Clothes IRL #02
What I’ve been wearing on repeat this fall.
More than seeing a photo of a really good outfit, I love knowing the story behind it. Where are they going? Why did they choose to wear the white shirt over the black one? And what are the other ways they wore that shirt? Maybe it’s a bit nosy, but that kind of context is interesting to me because it’s insight into how people are dressing for real life.
As much as I love fashion Substacks where writers recap what they’re wearing in a week, I think mine would get boring fairly quickly because I tend to repeat the same outfits. So instead, this series is going to be dedicated to the pieces I’m getting a lot of wear out of. It’s about the pieces we wear over and over again, whether for practical reasons or for how they make us feel. The ones that get us through multiple occasions and our day-to-day.
Here are some of the pieces I’ve been wearing on repeat.
An oversized trench
Up until this week, the weather had been pretty mild here. Rainy, but mild. Since I haven’t had to be too concerned about staying warm, I’ve been mostly using my OAK + FORT trench when I’m going out. I like to wear it open, with the belt tied in the back, the buckles on the sleeves tightened (and scrunched up a bit) and a sweater wrapped around.
The trench is classic but relaxed at the same time, which I find makes it easy to wear with almost anything. It’s lasted me several seasons now and is something I get complimented on often by strangers—it was even mistaken for a Toteme trench once.
Where I wore it: I took it with me on my trip last month to Kelowna where the weather was similar to what we’ve had here. I needed something that could take me from day to night, and this trench worked perfectly. I wore it on the plane to a wine tasting, sightseeing, more wine tastings, dinner and brunch.
Halloween was unusually warm this year, and I wore the trench to take the kids trick-or-treating with friends. It ended up pouring by the end of the night and my trench got a little dirty but I just threw it in the wash and had no issues. I like that I don’t have to be gentle with it (it’s survived many spills.)
A barn jacket
For those days I don’t feel like wearing a long trench and just want to throw on a short jacket, I’m glad I have this cropped Zara barn jacket I bought last season to fall back on. It’s a bit warmer than my trench and is casual enough while making my outfits feel effortlessly cool.
Where I wore it: Usually if it’s too cold out to wear my trench and whenever I’m running around and don’t want to bother with a long coat (e.g., school drop-off and pick-up). I’m in a cold arena 3-4 days a week now because of my son’s hockey and the barn jacket gives me enough warmth, even without a sweater underneath.
If I do wear a sweater, it’s nothing too oversized or thick because I find it can start to look bulky with the barn jacket. We took our kids to an amusement park in late September on a really windy day and I chose to wear this orangey-red knit that wasn’t too chunky for under my barn jacket.
Sézane Gaspard cardigan
I bought this cardigan back in May during a trip to Paris and am finally getting a lot more use of it now that the weather is a bit cooler. It’s not the softest sweater, so beware if you have sensitive skin. But I found I got used to it after having worn it for a while that I don’t notice it as much anymore. I wear the cardigan over my shoulders so often that my girlfriends like to tease me and ask if I actually wear it. The answer is yes:
Where I wore it: It’s my go-to sweater whenever I have virtual meetings and want to look polished. I’ll wear it buttoned-up with black trousers and a brown belt. I find my favourite way to wear it, though, is dressing it down with something more casual—like jeans and a white tee. This Laura Harrier street-style photo has been my inspo for styling the cardigan. Seems so simple with basics most of us have in our closets already.
It’s true that having a nice black cardigan goes a long way. Although I don’t think you necessarily need the Gaspard one, I think it helps to have one with enough versatility to wear multiple ways. That’s what stood out to me with this cardigan (and why I probably overlooked its slightly itchy material): I liked that I could wear it buttoned-up, unbuttoned, untucked, or tucked in, and every time, it looked classic and chic. During the holidays, I plan on wearing the cardigan over my red satin dress.
Crop Flare Ponte Pant
You might be sick of me by now talking about these Banana Republic Crop Flare Everywhere Ponte Pant in chocolate ganache brown, but they’ve been my favourite recent purchase. I did my best to get as much use out of them this fall before the snow and slush started (haven’t tried them with boots yet to see if they’re something I can transition to winter.) They’re comfortable and stretchy like leggings but make an outfit feel so polished.
Where I wore it: Traveling with only a carry-on to Kelowna, I deliberately planned my outfit for the plane to be able to carry me through our plans for our first day there (some sightseeing and a wine tasting). I wore the pants (loved that they were comfy enough for the plane) with an off-white, long-sleeve pointelle top, my trench and a black cardigan draped over my shoulders. I also wore an iteration of the same outfit and swapped out my sambas for ballet flats, which are my favourite shoes to wear with these pants because they create such an elegant look with the cropped length.
The pants also work well styled with an oversized white button-up or the Gaspard cardigan. Both tops are a bit looser and longer, so I wear them untucked, which I prefer given how fitted the pants are.
Denim Forum Arlo Hi-Rise Straight Jeans
Every pair of jeans I owned was cropped and showed my ankles before I bought these Arlos in the wash 5 Yrs Kiss N Tell Bl. I find them to be a wider leg than your average straight-cut, especially compared to previous Arlos I’ve bought in the cropped length. I love that they fit a little more relaxed and give that full-length, loose-fitting look I’ve been gravitating to more these days.
Where I wore it: One of my favourite outfits right now is the jeans with this cozy H&M oversized cashmere-blend sweater. I first wore it to brunch with girlfriends last month and have worn the exact outfit a lot more since.
My version of a more casual “going-out” look. I wore this outfit for a double date with our friends at Reyna. I’ve been loving cuffed jeans so I rolled the bottom of my Arlos to create a similar effect. I like that they switch up the look of the jeans.
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I love the intentionality in your breakdowns, your purchases and why you chose certain pieces. Can’t wait for the next installment!
I love your outfits Maria and actually I really love that you are good at outfit repeating; that is a skill!! All the pieces you highlighted are timeless (I know people aren't loving this term right now) but you'll be able to wear them for YEARS to come.