Mine was full of sweet little critters, car errands and using a big silver ring as a germaphobe hack to press gas station kiosk buttons.

To the new readers this week found this newsletter through my TSITP fashion commentary piece, welcome!! You bet I’ll be writing a Part 2 before the finale airs :)

By the way, our chat isn’t just a fashion forum, it’s a space to nerd out about any shows/books/media you’re into. Highbrow and lowbrow and everything in between (I’m getting my snacks ready for the Love Island reunion tonight).

I recently asked you to share your current wishlists, and the #1 mentioned item was BOOTS.

Buffy boots. Burgundy boots. Wide calf boots. Square toe boots. Knee high boots.

I think the high level of interest checks out because (1) we’re heading into the seasonal sweet spot where you can wear knee high boots with skirts but WITHOUT tights; (2) several boot brands are based outside of the US and with De Minimis ending on 8/29…it’s the last chance to lock in a pre-tariff price.

So here’s my fall boot cheat sheet. It’s broken up into 4 sections:

• tried and trusted boots—the three pairs I wear on rotation

• boots I didn’t love (but you might)—great boots that didn’t work for my proportions/leg shape

• wide calf boots—options that come in expanded calf sizes, based on hours of reading + compiling recs on reddit (the most trustworthy source imo)

• on my radar boots—brands and styles I haven’t tried, but I’m interested in

Boots *can* be one of the most expensive wardrobe pieces. Ideally, they’re made with quality materials, comfortable, stylish, and make you feel like the baddest bitch in Berkeley Bowl. And while I’m willing to spend for a really great pair, most of my boots were purchased secondhand or on sale.

So I include some secondhand options in bullet points below, and encourage that you set up listing alerts if you’re actively looking for a certain brand/style.

my tried and trusted boots

Ok, so there are a few things I look for in boots.

• First of all, I have short calves, so the biggest consideration for me is a shorter shaft height. This means a lot of knee boots are too long/high and dig into my kneecaps (though I wonder if I could ask a cobbler to hack an inch off the shaft…this thought never crossed my mind until now).

• I like good quality leather that’s soft, but with enough structure that it doesn’t sag when I walk.

• My aesthetic preferences include a square-ish toe box, a slight platform or lug sole, and generally no extra embellishments like studs/buckles/harnesses.

These are the three pairs that I can always count on.

Larroude Ricky Boots: my most comfortable and well-fitting knee boots. The shaft (15” inches on a size 6.5) hits underneath my kneecap, which is SO RARE. These are the best to wear with skirts and shorts. My calves are about 13.5” wide and the boots fit snug but not suffocating. The heel is low and walkable.

• Brown version—size 7, $200

MNZ Belmont Boots: this is an older style. I have them in both black and banana yellow, which give extremely different vibes. Black is more edgy biker, yellow is more 70s bohemian. These hit at the mid-calf and are the best to wear with relaxed jeans. I’ve never paid full price for these, got mine on SSENSE sale and Depop.

• New but on sale—size 38.5, $397

A.P.C. Knee High Boots: I don’t know what this style is called because they’re old and I got them for $70 from Japanese eBay. But I can attest to the quality of older A.P.C. leather boots. These are my only chocolate brown pair, and they’re perfect when I want to build a warmer tone outfit with sepias and caramels.

• Exact same style—size 6, $33.33 (WILD price but remember there’s international shipping + you will pay an extra 15% if you buy after De Minimis ends)

• Exact same style—size 5, $162, take same precautions as above

boots i didn’t love (but you might)

LoQ Donna boot: I’ve had several shoes from LoQ, all excellent quality. Tried these boots on at the store in Glassell Park (get a sandwich and donut at Bub’s around the corner!). They felt comfortable to walk in. The “cons” are purely aesthetic. Toe just felt a little too almond-shaped for my taste. I think the toe area just needs more heft and structure, like a thin platform sole or something.

• Chocolate brown pair on Depop—size 9, $72

Frye Campus 14L boot (wide calf version here): These are a vintage pair. My friend sourced a pair for his eBay store last year, so I got to try them on for about a week. They’re durable, for sure, but they felt so heavy to walk with and the leather cut into the backs of my knees. Idk, I think the comfort of these really just depends on what year/where they were made, and how they fit your legs/feet.

• These are super jacked up on the secondhand market right now, your best bet is getting lucky at IRL thrift stores or waiting until demand cools down

Also, wrote this last year :)

Wide Calf Boots

While I can’t offer personal reviews of these options, I read dozens of reviews and recs from Reddit to come up with this list. Also, I’ve included linked videos to other creators’ try-on videos because I know that’s helpful for visualizing fit!

Vince Camuto Sangeti: this recently restocked style comes up often in wide calf boot discussions online. I like the angled block heel and square toe, and am partial to the seasonal burgundy colorway. It comes in four calf sizes, from narrow to extra wide. Here’s a TikTok creator with a try-on video of the wide calf styles in all the colors.

• Soooo many great secondhand options in the $100-$150 range!

Naturalizer Candela Boot: another brand that kept coming up in wide calf bot recs was Naturalizer. I browsed their products and this new style is my pick. The square toe and blade heel come together for a sleek look. Office-appropriate too.

Duo Dalia Boot: these were recommended several times in a petite fashion reddit thread about boots for wide calves. They come in petite/standard/tall heights *and* 9 different calf sizes, which is probably as close as you can get to a custom fit from a retailer. Here’s an IG creator who does a try-on video of this exact style.

• Dalia boot—size 10, $350

• Dalia boot—size 6.5, $199

Vince Camuto Amree: just a very classic knee boot with clean lines that will be easy to style with everything.

On My Radar Boots 👀

Maguire Lorca Boot: I have a few friends who have Maguire shoes and they like the comfort and quality. I’m a fan of the square toe shape and simple angular lines.

• Brown leather size 6, $263

• Black leather size 9.5, $260

2004 Yoshitomo Nara x Scoop Boots: a vintage holy grail…it’s probably never going to happen, but a girl can dream. I have this fantasy that one day I’ll be wandering aimlessly in a thrift store and there will be a pair in my size but one of the heels is fully snapped off so it’s $50. I buy them on the spot and then pay idk, $100?? to get the heel replaced by a cobbler. Also ummm let me know if my memory is wrong but I’m pretty sure one of you own these and posted them in the chat once?????!!!

Loeffler Randall Gia Boot: Simple shape and an almond toe that isn’t too almond. The heel is a walkable height and I generally like their shoes. The Cognac color is on sale. These come up on resale every so often.

• Animal print—size 6, $188

• Tan suede—size 7, $350

• Cognac leather—size 7.5, $350

Alohas Sajan Boot: I’ve never personally tried Alohas but again, have some friends who vouch for the comfort and quality. These are a new style, and I like the chunkier biker shape, and the pull-on tabs are cute. None on secondhand market yet because they’re new collection.

Chime in below if you have a pair of boots you swear by.

Coming soon for paid readers: why Faye Wong is the ultimate 90s style muse.

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xo viv

Thanks for being here. You can find me on IG and TT. My wardrobe pieces and recs are saved here—unless it’s vintage, of course ;) I may earn a small commission on purchases made through affiliate links.

