I'm going to review my year in parts.

First -- did I meet my goals?

My aims for the year were a thorough closet edit and a style reset. As part of that I hoped to find some more current-feeling and comfortable WFH outfits.

I did do a closet edit, although I am not sure how “thorough” it was. So far, I retired 37 items, which is definitely on the high side for me. More typical would be somewhere between 20-30 retirements and 20-30 purchases). I think I could stand to let go of even more. About half my wardrobe consists of items that are older than 5 years, some of which I wear regularly and still love, and some of which I keep but rarely wear. Time to reflect on that.

I was slow to get started with the style reset or the new WFH options. Partly that’s because I ended up working mostly outside the home until the end of April. And then it was summer.

Despite my slow start, I purchased 30 items, not including undies, jewellery, or gear (though some of the shoes are crossover). (Most are in Finds; more info to come.) That’s a bit higher than my typical range. I have a few more things on order, but they haven’t arrived yet and won’t be here until the new year.

I’m feeling really happy with my new “laid-back luminous garcon” style moniker; the minute I hit on it, a few things came together for me (at least in my head, LOL) and I’ve started making some edits and purchases with this persona in mind.

I know some of you felt I didn’t really need all three words— but for me, the adjectives create a bit of productive tension. Too much “laid back” and I feel too masculine, too classic, too preppy, or too dull; not enough “laid -back”, and my clothing won’t be practical enough for my very casual work-from-home existence. Too much “luminous” and I will feel overdone and impractical for my real world; not enough and the energy won’t be high enough. The “garcon” is self-explanatory, and not really much of a shift for me — I’ve always had a slightly androgynous gamine style. Regardless, this moniker seems useful for my decision-making. I feel less stymied and better able to freshen up my style in an authentic way.

Angie also kindly suggested "graceful gamine."

I had trouble getting good photos; nevertheless, a few of my favourite outfits. Almost all from recent months because I have felt in a real style rut until a few weeks ago!

Thanks for looking, and I’ll be back with a review of workhorses and mistakes!