3 Years!

Hello my lovely friends and readers from around the world,

Even though it's a little late, I decided to still mention my blogaversary.

On September 9th, In The Writer's Closet turned 3 years old! 

To celebrate, I picked 9 outfits from the past 3 years (three for each year), 

which were some kind of milestones on my style journey. 

~ 1 ~

So, let's begin with this burnt orange wool coat (photo above, original post Magical, February 9, 2014). I don't think I had such a vibrant coat before I purchased this one. Here, I'm wearing it with a faux fur collar from a sweater poncho that I have. I noticed a year later or so, one of big internet retailers came out with a version of a burnt orange coat with an over-sized fur collar. And even though I loved their version, I did not buy it - why should I if I invented my own a year earlier? ;) I love all the rich textures I combined in this outfit, and the fact that it has a 1960s vibe, one of my favorite periods in fashion. It was one of the most enchanting posts photographically too - Justin captured the snow on Bainbridge Island, a rare vision in the Pacific Northwest.

~ 2 ~

In the post Style as Expression of You, Not You as Expression of Style (May 25, 2014) I show perhaps one of my most fearless examples of pattern mixing. Here I talk about print mixing, as well as layering, winters in Siberia, blogs as a new form of literature genre, and seeing ourselves when we look in the mirror, vs. seeing the latest trends. One of my most eloquent articles, for sure.

~ 3 ~

Blogging stimulated my thrift shopping - something I've done only randomly in the past. I can't say I go thrift shopping with any regularity now, but I do it much more frequently than before. Here are some numbers for you: 5 of 9 outfits in my today's post feature clothes I found at secondhand shops (Goodwill or places like it), and I did not plan it that way at all. It just shows that I love my thrifted treasures. Look at this striking dress, for example - a $10 find from Goodwill (post She's Cool - June 12, 2014).

~ 4 ~

One of the things that inspired me to start this blog 3 years ago was my desire to learn how to dress my changing body. And one of the most unexpected lessons I've learned was this: even though my size changed dramatically, my proportions stayed fairly similar. In other words, I can wear whatever shapes I used to like! My only advice to women who are afraid to visually add weight to their frame, don't be! Just play with it. I'm sure you'll be surprised how many things you can pull off with ease. In the post Just Keep Playing (January 11, 2015), I layer a horizontal stripes knitted set (skirt & sweater that really look like one piece) with a faux fur vest. In theory, it just doesn't get much bulkier than that. Yet, I think I look quite elegant in this outfit. I also layered necklaces and wore colored tights - something new to me. 

~ 5 ~

One of the most romantic posts on my blog, thanks to Justin's inspired photography of this beautiful park (post Days Passed, May 27, 2015). As an artistic person, I agree with those who say that you can draw inspiration from anything, really - and in this particular case, watching a period movie as well as thinking about this park inspired my outfit. It was one of my early attempts to create a period looking outfit, using modern pieces - the oldest item here is the dress (thrifted, from the 1990s).  

~ 6 ~

In the post Kimono, Kimono (August 5, 2015), I show what can happen when on one of your thrifting trips you find a piece that is hard to identify. Is it a home dress? a party dress? a piece of theater costume? or a pajama? Nevertheless, if you like the piece, there are always ways to get good use out of it. It's definitely one of the most unique dresses in my wardrobe.

~ 7 ~

I don't own a lot of genuine vintage clothes, but I found this Frank Usher skirt (most probably, from the 1970s, as I was told by my educated blogging friends Vix and Curtise) for something like $5 or $6, and couldn't pass it. It fits me well, and is in good condition - I just had to replace the old stretched out elastic in the waist (which is easy to do). In the post Snow and Vintage (January 3, 2016), I combined my skirt with modern pieces. I really like the result - feminine and timeless. I played on the knitted nature of my vintage skirt, so I combined it with the ribbed sweater, floppy hat and tall boots (which I haven't worn for years). And note the "bulky" layers again.

~ 8 ~

I used to love culottes when I was young. I also used to love jumpsuits. Here, I am wearing the best of two worlds - a culottes jumpsuit! Coincidentally, I also made my first outfit video as such. Post Ode to Culottes (June 20, 2016).

~ 9 ~

In my 40s, I started wearing shorts again. In the past, I wore shorts every now and then - when I was a teenager and played tennis, then when I moved to the US and realized that everyone wears shorts here. Though, they haven't really become my cup of tea. Finding two pairs of shorts in a charming old world playsuit style was what made me reconsider this garment this Summer. To make the outfit my own, I wore shorts with either a long overpiece or a long cardigan. Not only I started wearing shorts, but together with my blogging friends Tina and Beate we threw a party and invited friends over (post Midsummer Midlife Fun, July 24, 2016). 

I hope you enjoyed this quick overview of my style journey for the past 3 years. But this blog is not only about style. It's also about self-discovery, about connecting with amazing creative people from around the world, and about writing. I will never forget the day when Justin suggested writing a blog in English. "What a totally crazy idea," I thought and ran with it.

Thank you for your warm encouragement of my style experiments, as well as my writing, my dear friends and readers! Thank you for your friendship!

2 Year Anniversary HERE

1 Year Anniversary HERE

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