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August brings the first blush of true Bay Area summer (finally in the 70s this week, thank godddd), which is why I’m currently fixated on short shorts.

Luckily, because of our “late bloomer” summer, I can just follow the lead of the rest of the country that already went through several heat waves and dressed accordingly. You guys (looking at you, ) did the homework for fun shorts this year and it got me excited about board shorts, terry cloth shorts, etc.

I am picky about how I like my shorts to fit, and I don’t remember the last time I specifically went shopping for them. Because my legs are on the short side (25-26” inseam), regular inseams often hit at an awkward mid-thigh length. Short shorts, on the other hand, fit more like “regular” length shorts. I don’t like my shorts so tight that they look painted on my butt, but I also don’t like the loose/baggy short look (on myself, that is). Picky.

Most of my summer bottoms are secondhand silk skirts, which I’ve developed sharp online shopping instincts for. But sometimes I am in the mood for something sportier, something that can transition from the rock gym to dance class to the pool to the cafe. That’s a lot to ask of any garment, and I can’t say that I’ve owned a pair of shorts I genuinely LOVE on the same level as my precious skirts.

But the past few weeks, I’ve had an attitude of “just try them all on!” when I had a chance shop for shorts IRL. I also ordered vintage running shorts online and received a gifted pair that both turned out to be keepers.

In total, I tried on six pairs, and will share my full thoughts on each one.

My intention for this piece isn’t so much “you should go buy these shorts” as much as it is “here is my inner thought process, the factors I consider when shopping for shorts.” Much like my piece on tailoring, I share my personal fit preferences, which may differ from yours, even if we are a similar build/size. I list my pros, cons, and secondhand shopping intel if you’re on the hunt for similar styles.

Let’s begin with my visit to Mohawk General Store in LA, where I tried on three pairs.

Right when I walked in, I actually got sidetracked from my shorts quest by this Beaufille dress on the sale rack:

It’s a beautiful dress with with the brand’s signature bralette cutout shape, tempting if you have chest/stomach tattoos to show off! But I kept thinking it would feel more “me” in a color like turquoise or fuchsia. I’ve also found that ever since dyeing my hair back to jet black, all-black outfits feel visually heavy. So this was a pass.

(1) Stretch Microshorts

But back to the task at hand—these purple and gray striped microshorts from Gimaguas were the first pair I tried. I think they’re so cute in a Love Island way lol, but I’m nervous they look too much like underwear in public. Realistically, I’d wear them for dance class under my warmup clothes, or at the beach. They fit like a lower-rise, thicker version of the Oddobody Sleep Shorts, which I ADORE but they are too thin to wear in public as “real” clothes.

To my surprise, they were really comfortable. That said, I wouldn’t wear them enough to justify the purchase of $100.

• Pros: stretchy, comfy, more stylish alternative to traditional yoga/dance shorts

• Cons: wish these were more compressive, depends on how comfortable you are wearing this in public…I think I’d get the stink eye from some folks at Berkeley Bowl.

• Secondhand Shopping Intel: to find a style you want, I recommend searching by a brand/designer rather than a generic term like “microshorts” or “stretchy boyshorts” because it gets flooded with fast fashion underwear stuff real fast.

(2) Board Shorts

OKAY. I’ve been SO curious about these after seeing them on Instagram (specifically on Reese Blutstein) but I couldn’t find a thoughtful review of them anywhere. At $200+ these are a splurge, though they have a cheaper collab version with Lisa Says Gah for $160. I was thrilled to see them at Mohawk (not carried online), and eager to assess for myself whether they were worth the hype.

Like the Jesse Kamm sailor pants, these board shorts are not a groundbreaking new silhouette or anything—they’re an interpretation of a classic style that’s been worn for decades. Other board short brands on my radar include Waysyder’s “gayed-up surfing short,” the 90s dolphin hem shorts from Tomboyx which go up to 6X, and the molehill green boardshorts from OC-based brand Birdwell.

But I can’t stop thinking about the Made Some ones because of its construction details, like the stripe that arcs across the thigh just so, the front velcro + tie closure, the specific combination of saturated colors…

I tried on both the short and long versions, which—as you’ll see—have drastically different cuts/fit.

Here are the short ones in red/white.

My first thought was

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Last week, a Molehill reader posted in the chat asking what categories of clothing we never buy secondhand.

For a newsletter that focuses heavily on secondhand and vintage, this might seem like an unexpected question. But for the seasoned secondhand shoppers, we know the categories that work for us—and the ones that don’t.

I knew my answer immediately—I rarely buy “vintage” jeans. Whenever I go secondhand shopping in person, I make a beeline for skirts, knits, and shoes. These are items I love buying secondhand because I am often rewarded for low effort browsing.

Jeans are a different story.

I always hit the denim rack last. The long wall of blue cotton fabric is overwhelming. Rarely any differentiation in prints or colors, so I’ll flip through each pair to eyeball the inseam and fabric composition while the plastic hangers make that horrid squeaky sound on the metal rack. I think this is a common experience—striking out with vintage denim shopping. You have to try on 30 pairs to find one that maybe fits the way you want.

For this reason, I tend to buy jeans new, where the measurements (inseam, most importantly!) are listed and returns are possible, or secondhand versions of jeans that I know are likely to fit. When I read jean recommendations online, I want in-depth fit reviews and styled photos because it gives me a more realistic idea of how it will fit on me.

So today I’m sharing my holy trinity of dark wash jeans (as a 5’2” person)—three reviews with photos, sizing tips, and why they work for me.

These are jeans I personally wear and can speak to the fit + quality firsthand.

I recognize that what works for me, doesn’t work well for everyone because our bodies come in all shapes and sizes. And I recognize that as a straight size person, I am privileged that denim brands make my size. For newsletter posts that cover firsthand plus size pant reviews, I recommend ’s “Thirty Pairs of Pants.”

Disclosure: I may earn a small commission on purchases made through affiliate links (always above the paywall).

1). Nelle Atelier Barely Barrel Jean

As the name suggests, these are a barely-there barrel jean in a black, almost gray-ish denim (it is not a true black). Nelle Atelier is a small LA-based brand that specializes in denim for people 5’4” and under, with attention to knee placement and generally shorter leg proportions. My other pair from this brand is the Claire style, a relaxed mid-rise jean for casual errand days.

The material is 100% cotton and described as “rigid” online but I disagree—I actually find the fabric to be quite soft, as far as jeans go. I just wouldn’t describe these as a rigid jean at all. (Perhaps it’s because I’ve been wearing my Auralee Hard Twists too much? Found two of these for the secondhand sonar doc a few weeks ago FYI).

Back to the leg shape: this is why it excels as a dressy jean. They are neither tight nor loose. They are denim trousers. I’ve been styling it with feminine, floatier blouses, like this sheer silk one from D&G I got off Depop. There’s another one on Poshmark, though listed for 2x what I paid.

I think the value proposition in Nelle Atelier boils down to the fact that they get the inseam and knee placement right. Do they use the highest quality denim or craft weaving/dye methods? No. There are other brands that do materials better (and I’ll get to those below). But if you just want a nice looking contemporary cut jean that you don’t have to tailor, this brand meets your needs.

