Outfit Repeater| vol.5
Reviewing and revisiting outfits of the past AND an invitation...
*please note that this post includes a lot of photos and may be “too long” for your email, it is best viewed in your browser or the Substack app :)
Hello my friends,
Welcome back to Outfit Repeater, the monthly series where I am rounding up and reviewing outfits that I wore last year to determine if I will repeat, revisit, or retire.
Repeat- I will wear the outfit again with minimal or no changes
Revisit- I will wear the outfit again with some updates
Retire- I will not wear the outfit again
My goals for myself and my style were very different in 2023 than they are now, and many of last year’s outfits no longer feel aligned with how I currently express my style. Identifying what isn’t working is just as important as discovering what is, so I find analyzing my outfits like this to be so valuable. I truly believe that the key to developing your personal style is to wear your clothes, and I hope this series will inspire you to look back on outfits gone by for inspiration :)
So let’s get into it, here’s what I wore in October 2023
be sure to read to the end for an invitation (for everyone) and a fun announcement (for Victoria, BC locals)!
Starting so strong, an absolute banger, 10/10. Have repeated, will continue to repeat, forever. This James Street Co. knit is one of my top purchases ever and I love iterating with it and various soft pants for perfect cozy WFH outfits. I wore a similar version of this look twice more in October last year, and I’m especially excited to recreate the striped sock outfit :)
Well, they can’t all be winners, and this one isn’t a total loss! I love the brooch on the hoodie and the idea of the outfit, but these cargo pants were just not quite right. Personally I think wrinkles are chic and a sign of a life well lived, but in this case they definitely contribute to the whole outfit feeling a little flat and frumpy. I’ll revisit this with my recently acquired Gramicci pants that were on my Fall wish list (and in the Fantasy Outfits post), I think the more exaggerated barrel leg silhouette will elevate this formula.
Woof. It’s rare that I hate an outfit in these round-ups, but here we are! I hate this one! A perfect example of liking something in theory but not in practice. This cardigan was originally acquired for a client (which should have been my first red flag), but I later found something even better for them and this ended up in the thrift exchange pile. It was such a nice piece (100% merino! Lovely quality! Great colours!) and even though I hadn’t picked it up with myself in mind, I decided to give it a go. Sometimes pushing outside your comfort zone can expand your style and increase your confidence, and sometimes it serves to remind you of why you have previously chosen not to explore xyz. This outfit might have been a flop, but it helped to reaffirm a couple of styling icks that I think are really valuable: I don’t like a v-neck cardigan (particularly when it’s fitted), and ankle socks and japris is all wrong for me. I’ve retired this look but grateful to be learning, growing, etc.
I’ve come back to this outfit combination so many times over the past year. Simple, breezy, comfy. Perfect for WFH days in warm/transitional weather, and so easy to swap out shoes/bags to change the tone. I’m sure I’ll repeat this one again and again.
Okay I have to admit to some mild regret here. I ended up selling this amazing red jacket because it wasn’t quite the right red for me, but in hindsight I wish I had added it to the dye pile because the fit is so nice and it fills a gap that I still struggle with in my wardrobe (light jackets are hard). At the time, my dye pile was enormous and it was stressful to think about adding one more thing to the list, so letting this cutie go was definitely the right choice at the time. These days I’m tackling my dye pile with gusto, and I would love to be wearing this in a slightly deeper, less orangey red. This look is retired.
This is a simple and slouchy combo that I’ll revisit with different jeans. The ones pictured are going to play a starring role in my most involved DIY of the season, I’m excited to add them back to the mix (maybe even with these same pieces) once the project is done. This also serves as a reminder to play with my colourful sock collection!
Oh I love this one! This handknit wool sweater was such an amazing thrift score ($8!!!) and I wore the living daylights out of it last Fall. I especially love the brooch worn centred on the sweater, it feels almost like a pendant. The colour palette of light sepia brown, butter yellow, denim, and red is very Autumnal in an unexpected way, I’ll absolutely repeat this one.
Same outfit, different font. I’be been banging on lately about accessories as punctuation (substack post coming soon), and these two outfits do a great job of illustrating my point. Both looks feel casual, but this one has a toughness that I really like. I’ll repeat this one for sure!
Another one with this sweater! I love the addition of olive green to the sepia/butter/red colour story, especially with the depth that the corduroy brings to the table. I’ll repeat this one as well! When I initially thrifted the sweater I considered dyeing it, but I’m so glad I didn’t because the brown sugar colour really plays well with the rest of my palette, especially in Autumn.
One of my very favourite looks from 2023!! This outfit is so simple and casual but it felt like me and I’ve repeated and iterated on it many times. This month’s round-up has me very focused on the colour palettes in each outfit, and this navy + butter + cream combo is a winner in my books. Tragically this bow brooch was lost over the Summer, but I’m keeping my eyes peeled for something special to replace it.
