Christmas in July (2nd Ed.)
becoming a year-round, all-season shopper, plus vintage and secondhand cold(er) weather treasures (mostly) under $100
I don’t know much in the disciplines and studies of waning and waxing gibbous moons and planetary retrogrades, but I will consider myself an expert in discerning that the vibes were peculiarly off last week.
Did anyone else feel their internet brain rot particularly pustulating these last few days?
I’m behind. In various adulting responsibilities, creative endeavors, and familial correspondence - a rarity for someone who lives and dies by the pings and chimes of their calendar reminders! And while there are likely a handful of reasons to explain why I find myself a personified blinking cursor these last few days, I’m going to inculpate losing power and internet not once, not twice, but thrice(!) this week (72+ hours of nary a spark of electricity) - leaving me no choice but to go outside and touch! grass!
And because of ~balance~, I obviously had to make up for all that crispy fresh air by assuming the hunched-over-gremlin position the second the router connected to wifi, spiral scrolling myself into oblivion on a week where all kinds of numerous shit hit all kinds of varying fans.
“Was it worth it?” you might ask, and my answer is no but also yes because once I got my ass off fan-edit (I’ll let you guess what my algorithm serves me) TikTok (I know, I know - I only have my own morbid curiosity to blame for lingering too long on them!), I got in a deep eBay/Etsy/TRR hole of the best cold weather steals and deals and I am in your inbox this morning to (finally! days late! ) present you with the goods.
“They say the best way to escape the blistering summer heat is by retreating indoors and indulging in the comfort of shopping for autumnal weather attire.”
Feeling embarrassingly desperate at some point last week, I caved and asked ChatGPT to give me an opener in hopes of it fighting off the mental decay of writer’s block before coming up with that banger of an opening paragraph(s) so we’re leaving it in for posterity’s sake.
I wrote about this last year (which makes me feel ancient in the Substack zeitgeist), and while re-reading my words and thoughts from 365 days ago feels peak “dear diary” cringe, I do believe the overall sentiments to still be true. Not only does the shopper who seeks a well-rounded, well-worn, forever-loved wardrobe not adhere to the confines and boundaries of a season, they are also privy to knowing some of the best deals are to be found while everyone else is shopping for the current 10-day forecast.
touched on this topic in her newsletter from earlier this year, “Shop Like a Collector, Not a Buyer.”Collectors don’t add to their collections simply because of a change in season. When you adopt this approach and avoid shopping for arbitrary reasons, you’ll have more freedom (budget, room in your closet, etc.) to shop for the right thing when you see it — even if it’s a black velvet dress in the height of summer.
In the fiery round-robin of viral trends, buying the new hotness, and keeping up with the influencer Joneses, I think shopping with this mindset can be a thought-provoking exercise in examining what seasonal newness is speaking to you before you start seeing what walked down the runway six months prior infiltrating your algorithm and whispering add-to-cart-incantations to the intimate chambers of your consumerist heart.
It shouldn’t always be about having that one specific viral new season “it piece”, but rather finding a commonality in the trend cycle that translates to your taste. Stop letting people tell you what to feel good in, and find it for yourself, hunny.
With that in mind, I’ve pulled some cooler weather finds inspired by various fall/winter 2024 collections and a few of the overall themes that spoke to me - classic silhouettes, pops of color, pattern, etc.
So Merry Christmas (in July) from me to you.
(starting top right, moving clockwise-ish)
1960’s leopard print coat (medium/large, $105)
faux fur leopard print coat (small, $59.95)
nili lotan sheer leopard print blouse (small, $68) (a $100 zimmerman option here)
leopard print maxi dress (vintage 8p, $37.99)
leopard print beret ($28) (another great option, here)
proenza schouler lace up leopard print boot (size, $117.25 - breaking the rules, but they’re practically new!)
oxblood red leather bomber jacket (large, $39.95) (another honorable mention, here - very Gucci-esque, and here, though $125)
lipstick red leather jacket (medium, $49.99)
red studded leather belt (another honorable mention, here)
oxblood penny loafers (fem 8, $39.95)
vintage red mini dress (medium, on sale $55.72)
red leather purse ($50)
tommy hilfiger red leather boots (size 7.5, $44.99)
red leather trench (large, $99.99)
red suede long trench (vintage size 12, $99 - check measurements!) (another option, here and a very unique suede silhouette, here and an insane $150 option here)
embroidered suede trench (medium, $129 but another amazing $89.99 option here)
butter yellow matching pant suit (medium/large, $49.99)
isabel marant knee high boots (size 5, $200 - including these because they’re in great shape and I think $200 is a good investment for a boot you can wear for years to come)
butter yellow knit sweater (small, $17.99 - or maybe this unique blouse)
donald pliner slip on mule heels (size 8.5, $34 - well worn, but for the price I think they have a lot of life left in them!)
suede long zip jacket (medium, $50 - it’s giving Gucci Resort!)
butter yellow leather jacket (small/medium, $44 - this is the best find in this entire newsletter!!!!! but other good options here, and here)
long handle yellow purse ($79.99) (other very!!!! chic option, here)
long royal blue peacoat (vintage XL, $100)
blue raffia top handle purse ($27.37)
marc jacobs teal satchel purse ($94.99)
susanne lively royal blue dress (XL, $60)
rag & bone blue suede belt (medium, $38)
stella mccartney satin ankle tie pumps (fem 6.5, $94.50)
vintage nordstrom quilted jacket (medium, $49.23 on sale)
royal blue mohair sweater (small/medium, $65.99)
Per usual, there’s so much more I wanted to add but alas! there’s just not enough time in the day. Leave a comment and let me know if you want to see more, have found a new treasure through Trash Panic, or if there’s something specific you’re on the hunt for in your forever wardrobe.
I’ll be back later this week with this month’s installment of The Dump. You can catch up on previous ones here, here, and here.
Until next time,
xo,
G
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Amazing roundup as always but also wow I love these collages! the color combos you pulled paired with the runway pics!!! So good
🐆💙💛🐆
amazing per usual!