you should be dressing uglier

& finding pleasure in uncertainty

Hi, I hope you are well!

I’ve spent lots of time lately in & around the Antique as I source for clients & found myself chewing on ideas regarding perspective, style plights, and ugliness. Let’s dive in 🤿.

Ps: I’ve made some updates to my service menu, incorporating smaller ticket offers that still grant us opportunities to work 1:1 tg, check it out <3. For more details, schedule a call with me!

Perspective

What I find so alluring about the antique/ flee / thrift is that most don’t totally merchandise or present a story to you. You’re forced to CREATE a vision over consume one that’s been crafted. To imagine rather than trace.

This is what makes taste & style FUN. What we find interesting is not what’s abundantly clear, it’s actually in what’s NOT clear. Murky waters present us with a task. If the vision is handed to us, there’s nothing to think about or play with. Nothing to expand upon or add to.

This lack of modulation directly impacts our personal style because it takes away the PERSONAL component.

There’s pleasure to be found in the mystery and in the needing to figure it out.

Unique perspective is what makes style fascinating, using material to craft an original interpretive narrative is moving.

Seeing the same piece through endless iterations from person to person is what allows us to see what lies beneath.

Regardless of where you’re shopping, try to approach what you see through a lens of pure creation. Bypass the story that’s delivered to you and use your imagination to see beyond limitation.

Plights

What keeps you excited about your style is not having all of the answers but DISCOVERING them.

Problems or plights in your wardrobe allow you to acknowledge the mystery of self in its unfolding. Changing and iterating our style is an expression of that unfolding.

Problems keep us from getting bored. They keep things new and current.

Appreciate the “imperfections” of your closet, they’re what motivate us to keep evolving. I’ve said it before, but the “perfectly curated closet” doesn’t exist for any of us.

Approach your plights with curiosity rather than frustration. Everything doesn’t need “improving” all at once. Focus on optimizing what will bring you the most joy & utility in the now.

Dress a little bit uglier

To stand out in your personal style, something unique needs to be delivered. This doesn’t mean you need to commit to a Gaga meat dress; I talked about Steve Job’s style this week on Tiktok- he wore the same black shirt & jeans every day- unique in a world that doesn’t value outfit repetition.

The interpretation of your message will of course vary from person to person - which means to some, it will be ugly.

That’s a good thing, because remember “ugliness” is not only subjective, but an ingredient of complexity, nuance, and mystery that adds layers of depth & intrigue to your narrative.

Lean into the ugliness. Take a risk. Stand out! Inspire those committed to staying in their boxes.

Have you heard of:

Fashion

Musafir - a made-to-order Indian fashion line aspiring to redefine opulence & create affordable luxury for all <3. They’re a small business with INCREDIBLE designs - worth a browse!

Interiors

Epicdecordk- one of my favorite follows on IG. They curate handmade objects spanning new to antique. The best word I can find to describe their curation is charming. Nancy Meyers’s home lovers will appreciate!!