Yes to everything you said!! I've come to realize that personal style is a muscle that you have to practice in order to get better at. So with everything that gets exposed to me, I've gotten more and more critical at ensuring it's actually for me vs what other people have said is for me. I think this is partly why I love having generic wishlists vs a specific item. It helps discern if it's the item I want or it's the overall look an item could achieve.
Also, not to self promote, but it reminds me of two articles I recently published around why I don't particularly like capsule wardrobes and then go onto to talk about ritual dressing and how it can be your own personal style identifier.
I love this idea of a generic wishlist and I need to get better at thinking along those lines. If the hole in my closet is “green pants” I don’t need to make it “coh Marcelle”! I LOVED your post on capsule wardrobes, your recent writing has been super helpful for me.
It's been a game changer for me! I have another list for "noteworthy" items of things that are interesting to me, but not something I've 100% decided on. So the Marcelle have been added to my noteworthy list even though I've been passively thinking about how I miss having olive green jeans.
Ahhh thank you!! Thank you for reading and I'm so happy to hear you've been loving them and they've been helpful. It makes me so giddy to hear.
I use a combination of a generic wishlist, noteworthy list, Want Locker and Pinterest. Mostly the first two, where items move between the two lists depending on what I'm feeling/wanting/needing. When I save items in Want Locker, I'm less rigid with the items. They are often a "that looks cute" and I save without thinking much of it. So I use it as inspiration with slightly more direction in comparison to Pinterest where it's just mostly inspiration.
I had worked on an article about this and left it in drafts. So this is a good push to revisit it :)
Loved this post but came here to say that you taking the friendship off of substack chat into a personal texting group chat is amazing and warmed my heart 🥹 the benefits of the chat being a place for like minded people wanting to have specific conversations but with a smaller group of people that you trust is 10/10
Team Personal Style over Fashion all day long! Sometimes seeing something you're unsure about on others is really helpful as you mentioned. But the exposure effect is SO real. Side note: as someone who loves styling old school sneakers with everything it didn't even occur to me that wearing it with a trench would be 'out there' until I read Tiia's excerpt. Ha! Wear what you love, however you like it, end of story. 😄
I also think it's not always bad that we get into things because we see other women or friends in it first. There's a fundamental Sisterhood of the Barrel Pants that's really lovely and wonderful and it's important not to let internet influencer fatigue get in the way of that.
I agree! My friend chat convinced me to buy the Marcelle’s and I shared with them my Everlane curve jeans and we all bought. I think there is something interesting here about friend influence vs. influencer influence and I have a suspicious it has to do with the capitalism at play with influencer influence.
I'm so similar! I sometimes need to be exposed to something a few times before I decide it's the right use of my shopping budget. I like the balanced view here - I've definitely bought things I regretted because I was seeing them everywhere (these were parachute pants for me!) but I also have bought things out of my comfort zone that I ended up loving. It works both ways, and I agree that it helps to have a good sense of your closet and what you actually wear. Also, I can't wait to see the Marcelles on you and hear what you have to say!
I’m glad you can also see the benefit of both. I can point to just as many occasions when I bought something I was nervous about pulling off as when I bought something and regretted it!
Oh completely agree to Know Thy Wardrobe! And I think to flexing that curators muscle of tuning out what doesn’t serve it. Edit out a trend that’s maybe not quite right or gamble on a wild-card hero item cos it’s what you want. Maybe others are reference points not influencers? (Am I overworking this?!)
Not at all!! I think trying to find style references outside of curated influencer content is key. Even Pinterest, which is admittedly populated by influencer pictures, is better than a completely curated feed. I’ve posted about it but I LOVE candid street style.
Thanks so much for the mention Kelly! A great piece of influence. I find it’s a constant scuffle between what’s me and what’s the outside noise. But maybe that’s just being human and that’s ok too! x
Yes to everything you said!! I've come to realize that personal style is a muscle that you have to practice in order to get better at. So with everything that gets exposed to me, I've gotten more and more critical at ensuring it's actually for me vs what other people have said is for me. I think this is partly why I love having generic wishlists vs a specific item. It helps discern if it's the item I want or it's the overall look an item could achieve.
Also, not to self promote, but it reminds me of two articles I recently published around why I don't particularly like capsule wardrobes and then go onto to talk about ritual dressing and how it can be your own personal style identifier.
