So much great stuff in this newsletter. I am in awe.
I couldn't agree with you more about shopping in person vs online. This really speaks to me: "But our eyes can only tell us so much, and our brain fills in the rest with our dreams, insecurities and other impulses." This is exactly why the internet as a whole (and online shopping) is so tempting to us. So much of the human condition is fundamentally rooted in fear: fear of inadequacy, fear of not belonging, fear of "the other", and the internet feeds on this. It's a quick fix over wisdom that requires time to mature.
When it comes to shopping, obviously there's the complication of not necessarily having physical access to the types of things that I'd maybe want to have a sensory experience with. I'd like to have physical access to clothes that are sold in other parts of the world, but I can't justify the carbon footprint of traveling. So the internet it is. I bought myself a present yesterday, online, because I don't have access to these types of things in Finland. The expectation and the dream of this particular item is a huge part of the process. I'm both looking forward and terrified for it to arrive.
Finally, I love both of your sweaters! They both serve a purpose and they are divine.
Thank you! I too feel that lack of physical access to certain types of clothing that I'd love to see more of in person; for example until I moved to Melbourne I rarely saw vintage clothing of any kind in person, only on ebay or etsy and it's just not the same. In that regard, the internet has been an amazing resource for me to explore, even though I don't usually end up buying anything. I hope the present lives up to expectations!
this was a great read! i totally understand the illusion of brand ubiquity that comes from our own presence in fashion community online bubbles. it has stopped me from buying tibi items that i feel are very recognizable, although i know rationally in the small city where i live no one would know- they are quite niche. in the olden days i even felt the same about elizabeth suzann, although now the 2 ES pieces that remain in my closet are so inherently "me" because i've worn them to death for 5-7 years (and also the hype has died down). but to your point, they absolutely DO associate a specific lifestyle when recognized! perhaps this is also why i'm repelled by very mainstream trendy items, from UGGS to max mara teddy coats, to the row bags and high sport pants, etc (not that i could afford those....).
it also feels true that when an item is so "branded" the garment is wearing us vs the other way around, at least until we live with it for a long while. blackbird spyplane makes the argument that we look cooler in the clothes we have worn a ton for this very reason.
since the babaa jumper seems practical for your life and body, i'm sure it will become a second skin for you as well!
Thank you! It is true that the feeling of being associated with a certain aesthetic or lifestyle dies down over time, I guess the key is sticking to it!
ha, I have fallen for just about all of the brands/items you list. And returned/sold them all! The Rudy Jude jeans were the last straw for me, they took forever to ship and then I realized i don't want to dress like a toddler (no shade to those who wear them, they just looked ridiculous on me). The babaa sweater I had briefly was too bulky under coats and just not amenable to NYC life. Now I stop myself if the influencer-new item is coming out of California, just because it is such an opposite way of life from where I am. It's taken me 3 years of over-shopping to finally slow down and pay attention to what works in my daily life.
Haha I'm glad to meet someone who recognises the aesthetic! I learnt early on that it was not the right vibe for me, but hopefully this Babaa jumper will be the exception. It makes sense that we should follow more people from a similar geography and climate for styling ideas!
I love this piece, you do such an amazing job examining the ways digital feeds fold into our lives. And, yes, I am still looking at Babaa when they have sales! lol.
I've been mulling over this brand as well - of course I have! It's so true that most people aren't as fashion obsessed as we are and more than likely have never heard of the brands/trends we deem as too recognizable. Speaking of sweaters, I found a 100 percent alpaca cardigan in a vintage shop in Montreal a few years ago and it's the best thing ever. So unbelievably warm and loose enough to throw on over anything. Doesn't pill, a truly remarkable find.
I always look for knit and outerwear in vintage stores, but have yet to find anything hits the brief (well I guess I did with my jumper!). Your find sounds amazing! It makes me happy to know that there are options other than the brands being marketed to us on social media.
The Babaa effect! It’s so weird how these pieces get imprinted on to your brain and suddenly you really must have them. I bought 2 cardigans from them about 3 years ago and initially I loved them very much. One was wool and one was cotton. The cotton one has since been sold, it was so heavy wearing it was quite a work out and the knit so loose that I worried every time I wore it and walked past anything that it was likely to catch on. I still own the wool one but rarely wear it. It doesn’t fit well under jackets and in Scotland you need a jacket for about 6 months of the year. And yet after all this experience I still find myself looking at their website contemplating another knit when I see one looking great on someone! I’ve yet to make one of my five purchase and thought a new Babaa may be one. I might have lost my mind.
It’s a relief to know i’m not the only one who feels the pull towards Babaa, for all its flaws. I’m curious to see how my sweater will age over time. At least in Melbourne the winters are mild and I don’t often wear a jacket so I know I can take full advantage of the Babaa volume!
