I just caught myself scrolling Pinterest for something to catch my eye or spark a new thought or feel worthy to share with all of you. When I realised what I was doing it all felt kind of silly. Actively searching for something to share — why? If I don’t have anything genuine to share then I can just shut the hell up for a little while and wait for inspiration to strike, no? No one wants to read a forced post about fall style inspiration. No one wants to write that either.
So what is it that makes me feel like I have nothing to share? It’s not that I’m uninspired exactly. My favourite season has finally arrived and I get to wear all my favourite things, like my jean jacket, suede loafers, thin knits and jeans. I’m still saving things to my Pinterest board. I’m enjoying the different takes on fall style written by some of my favourite writers like
, , Anna Newton (), and , plus more. But there’s a feeling like… I don’t have anything new to add because I’m not looking for anything that new in my style/wardrobe either. As silly as it sounds, it’s more of a coming home.Last week I wrote about styling spring colours for fall. Inbetween all the burgundy and charcoal and chocolate brown I wanted to make a case for the butter yellows, lavenders and sage greens. Oh and pairing them all together? Even better. But I can’t claim to have exactly have made a new discovery or nailed down a new trend. My observation was more a reminder, and a play on some of the less popular colours from tropes like the Tibi colour wheel. A great trope at that. But not a ground-breaking new theory in colour analysis.
I also noticed as I was hanging up the pieces I’d picked out for my fall capsule that there was nothing brand new to hang. Nothing I was overjoyed to wear, yet nothing I felt unattracted to either. I made my picks for Sept/Oct largely based off of what I remember really enjoying the past two years, which is more often than not some combo of cotton longsleeve tshirt + jeans + knit sweater +sneakers/boots. An outfit recipe basically anyone could muster with the ingredients in their individual wardrobe. Do I miss feeling excited about purchases made specifically for fall? Honestly, yes. But do I want to shop that way now? No, no I don’t. I want to use the clothes I have and like/love, only adding to my wardrobe those thoughtful and versatile pieces I’ve mulled over a longer period of time. And those shopping experiences rarely give me butterflies. There’s less of a dopamine hit than the sale finds and other spontaneous purchases. I’m trying to rewire my brain in that way — to stop looking towards purchases and shopping as a crutch to lean on when I need to “spice up my life”.
This fall you’ll see me in my trusty (old) Stan Smith sneakers, the jean jacket I stole from my boyfriend, the suede jacket I inherited from my grandmother. I’ll keep wearing my favourite Weekday jeans, the brown cosy knit I wore all last winter and the Blundstone boots I’ve had for… seven years. If the temperature drops below 0 I’ll be in my down jacket I got for Christmas from my sister last year, even if it means I’ll be wearing it daily for 3–4 months. If I do add things to my wardrobe I hope they are things I’ve really thought about, or that feel really special and worthwhile. I’ll be looking at 90s J.Crew, Lorelai Gilmore, the past Miu Miu shows and all the other fabulous inspo people are sharing — because it’s fun! I just won’t be going out buying the knock-off Zara pieces from all the trends I like, because to be really frank: they bore me. And if they don’t, I know they will in 3–6 months.
"Do I miss feeling excited about purchases made specifically for fall? Honestly, yes. But do I want to shop that way now? No, no I don’t. I want to use the clothes I have and like/love, only adding to my wardrobe those thoughtful and versatile pieces I’ve mulled over a longer period of time. And those shopping experiences rarely give me butterflies." I really relate to this, but have also coined this in my mind as playing the long game. These "boring" pieces end up being the ones I can create creative and stylish outfits with in the long haul. A delayed dopamine hit if you will!
Seeing my name on that list?! YOU BABE. Thank you Julia ❤️