I especially do not want to mess around with hemming a barrel leg, because the proportions can get really weird depending on the volume and arc of the barrel!!

Sizing tip: these run smaller in the hips and butt than the Claire style, so size up for a comfortable, relaxed fit. I am wearing a 26. I am 5’2” and these hit right at the ankle.

Next up: the jeans I immediately texted my 5’2” friend about.

I mean, look at how crisp the drape is.

These dark wash wonders are

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As a child, I was never able to decide whether to get my ears pierced or not.

I wished I was one of those babies whose moms got their ears pierced fresh out of the womb before my consciousness formed. As a young girl it felt like the biggest bodily decision one could make, and I felt left behind as my peers at school got their Claire’s piercing baptisms done one by one. I listened, transfixed, to my grandmother’s story about getting her ears pierced with a burning hot needle by hand in rural China.

And I was scared of the pain—despite not having an issue with needles at the doctor. Sometimes I would use my thumb and index fingernails and pinch my lobe as hard as I could, leaving red crescent moon marks, to simulate the pain and see what I could tolerate. I looked at the sewing needles in the tin Royal Dansk box at home and imagined them rotating over a stove flame, then puncturing my earlobes into a mini kebab. Children have darker imaginations than adults give them credit for.

Years passed and my ears aren’t pierced. I guess I never wanted it that badly. I’ve never been overcome with piercing fever the way I have with tattoo fever.

There are moments when I see a very beautiful earring and wish I could wear it, but it’s a fleeting emotion that always subsides. It’s also taught me you can just admire things, or dream about things, without committing to a purchase or a body modification.

Ear jewelry for the non-pierced has come a long way in the past 5 years.

The first time I looked into ear cuffs and clip ons was 2019ish, and I bought a random Etsy set that fell apart after a few wears. I noticed that during the peak pandemic years, small jewelry businesses really took off in a big way and started expanding the ear jewelry category to include more inventive designs. My theory is that this small biz jewelry boom is part of the larger phenomenon of skilled “hobbyists” making career pivots during the pandemic and finding success turning their passion into a full-time business. Think of all the ceramicists and sourdough bakers that popped off into IG businesses in the past few years.

One positive effect I see coming out of this is the growing category of ear cuffs within jewelry brands. And small indie brands are really at the forefront of this change.

Let’s look at all the ear cuffs I tried in October.

I’m going to cover all the brands, review the products, and share how I’ve been styling them (spoiler: stacks are so fun). Some notes before we begin, because transparency is important!

• I reached out to 6 jewelry brands I admired that made ear cuffs—some that I’ve bought from before and some that I’ve never tried. 3 brands agreed to be a part of this newsletter.

• The brands sent a mix of loaned stylist pulls and gifted pieces. I try on a LOT of cuffs for this newsletter so you, as the reader, can see how all the options look in real life. But bear in mind it is not realistic to buy all of these! Know that I had to mail cuffs back! The vast majority of people, including myself, are not spending hundreds or thousands on a massive ear cuff haul. What you’re seeing here is increased access to products because of my job.

• Since ear cuff sizes vary in comfort from ear to ear, I recommend getting a pair of jewelry pliers. Our cartilage formations are diverse and that is a beautiful thing! I have some cheap ones I use for beading projects and used them to widen/play around with the arc shape of some cuffs.

• Affiliate links are starred *

Let’s start with my favorite cuff I tried—the *pea cuff from CLED.

It’s a simple silver cuff with a colored ball. Lightweight, stackable, and very much my style. CLED is a small jewelry brand I could talk about forever (Asian-American owned! Sustainable sourcing! Accessible price points!).

Founded by Seulye Jo, CLED stands for Conscious Lifestyle Earth Friendly & Ethical Design. Yes, it’s a mouthful but the brand genuinely walks the walk of its values. Most pieces are made of colored glass, upcycled from their previous life as beverage bottles in LA restaurants & bars.

So if you’ve ever had a drink at Joy in Highland Park (an Eastside LA mainstay) to wash down your dan dan noodles, know that the empty bottle became the ear cuff I’m wearing in this newsletter! Also, I’m insanely jealous of anyone who has regular access to Joy or Pine & Crane…

CLED kindly shared a discount code for Molehill readers: enter VIVTHEMOLE at checkout for 15%.

*blue pea cuff + pink silk pj top + jeans

This was hands-down my most worn everyday cuff in the last month, mostly because of how comfortable and easy it is to slip on and off. If you’ve worn ear cuffs, then you know there is a learning curve to it. There were a few instances when I was trying out a cuff and couldn’t get it off painlessly and started freaking out—but it really just takes practice and phalangeal finessing. Kind of like using a tampon.

The pea cuff comes in two sizes. I tried both and prefer the smaller one, which is shown here.

If you’re stuck between the color offerings I recommend baby blue. No deep reason. I just like it the best.

triple pop of red: the bag, the swim shorts, the *pea cuff

pea + heart stack

Here I’m stacking the *pea cuff in baby blue with a gummy silver heart cuff from Steff Eleoff to play with the contrast between a thick blobby shape and a thin hoop with a little ball.

I did find the heart cuff a little tricky to put on and take off, because the opening was on the narrow side (perhaps the snug fit is needed for a heavier piece). It is possible, but again…prepare to have some patience with yourself and use a mirror.

Zooming out, I think silver ear hardware pairs nicely with gray knits for fall. For a long time I would not wear gray clothing because I felt that it washed me out. However, gray has grown on me when it’s mixed with blingy metal, vibrant fire red or murky pea soup green (see: green cashmere cardigans inspired by Prada).

bleeding love stack

I’m starting to get the hang of layering (and the sensation of weight on my ear). This was an awesome cuff stack with *presence* I want to replicate.

Top is the red pea cuff, bottom is the *heart dangling ear cuff from CLED. So I got the one with the blue stone, but actually wore it flipped around here because I wanted an all-silver monochrome effect. I’m thrilled to unleash the dangly earring bitch that lives within me. She’s been waiting for this moment.

The middle is the super simple and sleek ouroboros cuff from Loren Stewart, an LA-born and bred jewelry designer inspired by the sights and sounds of the ‘80s.

Andddd here’s a peek of my outfit. I was feeling girly.

on my other ear, the single *pea cuff in green (this is the large size, all others are small, for reference) with my janky manicure situation.

starburst candy stack

This red and pink together remind me sooooo specifically of the pink and red starburst candies. The chunkier oval ring at the bottom is the *sculpture cuff from CLED.

The full outfit.

A moment for the shoe and sock…

These looks have skewed silver because that’s what I prefer right now—but I also tried out gold from Loren Stewart.

Here is how I stacked the *14K solid gold Lanyard Cuff with the gold ouroboros cuff on a good hair day lol. I do appreciate how the gold interacts with my hair and skin coloring differently than silver.

The single gold lanyard, subtly peeking out of my hair.

designing for the airpod generation

I’ll end on another trend analysis theory…could ear cuffs be a sartorial response to the rise of the airpod generation and growth in the wearable technology space? A generation accustomed to wearing objects that nest in the ear canal or hoop against the cartilage are more likely to hold an expansive view of what “eargear” can be.

