A New Way

I've been a long time fan of Tictail as my favorite platform to sell my designer clothes, shoes, and accessories. I've been using them for over a year now to help clean out my closet, but it turns out there's a lot of other people selling designer items and even quality custom pieces that I've completely been missing out on, too. Shops like The LXLS stand out in particular because of its highly curated inventory. They seem to carry everything I love to wear: lots of different monochrome textures, minimal tailored pieces by Ann Demuelemeester, Alexander Wang, and even their own impressive in-house line. This recent discovery is really key to my shopping habits because I think fashion can get too spendy, with each new season encouraging everyone to buy fast and move on to new trends quickly. It all amounts to a closet full of clothes that don't fully speak to my personal style, and to make it worse, those pieces are usually crafted from cheap materials and often poorly constructed.

So my new approach this past year has been to put a hold on impulse spending, and research some new ways to find my closet staples. My goal is to search unexpected sites like The LXLS or other resale sites for something specific, like a black sleeveless shift dress, armed with an open mind, the flexibility to tailor a piece down to my size, and the discipline to stick to what works truly works for my body and overall style.

LXLS coat (c/o Tictail), ZARA dress, MANSUR GAVRIEL mini bucket bag, EVERLANE loafers

Happy Glasses Indeed

MANDALYNN swim top (M),  HAPPY GLASSES sunglasses (c/o Tictail), J. CREW hat, ZINKE bottoms (S)

See? I told you I'd work a post in there every now and then. Now that fashion week is over and we're all pretty saturated and well-versed in the same photos of the same events from New York, we can all re-focus our eyes to other topics — like this vacation! Basically, it was an awesome time because it was a great opportunity to spend quality quiet time detached from the world on a pretty little island, pondering how one person can be so lucky to witness a place like Turks and Caicos with a loved one. I've been there a handful of times and am convinced each and every time that it exists to me only as a fluke, a big massive joke from nature. I spent my time reading books, sleeping by the ocean, snorkeling, and drinking fruity cocktails in plastic cups whilst bobbing in the ocean. I didn't even have to worry about accessories because my pals at Tictail outfitted me with these rad circle sunglasses from Happy Glasses.

In short, I highly recommend a trip there next year. The cost is about the same as any Playa Del Carmen-Mexico place if you book early. So do! 

PS: This is a great time to mention that Tictail just launched their mobile app. So you can shop my stuff and other cool things from wherever you are. Even on your phone poolside in Turks and Caicos. ;) You can download it here from the App Store.

Return of the Ma(nsur Gavriel)ck

MANSUR GAVRIEL mini bucket via PourPorter

I know what you think: This bag is frivolous and completely unnecessary, not to mention expensive — and I agree with you. But for some reason owning this bag, in this combination, was so important for my personal style that I was willing to part with other pretty things from my closet in order to afford it more readily. 

Why? Because I wanted to own a bag that was special, dammit. I'm a city-dwelling girl and I like pretty things. and as much as I want to be this minimalist person that eschews labels and logos in favor of homegrown pretty things, I can't deny the desire for pretty designer things. Yup, I own a sea of totes now in a variety of sizes (more on this later) which are super perfect for work and practical errands, but I wanted something more dressy and frankly a little more desirable for when I don't carry a laptop. I wanted something renown for its design and recognizable, but I was definitely unwilling to pay for the price of a Céline trapeze or Chanel Boy bags, and I was really tired of spending $80-$150 on Zara bags that give out after a few months. (Disclaimer: There's nothing wrong with owning any of those "it" bags, I just don't think I could deal with the fact that $3,000 will be forever in one bag. A purse. A leather thing I put on the bathroom floor of bars when the hook is broken. That's not to say that if I had the means to get one without breaking the bank in the process I wouldn't do it in the future.) 

So why the Mansur Gavriel mini bucket?

Because I already owned the Mansur Gavriel large bucket bag for about a week before realizing I wanted it to be smaller and black. So shoot me if I jumped at it the second I saw it in stock at Pourporter. I have no regrets so far, though I will have to modify my fall purchases now in lieu of this trendy splurge. But hey, as you have seen when I'm over an item it's basically yours for the taking on my Tictail shop.

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My dream shoe just doesn't fit right: Selling my new Valentino Rockstuds

I haven't worn them yet because I prefer my slingbacks to have more platform on the heel — these fit exactly to my foot, in other words "true to size" but I want more heel for the price I paid for them. I want perfect! Problem is: I bought them before I went on vacation and have been sitting for a couple weeks in my office. Oops. My bad. 

(Your good, though!)

Selling them on Tictail: less than retail price

Brand new, patent leather Valentino Rockstuds. 

Box and dust bag included, size 37 IT, patent leather. 

Buy them here >>