What comes after Rule of Five?!

It’s time to play dress up!

When I woke up on January 1st, I was surprised to find I didn’t feel the urge to immediately go shopping. I felt chill, normal, level headed. Wow, so evolved!

But by the afternoon, everything had changed. I felt a sort of frenzied “I can shop I can shop I can shop” vibe come over my body and this scene (from my all-time favorite movie) popped in my head:

Only, replace “somebody” with “all the clothing you’ve saved to your notes app this year.”

I had already determined my top priorities for January shopping were as follows:

-long sleeve black tee

-long sleeve white tee (for layering)

-dark denim

And this is what I bought:

1. long sleeve black tee

2. long sleeve white tee

3. dark denim

4. wildcard purchase - navy sweatshirt

5. wildcard purchase - a pair of flats

And then something surprising happened - I gave a mouse (me) a cookie (the slightest dining area furniture rearrange known to man) and I started throwing the ole Amex down on house stuff!! I finally pulled the trigger on a full length mirror (tbh I have been stewing on this for months), then added a new lamp for the new dining layout, and some new throw pillows to freshen up my living room. I feel like almost buying the same amount of clothes in one day as I bought in the entirety of last year unlocked something in my brain and I want on a little spree. Very interesting….

Anyways, I assessed the damage the next day and was like, ok Emily. You did your thing! It’s fine! But now let’s slowwww down again. So now I’m on my best behavior for the rest of the month. I didn’t blow my budget, but I have to be mindful and make lifestyle adjustments for the next few weeks. I live and die by my monthly budget and try to stay within it at all costs. So bye-bye restaurants and coffee while out and about until February!

Now- onto the fun stuff! Styling! Pictures! Full length mirror shots! (If you’re reading this via email, I think I’ve exceeded the email length limit, so please click into the Substack app if you want to see the full newsletter!)

I LOVE how this shirt has thumbholes! More thoughts on that below, but I bought it as a layering piece and not to wear alone, so it’s fun that it has a litttttle something extra. It’s thin, but cotton and really soft. It’s great for wearing under sweaters or blazers, and I’ve already worn it multiple times. It filled a crucial gap for sure.

I wore this outfit to dinner the other night and the thumbholes gave it just enough weirdness to make an otherwise really standard outfit feel different and fun. Side note: dinner was at Dumbo House and look at this view I had (gasp!)-

This very old Theory jacket demands something thin underneath, so this is perfect. Again, the sportiness of the thumbholes brings something special to this outfit. I am always seeking little ways to “f” up my outfits and I think this the perfect example. These jeans are a relic from days of skinny denim yore, but I think with this choice of shoe I can pull them off in the year 2025. The shoes are Ayede and are insanely comfortable for being heels. They are really light and I feel like I’m walking on air, honestly.

This black bodysuit has been on my radar (and in my notes app, IYKYK) for months. It comes in bikini or thong bottom and I naturally chose bikini, because life is short and I don’t want a wedgie on a random Tuesday. Just like the white shirt above, this has already been really useful. I like it with a pair of baggy jeans and a sneaker - balance! It also has such a nice neckline for a necklace. I don’t normally wear necklaces, but I’ve been really into this one from Jenny Bird.

It’s giving “how cute, she thinks she’s in her 20’s” and honestly, I’m here for that delusion.

I wore this to a rare office day this week, and felt so “working woman” as I click clacked around the concrete office flooring haha. This skirt is from a shuttered brand called Deveaux and I wish they still existed, but there are good pieces on TRR!

So! This Buck Mason sweatshirt was an emotionally-led impulse buy. They target the HELL out of me on Instagram, despite never having shopped there before. But this sweatshirt was in my subconscious and instead of overthinking, I just bought it. 🫣 later that night, this post by Laurel Pantin came across my “desk” and I felt like the whole thing was written in the stars (dramatic?). Anyways, this sweatshirt is AMAZING and has a magical super flattering drop sleeve and balloon hem. The quality of the fabric is insane and it’s kind of all I want to wear. I’ve been throwing it over coats and wearing it non-stop.

I feel so .. cool ?… with a sweatshirt around my waist! I don’t feel like I’m a cool person by nature so it’s kind of fun to slip into this alter ego haha.

I’m NOT mad at the more casual sweatshirt with a formal black trouser and heels. These pants are a prized possession- they are Toteme via TRR from a few years back and they are so flattering and comfortable. I could write a whole post on these bad boys. There is a wide waistband that fastens around, so no need/place for a belt.

More evidence of sweatshirt layering! I snapped this right before running out to dinner the other night.

I had rented the CoH Miro in Pacifica, so I knew I loved the cut/fit. However, I really needed a pair of darker denim so I decided on the Miro in Bravo. They fit like a dream. I love how the leg is slightly bowed, but it’s not a drastic barrel by any means. I paired them here with my new shoes* and an old favorite pairing of a striped tank and houndstooth blazer. The blazer is navy and brown and the tank is navy and white, and I feel like these patterns play so well together without being TOO too. You know?

*I feel like I’ve talked about these damn shoes ad nauseam, but they were on mega sale at Mansur Gavriel (but they’ve been on my radar forever, long before they went on sale) and I’m obsessed with them and can’t wait for spring just so I can wear these without freezing.

And here they are with a navy cable knit cotton sweater from JCrew (bought a few years ago) and a black belt and shoes- because if you take one thing away from this newsletter it’s that black and navy are BFFs. This is such a ME outfit. Gah! The comfort! The feeling of pure bliss in outfit form!

Whew! That was fun! I haven’t played dress up like this in such a long time. I hope it sparked an idea or two for your own closet :)

Until next time (aiming for every other week this year and we’ll see how I do),

Emily