24 Comments
User's avatar
elle's avatar

Although the act of sharing never gets old, sharing clothes feels like a relic of my past now being 44. I didn't realize I missed the gaiety and intimacy of exchanging clothes with friends and siblings. Thank you for this wistful moment of nostalgia 🤎

Viv Chen's avatar

the gaiety and intimacy! yes it's just so...girlhood.

Bottom Feeders Anonymous's avatar

did no one else have childhoods where you and your sisters would engage in open warfare in the form of stealing each others shit 😭 I love my sister and would die for her but she'd have to then climb over my dead body to get my shirt lol

Viv Chen's avatar

interestingly my siblings never stole my stuff BUT as a kid i got very annoyed when they'd try to copy my style lol

carla palacios's avatar

I recently came back from a two-week euro girls trip (it was 5 of us) and sharing our wardrobes (and all things really) with each other fundamentally shifted something in me. I grew up as an only child, so the simple act of sharing boots, coats, accessories, tops, etc… fulfilled me with a kind of intimacy I didn’t know I was missing. What I miss the most from the trip was waking up to their laughs and dressing together every morning 🥹 we were little womenmaxxing!!!

Viv Chen's avatar

Reading this made me giggle 🤭 being women is so fun!!!!

Zeke D.'s avatar

I live for the moss green snood.

Melissa Lai's avatar

Omg loooove this and the ingenious hand warmers!!

Maria Polansky's avatar

Aww I love this! It hasn't always been easy for me to share clothes with my female family members (mom and sister) because I'm the 'runt of the litter', but I've been able to trade things with my niece (lol). My dad has also passed me down some nice custom pieces he got in China and India. I take after him a lot, so we have the most similar body size.

N/'s avatar

I love those boots, your siblings have similar taste to me (and seconded on the beanie hate, I have more respect for even hair-flattening brimmed hats for doing more for a look in exchange for said hair-flattening)

I don't have siblings but do have fond memories of swapping clothes once as a teenager with the one cousin who was close to me in age and size. Her now 15 year old daughter is the one who's been heir-apparent to my hand-me-downs for the last couple of years even though she's in a different country, I may be an absent auntie but I'd rather the kid knows me through having first refusal on my clothes than not know me at all.

Naomi Barrales's avatar

So cute. Do you make it clear that these garments are being borrowed or do you accept the idea that it may not come back to you? I feel like when I give my sister something to borrow they “forget to give it back” !

Viv Chen's avatar

haha my siblings are all really chill about borrowed clothes and I know w certainty I can “borrow it back” whenever I want!

Jasmine's avatar

It’s been hours since I read this post and I’m still shaken to my core (good) re: the upcycled cashmere hand warmers… the innovation!!!

Viv Chen's avatar

easiest upcycle project with shrunken/thrifted cashmere!!

Olga Riva's avatar

Viv, if you were buying Loefflers now, for the near the Outer Sunset)) crowd, would you recommend Suri or Remi? I am super torn!! TIA

Viv Chen's avatar

hi olga! they're very similar in feel but if you want a more snug/stable fit with adjustable lace tightness then the remi. if that's not too much of a concern for you, the ease of the slip on with the suri is probably adequate for most people!

Olga Riva's avatar

Thank you!!

lexi's avatar

i am absolutely watching survivor season 50 and will need to read that piece. also did you see the relatively recent Interview Magazine photos of Jeff bc he was kind of serving in a way I was not ready for lol

Viv Chen's avatar

ok yeah its so interesting how the mainstreaming of aesthetic treatments has overlapped with the survivor discourse. i think you'll find the article super compelling. also LOL i did see that jeff spread

Michelle Ruiz Keil's avatar

My youngest daughter and I can share soke clothes and most shoes and it's great. Also my oldest shares with my BFF. And lately we've realized we need to run slightly quirky accessories by their dad before we get rid of them. He is a tall rather imposing guy and is deeply attached to the long olive trench coat he inherited from his grandfather. We've been gifting him slightly surreal cat tees tha past few years but its our big silk and cotton scarves that really help the coat look friendly. The latest is also cat themed in navy blue voile. He is a very minimal dresser so these touches go a long way. I loved hearing how your family does hand me downs. And jealous you guys are having such nice weather already!

Keyse Angelo's avatar

I love this post. One major way I connect with my niece and nephew is over clothing. They almost always show up to my apartment underdressed (like the time my niece didn't bring shoes and I carried her to target for emergency shoes!). They are now 11 and 15 and are developing their own fashion ideals. we thrift and shop together but they somehow still often borrow from my wardrobe :) Keeping an eye on what the "youth" are doing has also helped me discover new trends and communities (like Select market in Boston). My friends and I (in our late 40s and 50s) also share/swap clothing and attend popups, great way to catch up and continue building community.

Viv Chen's avatar

that is so cute. i love the age when they're starting to think more about the clothes they link and how they want to present themselves! it's a lovely way to connect across generations

Melina T's avatar

Love this!! I wish I could be on the receiving end of some of this winter clothes swapping but mostly because I also live in the bay and don’t need winter stuff until the rare occasions I end up on the east coast. Doesn’t make sense to buy it for myself!

Also: seems like a new scalp/head spa opened in Oakland, I really want to try it!

M.A. (Maria Alejandra)'s avatar

I’d be thrilled to share any of these items (the upcycled cashmere?!??). One of the things I most miss about college and rooming with girls was the clothing and accessory swapping that happened every time we got ready to go out. My friend organized a plus size clothing swap a few years ago and it was a hit! Will definitely be looking for more opportunities like this