I love this idea of a generic wishlist and I need to get better at thinking along those lines. If the hole in my closet is “green pants” I don’t need to make it “coh Marcelle”! I LOVED your post on capsule wardrobes, your recent writing has been super helpful for me.
It's been a game changer for me! I have another list for "noteworthy" items of things that are interesting to me, but not something I've 100% decided on. So the Marcelle have been added to my noteworthy list even though I've been passively thinking about how I miss having olive green jeans.
Ahhh thank you!! Thank you for reading and I'm so happy to hear you've been loving them and they've been helpful. It makes me so giddy to hear.
Tell me more about your wishlists!! You’ve got a generic wishlist and a noteworthy item list? Any other ways you keep track? I love this method.
I use a combination of a generic wishlist, noteworthy list, Want Locker and Pinterest. Mostly the first two, where items move between the two lists depending on what I'm feeling/wanting/needing. When I save items in Want Locker, I'm less rigid with the items. They are often a "that looks cute" and I save without thinking much of it. So I use it as inspiration with slightly more direction in comparison to Pinterest where it's just mostly inspiration.
I had worked on an article about this and left it in drafts. So this is a good push to revisit it :)
Love that you guys are friends from substack chat!!!!
You attract the best people 😉
Loved this post but came here to say that you taking the friendship off of substack chat into a personal texting group chat is amazing and warmed my heart 🥹 the benefits of the chat being a place for like minded people wanting to have specific conversations but with a smaller group of people that you trust is 10/10
It’s maybe the first time in my life I’ve had friends to talk about clothes with that feels really safe and loving. How great is Substack?!
Team Personal Style over Fashion all day long! Sometimes seeing something you're unsure about on others is really helpful as you mentioned. But the exposure effect is SO real. Side note: as someone who loves styling old school sneakers with everything it didn't even occur to me that wearing it with a trench would be 'out there' until I read Tiia's excerpt. Ha! Wear what you love, however you like it, end of story. 😄
Wear what YOU love! We need t-shirts made 😉
I also think it's not always bad that we get into things because we see other women or friends in it first. There's a fundamental Sisterhood of the Barrel Pants that's really lovely and wonderful and it's important not to let internet influencer fatigue get in the way of that.
I agree! My friend chat convinced me to buy the Marcelle’s and I shared with them my Everlane curve jeans and we all bought. I think there is something interesting here about friend influence vs. influencer influence and I have a suspicious it has to do with the capitalism at play with influencer influence.
Omg just need to say YES to sisterhood of the barrel pants, perfection
You’re looking into my brain! I also research an item to DEATH before I make the leap. (Ehhhh except those jelly Jeffrey Campbell….🤣)
Haha we both jumped on those jellies and it was WORTH IT! I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks and thinks on things 😜
❤️❤️❤️
Love the change to your Substack name! Such a good descriptor 💙.
Thanks for your support Susie! One of these days we’ll see each other in person 😘
This reminded me to send a text to see when we should try meeting up 🥰
I'm so similar! I sometimes need to be exposed to something a few times before I decide it's the right use of my shopping budget. I like the balanced view here - I've definitely bought things I regretted because I was seeing them everywhere (these were parachute pants for me!) but I also have bought things out of my comfort zone that I ended up loving. It works both ways, and I agree that it helps to have a good sense of your closet and what you actually wear. Also, I can't wait to see the Marcelles on you and hear what you have to say!
I’m glad you can also see the benefit of both. I can point to just as many occasions when I bought something I was nervous about pulling off as when I bought something and regretted it!
Oh completely agree to Know Thy Wardrobe! And I think to flexing that curators muscle of tuning out what doesn’t serve it. Edit out a trend that’s maybe not quite right or gamble on a wild-card hero item cos it’s what you want. Maybe others are reference points not influencers? (Am I overworking this?!)
Not at all!! I think trying to find style references outside of curated influencer content is key. Even Pinterest, which is admittedly populated by influencer pictures, is better than a completely curated feed. I’ve posted about it but I LOVE candid street style.
Thanks so much for the mention Kelly! A great piece of influence. I find it’s a constant scuffle between what’s me and what’s the outside noise. But maybe that’s just being human and that’s ok too! x
💯 I am ok with the fact that sometimes I’m influenced but I want to get better at listening to my gut!
Me too! 😆