m an INFJ-(maybe A? if you believe those subtypes..or any of them, frankly), like Staysfit, and maybe Jenn. And probably half a dozen others here. While I need my alone time to process, in person, I’m talkative and social and sometimes quite assertive, especially on behalf of others. I love to connect with people and help them (there’s a reason I teach), I love love love to learn, and I need to make meaning of my experience with words. 

I’m also an Upholder with a questioning side.

And also, a lucky parent, because my kid just cooked me supper! 

16 comments

2020 Review

Time for my year-end roundup! 

My colour of the year was red, and my word of the year was move.

Ironically, I write this wearing blue, and benched due to an injury! But I did move this year — moved cities and houses, and also moved a whole lot on the trails, on foot and by bike, as well as in a regular kettlebells class.  

My main goal was to wear outfits that are Modern, Classic, Vivid, and Practical with a stronger element of “signature” — a little less on the “playful” side and more towards a bit of drama. That goal isn’t really reflected in my purchases, which still reflect the playful element of my style more than arty drama. 

I need to ponder that. Several times over the years, I've said that I want more arty drama, but I always end up buying preppy playful. Maybe my unconscious is smarter than my conscious mind. That is, maybe the gamine in me knows that playful and dynamic is who I really am. And maybe I should just go with it? Hmmm. 

Then again, this year, I barely shopped and barely wore “outfits” at all!

Instead,  as I said in an earlier post, this was the Year of Gear.  And that does relate to one of my other goals — to identify specific capsules in need of upgrading/ building and work on those. I had pre-identified gardening and biking as new capsules for me, and in fact, my gear purchases took care of my needs in those areas, as well as adding to my hiking capsule, which also needed bumping up.

Another goal was to shop in person especially via thrift or consignment. Well, I couldn’t do that in a pandemic, so I’m not going to beat myself up about ordering online.

Purchases for the year were (surprisingly) about steady with last year’s — but this does not count gear.  All but two of these purchases qualify as "instant workhorse" items. Many have already paid for themselves in wears (and several are almost worn out -- Sorel sneaker boots, I'm looking at you.) The only two that didn't get a huge amount of wear are the BR linen top and the gingham scarf. I'm sure they'll prove valuable next year, so I'm not too worried. Both were sale items. 

I haven't actually checked, but I'm pretty sure my retirements are about the same, so my wardrobe numbers are holding steady (though I have yet to do a new count to see exactly where I'm at), with a larger gear capsule on the side. 

I didn't take many photos this year at all, alas...but a few outfits that feel representative or made me happy....

Will follow up with goals for next year in another post. 

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23 comments

New house, new closet

I know. Who moves in the middle of an order to "shelter in place." But what are you going to do? "Move" was my word of the year, after all. Ironic, or what? ;) 

We have been in our new house now for just over 3 weeks and finally we have all our stuff. So I spent yesterday organizing my closet. What a great feeling it is to be in control of something! I can't wait to get to work on our bathroom cupboards next, although I'm going to need to purchase a few storage containers for those. 

I have most of our relatively spacious bedroom closet for my clothes. Mr. Suz is going to store his "off season" trousers in this closet, and we have our iron and supplies here, but he is keeping the bulk of his clothing in the guest room because he likes the layout of that closet better. Did I luck out, or what? 

The rental house in Vancouver had a HUGE closet, so this one, while generous by most standards, actually feels "just right" for my stuff. Fortunately, the house as a whole has a massive amount of storage, so even if we have to keep things a little differently than we did in the past, there is still going to be plenty of space for everything. 

First, Photos 1-7 are the "dresser" (actually an antique cabinet -- some of you might remember this from my house in Kingston -- I haven't had it for 2 years!) 

Outside looking in -- baskets are useful! The top drawers contain bras and camis and sports bras. The baskets have workout tops and cotton sweaters, Kondo style. The bottom shelf is for jeans. 

Next, the closet, photos 8-15. Jackets on lower rack, blouses/ shirts on top. My bags are hung in the back of the closet on a scarf hanger (!) with a small Ikea container for smaller bags/ clutches, etc. 

