If Threads of Conversation is about unravelling the stories we tell through style, then it makes sense to periodically evaluate my own. Following last year’s account, here’s a recap of what I wore in 2025.
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My biggest takeaway from my style choices this year was the idea of ‘permission’. On the podcast, guests often tell me about their first big fashion purchase. These are usually reckless, expensive decisions made in their twenties. I didn’t make any reckless, expensive decisions in my twenties (fashion-wise, at least). I’ve barely made any in my thirties, either. Despite working in the fashion industry for nearly two decades, surrounded by luxury clothes, I still didn’t think of them as ‘for me’.
This is partly by design - fashion is an industry built around the haughty sense that nobody is completely welcome; an emotionally unavailable lover who remains perpetually out of reach. It also comes down to money. You can only participate if you have the means, and designer fashion has become eyewateringly expensive. I’m still miles away from the income bracket of a brand’s ideal customer.
But it’s not just the numbers that have created a barrier between me and buying into the designers I admire. There’s also a psychological sense of waiting for a day where I feel ‘grown up’ enough. Perhaps this is my own Peter Pan syndrome, or a hangover of being a child who constantly grew out of things (at nearly 6 foot 2, I hope this phase is finally over).
This year I decided to take myself a bit more seriously. To commit to bigger, more confident purchases, and to wear more avant-garde designer looks (if not now, when?)
I think like many of us, I’m also chasing that holy grail of ‘the finite sense of style’. The one we’re often sold by shopping articles packed with links, promising that X or Y piece will be the final bridge to personal style nirvana. In reality, style rarely works like that - some experiments really flop!
Earlier this year, I wrote about how time is the essential ingredient for great style - both timelessness (forever pieces) and timeliness (trends). But even then, you can’t always win. Some trendier outfits don’t age well, and timeless style can be a bit of a snooze.
So in the spirit of ‘the journey not the destination’ - here’s a time capsule of what my wardrobe looked like this year.
Great Buy 1: The Skirt
Imagine spotting someone in an incredible skirt. It’s inky black wool, gathered on one side with kilt buckles on the other, and finished with a frill. You ask them where it’s from and they reply casually: “Oh this? I picked it up at a secondhand fashion sale I stumbled upon in the Marais on a recent trip to Paris.” Don’t you just want to punch them in the face for being so smug? Well, that person is me.
The skirt is secondhand Comme des Garçons, sold cheap because it’s missing the tag. I’ve worn it non-stop since I bought it, and it’s prompted the above interaction more than once (nobody has punched me yet, though).
Great Buy 2: The Jacket
Episode 2 of this nauseating tale follows a similar trajectory. Enter: woman wearing a fantastic, unusual jacket - the kind that goes with everything, but still looks completely unique. Where did she get it from? OF COURSE she got it from an archive boutique in Berlin that only allows 4 people in at a time, and operates a ban on photos inside the store. Again, hi, it’s me.
When I walked into the shop, another woman was actually trying the jacket on. I immediately clocked it, and waited for her to take it off. As soon as she set it aside, I pounced. When I put it on, it fit like Cinderella’s slipper, if Cinderella was a 90s rave princess with a taste for technical details and zippered edges.
The shopkeeper (an iconic New Yorker who had worked for Vivienne Westwood in her World’s End store) beamed approvingly. The woman who rejected it looked pained; she realised her mistake, but it was too late. I smiled at her politely (without taking it off) and swiped my card. The jacket was mine.
It’s from a brand called Marithé + François Girbaud, whose aesthetic fits with the kind of Kiko Kostadinov-y functional goblincore vibe that’s popular at the moment. You can actually unzip the sleeves and wear it as a waistcoat, or wear the sleeves detached like a bolero. God I love it.
Great Buy 3: The Boxer Skirt
I’d had my eye on one of Dauan Jacari’s spiral boxer skirts for a year or so. When I got the designers on the podcast, I told myself I’d buy one as a ‘reward’ once the episode aired. It’s literally a skirt made from boxer shorts, and I feel like it epitomises the spirit of New York - especially the New York I lived in from 2015-2018. So when I planned my trip there in May (my first since 2019), I ordered the skirt so it would be waiting for me on arrival.
