Here’s just a small prayer and comment to what you write here:
“Others write much more eloquently about the state of fashion and its massive, world-destroying ecological footprint. So here I am, apologetically writing about the grimy antique shirt and how the Lemaire dress just felt soulless in comparison, and I can’t explain it. More importantly, it doesn’t feel like it’s worth sharing. Nothing quite does.”
Tiia, we don’t need others! We need you! We need your writing! Your perspective! 🙌🏻
Agreed. I’m here because I like your perspective. On clothes, on style, and on life. I think the reason we share things with others, is to see the beauty in the world and in each other. And because deep down we are all connected and not all quite so different from one another. I hope you keep sharing, whatever and however it suits you.
Thanks, Kassie! I like that thought -- sharing in order to see beauty. The world can be such a shitty place sometimes, and what else do we have than each other, our kindred spirits, other lovers of beauty.
Hi Tiia. I've been reading your newsletter for a while now and remember enjoying the Do Not Buy Or Wear piece very much last year (both the post itself and the comment section). But my favourite piece of yours is the one you wrote about the Finnish men's morning suit, with the pictures of the fabric and the seams, and the meticulous research you did of its origins!
When you mentioned the Lemaire dress in this post, I conjured up a vague picture in my head of what it might look like and mentally agreed with you when you left it behind. But when you found that grimy antique shirt and saved it -- my curiosity was seriously piqued!!! Would you consider writing and photographing more of this old stuff that you are finding? I'd even love to see the cleaning and restoring process, I mean, just how greenish yellow was that rinsing water (bit gross, but I'm not sorry for wondering) and what did the shirt look like after cleaning? Are you planning on wearing it?
I find your eye for and knowledge in identifying, caring for and analyzing these older garments so fascinating. You share it in a way that also makes the idea of having those garments modern (I'm not an antiques collector or really even an appreciator, but I really do hang on to every word you write about these antique clothes). Maybe it's because you have shared how you incorporate antique things into your outfits before, and it still looks beautiful and practical?
I really do hope you'll continue to share with us, but I do also understand that keeping some aspects of dressing private feels good. Thank you for writing this piece!
Thank you for writing this, Patience, I so appreciate it.
You've encouraged me to write about the properly old vintage clothes and antiques more. I think that's pretty much what I've actually wanted to write about for a while, but I've been thinking that no one would really care to read about it, and I don't even know why I've assumed that! It's so nice that you and a few others have expressed interest in the old things that feel meaningful to me. I'm thrilled!
I should have taken a picture of the greenish-yellowish water that came from the shirt, because it was seriously quite something. I'm kicking myself for not having taken "before" pictures of the shirt! But yes, I do intend to wear it, and I will share, how.
Yes! Amen to this! If you have the mood and time for it, Tiia, please do share the small and the big moments of your love for vintage and antique garments. Just as you’ve been doing so far. Thank you.
Tiia, this was so wonderful to read. I’m glad you’ve arrived at your own style space—it’s nuts how maintaining some distance from social media can really reset your patterns of thinking.
You’ve raised some interesting points that have my brain buzzing. I think online interest communities are valuable spaces, especially for those of us without opportunities for this kind of communion irl. Yet, having this kind of online presence, where you share your wardrobe and outfits publicly, necessitates some amount of editing and posing. It’s also difficult to not get into performing good taste for kudos, tailoring your output to what gets the most attention, and echoing the ideas (including shopping choices) of others as a tool for belonging. I don’t think any of this behaviour is bad per se, but by this point you have probably shifted drastically from the person that started this online journey, your point of view an amalgam of everything you’ve picked up along the way.
I think we can all benefit from taking more of ourselves offline and withholding the urge to always be mining our lives for content. Personally, I’m enjoying writing about my style interests on Substack, but it is unsettling how this platform is designed to make you hunger for growth (and monetization). It’s not as simple as the Reddit groups I used to participate in, but honestly a lot more engaging. I try to mind my post frequency and only contribute when it feels natural instead of anxiously keeping to a publishing schedule (lest I lose followers with inactivity!).