Earbud-style headphones are just a functional form of ear adornment. Some of the designs I’ve seen for sports like running or swimming emphasize an ergonomic design—but taken out of their performance context, they look rather avant-garde to me.

I hope to see more applications between functional eargear and design in the coming decades. For example…blinged out hearing aids would be AWESOME.

That’s it! Let me know if you have questions about any of these cuffs I tried. And reminder that if you chose to buy anything from CLED, use VIVTHEMOLE to get 15% off.

If you enjoy this kind of fashion writing and in-depth product review, consider a paid subscription to read the whole archive + future posts 😌

ok, count me in!

I know there are tons of cool brands making ear cuffs—let’s start a list in the comments!

xoxo

viv

Read next: stories that paid subscribers loved…

Happy weekend! Today’s newsletter is sponsored by my friend Chloe’s jewelry brand: Yeah It’s Jewelry. At The Molehill, sponsored work is an opportunity to expand access to my fashion + culture writing, so I’m giving away six-month subscriptions to 20 readers. Just leave a comment about your most sentimental piece of jewelry, and I’ll select the winners at random by Wednesday! ⭐

In almost exactly one month, I turn 30 years old.

When my family and friends bring up what a big birthday it is, I nod vigorously in agreement. yeah…omg, I can’t believe it…how time flies…my third decade…

Everyone has a different relationship to birthdays.

What I want to say is: 30 is a culturally loaded age for women. We are bombarded with messages about how your 30’s are or should be your “best decade yet” because we are more confident, know how to self-advocate and have figured things out—or at least started to. Sometimes it can feel a little toxic positivity-adjacent. I don’t have an answer for what it “feels like” to be almost 30. Also, I hesitate to attribute any life lessons or epiphanies to the mere passing of 30 years’ time…it’s more about the inner work you’ve done, the acts of courage and self-love.

When I reflect on how my relationship to age shows up sartorially, I think about my jewelry collection. I think it’s the best representation of my life memories, my phases. Like how my $20 pink star plastic Polly Pocket necklace represents childhood. Or how my $70 fake jade bangle from a souvenir store could be seen as a “rip off” but I was bored out of my mind working a consulting job at the time and would take long walks in SF Chinatown during lunch and was happy to support a small shop owner—so yeah, the jade might be fake but the feeling of aliveness it gave me was real.

I have a lot of jewelry. I haven’t bothered to count every piece, but I’ve got something for every version of myself, every mood, every character I want to cosplay for a day. Fake vs. real, costume jewelry vs. fine jewelry, gold vs. silver, vintage vs. new, they all have a place in my definition of a versatile jewelry collection.

Today, I’m going to focus on what makes the building blocks of a versatile collection.

These are the essentials for me, and they might not be for you—that’s ok! Jewelry is inherently personal.

My #1 building block—my signature piece—is a solid gold chain worn with a custom nameplate necklace from Yeah It’s Jewelry. If you’re going to wear something every day, I really believe in buying solid gold because it actually does last forever. You don’t have to worry about how the metal might degrade over time. I have eczema so while I do have some gold-plated pieces, they’re more of a “once in a while” thing because they tarnish over time with exposure to water and oils (I have a lot of oils…especially because of all my eczema lotions).

Chloe Weitman is the founder of LA-based Yeah It’s Jewelry which is geared towards the “sentimental maximalist.” Her business is centered around one principle: only selling solid gold. As a member of Gen Z, Chloe was sick of the way gold-plated jewelry was being marketed to her generation. In her words:

“The retail price for a plated piece of jewelry is priced as if it were made in solid gold. Even high-end luxury brands are guilty of this; selling gold-plated brass jewelry for thousands of dollars!”

This is how I wear my signature solid gold necklace. I love how curly the “Viv” looks in classic cursive font.

It’s versatile with a wide range of necklines and layered necklaces shown here.

• Worn over a thin turtleneck with a chunky candy beaded choker

• Adds visual interest to the gap between a white crewneck tee and a polo sweater with layered gold chains

• Mimics the v-shape of a crewneck tee under a v-neck sweater

• Worn over bare collarbone area with a little ribbon underneath

So, you see why I rarely take it off! There’s something a nameplate that makes me feel safe and grounded. I like wearing my name.

Also—this is a great moment to recognize the history of the contemporary nameplate necklace. While nameplate jewelry as an umbrella category for design centered on a name is not unique to just one time period or culture, the stylized nameplate necklace stemmed from the sartorial practices of Black and Latina women in New York City in the 70s and 80s. As Raquel Reichard writes for Mitú, such stylized nameplates were “a marker of one’s existence in a society and culture that had tried to erase their humanity, through genocide, enslavement, police violence and institutionalized discrimination.”

In Say My Name: Nameplate Jewelry and the Politics of Taste, researchers Isabel Flower and Marcel Rosa-Salas point out how the top search results for “nameplate necklace” will yield a “pervasiveness of the name ‘Carrie’.” As in…Carrie Bradshaw. Why were nameplates worn on Black and Latina women disregarded as “tacky” and “low taste” by mainstream culture, but “cool” and “stylish” when worn on a white woman (also a celebrity)? It all boils down to how the Western notion of good taste vs. bad taste is shaped by hierarchal constructs of race, class and gender. (If you’re curious about this topic, you might enjoy my essay on the race and body politics of Carrie Bradshaw style inspo).

Gold jewelry has always been interwoven with sociopolitical power dynamics and it’s important as jewelry wearers and enjoyers to engage with that history! I also believe our identities shape our relationship with gold, and that imbues the jewelry with even more personal meaning. For example, many women around the world keep and pass down gold to their daughters as a form of security against bad economic times or an abusive marraige. Personally, as a Chinese-American living in California, I reflect on how the Gold Rush fueled by Chinese immigrant labor—many of whom who died handling dynamite. When I wear gold, I think about their stories and their contributions to the place I now live. I wonder if the gold necklace I’m wearing might have been melted down from a gold nugget from the 1850s.

Gold is personal. I think it makes for a great foundation to any jewelry collection, whether it’s your first piece or the crown jewel of your expansive collection.

Build your collection slowly and with intention.

Here’s my star face charm, worn over a baby pink knit. I find it very satisfying, how necklaces can interact with a collar line to create dynamic shapes and textural contrast.

The vintage charms are my favorite thing to shop from Yeah It’s Jewelry. Chloe is literally always sourcing, so the website has periodic drops with new batches of charms. This is her perspective on the treasure hunt that is jewelry sourcing:

“When 1 vintage item that I want sells, 5 more pop up in its place! There is so much beautiful, gold jewelry already out in the universe to find.”

Here are my 3 favorites from the site right now.

Gingerbread Man charm: I mean, are you kidding me? I love playful charms like this and it’s perfect for fall and winter. Layer this with a candy-colored chunky bead necklace so it’s like the gumdrops to the gingerbread ;)

Miffy Charm: she’s a bestseller for a reason. Wear a little friend around your neck at all times. I’m also insanely jealous of Chloe’s Gumby charm shown here!!! (Please put me on the list for more vintage gold Gumbys).

Dainty Rolo Chain: This style and weight of rolo chain is my preference because it’s got some subtle *architecture* to it.