Yet another colour combo that I am extremely passionate about! I call this mix of chocolate brown and butter yellow the bruised banana, and I’ve leaned on it across all seasons. This particular outfit is… fine? I like the simplicity and the waffle texture of the cardigan, but it feels a bit flat and I might try to shake up the accessories a bit when I revisit. Even just adding a brooch and a belt would go a long way!
Can’t go wrong with a Canadian Tuxedo, especially when the denim washes are perfectly mis-matched. I’ll definitely revisit this look with different footwear. The hunt for the perfect low profile everyday sneakers is still underway, but for now I would probably swap in my Boston clogs or my red Maguire flats.
There is literally nothing left to say about this outfit. You’ve seen it before, and you’ll see it again! Repeat!
Okay, here’s something that I would like to revisit. This black nylon sling bag is so cool, but I never find myself reaching for it. I absolutely love how it looks with the brooch cluster, so I’m going to dig it out and play around (maybe worn with a cozy knit?). The rest of the outfit is definitely something I’ve repeated, you simply cannot go wrong with stripes and a pop of red.
I really like the colour palette in this look, butter + olive + red is a combo that I reach for again and again. I was absolutely obsessed with realtree camo last year, and I really love how the overall print downplays my chest, but I haven’t reached for this tee outside of camping and pottery class for months and months so I’ve decided to retire it to the sport mode/soft clothes drawer. Still serving a vital role in my wardrobe, just not in my day-to-day looks.
Another one of my favourite outfits from 2023, and again it comes down to the palette! This forest green cotton knit (thrifted Ralph Lauren) sometimes feels tricky to style, but I loved it with this outfit. The faded black jeans and stone grey jacket are perfect, easy neutrals that allow the green sweater and mahogany boots to shine. I’ll definitely repeat and revisit this look with some of my leather bags (butter yellow?!), but the button bag brings an element of kookiness that will be hard to beat.
This is a combo that I will absolutely repeat. I love a white tee peeking out from a v-neck sweater, it feels very simple and classic paired with the blue jeans and clogs. I sadly had to retire this hat when it was blown off my head and into a puddle and I was forced to accept that it really was too big. I’ve had a Goldilocks style saga play out over the last few years in my search for a tweed cap (too big! too big! too big!) I’m hoping this year I’ll finally thrift one that’s just right.
Okay, hear me out. I really like this outfit (and it received a ton of love on IG) BUT I retired both the sweater and the shoes. The shoes I feel fine about -they weren’t in great shape when I thrifted them and they were never that comfy to begin with- but the sweater I’ve really struggled to let go of (it is languishing in the closet sale pile as we speak). I really love the way it looks with this outfit, but only with this outfit. I sometimes find myself hanging on to pieces that I like even when they don’t really work in my wardrobe, and this series is so helpful for identifying those outliers. This is a great outfit that I really liked wearing, but I have not reached for that sweater a single time since, and every attempt to style it has been unsuccessful. Time to let her go.
On a completely opposite note, I have a hard time not reaching for this chunky knit once the weather cools down. I swear my cost per wear on this sweater must be under $1 at this point (and it wasn’t cheap). I haven’t played with my silk scarves much at all this year, and this outfit has inspired me to revisit this styling trick. I’ve put these OG 107 fatigues into my archive, they’re fitting just a little too snug these days, so when I do revisit this look I’ll swap in my new Gramicci pants.
Overall, October 2023 was a mixed bag of outfits that I loved and a few that I will never ever reach for again. My key takeaway from this batch of looks is the colour story. I saw so many great combos in these outfits that I feel excited to return to, and it also got my wheels turning thinking about how I might expand the palette to include some of the colours I’m interested in exploring. Since my meticulous outfit documentation came to an abrupt halt in October last year, I won’t be continuing with calculating the number of repeat/revisit/retire. Instead I think I’ll expand this monthly post to include some images for how I might update the looks that I won’t be repeating.
This month’s edition of Outfit Repeater also heralds the beginning of another Outfit Relay over on IG! Some of my favourite follows on IG have been discovered during the challenge, and it’s a fun, easily adaptable way to explore your personal style and connect with other outfit repeaters. All of the details of the challenge can be found here:
The challenge begins today, Monday October 28, and your only task is to get dressed!! Read all about the previous challenges and get more info on the relay here:
BITS, BOBS, ETC.
The Fall edition of the Outfit Relay is taking place this week, Oct. 28-Nov. 1 over on IG and YOU are invited!
Victoria, BC - I’m participating in an in-person market on November 9th with some incredible pieces from my closet sale boxes! For anyone not able to shop in person, don’t worry- I’ve got a stack of pieces for you too that will be online in November.
Personal Style Sessions are available for November and beyond!
Curious about booking an Indyx Lookbook with me? Read all about it
Thanks so much for your patience with Outfit Repeater this month! It’s been a challenging start to the Fall season and I’m grateful to be able to take the time and space when I need it.
As always, thanks so much for reading. I’ll be back soon with more sustainable + attainable style for you!
I would love to know about what bras/undergarments you use… if that was comfy to share at some point :)
your man's cow shoes are incredible! love the brown jacket on black pants/ sweater <3