I find knits to be a 'luxury' kind of wardrobe staple, if only because they are more fragile and much less 'repairable' than, say, a tailored wool blazer or jeans or trousers. They are very much an indulgence for the wearer in terms of the tactility and 'feel', and it's hard to put a definitive price tag on that. I love both your internet-famous and vintage-ooak jumpers, though! They can both occupy different places and spaces in your wardrobe and style vibe. The vintage one in particular reminds me of a sweater vest that my mom gave me years ago; it has those raised pom poms and soft tactile 3d embellishments that I normally don't look for in a new purchase; however I love it because it makes me feel cozy and stylish and a little bit special. Enjoy the fancy jumper and wear in good health! :)
I actually find jumpers more low maintenance than a tailored piece, but maybe it’s because I avoid delicate wools like cashmere. I fell in love with wool when I went backpacking in south America and my merino wool jumper was my best friend, whether I was hiking or just doing city things. That said, agree that quality knitwear in general is a luxury.
I just splurged on a Bare Knitwear Andean wool crew-neck after contemplating them since September. I saw a photo of someone wearing a very similar style (muted colour, oversized but simple construction) layered over a white cotton eyelet maxi skirt with colourful socks and loafers, and it lit up that part of my brain…well, you know the one. I love my white dresses but I was a bit tired of them, but don’t want to donate/sell because they’re timeless. So I’m pretty excited about this pairing for spring. The sweater hasn’t arrived yet but I have very high hopes.
Just checked out their website and their jumpers look beautiful! I do feel that knitwear has given my old summer dresses and skirts a new lease of life...they look too on the nose in season but unexpectedly wonderful when paired with a jumper for winter.
I got the Channel sweater, I am wearing it right now and I never want to wear anything else for my entire life. It’s the perfect weight (heavy but not too thick — I tend to overheat easily), the knit is absolutely gorgeous — tight but still a bit textural — oh my gosh I’m in sweater heaven.
I adore that vintage jumper!! Particularly that neckline.
This was a really great analysis of how and why we buy things, and how easy it is to over-question one's choices in the face of Internet trends and having so much choice readily available.
So much great stuff in this newsletter. I am in awe.
I couldn't agree with you more about shopping in person vs online. This really speaks to me: "But our eyes can only tell us so much, and our brain fills in the rest with our dreams, insecurities and other impulses." This is exactly why the internet as a whole (and online shopping) is so tempting to us. So much of the human condition is fundamentally rooted in fear: fear of inadequacy, fear of not belonging, fear of "the other", and the internet feeds on this. It's a quick fix over wisdom that requires time to mature.
When it comes to shopping, obviously there's the complication of not necessarily having physical access to the types of things that I'd maybe want to have a sensory experience with. I'd like to have physical access to clothes that are sold in other parts of the world, but I can't justify the carbon footprint of traveling. So the internet it is. I bought myself a present yesterday, online, because I don't have access to these types of things in Finland. The expectation and the dream of this particular item is a huge part of the process. I'm both looking forward and terrified for it to arrive.
Finally, I love both of your sweaters! They both serve a purpose and they are divine.
Thank you! I too feel that lack of physical access to certain types of clothing that I'd love to see more of in person; for example until I moved to Melbourne I rarely saw vintage clothing of any kind in person, only on ebay or etsy and it's just not the same. In that regard, the internet has been an amazing resource for me to explore, even though I don't usually end up buying anything. I hope the present lives up to expectations!
this was a great read! i totally understand the illusion of brand ubiquity that comes from our own presence in fashion community online bubbles. it has stopped me from buying tibi items that i feel are very recognizable, although i know rationally in the small city where i live no one would know- they are quite niche. in the olden days i even felt the same about elizabeth suzann, although now the 2 ES pieces that remain in my closet are so inherently "me" because i've worn them to death for 5-7 years (and also the hype has died down). but to your point, they absolutely DO associate a specific lifestyle when recognized! perhaps this is also why i'm repelled by very mainstream trendy items, from UGGS to max mara teddy coats, to the row bags and high sport pants, etc (not that i could afford those....).
it also feels true that when an item is so "branded" the garment is wearing us vs the other way around, at least until we live with it for a long while. blackbird spyplane makes the argument that we look cooler in the clothes we have worn a ton for this very reason.
since the babaa jumper seems practical for your life and body, i'm sure it will become a second skin for you as well!
