Fashion

2025 fashion shopping review

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I know it’s not Friday, the day I usually try to write about fashion, but it’s that weird limbo between Christmas and New Years when we’re all out of routine and no one seems to know for sure what day it is, so bear with me.

For the past eight years, I’ve kept a list of all my fashion purchases including clothing, accessories, and footwear. Initially, I had three goals in mind. I was interested in finding out more about my spending habits, I wanted to be more intentional about wardrobe development, and I wanted to work on becoming a more ethical shopper. At the end of each year I’ve published a fashion shopping review analyzing my purchases and setting some goals for the next year.

When I started this exercise back in 2018, I bought 35 items. 30 of them were purchased new and the other 5 were thrifted. I spent approximately $1135 CAD. In 2024, I bought only 14 items. 9 of them were new and again, 5 were thrifted. I spent $420.58. This past year, I purchased 14 items again, 11 new and 3 thrifted, and spent a total of just $318.29!

Although buying less is good for both the planet and the pocketbook, I’m not entirely happy with my 2025 clothing purchases. In addition to replacing worn out underwear (I counted a package of 6 as one item) and pyjamas, I bought a pair of warm winter gloves, a few tops, and a jacket. That’s all! I feel like I’ve let my wardrobe slip and I find myself reaching for the same old pieces over and over again. That’s also why I’ve found it hard to maintain the Fashion Friday aspect of the blog with any regularity. After all, who wants to read about my same old, same old boring wardrobe? 😂

I did purchase two accessories this year, but both could also be considered souvenirs. I bought a necklace in a little kiosk in a bus station in Mexico and a pair of silver earrings in an open marketplace in Armenia.

My most expensive wardrobe purchase this year was the one pair of shoes that I bought, a pair of classic leather Clarks with low heels and a patent toe cap that gives them a dressy look. They’re super comfy and can be worn with anything from a fancy dress to jeans. One thing I’ve learned as I’ve aged is that comfortable, quality footwear is always a good investment and I’d been looking for something like these for quite awhile.

As I look ahead to 2026, my main wardrobe shopping goal is quite different from previous years. I actually want to shop more! As a frugal fashionista, I’m not about to go overboard, but my closet definitely needs some updating. At the same time, I fully intend to continue avoiding fast fashion, buying quality pieces that will last, and attempting to shop for ethically sourced garments (which is much easier said than done). I’ll also continue to track my purchases so that I can evaluate again a year from now.

Dressing for the holiday season

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I used to think that dressing for Christmas events meant putting together festive outfits that incorporated sequins, glitter, metallics, satiny fabrics or velvet in holiday colours like red, green, or gold. But what if that’s not you? If glitz and glam is your thing, then by all means, indulge your inner princess, but if it’s not, don’t try to be someone you’re not. I’m here to tell you that dressing for the holidays shouldn’t turn you into a completely different person. Instead, consider your style personality, how you like to dress the rest of the year, then elevate it slightly to make it appropriate for the holiday events you’ll be attending.  

I’ve written about style adjectives many times before. These are three to five descriptive words that describe your personal style and help you create outfits that say what you want to say about yourself. My adjectives are classy, casual, comfortable, confident, and authentic. In creating outfits for Christmas events, I might want to play into the classy aspect of my style a bit more than the casual side, but I definitely want to be authentic; true to who I am as opposed to trying to look like someone I’m not.  

Holiday outfits should feel special, but they don’t have to involve buying dozens of Christmassy pieces that will languish in your closet eleven months of the year. Instead, look at what’s already in your closet that might lean toward festive with the addition of the right accessories. A black skirt or pants paired with a cream or red sweater could form the basis of an outfit that would be appropriate for most Christmas occasions. Add some glittery earrings or a festive brooch, a dressy handbag, and the right shoes or boots and you’re ready to go. 

