Trying Not To Fall For It
thoughts on mood boarding your way to self discovery, the marketing power of nostalgia, and a round-up of pre-loved fall finds
Happy Weekend✨
I’m back from a fruitful, fulfilling summer hiatus (nature! the desert! the state fair! the ren fair! time spent with friends! time away from the internet!) Many thanks to those who commented on my thread in the Trash Panic chat discussing topic ideas. Given the excitement, I’ve scheduled everything I mentioned into this month’s content so there will be plenty of fun things headed to your inbox in the next few weeks!
This email may be truncated in your inbox - be sure to expand or read in the Substack app to get the full experience! xoxo
There’s always an afternoon, right as the fatigue of summer starts to settle in, where my senses begin to tickle — the faint aroma of autumn approaches! The waning sun sitting just so, casting shadows that seems to arouse the nostalgia I have for seasons and holidays of years past, the ones that shape the tenderness of time passing.
Like so many other Tumblr girlies of yore, I still align myself with the ideologies of autumn as a 🍂 personality 🍂. Despite the complexities of teetering between the many aesthetics of my Yodas, the moody-macabre-tactile-textiles-nesting-spooky-season-feels has bubbled to the surface more so than the others as I age into the many facets of me. And generally, across all the many planes and platforms where I spend my internet life, many others feel the same.
But the landscape of the internet isn’t what it was in 2009 Tumblr youth. We’re all stuck in an orbit of too much content, too much influence, and too much consumption. No matter how much I train my algorithm, videos of repetitive “trend” forecasting, painfully literal *aesthetic* mood boarding, and excessive new arrival hauls creep in— all of which seem to multiply as we inch toward the most gluttonous months of the year.
It’s time for an intervention.
A Moody Take
🚨 spicy! opinion! incoming!! 🚨 You will not find your way out of the personal-style-confusion-corn-maze until you throw the very-literal-niche-aesthetic mood board out the window and stop (I beg of you) asking, “where’s the skirt from?” in the comments.
I think by now we can all be in agreement that suede, denim, velvets and chunky wool knits will never not be core textiles of chilly weather as they all have been since they all came to be. And while we all love a good outfit screenshot for inspiration, if you’re only gathering images you want to mimic from top to bottom, it is more likely that you will continue to perpetuate sameness over and over and over in a way that will never satisfy the existential question of “who am I?”
And before y’all come for me, I am not here to be the mood board police. Please, let the creative juices flow however they tickle your fancy. But as it relates to the on-going personal style crisis most 30-somethings feel they’re having, something’s gotta give.
High-yielding mood boarding lies within a study of the senses. Diving into the nooks-and-cranny interpretations of the sights, smells, sounds and feels of *a vibe.* I find more often than not, gathering a collection of images that merely showcase literal tangible things simply feeds the insatiable gremlin that lurks within us, rather than sparking self discovery, growth and individuality with a tasteful side of conscious, pre-meditated consumerism.
This mood board contains:
Photos of clothing! BUT the images focus on the texture/fabrication/details rather than a full ensemble, helping to define the keywords of what I’m on the hunt for. This will help me stay focused when I’m digging through eBay or at the thrift store - natural fibers, soft textures, rich tones, worn-in.
A vintage netting guide, old book cover + artwork - a less literal nudge to find more handmade, detail-oriented antique pieces to add dimension to an outfit (like lace/embroidery) They also all have a very old world fantasy feeling about them, which is reminder to tackle all the fiction books sitting in my TBR pile - I know inspiration lurks within the pages!
I’m definitely leaning into my lifelong love of fantasy/renaissance/medieval and some of these images capture the metal tones of what I’m feeling inspired by - antiqued/weathered brass and silver. This also applies to vintage cocktail wares, knick knacks on shelves, etc etc I’d like to invest in.
The crisis of individuality in the digital age is in the hands of the mood board beholder (or the grass toucher who doesn’t own a smart phone.) Self expression shouldn’t be easily curated. It should spark the desire to learn who you are through all other avenues outside of getting dressed. The more you exercise this muscle, the easier it is to wade through all the marketing campaigns convincing us we could finally be a complete person if we just bought that thing.
It’s Delicate, but Potent
We’re entering the time of year where “nostalgia” tends to be at the cleverly calculated core of every marketing narrative and strategy, perhaps especially from brands geared towards the aging millennial.
I don’t know about you, but I find nostalgia to be one fickle bitch. A medieval torture device. Three bars into “Intro” by The XX and I’m transported back to 2013 - a rose colored lens casting a shadow of warmth and sadness - no sane logic to be found - an incredibly unreliable narrator convincing me I should definitely look up my ex-girlfriend of a decade ago and see what they’re up to. yikes
We are, however, a generation that has spent the better portion of our lives reckoning with the warp speed change technology has cast over our once slower-paced, analog life. We sit in the middle of the Old World and the New and with it, comes complicated, sentimental emotions that shape and inform many of the decisions we make as humans and consumers.
And while it may be genius in theory, as we collectively trudge our way through the peanut butter battlefields of late stage capitalism, the actuality of these strategies (to me) often emanate morose and morbid more than momentous. This felt noticeably evident with the hysterical brouhaha over the return of J. Crew’s physical catalog. So much commotion over something that should have remained a cerebral souvenir of days gone by!
