Lime green clog boots, statement sweaters, the continuing search for the perfect pant
Hey there buds,
Hope you’re navigating this horrible/wonderful weekend of sales as successfully as possible. My approach: participating in this capitalist nightmare is perfectly fine, so long as you try to stick to small brands and independent artists — many of whom haven’t been able to sell IRL at markets this year, making online holiday shopping crucial for their survival — and donate, donate, donate as much as you possibly can. As with shopping, skip the big guys and think local. Heading into a pandemic winter when so many people are out of work and dealing with food & housing scarcity makes mutual aid more important now than ever.
I’m sure I’m mostly preaching to the choir here, so I’ll get to the goods. I’ve had some excellent scores over the past few weeks, starting with this pair of gently used lime green clog boots I got for 20 bucks (!) on Poshmark. I’d been keeping an eye on Charlotte Stone’s ever since they were released, and this was a nice little reminder that almost always, you can find whatever you’re coveting being sold secondhand somewhere.
Many thanks to everyone who sent me pant recs. I ended up going up with the trousers at Big Bud Press, since they’re the longest style they offer and they’re roomy at the hips. I like them — they’re SO comfortable — and yet, as usual, I’m craving just a liiiittle more room in the crotch. I’ve also got that annoying thing where the waist is just the slightest bit too loose, so you can see the very top of the zipper hanging out when it’s all the way up. I really need to learn some basic sewing skills so I can just move the button a smidge, which I think would solve the problem with a tighter cinch. I’m keeping them, but I’m still searching for the true pant of my dreams.
I did get a pair of fancy sweatpants I really love, from Selva Negra (which has a 30% off everything sale right now). I’ve decided to just try all the pants that Lydia Okello models on their Instagram, Style Is Style. Lydia is probably my favorite fashion blogger right now — they’re so gorgeous, and they’ve got such fun, bold style. Bright colors and interesting shapes are hard to find in plus size, so I’m just gonna let Lydia be my muse in this department. I recently saw them in these two tone sweatpants with a matching top and took the plunge.
According to SN’s size guide I’m a 3XL in pants, and when I got them they baaarely fit. The product listing advises that they’ll stretch out about 2-3 inches and not stretch back, though, and after a couple wears they’re already fitting me much better. Now I just need to work up the courage to wear white outside of the house.
As a Samantha Pleet megafan, I was excited to find some deeply discounted pieces of theirs at Cara Cara, an off-price retailer based out of LA. I got this dreamy top, and their customer service was excellent when I needed to exchange it for a size up. (Excuse the dirty mirror.)
Also from Cara Cara: a pair of raw silk sandal heels by Charlotte Stone (I managed to avoid their boots, but not these, alas) on mega mega sale. I won’t be wearing them for months and I already have just.. so many shoes, but I didn’t yet have any in fuchsia, my forever favorite color. And they’re SO comfy. No regrets!!!
I also went looking for a used faux fur-trimmed cardi since I didn’t want to spend $100-plus on this one from House of Sunny. $15 on Depop:
And in less practical sweater news, also from Depop, I got this crazy handmade chenille cardigan. Boxy, purple, hand-sewn, and covered in birds??? I had to.
Rounding out this vintage sweater tour: a Michael Simon cowgirl cardi with the sweetest little details. Now I need to stop myself from buying every single 90s Michael Simon statement sweater on Poshmark — there’s a lot of them, and I love every single one. As soon as I bought this one I found others I liked even more. But even an Art Gay has to have some limits.
Now that I’ve started selling my own handmade jewelry, it’s become really hard not to buy anything & everything from my fellow makers, whose gorgeous work inspires me every day. To add to my collection, I got these INCREDIBLE beetle dangles from Altarware. Look how fun they are!!
I’m running my own small biz Saturday sale this weekend: 20% off all orders over $50 through tomorrow at midnight. In addition to the 20% of all sales donated to Bed-Stuy Strong, I’ll be setting aside an extra portion of profits to the Landback Movement, to support indigenous sovereignty and climate justice. Here’s a few items available now — click through the photos to learn more! Everything is one of a kind.
Remember that there’s lots of different ways to support small businesses: Following, liking, sharing, and saving posts (saving in particular is big for the Insta algo right now, apparently) mean just as much to artists as a purchase.
That’s all for now! Happy shopping, happy donating, happy everything.
Thanks, love ya
Shannon