This just HIT today. "I started it as a fashion newsletter, not a shopping newsletter." Restraint really is the biggest key to personal style. It's about repetition, getting dressed, using a critical eye about what's already in your wardrobe and only then adding more pieces that help to better tell your style story. Thanks for sharing this!
Clothes have been my favorite form of creative expression since I could dress myself, famously churning through three outfits a day in childhood just for the joy of combination.
Cue parenthood x2 and a body that no longer looks or feels like it ever has. It’s been a funny thing, like feeling lost in a place you used to know by heart.
So this letter struck a chord I needed; A reminder that style is iterative, there is no need to rush in order for that part of my identity to return. Now is the time to listen, discover, and play.
“Feeling lost in a place you used to know by heart” — holy shit, I have never felt so seen…this is exactly it after two babies. IDK whose body this is but I’m just going to wear beautiful flowy dresses until I have enough energy to decide how much work I want to put into “getting my waist back”. Btw my youngest is almost 3. 😅🤷♀️ There’s just so much more meaningful and important shit to do. But the feeling of failure still lingers.
Sorry for this rant, thank you for your perfect words.
"Personal style is a lifelong project. And it’s not for everyone! Some people outsource it. Other people study it." -- there is SUCH a joy in studying it. I really hate this idea that "you either have it or you don't." XX
"I see so many people wearing them and think to myself, “They look so cool.” And then I don’t do anything about it." RT! when i wait to buy something that's really *me* it also makes it that much more special
This is perfection; it really is. I have a whole bag of patterned clothes going to The Real Real tomorrow. (Dior!) No more patterns. And I don’t need to buy anything to know that.
Honoured to be mentioned in the same breath as The Talented Mr. Ripley and To Catch a Thief, even more honoured to be presented as an antithesis to shopping <3
Absolutely love this but wow it’s a hard lesson for me to learn! I love shopping and I love buying something new and wearing it constantly…until I’m sick of it lol. I bought your notion template and it’s been so useful to be faced with everything I own and decide what is actually “me” and not something I just bought because an influencer told me to.
Another thing this made me think of is the idea of clothes rental services - I stopped doing them because whenever I wore the clothes I felt like I was playing dress up. It was nothing I would ever purchase outright.
I love this so much. YAY! And sometimes I think clothing rental can be an amazing way to test things out if you're new to the process, but ya, it's never been a perfect fit for me
This is what I really appreciate about your newsletter. Style over stuff! Being true to you! As you said, something doesn’t become a signature piece if it’s only worn once. I had a bright blue coat in college and would hear all the time from friends that they saw me by this building, when they were on the bus, etc. People knew it was me before they saw my face!
People don’t need to buy a big flower pin or nameplate necklace to have a Carrie Bradshaw signature piece. Just wear things you love often!
Yes to this! Especially "What makes you feel like you." I gravitate back to the same styles and concepts again and again even if the other outliers might have looked "good" simply because some things feel like me and others make me feel like im in a costume
This just HIT today. "I started it as a fashion newsletter, not a shopping newsletter." Restraint really is the biggest key to personal style. It's about repetition, getting dressed, using a critical eye about what's already in your wardrobe and only then adding more pieces that help to better tell your style story. Thanks for sharing this!
yeppppp so glad this resonated
Perfectly expressed.
Clothes have been my favorite form of creative expression since I could dress myself, famously churning through three outfits a day in childhood just for the joy of combination.
Cue parenthood x2 and a body that no longer looks or feels like it ever has. It’s been a funny thing, like feeling lost in a place you used to know by heart.
So this letter struck a chord I needed; A reminder that style is iterative, there is no need to rush in order for that part of my identity to return. Now is the time to listen, discover, and play.
Thanks, Erika 🤍🤍
“Feeling lost in a place you used to know by heart” — holy shit, I have never felt so seen…this is exactly it after two babies. IDK whose body this is but I’m just going to wear beautiful flowy dresses until I have enough energy to decide how much work I want to put into “getting my waist back”. Btw my youngest is almost 3. 😅🤷♀️ There’s just so much more meaningful and important shit to do. But the feeling of failure still lingers.
Sorry for this rant, thank you for your perfect words.
thank you for YOURS! I think about this all the time as someone who hopes to have kids. I want to embody the same energy x
<3 I’m so glad.
"Personal style is a lifelong project. And it’s not for everyone! Some people outsource it. Other people study it." -- there is SUCH a joy in studying it. I really hate this idea that "you either have it or you don't." XX
YES! it's like how we all were taught about learning styles as kids
"I see so many people wearing them and think to myself, “They look so cool.” And then I don’t do anything about it." RT! when i wait to buy something that's really *me* it also makes it that much more special
This is perfection; it really is. I have a whole bag of patterned clothes going to The Real Real tomorrow. (Dior!) No more patterns. And I don’t need to buy anything to know that.
bye patterns!!!!
This is such a great essay, thank you! It's very easy to mistake consumerism for fashion these days
<3
Honoured to be mentioned in the same breath as The Talented Mr. Ripley and To Catch a Thief, even more honoured to be presented as an antithesis to shopping <3
you are my muse!!
Yes! I feel like ‘Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should’ needs to be applied to like…the entire world rn🙂↕️
hahahaha yes
Oh if only I could walk to the market in a cute outfit and a basket bag!
the dream
This is incredibly helpful.
Absolutely love this but wow it’s a hard lesson for me to learn! I love shopping and I love buying something new and wearing it constantly…until I’m sick of it lol. I bought your notion template and it’s been so useful to be faced with everything I own and decide what is actually “me” and not something I just bought because an influencer told me to.
Another thing this made me think of is the idea of clothes rental services - I stopped doing them because whenever I wore the clothes I felt like I was playing dress up. It was nothing I would ever purchase outright.
I love this so much. YAY! And sometimes I think clothing rental can be an amazing way to test things out if you're new to the process, but ya, it's never been a perfect fit for me
This made me think about my eBay purchase history 😭
ok i had to have a long talk w myself about mine
This is what I really appreciate about your newsletter. Style over stuff! Being true to you! As you said, something doesn’t become a signature piece if it’s only worn once. I had a bright blue coat in college and would hear all the time from friends that they saw me by this building, when they were on the bus, etc. People knew it was me before they saw my face!
People don’t need to buy a big flower pin or nameplate necklace to have a Carrie Bradshaw signature piece. Just wear things you love often!
i love this and loveeeee bright blue outerwear
Yes to this! Especially "What makes you feel like you." I gravitate back to the same styles and concepts again and again even if the other outliers might have looked "good" simply because some things feel like me and others make me feel like im in a costume
YES!
agreed-- per usual!
❤️
So well said
❤️