Take Five with Emily North
Get to know the beautiful brain behind angel cake!!!
Take Five is a guest series on AND I’VE BEEN SAYING THAT! These posts feature internet friends & inspirations in the eco-fashion space, detailing what you should know about them and what their 5 favorite environmentally-conscious things are at the moment. Consider it a jumping-off point to get to know them + why I consider them as part of the community. I also share where you can find them and/or their work x
As the media frenzy from fashion’s biggest night (with a very sus yet on par theme against the backdrop of pro-ceasefire protests) earlier this week tapers off, I thought there was no better time than to spotlight one of my favorite voices of our generation on Substack. Call it intuition that we needed something a bit more uplifting.
Without projecting too much,
feels like my mirror image on the other side of the Atlantic; while her incredibly tender & hopeful newsletter angel cake isn’t always about fashion or being a 26-year-old city girl, I imagine we both write in determined, dreamlike spurts of energy, kicking our feet and commenting “j’adore” or some shit as we share each other’s newsletters. I don’t know how long we’ve subscribed to each other’s ’stacks, but I know we both have come to this platform with zilch aside from starry eyes and a hope that there’s a space for us here. It’s one of the purest things in life, no?If you are literate and on this app, you have probably read angel cake. I can’t help but be proud of her — it should not be taken lightly that Emily is putting out a weekly newsletter that is entirely original and engaging & constantly reading/supporting other Substackers’ work while also working a full-time job. And from what it sounds like, a solid social life! I don’t know too many people on Substack that are our age with little to no follow base prior to joining (though the number is growing), so it truly feels like Emily has conjured up a position in this new age of fashion and lifestyle content. I am so so thrilled to follow wherever she goes next, and hope you enjoy everything she shared with me for the second installment of Take Five!
The landscape of fashion blogging has officially shifted! What have you noticed since you started on Substack, and how do you think it’s evolving as we speak?
i came online right as fashion bloggers were gaining virality and power, i think a lot about man repeller (unsurprisingly to no one i used to read it every single day..) i actually think what substack is doing right now is democratizing the man repeller effect which essentially is being able to write about fashion in non-traditional ways that would never get published in a huge magazine backed by hundreds of advertisers. people are able to write about niche pockets of fashion in a way that feels low stakes and not heavily edited which i think is a great thing. i love substack because i have always wanted to write but never necessarily saw it as a viable career given the current media fashion landscape.
What piece in your closet has the most sentimental story?
i adore this question. i think it has to be the vintage 1920s sheer black dress i found on depop that i wore to my 25th birthday party. it was the first time i ever had a birthday party, and for some reason i expected something to go wrong but it was actually one of the best nights ever. 25 was a really special year for me, i started to care a lot less about what people thought of me and felt enough distance from college to shake away the traditional mold of school → job→ partner→ marriage→ suburbs→ baby. the dress was pretty sheer and i wore only underwear underneath which a lot of people thought was crazy but looking back i think it was perfect. not to sound woo-woo but i think trusting my gut and choosing to wear what i wanted and what people thought i should wear sparked something which made my have the best year ever. i recently almost got rid of the dress because someone offered me $300 for it and at the time that felt very enticing, but at the last minute they found another dress. thank god because i want to keep it forever, not because i will necessarily wear it all the time but because of the memory it holds of me being 25 and finally feeling like myself and owning my autonomy.
New York is cemented in lore as the epicenter of nightlife, but what does that look like for a responsible party girl… and what do you wear?
!!!!!!! i think what i mean when i say i am a “responsible party girl” what i mean is that i tend to say yes to everything which ends up meaning that i attend a lot of friends of friends of friends birthday parties (which is one of my favorite types of events to go to..) i love going to functions with a purpose as opposed to going out just to go out aimlessly. the responsible part comes into play because i try not to drink more than a drink or two when i go out (especially during the week), always make an effort to be nice to everyone and remember their name, and TRY to leave a party before 12 (still trying to work on the last one). if i go out on a tuesday i am still the first one in my office on a wednesday, partying is not tied to drinking or being out super late!!! it can just be about meeting new people and laughing in a mini skirt. which brings me to what i tend to wear…. if the weather is nice i always go for a pleated mini skirt of some sort, i unfortunately loathe wearing pants which makes December-March particularly brutal. i always think of that coco chanel quote, “before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off” my version of this is to add an unexpected detail whether that’s through a funky sock or sweater thrown over my shoulders. i really try not to dress too seriously and make an effort to gut check my outfits to ensure i am not subconsciously following a outfit formula regurgitated from something i’ve seen (easier said than done).
“my favorite tote bag that i wear is from coach’s new circular sub-brand, the tote is made from 100% recycled polyester (which feels like a nylon) and is monomaterial which is optimal for end-of-life recycling. i am biased because coachtopia is the brand i work for but it is amazing and very innovative within the sustainable fashion space <3”
EMILY’S FIVE FAVES
here are my five favorite places to shop vintage/second-hand:
chickee’s vintage - based in williamsburg, brooklyn but they have an incredible ecom assortment. everything is highly curated in a non-annoying way that feels incredibly cohesive. i will say it is on the pricier side but the quality is worth it for an investment!
rosemary home - this is my favorite vintage knick-knack store, they have incredible funky glassware that is ~decently~ priced. true gems!!!!!!
seven wonders collective - they unfortunately do not have a ecom presence but they have a few stores in new york that are fantastic- a little bit on the pricier side but they usually have hidden gems.
EBAYYYY - i feel like this is an overlooked method for finding incredible second hand. my advice is to find niche searches (i.e. wrangler oversized leather jacket) and save those searches.
Editor’s note: You do in fact have to get a bit freaky in the search bar. I’ve learned loads of great tips to navigate eBay from the likes of
The Molehill, Heather Hurst + thanks it’s from eBay
depop - algorithmically i think this is the best user experience, plus i love the ability to low stakes counteroffer which in my experience usually gets accepted!
“i REALLY try to buy only vintage clothing + furniture, it is objectively the more difficult option because it takes a lot more time and effort but i am trying to settle into that discomfort of delayed gratification. i’ve switched my mindset whenever i am considering purchasing a piece of clothing to commit that i will have this item forever, if i hesitate that means that i might just be participating in a trend.”
Did you just fall in love with someone over the internet? Or maybe with one-of-a-kind vintage finds, or New York, or who you were when you were 25? If you learn anything from this feature, I hope it’s that there’s so much out there to discover and cherish and love. Having fun is FUN and no one knows this better than a girl who pours her heart out online!
Thank u Emily, I’ve had such a great time putting this together <3
Xoxo
Ryann
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i’m crying in the club rn THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!
screaming to be included. I love Emily's writing!!!