My important work in acquisitions
Styling my portfolio and maximizing my ROI.
In reference to the title - kidding, sorry. I literally could not tell you how to re-invest dividends. I barely know what a dividend is. But I do crack myself up and make things very dramatic when the occasion does in fact not call for it. So what if my investments are not trackable through the S&P 500 or DOW. So what if they don’t actually make me money and aren’t represented in any NYSE tickers. All the finance boys get the fun shorthand slang, and dammit, I want to be included. (I still can’t commit the definition of EIHG to memory.) So, I’ve started referring to my new items as acquisitions. I’m a curator, a shark, a tastemaker of my own life. We’ve heard CPW (cost per wear), but maybe we should start referring to it as ROI (return on investment). Tell your husbands that the ROI on your leather loafers will be incredibly high because you will be wearing them daily. Tell your mom that vintage Tom Ford Gucci bag is an archival piece of history. They may not appreciate in value (although Tom Ford Gucci might), but you will appreciate their value and love them until their final days. I am diversifying my portfolio - meaning, I am attempting to curate a collection of lifetime pieces and looking at my wardrobe as a long term investment.
Now, before we begin, let’s remember: these items have been acquired over many months. And a few of these pieces have probably crossed your Notes feeds, but I haven’t given them special features and I think they deserve it. And to be completely transparent: a few of these are gifted. These will be noted. But I make it a point not to accept things that don’t align with this newsletter and my style. (I’ve had multiple offers to receive PRP hair growth treatments. I will not be injecting things into my scalp and taking supplements just because it is free. Also, do they think I am balding? I could probably use a new hair oil, though.) But anyway, below you will find some of my latest acquisitions, and how I am wearing them.
Let’s start off with accessories, shall we?
eBay, $39. I find it incredibly difficult to find dangle rings that don’t look like they would piss me off. Either they’re too bulky, or the dangle is too long. I considered this option for months, until my epiphany one day that I think wearing it would send me over the edge. While objectively beautiful, it is quite possibly one of the most impractical pieces of jewelry I’ve ever seen. And I need hand freedom to do my job - samples to handle and typing to do. And so, enter the above ring. After months of hunting, I found this on eBay. And it was under $50. I have never ordered something so quickly. It’s now one of my absolute favorite pieces in my stack. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, my deep diving, and as much reverse image searching as a girl can do, I have not been able to find one singular similar option. (Shop the following on eBay) For someone with more gumption and less hand-focused tasks, perhaps you can try this option. If you don’t mind a higher price point, I love this one. This one confuses me a bit, but it could be fun. This Swarovski stacking set is fun for the whole family. This is fun if you want a regular ring, but fancy. Lastly, this is a statement without being large enough to bruise the digits.
This is a fan favorite. I found this at Pickwick (the Grand Central location, not LA) at the Mosin booth. They’ll be at the Normal NYC market both this and next weekend, so if you are in the area, I implore you - stop by. They had some of the best vintage silver I’ve ever seen. And their prices are reasonable. I truly, honestly don’t remember how much this ring was, but if it was too pricey I would not have bought it. So you’ll have to trust me. This and this (shop both on eBay) are as close as I can get to my style.
This photo contains a sneak peak at a later look. (Keep scrolling, it’s a good one.) I’m sure you’ve all seen the Cartier Baignoire watch. If you follow The Millennial Decorator you’ve probably seen it in her stunning flatlays. It is, unfortunately, $44,000. Well, my dearest friend in the whole world sent me the below photo of her latest eBay find. We have similar taste, so she knew I would not be able to resist finding one of my own. And boy did I. For $11 on Poshmark. Now, the band is a weird, almost holographic patent leather. And it may be missing a stone (or two). But again, it was $11. And now we have matching friendship Cartier dupe watches. (She painted her strap, I think I may just buy a new one.) I haven’t been able to find another oval face, but I did find this circular option (shop on eBay) that’s very chic.
I almost sent out this newsletter without including my new bag! I’m home for the weekend, and stopped by our local artist’s market. (If you’re in CT, check out CraftWestport at Staples High.) I hemmed and hawed between the leopard and the spots, but ultimately, the spots won. A lovely lady and her husband were set up at the craft fair, and we got to chatting. She makes the bag as her self-described retirement project, and I hope to one day be as cool as she is. This is the exact bag that you too can order! I sadly don’t think the leopard is listed online, but I am more than sure that you can email Paula (aforementioned really cool lady). And I just got this sweater on ThredUp - it’s Mango, and sadly did not come with the matching scarf it was initially sold with. But I like it and accept it nonetheless. Here is the exact in an XXS, and here’s a vintage red option.
