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WIW and end of the summer conclusions

Irina

Veteran

Well, last days of summer, although I will still wear my summer clothes in September. I’m bored a bit with it at this point and looking forward to some cooler temps.
Seems to me, this is a good time to evaluate what worked and what didn’t in my wardrobe.
Worked: I bought 4!!! pairs of summer flats in color (only one of them is a replacement for a worn out pair). This was one of my goals for 2021. Well, maybe not 4 pairs All are comfortable and I enjoy wearing them.
Didn’t work: I planned to refresh my summer pants collection, I haven’t done it for a couple of years. Bought 3 pairs:
Green Easy pant from Everlane - wide leg is what I wanted but the fabric is not drapy enough and feels a bit much when walking. Moved to casual wear for walks.
Wide leg full length BR linen mix pants - too dressy for everyday wear, we ended up WFH for the whole summer. Might work next year.
Zara cotton/linen mix cream pants -big disappointment and my last purchases from Zara. That fabric got softer with wear and lost some shape (picture 6 ). Moved to casual wear.
Regrets: enjoyed wearing my COS dress and could’ve used one more but realized it too late, found nothing that I liked.
Didn’t buy a white bag that I loved during NAS for the practicality reasons. Really want it but not for a full price which is out of my price range for small bags.

Are you evaluating your summer wardrobe right now or it is still too early for you?
Here are some of my summer outfits what I wore in the last week or so.
Pants in #1 are navy pinstripe not black. I wore #5 today to return jeans to nearby Winners.

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42 replies

Latest reply was from lyn67

Anonymous

I like 4 and 5 most, and September is definitely still summer!
I don't think I added much for summer, cause it's my easy season, but trying to sort out cold weather way in advance (for a change).
Adding light neutrals- beige, tan, camel, caramel though was a winner for me especially. I'm really glad they've been available cause white is just too much contrast with my skin.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I’ll be back but in the mean time - you need to model for COS! Love it all!

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

It's funny....we will have a few more months of summer weather, but because retail doesn't line up with our seasons I have moved on to fall/winter shopping.

I love your outfits, Irina! Simple but sophisticated

Anonymous

Exceptional outfits! Adore #5 with the white top, red plaid pants and red shoes. Yes, reviewing my summer clothes and starting to blend summer and fall pieces to formulate new outfits.

Irina

Veteran

Angie, only a black shirt, a bag and sandals are from COS.

Synne

Veteran

Ah, everything is of course gorgeous. I really admire your effortless perfect style. It would be fun if you showed us your lounge capsule! I bet you have the same exquisite taste coming through all around!

Cardiff girl

Veteran

You have great style!I am itching to put my summer stuff away because the weather is rubbish here in the uk but l won’t do it until the end of September because September can often be really nice here.l will evaluate then but l already know what’s worked well so far.

RobinF

Veteran

You do neutrals so well! Love your casual chic look. The pants in #4 are my favorite but love all of these.

Irina

Veteran

Synne, LOL… No, if you saw me, you would be so disappointed!
I’m sitting at my desk in Uniqlo shorts that don’t fit me well and a linen t-shirt (raspberry color!) that is too long on me! Not an outfit I’m willing to make public

Sloper

Veteran

Still too early for me to evaluate summer. We're usually hot through Halloween. A few cooler days will start creeping in though (actually had one yesterday - such a relief).

Of your outfits, I like 2, 4, 5, 6. Especially 2. I think the just-a-bit narrower than full wide leg (and what looks like a more structured fabric) is very flattering for you. And 6 works nicely I think because of the side draping on the top - keeps you from looking too cut in half.

Minaminu

Veteran

Very nice Irina! you have a strong look and it's very cohesive, plus it works very well on you The dress is a great addition!

I think this year it has been another strange one... Last December, I planned for the warm season and heatwave some trousers suit, chino, light neutral sandals, co-ordinated top and skirt and dress. It didn't turned out as planned for a variety of reason, mainly due to this strange summer, unsettled lifestyle and the Covid. I am turning a page on this summer and am trying to plan for the next fall, easier said than done!

Anonymous

I’d love to see finds for the summer flats and the COS dress ! I really enjoy your look and how consistent your style is .