Now let’s look at what I wore for the one Christmas event that I’ve attended so far, a ladies banquet and fashion show. Since my style uniform throughout the winter months often consists of jeans, a pullover top, and a third piece, it was easy to follow the same formula but dress it up with pieces that have been in my closet for several years.

The black pants are left over from my teaching days, so they’re probably 20 years old or more! They were hidden away in storage for many years when wide legs were out of style; one of the few times that I was smart enough to hang onto something until a trend returned! Now they’re my go-to pants when I need something dressy. The simple sleeveless top has also been around for years. It’s one of those sparkly items that only comes out at this time of year and adds a Christmassy feel to the outfit. The cozy sweater jacket was thrifted several winters ago. I knew that it would keep me warm even if the venue was a bit cool. I accessorized the outfit with a simple black belt, black booties, and a pair of sparkly earrings.  

Before I close, I want to thank everyone for the very kind responses to last week’s post that were left here on the blog or on Facebook. I appreciated them so much! ❤ I’m happy to report that I’m feeling much better now. My appetite has returned and my energy level is improving day by day. I’m still committed to keeping Christmas simple this year though! 

Book of the month – November 2025

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CLAIRE McCARDELL The Designer Who Set Women Free

Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson

When Jennifer Connolly of A Well Styled Life, mentioned this fascinating biography in a post a couple of months ago, I knew I had to read it. A book about fashion and a woman ahead of her time all wrapped up in one! What’s not to like? I immediately searched our interlibrary loan system and requested it. I was not disappointed.

At a time when American designers were still copying Parisian fashions and dressing society women who could afford to change their clothes three times a day, McCardell fought to introduce functional ready-to-wear clothing for modern women who, like herself, were going to work, playing sports, and traveling. She introduced “menswear” fabrics like denim and tweed into womenswear. She invented ballet flats and although they shocked beachgoers at the time, she designed swimsuits that were actually comfortable to swim in! Thanks to her, we have wrap dresses, hoodies, and leggings, and although she didn’t use the term, she introduced the concept of a capsule wardrobe; a small collection of versatile, quality clothing items that could be mixed and matched to create a wide variety of outfits. And, perhaps best of all, she insisted that women’s clothing should have functional pockets! 

When interviewed by a popular radio host who asked her, “Do you believe the old saying that you have to suffer to be beautiful?”, McCardell responded, “I certainly don’t. When you’re uncomfortable you are likely to show it. That’s why I make even my most formal dresses as comfortable as a playsuit. Clothes should stay put too, so there is no temptation to be forever pulling, pinching, and adjusting them which spoils your own fun and makes everyone else fidgety. You never look really well-dressed when you’re overconscious of what you have on. Comfort should be a keynote of style.” Definitely a woman after my own heart! 

The great zebra debate

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There’s a great debate in neuroendocrine cancer circles over the use of the zebra as our symbol. At one extreme are patients, usually women, who show up at meetings and conferences decked out from head to toe in zebra stripes and who refer to one another as fellow zebras. On the other side of the debate, the world’s best known and most highly revered patient advocate is so opposed to the idea that he doesn’t allow anything zebra on his social media sites. He thinks that it’s an infantile gimmick that trivializes the grave nature of our disease and that it’s actually detrimental as an awareness tool.

So, how did the zebra become our symbol in the first place? In North America, medical students are taught “when hearing hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras.” Neuroendocrine tumours (NETS) are very difficult to diagnose. The symptoms are usually vague and similar to more common health problems. Many family doctors have never encountered a NETS patient so when they’re presented with symptoms like stomach pain and diarrhea, they naturally think of things like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease or lactose intolerance. They think of “horses”, not “zebras”.

When it comes to the great zebra debate, I stand somewhere in the middle. I think we need to take advantage of every available opportunity to draw attention to our cause and if that includes zebra stripes, I’m fine with that. After all, branding works. For example, the pink ribbon and the colour itself have become highly recognized symbols of breast cancer. While you’ll never see me wearing zebra stripes from head to toe, partly because I think it looks silly and partly because I don’t look good in black and white, I do have a zebra striped top in cream and brown and on occasion, wearing it has led to a conversation about my cancer.

