Dressing, Old and New
Giving five pieces hiding in the back of my wardrobe a 2025 styling refresh
I won’t bore you with how making the switch from a maximalist to a mostly minimalist aesthetic gave me so many more ways to style my wardrobe (I’ll just casually slip the link to that post below instead). Suffice to say, it was a total game changer and drove my outfit repeating to new heights.
Once my style became a little more polished and a lot less chaotic, I found myself reaching for things that I haven’t worn for years. That Zara jacket I got over a decade ago when peplums had their first hurrah? Here for it. My Frankie Shop cargo pants that were inescapable in the 2022 Instagram fashion algo? Sign. me. up. The Reformation pants that I pulled out again after AW25 Fashion Week kicked off polka dot fever? Actually - it might be time to let those go.
Déjà Vu
Something that the brilliant
1 wrote recently really resonated with me:With regards to my Substack and the outfits I share, I want you to notice me wearing the same pieces over, and over, and over again, because that is the true test of a ‘favorite’ or a ‘hard working item’.
The wisest words and something that I hope you’ll notice as you follow along on my Substack. And something that I hope you notice yourself doing more this year, too.
Here’s how I’ve been styling my old pieces with my new and new-to-me finds.
The Old: Reformation Polka Dot Pants
After all of the polka dot outfitting I saw during AW25 Fashion Week, I was inspired to dig out my circa 2017 Reformation Sorrenti pants hiding in the back of my closet. I’m in the midst of a 2025 wardrobe goal to wear everything in my closet at least once to decide what to keep and what to find a new home, and these pants were a stellar use case since I haven’t worn them in almost two years.
After wearing these all afternoon I decided that I loved the length and silhouette but not the pattern, so it’s time to find these polka dot pants a new loving maximalist home. They were spot-on (heh) for 2017 - 2019 me, but 2025 me couldn’t wait to take these off2.
The Old: The Frankie Shop Stu Cargos
In a bid to get back to being more creative with my outfits, I swapped my usual jeans for my The Frankie Shop cargo pants that have been languishing in my closet. Resale gold dust when they popped up in the wrong size in my The RealReal saved searches, I convinced myself I could make these work. In reality the waist was way more oversized than I bargained for and I needed a belt to keep these up. Then nothing in my limited belt collection was right, so these have been collecting actual dust in my closet for the last year.
Enter my Isabel Marant belt to hike up my pants to my default high rise. I say this about everything, but this might be my best
find. There’s even one on The RealReal right now if you act fast. I learned the hard way that this belt goes like hotcakes at resale and just missed buying the black colorway again since I rolled the dice that I could make it through one more markdown. Please learn from my mistakes if you want this belt in your life.
The Old: BHava Editor Boots
I haven’t reached for my Bhava boots in months since they’re starting to show the first signs of the dreaded vegan leather cracking3. But they’re still a great year-round staple and needed an outing. The weather was gorgeous last weekend and my friend M and I went to a rooftop bar with fancy cocktails/mocktails, the perfect occasion for jeans and a chic top and ivory boots.
I’ve been lusting after the Khaite Maddy top for years, but it’s spendy even at resale (although this is the best price I’ve seen on TRR). I always prefer the real thing over “vibes of” pieces, but I found myself scouring secondhand sites for the Pixie Market Chiara top*. I was ecstatic when the brown colorway popped up on ThredUp in excellent condition and promptly added to cart for a going out moment like this.
The Old: Zara Peplum Jacket
AW25 Fashion Week showgoers also inspired me to dig out my early 2010s era Zara peplum jacket, which I haven’t touched since last November according to my camera roll. I’m more productive at a coffee shop than at home, so I took myself and my peplum out for a solo LinkedIn and Lattes date. In the vein of last week’s post I stuck with a polished outfit - no fleece tech vests for me, tyvm - and went for a head to toe cream look. I added my Bea blazer* as my requisite layer as I was heading out the door because I will not be bested by the microclimates of San Francisco.
The Old: Ganni Cinched Blazer
I found my preloved Ganni cinched waist blazer hiding behind a maximalist dress, and realized I hadn’t worn it since January looking through my Indyx. It’s all errands, appointments, and job searching right now, and this was a casual appointment/errand day, which meant another outing for my old Gap Fit capris.
I love mixing dressy and casual pieces in the same look, and my new Ganni Buckle Ballerina flats* have been doing heavy lifting to make my outfits read that much more intriguing. I think I’m finally nearing the end of the ballerina break in period. Tbh, it’s been brutal, but every time I look down at my feet I whisper to myself worth it.
A Note On Suncare
I don’t take the UV Index lightly and wear an enormous sun hat* and arm sleeves* with all of my daylight outfits in the summer. Albeit not the most stylish, mine are from the Australian brand Solbari and UPF50+ rated. I bought these last year and they’ve held up supremely well to washing and being repeatedly shoved into my bag. Solbari’s website says US orders aren’t impacted by tariffs, so I highly recommend checking them out if you’re in the market for sun protective clothing.
I’m also a rabid daily sunscreen wearer4 and a loyal Supergoop user for over 10 years. I’m a massive fan of their Mineral Sheerscreen* and Play* range, among several other products in their line, which I use daily and carry in my bag always.
Fashion Notes
A reminder to buy yourself the flowers. And don’t forget the matcha latte:
Looking for an on-trend responsible fashion brand making a real impact? Look no further than Ganni:
The Frankie Shop items that I’m still wearing years after they hit peak trend:
Nosy merchant poll of the week:
That’s it for this week, thanks for reading! What’s the one older piece in your closet that you’re still finding new ways to wear in 2025?
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This post contains affiliate links, marked with an asterisk. Everything linked in this post is something that I own, use, and love.
One of the first fashion writers I found when I joined the platform,
is beyond creative in her styling and continually makes her wardrobe look new and fresh. A true must-follow if you’re not already.In the words of Marcus at Tom Ford in Always Be My Maybe: “Get it off me, it’s burning”.
I’m seriously impressed to get eight years out of these boots and plan to keep them in my rotation, cracks and all. If you prioritize vegan fashion, BHava is an amazing female-founded indie brand to support.
If you’ve spent time with me during the daylight hours, you’ve either watched me reapply sunscreen, been forcefully offered sunscreen, or suffered secondhand embarrassment from standing next to me in my UPF hat/gloves combo.
I'm not always convinced about peplums, but I love the soft fall of yours! Falling back in love with an old piece is great, isn't it?
The polka dot pants!! so fun! and LOVE the capris on you