The March Inspo List
What I'm saving, reading, and watching to keep the fashion inspo flowing
With Semi-Sustainable turning the big 3-0 in published posts today, I’m doing something a little different and sharing how I find inspiration outside of Substack, from fashion creators to watch to the books I’m reading. I’m planning an upcoming Substack on my post-low buy era and in the meantime wanted to highlight the secondhand buys that brought me joy this month.
What I’m Wearing
I mentioned last week that I had a
credit burning a hole in my pocket and it was put to great use during their Shop More, Earn More event. Buying secondhand online can be a roll of the dice and I’m thrilled to say that this order is one of my best in 11 years of TRR-ing: pants that are long enough to wear with heels, a year-round cotton sweater1, and a cropped jacket to balance out all of my oversized blazers.I shared a sneak peek of what I bought in
’s Notes, along with some recent preloved belt buys. It would make my day if you kept this Note going by sharing your last secondhand purchase (thank you in advance for satisfying my insatiable ex-merchant curiosity to know what people are buying).Besides this Anine Bing leather jacket2, I also got a Stella McCartney sweater and Frankie Shop pants for the bargain price of $40 each. I squeezed in time for a few photos3 since I want to get better about documenting my outfits inspired by
and ’ impeccable mirror selfie games.I also tried out my jacket with two previous TRR buys, a Pixie Market skirt and Stella McCartney boots. Tonal outfitting was an overarching trend during Fashion Month that I wanted to get in on, and my outfit was loosely inspired by this
What People Are Wearing in Paris reel4. I also feel like there’s a Halloween costume waiting to happen here, stay tuned for October 2025.
Recently, I was moved by
’s honesty about putting yourself out there on social media since she does it so well on . I admire Maria5 and everyone on fashion Substack taking the step of putting their personal style out into the universe - it sounds easy in theory, but it’s not that easy in practice. I love learning from so many unique perspectives and think that writing a Substack makes you even more intriguing. One of my 2025 resolutions has been to step outside of my comfort zone to show my face on Substack and I got halfway there with this post (baby steps).What I’m Saving
I still find incredible fashion inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest. My latest fashion follow is Hamburg-based creator Cherifa Akili. Her feed is a plethora of the most sophisticated ways to style suits6 and tailored outfits, making every other post a save for my outfit inspo folder.
Case in point, this perfectly oversized suit:
And this take on the ladylike aesthetic that was all over fashion week:
And some of Cherifa’s latest hits:
I’m also newly obsessed with Josephine Aarkrogh, the creative director of Elle Denmark, and her enviable wardrobe of romantic skirts and timeless outerwear.
What I’m Reading
I’m a big reader and for the last five years my goal was reading 200+ books for my Goodreads challenge. By the end of 2024 the goal that had brought me so much happiness started to feel like a chore as I grinded my way through the last 75 books. I updated my 2025 goal to 100 books and haven’t regretted it once. Although it sounds small, it was a big step for me and connects to some of the other lifestyle changes I made for 2025, like moving away from low buys and breaking up with vegan leather.
Annie Valentine series: This seven book series by Carmen Reid spanning 2007 to 2024 will always be my go-to comfort fashion read. It centers on Annie Valentine, a personal shopper for a luxury department store in London raising her two children after her husband’s sudden absence. The books follow Annie from her start as a personal stylist to a celebrated fashion tv host. The series covers the seismic shift in fashion consumption over the last two decades: the early books focused on overconsumption and high street buys as the “smart” way to shop and the theme of the last book is sustainable outfit repeating and strategic investment buying. I reread the series this month and it was exactly the escape that I needed.
The Fashion Intruder: Chaotic and highly glamorous, this 2018 book by Roma E. Black is one of my annual reads. Sofia is a fashion-obsessed lawyer at a stuffy law firm in Rome and spends most of her money on a designer wardrobe. When Sofia gets an opportunity to launch a FStreets, Farfetch-esque fashion website with two nepo babies, she immediately quits her job to dive into the world of ecommerce. The storyline follows Sofia as she jetsets around the world trying to launch FStreets, while also breaking up with her ballet dancer boyfriend, falling in love with a famous footballer, getting betrayed by her co-founders, and meeting with/yelling at7 important people across the fashion industry. Also, her grandmother was casual bffs with Elsa Schiaparelli. Roma E. Black if you’re reading this, I’m here for the sequel.
The Fashion Orphans: Another annual read that I just finished, this book by Randy Susan Meyers and M.J. Rose follows estranged sisters Gabrielle and Lulu as they deal with the aftermath of their mother Bette’s death. At the will reading, they each hoped for a monetary windfall that would solve their financial crises, but instead Bette left them with something totally unexpected: a walk-in closet brimming with pristine and ultra-rare Chanel pieces. The catch? The sisters have to work together to decide what to do with a store’s worth of Chanel, with serendipitous letters from Bette bearing Coco Chanel quotes helping to guide their next steps.
Looking for more books set in the fashion world? Check out one of my first posts on my 15 favorite fashion fiction books. The best and most underrated genre imo.
What I’m Watching
I’ve always been team reading > team watching tv, but once I turn on YouTube fashion videos I’m mesmerized for hours. I’ve cultivated a YouTube algo heavy on fashion with a little beauty thrown in. These are my favorite episodes of my favorite channels, but if you have any suggestions to add to my highly curated feed I’m all ears.