Ikea containers hold knit tops/ tees, and other items. Accessories/ scarves on middle shelf, rolled. The top stores most of my winter items that won't be in use now -- heavier knits, warmer trousers, etc. I have winter footwear in the basement for now. And we also have a separate place for coats. 

I definitely need a shoe rack but don't have one at the moment, so dressy shoes are in plastic bins up top and just a few pairs that I'll be wearing regularly on the ground. It's not perfect, but at least I have my things and know where they are. 

Thanks for looking! 

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48 comments

Gleener Review: ETA Update following Marilyn's report

Several people mentioned a gadget called the Gleener on Angie's recent knitwear post. Having tried and failed with a battery operated shaver (made nicks and holes) and brushes (smoothed but failed to de-pill) and pumice stones (wore holes in some stuff) I decided it was worth an attempt. 

Here's my review. 

The good: 

  • Inexpensive (under $20)
  • No batteries or electricity required. 
  • Comes with several heads for different types of garment. 
  • Easy to use.
  • And...most important...seems to work ...

(cough cough) at least sometimes

The bad:

  • Takes patience to use effectively. 
  • Doesn't really work on poor quality knits and that brings us right back to our basic problem -- we can't tell from the name or the reputation of the maker or even sometimes from the feel, what the quality is like. 

I tried it on four of my sweaters. I used the same medium attachment for all. 

First, on a new-this-year BR cardigan, supposedly merino, but more of a "shetland" type knit, to my mind. It has pilled under the arms and where my crossbody bag goes. It's hard to see the pills on the light grey. But the Gleener did take them off, with a bit of pressure. For the most part. ;) 

Second, an older J. Crew Collection cashmere tee. I think I got this in 2012 or 2013. It is quite high quality and does not pill a whole lot -- mostly just under the arms. I was able to remove a lot of the pills on this one quite easily and it looked better after Gleening.

Note -- this sweater has also become softer/ nicer to wear with washing -- a characteristic I note in higher quality cashmere but not necessarily in the cheaper stuff. That's one reason I've kept it so long. 

Third, my most frustrating sweater ever. You wouldn't have believed how lovely and soft and also interesting (because of the knit's texture) it looked at first. Gorgeous. But....it pilled in the first MINUTE of wearing and is basically nothing but pills. And why does this frustrate me so much? Because it happens to be a hugely useful item for me and I can't get rid of it! (Normally it is active/ loungewear for me now, but I wore it on my recent Spain trip, for instance, even though it is a mess, because it is just that versatile, lightweight, and warm.) Anyway. I don't think you can see much difference between the befores and afters here and Gleening, while it collected a lot of fuzz and pills, made no appreciable difference to the look of the thing. Not worth the effort and bother. 

Fourth, my older Pure Amici cardigan. It is well loved and much worn. It's very soft cashmere and has pilled a fair bit over the years. The Gleener worked quite well on this one, too. 

I'm not sure what to deduce from all of this. The J. Crew Collection and the Pure Amici were both higher priced items to begin with, and they do seem easier to maintain in decent shape. But is that always the case? Probably not. 

The first sweater is 80% wool/ 20% nylon. 

The second is 100% cashmere. 

The third is a wool/ cashmere blend. 

The fourth is 100% cashmere. 

Is the Gleener worth it? A resounding maybe. :)   I will keep it and use it...but I won't bother with it on the truly incorrigible knitwear fails. 

ETA: Tried a more robust attachment on my "problem" sweater and although you can't really see it here -- it helped a lot! Looks much better!!

With this update, I would say TRY it if you wear a lot of knits and want to keep them looking nice. It's not a perfect tool but if you experiment with the heads you might be happily surprised. 

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Fashion Forward, 2020

Happy New Year, Fab Friends! It's time for a little planning for the fashion year ahead. 

The good news: I more or less achieved my main fashion goals for 2019.  I bought less, shopped intuitively, and updated my gear

(Takes a bow. Now it is time to actually USE the gear, but that is another story, for this year, ha!) 