Although within weeks of learning that I had neuroendocrine cancer, I wrote a blog post entitled I’m a zebra!, I’ve now joined the ranks of those who cringe at being called that. Referring to ourselves as zebras makes it sound like we’re part of an exclusive club or a cult! Zebra refers to a diagnosis, not a person. While I have NET cancer, I am not my disease.

In my advocacy role and as a support group leader, I work with patients on both sides of the great zebra debate. I would really like to know your opinion. Do you think that symbols like the zebra and the striped ribbon can be effective in spreading awareness of a disease? Or do you think that they’re silly and make light of an important topic? Please leave a comment and let me know.

And, in closing, although it has very little to do with today’s topic, I can’t resist sharing the cover of the January 15, 1926 issue of Vogue magazine!

10 fashion mistakes and what to do about them

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As I wrote in this post three years ago, I don’t follow fashion rules. Instead, I believe in wearing what makes you feel comfortable and confident. I do believe, however, that many of us make fashion mistakes that keep us from feeling great in what we wear. Today, let’s take a look at 10 of those mistakes and what to do about them.

Not knowing your personal style

It’s important to dress in a way that reflects your personality and says what you want to say about yourself. As I’ve written before, one way to identify your personal style is to choose 3 to 5 adjectives to guide your fashion choices. My style adjectives are classy, casual, comfortable, confident, and authentic. When I look in the mirror, I’m happiest when my outfit ticks all five boxes.

Not wearing the right colours for your skin tone

Knowing whether your skin has cool or warm undertones can help you choose colours that are best for you. A personal colour analysis can help, of course, but an easy way to figure this out is to look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Do they look blue or green? If they appear more blue, you are cool-toned; if they’re more green, you’re warm-toned. If you are cool-toned, bright blues, deep purples, emerald greens, and frosty shades of lavender, ice blue, and pink will look good on you. If you’re warm-toned, think fiery reds, peach, coral, oranges and rusty tones, creams, camel, and earth tones. While sticking to a specific colour palette might seem restrictive, knowing which colours make you come alive and which, especially when they’re worn close to your face, make you look tired or washed out, can definitely help you look your best.

Buying things you don’t love

Shopping with friends can be a lot of fun, but their taste might be different than yours. Consider their advice, but resist buying something that they like unless you know that it’s actually right for you. Similarly, don’t let the fashion industry dictate what you wear and don’t buy something simply because it’s on sale. Instead, wear what makes your heart sing!

Having a crowded, disorganized closet

If you can’t see what’s in your closet or if it’s full of clothes you don’t actually wear, set aside some time to take everything out, try things on, and decide what to keep and what to donate. Ask yourself: Do I love this? Does it fit my personal style? Is it the right colour for me? What can I wear it with? Do I have too many of these?

Wearing the wrong undergarments

Undergarments are the foundation that an outfit is built on. Prioritize comfort and fit. Consider going for a professional bra fitting to ensure that you’re wearing the right size. In addition to enhancing how your clothes look, a proper fit provides essential support that can reduce back, shoulder, and neck pain.

Buying quantity over quality

In addition to being terrible for the environment, fast fashion is usually characterized by shoddy workmanship and low quality fabrics that will cheapen your look. Buying fewer, better quality pieces will give you a more polished appearance and if you consider cost per wear, will also be the wiser choice financially.

Wearing clothes that don’t fit well

Oversized clothes look frumpy and clothing that’s too tight looks uncomfortable and shows off bits and bulges that are better left unseen. If you shop online, use a measuring tape and pay close attention to sizing charts. When shopping in person, try everything on and if possible, look in a three way mirror. Make sure shoulders seams align properly and buttons don’t pull. Horizontal lines in the crotch area indicate that pants are too small. When you get the fit right, your clothes will skim over your body and you’ll feel comfortable.