I’m mentally done with summer and have already started putting away certain pieces I know I won’t wear again this season . I’ve been making my own mental list of what worked and what didn’t - and for the first year ever I feel like I have a handle on what works best for me in the summer months .

Irina

Veteran

Lisa, sorry I can’t do finds from iPad and all of it sold out anyway. The only flats are still available are Day Glove from Everlane.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

That white shirt with a collar and the red shoes are both excellent in every outfit they appear in. I like the plaid pants & that outfit too.

On finds—I think a lot of us have a hard time with finds lately, either because the applet isn’t working or because we are on our phones. My work-around is to put the url of the item in the find. Not perfect, because the url isn’t necessarily stable.

slim cat

Veteran

Great looks - love #4 and #5 - just perfect! Outfit #3 is cute and brings something different into your style - I like it a lot ( must be printed top )
I'm still in summer mode but work clothes need to be evaluated for the upcoming dressier/stricter requirement for fall.
My midi skirts are still the best for our long hot summer.
I'm interested in finding some wide legged pants that you wear so elegantly.

Anonymous

Thanks Irina - just curious is all .

Sal

Veteran

What a lovely breezy stylish set of outfits. With great footwear (I am looking for updated summer footwear so this is very helpful!)

My favourites are 2 4 5 6

I often admire the day glove shoes and they are great on you. I like this style more than a traditional ballet flat. I don't think I will risk the online shopping from NZ but I am tempted.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

You definitely have a preferred summer silhouette!

It's interesting that you found some of your widelegs to be not drapey enough. I have had a very drapey Eileen Fisher pair for a few years and always thought I wanted something with more structure, but now that I have jeans in a similar cut, I've come to the same conclusion as you. Somehow, it feels like a LOT in a stiffer fabrication.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Your LOOK is COS, my dear Irina.

#1, 2 and 6 are my KILLER faves! Fabulous Summer "uniform", and now you need a red bag

Runcarla

Veteran

Love #2 and #5. Fabulous urban summer style, Irina!

Worked: It’s early days for assessing summer as a whole, but at a glance the Levi 721’s have been getting a lot of wear, followed by white jean cut-offs. Sleeveless button downs bought early this year expressly for hot summer are winners, with the navy and white floral seeing double the wear of the white one. After deciding t-shirts weren’t going to work for summer, I ended up adding 4 new ones in July - and they are all in regular rotation. The v-neck makes a difference. (Crew necks are on my ‘no buy’ list.). The lilac linen dress is a favourite and passed the laundry test with flying colours. Wildcard floral sneakers have become workhorses

Last year was the first year I ‘counted wears’ and it informed planning for high summer 2021. I shopped early for the first time ever, and went into the season prepared. There has been no summer panic buying this year! I’m set for autumn, but have a few winter needs (that I don’t really want to think about atm!)

Didn’t Work: white leather slip on Ked’s gave me heel blisters the last 15 minutes of a long walk, worked for several short jaunts, but then gave me heel blisters again while I was in Ottawa last week. Gone!

Regrets: not being able to source a bag to go with my lilacs. I’ve been looking at blues and burgundy, but nothing yet.

notsaf

Veteran

Irina what are the pants in #2: I love them!

Irina

Veteran

Thank you suntiger, Angie, chewyspaghetti, Nikki, Synne, Cardiff girl, RobinF, Sloper, minaminu, LisaP, SF, slim cat, Sal, Jenn for you support and kind words.

Jenn, Everlane pants are mid thickness cotton that hemmed wide, which makes an edge of pants to have more structure. They are also almost full length on me, so I feel they overpowering my frame. Why I haven’t noticed it right away?

Sorry all for not posting finds. I mostly shop sales and stuff is gone before I post an outfit. Also, some of my clothes is old like a black pair of silk Club Monaco joggers in picture 3. I got them in 2016, the same year I bought this white linen shirt from Massimo Dutti. This year clothes in pictures:
- cream pants from Zara
- olive square silk shirt from Everlane
- beige barrel leg jeans from Massimo Dutti
- grey patterned chiffon silk top from Eileen Fisher (sample sale, originally in tunic length)

Irina

Veteran

Notsaf, those a barrel leg jeans from Massimo Dutti. Found them in a store, sadly not available online.

