accessorize like a romcom heroine with 90s kate spade
handbags for your nokia and lipgloss
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.
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:
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:
yours truly,
viv