I do hope you’ll stay around in some way—your fashion historian pieces last year (like the suit from Viipuri) were some of my favourites. I’ll end my long, rambling comment with this: thank you.
I found myself nodding to everything you wrote here, Lan.
The online style space is very complicated, but nevertheless so incredibly valuable, and you expressed that beautifully. It's tough to find the balance though, to find a way to do this where it feels organic and "one's own". It's so easy to get distracted.
I couldn't agree more with your thoughts re: Substack and its demand for growth and monetization. It's disturbing to me. I, too, try to find my own way of doing this and writing when I feel like it. If that means that I lose followers, so be it. They probably weren't my people to begin with.
Last but not least: thank you for being here, and for reading and commenting!
Your writing is so lovely - I would read an entire piece on your discovery of the antique shirt and how you brought it back to life! I can feel your joy in that experience through your words. Your story reminds me of why I love style and fashion in the first place. I do hope you'll continue to write when you feel so inspired. The Sunday Thoughts are quite meaningful and I enjoy them very much.
That's why you're my favorite style Substack; there's no "you could buy this" list. I don't need people to encourage me to buy stuff, I do it so well on my own. HA. But you write thoughtfully about material culture by way of these objects that do or do not speak to you. That's the relationship I'm looking to have with my closet. I would love to see close-up photos of that antique shirt, maybe before and after cleaning. The satisfaction of bringing an old worthy thing back to use, or just the satisfaction of interacting with it, is the inverse of what consumerism is telling us to do. Your perspective has a lot of value even if it's not quite what you wanted to write!
Thank you, Jeanne! I so appreciate your kindness and encouragement.
I've been thinking that no one else would be interested in seeing and hearing about the old stuff that I care about, but I'm so glad that you and a few others would like me write about the antiques in more detail!
I am always inspired by your approach to how you dress yourself and how you perceive and interpret fashion and design, but I also think it makes sense to withdraw and recalibrate and share in a way that makes sense to you, likes be damned. The newsletters I look forward most to getting usually have nothing to do with what's trending -- you feel the person's mood and voice as soon as you start reading it and none of the content can be easily pigeon-holed. Given the crazy, anxious, image-obsessed times we live in, I rather like it when people don't share photos! I don't mind the whole trend of "romanticising" normal daily moments at all, and I am very curious about the antique shirt, but I also think it's really wholesome and beautiful when people just talk about their interests and we, the listeners/readers do a bit of work and imagine it for ourselves.
Re: purposefully _not_ sharing photos -- I was just thinking about this the other day! I had, in front of me, a cup of hot cocoa, and it was one of those IG worthy moments (steaming cocoa in a pretty, hand-painted cup, background of an old embroidered table cloth, beautiful light)... and then it hit me that if I had to describe what I was seeing rather than taking a photo of it, I'd really struggle to come up with the right words to do it. That whole "a picture is worth a thousand words" thing came to mind, and in some ways I get it, but in others... it's not that simple.
The cup of cocoa situation also made me think of old fashion magazines and how they'd print one or two pictures from a runway show, and the rest of the show was described in a detailed written review, and how great it was to have to imagine what the clothes looked like, rather than just seeing all the pictures.
What I enjoy about your writing is the way your deep love of clothes comes across. It’s the details of construction and fabrics; the history behind the cuts and the design. I make most of my own clothes and your writing speaks to me in a way that very little ‘style’ content does. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Catherine! I so appreciate your kind words!
I've always admired people who have the skill and the patience to make their own clothes. It's such an amazing thing, really, to be able to make clothing, and it's such a shame that so many people take clothing for granted.
I am there with you! I love my closet/clothes that I have edited down over the last couple of years. I have some to wear for almost any conceivable occasion. I don’t need/ want that to be my focus anymore. I too have limited my screen time - when I open Instagram I am still inspired ( I limit whom I am following) but after a few minutes I am just bored.
I am teaching myself how to makes felted vessels from (almost) raw wool - now all I can think about is what kind of wool in what colors will I choose next - still fabric/ fibers but in a different form that is making me so happy!