I wore the skirt almost every day that trip, and all throughout the summer after that. It’s light, easy and looks good with everything.
I love it rolled over and layered with trousers per the below pictures I saved. I tried to replicate the look but actually don’t think it worked very well - maybe the pants underneath were too wide. Let’s not even mention those fugly Zara nun shoes I panic bought before my trip (what was I thinking??) Not sure if the blue jacket works either.
I’m going on holiday next week and will be wearing the skirt with my new Lido swimsuit - exposed hips inspired by Rosalia’s chastity belt in her ‘La Perla’ music video.
Great Buy 4: The Tuxedo Trousers
Sometimes you just want to feel extremely chic. For me, the recipe is simple: high quality black separates. I have a few pieces in my wardrobe that fit the brief, but was missing a pair of slouchy wool trousers. I think I’m personally responsible for keeping Phoebe Philo’s SEO afloat thanks to the number of times I’ve opened this page on her website. Other contenders included Wardrobe NYC and St Agni, but shelling out £1000+ for a pair of pants is not realistic in my current tax bracket (St Agni’s are just under £500 - still a lot, but not as lethal).
The weekend before Christmas, I decided to take a break from gift shopping and stop by my favourite secondhand store in London.
I’ve bought a few great pieces there in the past, and also a few mistakes, where I was blindsided by the owner’s impeccable taste and momentarily forgot that I’m not someone who wears shiny crimson suit pants (even if they are Comme). The secondhand gods were smiling on me, and I found these perfect Lanvin trousers for £280.
The T-Shirt
In case you were groaning at all these smug secondhand designer finds, firstly let me remind you that there are loads of shit outfits that I haven’t included here. And secondly, sometimes an enormous purple t-shirt will capture your heart, despite your better judgement.
This t-shirt is not especially flattering, stylish, or cool. It’s so big you could pitch it as a tent, and it’s the only purple item I own. But something about it is just perfect. The cotton is thick and cosy, the neckline is wide and flattering and the colour is so unusual. The silly muscle man on the front echoes how I feel in it - powerful, puffed up, maybe a bit delusional. Sometimes you just need to lean into what feels good.
My Styling Obsession
An Easter egg you might have noticed is a styling detail that consumed me this year - skirts over trousers. I’ve always been a bit of a Shrek when it comes to getting dressed (I love onion-like layers and textures - his crumbly mud waistcoat! What a look. I digress.)
Historically, I also gravitate towards long, flared trousers. This year I discovered they look great when pooling from the bottom of a midi skirt. Also, the area from waistband to mid thigh is often the least flattering part of a pair of pants - so why not cover it up?
I even went so far as to buy a pair of leggings with a skirt built in, which leads me to my next obsession…
My Designer of 2025
Regular readers will have heard me bang on about my love of Estonian-born, London-based designer Johanna Parv. Her work is inspired by the concept of a woman cycling through the city - autonomous, fast and free.
The pieces are incredibly sleek, but also very functional, made of durable, technical fabrics with hidden zips and pockets to transform for different environments. In a practical sense, they suit my Lime-bike lifestyle. But in a spiritual sense, they remind me of the woman I aspire to be - elegant, efficient and independent.
In September I went to Johanna’s show at London Fashion Week, and wrote her show notes. I also borrowed a look to wear in October, when I hosted my first London Threads of Conversation event.
The Outfit You All Loved
You might remember this little Zac Posen jacket from my thrifting adventures in New York. Originally I thought it would look great with a pair of capri pants. Sadly I was wrong.
Luckily I found a satin Roland Mouret pencil skirt at a secondhand sale, bringing my Victoria Beckham 00s look full circle. I wore it twice, once to host a talk and another time to a friend’s wedding, and I’ve never had so much positive feedback on a look! I guess people want me to embrace my sexy secretary side in 2026.
The One That Won’t Quit
Maybe you’ve heard enough about my toe shoes, but the love affair endures (partly because I keep being tagged on Instagram by various Korean magazines alongside the likes of Jennie and Paloma Elsesser. And partly because they’ve made all my foot pain go away!)