I also shopped consignment/ thrift. But I wasn't as successful making purchases that way. In retrospect, it's no surprise -- of the items I purchased, 7 were wear-next-to-my-body knits and summer tops (not something I feel comfortable thrifting, by and large, although of course there are exceptions; and 7 were footwear (ditto). That adds up to nearly half the items I purchased. 

I didn't manage to buy much from local designers until the very end of the year when I took advantage of a Boxing Day sale plus a gift card to buy some Comrags items that have yet to arrive. These, I know from experience, will be very long wearing in my closet. The earrings are designed and made by an Indigenous artist whom I'm delighted to support. See Finds 1, 2, 3. The gored skirt and keyhole top (or 2 piece dress) are blue on blue. Available up to XL, about a 16 in US sizes. 

As per my 2019 goal, I definitely wore outfits that were: Modern, Classic, Vivid, Practical, and Playful. I added a bit more playful this year with bright sneakers, plaid boots, a yellow bag, my fuchsia jacket.

Personal FASHION Highlight of the Year (and of the DECADE): Shopping with Angie at the Nordstrom’s flagship. I got some terrific workhorse items but more than that, I had so much fun! It was wonderful to meet other forum members (hi, Annagybe!) and clients (however briefly) and I felt thoroughly spoiled and taken care of.



For 2020: 

I’d like to continue wearing outfits that are Modern, Classic, Vivid, and Practical. But I'd like to move from "playful" to individual or signature and "arty." 

I'd also like to keep my purchases as low as this year's or reduce them — while still leaving myself with plenty of room for play/ experimentation/ freshening up. Focusing on capsules most in need of improvement might be one way to do that, so my first sub-goal will be to identify any capsule in special need of updating. Last year I was well aware that my gear was very old and needed an upgrade; this year, I suspect my occasion wear will need a refresh. 

In view of the environmental impacts of fast fashion (and my own desire for individuality and "arty" outfits) in 2020, I am planning to thrift/ consign as a first resort for certain types of item -- jackets, some coats, skirts, some dresses (esp. occasion wear), and bags. I do believe the future of fashion is circular and I want to reduce my consumption.

Having said that, if I can't find what I need at consignment, or can't stomach wearing used (this holds true -- for me -- for underwear, socks, gear, summer tops, and knits worn next to body as well as most though not all footwear and denim) I won't let that stop me from purchasing at regular retail if the item is a genuine need, but I'll keep in mind the 30 wears guideline before I buy. Fortunately, these "base layer" basics and essentials almost always get far, far more wear in my closet than the arbitrary 30. 

Meanwhile, I will also have 2 capsules to create (perhaps from scratch). 

First will be a small gardening capsule. I'm moving again in the late spring or summer and my new home has a big garden! I am on a steep learning curve with this one and may need to reach out for help. My previous gardens have been in an entirely different climate, and a lot smaller. My time and energy, and frankly, interest are quite limited, but I’ll do my best to be a good steward of the land and try to preserve and protect the native plants here. I am thinking for clothing, those gear trekking pants/ shorts plus tees, hoodies (for cooler temps) and a hat might work in my temperate climate. These won’t count toward my fashion purchases because there won’t be crossover except with gear. I am very open to suggestions from gardeners. 

Second will be bike-ready clothing. One of the downsides of my new location is that it is more suburban than I'd like, so for commuting I'll be getting an e-bike. For adventures, my gear will be fine (with a few additions) but for city driving I might need a few pointers from bike-riding friends! 

Something that concerns me — returns. One reason I was able to keep my purchases lower this past year was that I did return most everything that didn’t feel perfect. But if it only ends up in landfill, who is that helping? This is so disturbing to me. Because I have the luxury of returning in-store, I think I can be fairly confident that didn’t happen with most items I took back. But I would like to shop even more in person…so returns are less frequent. This may be a challenge since I am moving to a smaller city, but I will do my level best. 

Thanks for reading this long post and wishing you all the best in fashion and in everything else for 2020! 

