5 Years Later: Riverside

Last year, I started doing the 5 years later outfit challenge: I picked out an outfit I first wore and blogged back in 2016 and recreated it using the same (or very similar) items. I had so much fun that I decided to keep it going for 2022, so now I’m recreating outfits I wore back in 2017! (Wow, I can’t believe 2017 was 5 years ago already…that was the year I finished my PhD!)

My goals with this series are to put together updated versions of some of my favorite past outfits, see how much my style has changed over the years (if at all), highlight the items that are still in my closet five or more years later, determine if it’s time to pass on some of my older items, inspire you to evaluate the longevity in your own wardrobe, and most importantly, remind you (and myself) that it’s cool to rewear your favorite outfits/items!

Let’s chat about the final 5 years later outfit of 2022 (and the last 5 years later outfit for now)!

Riverside — 2022 vs. 2017

I decided to go a bit rogue for this outfit update, haha. It was only loosely inspired by the original outfit, which has been the theme of the past few months of 5 years later outfits. This time, I picked a fall outfit that I wore in December 2017. I called it Riverside because we shot the photos next to the Boise River! We went back to that same exact spot to shoot the new look. In 2017, I wore a J.Crew cardigan, J.Crew Factory shirt, Madewell jeans, L.L.Bean boots, and Moorea Seal sunglasses. I still own everything except the cardigan, but I’m planning to list a couple of the items on Poshmark. I only included one of the 2017 items in the new look for 2022!

Items from 2017 I’m Still Wearing in 2022

The only item I’m wearing from the original outfit is my pair of L.L.Bean boots! These boots are classics and a mainstay in my wardrobe. They’re perfect for wet/muddy/generally gross days in the late fall and winter…and for frolicking next to the river, as it turns out! My boots are the standard Bean boots (in tan/navy) and don’t have anything special about them, like Thinsulate or shearling insoles (though I DO have shearling insoles—I just never put them in these boots lol). They only come in whole sizes and I took my true size 7. They’re a little roomy in the toe (which is why I got insoles) but I wouldn’t want to size down at all.

As mentioned above, I still own everything else in the original outfit besides the cardigan. The jeans don’t fit me anymore, and I’m pretty sure the gingham shirt is snug these days, too (and I haven’t worn that shirt in forever). Both need to be listed on Poshmark or donated. I still own and love those sunglasses—I just have been too obsessed with other pairs for now. I almost ended up wearing a different red cardigan and blue flannel shirt combo, but something felt off about it for me. Maybe it’s just too dated?

What’s New in 2022

The remaining four items in the 2022 outfit are new! Like the other 5 years later outfits from the past few months, this outfit is basically a complete restyle. It’s been quite a departure from my 5 years later outfits of 2021, where I tried really hard to stick to the original as much as I could! I have to say that it’s been fun to rethink these most recent outfits.

I wore skinny jeans again, just a different pair. I’m surprised my instacozy skinny jeans still fit, to be honest (though I’m on the hunt for the next size up because I can’t sit in these now, lol). Since this is now a winter outfit, I purposefully wore my jeans that are brushed with a bit of cashmere on the inside for extra warmth. These jeans are so much better than Madewell’s current instacozy offerings, just FYI. (Old Navy has—dare I say—better warm jeans!)

I mentioned above that I did try on a different red cardigan and blue shirt outfit combination, but I just wasn’t feeling it. It felt too…fussy? I don’t know. It didn’t feel like an outfit I’d wear right now, so I opted for the next best thing: a flannel shirt on its own in a similar color combination. And since it’s far too cold to be outside without a coat these days, I added my packable puffer! I have a much lower tolerance now for being cold while shooting outfit photos.

Similarly, I stuck a beanie on my head because of the cold! It was overcast when we shot these photos, so I didn’t have my sunglasses on (though I think they were in one of my coat pockets).

The 2022 look feels much more “me” now than the 2017 outfit does, which is the goal of the whole challenge I suppose! Which outfit is more your style: the 2017 original with the cardigan and gingham shirt or the new 2022 version with the puffer coat and flannel shirt?

It’s been a fun two years of restyling outfits! Thanks for reading my rambling outfit thoughts, haha. Maybe I’ll pick this challenge back up again in a year or so!

Browse all outfits in the 5 years later series!

---

OUTFIT DETAILS

Madewell coat / old; similar from Old Navy or Amazon
Outerknown shirt / old; similar or similar from Amazon
Madewell jeans / old; similar (curvy version) (also available from Zappos and Nordstrom)
L.L.Bean boots / exact (also available from Zappos and Nordstrom) (last seen here)
J.Crew hat / new version or similar by J.Crew Factory
Dior Lip Glow in rosewood / exact