Outfit Diary #22
Finding my spring groove 💃🏼
The outfit diary series is a weekly series where I share every outfit that I’ve worn that week. My wardrobe is mostly secondhand, with some memade and new items as well. I have a “small-ish” wardrobe and I repeat items a lot!
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Sunday
This was a very grey day with rainy patches and I had a really hard time getting dressed to go out. I knew that I needed shoes that I’d be ok with getting wet so I built an outfit around my silver sneakers. I chose these jeans to go with the sneakers because I like the 2 together, but I had a really hard time deciding on the top part of the outfit.
I had tried my black t-shirt under my light grey cardigan and my grey crewneck sweater but I didn’t really like either of them. Then I tried my charcoal grey cardigan, which I buttoned at the top button and I liked that so much more!
Just my husband and I went out today and we went to our favorite bookstore which also has a cafe. Luckily, the rain had stopped so I left my rain jacket in the car! We got a couple of books to look at and sat down to enjoy some drinks (a Cortado for me, jasmine tea for him).
I found a book about Paris that I debated buying (for a trip that we’re taking later in the year), but I knew that we had given our daughter a book about Paris attractions for Christmas so I wanted to see what was in that one first. But look how cute this cover is…
When I got home, my daughter wanted to go to Ulta and she ended up buying a peel off lip-liner in the color p-INKED. It looked fun so I tried it, but I put it all over my lips, then had a hard time peeling it off (apparently, I was too impatient and I pulled at it too quickly) and layered a little vaseline over them.
I like how it turned out - a little more dramatic that what I usually go for but I would wear it again!
I kinda hated my wardrobe today and I expressed this to my daughter when I was getting dressed and she said “you have lots of clothes, you just need outfits” and I was like “you’re right”! Also, I know that my displeasure had more to do with the weather.
Comfort - 10/10; Style - 10/10; Fun - 8/10 - this is definitely a safe fall-back outfit but I didn’t love it.
Outfit Rating System:
Comfort - Was I too hot or cold? Did it fit me properly? Did I have to adjust any of the items constantly? Style - Did I feel stylish in the outfit? Did it feel like a “me” outfit, or was there something about it that was off? Fun - Did I try something new? Was I really excited about the outfit, or was I bored by the outfit?
Monday
Ya know that feeling when you put on an outfit and you instantly feel like a million bucks?!? That’s how I felt when I put this outfit together!
When I was deciding on an outfit, I kept being pulled toward my black maxi slip dress. I added a black tank top underneath for more coverage since the mornings are still pretty chilly (plus, I like how it looks).
I had just finished doing a shoe/boot declutter (watch it HERE) and these brown Moto boots are one of three pairs that I pulled aside to wear more. I’ve only had them since January (they were my 1st low buy purchase) but in 4 months, I’ve only worn them 4 times (they’re the 2nd line item):
Once I had the dress/boot combination figured out, I needed something to cover my arms - perfect time to wear this sweet vintage top!
I bought this little vintage top at a thrift shop during the 2.5 month break between my no and low buy years. It was one of many impulse purchases during that period, but unlike most of the others, I don’t regret this one even a little!
It was hanging in their little “specialty vintage” area (they don’t call it this but it’s fitting) and as soon as I saw all of the beautiful detailing, I knew that I had to try it on!
I think it was part of a bridal set and it has the most beautiful texture with absolutely stunning lace detail, and we can’t ignore the cute little rosettes that the ties are attached to.
I haven’t worn it much yet but I anticipate that it will be much more of a spring/summer item as a light layering item.
I decided to wear my brown vintage Coach lunchbox bag to coordinate with the boots, which are a marled mixture of browns throughout.
In case it wasn’t apparent, I freaking LOVED this outfit so much!
Comfort - 10/10; Style - 10/10; Fun - 10/10
Tuesday
It’s nice to have a few statement items to make a more basic outfit feel more stylish, and this vintage cotton patchwork jacket is definitely that item!
It felt like a jeans and tee kinda day and since these cargo jeans are the most comfortable (aka “roomy”) jeans that I own, I reached for these first. I’d purchased this “white” tee as my 8th low buy purchase and while it didn’t end up being what I expected (the white is much warmer than I was expecting), I actually think I prefer it to a white one now! And I like how it matches the warmer tone of my suede sneakers.
Just like Sunday’s outfit, this top + jeans+ sneakers+ light layer outfit combo has been a great fallback option for our temperamental spring weather.
Comfort - 10/10; Style - 10/10; Fun -8/10 - I didn’t try anything new here but I love this nonetheless!
Wednesday
After working on my Q1 wardrobe analysis earlier in the week, I made note of the fact that I had worn these wide leg pants a lot more than I thought I had, mainly because most of the wears occurred shortly after acquiring them at the end of 2024 - they’re perfect over leggings during the colder days! It had been a while since I had taken them out, so it felt long overdue!
I decided to wear them with my thrifted black and white checkered shirt. I really like how the cuffs have a black fabric underside which is a nice detail when I roll the sleeves up.
I paired the 2 pieces with my gold loafers. I was a little torn on these earlier in the week when I was working on the shoe declutter. I love the shape of them but I’ve gone off the gold detail. I’ve thought about removing it, and it was suggested that I could also paint it black.
But after some feedback, I’ve decided to leave them alone for now. I might eventually replace them with these and send this pair back into the secondhand market for someone else to enjoy (they are also a little bit on the bigger side for me so this all feels like a good idea…eventually).
I leaned into the gold detail on the shoes by pairing it with this circle belt bag with gold hardware. My daughter has laid claim to this bag and she’s added some cute little charms to it, which I gladly kept on there. The yellow and red were the perfect pops of color for my b/w outfit!