Sacrificing comfort for style

It isn’t necessary to choose between comfort and style, but comfort is of paramount importance in choosing what to wear. This is especially true of footwear. It’s almost impossible to look good when your feet are killing you!

Trying to follow every fashion trend

Not every trend will suit your personal style or body type. Instead, invest in quality basics that stand the test of time and add occasional trends that fit your aesthetic.

Wearing too many or not enough accessories

Accessories are the finishing touches that can take an outfit from drab to dramatic. Almost any outfit will benefit from a few carefully chosen accessories, but too many will look tacky and overwhelm your look. If you like bold jewelry, choose one statement piece and let it take centre stage while keeping other jewelry understated.

Can you think of any other fashion mistakes?

Lessons from my fall wardrobe transition

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As much as I hate to see summer come to an end, I have to quit denying reality and accept the fact that fall is here! The days are getting shorter, the furnace is coming on in the morning, coloured leaves are falling, and the farmers around us are finishing harvest. I actually love autumn, but it’s a bittersweet season because it means that our long, cold winter is just around the corner.

Another sign that fall is here is the fact that I recently found myself reaching for the warmer items in my closet. As a result, I finally made the switch from my summer wardrobe to my fall/winter one this week. As I moved my summer clothes into storage and brought out warmer ones, I tried to do a better job of purging than I’ve done in recent years. So, what went into the donate pile and what, if any, lessons can be learned?

  • Items that I bought because someone else said they looked good on me, but that I didn’t wear very often because they never really felt like me. Lesson: Don’t dress to please others. I need to consider my 5 style adjectives (classy, casual, comfortable, confident, and authentic) when I’m deciding whether or not to buy something.
  • Thrifted items that were too good to pass up, but that I’ve seldom worn.  Lesson: A bargain is only a bargain if you’re actually going to wear it.
  • Garments that no longer fit the way they should. Lesson: Dress for the body that I have today, not the one I used to have or wish I still had. My aging body is changing; there’s more around the middle than there used to be and that’s okay.
  • Items that I have too many of.  Lesson: A woman who hardly ever wears leggings doesn’t need 7 pairs!
  • Pieces that I’ve hung onto for sentimental reasons.  Lesson: I don’t need a closet full of nostalgia for my kids to clean out someday.

Now that I’ve finished sorting clothes, I need to do the same with footwear. Once that’s done, it will be time to take a close look at my wardrobe and decide whether or not there are any gaps that need to be filled before the really cold weather arrives. In the meantime, I’m hoping that our beautiful fall weather lasts for awhile longer!

How can it be fall already?

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Do you remember when you were a kid and summer seemed to go on forever? Me too, but now it seems to fly by in a flash. I have a love/hate relationship with fall. I love the crisp autumn air and the changing colours, but fall means winter is just around the corner and I’m never ready for that!

I try to hold onto summer for as long as I can, but the signs are all around me. Days are getting shorter and leaves are beginning to change colour. Teachers and students are back in school and soon our regular fall/winter activities will be in full swing again. Still, I have a hard time accepting the changing season. Reality definitely hit this morning though. When I first looked out it was -1ºC (30.2ºF) and there was frost on the roofs across the street! Frost in the first week of September!

For me, summer seemed to go by faster than ever this year. Perhaps that’s because with all the traveling we did to far flung places like Armenia, Germany, and Alaska, we didn’t spend as much time doing the things we usually do during the summer months. We did manage to fit in a fair amount of golf and we hope to do more of that in the few weeks before the course closes, but we’ve only spent 11 nights in our trailer, less than half our usual 25 or more. We are planning to get out for one more short trip, but after that it will be time for hubby to winterize the trailer. We’ve only had the kayak on the water four times, so I sure hope we can do that again too.

