108/ What I'm Wearing: Week 26

A quickie WIW + the Base Outfit approach + styling a statement skirt through the seasons.

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.

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Dear readers,

This will be a quickie WIW to wrap up what I’ve been wearing here, on the American side of the Atlantic, as we set off across the Pond tomorrow! For the remainder of July and part of August, WIW will be out of a suitcase, and as with past trips, I’ll be working with what’s already in my closet. I’m curious to see what outfit combinations I come up with this time around!

Back in March, whilst in Martinique for March Break, a reader DM’d me on Instagram:

“I would love to see all of your vacation items in one place! I am loving your outfits so far. I always struggle with not going too boho on vacation. You have such a modern aesthetic, nary a kaftan in sight!”

Her DM made me look back at my beach holiday outfits over the past couple of years, and the only things I’ve purchased to wear specifically on holidays are swimwear and straw hats.

My approach to beach destination outfits is to wear my usual, everyday pieces, and pair them so they feel sort of vacation-y; since they don’t tend to lean boho, neither do my outfits.

For trips to non-beach destinations, it’s even easier to wear your everyday clothes! Read more about my vacation packing strategy here:

Onto this week’s outfits…

On this particular morning, I was feeling lazy and was about to wear the same outfit I wore the night before (the red tweed jacket). Btw, there’s no shame in repeating multiple days in a row! I do it regularly!

But then, I remembered a little trick I use from time-to-time which I’ll call the Base Outfit Approach: I’ll pick up the the same base outfit (in this case, denim bermudas and a black tank) off the floor or The Bench, dust it off, and add a different third piece and/or accessories.

If the additions are quite different from each other, the result is that the two outfits (or three, or four…) will also feel quite different, and bonus, it’s less effort than coming up with something new from scratch.

Agolde denim bermudas (similar), Loulou Studios Limba tank, Valentino bomber via Monogram, rubber Birkenstocks.

Icon Noa denim jacket, Loulou Studios Limba tank, Los Angeles Apparel jellies, Agolde denim bermudas (similar), me Issey Miyake trunk bag. 

The denim bermudas and black tank are coming with me on vacay, so stay tuned to see what other outfits come from this base!

Next outfit…

This past fall, I picked up this F/W 2017 Dries skirt at a local consignment and it has turned out to be one my favourite purchases of the year! Going back to what I wrote last week, I’m increasingly drawn to sprinkling my wardrobe with statement pieces from past seasons.

For me, playing with this skirt has been a reminder (to myself!) of how to incorporate bold, although perhaps not “current”, pieces into an everyday wardrobe, including how to transition it from fall to winter to spring and now into summer.

(Speaking of, who has seen the 2003 Korean film, “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring” starring Oh Yeong-su, the mastermind sociopath behind the Squid Games? I’m due for a rewatch as I’m fascinated by how the way I relate to characters changes as time passes. See also: Lost In Translation — how did I go from identifying with 22-year-old ScoJo to married with children, Bill Murray?? — and the Before Trilogy — how am I already in my Before Midnight era??)

Anyway, back to the skirt and my casual summer take via my husband’s navy tee and retro jellies:

Husband’s COS mens tee, Dries Van Noten skirt via Mine & Yours (get 10% off regular price with code IRENE10), Los Angeles Apparel jellies, me Issey Miyake trunk bag. 

A recap of how I’ve worn the skirt this season:

Dries Van Noten skirt via Mine & Yours (get 10% off regular price with code IRENE10). Clockwise from top left: Zara top, Margiela slingback heel (eBay); Nackiye Skin top, Neous Tanev sandals; Riand28 Frank top (get 10% off with code IRENE10), Neous Tanev sandals, APC Grace bag; Riand28 Isabel jacket (a little birdie told me this is being recut!), COS leather rope belt, APC Eva bag, vintage Christian Lacroix mules via VSP Consignment (get 10% off regular price with code IRENEKIM10).

…including this illustration of how changing the shoe makes a huge difference in the feel of the outfit!

All: COS wool sweater, Dries Van Noten skirt via Mine & Yours (get 10% off regular price with code IRENE10). Clockwise from top left: Neous Tanev sandals; Clark’s Wallabees; Tibi Bronson boot, Herskind Alice coat.

I’ll be away but still working and am excited to share with you the stories I have in the pipeline! See you soon!

Love and gratitude,
Irene