I also tucked my shirt it a little on the side and I like the effect that this had on the outfit…
Comfort - 10/10; Style - 10/10; Fun - 10/10
Thursday
THIS! This is my ideal outfit! I felt so comfortable and amazing in this combo all day!
I started off with a base of black tank top + black wool trousers. I added my suede sneakers because I really like how these look with a black outfit and they’re so comfortable! I knew it was going to be warm this day and that wearing a sweater might be too warm outside, but I wrapped one over my shoulders just in case, but honestly, mostly because I like the visual detail that it adds!
I had thought that these were vintage but after going through the ordeal of buying a suit for my son for prom, I now have very strong suspicions that they are modern men’s trousers. And quite honestly, the super deep pockets, with the extra little pocket within the pocket, should have been an indicator.
And they’re one of the best fitting pair of dress pants that I’ve ever had - fitted, and loose, in all the right places!
I won’t be sleeping on the men’s trouser section anymore!
I added a thrifted belt and my cream colored bucket bag.
Comfort - 10/10; Style - 10/10; Fun - 10/10
Friday
I woke up feeling very tired on this day and I was worried that I was coming down with whatever one of my kids had been sick with earlier in the week (I was holding out a little hope that it was just allergies).
The weather had cooled off a bit and I took that as an opportunity to wear these old nylon pants before I have to put them away for the summer. I’ve worn this green sweater with these pants in the past so it was a super easy, no thinking required, outfit combo! I added my silver sneakers just for something a little extra, and I like how they compliment the silver zipper of the sweater.
Honestly, I don’t love this outfit but it’s a step up from leggings and a hoodie (an old default of mine), I think! And it’s unrealistic to think that I’ll love every outfit that I wear, which is a mindset that I’ve had for too many years, that has led me to trying to build the “perfect” wardrobe, which has been a complete waste of time and money…
Maybe the perfect wardrobe is the one that serves your day-to-day lifestyle the best, not the one that’s the most stylish, the most expensive or has the most clothes. Maybe this is really obvious to you, but it’s taken me a long time to reach this realization. Glad to finally be here!
Comfort - 10/10; Style - 10/10; Fun - 7/10
Saturday
I was still feeling pretty tired but my daughter and I have a standing mother-daughter breakfast date on Saturday mornings that I look forward to every week. We’d made a plan to bring her little Paris attractions book with us this morning to pour over while we were at the cafe but we both forgot, so we just people watched instead.
This is the hoodie that I basically always wear in the evenings when I’ve changed out of my day clothes. It was a hand-me-down from my daughter and it’s one of my favorite things. Occasionally, it becomes part of an outfit - I actually love the way that it looks with the hood pulled out over a coat/jacket!
I paired it with my cargo jeans from earlier in the week (I’m a proud item/outfit repeater!) and my suede sneakers. I had already known when I got dressed that I wanted to wear my green suede jacket. When I got home and took these photos, I noticed that there was something on it (above the second-to-last buttonhole). I did try using a suede brush to buff it out but it didn’t really work so now I need to try something else, like spot cleaning it!
Comfort - 10/10; Style - 10/10; Fun - 8/10
Outfit Summary
Favorite Outfit/s: 3/7 outfits this week got perfect scores from me - Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
These 3 outfits made me feel like the absolute best version of myself. I felt confident and stylish, which is always a winning combination. The outfits that I wore on Sunday, Tuesday and Saturday definitely all follow a similar formula and it’s good to have these types of outfits to fall back on.
Repeats: I repeated 4 items this week - black tank top (by far my most worn item even though I don’t count it when you can’t see it), silver sneakers, suede sneakers and cargo jeans. These are all definitely wardrobe staples for me!
Item Source: Of the 24 items that I wore this week (excluding jewelry), 16 of them were secondhand (67%) and 8 were purchased new (33%).
And A Few Photos From My Camera…
I look forward to the reappearance of these gorgeous little flowers 360/365 days of the year! And while they don’t last very long, I cherish the few days when they do! The give off the most delicious aroma and I feel like I’m in a pretty pink snowstorm when a gust of wind showers me with pink petals while I sit on the porch!
And I also love how the flowers cast a pink hue on the walls of our home.
This time of year is the perfect weather for both Odin and I to enjoy the front porch which is also his favorite place to be. It’s neither too hot (for him) or too cold (for me) and he loves the coolness of the concrete on his stomach.
On this particular day, Odin kept watch over the yard while I took a little reading break, I’m about halfway through 1984 which is the first book on my reading list. I’d tried to read this in the past but I couldn’t really get into it, but this time around I’m intrigued by it!
I’d had plans to go to a cafe to work and I even left the house, laptop in tow. I drove past a few but I decided that I just wasn’t in the mood, so I went back to my own little “cafe” and I brewed a cup of peppermint tea and put together an assortment of cashews/chocolate covered blueberries/chocolate covered pistachios. It was lovely!
I hope that you enjoyed this week’s outfit diary! As always, thanks so much for being here and for your support - it means so much! I hope you have a great week 🫶🏻
xx Gillian
I also think you have found your spring groove. Your outfits for the week are a win! I really like the way you tucked your shirt in Wednesday's outfit giving it a relaxed vibe with shape. It always feels forced to me when I try to french tuck so I am going to give a side tuck a go to see if it feels more chill to me.
I really enjoyed all of your outfits, especially your dress with the vintage jacket.💕 I have bought men’s pants for myself and they are great worn a little low on the hips.
I love seeing your cat photobombing you.🥰