Lastly, I had to ask Chloe about how LA inspires her process, as it’s a city with such a rich artistic past AND present. These are her favorite spots:

“If I am in need of inspiration, I’ll walk around Beverly Blvd and stop into Platt Boutique (vintage jewelry), MA+39 (interior design), and grab a bite to eat at Escuela. You’ll often find me replying to emails at the Brentwood Country Mart too :)”

Silver cuff bracelets

A stack of silver cuff bracelets is an absolute essential for me.

I’m not so into thin chain bracelets…they’re a bit too much work to take on and off. I hate doing the lobster clasp claw thing with one hand, it’s so frustrating. With sterling silver cuffs, I just pull them wide, cuff them on my wrist, cinch them and I’m done. Super easy. I like stacking them with a watch for texture contrast, or slip one on each wrist (or over the cuffs of a knit sweater in winter).

They are also really affordable if you know how to shop vintage silver online. I’ve never paid more than $30 for .925 sterling silver cuffs, so eBay is definitely the move here.

I bought all my cuffs from one ebay seller: cathedralrock. You have to check often but they upload SO MUCH STUFF and there’s always a bunch of silver cuffs up for auction or purchase.

Pins & Brooches

I have to end with pins with they’re so slept on. Big bold brooches really had a moment in the 80s and I feel like they never really came after 90s minimalism took over. I think of a pin as a smaller version of a brooch, but it can be so many things. It’s the swiss army knife of decorative metal objects. You can even loop a chain through the back and turn a pin into a necklace.

I styled this vintage Peggy Miller brass horse pin on a cotton black tank top, and suddenly the look is not so basic anymore. Pins are like wearable tattoos. You choose little motifs that you identify with or feel inspired by.

One designer who has changed the way I view metal is Chopova Lowena. A lot of what makes the pieces stand out is the use of metal objects, whether it’s a belt buckle, a hairpiece, grommets, or a pin. Ever since I found my amazing chainmail belt, I’ve felt inspired to wear more metal in my outfits in creative ways. When I look at photos of Chopova Lowena’s most recent runway looks, I realize many of them could be approximated with the clever use of pins and brooches.

Here are some vintage pins and brooches I love:

Thanks for reading. Hope something here inspired your magpie eye :)

xoxo viv

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happy sunday!

annual subscriptions are on sale through monday 9/2 for $50.

table of contents for today’s newsletter:

1.) reflections

• how i approach fall fashion

• let me know your favorite fashion season in my survey (i want more tropical + desert climate representation!)

2.) product favorites

• a red cotton skirt on sale that i can wear 4 ways

• $25 secondhand short-inseam yoga pants i surprisingly love even outside of the climbing gym

• storybook-inspired brass hooks from ebay

• mascara brand i found in japan this summer

i want to enjoy fall fashion without christian girl autumn brand marketing

The Bay Area is a famously temperate climate. You can layer here almost year-round. So when it comes to seasons-based fashion discourse, I have to admit I can’t relate too well to dressing for extreme temperatures.

Personally, the difference between my wardrobe from season to season is way more about styles/aesthetic preferences rather than being driven by practicality. For example, I’ll switch out my “summer” hot pink miu miu shoulder bag for a “fall” patent brown miu miu bag, which are approximately the same in size and shape and material. Just different in the vibes. That’s what excites me about “fall dressing”—syncing my creative expression with the changes in nature. (Which, mind you, doesn’t have to mean brown and rust and vermont-y colorscapes! It can mean anything that inspires you about life during that season).

Summer and Fall are my favorite seasons. I love dressing for both, it’s when I feel most vibrant, energized and beautiful. Sheer dresses with tall boots, light knits with puffy sculptural skirts, knee socks with loafers OR jelly sandals—these are just some styling ideas that make my heart buzz. If you have a favorite fashion season, take my survey for an upcoming newsletter.

Christian girl autumn brand marketing can be really exhausting at these "transitional” season-to-season inflection points. And fall marketing goes especially hard. There’s always been cultural meaning assigned to fall ( the Moon Festival, Oktoberfest and Diwali are a few I am familiar with) but it can be easy to forget that when you’re inundated with pumpkin-flavored product releases and ads for sienna-colored floral frocks.

Like anything in life, there’s space to like and dislike the things that come with fall. We are complex creatures and hold multitudes! I don’t actually like the taste of moon cakes very much, but I still feel the magic of buying some every year at Ranch99 and admiring the illustrations on the tin mooncake boxes. I love wearing tall boots and miniskirts, but I’ll pass on suede and fringe. I have never resonated with Gilmore Girls as a show but I’m obsessed with witchy white girl shows old and new, like Charmed from the 90s and the Netflix Sabrina series. I don’t care for the taste of pumpkin, but I get scent-euphoria from the wafts of pumpkin spice in a cafe.

Next, my favorite buys from August.

1920s boudoir caftan dress

A reader tipped me off to a local vintage sale (here.studio.california, of the palms) this weekend. These things can be hit or miss, but it DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Also, I learn a lot about vintage clothing just by going to these events and looking through the clothes—how are they tagged? what decade are they from? can I tell the fabric by touch? what design influences do I notice? This is one way I practice being a lifelong student of clothing.

The color and embroidery on this cotton caftan dress stood out to me on the rack, but I wasn’t sure about it until I tried it on. The sides are completely open, making it very flowy and accommodating to layering various garments underneath (thin dresses, jeans, silk pants that puddle at the feet…).

1940s collared shirt

Also bought this shirt. It’s really simple but surprisingly, I don’t have anything like this in my closet. The plaid collar and sleeve folds make it feel preppy and boyish. This will be easy to style with dark wash denim, or pleated uniform skirts with knee sock/loafer styling.

red cotton skirt (worn 4 ways)

This was my favorite purchase this month. I had been eyeing this for a while and it finally went on sale. I wanted a red cotton skirt with some element of volume/ruching, sort of in the style of Allina Liu/Sandy Liang meets Brooke Callahan/MNZ. Does that make sense?? It’s got an adjustable criss-cross style tie on the side (no zipper) that can make the fit looser/tighter, and a vertical ribbon tie so you can play with volume/ruching. It’s pretty amazing.

Could be work-appropriate worn long with sleeveless knit or dressed up for a nice dinner with a slinky tank top. It’s from the designer

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That’s how I ended up with this sheer baby blue pleated dress. Which I L-O-V-E. It came in the mail yesterday. I wore it today for a coffee shop working session and got a bunch of compliments :) it’s always fun to strike up conversations with strangers over a mutual appreciation for fashion.

It started with a casual search for pleated Issey Miyake dresses on Japanese eBay. I almost bid on this wildly adorable fruit sando print dress but if I was being real with myself, I liked the print—not the scoop neck nor the A-line cut.

However, I was attached to the idea of a floaty pleated one-piece garment to layer over sheer slips for summer…

But nothing clicked. It’s funny how I often love seeing Issey Miyake pieces on others (and I think it looks amazing! artful!) but I have come to accept maybe some designers are just not for me. It’s like an intuition that becomes stronger with age and self-knowledge...you know what kinds of clothes are the most “you.”

Then, this listing showed up. A pale blue column style dress with floaty little appliques, reminiscent of a jellyfish. I felt a spark in my gut.

