Mixing old with new & some musings on the current state of my wardrobe

Ending the week with one of my go-to outfit combinations at the moment; a snuggly knit sweater worn with a mini skirt, and a duster-length coat thrown over for good measure. Despite the mismatched proportions of the coat and skirt, I’ve always found that these two hemlines draw a bit of balance when paired together.

Wearing Icebreaker merino sweater (on sale), Willow leather skirt (old but similar here), Edgii duster coat (old but similar here), Charlotte Olympia pumps (old but similar here), JW Anderson logo bag (also here)

And I’m sure you’ll also have spotted a *new* bag. Funnily enough, I’d purchased this in a cobalt blue around two years ago, but it arrived missing the top handle strap so I had to return it. I’d been keeping my eye on the style in case a colour I liked popped up at the right price. I got lucky recently with one of David Jones’ flash sales, and am glad I waited this one out as classic black is a much better much for me than a vibrant royal blue.

mixing old with new

The main thing I wanted to touch on with this outfit is how it combines old with new(ish). My core wardrobe essentials have changed very little over the years. When I find something I love, I stick to it, so it’s not uncommon to see me repeating the same items over and over. Over winter, the main culprits were my Dr Denim jeans (again), my Kindersalmon coat, and my Joseph rollneck sweater.

To make them feel *fresh* or just to get a bit of variety, it’s here I like to mix things up with something new. While it’s not a necessary thing to feel great in your outfit, a small refresh can alter your perspective, especially if you’ve been feeling like you’re in a style rut.

In this outfit, the older pieces are ones I’ve had a while now. The Willow leather skirt has been a staple for me coming up on three years now. It was actually an eBay find; at the time that this was in-stores, I was unable to afford it full price, and got pretty lucky stumbling across my size for a fraction of RRP pre-loved and in excellent condition.

The shoes are another favourite, and one you will have spotted me sporting many times. I snapped them up during the 2017 pre-Christmas sales, and they’ve turned out to be a major workhorse in my wardrobe. The knotted design on the vamp and the gold block heel are so unique, and it helps that they’re super comfortable too.

musings on my wardrobe

It’s usually during that switch in seasons that I spend some time analysing my wardrobe. Not only to identify my most worn and the types of items I gravitate towards the most, but also to look at what I have holistically. And I’ve realised a few things.

Despite knowing it doesn’t exist, I still seem fraught with the idea of building the perfect wardrobe. It’s the thing that keeps me looking at and accumulating basics that I don’t need, and it’s why I have so many similar – yet also ‘different’ – key pieces.

When your style is as basic as mine is, those small details can be what transform an outfit. Because I wear so many of the same core items from my wardrobe over and over, those variations in style can be enough for me to feel like I’m wearing something different, despite it being just an alternate version of a current style uniform.

The second thing will come as no surprise, but I find colour really difficult to incorporate into my wardrobe in a natural way. Over the last eight months I’ve discovered that a warm-toned red is right up my alley, but bright yellows and greens aren’t. While I make the odd exception, most of my outfits are centred around black and white. To ease some colour into my looks, I’m instead thinking to focus more on muted de-saturated tones. This experimentation with colour almost always happens around spring time, and you’d think by now I would have learned my lesson… But mostly, it’s a reminder that neutrals are my jam, and I need to stop trying to force my wardrobe a certain way.

Finally, I’ve been thinking a bit more about investing in core items. A Max Mara belted coat, an oversized blazer from Stella McCartney, a basic black kitten heel court shoe, and a timeless forever bag. I’ve spent the last few years shying away from those big purchases in favour of more affordable alternatives, which goes against my style rule of waiting to invest in the one you truly have your eye on.

Part of what makes me balk at the price tag of these splurge-worthy pieces has been my reliance on shopping pre-loved. I’ve stumbled across more bargains than I can count (in excellent condition I might add), which only makes it harder to consider parting with a big chunk of savings for that something special.

So in an effort to get back to that mantra I love – fewer, better – I deleted all the superfluous items I liked from my bookmarks so I could focus my attention on saving up for a handful of big ticket items. I’m sure there’ll be the odd stumble along the way, but I know from experience that being patient is almost always worth the wait.