Dôen't Do It!
Resist *that* $398 barn jacket and buy these vintage ones instead
A big hi, hey, hello to all the new Trash Heads here - I’m beyond honored that you’ve subscribed and hope you’ll consider sharing Trash Panic with someone in your life you think might enjoy it!
I’ve been a stress-cadet-hot-mess trying to renovate half of our home while also freelancing and continuing to grow this space and while I feel I am teetering close to insanity, I will be OOO next week roasting in the hot desert sun so you may just be getting multiple newsletters from me in the span of the next seven days or none for the next 14 - let the chips fall where they may lol
Anywho, let’s get into it!
Ah, August.
A month where the sights, smells, and sounds of autumn begin to swell from foggy daydream to Bon Iver’s falsetto whisper — a squinted eye convinced the tree in your front yard has one leaf that is turning colors, the fragrant promise of pumpkin spice only a few weeks away, the Spirit Halloween unfurling its banner across your local dormant department store and your email inbox beginning to fill up with marketing copy flaunting the words “pre-fall” like it’s a real thing and not a made up farce to sell you a new cycle of overproduced clothes two months before the temperature in your zip code will even think about dipping below 80 degrees.
In my previous life as a retail manager, this is the one rollout that stays fresh in my mind as a big “what the fuck” to the average consumer (excluding San Francisco, where August is unaffectionately known as Fogust - you will need both an insulated jacket and a pair of shorts at Outside Lands.) Most customers I encountered shopping this time of year were still hoping to find shorts and swimsuits on front-entry displays and had very vocal opinions about being greeted instead by cardigans and variations of corduroy while the air conditioning still purrs and the sun doesn’t set until 9 o’clock. As someone who is going to all 117 degrees of Palm Springs/Las Vegas next week, I am floored there is nary a bikini bottom to be found in all Bikini Bottom!
I discovered over the years that this is where the gap between the “enthusiastic shopper” and the “concise shopper” emerges: one is already on the lookout for the latest trends and shops consistently, no matter what season is being marketed to them, while the other is focused on what’s currently available or based on the immediate “needs” of their wardrobe.
And I know you might be like, “hey lady, didn’t you just try to tell me to be enthusiastic and buy winter stuff last week?” To which the answer is yes but shopping for purposeful-forever-collector-things is what actually makes someone a concise consumer. Also, I’m not villainizing either - before you try any internalized misogyny hot takes, ahem - do you, boo! All I’m saying is brands that push an entire rollout of styles and size runs in order to persuade you into thinking that “in-between” is a season you should be shopping, buying, consuming, pining for is just a little ridiculous.
And while the evolution of “pre-fall” and other made up, betwixt and between seasons can likely be traced back to the Don and Peggy era of advertising, the amplification of marketing these quieter times of consumerism has no doubt been magnified by, dare I say, *whispers* influencer culture.
Capitalism makes the world go round womp womp, influencer marketing is a job like any other and holy moly, whoever is handling the community content creator outreach at Dôen deserves a raise.
The way this ~pre-fall~ jacket is harassing my algorithm!!
I know damn well you are not currently casually strutting down the streets of Manhattan in an oversized barn jacket when the humidity has everyone feeling like a wet dog!!
If you started subscribing to this space after my reading my semi-half-baked thoughts on Bode, you know I have a whirlwind of complex feels with brands that push traditional, historical, antique silhouettes as the new “future heirloom” hotness while being overproduced, overpriced, and generally overhyped.
Dôen, the LA clothing brand founded by sisters Margaret and Katherine Kleveland, is likely the second runner-up in this category, pumping out the same styles in a different font season after season after season, subliminal messaging their consumer through a very concisely curated marketing narrative that they need to have hundreds of $400 bias-cut floral dresses hanging in their closet to keep up with the Glamorous Granola Moms roaming the bone broth aisle in Erewhon.
And while many people’s disdain for the brand emerged when they collaborated with Gap, the reality is while yes, they 1000% gave the illusion they were ethical through a carefully crafted vagueness, they have purposefully never once specifically used the word “sustainable” because they are not and never have been. And despite the fact I feel they intentionally let people read in-between whichever lines they wanted to, I honestly don’t blame them as the apparel industry is so deeply flawed and convoluted. There’s a reason why so many consciously produced brands are shuttering abruptly.
My biggest issue with the Gap crossover was how disjointed and cash grabby the whole thing felt - the collection was giving bad Project Runway challenge yet somehow still managed to have the entire internet foaming at the mouth for pieces I have yet to see one single everyday human or content creator re-mention or re-wear since the day it dropped. The disconnect of having a reputation for luxurious silk crepe de chine Liberty prints but pumping out cheaply screenprinted polyester made absolutely zero sense on top of what felt like a rushed, one dimensional editorial campaign.