Carbon-copy, repetitive spreads we see digitally in our inbox every day printed ad nauseam — a physical reminder that they are just another (greedy, polluting) corporation pushing out hundreds (upon thousands) of size runs in (decently generic) styles that already exist on this planet in 8273649745 iterations, in inferior quality and fabrications than the J. Crew everyone feels actual sentimentality for. While I am also starved for quality print media, I don’t think reviving catalogs that only exist to push consumption is the nourishment I’m looking for, especially as we close out the hottest summer recorded on earth.
And while I’m at it, the Alexa Chung x Madewell collaboration undoubtedly also falls into this category. The “timeless” and “anti-trend” 14-piece capsule collection dreamed up by the ultimate millennial “it” girl left much to be desired (who ok’ed this skirt… it’s giving me Mormon PTSD), especially given half the pieces were button down shirts and jeans that both Madewell and J.Crew have already produced in similar silhouettes for years. While I easily fall into the category of thinking Alexa Chung is like, really cool, there was literally no reason for this to exist beyond being a cash grab marketed towards the nostalgic Tumblr hipster aching for the peak care-free days of indie sleaze.
Hopefully it doesn’t feel like I just emerge from my gollum cave to talk mad shit on literally everything that’s currently popular in the zeitgeist and moonwalk away. I promise I'm fun and like things!! I have just found there are many occasions in which the loudest voices and most popular topics feel very Emperor’s New Clothes — it’s hard to navigate consumption, trends, and the digital world in what often feels like a trend echo chamber, something that’s heightened as the landscape of Substack continues to shift. (I also worked at Madewell for over five years and feel justified in my shit talking because: ✨retail trauma✨)
I am also not immune to all of these things! Just last week I convinced myself to drive to not one, but three (!!) TJ Maxx locations in an attempt to track down the viral Margaux dupe. Never once have I ever been a The Row stan, let alone a Maxxinista, yet 30 minutes into doomscrolling on TikTok and suddenly I was bamboozled, hoodwinked, and led astray into thinking I needed this steal! of! a! deal! I had to look at myself in my rear view mirror, have a come-to-baby Jesus moment and calm myself the fuck down — I work from home! I could literally buy a better quality, actually designer bag off eBay! It is not my style at all! Lingering too long in the digital sphere can easily make anyone an *add to cart* vampire looking to feed their capitalistic starvation with overconsumption.
I find navigating “buying stuff” in the months of September - December particularly tricky both on and offline. We’re about to hit peak gift guide, hosting, holiday party, holiday dressing, sale sale sale, last chance deals, end of year clearance, you’re missing out, you’re not cool enough blah fomo blah blah fomo and it’s. a. lot. Even at the thrift store I have to remind myself that just because it’s cheap(er) doesn’t mean I need to buy it.
And while I am about to present to you a bunch of really cool, really awesome secondhand things that you can buy, it doesn’t mean you have to. I hope more than anything this space inspires you to get creative, discover something new, or realize there’s a new way to approach something you already have. Often times, I use my eBay watchlist simply as a marker of what I’m currently gravitating towards - colors, silhouettes, a pattern of aesthetic and monitor my taste as the months tick by.
On that note, you’ve suffered enough. Onto the goods!
distressed leather jacket (masc m, $88, buy on eBay) (another great option here)
sterling silver spider pendant ($39.75, 925 silver)
sky blue celine pumps (fem 8, $298)
pony hair leopard print coat (vintage s, $48.99, buy on eBay)
ralph lauren gold v-neck sweater (fem 1x, $49.99)
ll bean grey knit cardigan (fem m, $36)
chainmail bracelet ($49.99)
suede tulip skirt (vintage 6, $46.99) (good alt, here)
doc marten oxfords (fem 7, $132 on sale)
gucci suede belt (fem m, $188)
vintage alligator handbag ($145)
isabel marant etoile pants (fem m, $80, code REAL for extra 20%)
proenza schouler pony hair combat boot (fem 7, $396, very good condition)
chainmail and leather belt ($65, buy on eBay)
salvatore ferragamo top handle purse ($189, good condition)
vintage 1970s cream lace blouse (vintage small, $59) (fun alternative here, UK12)
floral doen dress (fem s, new with tags, $204)
christian dior wool coat (vintage size 8, $169.99, buy on eBay)
studded suede jacket (fem m, $128)
isabel marant pink suede belt (fem s, $140)
pendleton plaid wool coat (see measurements, $49.99)
courreges red pants (fem s, $147 on sale, very good condition)
green gucci loafer (fem 7.5, $535 on sale, very good condition)
vintage marlon brando shirt (vintage s, $49 on sale)
isabel marant studded belt (fem l, $140, very good condition)
knit cowichan horse sweater (see measurement, $225, buy on eBay)
vintage coach speedy bag ($250, buy on eBay)
nicole saldana lavender heels (fem 7, $200, pristine)
isabel marant floral dress (fem s, $172 on sale, excellent condition)
blue mohair sweater (fem xxl/2x, $86.73 on sale)
vintage 1940s plaid purse ($145)
amber sterling silver ring (sz 7, $44.50)
Well, there ya have it! Linking things makes my brain explode a little bit, so please let me know if something isn’t linked correctly!
Until next time,
xo,
G
If you make a purchase through a link, I may earn a small commission, which helps fund this space! ✨
Have you purchased something through Trash Panic? I’d love to see - send me a pic!
I just bought the amber and silver ring. Sry everyone!!!
Just because it’s cheaper doesn’t mean I have to buy it - that will be my mantra from now on! I’ve definitely found myself buying more than I need these last few months because it was there and less expensive at the thrift/consignment store and I even now have some of those things back in my donate/sell to consignment shop pile after wearing them only once because I don’t really love them. It’s a good wake up call! Thank you for your candidness!