36 comments

2019 Style Review: Numbers and Reflections

It's getting to be that time, right? :) 

Here's the Suz review for 2019. 

Purchases 34.

This includes coats, footwear, bags, dressy items, and even scarves. 

It does not include gear, PJs and purely functional items like gloves and hats for outdoors. (Although there is one "outdoor" scarf in my Purchases collection because it is so pretty I might try to wear it inside  if not too hot.) 

2 items are missing because they wore out and I had to retire them within their season. Thank you very much Zara. OTOH, I did get a great deal of wear from them even in that one season, so it wasn't a total waste. I just hate to think of the landfill. 

I made 35 retirements.   

I may be missing one or two items here that I've been waffling about and are in holding but will actually be going out the door soon. In any case, the numbers are more or less equal, which is pretty typical for me. 

Analysis

Of the purchases, one was on consignment. Everything else was purchased on substantial sale, either at NAS, the Rack, or a storewide sale.

10 items (or about 1/3) were replacements/ upgrades for things I was retiring due to wear and/or datedness, often direct replacements. (E.g. silver bootie for silver bootie, higher waist jeans for lower waist jeans.)

I’d class at least 10 of the items as essentials to my style. The rest are statements or completers.

This was the year of fun AND practical footwear for me. Almost all my new footwear makes a big statement. I love it that way and love how footwear can work to update a look. I bought 2 statement booties, 1 statement boot, and 2 statement sneakers! 

My goals for 2019 were:

1. Spend time reflecting on how I can reconcile my “trendy” style persona with my ethical aspirations. Shopping for statement items (and even some essentials) via consignment is one way; patronizing local and/or ethically conscious designers for essentials is another. But what about wardrobe churn? I plan to set aside a weekend just to research, and another weekend to reflect on it and make some plans.

I did this reflection. I resolved to purchase less and try to buy more on consignment. I did well on the first sub-goal— I made 20 fewer purchases last year than the previous year — almost cut my purchasing in half! But I didn't do so well on the second goal. I shopped consignment but only found one item I wanted. That is the nature of it. 

Retired items were either well and truly worn out, or they went to good homes, some to my step-daughter, who values them. 

"In the meantime, I will continue my more-or-less intuitive style of shopping — editing out what’s worn or doesn’t fit or doesn’t please me and adding as I see fit, just observing my patterns without judgement."

Success! And the result was really positive — I think just setting the intention to purchase more mindfully seemed to help.

2. Continue to wear outfits that are: Modern, Classic, Vivid, Practical, and Playful.

I think I achieved that.

3. "Revisit the idea of a work-from-home “uniform” that does not include jeans."

Did not really do this. It didn’t seem necessary in the end.

4. "Revamp/upgrade my gear."

Did that last January and am very happy I did. 

A few favourite outfits from the year. I didn't take a lot of photos, so it is what it is! 

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26 comments

Style Moniker: For Column

On another thread of mine, Column wrote: 

"Question: If you were to describe a style moniker based on just the sleeveless version of this outfit (no layering) in isolation, what would it be? To Carla`s request for updating YLF profiles: I really don`t know how to describe my style. In images, this one is it! I tend toward Duchess Kate in color, fit, and the best quality that I can afford (not hers, of course), but even she is sometimes too staid for my taste (crew necklines, long sleeves, skinny jeans). I like Jackie O, Audrey Hepburn, and some Bacall—but I can`t wear the latter as well as Carla. And I like to add liberal doses of color and currency to all of these." 

First, thanks for the compliments, Column. 

I put the outfit below for reference. 

Honestly, I don't have a special name for it...I'd say it's Modern Classic. Or maybe "Trendy Modern Classic." Which is sort of a double oxymoron, maybe, but sort of not? 

It's classic, in that it's a simple blue outfit, nothing fancy -- sleeveless top, jeans, booties. 

It's modern in that the classic elements are in modern cuts/ styles -- the peplum top, the cropped jean, the sock bootie. 

It's a bit trendy in that the jeans are the newer wide legs and high waisted. 

