October 2024: Monthly Newsletter

0 - WELCOME

Wearing a Nili Lotan jacket (similar here), AGOLDE jeans, YSL flats, The Row bag (similar here)

Greetings!

This month, I am writing to you from upstate NY in the town of Hunter. It’s been fun — the last weekend of September seems to be a good time for events. I went to a garlic festival, where I brought home many varieties of garlic, and left smelling like it too. Despite working for most of the weekend, I still had a great time. All in all, I am coming back to the city feeling refreshed as I had hoped.

October is going to be a little hectic with many birthdays and weddings. I’m excited to be going back to Toronto twice — my sister has a milestone birthday (she’s obviously turning 20) and I can’t wait to hang. On the wedding front, it’s been a while since I wore my Cecilie Bahnsen Ruth dress, so I am looking forward to taking it for a spin.

Anyway, the theme for this month’s newsletter is “$300 or less”! You probably all know by now that I have expensive taste lol, but I also like saving money. I’ve featured a selection of items that are more reasonably priced, and don’t sacrifice on quality or style. What do y’all think of themed newsletters? Maybe the next one will be all pink (jk).

1 - FASHION

Sweater Weather

Oh yes, it is sweater weather once again. I have been waiting for this since temperatures exceeded 20 degrees. This season, I have been obsessed with my thick COS cashmere sweater — it is indeed a dupe of The Row’s Ophelia sweater (and also 20% of the price). The day I buy a $1500 sweater is the day I have lost my mind. Here are far less expensive and equally great options:

Jean-etic

I have an obscene collection of jeans — there are just too many good denim brands and styles. Lately, I’ve been gravitating towards darker washes, longer inseams and looser fits. My current favourites are from Still Here, Haikure and Our Legacy. Here are ones in my closet today, as well as others that I would buy if I was in the market for more jeans (… aka probably not anytime soon):

Consignment Tips

A lot of friends have been asking me lately how and where to consign used clothing. I am a strong proponent of consigning/donating pieces that are no longer worn. If I’m not giving things to my mom or sister, here is what I use:

The RealReal: TRR is my go-to for selling clothes. It’s easy to sell here because all you need to do is mail in your items, or have someone pick them up from your home. TRR does all the work — they hold the inventory, take pictures, and provides measurements. That being said, TRR also sets the price, which can be great as a buyer and not so great as a seller due to pricing discrepancies. One tip I’ve learned is that Customer Support will often retroactively adjust your commission if your item sells for less than expected. Seller commissions vary from 20-75% depending on the item/price point; I typically get 45-65% for most of my pieces, which is not terrible
Fashionphile: Fashionphile is awesome, and I would sell everything on the platform if I could. They accept a small subset of brands and categories (mostly bags and accessories), and also offer payment upfront as opposed to post-sale. You take pictures of your items and they’ll provide a payment quote. I like selling here because I know exactly how much I will get paid (and can also refuse the offer if I’m not happy with it). If you choose to consign, the seller commission is 70% up to $3000 USD, and 85% for the portion in excess
Vestiaire Collective: I have found a lot of success selling on Vestiaire, but it requires some level of effort as you have to take the photos and provide product details. Their commission is the highest of these options as most luxury/designer products have 97% commission (!)
Poshmark: I use Poshmark for lower-priced items (generally $150 and below) and have found success here too. Similar to Vestiaire, you have to take the photos and list product details. Seller commissions are 80%

Five Things I Bought

Below are five things that I bought and loved last month:

1. YSL Babylone Flats: New in for fall are these flats! I am not a logo person, but the design is fairly understated. For those who remember my very sharp patent Toteme flats, I still have and love them. These YSLs are less severe and also not patent, which make them more wearable IMO. They do take some time to break in however…

2. Dior Leopard Coat: I’ve been looking for a leopard jacket, but nothing has caught my eye. I stopped by Desert Vintage on a whim and found a beautiful one from Dior. Since my coat is vintage, here is a <$300 one from Mango and a >$300 one from Rixo that I like

3. High Sport Red Pants: I’ve been wearing my black High Sport pants to work a lot, and wanted a red version to spice things up. TheRealReal had one in mint condition for 50% off :)

4. Doen Canvas Jacket: Doen has high quality, wearable pieces, including this green canvas jacket. I love the corduroy lining along the collar and sleeves

5. Still Here Layered Tee: I’ve been wearing this non-stop. I love the fabric and the two layers give the t-shirt a nice twist. I am really into a “long sleeves under a t-shirt” look

2 - TRAVEL

Upstate New York

After months of not traveling much, here I am with travel guides two months in a row! As much as I love being in NYC, I enjoy time away from the hustle and bustle. Upstate NY is where my boyfriend and I have been going for many years — we like going to Hudson (my travel guide here for Hudson), but we often explore other areas as well.

Where to Stay

Excluding Hudson, there are a lot of wonderful hotels upstate. My favourites are Scribner’s Catskills Lodge, Piaule, Inness, Wildflower Farms, Hotel Kinsley, Troutbeck, and Inns of Aurora

What to Eat/Drink

My favourite restaurants are Peekamoose Restaurant, Hotel Lilien, Fellow Mountain Cafe, Blooming Hill Farm and Phoenicia Diner
For beer, Lasting Joy Brewery, Left Bank Ciders and Suarez Family Brewery are delicious

What to Do

Weather permitting, I like being outdoors, whether it means going for a hike/long walk or cross-country skiing in the winter. I tend to use All Trails to find a good path, but Mohonk Preserve and Slide Mountain have been on my list
There are many smaller towns worth exploring, including Kingston, Beacon, Millerton and Germantown

3 - OTHER

Tomato Candles

I love burning tomato candles at home without having to eat tomatoes. My mom planted an excessive number of tomato plants this summer and we had quite the bounty, so I am eager to avoid them for the near future. Tomato candles are lovely though, and my favourites are from Flamingo Estate, Loewe, and Catskills Candle Studio

ShopMy

This is my regular plug that I upload my outfits on ShopMy! If you have questions about what I’m wearing… it’s all here. I also have a page on my website with some of my favourite pieces in my closet

Last Look

I came across these fun salt and pepper shakers at a Brooklyn home goods store called Porta. Unfortunately, I learned that these are vintage Tiffany and cost $3000. I know this breaks the $300 newsletter theme lol, but since this is the “last look”, 4 of these can be yours for a cool $4000!

4 - PARTING NOTE

Everyone in NYC has some sort of cough, myself included. I have been hacking my lungs out for weeks. To remedy this, my mom sent me a recipe for steamed oranges:

Soak an orange in salted water. Then cut open the top. Add some sea salt. Then put the cover back on. Put the orange in a bowl and steam in boiling water for half an hour. Then eat the flesh and drink the juice.

Sharing is caring, so if you have a cough as well, I hope this works for you. I will be trying it this week (along with getting an inhaler from the doctor). Until next month, friends.