You're so golden ✨
Me looking lovingly at the retro floral sweater vest I found on Depop. Harry Styles would be so proud.
Happy Holidays!
How is everyone spending the holiday weekend? I’m at home with my family drinking hot chocolate in my jammies. I caved and recently bought some hot chocolate bombs on Etsy! The store I bought from is currently sold out but Etsy is like a wonderful treasure chest that is filled with SO MANY gems! I’ve found these two ~promising~ stores that sell hot chocolate bombs, as well: BigBearChocolates and HomeSweetBakerybySol.
Along, with eating tons of sweets and watching k-dramas, I also plan on using this holiday break to clean out my closet. Who doesn’t love a good ole Marie Kondo-ing session? I love doing a huge closet sweep twice a year as it allows me to realize how much unnecessary clothing I spend my money on. Over the years it’s helped me buy less clothing and invest on clothing that last longer and are made of better quality!
Speaking of quality clothing … small-owned businesses are great for that but if you also want to go next-level, why not try out secondhand clothing? Most people shy away from secondhand clothing because they think it might feel “dirty” or be “out of style”?
But that’s all wrong!
Ethical fashion is all about investment pieces, choosing styles that you will wear in the years to come, but that often means a higher increase in prices. Buying second hand is the alternative of that that’s just as sustainable. Globally 20% of textiles are recycled, meaning the other 80% are lost to landfill. Less than 1% of collected clothing is truly recycled into fresh textiles. Shopping second hand continues the life of a clothing, and it’s a way to practice sustainability by caring for clothing that would otherwise go to the landfill.
— Matter
For today’s newsletter, I’m excited to feature my friend and queen of thrifting — Linnie Greene! I met her at one of my jobs and fell in love with all her outfits. I soon learned that she found those pieces of clothing through thrifting! Feeling inspired by her, I started shopping around on apps such as Depop and when I was at Paris, I absolutely fell in love with her recommendation, Kilo Shop, and ended up doing a bulk of my shopping there! I snagged such cute secondhand Parisian-esque tops and dresses — that I still wear to this day! What’s awesome about thrifting is the chances of someone owning the same thing as you is rare! There have been way too many instances at work when someone will be wearing the same dress as me from Zara. And that is never fun.
Introducing Linnie Greene 💕
Linnie Greene works a 9-5 job in Academic Publishing but on the side she runs an online vintage shop, which houses adorable vintage gems from the 1940s-1980s. She’ll be sharing her story on why she started the shop, some DIY projects she’s been working on during quarantine, and her favorite Harry Styles outfit!
You recently started an online vintage shop — Saturnine Vintage. What was the inspiration behind this shop?
I started Saturnine because after I gave birth to my (still pretty new!) baby, Clement, I had a lot of pieces that just didn't fit. I'm sentimental enough about clothes that I want them to be loved and treasured, and donating to a thrift store means your items get thrown in the mix with all manner of duds — I just read a book called Fashionopolis by Dana Thomas that claimed x% of secondhand clothes are simply sold as scraps or thrown away. Pair that with my love of finding gems among the heaps and it seemed like a low-risk, high-reward proposition!
We also put the fashion industry's ecological practices in the back of our minds. Per Thomas, the World Bank estimates that fashion "is responsible for nearly 20 percent of all industrial pollution annually [and] releases 10 percent of the carbon emissions in our air." Consumers frequently turn a blind eye to this damage, as we do to sweatshop labor. Fashionopolis strives to make us pay attention.
— An NPR book review on Fashionopolis.
*Side-note: For those who use Depop, Linnie’s shop is available on the app! I personally love Depop and have purchased a lot of cute dresses on there! Some sellers sell mainstream brands such as Madewell, Brandy Melville, Zara, etc. But I’ve also come across many vintage clothing, as well! I totally recommend downloading the app and perusing around if you’re interested in checking out the world of secondhand clothing! Why not also sell some clothes that are just laying around your closet — waiting to be loved by a new owner? It’s better than throwing it out — you’re also giving that piece of clothing a second chance and they deserve it unlike that sleazy ex!*
What is your all-time favorite vintage find?
Fairly recently, at an independent thrift store that was due to close in the coming days, I found this men's cargo vest that zipped up the front text in French on the back and breast pocket. I speak French so I knew it was an electoral official's garment, but when I researched at home I found it was from the Democratic Republic of the Congo's 2018 presidential election, wherein the public ousted a leader who'd been in office for 17 years. How did it end up in Bayonne, NJ?!
What are some of your favorite go-to thrift stores?
My favorite genre is always the non-chain, mom & pop, one-off thrift store — I'll Google in a general area and try those first. They can be huge hits (see: the election vest) or big misses, but they're usually priced more reasonably and don't come with the ethical baggage of Goodwill or Salvation Army. Still, I'll sweep them all — the real ticket to finding gems is consistency and perseverance!
Where do you find inspiration for your shop?
So far, I haven't gone out searching for anything in particular. I know what I like when I see it, so I'll go to a spot and just start cycling through the racks. But inspiration seeps in subconsciously! I hung some Botticelli book plates over my bed and have been drawn to Renaissance art; everything 70s; big oversized Edwardian nightgowns like a Dickens orphan would wear; Gucci's scarf-sunglasses-eight-layered maximalism; and Barbara Stanwyck in Baby Face.
If you could choose to do anything — what would your dream job be?
I do not dream of labor 👿. But I'd spend my days taking care of the baby, writing, sewing, combing for treasures, and restoring old clothes to their splendor.