A girl and her hat take on their travels. I may or may not have bought this from my own newsletter (I did). It is completely impractical, and I am worried everyone will know that I am a hat imposter (MacKinley Jade and I wrote a whole post about this), but I put my ego and hat imposter syndrome aside and felt so free. I bet Zaros near track 18 hasn’t seen a hat of this caliber in at least 5 days. (I won’t bet on anything longer since Grand Central has a lot of visitors, but she’s real 60s vintage so it may also be decades. We will never know.)
To go against Edna Mode, more capes. (More on this to come, we should all be wearing capes.) This was an impulse purchase at Consignment Brooklyn a few months back. They were having a sale, and my sister pulled out an unassuming black blob on a hanger. The owner urged me to try it on, and I’m so glad she did. I ended up getting it for around $60 I think, but after doing further investigation and actually looking at the tag, I soon realized that I owned a piece of fashion history. This is a Catherine Holstein. And if this means nothing to you, let me add one more thing: Khaite. Yes, that Khaite. This was Khaite before she was Khaite. This was Cate.
Snake pants!! These have eluded me for decades. When I was in high school, I saw a girl in a pair of leather pants on Pinterest. Ever since, I have craved the snake. And so, in my 28th year, I did it. I had a failed first attempt (we won’t talk about it), and then I took a chance. I found these on Poshmark, and was skeptical. They were listed for $20. No tags, just a small “38” sewn into the seam. I offered $16. The seller accepted. And the rest is history. I immediately wore these to a concert and the band loved them. So my 16 year old rock and roll dreams came true. Being an adult really is just about letting the child in you live their dreams.
Let’s talk skirts. I got these boots from Freda Salvador a few months ago, and they need a good skirt to pair with. If you can’t tell, I love an animal print. So, I went down a rabbit hole. I’ve recently rediscovered ThredUp, and they have some seriously hidden gems. This skirt ended up being $9(!!!) and I feel like a 90s movie fashion closet girl. Catch me in a subway montage, huge coffee cup in tow, papers clutched in my dangle ring adorned hands.
Another skirt! Another ThredUp find! I have long yearned for a midi brushed mohair skirt. I do not know why they are so hard to find. So stumbling upon this gem on page like 12 of the midi skirt filter made me stop in my scrolling tracks. It was exactly what I had always envisioned for myself (it would have been extra perfect if it was cream). And then, to soothe both my calf hair and belt loving heart, I recently acquired both of the above belts. And then, in a fortuitous twist of fate, my new (old) Ellen Tracy oxblood belt matches my vintage Pickle sweater. And since the belts are skinny, I threw my hat in the belt stacking ring. I’d say it was a success.
I wrote a post last year called “We have Nereja at home” where I styled a fur top I bought. Still have it, still love it.
But I also love Nereja’s styling and had to give it a go for myself. I think about the below look A LOT. So when I received the jeans and sweater in the mail, I immediately put them on my body.
And what a great success it was. I wore this to go buy branches. It was a serious venture. (They’re in the below photo, I needed to add a dash of seasonal cheer.) The jeans are gifted from SOLMAR - a Ukranian based womenswear brand. I got a few pieces (more below), and really, really like their jeans. The sweater is also SOLMAR - thanks to them, my Nereja styling exists in real life. It’s been an ongoing struggle to find a slightly sporty, funnel neck cardigan. This checked all my boxes.
I call this one my Dakota Johnson look. (IYKYK, it’s all over Notes.)
I know this is literally just jeans and a sweater, but the proportions are so well executed. Somehow, at my old age, I lacked a simple black cardigan. So, and not to be dramatic or anything, when I put this on and it hit me exactly where I was hoping, I did possibly yell at my sister, “Today is MY DAY!” But a win is a win, no matter how small. My Dakota dreams could come true. And come true they did. (A lot of dream talk in this article, but it was a good few months for me.)
The Fendi Peekaboo is, in my humble opinion, one of the better silhouettes for a large top handle bag. It is also, unfortunately, thousands of dollars. As someone who is a lugger (laptop, iPad, book, hairbrush, etc.) it has been an out-of-reach dream for many years. But, it seems as though Consignment Brooklyn knows when to deliver my dreams to me. (If you read my fall wishlist post, you’d know they also provided me with the moire pants I had been longing for.) On the same day I bought the cape coat, I spotted this on a top shelf. It turns out, it was also on sale. So for under $150, I bought a vintage Italian leather version. Another great success.
As a short girl and also a barrel leg lover, it has been an ongoing struggle to find jeans that fit me. So, upon receiving a gifting offer for Ruti, I was immediately drawn to these jeans. The inseam? Perfect. The rise? Also perfect. The wash? Even more perfect. The petite inseam was too cropped, even for me, but the regular length hits me just above the ankle. I’ve never been happier to be compared to a Weeble doll. (Because they’re very round on the bottom, I guess.) I paired the jeans with my Mugler blazer to emphasize the shape, and to tie the red from the button down back in, I put on my Loeffler Randall sandals. I told you I was making these winter appropriate, and I think this works.
