Looking back on the year through the lens of the things I acquired over the previous 12 months has been such a useful exercise for me as I’ve committed to becoming a more mindful consumer. Which items are worth the space they take in my wardrobe? Which items could I have done without? Asking myself these questions helps me reflect on why things are or are not working, so I can more closely hone in on my personal style and hopefully make even better choices in the future.
In this letter, I wanted to round up the 24 best things I added to my closet, cosmetics drawer, and home in 2024.
Apparel
Dôen Skylark Top. Dôen tops are some of the hardest working pieces in my wardrobe. They’re versatile, always have the prettiest details, and just feel quintessentially ‘me.’ The Skylark top was the one new addition to my small but mighty Dôen top collection last year, and is perhaps my most worn already. The lace insets and puff sleeves are so pretty, and it’s easy to wear with everything from casual denim shorts to dressier maxi skirts.
&Daughter Ada Cardigan. &Daughter is far and away my favourite knitwear brand. I love their respect for the craft and their dedication to making high quality, heirloom garments. This is my fourth piece from them, purchased during their summer sale and has been such a staple piece for me. Unfortunately my camel colourway is now sold out, but I love the dark chocolate brown.
Gillian Stevens Mabel Cardigan. I’ve been a fan of Gillian’s line since she first launched, and was so honoured when she sent me this piece. It’s a stunning cotton eyelet cardigan, which as a knitwear lover, is perfect for the warmer months when I’m going through knitwear withdrawal. Jokes aside, it’s beautifully soft, the perfect summer layer, and crafted with so much love and care.
Dôen Wayfarer Coat. A late entrant to the list as I picked this one up in their Giving Thanks Sale over Black Friday, but a piece I know I’ll cherish for years to come. I had been planning to start the search for a navy peacoat-esque style in the summer, but when this one came up for an incredible deal, I had to pounce. It’s perfectly reminiscent of a 1960’s car coat and Alexa Chung era twee at the same time.
Dôen Dresses. I’m cheating with this one and lumping my two Dôen dress purchases into one, since truthfully they are quite similar and I probably didn’t need them both (oops!). I picked up the Leanne dress in black and the Katharina dress in white (this one on super sale), and can’t say enough good things about these pieces. The cotton poplin has a beautiful sheen to it that elevates the entire piece, and I find these dresses incredibly easy to dress up and down. I live in midi dresses during the summer months, so these were both practical and pretty additions.
Bourgine Jacket. I went to Paris with my mom in the spring and picked up this piece on a whim — something I almost never do! It was just too special to leave behind and it’s proven itself to have been worthy of the impulse buy. It reminds me of a classic French chore jacket with a few feminine and whimsical touches, like the cropped & boxy shape and the knot closures. A special souvenir and wardrobe workhorse in equal measure!
Toast Pleated Corduroy Trousers. My obsession with corduroy continued into 2024. I was looking for the perfect wide wale dark green corduroy trousers for most of the year, and when I stumbled upon these at Gravity Pope, I snapped them up instantly (it helped that they were running a 25% off sale that day). They’ve become my most worn trousers and offer a nice masculine counterpoint to some of my more feminine pieces.
Vintage Navy Pleated Wool Skirt. I took to TikTok one evening after trying this skirt on in store (Penny Arcade, for my local friends), falling in love with it, and subsequently spiralling over the quick!-act-now nature of vintage shopping. The response was swift and decisive: I needed to go back for the skirt. I tend to just remove myself from situations where I need to make a quick decision out of fear of choosing incorrectly, but this skirt felt too special to pass up. It fits like a glove, is exactly what I had been looking for for literal years, and ultimately became one of the best things I bought in 2024. It was a real gateway for me in terms of both this style of skirt (something I was worried would be “unflattering” on me and is now a style I’m constantly on the lookout for) and in encouraging me to be braver with buying vintage. Honourable mention for the Sézane Clyde trench I’m wearing in this photo! A real staple for me but there were too many good pieces this year so it just missed the cut.
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Accessories
Moscot Cat-Eye Glasses. Technically cheating as I got these in the very final few days of 2023, but I’m throwing them in here because 2024 was the year they really got to shine. I love a 1960’s reference (more on that in my next letter) and these frames bring a bit of that to any outfit I’m wearing. They were a bold choice and they feel like a personality piece at this point.
Plasticana Garden Clogs. So ugly they’re cute. They also happen to be one of my most-worn and by far my most practical pair of shoes, and as a self-proclaimed practical shoe hater, I think that tells you all you need to know. Honourable mention to the Plasticana jelly sandals I got last year as well, which make me so nostalgic for my childhood.
Sézane Milo Suede Bag. Another Paris purchase that was very generously gifted from the brand. This was actually the only bag I added to my wardrobe last year and one of my most-used. I feel like a bohemian ‘70s icon when I wear this.
