what I bought (and wanted!) in November
dressing room selfies and a tell-tale heart
I did some more in-person shopping this month than usual, and while most of my excursions were solo and expeditious, I spent a lovely weekend day wandering the Lower East Side and Soho with friends (and came home happily empty-handed). All of my NYC people, this is your official notice that I am happy to accompany you on any holiday shopping excursions!
Before I share the things I bought with you… here are all the things I wanted to get:
Everything at American Los Angeles Apparel. I went to the new Soho store for the first time and was transported back to 2009. So much of the same stuff! Yes, there were some newer, more trendy designs, but honestly I was impressed by how current some of the original pieces feel fifteen to twenty years after they were first introduced. Will be going back for some t-shirts when I’m in the mood to spend some more time trying things on.
Rachel Comey skirt: Tried on this skirt at their store in Soho—while I knew there was absolutely no way I’d be buying it off the rack ($650!!!), I loved the material (silk shantung) and the silhouette. If it shows up on the RealReal next year, now I know what size to go for.
Red wool Pendleton scarf via eBay: I included it in my recent winter capsule post, but I also added it to my wishlist for my family’s Secret Santa… and unless someone else decided to purchase both of my niche eBay wishlist items on the same day, I think I’ll be receiving it on Christmas Eve! Sorry I scooped everyone who clicked on the link. I’ll find you another red wool scarf if you want!
A knit hood with a drawstring (made out of cotton, wool, cashmere, or a blend of any of the three). I saw the green one above at GAP—I’d rather buy one from smaller brand (or secondhand) but I wouldn’t have purchased that one anyway because of the composition (there’s a special place in hell for the people who brainstormed the word “CashSoft” not least because it doesn’t even work pronunciation-wise!) Several other places are making them now—I also liked the brown Anthropologie one, but again, fabric composition and fast fashion. Nikki Chasin made some balaclavas earlier this winter (the yellow one pictured above) but they lacked a drawstring and were too fitted for my taste—cute on the models, would make me feel like a meerkat. If I had found one to my specifications, I probably would have purchased.
A really old, vintage, faded sweatshirt that is 100% cotton with a v-stitch and crewneck. Again, the reason I didn’t buy this is because I could not find one to my specifications!!! If you have seen any that meet this list of qualifications, please send them my way. (Sort of like this but 100% cotton.)
Bloomers: My feelings about bloomers could have been summed up as “Cute! Not for me!” until early last week when I saw a woman wearing them as part of an outfit I might have to replicate for a copy+paste. When paired with beat-up Blundstones, a baseball cap, a Dickies hoodie, and a Carhartt jacket, their frilly femininity was blunted enough that I could envision myself wearing them for the first time. Unfortunately (or thankfully), I know I would be picky enough about fabric and silhouette that I’d be searching for years before I found a pair with my preferred opacity, length, and heft.
As for what I did buy…
GAP pants in black: Yes, the same pair I bought last month, just in a different color (black instead of ‘Bordeaux burgundy’): Still loving the heft of them, curious why this black pair feels more wearable than the black linen Apiece Apart pants I have in a similar silhouette (though I’ve been trying to wear those more frequently, too!).
Uniqlo cotton sweater: Was heavily influenced by
’s interview with . I don’t have the self-discipline that I imagine it takes to have a wardrobe that pared down and chic, but I thought perhaps I’d get a glimpse into what that felt like if I bought the same sweater as her. Would not recommend that approach (a tangible acquisition very rarely sublimates into an intangible feeling!) but I really like the sweater regardless. According to Indyx, I wore it six times in November alone.Swatch Blue Sirup watch via eBay: I love this watch but it ticks so loudly… my other Swatch is also conspicuously loud, but I figured that was an isolated incident until I experienced the same thing with this one. I may need to reconcile myself to the fact that owning a Swatch means living with my own tell-tale heart (I literally cover it with scarves in my closet or else I can hear it when I go to bed). Has anyone else with a Swatch experienced this as well, or am I just haunted?
deep dive 05: Swatch
If you came of age in the 1990s and early 2000s, you had no shortage of items with which to adorn your wrists. The omnipresent slap bracelet, applied in one violent, decisive motion. The meaningless stacks of jelly bracelets, confiscated by concerned parents fooled by a
Christophe Lemaire for Uniqlo U puffer: This past month alone, I made over $300 selling things on Poshmark! I spent a relatively small portion of that sum on this to layer underneath my lighter jackets. Very happy with it.
Leather coat and navy J. Crew skirt from Unearth Vintage: I cashed out the rest of my Poshmark balance to buy these items and still had money to burn afterward! I’ve been searching for a short black skirt for ages—while this one is navy, the silhouette is really cool (the original product description calls it ‘fluted’), and it fits me well.
What I’m eyeing for next month…
As next month is Christmas, I probably shouldn’t be buying anything for myself, but I plan to visit multiple thrift stores when I’m back in Florida over the holidays—hoping my luck from earlier this year holds! If so… vintage leather jackets for all my friends. <3
A few months ago I took the seiko watch I got for my bat mitzvah and never wore (but also never got rid of because I always thought it was Nice) to a repair shop. I’ve been wearing it— and leaving it on my bedside table. Cant hear it on my wrist, let alone when it’s off. All this to say: If you want a quiet watch, maybe keep an eye out for late 90s/early2000s seiko??
I'm wearing a vintage 90s nylon dress with the same bubble hem and shape as that Comey skirt! You can find something similar, I'm sure, O Eleanor of the Thrift! I would go shopping with you anytime! Come to the west coast!