Related Recs

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Buying things at a brick & Mortar store

All of my recent favorite items of clothing have been purchased in-person at a retail store. They remind me of when, where, and who I was at the time of making the purchase. Shoutout to Stag Provisions in Austin, Field Theory in St. Louis and Marshall Goods in Chapel Hill.

@maxwelljames

Feb 21, 2024

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This Thing Of Ours

Continuing off of my last outdoor apparel rec through the GO OUT magazine, I still can't stop myself from browsing outdoor apparel. Especially fleeces, vests, puffers, pants with excessive pockets, etc. Some of these pieces are super hard to come by in the US. Personally, I feel like I've been trapped inside outdoor brand bubble that consists of Arc’teryx, Patagonia, North Face, Fjällräven, etc. Recently, I've discovered This Thing of Ours, a UK based retailer that curates different brands around the world. They pride themselves in having more low-key brands and browsing through their Coats & Jackets section, the catalog speaks for itself.

@serey-morm

Jan 7, 2021

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Imperial

I’m a big fan of upcycling old pieces. Imperial curates a ton of cool vintage pieces from Carhartt, collegiate gear, artist merch, etc. What I really like about Imperial is how they give local artists a platform (Imperial Lab) to customize these vintage pieces where the old world meets the new.

@serey-morm

Nov 12, 2020

Top Recs from @salad_valet

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The anti-capitalist nature of pi.fyi

i’ve been trying to articulate why i enjoy this space so much. yes, the UX is reminiscent of Tumblr and the early days of the internet. and there’s genuine sincerity and vulnerability on here that makes it feel really cozy and real, which i haven’t felt online in at least a decade. but i think what’s undergirding my love of this space is how anti-capitalist it feels. most of the recs everyone shares are vibe-checks, quality of life shifts, meditations and offers, music and movies, just plain good art. i don’t feel compelled to buy anything when i come here. i feel excited and pumped to be a cheerleader, find connection, find common ground. and FWIW the recs i’ve shared that have gotten the most traction are my suggestions for leading a less capitalistic / consumerist life (quitting Amazon, getting off of Spotify, building community to take care of you and your things). all of this is to say, i love it here and i love you guys.

@salad_valet

Feb 7, 2025

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Breaking free from spotify

i canceled my Spotify account over the summer and have spent the last few months rebuilding my digital music library on a refurbished iPod Touch. reading critiques of the app (and it’s enshittification), i realized i wasn’t even sure of my own musical tastes and preferences. i had stopped picking for myself, stopped seeking out new music, ceasing to know how to choose what i wanted or articulate what i like. breaking free from the algorithm has been such a joy! i’m borrowing gobs of music from the library, rebuilding my old playlists, and consuming more music than i have in years. and better yet, my data isn’t being tracked by Spotify and i own what’s in my personal library. further, my receptors are more open when i’m out in the world exposed to music, searching for recommendations in an organic way.

@salad_valet

Jan 16, 2025

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Quitting amazon

hear me out—this one might feel impossible, but i quit purchasing items on Amazon in 2018 and cancelled my GoodReads account shortly after. i did some serious reflection and realized i’d become super reliant upon, and frankly, quite used to the instant gratification of purchasing something and knowing i’d have it within a day. that’s not normal. the labor practices, economics, and environmental impacts of getting what you want from the internet delivered quickly and right to your door are skewed. i was filling a void in myself with mindless purchases. i’m aware that they service a huge swath of the internet (Amazon Web Services), own Whole Foods and Abe Books, and will likely take over more businesses we like and rely on. weaning off and avoiding entirely is very very hard, but it can also be a measured decision. that said, i know that it is a privilege to abstain from Amazon. i am able bodied, i don’t have kids, i have access to a car, i live in an urban environment with access to a lot of stuff at my fingertips. but making the choice to break out of the Amazon loop has ultimately been better for my pocketbook and better for my relationship to these mega-tech-companies that have their fingers in everything. in contrast, i’m becoming more interested in alternate economies, like bartering and sharing. i love the idea of having commonly shared tools and items (tool libraries are very cool). we don’t need to own it all, we have each other. interested in exploring more? the zine pictured below is a great start, and summarizes a much larger book by the same author on how to resist the leviathan that is Amazon.

@salad_valet

Jan 22, 2025