style journal
timeless wardrobes, current obsessions, and spring trends
Hi everyone! This month’s style journal will include a deep dive into what it means to buy clothes you’ll love season after season, things I’m loving/wishlisting, and thoughts on some current trends and how I’m incorporating them into my wardrobe. Let’s get into it.
how do you create a timeless wardrobe?
I’ve been a bit obsessed with this question. In a sea of trends and constant inundation with what’s in and out, how do you curate a closet full of clothes you love year after year?
I started a series on my Instagram to explore the question and share my working knowledge. I wanted to dive further into how to use what you love to wear as the foundation for your timeless closet.
Every year, the silhouettes shift. Once upon a time, it was skinny jeans; today, it’s wider legs. A muted, vanilla aesthetic and then fur and red lips. If we don’t catch ourselves and step back from the whole thing, we’ll find we’re constantly changing how we look, staring confusedly at last year’s winter purchases, wondering why we hate it all. More frustratingly, we’ll buy things in a given season with no awareness that we’re purchasing a trend, only to realize in dismay a year later that no one is wearing *that” anymore. This might be fine when you’re in your 20s, but in your 30s and beyond, it feels better to have a core wardrobe that isn’t at the whim of a style report. I love fashion and am forever inspired by its changing landscape, but I don’t want to be at the mercy of it.
Outside the ever-present trend cycle is our personal taste and lifestyle needs, two things that should be paramount when buying clothes and creating a closet filled with things we love. I’d love to focus on those two aspects for today’s newsletter.
personal style & taste
One way to understand your style and taste is to look at what you already own and love. My first entry to this was considering my “regulars” (thank you, Allison Bornstein), a practice where you take out everything you regularly wear to understand what you actually put on your body. This is an eye-opening exercise because it focuses on what gets worn and why.
Taking it a step deeper is considering what we wear AND love that’s been in our closet for several years. This category gives insight into what silhouettes, fabrics, and items of clothing we turn to repeatedly. It provides clarity on what we enjoy wearing and feel good about. Understanding this about yourself helps with understanding what you like outside of a) what you “should” like and b) what you happen to wear out of necessity.
However, say you look at your closet and don’t see anything you love, much less like. Even if it’s just a few items, perhaps a bag, a scarf, some jewelry, and one pair of pants, that’s information! Deconstruct what it is about those items. Is it the story behind them, the fabric, the cut? These will give you insight into what you love and direction.
If you feel you’re starting from scratch, doing some research will help. Finding images that resonate with you is an excellent place to start. Consider the through line once you have all these images in one place. What do all these outfits have in common? This exercise will help guide you on how you want to feel and dress.
Come chat in the comments if you have questions and thoughts!
what I’m eyeing…
Everything above helps put the brakes on this fashion-loving girl. Instead of running out and buying whatever my favourite editor or influencer has on, I’m forced to confront my personal style, lifestyle, and what feels like a worthwhile use of my money. Some things that are on my current wishlist OR are sources of inspo:
LLBean Boat Tote: I've been leaving the house to write lately and need a sturdy tote for my laptop and other things. I also do a solid amount of activity schlepping for the kids and use smaller totes to handle the overflow. This bag actually arrived last night. I got the medium-size with the long handles and close top (because I'm practical) in white canvas (because I'm also not practical) embroidered in taupe with thin script. A friend recommended I embroider my bag with something to do with my brand, and Lemonade felt perfect. My kids thought it was so cool; they are my biggest fans, lol.
If you're a bit more adventurous, I love the green in small with short handles, the black in medium with short handles, all white with red embroidery, and the new olive colour is lovely with some pale embroidery.
Vagabond Mary Janes in cream - I've worn my Sam Edelman ones to death. They're a bit yellowish, while the Vagabond ones are decidedly cream. I have to see about the fit.
Sézane Claude bag in glossy black or natural heritage - I would love a new bag, but I want to make sure it's a bag that fills a void in my closet. I'm in love with the Celine Triomphe Classique, but I definitely do not want to spend that much. The A.P.C. Grace is another beauty that could work. The Demi Lune is also a nice shape. I'm currently in the research phase…
love this shape + the gold buckle Faithful the Brand vest - obsessed with this silhouette. The neckline feels timeless and would look so good with jeans, breezy pants, or a skirt.
Dôen Leanne dress is out of my budget, but I'm so in love, like DYING in love.
Mason pants from Reformation - I love the pleating on these pants and the soft Tencel material. I have a few black pants, namely the Aritzia Effortless, so I'm not sure I need them, but they come in many colours. I'm drawn to the charcoal. Just thinking about these, that's all.
Everlane blazer. I have a 15-year-old fitted, tuxedo-style blazer from Theory that I still love and wear. A slightly relaxed, casual blazer is the perfect addition to my closet. I'm still determining if this is the one, but I like how it falls.
*TIP* When you love something but it isn't meant to be right now, look at the item's overall feeling, styling, and shape. For example, I love the white Dôen dress, and even if I don't buy it, I can achieve the feeling of the image by pairing a white summer dress with black ballet flights. In the case of the Celine bag, it's finding something that looks equally elegant and has a similar shape but at a better price. I wouldn't call it a dupe because it feels beautiful and unique in its own right, yet it still gives me the feeling and look of the Celine.
J Crew Spring lookbook has gorgeous styling. The play of red and yellow is chef's kiss! Also, the beauty moment is my favourite type of red lip: matte, ruby red, and imperfect, so so good, maybe for tonight's V-day dinner with the hubby.
The Farrah Hi-Rise Wide-Leg jeans are fabulous if you're looking for a wide-leg, slightly relaxed style. I sized up because I wanted them extra comfy. I love the Denim Forum line at Aritzia, which has several styles. They're high quality, well-priced, wash well, keep their shape, and come in great colours.
some current trends + my thoughts
Mob wife: I love a faux fur, big gold jewelry, and red lip moment. I can't see myself doing the whole look, but playing with aspects of it with things I already have sounds fun.
Fishnet ballet flats: I'm not going to partake. I wore these types of flats in the 9th grade, and as cool as the current version is, I know I won't wear mine after the moment passes. I'd much rather find a beautiful black ballet flat to wear all spring and summer.
Cinched waist blazers: I love the silhouette, but my version is to belt my blazers. There is a stunning cinched linen version on Reformation that caught my eye, but for now, I'm happy with my skinny belts.
use a belt to give your blazer a whole new look Butter yellow: it's a beautiful shade and one I've always been drawn to. A pale yellow cardigan for spring could be nice. I just realized I have an old pleated H&M skirt I love, which I could style for spring with a cream top and some black or brown flats…that would look really good.
Sheer socks: I kinda love them and feel they're easy to play with. These Mango ones feel pretty chic. I'd wear them with a skirt or ankle-length pants so you could see the ruching. Sheer black polka dot socks with heels are also fun.
All the spring fashion talk makes me feel like spring is right around the corner, but is it? It's impossible to say for us Canadianas… let's dream.
I'll stop there. The reality is I could keep writing and writing; I enjoy it so much. Share your thoughts on any of the above in the comments. I love to chat and have this feel like a conversation. Where are you in your wardrobe? Anything fun on your wishlist? Thoughts on some of these trends? Let me know below.
Love,
Sana