NOT Issey, but the seller wrote “issey miyake” in the description. Thank god for resellers who write “similar to xyz designer” in their item descriptions! I know this ticks some people off, but personally I’ve always found it funny and clever. I believe it is the sign of a master thrifter, someone with a trained eye and major styling chops.

I fell down a rabbit hole of the Japanese brand who makes this dress and bookmarked everything from asymmetric long sleeve tops to color-block-y flowy pants. In the end I thought it wise to just order one item to ‘try’ the brand.

This dress was so easy to style straight out of the box. It IS polyester. But it works for my because (1) it’s so sheer you don’t feel the “synthetic heat” get trapped and (2) it’s meant for layering, so I will wear silks close the body underneath it.

There’s also something subtly Asian about the high mockneck and column shape. A little bit of qipao kimono ao dai influence for sure. The left side has a high slit which makes it easy to move around in. I used a tiny safety pin to clip the side more and create more slits of violet down the side that I found visually interesting. I don’t have any summer weddings to attend but this would be a strong contender as an unconventional occasion dress. Though, I believe in dressing up for just for working at a cafe, so that doesn’t really matter!

At $90 it was more affordable than most Issey dresses I bookmarked.

There are plentiful listings under $150 from this brand on Japanese eBay:

*and below the fold, details on the 5 outfits I styled it with

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The day starts with a konbini run. Suntory water with the green cap and a pack of sesame beef kimbap. Lace up my Salomons. Head to the Ginza line. People-watch. So much navy and white. School uniforms that look like a Sandy Liang collection. Senior City Boys with their tote bags and denim bucket hats and gray hair. Realize that I see a thousand Asian faces a day here, and yes, I feel different because I’m from America—but I also feel “normal” here in a way I don’t at home. Wonder how different would I be if I grew up in a place like this. Pop a squat outside the Parco and sigh because the lower back relief feels soo good. Skim Tabelog. Desserts here are made for my palette. Kakigori, souffle pancakes, hazelnut crepes! Painfully bloated after dinner but deliriously soaking in the wonder of glowing red lanterns and romantic alleyways in the rainy summer night.

The 10 days go by really fast.

Now that I’m home, the trip feels like a fever dream. Much more reflection and writing to come, but I want to start with the first leg of any trip: the flight.

The last time I visited Asia was in 2018. The long flight and time difference is always a brutal adjustment for my body. I hate flying. I hate how dry and inflamed I feel, the guaranteed eczema flares, the chemical-smelling air…being in the sky just makes me nervous in general.

When I narrowed down my long flight outfit options, it was between a pair of cotton flare lounge pants from Organic Basics, and these baggy soft jeans. The flare pants were very “airport” but the narrow elastic waistband would have been a sensory irritant sitting down for 11 hours. I also had super limited luggage space and knew I wouldn’t want to wear the pants around Tokyo (they’re like the equivalent of leggings, too casual).

Plus, I wanted to wear a pair of cool jeans in Tokyo.

Why these jeans checked my boxes:

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A lifetime ago, I was really into rock climbing.

There was a no-frills gym 10 min from my college campus that offered a student membership, something like $60 for a whole semester—a very good deal c…

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Can you believe we only have to wait four more days until Daylight Savings ends? I live for sun, I’m a better person with her around. When I open the weather app, my eyes narrow into a mean little squint when I see the gray cloud and blue rain drop icons. I want nothing more than to drink a cold latte with one giant ice cube in a slip dress and straw hat with a brim that covers my eyes so I am just two dark nostril holes and some lips. Dot dot line.

I am uniform dressing my way through the dog days of winter. I already wrote about my default jean + boot combo, so you could think of this as the torso version: how I layer a basic t-shirt.

A few things I learned:

• I love a crewneck cotton sweatshirt with some random fake french aesthetic shit like a pair of lips or “autumn of love” plastered in a fake retro font. It’s campy and makes me feel like I’m in college.

• I love a good blue and white stripe.

• I love primary colors and their primary-ish relatives (rusty red with muddy yellow—dirtied in the same way).

• I love how the ring of a t-shirt looks under the slightly larger ring of the sweater neckline.

Here are my six combos. They all start with a good t-shirt and rely on the visual pow pow punch of highly saturated primary colors. All items are linked, including a rare secondhand Miu Miu SS2000 piece I toiled to source last year. Secondhand matches are hard to find!!

Combo 1: Ringer t-shirt and varsity jacket

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I am new to the magic of ringer tees. A simple contrast ring makes it feel distinctly more…styled…than a solid colored t-shirt.

The t-shirt itself has a nice cotton midweight feel. It’s on the boxier side. The 70s jock look of the ringer shirt made me reach for this Miu Miu varsity jacket I don’t wear enough. When I put this on with a Hammer Museum baseball cap, I was like ok new tomboy suit unlocked :)

Everything from Sezane in this post was sent as PR. I got to choose items from the website and while I know their new collections get a lot of buzz among fans, I actually didn’t like the seasonal collection and opted for cotton basics. They’re really comfortable, hence why there’s quite a few Sezane items that made the cut for this post.

Combo 2: White t-shirt with true blue sweatshirt

My white t-shirt is the Gil Bellevue tee. Are there better white t-shirts out there? I’m sure there are but this one works well enough for me and I’m too lazy to look for others. Whenever I need to start an outfit with a white tee she is the star. She has some makeup stains on the inside but that’s why we love her. My white clothes never stay white. Without the white t-shirt poking out, I look oddly naked in this sweatshirt. The white collar also grounds the white text. Kinda wish I wore my hair down for this look.

Combo 3: White t-shirt with striped crew sweater

Same white tee, with a snug cashmere sweater. I think it just adds some crispness and freshness to navy and gray, which can be so serious. This is also a purely practical layering combo as I try to wash my cashmere only as needed to take care of the natural fibers. My armpits started getting prone to dampness and spice cabinet aromas in my mid-20s, so the t-shirt functions as a protective layer.

Combo 4: Red t-shirt with striped button down

You know what would be really cute? This outfit but a pink and white stripe shirt! I love love love a red t-shirt. The Flore Flore one is my favorite for its thick crewneck detail and subtle ribbing throughout. This is definitely a basic I want to buy more of if/when ssense has a good sale. I like to wear the blue and white stripe shirt over it with all the buttons open. It’s giving rom com girl moved apartments and today is painting day.

Combo 5: Red t-shirt and yolk yellow sweatshirt

The best way to style a sweatshirt with a motif on it is to match the color through a layered t-shirt under. This sweatshirt is super old Clare V. I think the abstract lips is one of her best motifs of all time.

Combo 6: Ringer t-shirt and alphabet sweater

Layering a ringer tee under a sweater means you get three neckline “rings.” It makes the outfit so much more interesting imo.

Play with text in your clothing. I think logo-mania got such a bad reputation that we are a little scared of it now. But there is so much humor and personality you can convey through a giant M on your sweater. That’s not even my name, but if you know me you would know what the M stands for! 🐩

Everyone loves flats right now.