Speaking of the baby … Congratulations! Clement Yuuma Webb is such a gem! I, for one, can not wait to see him in person once the pandemic is over! Balancing a 9-5 job, Saturnine Vintage, and taking care of a newborn is probably not an easy feat. How do you make sure you're staying sane and calm especially during this weird time. What are some ways you treat yourself?
Outings to go thrifting are a big luxury, because it entails my husband being sole caretaker as long as I'm gone! So I treat those as a real "big day out." I don't go every weekend, so I'll find lots of great pieces then try to stay home otherwise (COVID safety!). Otherwise I take time to read at night when everybody's asleep, and when I find myself about to blow a gasket I'll take a little walk (usually for groceries).
Do you ever re-work clothing or make clothing from scratch? What are some ~fun~ DIY projects you’ve completed during quarantine?
Yes indeed! I am a DIY queen lately! I made these cow print trousers in the shop with hand-cut stencils and spray-on fabric paint, and I recently ice- and tie-dyed some holiday gifts for my family. I knit! I embroider too! And word on the street is that for Christmas I might get an online Shibori course and some natural dyes.
*Side-note: She also made these adorable Halloween costumes (baby luna moth & mommy lamp)!*
Do you have any advice for anyone who's hoping to slowly transition away from fast fashion and start shopping secondhand/thrifting?
YES, an amazing question! The real luxury is time — if you have that, you can search your way to whatever it is you want. For example, you can set alerts on certain sites like eBay, TheRealReal, & ThredUp for brands you love (so if it's Reformation, for example, you can wait for a romper to pop up used in your size). Some of these sites even offer "pay it off in installments" options, which I've used for splurgier pieces like designer tops or shoes. The shorthand for me is, in no particular order: fake leather = plastic = forever trash, so it's used leather or bust; if you pay big bucks for nice underwear like ARQ you won't regret it and you'll spend more time in it than anything else you own; and thrift voluminously! If you don't love it or end up wearing it, you can pass it on again and you're not out too much money.
*Side-note: Linnie also has a TikTok channel and I’ve been obsessed with her "thrift store” video! I will admit I was one of those people who have always considered thrifting to be the same as vintage but it is not!*
Since, this is a food newsletter, do you have a favorite ~comfort~ food recipe that you've discovered during quarantine?
Alison Roman's brown butter-buttermilk cake from her cookbook Dining In (check it out at your local library), and the following salad: mixed greens, hard-boiled egg, thinly-sliced onion, good tuna, purple sweet potato vinegar, and olive oil with plenty of salt and pepper.
Lastly, I miss talking about Harry Styles with you so I must ask a Harry Styles-related question. What is your all-time favorite Harry Styles outfit? My favorite would probably be the floral embroidered collar blazer he wears for the Gucci campaign.
As I read this question a whole carousel of outfits came to mind. It's a tie between two for me: the New York blazer or the sheep sweater vest (a nod to Diana!).
One last tip before we wrap this up:
Bonus addendum: favorite search terms for finding bargains during an online thrift hunt! If you find a garment you love out thrifting IRL, plug it into the search bar on secondhand sites later on to see if you can find more.
Brands: Casual Corner, Liz Claiborne, Landlubber, Sears, JCPenney, College Town, Bobbie Brooks, Chico's, Oleg Cassini, Woolrich, Geiger Austria, Lilli Ann, The Strawberry Patch, Vera Neuman, Krizia, Biba, etc.!
Terms: Prairie dress, western, wool knit, psychedelic, mod, retro, go-go, plaid, West Germany, bicentennial, cowichan, intarsia, etc.!
*Side-note": Etsy allows you to “heart”/favorite your searches so you can always go back with ease!*
~Bonus Question~: If you were to style me … is there a piece from your store that you would recommend?
I think of you as a dress person and I know you love pink so I'd put you in the rainbow-striped wool wiggle dress from the 50s! The cut is so cute and you'd style it really well — I know you have some daisy accessories, and I think those would be *chef's kiss*. Maybe pink nails too (that Himalayan Salt color from your last newsletter?).
*Side-note: This was so adorable that I went ahead and treated myself to this little gem! I’m excited to bring this dress to a new home and can not wait to show everyone how it looks*
Have we convinced you to start shopping secondhand, yet? Thanks Linnie for sharing your story and tips on how to thrift! Below are some links if you’re interested in shopping some of her goods, scrolling through pictures of her adorable newborn baby, and even learning more about her beyond her shop — she’s well-versed in the music world! After all, she introduced me to one of my favorite indie artist — Japanese Breakfast!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/linnieVII
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saturninevintage/
Website: https://www.linniegreene.com/
🎄Festive🎄 Matcha Yogurt Cake
Today, I’ll be sharing my favorite loaf cake recipe, which I made with this adorable Wilton pan. It’s filled with matcha, it’s green like a Christmas tree, it’s easy to make, and it’s delicious — it won’t last for more than two days!
I also chose this recipe because Linnie and I would sometimes take our lunch breaks at the NoMad Cha Cha Matcha when we wanted to #treatourselves.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 tsp matcha green tea powder
3/4 cup greek yogurt
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease your loaf pan and then line it with parchment paper.
In a big bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and matcha powder. Add the yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and oil and stir until combined.
Scoop the batter into the pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan, then run a butter knife between the cake and pan to release.
New Year = New Start
Marie Kondo reassuring us that 2021 will be ~okay~! I wish you all a very Happy New Year and I can’t wait to continue sharing fun content with all of you in 2021! Until then, stay sweet and stylish! <3
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