What I Bought in June
The return of the doom scroll
We are so back.
Now firmly back at home, there was looooooots to browse this month. Plentiful time to thoroughly doom scroll. Here’s what I talked myself into, and then out of…and then, some back into again.
Substack tells me this one’s “too long for email”1, so be ready to click through to see everything.
My low-buy “rules”
This is my third year shopping this way, and the “rules” I’ve personally settled on are:
I’ll only buy 12 new pieces of clothing in 2025
Secondhand doesn’t count
Accessories (bags, shoes, jewelry, etc.) also don’t count
This works well for me and my goals, which are to 1. generally keep a lid on things to prevent overconsuming and 2. force myself into better choices so I end up with things I actually love.
THE LIST as it stands:
What I didn’t buy:
Things that caught my eye enough to justify a screenshot or Pinterest save, but that I talked myself out of one way or another. Read on for my self-deinfuencing train of thought.
On the list? ✅
This was very tempting. But if I’m only seeking one “chill navy blazer” from THE LIST, I’m just not sure if this wrap style is it. Feels quite specific, in a limiting way.
I also noticed (and was annoyed by) the big gold buttons. There’s nothing wrong with big gold buttons. Of the genre, these ones are lovely! But I’m discovering that I’m really more of a silver girl than a gold one, so…why commit to big gold buttons?
On the list? ❌
Fully influenced by everyone’s favorite Substacker,
.It’s a really cool bag, especially for $80. If I had even one single excuse of a fun, flirty summer occasion on the horizon, I’d probably cave.
But alas, my actual lifestyle pretty purely demands one of two things from a bag:
Fits a laptop, OR
Has a hands-free option
This one is neither. So I’ll admire from afar. (Probably. Again: someone give me just one excuse!!!).
Speaking of excuses, I’m also on the hunt for one to justify buying any version of the very cool Tory Burch pierced shoe—currently beloved by fashion Substack (with
chief among them, in my eyes).These would qualify for me under “slim back low heeled sandal” which has hung around on THE LIST for a very long time. Am I crazy for thinking this is a hard one? I’ve looked at so many. My criteria are…
Real leather
No straight across ankle strap (I am sensitive about what I lovingly consider my robust “American Girl Doll ankles”)
Thin, sexy straps… but ideally not the kind that look 1000% engineered to crush your toes into oblivion. (Looking at you: Bottega Stretch Sandals, which were the original inspiration for this multi-year rabbit hole)
But somehow also not completely boring
These basically fit the criteria. Jury’s out on the toe-crushing thing until I try them IRL. But the point is that the big honking silver toe ring makes these a “slim back low heeled sandal” that doesn’t feel boring.
I don’t know why I haven’t bought them yet, at least to try.
On the list? ✅
Last month, I saw an older French man playing pétanque in Saint Paul de Vence wearing soft suede loafers with no hardware, and now I want soft suede loafers with no hardware.
That’s the whole story.
On the list? ❌
But it’s a DRESS, right?!? Stuff like this makes my heart pitter-patter.
Rational counterpoint: I have the Tibi Artemis dress. It’s not a twin, but I love it for the same reason: sheer, black, beaded.
So from a styling perspective, I already have what I’m craving. The Toteme dress wouldn’t add a new tool to the kit… just another (beautiful!) piece in search of an occasion (or, the guts to wear around the house).
It wouldn’t be wrong to buy it, because I do love it. But I’m less tempted when I realize thats it’s kind of a repeat.
[Also, while I love to fantasize…I can’t seriously imagine dropping $1,200 on any dress that isn’t my wedding dress. But hey, I loved that wedding dress. It brought me a lot of joy! So maybe I should be more open to the idea that splurging on a very special special-occasion dress could actually feel worth it? Idk. I’m just saying: I am certainly bougie but not yet this bougie.]
On the list? ❌
As for what new tools I do feel I might be “missing”, more options in Tibi Ring 3 are on that list. The idea’s still a bit vague, but probably firm enough that it deserves an official spot on THE LIST.
