080/ What I'm Wearing: Weeks 3 & 4
Two weeks of wearing my most comfortable, tried-and-true, don’t-have-to-think-too-hard-about-it foundational pieces.
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.
It’s the end of January, and the sun has been MIA for over a month here in Toronto.
As someone with a longtime history of dysthymia and depression, the effect of the lack of sun on my mental health is real. Despite doing all the things — daily outdoor walks/run, yoga, stretching, Vitamins B/D/Cal-Mg/Omega-3, eating nutritious foods, Four Hugs A Day — I’ve been struggling to make it through my days.
On the flip side, as someone who has had to actively manage this illness everyday for years, I know these moods are transitional and that life has its literal and metaphorical seasons. There will be times I’ll approach life with the main character energy that is currently walking down Paris runways, and then there will be times that I’ll gravitate towards the familiar comfort of the clothes that feel “like home.” Now is that time.
Which I think is why, for these past two weeks, I’ve worn outfits solely comprised of my most comfortable, tried-and-true, don’t-have-to-think-too-hard-about-it foundational pieces.
This week on Instagram, on a whim, I put together a GRWM reel, and many people responded saying that it was useful for them to see how an outfit comes together. I’m happy to continue making them, and add the individual stills to this newsletter:
These are pieces you’ve seen me wear countless times, in different combinations, whether with other foundational pieces, or something more unique. When you choose your foundation pieces wisely, those pieces alone can cover the majority of your daily needs. Thank you to
who did the math for us, and showed us that with 26 pieces, you could come up with 990 outfits!
These Dorsey earrings have been a surprise hit for me this season. On first sight, I thought they were too precious for my style. And then I recalled a conversation I had on the Tibi Fans Facebook page about adjectives and modifiers (PSA: Tibi founder
is on Substack).I have stated here and elsewhere that I have found it difficult to define my style in a complete paragraph or sentence, let alone through adjectives, as it is constantly evolving. Having said that, one characteristic that comes up for me regularly when describing my style is “elegant/refined,” which I know sounds pretentious as f*ck.
But, I also know this: I’m often wearing (arguably) not-so-elegant/refined clothing like sweats, relaxed and oversized cuts, menswear/husband’s clothes, etc…. I rarely wear make-up, and rarely do my hair. Despite that, I can feel good when there is an intangible feeling to me that my outfit feels “finished” and that I’ve “pulled it together”. And I think that’s what these earrings do for me. They add that finish.
I say me, because I know a lot of women in the Tibi group lean into the adjective “quirky,” which they achieve in various ways including an oddball piece of jewellery.
is an example of someone who translates this quirkiness into her outfits so well.Going back to that conversation on the Tibi Fans Facebook page, I acknowledged that I admire and learn from the style of these women (and am thankful for a rare safe space on that platform to explore personal style)! I also enjoy seeing Leandra working her wide array of brooches. But having experimented with all sorts of quirky jewellery pieces and brooches over the years, I have yet to feel fully myself in any them. “Quirky jewellery” may even have a place on my Do Not Wear list per
’s recent post. But these Dorsey earrings are a resounding yes.(More on my Do Not Buy/Wear List coming up in Part 3 of my How To Build A Foundational Wardrobe series!)
Anyway, here I am piling wool and cashmere foundational pieces on top of each other to combat the -20C/-4F windchills.
Brrrr….
I’ve worn the always reliable combination of this Tibi Liam blazer and resale Loewe dress many times with different shoe/sock combos, and was about to leave the house in the outfit on the right and be done with it. No sun = lethargic styling brain. Until I decided I wanted to switch it up a bit and landed on adding this COS zip-up dickie for an added layer to the outfit. Unbuttoned the blazer, rolled down the sleeves, switched out my bag, and…I like!
The next day, I did another GRWM, featuring this Janessa Leone balaclava I recently picked up:
And finally, yay, one non-foundational piece (worn with foundational pieces, bien sur): this floral jacquard Comme des Garçons skirt I found at Rewind Couture:
See you soon with Part 3 of How to Build A Foundational Wardrobe!
Love and gratitude, and for goodness sake, some sunshine,
Irene
We lived in New England for decades, and my seasonal affective disorder was in full swing by this time of year. I found an infrared sauna place in our town that I'd go and sit in a few times a week - and it really helped. Now we live in LA, and while it's a little lonely trying to start fresh in my 40s, at least the sun shines most days! Hard to have it all. Wishing you well and sending you warmth!
What does TTS mean?