Silly Little Outfits To Boost Serotonin For Sad Office Days Vol.2
Excuse me while I pose awkwardly in Margiela.
Hi, I’ve had several menty bs over the past few weeks. I’m trying to trick myself into feeling good by getting dressed, but recording myself in the elevator mirror of my coworking space just gives me the ick. Here are some bits from recent outfits that didn’t give me the ick.
The Investment Pieces
This week is a love letter to the Tabi boot. I don’t think there is an item in my wardrobe that I am more emotionally attached to. I’ve always loved clothes with a jolie laide appeal. The man-repelling, the polarizing, the amazing but absurd and nothing fits the bill quite like Tabis (well, maybe Crocs, but some lines just aren’t meant to be crossed). They were on my wishlist for years and I always imagined walking in them would make me feel like Satan. I was fortunate enough to visit the Maison Margiela showroom in Paris back in 2018 when I first started working abroad (the coolest girl in the room wore purple glitter Tabis).
A year later, I changed roles, journalists began asking me stuff and one of the first published stories referencing my name was about the shoe. After the uncertainty and imposter syndrome that came with moving countries and shoddy mental health, I started to feel like I was finally doing okay. During the 2020 lockdown, I thought fuck it and decided to buy a pair. We love a full-circle moment. In case you’re wondering, yes, I have put a wine glass in between the toes, but unfortunately, a vape doesn’t fit.
Second-Handies
Still on the Margiela train, I found these Italian wool capri pants with a sheer tulle mini skirt attached in someone’s garage. No joke, I was walking home and there was a sign up for a garage sale selling Prada, Maison Margiela, Rick Owens and Comme des Garçons. At first, I thought I was being lured into an elaborate kidnapping plot, but I met a very nice and stylish couple who were getting rid of things they didn’t wear anymore. I scored the Margiela pants alongside a pair of MM6 patent mules for the combined nice price of 70 AUD. What a find!
To satisfy last edition’s jonesing for red, I’m wearing the With Jean Belle tube top that I purchased on Depop. I’m a bit hesitant about owning things that have gone viral (a similar halter style with the rosette between the boobs has been a fave of Em Rata) as it can limit the perception of an item’s longevity. However, I try to analyze whether I want to buy something because I’ve seen it everywhere and it's considered cool or because I actually like it (an Unhinged Op-Ed on this topic coming soon, Hautties!). Given that it’s red, has a long-line silhouette and I got it second-hand ticked all my boxes. I’m wearing it with another pre-loved find, a pair of Scanlan Theodore jeans.
Fast Fashion
While it’s probs hypocritical to mention this after I just bitched and moaned about Earth Month, I did purchase three items from Zara in the past month. The skirt and boots I mentioned in Vol 1 and this leopard print dress for my Mob Wife-themed birthday drinks (which I wore with a vintage faux fur coat despite the 29-degree weather because I’m committed). Considering I rarely shop fast fashion and they will probably be my only new purchases this year, I’m not going to beat myself up for wanting to look hot on my birthday.
The other pieces I’m wearing are technically from fast fashion labels but have been knocking about my wardrobe for several years. The leopard dress is really slutty, and I love wearing slutty things, but I don’t know if its because I just turned 33 or because I was going to a co-working space; I toned it down with a black shirt I got from Mango in 2019 with fringed sleeves. I’m also wearing a black floor-length coat from Cos that I bought back in 2020 to replace an old favorite (also from Cos) that I left in a bar in Dalston. The delicious chocolate brown suit is from ARKET, purchased in 2022 as I love a relaxed tailoring moment.
Future Influences
Now that it is spring in my work life (I’m remote) I’m thinking about a Jane Birkin-inspired straw basket. The Hermès Osier Wicker Picnic Birkin 25 would do nicely but since it originally retailed for $21,000, let’s not even bother telling Joel. Instead, I’ll do some Depop diving and see what I can scrounge up, maybe something from Sézane? Another way over-budget purchase I have my eye on is a Cartier Crash or Baignoire as I’ve fallen into a TikTok hole of watching people buy and restore vintage watches and authenticate luxury pieces. I currently have an Apple watch to count my steps, but they are the ugliest thing ever, so I’m scrolling through some second-hand watch sites to try and find something a bit more delicate.
For over a year now, I’ve been trying to hunt down the perfect waistcoat, which is a more realistic aspirational purchase and will help balance my wardrobe as it’s a bit out of sync with too many bottoms and not enough tops. I’m manifesting something black (obvs) with a high neck, maybe asymmetric buttons, or a bouclé texture. The Frankie Shop and Dissh are coming up with the best options on Depop so far.