Swedish Stockings Red Tights. 2024 was my year of playing with colour. Red tights felt like an easy gateway, and while you don’t need to splurge on the Swedish Stockings ones, they are the perfect shade of vibrant red and have been surprisingly easy to wear. It felt like they opened up so many fun styling possibilities and to me, that’s the ultimate mark of a great buy.
Carel Kina Mary Janes. Spoiler alert, I think this was the very best thing I spent money on in 2024. Another Paris purchase (it was a good shopping trip, okay?), I had been lusting after a pair of Carels since I was 14 and obsessed with reblogging photos of Alexa Chung on Tumblr. You counted right: I had been wanting these shoes for half of my life. Luckily they didn’t disappoint, and I now have no interest in owning another pair of heels ever again. Crazy how that happens: when you find a piece that feels perfectly and inherently you, the sense of desire for anything else instantly dissipates.
Beauty
La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5. Somewhere in my mid-20s, my skin went from oily and acne-prone to chronically dry, and I’ve spent the intervening years trying to find products that will keep my skin hydrated and comfortable. I bought this in France so TBD if the North American formulation will be as incredible when I repurchase it, but whenever my skin is feeling irritated this product is my holy grail.
Farmacy Honey Milk Toner. Another dry skin favourite. I originally wanted to try the Rhode Glazing Milk but didn’t want to place an order for a single product, so I picked this up in the April Sephora sale instead. It’s got chamomile and ceramides so it’s simultaneously soothing and nourishing — perfect for my eczema-prone skin.
Santa Maria Novella Angeli di Firenze. My one and only souvenir from our trip to Italy in September, this one is partially a sentimental pick and partially an objective one. With notes of jasmine, melon, iris, and vanilla, this fragrance smells like a hot late summer’s day in Florence.
Merit Signature Lip in ‘Cabo’. I’ve struggled with red lips in the past because I find a perfectly applied lipstick to be too high-maintenance and finicky for my day-to-day life. Enter Merit, which is all about easy to use, everyday products that somehow look better when they’re messily applied. This orange-red shade is so lovely and the formula feels weightless on the lips.
Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner. Purchasing this in 2024 was a rediscovery of my 16-year old self who wore a cat eye to high school every day. I dropped the habit somewhere along the way but it turns out I still love a flick, albeit more subtle these days, but it felt right to return to an old faithful. It’s just so good and easy to use as a person who is admittedly unskilled at makeup.
Le Labo Rose 31. An end-of-year addition I had been eyeing up for many months after buying a sample and rationing it for far too long. This fragrance quickly became my cold weather signature scent, and I love that the rose is balanced by more masculine woody notes. Trust me when I say this isn’t your grandma’s powdery, heavy rose scent.
Lifestyle & Home
Bare Knitwear Shearling Hot Water Bottle Cover. I’m not sure why it took me so long to get on this bandwagon, but I fully understand the hot water bottle hype now. This cover is made in the softest shearling and has been so comforting to snuggle with whilst watching my favourite cozy films this winter.
Emma Bridgewater Mug. I’m a recently enlightened Emma Bridgewater obsessive and picked up two of their mugs in 2024, but I’m partial to the London bus mug I got in the autumn. London is my favourite place on the planet and this mug just starts my morning with a smile. I cringe at how cheesy that is but it just can’t be helped.
Ghia Non-Alc Aperitif. I tried to be more mindful with my alcohol consumption in 2024 and started alternating months where I would go completely dry. It was really nice having this on hand when I wanted a fun little nightcap, and absolutely love it mixed with sparkling water.
Clairo, ‘Charm.’ I made a real effort in 2024 to invest in physical media again, which resulted in me becoming reacquainted with my record collection. I picked up Clairo’s new album Charm on vinyl the week it came out, and it’s the perfect album for so many occasions. I play this record multiple times per week, and yes, it sounds better on vinyl.
Salt & Stone Cedar Saffron Candle. Last but certainly not least! I’ve been obsessed with this scent for years but only in the autumn did I finally bring it home with me. It’s woody, it’s spicy, it fills our entire living room without even being lit. I think I will always have one of these on hand from now on.
Thank you for reading the first official instalment of Taking Notes! Not every edition will be as link-filled as this one, but I wanted to take some time to review my 2024 purchases before January was behind us (and what better links to share than for the best things I bought all year?). I’ll be back in a week or two with a piece on perhaps my favourite film of 2024 and some wardrobe inspiration I’m taking from it.
See you next time!
x
Victoria
P.S. Just a note to say that this letter contains affiliate links, whereby I make a small commission if you happen to purchase an item through my recommendations. As some of these items are several months old and many of these brands create in small quantities, some pieces may be sold out and therefore the links may no longer be active. Apologies for that!