It seems that the fashion cognoscenti has bucked the heel in favor of a more low-key expression of fancy footwear. Anna of observed the dominance of flats at Fashion Week: “I was in the minority in my heeled boots. Most were in flats and from a practical standpoint I get it. Think ballet pumps, loafers, Mary-Janes and mesh flats by the bucketload.”

When I think of the buzzy shoes from the past year that people actually wear and walk around in, it’s Tabis, Sandy Liang Mary Janes, Repettos and other variants of the ballet flat. They’re all very cute.

However, in my heart there is one quintessential leather flat. These shoes are for the leather flat purist who could take or leave bows, Tabi camel toes and other markers of contemporary ornamentation.

What makes these flats special, different from the rest?

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Life has been grocery runs for blocks of parmesan and strawberries that look better than they taste, post office drop-offs of depop miscellany that finally sold after 9 months, taking BART into the city in hopes of eating the fluffiest chocolate cake at a locally famed white tablecloth chicken establishment only to find it was closed because you are a silly goose who never checks business hours.

I try to remind myself it’s still winter, it’s normal to be in hibernation despite the NYFW-fueled fashion happenings—and inevitably, pressure to post/publish/add something relevant to the conversation. I’m learning that fashion definitely starts feeling like a job in all the anxious stressful ways when your income is dependent on saying something interesting about trends and shows. It really is hard to turn off your “work” brain. It starts to feel really bad and icky to scroll through Vogue Runway slideshows trying to find a stale breadcrumb of inspiration for your next pitch, your next idea. This will probably be an upcoming post: things I’ve learned about freelance fashion writing.

The Jean + Boot Combo I can’t stop wearing: If you’re also feeling low energy AF, may I recommend starting every outfit with this combo. It’s just a pair of jeans and boots, really. With a different sweater or tee/jacket. I’ve been wearing it for all my banal little trips out and trekking around the city. I just feel extremely safe and relaxed in this. Maybe it’s the retro comfy dad vibes with the grainy blue straight leg denim and coffee-stained-teeth yellow of the square toe shoe poking out. But it feels cool despite being very simple.

The jeans and boots I recommend:

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1. Nelle Atelier Claire Jeans

Nelle Atelier caught my attention as a petites denim brand. I’m always on the lookout on jeans with shorter inseams. This is a low(er) rise, relaxed jean that pools ever so slightly with flats but sit perfectly at the top of my foot with a short heel. They fit the way I wish a pair of vintage men’s jeans at the thrift store would fit. These are comfy jeans I can move in: I wore them for a 3 hour hair appointment, for Day 2 of my period, for a brisk walk around the neighborhood. The wash is nice and grainy, good contrast of white and darker blue speckles.

Next up, another short inseam favorite of mine:

2. Mother Denim ‘Lil Hustler Ankle Fray

These jeans are a noticeably thinner material and have 6% poly/elastane. While my general rule of thumb is to avoid synthetic blends in jeans, sometimes they are needed to incorporate stretch. These are a stretchier jean that seriously hugs the butt and thighs, with the tiniest kick flare at the hem. I’m so pleased that my knees line up with where the knee “cinch” is placed on the jeans. What can I say? It fits the way I want a pair of femme jeans to fit on me.

3. B Sides Lasso Jean (Relaxed)

One of my most worn items of 2023. I am so glad I bought these and see myself wearing them for years! If you’re considering the horseshoe pant silhouette, I highly recommend the B Sides Lasso. Because their denim is made from reworked fabric, it is hard to find consistent washes, the colorways change a lot—but that’s part of the appeal. I wanted a pair that were so pale and sunbleached they looked almost white. These do require a short hem fold-up for me. I may consider buying the ones in Palmer wash for 2024 because they’re a darker true blue wash, and again—I know I’ll wear them all the time.

I also like the Slim Lasso, which is just a more subtle leg shape.

4. Bellerose Poker Jean

I’ve written about these before, and they often make a cameo on my IG feed. I love how these are the HIGHEST of high rises. And the dark midnight wash makes them feel dressed up. I don’t need to hem these. They lightly slouch at the feet and look cool AF with chunky loafers or in this case, fancy Birkenstocks.

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I’m an introvert. I struggle to find my social footing at big gatherings because there’s so many energy exchanges going on, 1:1 friendships feel more natural to me than being part of a large friend group. I love to focus on one person. At parties, I’m never the gregarious one. You could say clothes are my social crutch at parties. I’ll wear something hoping that the right person will take note of it and relate to me on some level. It’s good ‘ol animal kingdom behavior…sniffing out who is most similar to you, who is most likely to “get” you.

I have the best party pant recommendation for you today, something that’s guaranteed to get compliments and strike up a conversation. As I’ve written about before—I really love the idea of separates for occasion wear because dresses can feel so limiting/tired. Party pants are incredibly versatile. Wear them with a feather trim top and heels for a true holiday-NYE look, or wear them with a plain white t-shirt and flats for a cute errand outfit.

These pants are a shiny purple silk (I was so relieved to see the material composition was 100% silk) that just radiate festivity and exuberance. I don’t have a lot of purple in my closet. But I’ve found in the few days of styling them, they look very cool with pinks and reds. My sibling said the frills on the pant leg make them look like Lion Dance pants, which is just the cherry on top.

I styled them with a brownie scout green beret, red cashmere sweater and striped scarf to the farmer’s market.

Switching it up with kitten heels, pink ribbed socks, white tee and pink cashmere sweater tied around my shoulders like a scarf for lunch with my mom.

See how versatile? I am convinced they will be a part of my everyday outfit rotation well past holiday party season.

You can shop them here:

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Hi. How are you? How is winter treating you?

It feels like I’m not doing anything noteworthy or interesting enough to share. Laundry. Groceries. Clipping my nails. Picking at my eczema flakes and watching them float to the ground. A dermis blizzard for the dust mites. I just took a hot shower and put on old faded Clare V. sweatpants with the eyes graphic on the thigh and old blood stains on the back. Before my shower I yanked out barrettes a bit too violently so a patch of hair came out with it. I’m also trying to work out a knot in my neck with one of those gooseneck massage kneading canes, wondering if my flesh, under the skin, looks like the gelatinous beef tendon in my pho from earlier. Winter makes me acutely aware of my animalism.

I’m so bored of my winter outfits. Yesterday was the local Substack Writer’s Meetup I hosted and I wanted to put effort into my outfit, you know? I changed countless times before covering my outfit with a long coat and sweater-scarf which hid whatever I was wearing underneath. And I packed my chunky reading glasses in my purse meaning to wear them as a semi-ironic Joan Didion cosplay, only to forget about them the whole evening. I wish I had outfit photos from the night but I didn’t feel like taking them. My body doesn’t want to do the work of being photographed.

Honestly—the only thing that’s brought a semblance of novelty and inspiration for my sartorial spirit is a pair of electric blue socks. Ethaney was helping me film a video project this weekend in San Francisco and we left the store with matching pairs. She saw them first and noticed they were a “pretty shade of blue.” I get very influenced by her fashion opinions and am grateful she is not annoyed that I copy her. We both wore them to the writer’s meetup the next day.

If you want this shade of blue socks you can find them at Le Bon Shoppe. Of course, buying a pair of socks isn’t going to heal seasonal depression or solve any real life problems. But I find myself laying low in winter and I like the zap of blue when I look down.