Thanks, RunCarla. Bags are difficult, aren’t they?

CarolS

Veteran

I love your easy, breezy summer look -- with #4 standing out as a favourite.

I spent the last few months cycling through the same few pairs of lightweight wide legged cropped pants and loose sleeveless tops that I've worn the past couple of summers, usually grounded by my trusty around-the-house Birks. Although I will probably need summer items for the next few weeks, I am "over" summer and ready to turn my thoughts elsewhere.

I probably won't spend much time evaluating what I want to do for next summer until we get into late winter/early spring here. WFH will continue through until at least January, so there's still not a lot of need to bump up a lot of office attire. For now, my focus is on shopping my closet (and maybe a wee bit of retail) to pull together at least a few good transitional looks.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

These are all just fabulous! I love the variation within a certain theme - in other words these are all your style without being the same. Along with everyone's favorites I admire #3 as an original take on a sort of athluxe look. I love the silhouette of the pants with the maryjane shoes and tie dye.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I'm with you on preferring wider legs in softer fabrications. I think that is why I am going "off" my wide leg jeans. But that's another story.

In the meantime, I love all these looks. Okay, so some of these items may not be COS -- but you wear them all in.a very COS (or, dare I say, Irina?) way. Distinctive, simple but strong, recognizably your style. Love it all!

Very interesting observations on what worked and what didn't. I think for those of us with a fairly neutral heavy style, coloured or patterned footwear can work very seamlessly into the wardrobe as a subtle statement item. My style is more modern classic/ gamine than yours but it is also neutral heavy and essentials heavy and while I do have some patterned clothing more of my clothes are solids or faux solids (i.e. very subtle patterns ) -- except for stripes, that is. Anyway, I find coloured and patterned footwear works brilliantly for me.

Joy

Veteran

Irina, I love all your summer looks, but favorites are #1 and #4. You do neutrals well but also look fab in the reds in #5. I used to live in an area that had summer and hot weather until mid November or even later and it started in Feb. or March. I got so bored that I disciplined myself to save some things like dark summer items until at least late July. In September I switch to my “hot fall” capsule (fall colors and motifs like leaves in summer weights) and also have a “hot spring” capsule of summer weight fabrics in pastels and flower motifs. This has worked well for me and usually keeps the boredom away. Now I have more transitional weather between winter and summer, so plan to switch to “hot fall” at the end of August. I also change neutrals which means more browns in fall.
What has worked: I added some boho tops and switched to pull on bottoms for medical reasons. I did all this committed to buying only second hand. I feel it was a refreshing change. I worked at adding more white and was successful in getting a white summer dress and white boho style blouse as well as a couple of cropped white pants.
I also felt good about closed shoes, ( espadrilles, perforated leather and fabric flats have successfully replaced sandals and cropped pants and skirts have replaced shorts, which I no longer own except one pair of 11 inch board shorts in my swim capsule.
What has not worked: polyester fabrics and knits. When I had to give up jeans and anything with a tight waist, I thought yoga pants and that sort of thing would be my thing. The knits and polyester-rich fabrics do not work for summer for me. They are just too hot. Maybe I can wear them late fall or even in winter. I will not buy any more.
Lessons: I found that I needed light weight toppers because it always cools off a lot at night. Therefore since I start and end the day in toppers, I really need something that will work for every outfit.
This has not been quite as necessary this summer because we usually are season ticket holders for the Shakespeare Festival and other entertainment that is often at night and/or outside. Those things were all cancelled this year or extremely limited.

Sally

Veteran

I like your style of unstuctured pieces and natural colours. All the outfits look great and well put together.

Irina

Veteran

Thank you CarolS, shevia, Suz, Joy and Sally!

Joy, how I could forget to save some summer item to wear later in the summer? I used to do it before Covid!
Like many of us, the office workers, some of my clothes haven’t seen a daylight in 2 years. It’s too dressy for my casual life now. I added 7 summer pieces. Sadly, three of those 7 are pants I’m not to happy about and it somewhat limited my choices. Hope next year I will be selective when purchasing clothes.

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