There’s also just *something* about the picturesque lifestyle landscape they’ve so carefully painted. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the underlying tone of their brand culture gives “rich mean girl bully” while simultaneously giving “FLDS butter-churning pioneer” and there’s only a small space in the in-between where I really feel I ever pine for the “move to the countryside” fantasy they’re selling.
Also, I own stuff from them! I am a consumer of their brand! I also am not here to bash women starting, owning, and operating booming businesses! We can have mixed feelings on what’s being marketed in our face all the time - nuanced thinking, and all that jazz. I am simply putting to words the emotional “why does this make me feel weird?” rollercoaster I get taken for a ride in when I find my heartbeat begin to pump to the beat of “add to cart, add to cart, add to cart.”
(I literally debated if I “had to have” that barn jacket, thanks to their ~pre-fall~ marketing, for a solid five minutes before I reminded myself that 10,000+ exist on eBay for 1/8th of the price.)
There’s also a small laundry list of other not-fully-formed thoughts I have on why they irk me - seemingly counterfeit authenticity when it comes to diversity and size inclusivity, a peculiar feminist energy that has spurious vibes, some strange sale pricing practices and the fact they sell mass produced vintage replicas when there are so many of the original floating around this planet.
In the clusterfuck that is navigating consumerism in the modern dumpster fire of capitalism, I honestly don’t need a company to be certified “sustainable” in their supply chain to win me over as much as I would love to see a company bridge the gap between corporation and community in a way that feels mildly self aware with a smidge of authenticity and an ounce of true inclusivity.
There’s a big missed opportunity for Dôen to actually educate their consumer on the “heirlooms” from which they take so much inspiration. I wish they would refocus their collections to simply compliment vintage things like beaded tassel flapper bags and Irish crochet lace instead of producing overpriced replicas. Host pop-up parties and partnerships with vintage sellers who share the aesthetic! Organize intimate gatherings where customers can try on new products with vintage pieces and see the vision of a more well-rounded, sustainable wardrobe! Revive the ~Hand Me Doen~ resale community that was seemingly DOA by dropping curated selections into vintage brick and mortar shops - create at least some harmony between new and old, I beg of you.
And while we’re at it, I can’t recommend enough starting the process through some deep, deep soul searching after reading the absolute train wreck of Yelp reviews for most of their physical store locations. I spent far too many years honing an Academy Award-worthy customer service performance to have snooty-can’t-be-bothered-sniffs-their-own-farts-cool-girls retail staff ruin in-person shopping for everyone!!! But that’s a 10000000+ word essay for another time.
In conclusion! I now present to you a bunch of fall-ish (because pre-fall is! a! lie!) vintage and secondhand things that I personally think would better be worth spending your hard earned dollars on that give (non-butter churning, non-tradwife) ~Dôen~ while being actually vintage (and secondhand.)
cream cable knit sweater (see measurements, $35)
red chore coat (fem large, $61.96)
liberty print scarf ($30)
striped boat neck top (unisex m, $55.67 on sale)
red cashmere sweater (masc 42 see measurements, $38)
silk wrap mini skirt (vintage fem 8, $12.99)
brown toile mini skirt (vintage fem 12, $17.29)
navy cashmere sweater (m, $72 on sale)
cole haan slip on mules (size 9, $26.99)
chocolate chore/barn coat (see measurements, $65)
beaded floral tassel flapper purse ($59.95)
vintage gap barn jacket (masc m, $34.99)
brown silk button down blouse (fem xs/s, $48)
vintage ralph lauren chore coat (2x, $74.99)
denim chore coat (see measurements, $56.60)
liberty print silk scarf ($96 on sale)
lace trim slip dress (fem 3x, $35.70 on sale)
silk floral matching skirt set (vintage fem s/m, $38)
victorian cotton lace blouse (see measurements, $398)
embroidered manolo blahnik mule heels (fem 7.5, $199)
lace trim silk cami top (fem s, $61.20 on sale)
puff sleeve knit cardigan (vintage fem m, $112)
antique crochet blouse (vintage xs, $88)
floral lace bias cut dress (fem 4, $79)
Well, there ya have it. Tell me your thoughts and feelings and ignore my typos!
Until next time,
xo,
G
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It’s almost as if most consumers don’t have many occasions that call for a $400 sundress dress with a fisherman sweater and rain boots?
Glenn, you don't even know how much I loved reading this. You wrote so many of my feelings about Doen captured perfectly and then gave us the most *chefs kiss* alternatives!
I also just want to point out that your idea of them partnering with actual vintage sellers because nothing annoys me more than seeing their designs and thinking "no wait, I've seen this before on Etsy."