SheerLuxe & LuxeGen
I came across SheerLuxe sometime in 2018 and was instantly hooked on all of the behind-the-scenes content that they shared. Their Instagram and YouTube channels felt like stepping into my favorite magazine run by a group of super fashionable friends. Today SheerLuxe has built a media empire across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Apple podcasts, plus their online mag. They excel at sharing fun content and creating a sense of community through their team-led socials. My first port of call on YouTube is LuxeGen, a 2023 rebrand from Gen Z spinoff LuxeGirl, followed by the original SheerLuxe channel.
Ep on Repeat: Big Reader Event at HQ
Maybe it’s the matcha bar drawing me in, but the team prepping for a reader event at the SheerLuxe headquarters is my most rewatched episode. They also enjoy breakfast at veggie-friendly Sonya8, discuss outfits of the day, new TikTok follows, and walk through the fall outerwear racks (merchant nostalgia at its best). I don’t want to say that I have favorite LuxeGen team members because they’re all so engaging, but if I did it’s Sapna and Saroop.
Parisian Vibe
I came across Parisian Vibe two years ago and it’s been a surprising favorite since I lean Scandi style. Their fashion styling videos featuring the chicest of the chic French women drew me in, covering all of the wardrobe staples and seasons and inspiring me to try different styling combinations when I’m getting dressed in the morning.
Outside of fashion, the channel has a little something for everyone: beauty, the best croissants in Paris, French cinema, French culture, home tours, and in the bags of Parisians. Videos are in a mix of French and English and I like to think that I might be absorbing some French as I’m watching my favorite episode for the third time in a row.
Ep on Repeat: 5 Chic Blazer Looks
I’ve lost count of how many times that I’ve watched this video. Parisian Wendy Swan shares her top five blazer looks that span the spectrum of menswear, vintage leather, oversized, and fitted for the perfect blazer capsule wardrobe. If you’ve tucked your Frankie Shop Bea Blazer away in the back of your closet, get ready to bring it back out with styling tips that take this style from day to evening.
Karen Brit Chick
I’ve written about Karen Blanchard before and I’m back to share her YouTube channel. Karen was one of my first follows back when fashion blogging was just posting your best outfits before it became the industrial influencer complex that it is today. Karen’s style is eclectic, covering a mix of vintage, luxury, and high street, and her warm personality shines through in all of her content. I love watching Karen’s long form videos and she excels at YouTube shorts - I could watch her GRWM content all day.
Ep on Repeat: Closet Tour!
I can’t get enough of Karen’s closet tour where she walks through her investment pieces. Karen talks about her circular approach to fashion, like repairing her OG Balenciaga City bags, her favorite Simone Rocha skirt via The RealReal, and how investing in her statement Mugler trench coat means she doesn’t need to constantly buy the trench of the season. This is the push I need to take a few things to the tailor.
Honorable mention: This short of Karen getting ready for a NYFW event wearing a gorgeous boho Stella McCartney9 dress.
Honorable beauty mentions: Dr. Shereene Idriss for everything skincare/in-office procedures and Stephanie Lange for breaking down beauty stereotypes and trends.
My First Post for
A huge thank you for everyone’s kind words when I shared that I started an internship with
last week. It’s a total dream come true to work for a circular fashion tech startup and learn from FR founder .I’m thrilled to share that my first post is out today. If you want to see what people are buying secondhand this year and love a fashion data breakdown, then this is the post for you. If you have a moment to read it, I’d love to know what you think! Feel free to drop a comment here or in the Future Reference post.
That’s it for this week, thanks for reading! Please feel free to share your favorite fashion and beauty YouTube channels, fashion fiction books, and any fashion creators that I can add to the 1.7K+ that I’m currently following - there’s always room for more.
If you like what you’ve read, please consider tapping the ❤️ or even commenting. It really helps give me a little more visibility as a free newsletter. See you next week!
I live in San Francisco where I’m also known to wear gloves in June.
My first secondhand leather jacket purchase since I decided to break up with vegan leather.
Another 2025 goal: cleaning my mirror, getting proper lighting, and buying a clothing steamer when I graduate in May and get to experience what having free time is like again. All tips on lighting setups are welcomed with open arms.
I’m thinking of wearing suit for my graduation outfit this May. It might be one of the few things I buy firsthand this year to make sure it’s exactly right for the long term, although I’m into several of the preloved suits that
shared here. Renting is another option now that Rent The Runway has made big investments in their inventory and brand assortment.There is a lot of passionate yelling in this book.
If anyone has been to Sonya, I’d love to hear more for the day I finally make it to London. Their banana pancakes look amazing and I’m so impressed by all of their vegan options.
Stella McCartney is my next-gen fabric, sustainable fashion hero.
I’ve been searching for new YouTube style videos and cant wait to dig into this list!
I’m for sure going to add to that Future Reference note, after I give my latest secondhand find a clean—the silver needs a little polish 😅
And I just have to add: last year I made it a goal to read FEWER books. Not because I wanted to read less, but because I felt like I was just finishing books without really absorbing them—as if the finishing was the thing I was doing, rather than enjoying and savoring the thing I was reading. It’s been a much more satisfying relationship for me (clearly a reformed Type A!) 😊