Oh wow, felted vessels sound so intriguing! I'm still a beginner with mending clothes, but I can already tell that it's a lovely rabbit hole to dive into. Scraps of fabric and leftover yarn seem to be filled with all sorts of possibilities!
Hi Tiia! I have been reading your newsletter for a while, but have been too shy to comment before. I just wanted to say that I really hope you keep writing and sharing. Your posts are like a balm to the soul, and really encourages me to slow down and think deeper when it comes to style and the things I like to wear.
Tiia, I love this post and hearing your thoughts on all of it--fashion, style, social media, and LIFE. for me, your words are always a big wonderful breath of fresh air in a sea of consumerism, rapid speed, and envy. Your authenticity is nourishing to my soul. Whether you continue on with the newsletter or decide to wander away, know that your way of expressing has been greatly appreciated and has added insight and deep thought to my life and my life with clothes (and buying them). Thank you! xo Lisa
Onnittelut Tiia! Uskon että mistä kirjoitit, tarkoittaa että olet todella löytänyt oman tyylisi. Et tarvitse ostaa sitä viimeisintä uutuutta sen takia.
Kiitos Jaana! Anthea's Attic on ihana Etsy-kauppa, tykkään siitä kovasti! Musta antiikkihameeni on sieltä ostettu, ja katselen tasaisin väliajoin, mitä uusia (vanhoja) aarteita Anthea on löytänyt.
Truly nothing wrong with not wanting to share every part of yourself, it was very normal up til recently!! But I also see the benefit in community and participation, connection across generations etc. & as someone who basically didn’t interact with social media for the last decade, I feel like I have been a little underprepared for how they work and have to keep my guard up a bit more about how Substack game-ifies all of this!! I feel so susceptible lol. if you are willing to share/write more about your vintage passion projects, that would bring me so much joy as a reader. I think about your piece on the antique skirt you wear, and the little repairs inside it, often! But again, you do NOT owe anyone anything - if this is not joyful, focus on where your feet are and I hope you get to find joy there 💗💗 used to have a very simple but nice vintage Swedish folk shirt (not sure what region it was from as I got it from myrorna). I grew out of it sadly but I think abt how nicely made it was and wish I still fit it hahah
I often think how lucky I was to be able to grow up without social media... but then I also think that perhaps it would have allowed me to reach "my kind of people" earlier in life, and maybe I would have found my line of work much, much earlier. But that's a lot of ifs and maybes! Sharing and community-building on social media is not a one-dimensional thing, that's for sure. There's a lot to love about it, but it also fosters some problems. Just have to try to find the balance, I guess!
Folk shirts are so lovely! They're so well made. I'd love to see your Swedish one!
Here’s just a small prayer and comment to what you write here:
“Others write much more eloquently about the state of fashion and its massive, world-destroying ecological footprint. So here I am, apologetically writing about the grimy antique shirt and how the Lemaire dress just felt soulless in comparison, and I can’t explain it. More importantly, it doesn’t feel like it’s worth sharing. Nothing quite does.”
Tiia, we don’t need others! We need you! We need your writing! Your perspective! 🙌🏻
Agreed. I’m here because I like your perspective. On clothes, on style, and on life. I think the reason we share things with others, is to see the beauty in the world and in each other. And because deep down we are all connected and not all quite so different from one another. I hope you keep sharing, whatever and however it suits you.
Thanks, Kassie! I like that thought -- sharing in order to see beauty. The world can be such a shitty place sometimes, and what else do we have than each other, our kindred spirits, other lovers of beauty.
P.S. Love Poirot. I am currently rewatching it all. Can we talk about Ms Lemon’s wardrobe? Incredible.
Yes to Miss Lemon's clothes! Oh my gosh! And the curls on her forehead! I love Hastings' wardrobe, too. His long tweed overcoat is so stunning.
Thank you, Ewelina, that's so sweet of you!
Pretty much what I came on here to say!
I agree! I find much value and perspective in your thoughts.
Thank you so much, Irene! I so appreciate your support!
Hi Tiia. I've been reading your newsletter for a while now and remember enjoying the Do Not Buy Or Wear piece very much last year (both the post itself and the comment section). But my favourite piece of yours is the one you wrote about the Finnish men's morning suit, with the pictures of the fabric and the seams, and the meticulous research you did of its origins!