Thank you! It is true that the feeling of being associated with a certain aesthetic or lifestyle dies down over time, I guess the key is sticking to it!
ha, I have fallen for just about all of the brands/items you list. And returned/sold them all! The Rudy Jude jeans were the last straw for me, they took forever to ship and then I realized i don't want to dress like a toddler (no shade to those who wear them, they just looked ridiculous on me). The babaa sweater I had briefly was too bulky under coats and just not amenable to NYC life. Now I stop myself if the influencer-new item is coming out of California, just because it is such an opposite way of life from where I am. It's taken me 3 years of over-shopping to finally slow down and pay attention to what works in my daily life.
Haha I'm glad to meet someone who recognises the aesthetic! I learnt early on that it was not the right vibe for me, but hopefully this Babaa jumper will be the exception. It makes sense that we should follow more people from a similar geography and climate for styling ideas!
I love this piece, you do such an amazing job examining the ways digital feeds fold into our lives. And, yes, I am still looking at Babaa when they have sales! lol.
I've been mulling over this brand as well - of course I have! It's so true that most people aren't as fashion obsessed as we are and more than likely have never heard of the brands/trends we deem as too recognizable. Speaking of sweaters, I found a 100 percent alpaca cardigan in a vintage shop in Montreal a few years ago and it's the best thing ever. So unbelievably warm and loose enough to throw on over anything. Doesn't pill, a truly remarkable find.
I always look for knit and outerwear in vintage stores, but have yet to find anything hits the brief (well I guess I did with my jumper!). Your find sounds amazing! It makes me happy to know that there are options other than the brands being marketed to us on social media.
The Babaa effect! It’s so weird how these pieces get imprinted on to your brain and suddenly you really must have them. I bought 2 cardigans from them about 3 years ago and initially I loved them very much. One was wool and one was cotton. The cotton one has since been sold, it was so heavy wearing it was quite a work out and the knit so loose that I worried every time I wore it and walked past anything that it was likely to catch on. I still own the wool one but rarely wear it. It doesn’t fit well under jackets and in Scotland you need a jacket for about 6 months of the year. And yet after all this experience I still find myself looking at their website contemplating another knit when I see one looking great on someone! I’ve yet to make one of my five purchase and thought a new Babaa may be one. I might have lost my mind.
It’s a relief to know i’m not the only one who feels the pull towards Babaa, for all its flaws. I’m curious to see how my sweater will age over time. At least in Melbourne the winters are mild and I don’t often wear a jacket so I know I can take full advantage of the Babaa volume!
This is so interesting- as someone with an intense wool sensitivity, I can only admire most sweaters from afar… your secondhand one is LOVELY though!
I love this!
I find knits to be a 'luxury' kind of wardrobe staple, if only because they are more fragile and much less 'repairable' than, say, a tailored wool blazer or jeans or trousers. They are very much an indulgence for the wearer in terms of the tactility and 'feel', and it's hard to put a definitive price tag on that. I love both your internet-famous and vintage-ooak jumpers, though! They can both occupy different places and spaces in your wardrobe and style vibe. The vintage one in particular reminds me of a sweater vest that my mom gave me years ago; it has those raised pom poms and soft tactile 3d embellishments that I normally don't look for in a new purchase; however I love it because it makes me feel cozy and stylish and a little bit special. Enjoy the fancy jumper and wear in good health! :)
I actually find jumpers more low maintenance than a tailored piece, but maybe it’s because I avoid delicate wools like cashmere. I fell in love with wool when I went backpacking in south America and my merino wool jumper was my best friend, whether I was hiking or just doing city things. That said, agree that quality knitwear in general is a luxury.
I just splurged on a Bare Knitwear Andean wool crew-neck after contemplating them since September. I saw a photo of someone wearing a very similar style (muted colour, oversized but simple construction) layered over a white cotton eyelet maxi skirt with colourful socks and loafers, and it lit up that part of my brain…well, you know the one. I love my white dresses but I was a bit tired of them, but don’t want to donate/sell because they’re timeless. So I’m pretty excited about this pairing for spring. The sweater hasn’t arrived yet but I have very high hopes.
Just checked out their website and their jumpers look beautiful! I do feel that knitwear has given my old summer dresses and skirts a new lease of life...they look too on the nose in season but unexpectedly wonderful when paired with a jumper for winter.
I got the Channel sweater, I am wearing it right now and I never want to wear anything else for my entire life. It’s the perfect weight (heavy but not too thick — I tend to overheat easily), the knit is absolutely gorgeous — tight but still a bit textural — oh my gosh I’m in sweater heaven.
I adore that vintage jumper!! Particularly that neckline.
This was a really great analysis of how and why we buy things, and how easy it is to over-question one's choices in the face of Internet trends and having so much choice readily available.
I hope you have fun in Singapore! 🖤
Thank you, I am having a great time :) And yes, I think the roll neck convinced me to buy the jumper!
loved all of this!