(Giving credit where it’s due — I got the idea for this newsletter from in a recent YouTube video in which she discussed her most reliable clothing pieces of 2023 and her own personal fashion awards! 🏆)
I’m a total sucker for year-end lists. After spending so much time all year long planning and procuring my experiences, from trips to outfits to date nights to reading sessions to binge watching shows, I like cuddling up on the couch in late-December reminiscing on the fruits of my labor. What was successful? What do I want to do/see/eat/feel/give/create again next year? It’s a helpful exercise for anyone who, and I can relate, tends to dwell on their more negative thoughts. Gratitude — it works! Who knew? (Therapists everywhere give me the side-eye.)
I’ve spent a few newsletters discussing the gulf between what I own and what I want to wear, but thankfully, the gulf is shrinking into a puddle… one that I cross while wearing my Melissa x Y/Project rain boots, of course.
So, today is a time to feel gratitude, even for my obsessive TRR browsing (!), because I’m handing out well-earned awards to my clothes, accessories and thrift finds that have served me so well over the year. Next week, I plan to award my favorite fashion moments and content of the year, from best runway looks, celeb and influencer outfits, articles, podcasts, movie moments and more, so stay tuned!
It isn’t the Oscars, but it’ll do.
Best Pants:
My silk Oscar de la Renta pants easily sweep this category. A TRR find of late last year, these pants served as a versatile and chic statement in every outfit I created around them. They also made me realize that special occasion outfits can be built around a pair of fun pants, not just a dress or “going-out top.” If you’d like a similar pair, I recommend searching Oscar de la Renta silk pants on TRR because there are usually some options. Also a big fan of this Cawley Studio pair (on TRR right now for less ). Best Sweater:
This beautiful orange sweater knitted by my friend Dora is now one of my most prized posessions and, of course, my best sweater. She’s even in my color palette! Best Shoes:
Who would have thought an extremely elaborate pair of rain boots would be my most beloved pair of shoes? But they’re really just a pair of black boots, one of the most wearable shoes around. I love how unexpected these Melissa x Y/Project boots are at the bottom of an outfit, especially if the tops of the boots are hidden under a skirt or pants. I delighted both friends and strangers whenever I wore them and received the most compliments for these boots than any other piece in my wardrobe. They’re boiling hot and relatively unpractical (unless it’s raining! Also good in the mud because they’re really easy to clean.) but I wouldn’t have them any other way. This was the year of odd shoes. Best Accessory:
The funny thing about my Dries Van Noten x Linda Farrow sunglasses is that I was dissapointed when I received them in the mail. I had gotten them during a huge SSENSE sale, but they were still a pricey investment and I thought they looked terrible when I first put them on. Then I wore them out and realized they made every outfit cooler and every hairstyle better and actually I LIKE looking like a mad scientist and a pilot and, most of all, the boiler spider man from “Spirited Away.” To use a 2023 term: love that for me. Best Thrift Find (Under $15):
Still gassed up about this real sheepskin coat from the 70s (I believe) that I thrifted for $5 from Backroom Vintage . She needs a dedicated outfit that revolves only around her soon. Going to look into color schemes involving these shades of brown, yellow and green. Here are two similar vintage coats . Best Dress:
I was really excited about a couple of weddings this year and wanted to wear something special to them, so I wore this Cawley Studio silk cornflower blue dress that I ordered for myself on sale last Christmas. Cawley Studio is a small, made-to-order London-based brand that makes gorgeous dupion silk pieces with smocking (which you can see on the sleeves). I felt like a cupcake in beautiful blue frosting in this dress and may break it out again for NYE. There’s something about a colorful party dress. It looks like they don’t currently offer this dress, but this one is also really nice . Best Jeans:
I flirted with a couple of other pairs of jeans this year, but my heart was always committed to my Uniqlo U jeans. Aside from being ridiculously comfortable and affordable, their slouchiness and dark wash balanced outfits and infused them with a cool edge. I think the effect is best illustrated in the center photo. While Uniqlo no longer sells this pair, it seems like the brand’s wide straight jeans are nearly the same thing (though I haven’t tried them on and can’t fully vouch for them). Most Versatile:
I ordered this Skall Studio tank with the hope that it would become my go-to hot weather top since it seemed to be lightweight, breathable and adorable. It was definitely that for me over the summer, as illustrated in the top left, but it also proved to be a versatile skirt, a fun layering top and even a bib scarf. It contributed a dainty element to any outfit it joined. Unfortunately, Skall Studio doesn’t sell this top anymore and I can’t find anything similar online but I’ll keep my eye out. Could also be a good upcycling craft, if you sew together doilies. Best Thrift Find (Over $15):
This! DRESS! Little trumpets play in my head when I look at it. It’s Tory Burch spring 2023 and retailed for $1,698 (!!!) initially but I scooped it up as soon as I saw it on TRR for $135. It had been on my Pinterest wishlist for a long time, too, which is always a good sign. And actually now that I’m getting a better look at the product description on the Tory Burch website I’m realizing I wore it backwards to my holiday party lol. (To follow up on last week’s newsletter , I did go for a party dress! But then I slipped on a suede black blazer halfway through the night to protect my dress from spills and am happy to report that my dress survived the night stain-free.) Most-Worn Piece:
I couldn’t recap my year in clothing without mentioning my pride and joy that I wear every day and even found a chance to wear in August. This is my other favorite TRR find of the year, a fall 2014 wool coat by The Row , that I got for likely around 90% or more off retail. I can’t find a similar coat right now but my advice would be to continuously search wool coats on TRR (they go so low in price on there) and then bite when you find something really interesting and high-quality. All of my best TRR finds have come to me randomly while I was browsing, not when I set out to find something. Still, here is the best coat in my “obsessions” on TRR right now and a few other things I think look nice . I’ve also found a couple of extremely high-quality wool coats at Goodwill over the last few months, so they’re out there! Drumroll please… Best Outfit:
This was hard to choose, but I feel most proud of this outfit out of all the outfits that I photographed this year. I like how the colors, textures and shapes play off each other to create the kind of outfit I would have wanted to put on my American Girl doll, in the best way. Nearly everything in this outfit is also secondhand, which makes me happy, and I like each piece a lot individually. Thanks for reading xx
Francesca 🏆
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Absolutely, it’s so soft, and I love the weight of the velvet and beads at the bottom which I feel like keeps it from being too fluffy/risking a Marilyn moment
This is fun! And ps I was so effectively influenced by your last pic that I found the Chloe skirt -- in my size on TRR! -- and bought it asap :) thanks for the inspiration!