074. RECEIPTS: A Santa Fe Consultant/Artist on Her 90s-Inspired Thrifted Wardrobe and Vintage Gems.
RECEIPTS is a mid-week column for subscribers of Every Body Gets Dressed. In it, I ask individuals outside the fashion industry about their shopping budgets, spending decisions, and how they balance investment buys with more affordable ones. We discuss the brands that delighted them and those that disappointed them. In under 5 minutes, the column brings you impartial takes on the most hyped-up products in fashion, beauty, and beyond. You can find past editions of this column here. If you want to suggest questions for the interviews, or if you’d like your own answers to be featured in the column, you can drop a comment below or reply to this email.
For today’s edition of Receipts, I spoke to one of my favourite humans: my close friend Bec. She is a dedicated thrifter with an authentic passion for consuming fashion sustainably. Her nineties-inspired style is impeccable.
What is your job, and where do you live? I’m a business consultant for a fine jewelry company and an artist/designer/founder. I live in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Define your style in five words or less. 90s off-duty supermodel who shops at Eddie Bauer.
What percentage of your salary do you spend on fashion? Probably about 5%.
What's your approach to budgeting? Gah, I wish I had a budget! My only approach is to thrift a lot and buy all my designer pieces on sale or secondhand.
A brand or product you bought that was worth the hype. I’ve had several pairs of Acne shoes, and the quality is impeccable. Also, Babaa’s cotton sweaters, vintage Coach bags, and Lemaire jeans.
A brand/product you bought that wasn’t worth the hype. Knock-off Margiela Tabis - the quality was worth the hype, but the style ended up not being for me, and POSSIBLY The Row!? I purchased my first piece, a pair of capri pants via The RealReal, and the fit was strange: too loose in the waist and too tight in the legs. The quality, however, was beautiful, perhaps one piece isn’t enough to go by and who knows, they could have been a sample.
A brand/product you bought for which you’d pay twice the money. Vintage Jil Sander and Miista shoes (based on the pair I purchased for half off).
A brand/product you bought that wasn’t worth the price. Babaa’s wool sweaters. As I mentioned, I LOVE the cotton ones, but the wool ones pill too much. I don’t want to spend $300 on a sweater that’s cozy but not polished enough to wear outside the house.
Your most used bags. Oh gosh, I’ve never been much of a bag person. I love shoes and splurge for those, but my bag taste is minimal, and I’ve never had a “real” designer bag. I live a very casual lifestyle in Santa Fe, and my two most used bags are from Baggu. I use the Sport Crossbody to hike with my dogs, go to the gym, and run errands. Someday, I’d love to replace this with a nylon Prada bag. I use their Nylon Shoulder Bag as a work/computer bag. I’ve considered replacing this with a less casual leather bag (Dragon Diffusion perhaps?), but because I walk a few miles with my dogs when I work from a coffee shop, it’s important that it’s casual and has a very thick, comfortable, padded strap. I recently decided I deserve a “lady bag” since I’m 35 (and am a lady, after all!), so I purchased a vintage Coach 9047 Compartment Hobo Ergo shoulder bag to scratch that itch. I also got a vintage Coach Envelope Swing Wallet to replace my Comme Des Garçons wallet. It fits my phone, credit cards/ID, lip balm, and a lotion. It has detachable straps so I can carry it alone when I go out to dinner and move it from my Baggu to my new lady bag!
Your most worn shoes. Veja Venturi sneakers, Acne Logo ankle boots, and Miista Allison clogs.
Who makes the best underwear? I have difficulty finding bras that I love because I hate underwire. However, I’m a 30-32C, sometimes D, so bralettes rarely fit me. I have a Negative Sieve Triangle Bra that works for me, and the quality is great, although I wouldn’t say it makes me look great. For comfy underwear, I love Muji’s Midi Panty (although don’t expect to wow anyone visually).