And we have the jeans again. This is a more realistic depiction of what I wear to work on a regular basis. One of my favorite vintage sweaters - a Rafaella mock neck I snagged on eBay, of course. I love this gray option, this green if you’re a fan of color, this red if you’re a fan of color but in a classic way, and a classic black. There’s not much else to say about this look - the new ostrich bag returns, and I am a big fan of the ViBi Venezia velvet Mary Janes for all-season wear.
I put this necklace in last week’s gift guide, because I strongly believe that everyone should own a tennis necklace. This particular necklace is from Aurate, and I haven’t taken it off my body since the package arrived (probably not proper care instruction, but life it short). I’ve struggled with tennis necklaces laying flat against my collar bone, and haven’t have any issues with this. It truly has shifted my day-to-day accessorizing - everything feels elevated with a tennis necklace. Use code KENDALLF20 for 20% off.
Feather! Pants! If Big Bird fell into a vat of ink! My sister and I made our quarterly pilgrimage to our local Brooklyn Buffalo Exchange to confirm it was just as bad as we had remembered. The employees were just as aggressive, the racks were still too close together, but shoved on a pant rack in the back section, I unearthed a hidden gem. These pants. Turns out they’re a Japanese brand called Prank Project, and unfortunately, I cannot find them for you anywhere. I may have one of the few pairs on this side of the Pacific. Well, if you were following along on my outfit saga, I ended up wearing this outfit to my company’s holiday party. Paired with a Richard Quinn velvet glove shirt (bought from the UK Save The Children Depop shop) and my pride and joy belt (eBay), it was a hit. I could not eat the hors d’oeuvres that were passed around during the mingling hour, but sometimes we must pay a price in the name of Richard Quinn. And if you too want a gloved shirt, I love this option or this option.
An Hèrmes Bolide inspired bag. I found this Italian leather bag on eBay for $150, and after putting it on my watchlist, I let it simmer. A few weeks later, I added it to my bag. Let it simmer some more. And then, I thought I deserved a present. No reason really, just life. So I finally hit check out. It arrived this week. I’ve worn it thrice since, and will officially enter it into the regular rotation.
The final piece - I mentioned the quarterly Buffalo Exchange trip. These COS boots were my second purchase that fateful trip. I wouldn’t say this is the world’s best styling, but it was a rainy day and I was feeling equestrian. The base of the look is very, very simple. I wanted to make it pop just a bit, and so I added the belt. In a lucky twist of fate, my new belt matches my new-ish coat. Zebra on zebra. But the important part is truly the boots - I missed out on their release last year, and have only been able to find a few listings on Poshmark, none in my size. I was about to leave Buffalo Exchange, but for some reason told my sister I had to check one more rack. And I am very glad I did. As someone who is only 5’1”, it is incredibly difficult to find boots that are actually the correct height for a “knee high boot.” I slipped them on, and it was like meeting a long-lost friend. It was an instant connection. I’ve never checked out faster. I am also tempted by their brown suede option, but I know I’ll have the black pair until they disintegrate beneath my feet.
An honorable mention: Soaps
When I went to buy my branches, I also bought soap. Big day for me in Brooklyn. GRDN on Hoyt St stocks a few small home good brands, and Saipua is one of them. I’ve been eyeing the Coffee Mint bar soap on my monthly flower shopping venture, but never felt the need to spend $22 on a bar of soap (I just prefer liquid). But, my sister was having a bad day and I thought she needed a treat. So, I grabbed this bar and she actually cried when I gave it to her. (She has been eyeing it for months, but she is a recent grad with a limited budget.) A great success. Improving lives one bar of soap at a time.
As for my new hand-soap - I am officially a fancy soap girl. Long gone are the days of Softsoap. I truly do believe in the minute improvements involved in our daily rituals. Having good smelling soap makes my morning better, and that’s the truth. The cardamom & wood notes of this remind me of my favorite Replica perfumes - Jazz Club and By The Fireplace (I got the Havana scent). And if I have guests over, I want them to have a better than awful time in my otherwise sad, triangular bathroom. This soap is carrying that experience on its tiny, glass back. Evolvetogether sent this to me, and made up my mind for me. This is my new signature soap. I will be ordering the refill when I run out. (You can use code Kendall15 for 15% off)
And with that, I have to go hang out with Max. He keeps inching closer to my keyboard. Subtle, Max, subtle.
Until next time,
K
Disclaimer: If you make a purchase through a link, I may earn a commission. This helps to support my many hours of work. Thank you for supporting! Everything marked with an *asterisk was gifted.
I think the masses need another bag round up.. the shape of that black one you got off ebay is PERFECT.
Also deeply intrigued by the Ruti jeans. I am 5'3'' and it is so hard to get inseams right for me.
What a visual FEAST! Those snake pants! Spotty bag! Zebra coat! Such a treat.