090/ What I'm Wearing: Weeks 12 & 13
The creeping transition into spring dressing (from a Canadian) + some news!
Happy Spring, dear readers!
On Monday, I learned that In Moda Veritas was selected as a Substack 2024 Featured Publication!
I’m so appreciative that you’ve taken a few minutes out of your week to read this newsletter and shape the discourse into what it is today.
Thank you!
And now, onto What I’m Wearing…
The (Gregorian) calendar is telling me spring is here!
A couple of weeks ago,
of asked me for tips on “how to master the change of season and think through transitional outfits”:Transitioning into spring starts with liberating my feet!
At the first opportunity, I’ll wear a typical winter outfit - like a wool sweater and trousers - but slip on a pair of slides or slingbacks. Moving from a full-coverage boot to an open shoe changes the feel of the outfit.
As the weather warms, I move onto bare(r) legs (eg via a midi skirt) with something “winter” on top to keep with the transition feel. Eventually I move to lighter weight fabrics on top and bottom, and, who knows, maybe by summer I’ll make it all the way to the no-pant look? (Doubtful!)
(For more ideas on how to transition to spring, read the rest of Liza’s newsletter here, with tips from
!)Some of you may already be baring your legs — and, maybe even going no-pants? But here in Toronto, where ~10C (50F) temperatures stick around for a while, that phase of the transition probably won’t happen until May.
Realistically, we’re wearing our fall-winter pieces for at least eight months out of the year, which is the main reason why my foundational wardrobe has so few exclusively summer pieces. So, as I enviously watch the rest of the world shedding their winter skin, the baby step I can take is to liberate my feet.
Except, not on this day. Wop, wop. ‘Twas still too cold:
The next outfit is based on one I put together for my non-colour colour experiment (below left), except it wasn’t warm enough for bare legs in 0-5C (32-40F). To achieve the effect of pairing Ring 3 and 4 colours, I pivoted to tights with a minimal sandal. The level of “bareness” is just enough to move the needle away from a purely winter look towards one that is more transitional:
And, finally, some bare ankles!
Brown suede blazers have been trending, not in small part due to the oft-referenced Prada F/W 23-24 show (can you see where I got my colour inspo from?):
But, also because trends — styles, fabrics, silhouettes, skirt lengths, heel heights — cycle. As I’ve mentioned before:
I see trends as an opportunity to explore an idea. Maybe the idea has been around and is coming full circle again (which I think is the root of the old (misguided, I might add) adage “never wear a trend twice”), or maybe it’s completely fresh and new.
When something is trending, eventually the market becomes flooded with different iterations of it and I can experiment with variations that feel right for me.
I’d been casually keeping an eye out for a brown suede blazer, and when this one from Zara came up, I gave it a shot, and I’m happy with it!
Ultimately, it’s a classic blazer, and not unlike something Ralph Lauren would have made years ago, and is making again today. Case in point: here are a few vintage RL suede blazers (here, here, here, here) and a couple of current ones (mens and here).
Also, I chuckled when I saw this note from
on the same day I wore the Zara blazer. But she’s right!Moving on to more bare ankles, and even an open heel — the slingbacks are out!
I felt so good leaving the house in this outfit (!), uploaded the photo onto Instagram stories, and then the messages began….
Colleague: “You’re having a Harry Potter moment!”
Sister: “It’s giving Gryffindor…or Hufflepuff…”
Am I the only person who has never watched a Harry Potter movie? Because I had to Google what they were talking about…and I can definitely see it:
Finally, an event outfit; I went with sheer tights under barely-there sandals. My first choice was to wear this outfit with no tights and my Cole Haan patent Mary Janes (I haven’t worn these all season!), but the bare shoulders + bare legs felt, well, too bare for the vibe of the event:
Top is by Turkish-based brand, Nackiye. Gah, the details!
To get a better idea of the brand’s aesthetic, here are some photos of Nackiye pieces I stitched together for a newsletter I published last April:
Next week, I’ll be diving into your AMA styling questions that you’ve dropped into this thread!
Wishing you a wonderful long weekend, love and gratitude to all.
Irene
Salt Lake City went from 50s/ low 60s back to 30s/ low 40s this week! Have only been able to bare my ankles a few times but back in my woolies🙃
And I too have never seen more than a snippet of a Harry Potter movie
That Nackiye top is so gorgeous, and I love the way you're paired it with the Dries skirt. Thank you for another inspiring newsletter and congratulatons on the beyond well-deserved recognition from Substack! It's always a good day when there is a new IMV to read!
PS. you are not the only person who has never seen a Harry Potter movie ;)