Who makes the best activewear? For skiing or snowboarding, I love Half Days. My activewear style inspiration is Princess Diana, and I love wearing cotton when working out. I love the look of Gil Rodriguez for cotton workout gear but I haven't purchased anything yet because it's a bit pricey! I take moral issue with the founder, but I can’t lie about loving the Los Angeles Apparel Cotton Spandex Bike Shorts. I have four Cotton Tank Bras from Everlane, and I wear them under vintage tees when I work out. Celersport Cotton Running Socks are my favourite—they last a long time and are cheap!
The best cheap fashion item(s) you’ve recently bought. A pair of vintage made-in-Italy black suede Cole Haan Loafers for $15 at my local thrift store, a vintage wool Liz Claiborne blazer from a Salvation Army in Texas for under $30, and a vintage Prada Sport shirt for $85 from a gorgeous local vintage store called Lust and Fond ("cheap" because it was the cheapest thing in the store).
The most expensive thing(s) you’ve recently bought. Was it worth it? The aforementioned vintage Coach Ergo bag for $250, no buyers regret yet, but time will tell if it suits my lifestyle. Vintage Yohji Yamamoto eyeglasses from eBay for $156 plus $117 lenses. The way these glasses elevate every outfit and have single-handedly made me feel like the chicest version of myself is unreal. My best purchase of the last few years, hands down.
Kiss, Marry, Avoid: Spending money on Clothes, Shoes, Bags. Kiss clothes, marry shoes, and avoid bags.
A shopping rule you have for yourself. Don’t buy it if it doesn’t fit. That sounds absurd but when you thrift all the time and find beautiful garments for $10 it’s so hard not to buy ill-fitting items. PUT IT BACK ON THE RACK BECKY!!!
Three beauty products you love. Lip blush (the tattoo) has officially ended my constant lip stain shopping spree, and it’s the best thing I have done for myself this year. That being said, here are my lip stain recommendations because I’m a bit of a connoisseur: E.L.F Cosmetics Glossy Lip Stain, Sacheu Beauty Lip Liner Stay-N, and the Stila Calligraphy Lip Stain. I also highly recommend Dazzle Dry nail polish; I had given up on nail polish because it chips so easily, but their System completely changed that for me. They tell you not to do this on the website, but it works with other nail polish brands. I’ve used it with my favourite polish, J. Hannah’s Akoya, and the manicure lasts a full week!
Three beauty products you bought and hated: The Ourself “Lip Filler” (I had an allergic reaction and, thankfully, got my money back), Rom&nd Lip Stain (I don’t like the smell), and Glossier Lidstar.
The three best things you’ve bought in recent years. The Yohji Yamamoto glasses, a vintage Jean Paul Gaultier sheer top that wasn’t labelled ($30 on Etsy!), a vintage Y2K-era Diane Von Furstenburg dress from The RealReal, and a vintage Max Mara resort jacket/blazer that I thrifted.
The three worst things you’ve bought in recent years. Fast fashion capris (what was I thinking!? Don’t worry, they were returned), two pairs of shoes on eBay that had rubber rot and immediately fell apart (the risks of buying vintage shoes online), and let’s say several thrifted items that didn’t fit or just weren’t really my style that I ended up donating back to the same store (insert embarrassed emoji here).
The three most worn items in your closet. Lemaire High Waisted Jeans (I have three pairs), Sibling Greco shirt, and white tanks that I wear under men’s button-downs.
How and where do you shop? Online I shop on eBay, Etsy, Depop, The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, Ssense (the sale), and directly from my favorite brands when they have sales. In person, I shop at thrift stores and vintage stores.
What product or brand do you wish you could gatekeep? Simon Miller ribbed loungewear from The RealReal.
Loving these columns - it's such fun to get an insight into someone else's dressing process, and I had a mental image of such a good closet!
I so appreciate Bec's honesty and humanity about mistakes especially. Warmed my little shoppy heart. I bet she's a great friend. XO.