This skirt came close enough to get pre-emptively added to my digital wardrobe on
to play with outfitting (my final consideration step!). But there just weren’t as many easy options as I’d hoped.It’s tempting to call it a chicken-or-the-egg problem. Like, does it disappoint on optionality simply because so many of my tops are just white, black, or navy? “If I want more ways to wear this Ring 3 skirt, that’s because I need more Ring 3 tops to play with!”
But I want to avoid the “oh, well if I just add this other thing…” trap. There’s no need to force it just because I’ve decided I “need” to add Ring 3s.
If this one isn’t feeling right, then this one just isn’t it—and that’s okay.
On the list? ❌
I was introduced to Rohe recently by
, and oh it’s good.I really like this top, but a very similar idea could be created using
’s hack that I just can’t stop thinking about:
On the list? ❌
I also have a fantasy that I “need” something clutch-y, like to wear along with a fancy dress as a wedding guest.
This one looks to me like a funny little snowy owl (and I like that).
I do not actually “need” something clutch-y, as I have quite obviously managed all previous weddings just fine, either bagless or with my small black shoulder bag. It was fine. Not to mention that the majority of our friends’ weddings feel behind us at this point. I just really shouldn’t be buying for this occasion (“weddings!”) unless I have 1. a specific event in mind and 2. the spirit moves me in some very mysterious way.
On the list? ❌
If I shouldn’t buy sparkly things for imaginary friends’ weddings, I can still buy sparkly “going out tops”, right? Right?!?
I really don’t know what’s overcome me here, but all of a sudden I’m in love with anything covered in mermaid-esque oceany blue sequins. And I’m sat here trying to convince myself that this top is totally wearable on a Tuesday afternoon, if I wanted it to be.
I’m in this spot now where I really, truly don’t need anything. I am realistically covered. I’m very clothed.2 All of this is for fun.
So…does the flip ever switch? To the point where you do get much more out of a more solid sprinkling of the “frivolous” stuff? The kinda silly stuff? Or is this just another elaborate trick my mind is playing on itself to justify buying the (literal) shiny object?
That’s what I’m wondering.
On the list? ❌
I don’t need more white things. I don’t need more dresses.
…but I still kinda think I should be allowed one pretty white dress, and I know this one has all the stylistic ingredients to feel really ‘me’.
We will await the January Tibi sale to see if it’s still around then (🙏).
What I bought:
On the list? ✅
It was June. The Tibi sale was on. We knew this was coming, didn’t we?!?
This one’s been pinned ever since it was released. It’s been on the brain, with all other potential jacket purchases weighed against it (even just last month!).
It went on sale. It was its time. No regrets. It’s coming off THE LIST!
On the list? ❌
This is for sure an eBay wild-card. Part “I want to wear that!” but also part “for someone who loves vintage clothes and Britney, this is just a fun thing to own”. I allow myself this.
It went into my eBay watchlist months ago. I’ve continued to think about it. I couldn’t believe it was still available. I sent a lower offer and they accepted. C’est la vie. It’s on it’s way to me now.
I’d actually love any and all suggestions on how you’d style this one! Click here to explore my closet and send your outfit ideas.
Where we are so far this year
For those keeping track…
New pieces of clothing: 6 (+1 in June) / 6 months of 2025
New accessories: 3 / no limit
Secondhand pieces: 4 (+1 in June) / no limit
If you’re ever curious, you can see all the details of my real closet on Indyx. I’ve shown you mine…will you show me yours? 👀
Why never “too luminous for email”? “Too nuanced and thoughtful for email”???
I think this is true for nearly all of us, by the way. Much more than we care to admit.
I’m so glad you didn’t buy that bio twill skirt I hate it with a passion. I fell in love with that color. It truly is the most stunning green ever. But the skirt is cut so so so short there’s no way to wear it without pinning it to the side. It’s literally crotch on display for me. And then when you always wear it buttoned up, it takes away the versatility. Haaaate that they cut it this way I truly don’t get why.
I swear I have no affiliation to this person or her brand, I genuinely just think it’s cool how she upcycles and, at the same time, I know my style well enough to acknowledge that I myself should not buy one of her reworked shirts, but… please check out Melissa Munro on YouTube or her website https://www.melissamunrodesign.com/ because her shirts might be right up your alley!