As a retired teacher, the beginning of September always feels like the start of a new year to me. As such, it’s a good time to set some goals or make some “new years” resolutions. Sharing them with you will make me more accountable and help me actually accomplish them, so thank you for that!

When I think about this summer’s golf and kayaking season, one thing that stood out to me was the fact that over the past few years, I’ve lost strength in my shoulders and upper arms. No surprise, as I used to lift weights all winter. Doing that is more than I can handle now, but I need to do something, so I’ve decided to add some work with dumbbells to the morning exercises that are already an established part of my year round routine. This website has some good information and exercises for seniors, so I’m going to do a set of the 5 upper body weight training exercises every morning Monday to Friday.

It’s been ages since I last published a Fashion Friday post, so that’s also something that I plan to resume doing on a semi regular basis. I haven’t shopped for clothes in quite awhile, but I have been paying attention to what’s on trend for fall and here are a few things that I’ve been noticing…

  • chocolate brown, lots of chocolate brown
  • off-white and neutral tones
  • blazers with jeans
  • bulky, oversized sweaters
  • capes
  • dark wash jeans in almost any style, but not torn or distressed
  • suede boots, shoes and handbags
  • loafers and mary janes
  • statement belts
  • statement necklaces
  • scarves, both silk and knit

While lots of these are very wearable and make me want to rush out and start shopping, my first step will be my semi annual closet changeover (but not until after that last camping trip!) At that point, I’ll take a close look at what I already have, then figure out what, if anything, I actually need. Then I might look for a few pieces that fit with my existing wardrobe and that I’m likely to wear for more than one season, pieces that fit my style adjectives… classy, comfortable, casual, confident, and authentic.

What about you? Are you happy or sad that summer is over? Do you have any goals or plans for the new season? Will you be wearing any of this season’s trends?

A vintage thrift store find

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Fashion Friday is back today!

Out for a walk one day last week, I decided to stop in at the local thrift store and look what I found!

Although my wardrobe is largely made up of neutrals, the colourful vintage jacket immediately caught my attention and the sleeveless yellow top worked perfectly with it. I didn’t have my Spring colour swatches with me, but I knew immediately that these were Spring colours. Look how many of them are represented on my swatches.

Typically, clothing is considered vintage if it’s at least 20 years old. Three things tell me that my jacket was probably made in the 1980s meaning that it would definitely qualify.

  1. It has shoulder pads which peaked in popularity in the 80s, but since they’re presently making a comeback my jacket might be right in style again soon!
  2. Neon colours were also all the rage in the 80s.
  3. It’s size 12 and I haven’t worn size 12 since, well probably the 80s! The fact that I usually wear size 8 now doesn’t mean that I’ve shrunk though. Over the years, so-called vanity sizing has changed what the numbers on clothing mean. As North American women have grown physically larger, brands have shifted their metrics to make shoppers feel skinnier – so much so that a women’s size 12 in 1958 is now a size 6.

Regardless of what the number on the tag says, the jacket fit perfectly. I particularly like the way that it nips in a bit at the waist giving my boyish body a slightly more feminine shape.

The tag also tells me that the jacket should be dry cleaned, but since it’s made of 97% cotton, I didn’t think that was necessary. I always wash thrifted clothes before I wear them, so I put the jacket in a mesh laundry bag, put it through my washing machine’s hand wash cycle, hung it to dry, and ironed it with a warm iron. It came out looking perfect.

For today’s photos, I’ve styled the yellow top and the jacket with a pair of dark wash jeans, but I can also visualize them with white jeans. With all those bright colours in it, the jacket is very versatile. For a dressier look, I think it would look quite stunning over a column of black. Perhaps I’ll try that next!

Time for a change

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Although there’s been plenty of talk about doing away with daylight savings time here in Alberta, it hasn’t happened yet and I’m glad. Yes, we lost an hour of sleep last Saturday night, but I’m loving the extra hour of daylight every day!

