You’re reading Try Stuff Energy, a newsletter on how it feels like to put yourself out into the word and try stuff. Written by Caitlin Sowers.
Reporting from a local cafe where I just paid $31 for a tiny salad, cookie, and chai latte. Oh hello there, inflation. Just making note of that so I remember to ask for a raise.
Back to the news at hand. I live with a wonderful man who’s shops only once a year at a his favourite department store’s annual sale. By my calculations my fashion conversations tired him at least fourteen months ago. That’s why I’m here writing to you.
Somewhere post pandemic, I acknowledged if I wore elasticated pants for one more day I’d no longer recognize myself in the mirror. My interest in fashion shifted from “looking good” (pre-pandemic) to expressing who! I! am!
I found Amy’s instagram, founder of Tibi, like fate. Amy designs for the “creative pragmatist”:
She (the creative pragmatist) wants clothes that reflect her personality and make her feel like herself—a person who is creative, hardworking, and open-minded—but never at the expense of practicality. She doesn’t have time for fuss, but she won’t leave the house feeling average, either. She gravitates towards items that strike that tricky balance: that are as useful as they are exciting; that are familiar, but not forgettable; that are chic, but chill. Creative, but pragmatic.
With that, I felt I could put words to what can feel so amorphous: personal style. Her words like a guide book, I was off to the ethers of the interweb to find the women I felt embodied this and the clothes that would help me join their ranks.
My fashion findings 🕵🏻♀️
Nylon & Sportswear
I am deeply interested in the mix of masculine and feminine, its balance keeps the eye moving across the body, entertained. Chic, but chill. Nylon does the heavy lifting here and sporty spice would be proud. I’m pining for Tibi’s Stella Nylon trousers in white (pictured below, center) and black. I can think of a thousand ways I’d wear them for the next two decades, which I would need to do to justify the price.
White and black stripes are really doing it for me too, reminding me of nyc’s black and white cookie. I’ve ordered Adidas loose fit shorts (sold out, but set a reminder they restock quickly), which I can’t wait to wear with a simple slide and oversized white button down on a hot summer day.
Oversized pants
I’m in partial to fabric: cotton, linen, doesn’t matter. I love a woman in loose fitted pants, and I love to be a woman in them. I ordered (and returned) the Frankie Shop’s Gelso trousers (quality was “meh” for the price), but their colour was perfection. I’ve since ordered Filippa K’s Julie Trousers in Linen (black) & The Line By K’s flax linen trousers (on sale). They pair perfectly with my new favourite T-shirt from Aritzia, which is thick and soft and not as cropped as you might think (I sized up to a M), and the best sneakers on the streets right now (New Balance 990’s).
Something unexpected (bonus if no one else has it)
I stumbled into a vintage market last weekend and came away with a new friend (Hello Ashley 💞) who curated the belt of my dreams. It makes me feel like I could cast a sexy spell. I also bought a nyc black and white cookie silk scarf from her, true “had to haves”.
I’m lightly stocking Gabriel for Sach, an accessory brand from Barcelona that’s effortless and unexpected enough to be intriguing. My favourite bag, the small safari in hazelnut is now sold out but taking pre-orders (validating my exceptional taste), but I’m also admiring the Mina in hazlenut. My mom gifted me the mini chelsea backpack from Roots (a true Canadian classic), which fits a small wallet, iPhone, and a 500ml Nalgene bottle effortlessly. It accomplishes a similar vibe at a better price point and I wear it most days.
Okay, that’s enough for now. Do you want more fashion thoughts? Let me know.
Please enjoy this fantastic song 💐, my parting gift.
Overjoyed when I saw this in my inbox! Excited for more fashion thoughts ✨💓