My overall goal is to create outfits that are: 

Modern, Classic, Vivid, Practical, and Playful.

My moniker used to be "urban prince" and the name still fits to a degree...but sometimes I veer more feminine than that. Really I think I have a modern classic gamine style, if that makes sense. Purely classic is too staid for me; I need a bit of drama or everything falls flat. Drama usually comes through cut, colour, pattern, or especially, irregular outfit juxtaposition. 

Of the names you mention -- Audrey and Jackie O (to some extent) might be considered gamine (though Kibbe called Jackie O a dramatic classic.) Kate would be classic or dramatic classic. Bacall would be dramatic, probably...

Drama is necessary to Dramatics (duh), to Dramatic Classics, and to Gamines, but expressed in slightly different ways. I know I'll never feel fully myself without a dose of drama -- a long earring adds some of that in a very simple outfit. So does the shawl and the coat and even, to an extent, the column of dark colour. 

33 comments

Gear update and review: MPG (mostly)

One of my goals for 2019 was to update my gear which was a mishmash of stuff, mostly bought at Winner's, and mostly bought years ago. Gear tends to wear like iron but even so, I had some items that had lost their shape/ elasticity, and a few Old Navy leggings that I was forever having to fuss with or they'd fall down—not a fun experience in the gym. 

Lisa P has mentioned MPG to us a number of times and they were having a big sale so I thought I'd try some items out. The sale prices were Old Navy but the quality for many of these items is near LuLu Lemon, although of course I can't predict how well they will wear yet. For Canadian fabbers, especially, they might be a good gear option. 

I also got the purple funnel neck from Old Navy -- it's soft and lighter weight than the MPG one, so they will complement each other. I now have a little "purple/mauve" workout capsule, and a navy one, with just a few black and grey pieces to mix with either -- which is nice because I like purple and lilac but don't really have any in my regular wardrobe. So it feels a bit "special." 

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The workhorse you weren't expecting...

We've talked endlessly the wardrobe workhorse. In theory, these should be easy to spot, but sometimes an item surprises us. Who doesn't love a Wild Card Workhorse? It's the fun thing that moves our style forward in an unexpected direction. Like a scarf in a new colour or something in a new silhouette. 

Then there's the supposed wardrobe essential that we put a lot of time and thought into purchasing, in the firm conviction that it's going to be a foundational piece for us. It may even be a HEWI. Flash forward, and for all our planning and forethought, we end up hardly wearing the thing. (Tall heeled boots, I'm looking at you.) 

Apart from the Snow Queen consignment coat and a couple of gear items, I've made 4 purchases since arriving in Vancouver. All were spontaneous and unpremeditated.

Yes, I needed a belt, but I wasn't considering a western style belt. True, I wanted a new bag, but in fact I wanted a structured blue or red bag, not a pale grey knapsack.

Meanwhile, I had no intention of buying black waterproof booties! I have tall waterproof black boots (2 pair, one flat and one heeled), a mid-height waterproof black boot -- and no great love of black footwear! I thought I could do very well without a pair of black booties, thank you very much. 

As for the jeans, yes, I'd been considering the purchase of a pair of black jeans for about a year. But had a flash sale not coincided with a gift card burning a hole in my wallet, I never would have tried these particular ones. 

Well, guess what? The western belt that I didn't think I wanted because I didn't care for the western trend is a workhorse. The pale grey unstructured bag that is nothing like the bag I thought I wanted has not been off my shoulder since I bought it -- it works with everything and has turned out to be extremely practical for my needs and easy to use.

The waterproof black booties are fantastic for all day wear and have been my footwear of choice since I bought them. The black jeans are super comfortable and I've worn them twice a week. 

I'm coming to think that it's the intuitively driven purchase that marks a workhorse more than anything for me. The item seems to call you somehow. 

I saw the bag and the booties and examined them in store...did not buy but kept thinking...two days later was back in the store to purchase. 

Have you had experiences like that? Maybe this is Angie's "organized emotional shopping"? 

60 comments