There’s something really endearing about shoegaze photos (really just a fancy word for feet pics):

They don’t show the whole outfit, just two appendages with personalities of their own. I examine these feet pics on my phone. I zoom in and think about my feet are angled, what it says about my mood and body language in that moment, how they look sitting in a car vs. standing gingerly in the cold. Feet are just as emotive as hands.

<3

viv

1. Reike Nen Bow Shirring Flats

Reike Nen is a Korean designer I first learned about during the Need Supply era, and they kindly sent me a pair of shoes. When I saw these on the site, I knew I wanted to try them: they’re like a hybrid between the Mansur Gavriel ballerinas and the Nicole Saldaña mary janes.

They come in a few colors but I picked the cream…there’s something Simone Rocha about them, you know? Here they are with poppy colored socks. I got a 37 and they fit well with mid-weight socks. They’re quite walkable, though the soles are slippery as a fish, so I will add some sort of adhesive traction. I love shoes that are uber functional but have that interesting design element that makes you go huh!

Do you love the 90s red velvet Prada platforms?

As a Prada purist, I’m typically of the opinion that is it worth holding out for the real deal. Biding your time, lurking on eBay. But this newly released shoe had me shook mid-scroll: they look nearly identical!

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As I turned to exit, a flash of red caught my eye. I saw this girl who looked like a Pinterest board IRL: she was wearing a simple red sweater with baggy jeans and Carel Kinas. Because Kinas are one of those “if you know you know” shoes, I sort of implicitly trusted her taste. This outfit captivated me because of its in-person wearability. One could easily picture wearing this to the post office, then to get fresh baguette and a coffee. The sweater was logo-less and perhaps through the glossy deception of screens I would have assumed it was something like Everlane or Nadaam, some kind of radicallytransparentethicalmongoliancashmeregradea knit. But in person you see things differently. The material looked thicker than cashmere, maybe even woolen? And the shoulder was slightly dropped, which I always like in tops. The crewneck ribbing also appeared substantial, like it would keep you warm in a foggy orchard.

It was a moment where my desire to know where this sweater was from trumped my social anxiety about approaching a stranger. Remember the time i found my dream black boots through a stranger at a cafe? This is like that.

So I complimented her outfit and asked her where she got the sweater. I prayed she wouldn’t say vintage.

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Here’s a crash course: in the mid-2010s, there was one high-waisted pant to rule them all. The Sailor Pant by Jesse Kamm. Social media moniker: #kammpants. The pant leg pendulum was in full swing away from skinny jeans, so a high-waisted wide leg pant was novel. Fresh. Man-repelling. Perceived as a little bit ugly, as all avant-garde things must be. They came in earthy rich colorway names like Piscine and Iron Oxide, which added to their collectible appeal. It spoke to an aspirational Ojai/Jackson Hole/Sea Ranch aesthetic. Oh, and did people collect. It was like Pokemon, you had to catch them all.

There was an internet drama crash-and-burn surrounding these pants in 2018, and since then it seems #kammpants fever has teetered off. While the internet sensation around these pants is over, they maintain blue chip status at taste-making boutiques like Frances May, Mohawk General Store, and Oroboro. Every season they come out in new colorways and people still buy them.

Do I still wear mine? Sometimes. There is an active secondhand market for these pants, and I’ve slowly sold off a few pairs, keeping only the colors I truly love. But I’ve come to rekindle my love of denim in the past year, because a pair of good jeans makes you feel like your closet has infinite possibilities.

I first saw the pants on Ethaney.

They were a deep indigo with subtle contrast stitching, with a wide (but not flared) leg that gently pouched around the hems, grazing the floor as she strode towards me. She looked so cool in them, like a rancher’s daughter who ended up at Copenhagen Fashion Week. They are designed by

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Arguably the most important summer shoe is the walking sandal. Something comfortable you can walk in for beach days, travel, or just running errands when it’s hot out. Like many, I have a pair of Birkenstock Arizonas (the silver ones from the Proenza collab) that are very much a beater pair of walking sandals. Packable and lightweight, they’re an easy choice but to be honest…I get bored of them. Maybe because it’s become a familiar silhouette I see everywhere, but I’m just not inspired by them.

Below: the one walking sandal I swear by and a few other summer shoes I’m eyeing.

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Last night I rewatched 13 Going on 30—well, I actually wanted to watch Uptown Girls but it wasn’t on HBO. But I was in the mood for a 90s/00s romcom. I love Jennifer Garner in that movie, and thought about old romcom girl faces vs. modern actress faces. It’s a flavor of beauty that is winsome. Expressive teethy smiles, not smizes. A skip in her step. More preoccupied with having fun than looking cool or hot. (Emily in Paris wants to be this but could never lol). I find it really charming and comforting to watch.

And of course, there is the fashion. The romcom heroine always has an inexplicable fantastic closet. Her personal style is flouncy, bubbly, and flirty. Blush pink knit cami and cardigan sets. Slip dresses with strappy sandals. Blooming floral prints and pepperoni size polka dots. Bubblegum pink converse. Low rise jeans and a fitted tee. It’s easy to fall in love with romcom fashion.

My favorite way to subtly style myself like a romcom heroine is through accessories. After a deep dive on secondhand Y2K bags and shoes, I recommend 90s Kate Spade for the best overall selection and availability of styles online. I think her vintage pieces are poised for a comeback.

I ventured into the cavernous depths of resaletopia and came back with my picks for eight whimsical little kitten heels and eight darling striped bags that will have you losing a guy in 10 days this summer.

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Let’s start with shoes. I think the best styles are the ones from the 90s, which you can identify by the old tag—a simple black rectangle with a clean sans serif font. Also, canvas and raw silk fabric is very characteristic of 90s styles so keep an eye out for those. I found the most stock on Poshmark, and the pickings are delightful:

• platforms with cherry red silk soles rainbow straps

• teal and green polka dot mules

• neapolitan ice cream polka dot mules

• prada-coded ugly chic courts in a brown and green stripe

• lemony kitten heels with bows on the heel

• ironic matronly floral curtain mules

• gray silk mules with an unexpected pink inside sole

• miu miu-coded magenta kitten heels

Next—bags. Kate Spade is known for her bags, but it can be overwhelming to sift through all styles. My suggestion is to search generally for the old Sam Bags, the classic nylon rectangular purses with the old logo tag. Not the new “Sam Icon” bag which is the brand’s attempt to redesign a new bag that taps into the nostalgia of the old ones so you can buy them and they make money. Seriously, just buy the old ones. The colorways and fabrication are more interesting.

I am partial to the stripe motif bag. The colorways are surgically distinct and transport me back to the days of Lisa Frank notebooks, Tommy Girl jeans, Spacemaker pencilboxes, Laffy Taffy candy. Visually, they’re so reminiscent of the 90s/00s. No is making bags today with this style of stripe, in these colors, in these fabrics. Some links to shop below and my imaginary names for the bags:

• JAWS

• Jolly Rancher

• Jamba Juice

• Neapolitan

• Eloise at the Plaza

• Capri Sun

• Stars Hollow

• Disney Channel

yours truly,

viv