First off, Joan Didion’s estate sale was bonkers. I told you last week that I planned to bid on the collection of eyewear and a separate collection of aprons - reader, I was unsuccessful. The loss has been rough for me; I had visions of making soup in the chilly months to come in the “Maybe Broccoli Doesn’t Like You Either!” apron and some nerdy new tortoiseshell opticals but alas, it was not to be. Let’s all try to move on together.
Different Strokes for Different Folks, The Vintage Edition
Vintage is hard, especially online. Here are a few very different shops that are reliable, exciting, informative and trustworthy.
There are two ways I think about vintage. First, is it something I can incorporate into my everyday wardrobe without feeling costumey? Second, is it something incredibly special and exciting that other people are searching for as well but I found first? Ideally yes. The vintage blazers I talked about in the first newsletter fall into the former, the vintage Alaia dress from newsletter #3 fits squarely into the latter.
Resurrection - if you’re looking for avant garde but still accessible, Resurrection is your girl. They have an incredible archive and if you’re a nerd like me you can make an appointment to go see it and rent as well. A lot of designers use these vintage archives as references in their work because the standards have changed so much (we tend to slap a lining over badly finished seams because it’s cheaper than a binding) and it really is worth looking at how things were made. Especially if they have lasted 50 + years and still look fresh. I live for this teeny gaultier number -
Shrimpton Couture - Shrimpton is your destination for gown-heavy designer vintage with provenance you can trust. The owner, Cheri Balch, is meticulous and knows the often fascinating backstory of everything she sells. It’s both a fashion history resource and a place to find actual treasure. If you saw something vintage on the red carpet and fell in love with it, chances are the stylist pulled from Shrimpton.
Tab Vintage - New and sexy. Tab is doing a great job of making vintage feel cool, covetable and relevant. The assortment here is a lot of great suiting and dresses. Not as one-of-a-kind focused - though they do have some rare gems - but special vintage you can actually wear. Vintage stores can feel a little cold sometimes (especially the designer ones) but Tab is your friend. It ticks both of my “why am I buying vintage?” boxes I mentioned in the intro to this segment.
Good Shop Bad Shop - is a well-edited place for everyday vintage. GSBS is not designer heavy, but rather focused on wearable pieces you can incorporate into your wardrobe with ease. Great coats, perfect old LL Bean half zips, blocky heels under $100 - Good stuff.
SVC - I don’t know a ton about this site or who’s behind it but to me it’s the Vintage version of Frankie Shop. So - a good source of oversized blazers and coats. varying degrees of outerwear seems to be their bread and butter - it’s not worth going to deep in the other categories. SVC has a very engaged Instagram community - their pieces are styled in a minimal and modern way - as a result, they generate a lot of interest and sell items quick. Better to peruse the site weekly than fall in love with an instagram image only to find it’s sold out.
Gossamer - An ethereal wonderland. It’s Dress-heavy, with a strong woodland nymph lean. Think Diaphanous, billowy, sheer, princess in the tower type stuff. Gossamer is strongest for wedding or wedding-adjacent events. If you are looking to do something out of the box for your wedding dress, this is worth a look. Happy Isles is another excellent vintage bridal shop. Started by a former Resurrection sales associate, it’s highly curated and special.
I recently listened to this -
The Outlaw Ocean podcast. It’s true crime adjacent - It always is, that’s the charm in me - and touches on everything from modern slavery, environmental + social justice, to the accountability black hole of international waters. There’s also an illegal fishing boat chase that lasts months and still manages to feel suspenseful.
A Made to Order Corset to Consider!
This upcycled, made-to-order corset by Itiya Studio from Lunch Concept Store is glorious. I realized as I was ordering it that I was literally giggling to myself. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. It combines my greatest passions - button down shirts (weird passion but if you’re still reading these newsletters, you get it), upcycling + a corset. This is a perfect example of taking something with historical fashion significance and making it wearable, fresh and exciting.
A brief sidebar on the subject of corsets - I present to you Michaela Stark who is, per her instagram, That Body Morphing Bitch. An artist first, She uses corsets and lingerie as a means to create human sculptures that ask you to think about body dysmorphia, beauty standards and fetish. She now sells ready-to-wear lingerie-inspired pieces that are beautiful and, I imagine in more ways that one, uncomfortable.
This is the playlist I listen to when I’m boxing if that interests you.
This is what I would like to wear outside in the frigid tundra of Toronto Today //
Junya Watanabe Faux Leopard Coat , Splits59 Flared Legging, Raey Responsible Cashmere Roll Neck, Prada Nylon + Gabardine Monolith Boot, Comme Si Organic Cotton Socks, Shushu/Tong Black Bow Earrings, Marc Jacobs Teddy Tote, + Acne Black Knit Gloves.
I am new to full body moisturization -
There I said it. But I’m not getting any younger and on top of that, I live in cold, dry Canada. So I have two that I rotate. The first is the Drunk Elephant Glycolic Body Lotion. I saw it on my friend Laney’s Instagram and bought it because I trust her advice implicitly - she’s the founder and CEO of one of the best clean makeup brands in the biz (The mascara! Glowy Super Gel! Iconic!), Saie Beauty. My only advice here is don’t put it on immediately post-shave, it’s spicy.
The second lotion is the U Beauty Super Body Hydrator. It’s heavier, a little sticky, and takes longer to sink in but, wow. It transforms skin, making it soft and radiant with a warm glow like you’re next to a fire and sweating the tiniest bit. If The Silence of the Lambs was real life and this moisturizer was around at the same time, Buffalo Bill would have had a field day.
Some Instagram Inspiration for you -
Beerbottles_chainsaws // The most authentically personal and joyful expression of style in existence. I am never not smiling when I peruse her posts.
Brianna Capozzi // I’ve said before that photographers are (obviously, I guess?) the best instagram accounts. Brianna is an incredible fashion photographer and often works with Haley Woolens. The combo of the two is always perfection.
Dream With Me! //
I’m feeling fancy. Last night I hosted a trunk show for my talented friend Eva Fehren. I ended up with some incredible gold hoops but first I tried on something similar to these just to feel alive for a minute and wow. I would wear them with the Balenciaga x Adidas Trackpant Boot in a hot second. With a white crew neck bodysuit and probably a blazer because I am who I am!
From my Saved Folder this week //
From Ruba, Creative Director of Tiffany & Co (and my heart) - How cool would it be to have a functioning gold blackberry?