Speaking of time and change, I’ve decided that it’s time for a change here on the blog. I’m finding it more and more difficult to come up with a fashion post every single week. When I introduced Fashion Friday in March 2016, I had no idea how long I’d be able to keep it going. I think 9 years and more than 400 posts has been a pretty good run! If you’re one who follows me for those Friday posts, please don’t panic though! I’m not quitting completely. I still plan to write about fashion, just not as often, and I still plan to publish a post every Friday. Some will be about fashion and some will explore other topics. I do hope you’ll continue to follow along.

So as not to be completely devoid of fashion news today, I do have a couple of things to share. Northern Reflections, one of Canada’s most recognizable fashion brands, has been acquired by Putman Investments, the same company that was responsible for revitalizing a number of other well-known retail brands including Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us Canada, Sunrise Records, and UK-based HMV. While customers may see a few changes over the coming months, the company is committed to maintaining approximately 105 stores across Canada. On a similar note, Ricki’s and Cleo, the two Canadian fashion retailers whose demise I previously wrote about here, have also been purchased out of creditor protection by Putman Investments. I definitely look forward to seeing what their revival looks like and I’m very happy that the rescuing company is Canadian!

On a more personal note, I’ll also share a change that took place in my life about a week ago. Considering the fact that I had never even once attended a patient support group meeting, it might seem a bit crazy, but I agreed to become co-lead of the CNETS patient support group here in Alberta! CNETS is the Canadian Neuroendocrine Tumour Society and neuroendocrine is the cancer that I’ve had for over 11 years. When I was first diagnosed back in 2013, support group meetings took place in person in Edmonton, over two hours from my home. Since I already had the support of family, friends, and prayer partners around the world, I really didn’t feel a need to get involved. Like so many other things, with the onset of COVID, the meetings went online and they’ve remained that way since except that there haven’t been very many of them in the past couple of years. The previous leader was feeling burned out and no one had stepped up to take his place. When a fellow member of the CNETS Advocacy Advisory Board who also lives in Alberta asked me to consider joining her as co-lead, I was very hesitant. I don’t need a patient support group, I told myself, but the answer I heard in my heart was “maybe the group needs you”. So here I am, jumping into something brand new. Oh well, just like Daylight Savings Time, change can be a good thing!

Image: Pixabay

Finding hope during challenging times

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It’s Friday, so normally this would be a fashion post, but considering the state of the world today, writing about clothing seems frivolous and I just couldn’t get my mind (or my heart) around the idea. These days, I just want to wear my favourite jeans and coziest sweaters on repeat.

It’s also the end of the month, so I should be writing a book review, but that isn’t happening either. Oh, I’ve been reading. In fact, I’ve been reading quite a bit, but I’ve been escaping into frivolous, fluffy novels, not the sort of thing that I would bother to review or recommend. 

As I was leaving my doctor’s office yesterday (more about that in a future post), I decided to stop at a thrift store on my way home. I immediately spotted this and it ended up being my only purchase. I’m not sure where it will eventually end up in my newly renovated home, but for now it’s in a spot where I see it every time I enter the kitchen.

You might remember that, for the second year in a row, hope is my one word for the year and if there’s ever a time when we need hope I think it might be now. So how do we find hope and hang onto it amidst the barrage of negative occurrences in the world around us today? One way of doing this is to focus on what is good and right in our day to day experiences. This doesn’t mean living with our heads in the sand, but it might mean less time watching the news or scrolling the internet. 

According to Wikipedia, hope is “an optimistic state of mind”. It’s a glass half full attitude. It’s being able to imagine positive outcomes and when possible, acting to achieve them. That’s what I want the new sign in my kitchen to remind me of.

Like the puddles on the street and the water dribbling out of our downspouts remind me that the long cold winter is almost over and spring is coming, I want to be reminded that there are still more people in the world who want equity and justice than those who are fighting for the opposite. Believing that gives me hope.     

What gives you hope today?