go places & try things on !
i came up in the fashion blog wave & will [somewhat embarrassingly] always be kinda menswear pilled due to heavy exposure to putthison & four pins at an impressionable age . so i definitely love developing taste by just consuming a million images of things you’ll never wear or even likely see in person in combination with articles about clothes that are equally removed from your life ... but truly nothing beats just going to stores & trying things on . there’s no better way to see what actually works for you & feels good on your body than the tactile experience of wearing different clothes , often trying something on can put you on to a shape/style/fabric/brand you might not have otherwise considered .
i love shopping designer consignment for this because you can try a really wide range of brands/eras/styles all in one place & they usually have some sort of curation so you don’t have to dig forever to find beautiful things . but also the experience of going to try on things you couldn’t necessarily afford at fancy possibly overpriced shops [‘boutiques’] is also great because honestly part of dressing up & shopping is the fantasy of a person you might be if you had the right clothes .
obligatory shoutout to jon moy , arabelle sicardi , derek guy & tumblr fashion blogs/archives for influencing the way i shop & look at clothes forever
Sep 13, 2024
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i really lost my sense of personal style for a couple years. i found that going to a store and grabbing a bunch of shit to try on can be super fun and helpful when getting your mojo back that way. getting to take a real look at yourself in the clothes really helps you envision what they’d look like with the rest of your wardrobe. you’ll see what you love, and what’s not for you. the best part about it is surprising yourself when something you didn’t think you’d like actually makes you feel really good!
going to the stores to try things on is free and can be a fun date with friends! have a real movie makeover moment if you wish.
the biggest thing that got me excited about dressing myself again tho was identifying the pieces that i absolutely adore in my wardrobe and utilizing them as much as possible. i love finding new ways to style the same jacket or dress or whatever. that’s even better than buying something new because you already love the piece and it already fits your style!
Jan 18, 2025
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Longer than it probably should be for me to explain this but I love discussing this stuff:
Whether I am thrifting or getting something brand new, it is important to me that the fabric feels good against my skin, that it either fits how I would like or I could do minor adjustments on my own, and I need to like the colours. Whilst I have had a style evolution, its more so in how I express my tastes than the contents of them. I have always liked some variety to the textures of the fabrics that I wear, I love unusual colours and fun prints, and I look for silhouettes that are sharp.
My style is basically eccentric librarian which aligns with both my tastes and my lifestyle so during the day to day I wear a lot of button downs, blazers, and heels, with a lot of the prints being stripes, tartans made out of a lot of wool, corduroy and cotton. When I am more casual there is a lot of jeans, well fitting t-shirts, flowy dresses and minis, this is when I tend to be more playful with silhouette.
I tend to wait for items to go on sale because given my tastes, the clothes that I want tend to be unpopular because people think that they would be difficult to style, or would stick out in their wardrobe. Strategically I also go to the "bargain bin" at thrift markets for the same reason lol. After the sales/bargain I will see if theres anything on my mental list that I want, and I will just try on the things that catch my eye. Then if I want accessories I look at sterling silver pieces and vintage ties and scarves. I get a lot of my shoes from my older sisters' wardrobes (and tbh a lot of other clothes, we are close like that) but if I buy them they tend to be in line with a pair I had and wore until they fell apart. Then when I have my things I try them on one last time, make sure they are within budget and get them.
My rule is no impulse buys. If I want to buy, I save and make a list with the date that I will go get the thing. I mull over it and think about why I want it in my wardrobe and then I get it. Style icons for me are Mary Quant, Myha'la, Cree Summer and Robin Williams. And I'd say the fashion journalists/bloggers/commentators/educators that I keep up with are Derek Guy, Lakyn Carlton and Cora Harrington.
Sep 13, 2024
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while he’s become known as the menswear guy on twitter Derek Guy’s blog dieworkwear is full of long form dives into whatever he’s into at the moment . his writing for put this on is great as well , though the site’s largely dead now , the archive is still informative & interesting (i’d recommend looking through the knowledge base & advice tabs) .
i always look forward to his excited to wear seasonal series , it’s a joy to read his work & see what’s moving him in the upcoming season . he’s obviously got a strong base of knowledge in menswear , both casual & formal , but he emphasizes style that’s personal to a specific life , the delights of wearing clothes , & what they mean in the world . what’s great about his blog as well is that he always includes a wide variety of photos that illustrate the various pieces & styles he’s highlighting , both throughout his articles as well as a string of them at the bottom . they’re perfect for seeing how many different (often real) people are wearing these pieces and how you could work them into your own life .
all that said nothing beats trying a lot of stuff on , seeing what feels good for you & what sticks . it’s about the physical & emotional feeling of your clothes as they stand between you & the world .
a side rec for checking out more curated stores , whether that’s smaller boutique menswear shops or higher end vintage/consignment places . even if you don’t buy anything there it’s useful just to see what’s good & what you can look for at other places , without having to do so much sorting & searching through a thrift store or mall (which i find exhausting & often frustrating)
Apr 13, 2025
Top Recs from @seiji
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there’s that little jolt of joy when you discover that you’re having the same experience as another person
Mar 8, 2025
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it’s the perfect length for me to watch after work , i can start a movie at 11 or even 12 & get to bed at the (mostly) reasonable hour of 1:30 at the latest . sometimes i will extend this to 100 or 110 min if i‘m feeling indulgent or ambitious .
i could watch an hour of tv but this gives me a whole story in only a little bit more time .
Sep 11, 2024
Jul 6, 2024