Tales From My Wardrobe, a style series that explores the wardrobes of THE GLOSS community, is a love letter to the pieces we reach for again and again, the hard-earned investment purchases that make us smile with each wear and the items that supercede mere ‘clothing’ to carry memories and foster emotional connection.

Ireland-born, Amsterdam-based Ruth Walsh is a project manager at a digital design studio who shares her eclectic style with her 12.6k followers on Instagram. A lover of a flea market, and a good vintage shop, Ruth’s look combines old and new, laid-back and glamorous and always leaves room for a pinch of something unexpected. Here she shares some of her favourite haunts for secondhand pieces, the dream coat she’s lusting after and what makes a great pair of jeans …

Main image: Ruth Walsh, photographed by Nada Simonne.

The most recent item I bought is a Vera Pelle brown leather jacket. It was €20 in The Darling, Amsterdam which is this lovely treasure trove of a vintage shop on Haarlemmerstraat in Jordaan. It fits like a glove and looks very chic with anything. It’s that type of leather jacket that elevates the most simple of outfits. 

I never leave the house without some kind of lovely blazer, trench coat or jacket. Most of the items I have in that category are statement ones and they pull all my outfits together. Whether it’s my burnt orange suede vintage bomber or my Sézane trench coat or my COS black wool wrap coat, a chic layer always makes me feel more ‘together’.

My favourite feminine pieces are my Rouje Gabin dresses. I have two. One is red (because I believe everyone should have at least one red power dress) and the other is a medley of navy and purple in a faint flower print. They are cut to perfection and look great every time I wear them.

The Gabin dress by Rouje in red that is Ruth’s ‘power dress’ sits next to a floral-print version of the same style.

Ruth’s collection of Levi’s Ribcage jeans which stands at seven – and counting!

The biggest investment I’ve made in my wardrobe is in denim. I have seven pairs of Levi’s Ribcage jeans; I am unapologetic about my addiction to Levi’s. They are the highest quality jeans and they are the trousers that make me feel really good about myself: the cut, the way they pull you in. The button closing, instead of a zip, is flattering and the high-rise creates a lovely silhouette. I am on the hunt for an off-white pair now and I know my other jeans will welcome the newest member of the family.

The best bargain I own has to be a pair of dark purple knee-high boots from a Debenhams sale about four years ago. They were €15 and are just so classic.

My favourite piece in my wardrobe right now is a vintage brown coat with faux fur-trimmed sleeves and hem. It’s from this great vintage shop called Marbles in Jordaan, Amsterdam and it’s the type of coat that is a statement; something that will look good no matter what I look like. I had to think about it overnight but I went back the next day to buy it and because it’s so bulky, they put it in a black big bag to cycle home with. I was conscious to take it out of the bin bag straight away so it wouldn’t be mistaken for rubbish – imagine! 

Ruth in a faux fur-trimmed vintage coat sourced from a store called Marbles in the Jordaan district of Amsterdam.

My Converse are not that ‘fashion’ but they are a staple in my wardrobe. Most of my jeans are straight-legged and the way the hem sits on top of Converse looks great.

I’m lusting after a Zazi coat. They are synonymous with the bohemian woman in Amsterdam and once you realize someone is wearing one it instantly grabs your attention. It’s a total forever piece and a future heirloom.

My most hardworking accessories are my black leather purse that I got 11 years ago in a market in St. Tropez and a leopard shoulder bag that I got in the same market that is my go-to night out bag.

A suede coat and jeans are the perfect foil for a vintage leopard-print bag; Ruth’s go-anwywhere tote found at a market in St. Tropez.

I love finding a hidden gem at a market. There is always something lurking under all those layers of dusty things, be it a picture frame, a coat or a silk blouse. I love spending a few hours at Noordermarkt in Amsterdam. I always find something special in any of the vintage or secondhand stores in Amsterdam. They really nail it in terms of stock, quality and price.

I go through phases with sentimental wardrobe pieces because I have so many items that mean a lot to me, but at different stages of my life. Currently, it’s my red Lover’s Sunday crew neck pullover. It’s special because my boyfriend and I both wear it and my amazing friend Tara Marzuki designed it for her beautiful brand Lover’s Sunday. It’s like a big hug when I put it on and it usually holds the scent of my boyfriend on it which is cute and nostalgic.

 A unisex crew neck jumper by Lover’s Sunday is shared by Ruth and her boyfriend.

You can follow Ruth on Instagram (@ruthyruby) here. Got a wardrobe worth sharing? Send us your tales and  imagery to digital@thegloss.ie.