What I Bought in May
Hot girl summer? Try temperate girl outerwear
I’m late, I know.
I was on vacation, okay!? Two glorious weeks away in Nice and then Copenhagen. It was the first real chunk of time away from
in over two years.It’s pretty amazing how, uh…getting out into the real world (!) impedes your ability to find things on the internet to buy. I just didn’t do all that much browsing this month!
Maybe you don’t need that new [insert coveted item], you just need an identity outside of consumerism. Really makes you think, huh?
All this to say: this one will be relatively brief.
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? ❌
These are fun. And again: the styling for J.Crew has just been so good lately. I’d want to wear these exactly like this.
They’re a statement. The ones that work, work because they feel like me. When a piece feels like me, even a “statement” seems easy to style—and I end up wearing it nonstop (see: my Indigo Sids, for example).
Others…feel like a chore. A puzzle I can’t quite crack.
And despite all my postulating, sometimes there just isn’t a surefire way to know which way that coin will flip until it does.
I want to be the girl who wears these with ease. But something in my gut tells me this one will land on the wrong side.
On the list? ❌
These, on the other hand, are a total throw-on. “Fancy sweatpants”, but in short form.
And that little kick-out A-line silhouette? As discussed last time, these nail the leg-opening ratio I’m always chasing on shorts.
I like them very much.
But let me complain about San Francisco summer one more time: it’s June and the high today was 66 degrees. A blessing and a curse. There’s barely any real chance to wear shorts here—if there were, I’d probably buy them. Alas.
On the list? ❌
What do you need in San Francisco summer (and, year round)? JACKETS!!! I am literally always looking.
I like this one because it’s much more neutral than the typical super-warm “country brown” color you see on a lot of suede jackets.
I don’t put too much stock in color analysis, but FWIW, I think I’m a Summer—and this more neutral shade feels way better with both my own coloring and that of my existing wardrobe.
Am I actually pulling the trigger on a $1,800 jacket? No, almost certainly not.
On the list? ✅
Speaking of jackets…
I came very close to buying this one shopping IRL in Copenhagen in this lovely shop. The hype is real, y’all: this is a great city for shopping. Especially secondhand shopping (more on that in a sec).
The thing I loved about Copenhagen fashion is that it feels to me what San Francisco fashion could be if only we weren’t cursed by tech culture. When I visited in late May, the weather basically mirrored what SF is year-round: 50s to 60s, swinging between sunny and overcast-windy.
Like SF, Copenhagen also loves its technical gorpcore. But somehow they make it look…chic? All managed without a single Patagonia fleece or pair of Allbirds (gasp!).
And the jacket game? Unreal and inspiring. There are so many great jackets in CPH, which is what ultimately led me to this one.
What held me back? I wasn’t totally sold on the super boxy silhouette. Very Copenhagen, but would I feel a little too SpongeBob SquarePants back in my real life?
It also fills the same “hole” as another jacket I’ve been eyeing, which (fingers crossed) might show up in the Tibi sale any day now. And it wasn’t exactly cheap, pushing $400 USD.
The kicker? It’s a firsthand piece, so if I decide I really do love it, I could just order it later. At this point, I think I’m functionally incapable of making an IRL impulse purchase. I just… can’t. That’s not how I’ve shopped since digitizing my closet over six years ago now. Why rush it? If you still want it later, it’ll be there.
What I bought:
On the list? ✅
The knit tube top (dark-ish color?)!!! She’s here.
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for, so I snapped it up no questions asked.
Paired with my linen pants, I can now finally officially wear this outfit that’s been living in my head rent free:
On the list? ❌
If I’ve officially declared myself immune to IRL impulse purchases when it comes to new clothes, then secondhand is the exception to the rule.
And I’m completely okay with that.
Because this place at this time is your only shot. And that’s what makes it so special.
This piece ended up being both the grand opening and grand closing of my Copenhagen shopping. Despite all my meticulous planning for other stops, this one was purely serendipitous. It was our first day and we happened to grab a mid-afternoon coffee just across the street from O-S-V Secondhand, giving my partner a place to sit happily while I ran over to take a quick look.
And there it was: a twill car coat like I’ve I’d been low-key considering for years, in exactly my size. A Burberry car coat, for 2000 DKK (which converts to about $300 USD). I still kind of can’t believe it? Like I’m questioning if it’s even real at that price.
I hardly care.
I walked out less than 20 minutes later with a bag and a one-of-a-kind memory of our time there. It’s something I hope (and genuinely believe) I’ll wear for years to come.
Where we are so far this year
For those keeping track…
New pieces of clothing: 5 (+1 in May) / 5 months of 2025
New accessories: 3 / no limit
Secondhand pieces: 3 (+1 in May) / 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? 👀
This series is so compelling I simply cannot get enough
Good work! I’m in awe of your restraint. Looking forward to seeing your outfits over the summer - old and new x