Silly Little Outfits To Boost Serotonin For Sad Office Days Vol.9

Lipstick red and dark denim in a quick round-up of dressing for in-between jobs.

Hello and welcome! That’s right, we’re back back back again with another selection of outfits that have recently graced my body.

I’ve taken a bit of a Haute Garbage hiatus. As mentioned in previous posts, I’ve just started a new job, so the adjustment to my routine has occupied my already hard-to-manage time - something I’m sure anyone who writes a passion project Substack and works full-time can relate to. So, apologies if I’ve been slow to respond to any comments or emails. My brain is recalibrating.

I’ve yet to document a single article of clothing I’ve worn to the office for my new role, though it’s coming, along with what I’m sure will be some rambling about the fashion identity crisis that comes with a significant life change. For now, please enjoy this quickie batch of outfits from the pre-new job era.

What I’ve been wearing

First, checking in with the weather forecast and the Melbourne heat continues to be the main character, testing my wardrobe and patience with several 30+ degree days. Will it ever end?

I’ve previously written about my endeavor to explore color combos, so here I’m building out my 2025 pickle brine + burgundy wine palette by infusing my 2024 choc banana Chupa Chup. That’s a quad-color outfit - who even am I?

Pickle bring + burgundy wine + chocolate + banana - Bottega Veneta handbag, ARKET suit pants, second-hand adidas SL 72 sneakers, FLORE FLORE tank.

Now we’re back in black. I wore this outfit for a quintessential Melbourne night out - overpriced cocktails at Bar Margaux and late-night cheeseburgers at Gimlet. Freshly-cut fuck ass bob that I’m pondering growing out mid identity crisis and all my favorite pieces - the Acne jacket, the Tabis, the Prada bag. I don’t really buy into uniform dressing, but this would be my sartorial interpretation of a safety blanket.

Late-night cheeseburgers - Acne Studios leather jacket, Maison Margiela Tabi boots, Prada handbag, second-hand By Malene Birger silk trousers, second-hand Dissh bouclé top

Look three, I’m not quite sure what I was going for here. It’s something I wore into my ex-office and to run errands, more demure (soz) and modest than I usually go for, but I’m here for it. This would have been built around layering the Dries Van Noten sweater, a menswear piece I bought from the Antwerp flagship that’s been knocking about my wardrobe for a decade.

Prepping for Autumn - Uniqlo shirt, Urban Research balloon maxi skirt, Dries Van Noten sweater, Bottega Veneta handbag, Maison Marfiela Tabi boots

I remember wearing look four into my old workspace and then going for drinks on a rooftop after. It was a bright and sunny day, but I was in a foul mood and very hormonal, so this is the result of trying to dress myself happy and trick my brain into believing I was on a European vacation. The very definition of a Silly Little Outfit to Boost Serotonin, even if I went home and cried after. Still, I’m getting a big kick out of lipstick reds and dark denim.

Dress for the holiday you want, not the job you have - Sézane scarf, HeRIN.CYE Cocoon Jeans, Remme black flats, second-hand With Jéan top.

Here’s another version of this colorway for some WFH/running errands. OG Hautties will be glad to see the return of the Aneto shopper, the ultimate supermarket It bag. I’m planning another trip to Spain later in the year, so I can stock up on more broth-related merch (I am actually going for a wedding, but there should be opportunities for supermarket side quests).

Market runs - Uniqlo sweater, second-hand adidas SL-72 sneakers, Aneto shopping bag, second-hand KA-HE jeans

What Else

Films - A Complete Unknown. I admit I went into this with some healthy skepticism. After Freddie, Amy, Elton, and Elvis, I was sure we’d hit peak biopic. However, as soon as Timmy and Monica started singing, I was in tears. 8/10 - the music was great, and the costumes were fun. Edward Norton was adorable. Docking points off for the corny dialogue they gave Elle Fanning’s character (what the fuck was that about the plates?).

TV - Severance - like everyone else, I’m sure. I’m obsessed with Gemma’s pre-Lumon coats. Let her and Mark be happy and go back to their soft academia life with their plants (not ants).

Books -

Aoife Byrne

has been raving about Max Porter’s Lanny, which I finally read in the space of 24 hours as I could not put it down. We also did Tomasz Jedrowski’s Swimming in the Dark for book club, a queer love story set in communist Poland, which was totally up my alley. My new job requires some commuting, so I’ve been getting back into audiobooks (anyone who says they don’t count as reading can get in the bin). Off the back of my pixels exploration, I settled on Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, which was a hard slog as I found the characters to be so pretentious. I hate when people are constantly called by their full names in dialogue - no one speaks like that.

Restaurants - Goodwater in Northcote is where you’ll find us.

Oh yeah, and cat.