You Can Only Pick Four
Timeless dressing, digital wardrobe apps, and four things I don't need
I know that this is an incredibly hard day for many people (myself included) and I hope that this provides a little distraction if you’re up to reading anything. I wrote this a few days ago and it’s making me feel marginally better to stick to the continuity of my Wednesday posting schedule. Sending positive and healing vibes to everyone.
Now that we’re in November, I’ve been thinking more about what I want to buy for the four spots left in my 10 new things pledge. There’s a 100% chance that I’m leaning into stress shopping, but these are things that I’ve been looking at all year that I haven’t been able to find at resale yet. They fill holes in my new minimalist wardrobe, or so I keep telling myself, but do I really need any of this? Absolutely not.
I’ve read so many thought-provoking articles about fashion consumption and how other people are approaching slowing down their shopping since I joined Substack a few months ago. My personal learning? If you want to reduce your fashion consumption, prioritizing secondhand is the way to go. Secondhand forces you to take a huge step back from a trend cycle that’s become overwhelming with the rise of TikTok, a platform that shoved the trend cycle into warp-speed. A big positive is that this has taught me patience after so much instant gratification in my prior shopping life. Not to sound like a broken record, but I’ve had items on my wishlist for years before I see them pop up at resale.
My second tip for people that struggle with consumption is to avoid buying animal-based products. Dropping leather/wool/feathers/silk/fur drastically cuts down on all of the seasonal “have to have it” items (cough cough, suede). I know this one’s not for the faint of heart and you’re probably shaking your head and saying no way. I totally get it. There aren’t any great mainstream vegan non-synthetic alternatives to things like leather and wool (yet) and those designs tend to be more mass market to appeal to a wider group of people. But maybe this will inspire you to try secondhand animal-based textiles, which is a huge win for reducing your footprint.
Timeless Dressing > Microtrends
A theme that’s been emerging over the last few years is the idea of timeless dressing. I’m not talking about quiet luxury, although that plays a part in it. Timeless dressing as in moving away from microtrends, driven by the uncertainty in our current economic, political, and environmental climate and what Vogue Business calls “our own algorithm-defined echo chambers” that shape the way we interact with fashion and personal style.
I worked at a global trend forecasting agency that tracked consumer trends across all stages of Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation theory. If you ever want to understand the interconnected relationship between fashion, hyperconsumption, and society, become friends with an experienced trend forecaster or invest in this service for your brand. It’s truly eye-opening to see how cultural events impact what we wear. For example, my shift to a minimalist aesthetic is partially driven by the rising consumer awareness of the climate crisis. I’m now trying to buy pieces with longevity instead of continuing the parade of easily dated prints that are crowding my wardrobe.
Cher’s Closet Is Finally Here
I’m relieved that we’re moving out of the microtrend era into a time when people are recapturing their personal style and shopping more responsibly. The emergence of digital wardrobe apps and the Apple Notes app are an especially intriguing part of this change. I’ll be writing about digital closet apps in more detail soon since I’m working on a project on this very topic for school (the excitement!). It’s finally pushed me to download Indyx, something I’ve been talking about doing for months if I could just find time to photograph my wardrobe. Any tips for someone who truly loathes doing nitpicky things like uploading and tagging photos is much appreciated.
A survey will likely be part of the research and I’m curious if anyone would be open to a quick anonymous questionnaire about how you interact with wardrobe apps. I’ve learned so much about these through Substack and Reddit communities, but it would be incredible to understand usage, pain points, and what you’re looking for in an app.
Onto My New Things Wishlist
These are the firsthand things that I keep gazing longingly at online and waiting for some kind person to consign to The RealReal. But if that doesn’t happen, I’m taking the plunge to buy these new by the end of the year. Everything on my wishlist is from a brand with environmentally and/or ethically responsible initiatives since I’m trying to keep my firsthand purchases on the sustainable-ish side for the rest of the year.
#1 - Agolde Luna Jeans
My obsession with barrel leg jeans started Spring 2022 as I was researching women’s denim trends for work and curved legs were just starting to emerge. I had found a pair of secondhand Agolde Balloon jeans a mere month prior which made me feel like the earliest of early adopters. The quality is so high that I’ve worn these everywhere - to class, going out, volunteering at the animal shelter, etc - and they’re still in great shape. The only drawback is that they’re a bit too short for me, so I was drawn to the Luna when it came out with its longer inseam. To my immense joy, a wonderful person in my size consigned their Lunas to The RealReal this summer and I’ve been rotating between these and my preloved Agolde Dames ever since.
Putting on my merchant hat, I believe that a subtle barrel leg has some longevity since it’s an in-between silhouette and the shape creates a more elevated feel for outfitting. I’m flip-flopping between a dark wash and white since
has convinced me that white denim is a year-round wardrobe staple and now I can’t unthink it.
#2 Bhava Ballet Flats
Although I don’t count shoes in my pledge, I feel compelled to use a spot on footwear since I caved and bought inexpensive vegan mesh mary janes this summer that are already falling apart. I know better than to buy things like this, but sometimes a trend gets the best of you.
My top choice is from Bhava, a chic, high-quality vegan shoe brand that’s more accessibly priced than Stella McCartney, although still an investment. I love that they’re designed for comfort with cork insoles since I do a lot of walking. I’ve worn my highest heeled Bhava boots all over the city and have never limped home in pain. I’ve been looking at these ballet flats since they launched and am thisclose to making a purchase.
I’ve also been interested in these Bohema mary janes made from grape leather and these Minuit sur Terre loafers made with biobased grain, both from the cruelty-free website Immaculate Vegan. I have a pair of Vejas from 2019 made from corn waste that are still going strong, so I believe in the longevity of biomaterials in terms of normal wear and tear.
#3 and #4 Girlfriend Collective Becca X-Neck Bra & Pocket Leggings
I’ve written this into the ground, but I feel so much more motivated to work out when I’m wearing a matching set. The Girlfriend Collective Becca X-Neck bra and pocket legging in Cafe are giving me the minimalist vibes I need to get moving now that it’s dark at 5:30pm. I also love what they’re doing with their jacket collection and have already started thinking about my 2025 new things pledge.
We’ll see where the rest of the year takes me with buying new since it’s not too late for some of these (barrel leg jeans) to pop up at resale. I’m keeping my eyes peeled as always and staying hopeful.
That’s it for this week, thanks for reading. If you have any thoughts on digital wardrobing apps, please drop a comment below. I’m so intrigued to hear what you think. See you next Wednesday!
Indyx has changed my life—it’s time consuming to get it off the ground but absolutely worth it.
I also caved and got the mesh Mary Janes in the summer... living in NYC it felt like a way to keep my toes breathable without resorting to sandals? I too regret it now! Those Agolde jeans are so chic! Thanks for sharing <3