I ended up swapping days this week with this secondhand finds post and the capsule wardrobe one because I wanted to squeeze in one last capsule post of the year.
This week I wanted to give it a bit of a theme, so everything I included leans towards minimalism. It was fun searching for a specific aesthetic so I may do the style-focused collections occasionally to see what I can come up with.
I don’t do the whole resolution thing, but something that I have noticed in my wardrobe is a complete shift to secondhand first.
The idea is to eventually shift my wardrobe to be mostly secondhand and vintage finds.
So when I am shopping online for new and something catches my eye, I then open up a few tabs and do some Google image searches, and keyword searches to try and find something similar.
This is a fun exercise to try and more often than not it has led me to pieces that I actually like more than the new ones.
With that being said I am going to start with a couple of coats. The first is a pinky brown long wool coat, and what really grabbed me was the amazing gathered collar that stands up with the big bow.
Such a statement coat.
The second is a simple grey, wool blend car coat. It is from the 60s, and has a nice a-line shape. A definite classic piece.
Gathered Collar Coat | Grey Coat
I am feeling very winter-transition-to-spring right now so I have a mixture of multi-season pieces. The first piece is a long, black, cashmere coat in a size 14-16. It’s a coat you will wear year after year.
Then a shorter grey, wool jacket that is more in the style of the recent lady jackets but feels a bit more 90s Calvin Klein.
Cashmere Coat | Short Grey Wool Jacket
Two dresses, one wool that is perfect for now and into spring, the other is a beautiful little sundress that would be so lovely in the summertime, or spring with a little cardigan.
Want to make it edgy? Throw on a black leather or suede jacket and some pointy toed, kitten heel mules.
And again two pieces for different seasons. First is a black suede, cinch waist blazer for such a good deal. I’d wear it over a variety of tops, but also buttoned up and worn as a shirt itself.
The other is a cream colour, silk, open-front jacket. It would look great over dresses or tanks, but also belted or tied at the waist, or even held closed with a vintage brooch.
Suede Cinched Blazer | Silk Jacket
One brand I always seek is vintage Helmut Lang and this leather dress is such a little gem. Since I am not a short dress person I would wear this over jeans or pants as a long tunic shirt instead.
It would also look cute with a turtleneck layered underneath.
The vintage bag is a great piece. The handle looks like it is missing in the middle in the photo but it is actually Lucite that starts black at the sides and transitions to clear in the middle.
It wouldn’t be a week if I didn’t have some kick-ass earrings. I love the simplicity in design but the statement in their size. Such a good pair.
If you like 90s DKNY as much as I do then you will probably appreciate this tan coloured, silk-linen blend skirt.
These pieces in these fabrics really stand the test of time. Can you imagine what the fast fashion pieces are going to look like in 30 years? Yikes.
Large Square Earrings | Vtg DKNY Silk Blend Skirt
We’re moving on to shoes and accessories now starting with two bags. One is a classic leather tote from Coach which is something that will last you forever.
The other is a cute little straw shoulder bag.
What I love about the straw one is that it is an east-west shaped little shoulder bag, and not one of those large straw totes typically seen in summer.
If I didn’t already have a pair of vintage leather gloves on their way to me right now I would grab these.
At first they seem like some classic, black, leather gloves, but they have this cut-out lace design in the wrist of them that takes them from basic to stand out.
I have a thing for vintage Ray Ban sunglasses, and this 90s shape is highly sought after. The perfect pair of sunnies for a minimalist outfit.
Lace Cut Out Leather Gloves | Vtg Ray Bans
Shoes. I love shoes. I didn’t even realize that I was a shoe person until recently. It was like a revelation.
Anyway, I have some Dries Van Noten beautiful vintage, block heel boots with a strong pointed toe in a dark brown with burgundy undertones. You can’t go wrong with Dries Van Noten, ever.
Then I saved the best for last because come on, this green is absolute perfection and is a spring trend.
The pointed toe with the high-cut vamp is such a beautiful design. Simple but stunning. These would carry you through many seasons.
Dries Van Noten Boots | Seafoam Green Flats
My goal when shopping secondhand is to try not to buy anything that you can easily date when you first see it. We want pieces that transcend these specific notable trends.
For example, I would never buy a Juicy track suit if I saw it because it screams a very specific time period, even though they are back in style.
Yes, you heard me right, there are many Juicy Girls running around right now with their Uggs. Sigh.
I wasn’t then, and I definitely am not one now. So you get the gist of what I mean but finding pieces that are universally dateless unless of course you are after a very specific era look.
But ultimately go by your gut. If it makes you excited when you see it then you probably are making a good choice.
Happy New Year and happy secondhand shopping!
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