getting dressed 02: Lexie

the Tumblr to Substack pipeline is real!

getting dressed is a series featuring the people I love and the ways they interact with fashion and clothing in their daily lives. You can find the first one here.

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Lexie and I first “met” on Tumblr. We’ve now known each other for probably a decade, if not longer, and though we’ve never met in real life I feel closer to her than I do many IRL acquaintances, even though it took me a while to stop thinking of her as “copperoranges”. I knew her solely through her writing at first, but after we became Instagram mutuals, I looked forward to her outfit posts, sympathized with her teaching content, teared up when she announced her pregnancy, and always look forward to her “Sunday shares” of art and inspiration!

After I started this Substack, we began DMing each other more frequently on Instagram, and eventually shifted to texting. We are now on an almost daily text basis, which is literally the ideal outcome of starting a Substack. (My friend Kristin also sends me voice notes about clothes now, and several other friends email and text about purchasing decisions—it’s the best.)

I’ll be in Lexie’s city for a wedding this summer, and we have plans to meet for dinner!

This interview was conducted over email and text message.

How does your life (job, where you live, what you do on the daily, etc.) shape your wardrobe?

I am a middle school teacher, and my students are a major motivator for me to stay "current" with what I wear. I don't want to dress like my students, but I do like to give a little nod that I still pay attention to the world around me. I know some teachers have a uniform that they default to, but I would get too bored with that. I do like to dress in a sort of rhythm - Mondays I tend to wear dark wash jeans, Tuesdays I try to wear trousers, I’ve been doing “one piece Wednesdays” (jumpsuit or overalls) for three years now. Thursdays and Fridays tend to be more casual. 

Moving from the South to the PNW changed my style so much. When I taught in Nashville, I wore skirts or dresses three days a week and only wore jeans on Fridays. That sort of formality is very noticeable in the PNW. I wore a dress and cowboy boots a few weeks ago and at least seven people commented on how “dressed up” I was. 

We "met" for the first time on Tumblr probably over a decade ago, and I know you've also maintained a fashion/style blog for a long time. How has your blogging/internet presence interacted with your fashion and style choices, and how has it changed over time?

I started a fashion blog when I was in college. This was before fashion content creation was a recognizable career choice, but there were a lot of opinions about keeping your blog ad-free or not. I went to school in a very small town, but we had a Goodwill and Salvation Army and I found so many good pieces there. I hated taking pictures for my blog, and I never wanted anyone I went to school with to know about it -- I wasn't comfortable sharing about it until I was a senior. I used to tell people who saw me taking outfit pictures that I was sending them to my mom, ha. I did love having an outlet to express myself. Now I use the Stylebook app to document my outfits, to keep my closet organized, and keep shopping impulses at bay. I take mirror selfies occasionally, especially when I really like an outfit. I think having documentation makes getting dressed and packing easier.

fashion blog era!

How has your style changed since you became a mother?

As a mom, I am much more self-conscious about getting dressed. I don't want to come across as a certain "brand" of mom - one who is trying too hard, one who has given up, a Nike mom (this is very specific to where I live!), a TikTok mom, etc. I just want to be me. Practically speaking, for the first two years or so, I never wore anything too precious because my kid was so messy. I loved being able to dress up again for work when school fully re-opened in 2022.

one of two pregnancy looks I liked

the other pregnancy look I liked

one month postpartum, feeling like myself (a little bit)

two months postpartum, still wearing a lot of leggings

Where do you get your clothes?What garments/outfit/outfits make you feel most like yourself?

I try to mix it up with a good balance of secondhand and typical mid-range stores. I like Alex Mill, Everlane, J.Crew, Madewell, and even Gap from time to time. I pay special attention to fiber content when I shop -- I am always after natural fibers! 

A colleague-turned-friend once said that my style is a little bit androgynous, and I remember feeling so happy to hear that observed even if I am not sure I totally agree with it. I pay a lot of attention to fit. I am particular about my pant length and shirt length. I take things to get tailored regularly. I know it makes clothes more expensive, but I also think it tricks me into holding onto things longer. I prefer dressing for fall and winter over spring and summer because I like layers - a lot of styling is in layers and there isn't as much room for that in the summer! A really great pair of corduroys, a colorful sweater, and practical boots is my favorite default outfit. 

Do you have a favorite thrifting find or story?

My favorite recent find is a pair of vintage Ralph Lauren shorts! I found them at my local Goodwill last summer. I notice that I am much pickier when I am shopping in person than shopping online, and sometimes I feel disheartened when I strike out doing IRL thrifting. These shorts gave me some extra motivation to keep going and looking. They fit perfectly, and that's pretty rare for vintage shorts -- I feel the waist to hip ratio has changed for women since the 80s and 90s, but I have no idea if that is provable! 

Do you have any fashion or style inspirations? Who or what are they?

I have many screenshots of Michelle Williams's street style. I used to cut my hair like hers in the early 2010s, so I was always keeping up with her for pixie grow-out inspiration. I especially turn to her for spring and summer outfit inspiration because as I said, I struggle to get dressed that time of year! 

I am always looking for "normal" style accounts – people who have a job outside of fashion but find joy in getting dressed. I look for people who rewear their clothes and for people who master the very specific PNW professional-casual vibe. Lately I love @ahistoryofarchitecture, @andrea_hartman_, @myagelber, @kallieish on Instagram. On Substack, I enjoy your work (obviously!),

The Straw Bag

,

angel cake

,

The Molehill

, and

Lin

. 

Are there any items or styles of clothing you’d want to wear but feel like you couldn’t pull off?

I know that my husband would love it if I wore tighter or more revealing clothing every now and then, but I struggle to feel comfortable when I show too much skin. I blame my Southern Baptist upbringing! Similarly, I wish I felt more comfortable in bathing suits! I will say, any time I am in Miami (where my husband's family is from) or Las Vegas, I feel like I can get out of my comfort zone with my outfits because I want to be more in tune with my surroundings. Those are sexy places! 

What’s the most recent item of clothing you purchased?

I bought a handbag from Parker Clay! I have carried the medium crescent bag from Baggu for years now, and I feel like having a small, leather bag marks a degree of freedom from the tyranny of preparedness that comes with being a mom.

What is your holy grail or “white whale” item, if you have one?

Every few months I search for this specific pair of Jeffrey Campbell flats, which I bought in the wrong size and resold on Noihsaf. I found the perforated pink pair, but I really want the brown leather version. Size 7! I love the little heel on the bottom and the formality of the leather!

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Thanks, Lexie! You can find more of Lexie’s writing on her Substack.