a vintage alternative to the chopova lowena skirts, peridot pendants & the $50 sweater I ordered with zero hesitation
everything i bought secondhand in september
Ah, the last weekend of September.
The weather here is still warm and sunny, but I’m feeling the seasonal shift in my tastebuds. I’ve been nursing mugs of barley tea and even had a craving for bittermelon last night. There’s a pyrex tub of passionfruit syrup macerating in my fridge right now (thanks to
for the idea), which will be my breakfast oatmeal topper for the week ahead! I’d love to know your favorite fall recipes.News
“Oh, This? I Got It From My WhatsApp Girl.” Spoke with Samantha Leach at Bustle about the rise in secondhand “whisper networks” like our molechat and the secondhand sonar google doc. As vintage shopping becomes increasingly mainstream, I predict we will see more diehard enthusiasts form their own little communities for sharing niche inspiration and rare pieces. For example, the TRR Early Bird value proposition isn’t as thrilling as it used to be—thousands of people are fighting you for first dibs on that 90s Prada skirt.
“Baggu celebrates new Mission store with BART merch. This was news to BART.” Baggu is in hot water after using the BART logo (without a license or asking permission) on giveaway merch promoting their new store. BART responded by saying this “could have and should have” been an actual collaboration, where a share of merch profits would support the underfunded public transit system. Chime into our discussion here. It’s a rare occurence when a fashion story from the Bay breaks into broader internet discourse. But the media has been turning their sights to SF culture lately—I chuckled at this NYMag mention of AI founders wearing the Kim Jong-il jackets. I don’t run in any of these circles, but if you do, please tell us what the AI kids are actually wearing.
Reminder that I wrote a fall boot guide last month, if you’re in the middle of your shoe hunt.
Here are the 5 things I bought secondhand this month.
You can read the June log here. I don’t cover this topic every month, because I go through waves of finding good stuff, and July/August was a bit of a lull. But we’re sooo back baby!
I’ve also added 30 similar pieces to the secondhand sonar google doc at the bottom of the post that you can shop. Here’s a sneak peek:
1). Miss Sixty Purple Suede Fringe Belt
It’s the perfect shade of Anna Sui purple, and hear me out when I say that it’s a nice alternative to the Chopova Lowena belted skirts. Obviously they are not the SAME SAME but if you’re looking to play around with a showy belt with a “skirt” element (I think fringe counts), this is a far more accessible entry point. I snagged this belt off
’s recent newsletter for $60.I found a very similar vintage brown leather style, which is in the secondhand sonar doc.
Styled with an old Heavy Manners silk slip dress and Loeffler Randall knee high boots. The upside down “V” shape in the back is really beautiful.
Layered with some Southwestern necklaces—my Spratling Cascabel and a vintage bolo—and a shearling trim D&G jacket. Remember how I said I was feeling suede textures recently? This is what I mean.
2). A Petite Zebra Purse
This is sort of two purchases, but there’s a theme going on.
It started with this sherbert-y zebra Ungaro bag I got from Lone House Vintage. It’s suede (lol I just love it) and just a sweet little purse for dinner out or a cafe date. I love how the color and texture looks with my treasured glossy green slip dress.
This is how I developed a taste for zebra purses and ended up ordering this VELVETEEN one from 90s Kate Spade.
I’ve previously written about how Kate Spade bags are perfect for living out your 90s romcom fantasies, and there are soooo many under $100 (popped some in the doc):
“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. My suggestion is to search generally for the old Sam Bags, the classic nylon rectangular purses with the old logo tag.”