I Like What I Like
A Case Study in Style Patterns and the Comfort of Knowing Myself
Working from home makes it very tempting to do the bare minimum. A cozy layer and a swipe of lipstick pass for presentable. If I’m not going anywhere, and my coworkers are the only ones who see me from the waist up, why bother? And honestly, some days that is enough.
But I’ve started to notice a pattern. On the days I put a little intention into getting dressed, my mood lifts almost immediately. When I actually get dressed, the tone of the day shifts. I’m more focused. More engaged. And my mantra feels a little like thirty, flirty, and thriving — well, technically: forty-one, poised by the sun, and getting shit done.
Comfort will always win. But effort, even a little of it, has a way of paying you back tenfold.
This past Thursday, I got dressed with intention. I had dinner plans later that evening with two fellow fashionable Substackers who I knew would bring their A-game (result: Elin Strong and Sogole Kane absolutely did). I needed a look that could carry me through the entire day, knowing full well I’d be running out the door to make it to tacos on time — or, realistically, about thirty minutes late, because I only drive in the right-hand lane on the 405 freeway. We’re learning, peeps.
I reached for my favorite polka dot cutie, a Clare V. puffed-sleeve jacket, to set the tone. By 9:30 a.m., my boss clocked it on Zoom when she asked with a smirk and a smile: “How many exaggerated sleeve pieces do you own?” She’s not wrong, folks. It’s one of my favorite styles to return to time and time again. I’m petite, but there is something about a puff sleeve that makes me feel larger than life. Powerful.
That comment sent my brain spinning. I’ve got the January shopping bug, haven’t bought anything in months, and I’m finally ready to add newness. But when I looked at my cart, the same things kept appearing: a polka dot, a stripe, a puff sleeve. It is safe to say, I’m a creature of habit. When any of these elements are part of my formula, I’m one, very happy girl. If it ain’t broke, why fix it?
I like what I like.
However, what comes next is a peek inside my wardrobe 2.0. These are the patterns, shapes, and details I rely on, but I’m not looking to rehash the usual suspects. Instead, I’m offering a new point of view where it might otherwise feel repetitive. The ones that are lived-in and familiar. My Goldilocks patinas - a mantra we owe to the genius, Jennifer Klee.
But there’s a twist - The Evonne Effect™.
A fresh perspective on my closet workhorses.
The All-Occasion Pattern: Polka Dots
Polka dots are my non-negotiable print (Exhibit A and Exhibit B). When it came to my wedding, they were the only pattern that made sense. I walked down the aisle in polka dots, and there was a unison gasp from the guests. I mean, do you blame them? See for yourself below.
Small, medium, or mixed. I like them subtle, and I also like them oversized. I never discriminate by scale. They can read playful or polished depending on the cut, the fabric, and what I pair them with. It doesn’t matter the occasion, formal or everyday. That range is exactly why I keep them in rotation.
The Evonne Effect™: Polka dots feel cliché because we’re used to seeing them in their safest form: Retro dresses, twee blouses, predictable silhouettes. The new move isn’t the print itself, but the fabrication behind it. Below are a few pieces that rethink the dot entirely and feel like the right kind of refresh for January. Think taffeta, tulle, birdseye, and a familiar shape pushed just far enough to feel new again.
The Lines That Hold: Stripes
Anyone who’s been around here knows stripes were my signature pattern last summer. And if you’re new, welcome. I did, in fact, write a dissertation on the subject this past July.
Adding another striped piece at this point would be an act of defiance. My hangers are already plotting a mutiny.
The Evonne Effect™: Stripes feel familiar because they’ve been boxed into predictable roles for centuries. Breton tees. Pinstripe suits. Variegated sweaters. The new move isn’t happening in my wardrobe at all. It’s happening in my bedroom. There, stripes bring structure without weight. They ground my new bedframe, letting the richness of color and pattern carry the mood.
And if I’m being honest, the only way I can justify adding another stripe is when it barely feels like a styling decision at all. Sheer, shadowed lines that read like a print, but live inside the stitch. A trick of the eye that I’m newly drawn to.
The Shape That Changes Everything: Puff Sleeves
Puff sleeves are the shape I return to most. A touch of drama at the shoulders and I’m swooning. Ulla Johnson is to blame. She’s had me hooked for nearly a decade. It’s baked into her brand ethos and just as deeply embedded in my own. At this point, there isn’t a week that goes by without a text from a friend saying, “This looks like you,” followed by a link to something with an exaggerated sleeve.
The Evonne Effect™: It isn’t about trend or theatrics. It’s about presence. The volume does the work up top, shifting the proportions of the entire look. And when a shape delivers that kind of impact consistently, it earns its place as an essential. One good sleeve beats ten styling tricks any day of the week.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about a new spin, letting that volume travel beyond the shoulder. Showing up in length, drape, and movement instead of stopping at the arm. These pieces below feel like the freshest expression of that idea.
And this is just the surface level. Clothing is the easiest place to spot my patterns, but they don’t stop there. Dare I tell you what I like for lunch? Or dinner?
This past Thursday, I had salmon. Friday night was tacos. Saturday afternoon? Tacos again. And Saturday night, we closed the loop with salmon.
Repetition doesn’t bore me. It comforts me. Whether it’s what I wear, what I eat, or what I reach for when I want to feel like myself, I don’t chase novelty for novelty’s sake.
I stick with what works. And I work it again and again. I like what I like.
The Evonne Effect!!!!! Also I am a recovering / struggling puff sleeve addict, and this gave me such peace.
I love your wedding dress and that red dress ❤️❤️! Most of my clothes are covered in roses which is what I love and I will never change. We love what we love. People are always saying I saw this dress you would love lol. I’m also partial to a puff sleeve too now a puff sleeve with roses “sigh”.