10 Things People Were Wearing At EV Salon
And links to shop them new + secondhand
Working for myself means I do a lot of different things. I’m in the editing phase of my first romance novel. I create content. I help people with personal branding and assist brands in feeling a little bit more like a person. But the part of my work day that means the most to me is EV Salon.
I talked to my friend Michelle about it on her podcast Creative Juicy if you want the longform version. The TL;DR is that I was sick of attending bad events. You show up. You take a picture of the flowers and eat a bacon-wrapped something. You pose in front of a photo wall. And you leave with a tote bag full of product you don’t really care about. There’s no connection or context. Most of the time, on the way home over the East River, I wonder what I would have done with a free night at home instead.
Enter: EV Salon. It’s an invite-only event for handpicked connections. You walk in with an immediate purpose: to grab your nametag and find your match. I carefully match every attendee with someone they don’t know, creating a point of connection between their two names. There are snacks and drinks and great gift bags, but the real reason for getting together is getting to know new, cool women.
These aforementioned women also tend to dress very well. I can’t help it if my friends are an extremely stylish bunch! And right now, everyone in attendance is a friend.
A. That’s how the matching works. I can’t match a stranger with a stranger without copious amounts of internet stalking.
B. EV Salon is a two-person operation. My little sister Sarah (we all call her Jim) helps out, but scaling to meet the demand (500+ person waitlist) is impossible.
So be patient with me/us! Soon there will be a way for everyone to get a slice of the EV Salon pie, but for now, we have outfits. And before we get into it, my dear friend McGuire McManus shot the whole night—consider this your sign to book her for candid magic that makes everyone look good. And the gorgeous, snacky background is none other than PopUp Grocer. Get the cookie and the iced latte and the viral salad and text me after.
Silky suits
This time around, we were lucky to offer outfitting to a few friends (hi
) from the very chic Rose Room Collection. Is it a trend if you put it there on purpose? Rose Room very generously created a custom version of their suit for this extremely tall gal and it’s an outfit I’ll treasure forever. It solves the problem of uncomfortable suiting when a wool blazer just isn’t going to cut it. I’d recommend investing in one for wedding season instead of three or four outlandish TRR sale picks, but that’s just me.
I quite adore this more structured take from Destree. The set runs around $1k, so it’s def an investment and maybe a little less wearable than my glorious PJ-esque set from Rose Room.
Take satin for a spin with Favorite Daughter’s blazer that comes in a bunch of neutrals. It’s around $200.
I think this color is divine. This vintage silk suit set is under $200 on Etsy.
Classic white blouses
Danielle has been my friend for almost ten years and is what we like to call an honorary Veurink sister. She always shows up early to help set up and is the last person to leave. Great person and also, great outfits! She knows exactly what to wear to everything. A plain white blouse, jeans, and black shoes seemed to be a secret uniform for a bunch of attendees. If you, like me, tend to overcomplicate things, this is a great outfit recipe to come back to.
I love these two options to match Dan’s shoes. This one is under $100 and this one is just over, but I simply adore the brand.
Here’s an ALC white top around $50 on eBay.
I’ve loved the Jane blouse from Dôen for years. It’s $165 and feels so easygoing.
You know I adore Local Woman and their blouses are my go-to when I’m stuck on what to wear.
Gucci platform loafers
Can we talk about three people showing up in these shoes? They were nowhere near on my radar, but now, I feel like they should be. Luckily, you can shop them here. As far as secondhand options, let’s see what I can drum up.
You could try out the trend with these from Tod’s for $700 (about half the Gucci option) in a summery weave.
Or, opt for a pair of vintage Gucci loafers in a very EV Salon red for $200.
These Gucci heeled loafers need a little cobbler love but they’re $125 on eBay.
Stylized socks
In a narrative that will likely go down in EV Salon lore, I set up
and as a match. I knew they’d love each other and kept mentioning it to Renee for months, offering zero clues. The two of them showed up to EV Salon in the SAME socks and identical shoe styles. Makes me want to cry.