This year I met and interviewed FiveFingers’ CMO Abby Bucknall about the shoes’ explosive success. I’ve worn my original mesh pair so much that they have (more) holes in them, and none of the shops can keep them in stock. So Abby kindly gifted me a new pair - super soft leather ballet flats that I thinkkk will be officially released next year. Keep your toes crossed…
The Return of an Icon
I call this coat the ‘influencer coat’ because it was everywhere during the fashion week street style heyday of the mid 20-teens. I bought it off a friend in New York (hello Melissa Kenny) a few years ago, wore it for a winter or two, and then set it aside for being too big and ostentatious. I nearly sold it last year, but another friend (hello Leonie Barth) urged me to keep it, so I did.
I brought it back out for a funeral, of all occasions, and realised I still love it! It has a slit along one shoulder seam so you can stick your arm out of it and have the sleeve trailing at the back. It’s Marques’Almeida, but everyone thinks it’s Rick Owens.
My Sunglasses Stack
I got roasted on TikTok this year for bringing my Dries van Noten sunglasses to Glastonbury festival, but I regret nothing. This year I rotated between three pairs of sunnies - the DVN ones (a collaboration with Linda Farrow), a pair of vintage Chanel ones and a pair of wraparound Oakley glasses for running and raving. The DVN ones are quite impractical (as many great fashion choices should be) - too tinted to wear indoors, not tinted enough to wear in the sun. They’re like my fashionable lab goggles for an experiment called life.
My Biggest Challenge
Shoes! I’m a size 41, and have to wear custom orthotic insoles to support my weak little arches (yes, you can fit them inside toe shoes). Nice shoes are so expensive these days, and cheaper ones are often poorly made. I’ve been trying to find good ones secondhand, which has led to a slew of misguided purchases. First there were the vintage Chanel heels I convinced myself weren’t too small (they were), then the 90s Puma ballet flats from Vinted that were too big. And finally, a pair of Simone Rocha fluffy clogs that make me unnecessarily tall. (The latter 2 are still available on my Vinted, FYI).
Beauty and Grooming notes
This section is a bit tentative, as I don’t use heaps of products, and most of the stuff I use is things I get sent for free. Still, my PR friends know what I like (simple, natural, an ambient avoidance of Big Pharma), and I don’t peddle products I wouldn’t use myself.
The thing I buy over and over again (no PR involvement whatsoever) is La Roche Posay 50+ moisturising cream. People tell me I look young(er) and I really believe it’s down to this. I’ve used factor 50 sunscreen every day since I was in my early 20s, after having the dangers of sun damage drilled into me during my childhood in Australia.
I’ve also been alternating between Emma Lewisham and Votary products this year - my favourites are Emma Lewisham’s Supernatural Sleeping Mask and Votary’s Rose Geranium and Apricot Cleansing oil. The latter is especially good for winter, when you don’t want to lose a drop of moisture from your skin.
I barely wear makeup, except for a daily lick of eyebrow gel. I’ve tried them all: MAC’s isn’t strong enough for my whiskers, and I find Refy’s too thick. I used Benefit 24-hour Brow before discovering the Blink Brow one. The wand is quite small, but it allows for more dexterity when shaping, and holds my brows firm all day.
On my nails, I clip them short and wear a coat of Rimmel 60-second drying clear polish to make them look clean. I still wear Glossier ‘You’ - I actually interviewed the perfumer Frank Voelkl earlier this year (he also created Liberty LBTY.’s Zephirine, one of the brands I freelance for).
As for my hair, this is a battle I’ll never win! See this section as confessional, rather than advice.
I have thick, voluminous hair that grows as much horizontally as it does vertically, especially in humidity. It’s also increasingly threaded with grey, so I’ve got to decide whether I embrace it (see: sleek Sarah Harris), or follow my own advice (see: dyeing it red).
At the moment I’m growing it out after a brief return to the bob in late 2023. To hide the awkward length, I glue it to my head using V05 mousse and about 6 hairbands. I’m historically resistant to spending money on haircare products, so it’s a very Boots pharmacy-coded routine. I probably wouldn’t recommend, tbh!
If you’ve made it this far, then tell me about what your style looked like this year. What did you wear the most? Looking back, did any patterns emerge? And did these tell you anything about yourself? I’d love to hear.
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what secondhand shop in marais! Hoping to make a trip in 2026
I love this post! what are those flare pants and bloomers you layer with? Love them both