Not NOT Trending Styles
Things that are trend-adjacent but still feel like me
Fashion wants to tell you what to wear; style wants to tell you how to think.
Or perhaps, you connect more to the idea that style has an essence fashion could never, a secret sauce only the gifted and talented have been able to uncover.
I’ve been baited (out of my own insecurity) into reading an endless supply of “if you have style, this is what you know” “items that tell me you’re a style baddie” and blah listicles that leave me feeling bleh. I can only afford to give partial shade, because they probably had a damn catchy sucker punch of a headline, and it’s not their fault they wrote something that scratches a healing wound. For a minute, I think I’ve cracked the code to busting out my final form in all its glossy glory. (This may also be interpreted as a listicle, so who am I to judge?)
I’ve never been able to drown out the noise of the Haves and Have Nots. I wear things the second I buy them to signal I Have; I look on and make assumptions on how others Have while I Have Not, feeling somewhere left of my core a door close upon me as I stand forlorn in an empty corridor.
We’re conditioned to function as fashion magpies. And so the trends have consumed me — as I grew a deeper understanding of degrowth and circular fashion, moved further and further through my twenties, and slowly removed the bulk of my social media, the monster has diminished. Still it remains, ready to pounce on my misstep.
The cautionary tale of Dr. Seuss’ Star-Bellied Sneetches reflects the state of trend cycles (and whiteness, and privilege), and while it’s easy to work under the guise of choosing what trends to participate in based on what suits your personal interests and style, I wholeheartedly believe most of us find it hard to remain honest. Or perhaps it’s not about restraint, but that we lack the self-awareness. We just want to participate, or not be left out. In turn, we lose out on self-discovery and expression.
Lately, expression is what I continue to refer to when making decisions with my purse. My subsect of the internet has gotten real specific with the style inspiration it presents to me. My eye for discerning true style vs trend has surely improved, but the idea of how a trend is expressed via different channels or garments has positively altered both the life cycle of my closet & my self-esteem. I can participate in fashion, and enjoy being part of it, without hitting copy-paste.
Essentially, I investigate the why and how of what I am interested in — resulting in self-reflection and research — and come to a resolution where I avoid having purchases avoid staring back at me from their hanger in the closet like, why did you take me home if you knew you were going to move on after a month?
Some of my finds in the last couple months were borne of both taste & algorithm in equal measure:
BECAUSE I LIKE THE TORY BURCH PIERCED SHOES
Fully pointing a finger at Heather
for this little piece of sleek embellished funk for our feet. It seems to be centered around workwear-adjacent shoes like loafers, mules, Mary Janes as a splash of punk against an otherwise feminine form. I spun out a variety of search terms for this, landing on the directive that I knew I wanted chrome/silver accents to an otherwise black shoe or sandal.In tandem, I have been on a long hunt to improve my strappy sandal game: often looking to Italian shoemakers, often dreaming of own a perfect little Prada something. Miuccia’s vision of womenswear is an easy association with this style, given her history of tongue-in-cheek silhouettes that hold delicate and alternative forms of the ever-aspirational modern woman in each hand.
Lo and behold, these mamas (pictured above) have THIS mama feeling juuuuuust right. I appreciate the cross straps that lead to an elongated link chain and a slim wedge that is on the lower side, lifting just high enough for them to peek out past my extra long trousers. Molto bene!
I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S NOT BUTTER!
But it is a buttery Coach Madison Isabel hobo bag. I love an eBay cop — search terms here were more focused on the color than the bag style, however I feel most at home with a slouchy, throw-it-all-in-and-pray-nothing-flies-out purse slung on one shoulder. My shoulders, however, have other preferences that continue to go ignored.
My neutrals need some work, and within the last year I’ve turned toward rich colors that do more for my bolder taste while simultaneously offering a subdued presence in my overall style. Black, grey and white have been supplemented with shades of brown varying from espresso to latte (all coffee, I guess?), navy and burgundy; now, butter yellow has come into the fold, ready to add whimsy, calm or balance. In relation to the trend as it exists today, I channel Sabato de Sarno’s Gucci color blocking, or Jacquemus’ seemingly banana-centric summer 25 campaign.
Honorable mention for this Ann Taylor jacket that I’ve been pairing more and more with black for a high contrast look. Not to mention, the Kill Bill energy surge I’ve been getting in the color combo. As it turns out, I actually really love yellow hues; it’s not just for blondes!
A TENNIS-ADJACENT, OR GYMNASTICS, 80S WINDBREAKER
Listen y’all, I’ve BEEN loving Coco Gauff in New Balance. The Miu Miu collab has made it extra spicy and irresistible — but I also love references to 70s and 80s tracksuits, puffy colorblock windbreakers and warmup zips. When my sister and I were in high school, our volleyball team ransacked the athletics supply closet and found the swish-iest, baggiest jacket and pant sets I had ever seen since the tear-away pants went out of style. The ex-athlete in me still needs something to slouch around in, and I don’t have many items like this sans school colors and logos.
Enter this navy Reebok jacket with red and white side panels along the torso. Wearing it, I am Tonya Harding, Coco Gauff, Ryann STUUUUUTZ.
ELONGATED BLOUSES AND TUNICS, MEET SKIRT-AS-TOP
Crop tops aren’t dead, otherwise I’d have to clear out a (sadly, admittedly) significant chunk of tank tops. That said, shouldn’t we have something in or repertoire that also tackles a hot summer day, is low maintenance yet errs on the side of sophistication?
I scroll through my Pinterest board and play IS IT A TOP, OR IS IT A SECRET SKIRT? Entire dresses, ponchos, and large scarves can also be included in the category, often paired with a large trouser to cascade over. The beauty of it, whether it’s a bubble or fluted, A-line or straight, is that whatever shape it takes from hip to calf may also favorably accentuate your midsection. Food for thought.
If you need fashion tape, or pins, or hidden thread to cinch it into an immovable position, it’s not a crime. You’re being versatile! You’re a dynamo, an innovaTOR! We all could stand to get a bit craftier with pieces we perceive to have a singular purpose.
I have a special announcement for NYC friends and future friends — I’m starting an event series for budding writers!
When I started this newsletter, I knew I wanted to get to a point where the values I try to express on Substack would be channeled into community action. Borne out of my own confusion and/or insecurity with my writing and the business of writing, I present to you all: Rookie Residency.
I deeply resonate with the idea that everyone is a creative, and no one person should stifle their right to expression due to a lack of support, motivation or accountability. As a Substack writer and hopeful essayist and poet, I find it’s incredibly easy to silo yourself off into your own world during the creative process… but I have little experience with collaboration or peer review. I dream of bylines, writer’s residencies and published works, but struggle to know exactly where and how to try doing so. I also need to start writing more of the things I say that I’m going to write. I would imagine I’m not the only one.
I’m looking to provide a space with little to no barriers to entry once a month or so that gets all of us committed to the work itself. Ideally, we’d share at the beginning of a session what we all look to be working on, any progress made, or any wishes to collaborate or share for review. Perhaps in the future I could coordinate talks, networking hours, and readings (one step at a time, though!).
RSVP here — I really hope to see you there! Xx
STUUUUUUUUUUUTZ!
and what's the saying about not getting cold? I'm thinking back to Brighton and you with an open leather jacket and me in a scarf and Patagonia...
I <3 tory so much