let's.get.dressed.

outfit ideas & more

Last week was a casual one- filled with doctors appointments (dermatologist, veterinarian, pediatrician!), working from home, and running errands. Also rain, lots of rain. I lived in Oregon for the first seven years of my life and I would say L.A. is beginning to feel like Portland except we have sales tax! Ugh! (yes, for those of you who don’t know, there is no sales tax in Oregon! There’s also hiking, camping, nature, etc. but I cannot educate you on that).

Anyway, I wanted to document my outfits (the ones worth documenting, at least) because while I broke my no-buy in January I am trying to shop thoughtfully. I am a better shopper when I can look back and visualize my daily outfits versus seeing one photo of myself in a nice dress from last summer and hitting checkout on a cart full of sundresses thinking yeah! these will be so useful!. I’m not savvy enough to save my wishlist on an excel spreadsheet like my sister (one of us is in business school, working on their second Master’s degree and the other writes about fashion and chases after a toddler and two dogs all day), but I have been keeping a list on my phone on the notes app. If I see something and can actively visualize it working with my wardrobe (instead of against it, like so many impulse buys do), I write it on the list. It has to stay on the list for at least 10 days for me to consider purchasing!

Okay, back to the outfits. I really think it’s good for your mental health to subscribe to the joy of getting dressed every day. Even if you’re just going to the dentist, why not wear a killer outfit? It’s a free mood booster! I definitely didn’t just wear these outfits this past week, but they’re my favorites and the ones that made me feel the most me.

outfit 1 // vest (or, similar here). pants. belt. bag. shoes. (use code SHOPMY20 for 20% off!) outfit 2// tank. leather trench (vintage, similar here). jeans. flats. bag. outfit 3// cardigan. pants. sneakers, old nike. belt. outfit 4// leopard trench. cropped tee. pants. sneakers. bag. outfit 5// bomber jacket. tank. belt. pants. birkenstocks. vintage speedy, found one here. outfit 6// top. pants. flats. bag. 

You’ll notice most of my outfits include large bags and flat shoes. These are two categories I’ve spent the most $$ on, because they’re everyday items for me. For others this might mean a necklace or fancy scarf! Whatever works! But I know when I spend money on these categories, it will more than likely pay off.

Breaking out of my jeans rut has really meant I’ve turned to wearing leopard and camo pants, like a lot. I missed my pants during pregnancy, so I’ve really embraced them postpartum. At the same time, I so badly want to be more of a dress girl. The only ones worth the splurge to me lately are Tibi, because

Amy smilovic

really know’s what she’s doing! It’s hard for me to find a dress that’s not too fussy and hers are chill enough for me to wear during the day with ease (I own this one and have this on the way).

My takeaways from the outfits documented are 1. Sometimes I think my closet is all over the place, but it’s really not. I like what I like (leopard, camo, leather, pops of red, denim) and that’s useful information when considering future purchases., and 2. I’m pretty satisfied with my wardrobe right now! This doesn’t mean I’m giving up shopping (ha!) but I know more about what I gravitate towards and what kind of purchases would serve me in the future. While my internet friend

Hey Mrs. Solomon on Style

reminded us that investment dressing is a sham this week (genius!), I do revel in knowing that I’ve gotten great mileage out of my purchases, even though as she so cleverly pointed out- buying clothes is a lot like buying a car! They depreciate. Buy what you like and don’t overthink it! Your closet is about the evolution of you, not anyone else. For example, I can’t think of a ton of people in my life who desperately need these velcro Asics (from the Cecilie Bahnsen collab, a few sizes left here) but they’re my go-to’s when I’m trying to get dressed for a family walk or trip to the playground.

Document your outfits for a week and see if there are any useful takeaways, if you feel like it. It is, if nothing else, a fun way to girl math your way into future purchases.

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BTW………

• I’m bothered by my c-section scar less and less these days, which I consider a win and Linda Evangelista showing her mastectomy scars on a magazine cover is a big yes from me! It brings me back to the recent Collina Strada show where the theme was strength and pregnant and postpartum women walked on the runway. Women are so badass and we don’t celebrate it enough!

• I like these lounge pants, a lot! perfect for hanging around the house but could definitely be worn with an oversized sweater and sneaker to brunch or on an errand run, etc.

• You can use the code SHOPMY20 for 20% off your first Shopbop order! Yay! My personal wishlist includes this cashmere polo, workout dress, cozy throw blanket, and duh! more camo pants. My favorite serum is also available- if you have dry skin this stuff is a lifesaver.

• Might or might not treat myself to these Wales Bonner track pants.

• In an effort to share more and shop less, I’ve been posting links to some RealReal finds on my stories lately. Today’s treat is this multicolor Loewe scarf.

• I am really loving Substack so much right now. Instagram and TikTok are fun, too, but there’s something about the Substack community that really brings me joy. If you’re on the substack app, you can go to my profile and under “reads” it’ll show you everything I subscribe to.

That’s all for today, but I have a lot more to say (per usual) that I’ll be sharing later this week. Please forward to a fashion-loving friend and subscribe if you haven’t already. Tapping the heart icon below helps, too.

xx, Liz