These are $12 and very similar.
I’m inspired to wear these shoes I love with sheer socks now! Or any socks. Thanks girls for the inspo!
Simple leather shoulder bags
Another conundrum: what bag to carry to an event like this? Not all of us were lugging a massive pile of name tags in an L.L. Bean Boat and Tote. I loved seeing easy shoulder bags in tan or animal print on friends at the salon—there’s something so grown up about this style of bag, as seen below on Blakely, one of the Rompy co-founders and co-author of
.
Good news for secondhand shoppers, these bags are some of the easiest to find on eBay or at your local thrift store. Opt for leather and check the lining, which can always be replaced!
A cool Coach option for around $100 on eBay.
Here’s another vintage Coach option for around $70 on Etsy.
Tall leather boots
Call it confirmation bias, but I couldn’t get enough of seeing tall leather boots at EV Salon. I’ve wanted a pair almost identical to Gracie’s for a while now, and I’ve really upped my eBay search. A great pair of leather boots can last a lifetime, especially if you get them resoled, and I’ve had amazing luck on buying them secondhand. The catch is sizing, which runs different for every brand (duh). If you’re on the fence re: how something fits, try ordering them new first.
Here’s what I’m looking for. It’s called the Campus Boot by Frye. This pair is around $200 on eBay. You can buy them new here.
Leave it to Texas to show up in the cutest black leather boots. My friend Lauren always looks polished. I currently only have a pair of black leather boots, but I’m inspired to pair them with more dresses.
These boots from Alohas have a waitlist but it kind of seems worth it, no?
This structured blazer
All of us were obsessed with Stephanie’s structured blazer. I think I heard at least three compliments! It’s from Ganni. And it feels like the answer for people who are over oversized, shapeless blazers.
Floral vests
I just wore this vest the other night and looking back on images from the Salon, I’m realizing I must have been inspired.
Vests are hardly a new trend, but FLORAL vests? It’s the best of both worlds. I wore mine over a long black dress with puffy sleeves, but could also see myself wearing it over a white tshirt and jeans.
Run don’t walk! This stunning option from MOLO is $45!!
This is listed for $100 but I’d offer $50 and see what happens. It’s beaded, if you can’t tell.
Denim!
It’s so fun to see my friend friends at the Salon. Recognize
? Taylor in the middle is a stylist, so of course she came in her signature pink. I must say—the denim at EV Salon was incredibly inspiring. It’s a category that can feel stale pretty easily and I managed to walk away with some fresh ideas on what to search for.
This is an absolute vintage Levi’s crew. My best advice? Order a ton of pairs on eBay and trust that if they don’t fit you, they’ll fit one of your friends. Or buy them new and scuff them up.
These are a great place to start. $50 on eBay! (I wouldn’t pay more than $70.)
Other great denim looks included Cece’s studded jeans and Sara’s baggy grey pair. Experimenting with denim is fun! And somehow feels cooler than trying out a whole new style of trouser or skirt. New brands I love include Pistola, Slvrlake, and Alex Mill for a true vintage feel.
(Not boring) Leather jackets
Nothing completes an outfit like a leather jacket. Sometimes, I’m guilty of throwing one on and forgetting the rest. But not so at the Salon. I love a good statement jacket and am now rethinking my boring black leather motorcycle option. Let’s find some great secondhand options, shall we?
This is $65 on eBay! All the jackets listed are 100% leather, just for reference.
Statement jacket! You’d have to have the hole in the underarm repaired, but at $6.50 for a red suede piece, I think you could swing it.
Kind of in love with this leather and suede jacket from eBay. It’s $160.
Will I regret not just ordering this $30 leather jacket that’s a 6 Tall? Maybe.
Thank you for reading Long Live. It means so much to me. You can shop my favs here, follow along on Instagram + Tiktok, shop my Notion template, and as always, respond to this dispatch for my direct line x
This sounds and looks fab! What a beautiful idea! Hope to connect with you at EV salon in the future ❤️
Omg❤️