Outfit Diary #2
Chronicles from a well-worn, mostly secondhand, minimalist wardrobe
Welcome to the second installment of a week of sustainable outfits, where I document all of the outfits that I wore in this past week for my own future reference and to hopefully provide some inspiration for you to style some items in your wardrobe.
I just finished watching “Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy” on Netflix and it really drove home the message that we have to stop consuming so much stuff. We live a lot of our lives online and the constant message is to buy, buy, buy.
I want to be a space in that sea of constant messaging to say that it’s ok to not buy anything new and that you probably have something similar in your wardrobe/home already.
As a collective, we need to start focusing on the things that we already own, and then carefully consider which items to add, opting to repair old stuff over discarding it for new, shopping secondhand when possible and if buying new, buying it for the long haul (BIFTLH) and really considering the end game for the items that we purchase.
A lot of my wardrobe is secondhand, for a number of reasons, one of them being that there are already so many wonderful things that have been produced, and by buying these items, I can do 2 things - (1) make sure it doesn’t end up in the landfill, and (2) reduce the demand for new things to be made.
A vast majority of the preloved items out there, just waiting for their next life, are of higher quality that the items that are being produced today, which means that if I take proper care of them, I can have them for years to come. There’s something that feels so nice about having a small collection of clothes that I can be excited to wear year after year.
Companies and marketers would have you believe that wearing the same things over and over, year after year, is boring. But we all know that’s because they just want your hard-earned money.
Trend cycles keep repeating themselves, and because of social media, trend cycles are moving so quickly now - the early 2000s (Y2K) is the current trend in fashion which means that most of us are reliving memories of outfits past, even if we don’t really want to ;)
So, let’s celebrate loving and rewearing the items that we own!
The first three (3) outfits in this newsletter are available for all subscribers. However, all seven (7) outfits are reserved for paying members of the community.
To see an sample of “A Week of Sustainable Outfits” in its entirety, please read:
#1 - A Week of Sustainable Outfits
Today’s post kicks off a new series where I share the outfits I managed to put together over the week.
If you are finding value in my newsletters and would like to support my work, you can become a paid member of the community for $5 per month (an annual subscription for $50 gets you 2 months free). This gives you access to the full weekly outfits post and all of the archive.
For information purposes, I will be sharing the brands of the items that I am wearing, and adding links (not affiliate) for the items that I can BUT I am definitely not encouraging you to buy anything. If you see something that you like, I want you to be able to find it, but hopefully, you have an item that is similar and feel inspired to dig it out!
* Denotes a preloved item
Enjoy the post!
Sunday
I had gotten us all tickets to see “Wicked” on Sunday. My daughter had come to me a few days prior and asked if we could go and she found the day that our favorite seats were available which was Sunday afternoon. It ended up being the perfect day to go to the theatre because it was really cold outside. But all of the days are really cold now so I guess I’ll just stop talking about it being really cold :)
Knowing that I would be sitting in a theatre for 3 hours, my main focus for my outfit was cozy and comfy. It was also chilly (21F/~-6C), so I wanted to be warm but I didn’t want to wear my big puffer coat which meant I needed to rely on layers.
I ended up overdressing a little for an afternoon either in the car or in the theatre but I wanted to be prepared in case we decided to walk downtown before the movie started.
I started with my usual base of a tank top and leggings, the same tank top and leggings that have been my base for at least the last 4 winters. Over the leggings and tank top, I added a long sleeve top with fun bottom ties and a pair of wide leg pants with an elastic waist. Both the top and pants have a ribbed texture which elevates them a little beyond basic black items.
For a little extra warmth and to play along with the dangly ties on the top, I added a grey wool vest with side ties. I love little style elements like this, especially when most of the items in my wardrobe feel fairly basic.
I think a pair of leopard print shoes with a chunky sole brought balance to the outfit, which feels a little oversized but in the best way! I think it adds something fun to all the black and grey. I added these to my wardrobe in August of 2022 and I have always appreciated how much they elevate a basic outfit.
I hadn’t intentionally chosen this green popover jacket because we were going to see Wicked. It was more like I wanted a lighter jacket and I thought that I hadn’t worn this one lately. But when I realized that wearing green was perfect for the occasion, I was quite pleased about it.
I ended up really liking the movie overall, although the consensus amongst all of us was that it was about an hour too long. I had never seen the broadway show and had no idea what the story was about. I thought the last half hour of the movie was riveting and I had tears in my eyes at the end. I’ll definitely go and see the second part when it comes out, even if it is 3 hours long!
Monday
I had a doctor’s visit this day. I ended up being in a rush to get ready for it, so I started with items that I knew would be comfortable - a tank top and black pants with some stretch.
It had snowed the night before and it was still snowing a little in the morning, so I automatically knew I’d be wearing these chunky soled boots.
I added a black belt with a silver buckle to compliment the silver of the boot’s zippers.
I had some trouble finding the right sweater to wear. I wanted the belt buckle to be visible and I wasn’t feeling like doing a french tuck with the sweater to show it off. After a few unsuccessful pairings, I settled for this charcoal grey cardigan that I buttoned just at the top button and left open. I like doing this because I think it gives the sweater a nice shape and I also feel like it adds enough visual interest at the neck to forego a necklace.
I was in a rush to get out the door, so I got the entire outdoor pic when I got home. I received my long puffer coat 2 days after placing the order and I’ve worn it everyday since receiving it - sometimes just walking the dog, or in this day’s case, all day.
It has been transformative for my enjoyment of the daily dog walks and I’m so happy that I made this decision. I also think that it looks really good with the rest of my wardrobe!
Tuesday
I didn’t really have plans to leave the house this day but I wanted to wear something that felt chic and cozy.
I did end up having to run out to the library to return a book that a friend had borrowed and then loaned me. I ended up renewing it because I was enjoying the story and wanted to finish it!
It’s a cute, easy to read book, called “Summer Romance” by Annabel Monaghan. Sometimes I like to read these as a “palette cleanser” in between books with a heavier subject matter or when I’m having a hard time reading, which is my current predicament.
When I was trying to figure out what to wear, I first reached for a pair of jeans, but since I was going to be sitting and writing for most of the day, I swapped them for this wool checkered shirt that I found at a consignment shop, I think in 2021 or 2022. It wraps over the front and has this really great fringe detail down one edge. It’s held together at the knee by a pin.
A little fact about me - I visited Scotland in 2018 and fell in love with it and hope to one day live there, either in the center of Edinburgh (Old Town) or in a cottage in the Highlands. Neither of those things will likely ever happen but I feel like I can dream a little when I wear this skirt!
This cashmere sweater is always a solid pairing with this skirt. It’s a little more cropped than most of my other sweaters and I like how it balances the longer length and slim line of the skirt.
I added a few rings and a necklace. I don’t usually wear much jewelry, which is why I like to focus so much on materials and textures when I buy an item of clothing. If an item is interesting in it’s own right, I don’t think it needs very much embellishment.
I opted for my black moto boots because they have a higher leg and I like how the almond shaped toe looks with a longer skirt. And I wore my long puffer coat and beanie when I went outside.
All of the snow from yesterday is serving as a good reminder to pick up a rug to go by the front door where we take Odin in and out multiple times a day!