064/ What I'm Wearing: Weeks 42 - 45
“…outfits I’ve worn over a given week (or two)…” Or four.
What I’m Wearing is a series where I share all of the outfits I’ve worn over a given week (or two), along with styling notes, links and related thoughts. If you see an outfit you like on my Instagram, you’ll find it here.
“…outfits I’ve worn over a given week (or two)…”
Or four.
I’ve been waiting to accumulate enough outfit photos to put out a WIW, and at the pace of 1.75 selfies per week, I’ve finally hit the critical mass after a month.
I haven’t been taking many photos for a few reasons: this season, I’ve been working with more remote clients, which I’m loving and so grateful for! The corollary is that I’m selfie-ing less, and that it has switched up daily rhythm.
Whereas I’m accustomed to being on my feet all day — in closets or stores — I’ve been sitting at my desk a lot more than usual. And in an effort to get outside and take in the sun’s precious rays, I’ve been staying in my walking clothes so I can squeeze in as much movement and fresh air as possible. As I type this sentence, it’s 12:36pm, and the sun is already at too low of an angle in the sky for my liking. SAD is real, and I’m doing what I can to manage it.
Otherwise, I’ve basically been wearing variations of the many outfits I put together for my Elevated Casual and Workwear edits. The outfits were for illustration purposes, but it would be a shame if I didn’t actually wear them IRL!
Where I did take photos, you can see elements from both those edits mashed together into this WIW:
The Prada F/W 2022-3 inspired grey crewneck + white mockneck. Uniqlo has been go-to cashmere crewneck for years, and I got my white mockneck back from my SIL.
The Miu Miu F/W 2023-4 inspired grey zip-up hoodie. I love the structure of the neoprene, but I went with wool because it’s more practical for me.
The double-faced wool Zara jacket that was back in stock for a hot minute this morning before selling out again. I swear it was available because a) I took a screenshot of it to share on Instagram, and b) I bought one for a client. I have receipts (x 2)!
The COS pleated skirt that I get a couple of messages about per day because while it’s available on the International site, it doesn’t appear to be available online in the US. Sorry :(. FWIW, I won’t even order off the COS website because the duties coming into Canada are ridiculous.
The Essentials fleece, and for that matter, the Rag & Bone fleece (“faux shearling” what?) that was actually a good purchase from the R&B sample sale where I made a couple of Buying Mistakes.
(This outfit was a carry-over from a month ago when I was wearing these chinos literally everyday.)
Even though those two newsletters were titled “elevated casual” and “workwear” edits, the overarching concept was to demonstrate how to achieve the looks with your existing wardrobe, and to see an integrated (aka “non-bifurcated”) closet in action.
In my workwear edit, I showed how I could wear this COS pleated A-line skirt to a formal workplace, but also on a night out, or to New York fashion week (hi, Tibi fans!)….
…and how this Zara jacket can be worn with sweatpants for a polished casual look, but also as a “blazer” for work.
The trick to achieve this versatility is to — once again — use my lever system, and strike a balance with your individual pieces.
For example, the entire top half of this outfit is comprised of casual pieces — the fleece, the grey hoodie and a cotton turtleneck — the sum of which leans heavily casual.
Add sweatpants, and pretty much no shoe will take this look out of the casual realm (although I guess you could wear a stiletto and pull a look?).
Add jeans and now the formality and vibe starts to change — just a little. It will feel different with a classic straight leg vs. say the Margiela thigh-slits (Note to self: must try this combo!), and your choice of shoe will further move the outfit in a certain direction.
Either way, though, it will still read fairly casual because of how much “weight” three super casual pieces affect the overall balance. Even with my mini skirt, sheer tights, and knee high heeled boots adding a much stronger counterbalance, the overall vibe of this outfit is as chill as it can get when you’re wearing a mini skirt, sheer black tights, and knee high heeled boots!
And this outfit is a variation of the one above. I’ve swapped out the fleece for the blazer, the mini for the stirrup pants, and the tall boots for the loafer.
I felt great leaving the house in this outfit, but no joke, I was looking up 80s Depeche Mode and other New Wave comparison photos.
The last outfit features a new edition to my closet. Last spring, I dropped by the Herskind showroom to preview the fall collection and this blazer felt like a Had To Have for me. By definition, HTH is an emotional reaction (which I had), but I immediately saw its use as a non-dark blazer in a winter wardrobe chock full of navy, brown, black, and charcoal grey (just scroll up in this post for evidence).
And it is a substantial winter weight — thicker than all of my blazers. I tried so hard to make this work for New York in early September (haha, do you remember how hot it was?!) and Paris (late September) and it was just too warm. I suppose if you were living in Atlanta or Los Angeles, it could double as a jacket for your winters?
That’s it for today.
In the pipeline is a new edition of #ICYMI and Resale Round-up no. 3!
Love and gratitude,
Irene
That fringed jacket is gorgeous! I love your newsletter, Irene, because the ideas you share are exciting and aspirational yet practical. And you yourself are so inspiring while being down to earth and welcoming. It’s a delicate balance!
Hi Irene! Gorgeous as always...I’ve been eyeing that Dorsey Kate white sapphire necklace (18”) for months now. Are you still happy with it? I noticed they have different lengths. Any regrets on picking the 18 inch?
Thanks so much 😘