023/ What I'm Wearing: 2023 Week 16
Styling notes on my outfits of the week: shopping your closet and the mens and kids sneaker sections + falling in love with Seinfeld's puffy shirt + "Miu Miu but mature".
Happy weekend dear readers! I’m back for WIW: weather whiplash edition. What gives, Mother Nature?
Day 1
While I was at VSP Consignment last week for my regular-ish edit,1 I was reflecting on how much I’ve been enjoying the process. Besides the thrill of finding the best gems for you (!), it challenges me to flex my styling muscles by putting together outfits from a random hodgepodge of pieces. For a typical edit, I give myself three or so hours to find all of the pieces on the floor, try them on, put them together, take videos, post them on IG stories, hang them all back up and go.
The first time I did the edit back in the fall, I brought a suitcase of my own stuff — some foundational pieces, shoes, undergarments, my styling kit of clamps, tape, etc... — as I wanted cover all of my bases in case the shop didn’t have what I needed to put a whole look together.
As it turns out, it’s been much more fun working with what the store has and being delighted with the unexpected results. Like this outfit, for example. These Donni nylon shorts don’t have to be limited to the most humid of summer days; they’re so chic as a transitional look with this luxurious Khaite cashmere sweater and Aeyde silver ballet flats. I took the shorts home, and paired them with two of my own closet staples: a grey, wool COS sweater and APC cross-body bag.
The takeaway here is that my VSP experience is similar to the concept of shopping your own closet: throw some unexpected pieces together and see what happens. Your first try might be a clear no, but it might lead you to another idea, then to swapping out this for that, then tucking-in this or layering that. I encourage you to play, have fun and see what you come up with!
I also get a kick out of creating outfits with pieces that weren’t intended for me: i.e. they aren’t in my size or were made for men. A bevy of treasures are waiting to be unearthed in the men’s section at VSP (and of many other “menswear” brands). In particular, men’s jackets, blazers and knitwear work well when wanting to find pieces with a relaxed silhouette. Also, if you’re maybe size 9.5 and up in women’s shoes, looking at men’s sneakers, in particular, will give you so many more options. And, it works the other way too — if your feet are smaller than, say, a size 7, check out the kids section for sneakers, which are often priced lower than the equivalent women’s offering. Nike blazers, I’m looking at you.
Day 2
When I talk about truly loving a piece, this Patou blouse (which I found last summer at Fiacchini boutique in Forte dei Marmi) is a great example. It caught my eye immediately because of its unique shape, ruffled collar and buttery yellow fabric contrasting against the hefty lavender ribbon. At the same time, I was thinking “it’s not my style, nor my usual color palette, and is it giving Jerry Seinfeld’s puffy shirt vibes?” Which happens sometimes, right? You can appreciate something, but also realize that it’s not for you.
But as soon as I tried it on, I remember being so genuinely surprised. I immediately felt the it — that magical, elusive feeling of being so seen in a piece of clothing, as if it tapped into a part of me that had hitherto been unknown. And even though, at first glance, I didn’t think that it was my style, I trusted that gut feeling, stuffed it into my increasingly overstuffed luggage and have made it work with the foundational bottoms in my wardrobe.
In a beautiful way, this piece expanded the breadth of what I consider to be my “personal style,” a definition that is constantly evolving as I continually grow and understand myself better. Like the pink silk Le Fou skirt I wore last week, it’s definitely on the more feminine and maximalist end of my wardrobe, yet still feels very much me. It’s not a piece that’s in heavy rotation, but that’s fine. It’s okay to own something because it brings you pleasure, even if it’s just once in a while.
I would love to hear about those special pieces you own in the comments (does the comment section allow photos?)!
Day 2.5
Quick change after work into this sweatshort set for a #momlife afternoon with the kids at the park….
Day 3
…and then a plunge in temperature by 25C (40F) the next morning.
Day 4
I wore this outfit in the fall, but with my Ancient Greek Celia sandals, in place of the Khaite boots.
A short note about trench coats here. I’m sure you’ve noticed that trench coats have been everywhere for the last few years. And while I love how they look on others, I’ve realized recently that, for some reason, I don’t love them on me. I feel this even moreso with denim jackets and shirts — I feel like I’m wearing a costume whenever I put on a denim top! This parka variation of the trench, however, does feel right. Why this is the case, I’ll have to dissect and figure out.
Day 5
The final outfit of the week is a heavily Miu Miu-inspired look featuring this A-line pleated skirt from COS. If you follow me Instagram, you may have followed the discussion with women in COS change rooms the world over trying to figure out what’s up with the sizing of this skirt.
The consensus seems to be: true-to-size won’t fit at the smallest part of your waist. One size up may fit your waist, but go two sizes up to be safe. At three sizes up, the skirt will sit on your hips, which is what I chose to go with. Someone in my DMs called it “Miu Miu but mature” which made me chuckle.
As I was getting dressed, I had so many different ideas of how to style this skirt — I’m going to have so much fun with it, and you’ll definitely be seeing more of it in future WIWs.
That’s it for this week! Just a reminder, this is the last newsletter before the closet consultation giveaway to a lucky paying subscriber on Thursday, April 27!
My last newsletter details what you will win in a consult with me, so have a look! All paying subscribers are automatically entered, and if you’re not a paying subscriber yet, become one today to be eligible.
Wishing you a beautiful week ahead!
Love and gratitude,
Irene
I absolutely love that Cos pleated skirt and your addition of the fishnets makes it sing! One of my favorite pieces, unlike anything else in my closet, is a 60s era dark orange wool coat with amazing buttons and collar, and brown faux fur at the hem. I found it in a vintage shop in Paris 25 years ago (welp) so it’s meaningful in addition to being a piece I can really play with.
Is the Cos teddy coat TTS or very oversized? I found one on Depop but it’s a size down and I like my coats roomy (the seller said it would fit my size or one size up as it’s so oversized)..