When you mentioned the Lemaire dress in this post, I conjured up a vague picture in my head of what it might look like and mentally agreed with you when you left it behind. But when you found that grimy antique shirt and saved it -- my curiosity was seriously piqued!!! Would you consider writing and photographing more of this old stuff that you are finding? I'd even love to see the cleaning and restoring process, I mean, just how greenish yellow was that rinsing water (bit gross, but I'm not sorry for wondering) and what did the shirt look like after cleaning? Are you planning on wearing it?
I find your eye for and knowledge in identifying, caring for and analyzing these older garments so fascinating. You share it in a way that also makes the idea of having those garments modern (I'm not an antiques collector or really even an appreciator, but I really do hang on to every word you write about these antique clothes). Maybe it's because you have shared how you incorporate antique things into your outfits before, and it still looks beautiful and practical?
I really do hope you'll continue to share with us, but I do also understand that keeping some aspects of dressing private feels good. Thank you for writing this piece!
Thank you for writing this, Patience, I so appreciate it.
You've encouraged me to write about the properly old vintage clothes and antiques more. I think that's pretty much what I've actually wanted to write about for a while, but I've been thinking that no one would really care to read about it, and I don't even know why I've assumed that! It's so nice that you and a few others have expressed interest in the old things that feel meaningful to me. I'm thrilled!
I should have taken a picture of the greenish-yellowish water that came from the shirt, because it was seriously quite something. I'm kicking myself for not having taken "before" pictures of the shirt! But yes, I do intend to wear it, and I will share, how.
If you're passionate about exploring it and pleases you to write about it, I hope you continue to do so!
Yes! Amen to this! If you have the mood and time for it, Tiia, please do share the small and the big moments of your love for vintage and antique garments. Just as you’ve been doing so far. Thank you.
Tiia, this was so wonderful to read. I’m glad you’ve arrived at your own style space—it’s nuts how maintaining some distance from social media can really reset your patterns of thinking.
You’ve raised some interesting points that have my brain buzzing. I think online interest communities are valuable spaces, especially for those of us without opportunities for this kind of communion irl. Yet, having this kind of online presence, where you share your wardrobe and outfits publicly, necessitates some amount of editing and posing. It’s also difficult to not get into performing good taste for kudos, tailoring your output to what gets the most attention, and echoing the ideas (including shopping choices) of others as a tool for belonging. I don’t think any of this behaviour is bad per se, but by this point you have probably shifted drastically from the person that started this online journey, your point of view an amalgam of everything you’ve picked up along the way.
I think we can all benefit from taking more of ourselves offline and withholding the urge to always be mining our lives for content. Personally, I’m enjoying writing about my style interests on Substack, but it is unsettling how this platform is designed to make you hunger for growth (and monetization). It’s not as simple as the Reddit groups I used to participate in, but honestly a lot more engaging. I try to mind my post frequency and only contribute when it feels natural instead of anxiously keeping to a publishing schedule (lest I lose followers with inactivity!).
I do hope you’ll stay around in some way—your fashion historian pieces last year (like the suit from Viipuri) were some of my favourites. I’ll end my long, rambling comment with this: thank you.
I found myself nodding to everything you wrote here, Lan.
The online style space is very complicated, but nevertheless so incredibly valuable, and you expressed that beautifully. It's tough to find the balance though, to find a way to do this where it feels organic and "one's own". It's so easy to get distracted.
I couldn't agree more with your thoughts re: Substack and its demand for growth and monetization. It's disturbing to me. I, too, try to find my own way of doing this and writing when I feel like it. If that means that I lose followers, so be it. They probably weren't my people to begin with.
Last but not least: thank you for being here, and for reading and commenting!
I would love to see a picture of the vintage folk shirt you bought! Have you found out which region it’s from?
I will share a picture of it in another newsletter! I'm guessing it's Finnish, but I'll have to research it further to know more.
Yes, I echo that! We are simply curious about your daily interactions with clothes 😌
Always and forever, Poirot 💕 😄
Agreed! It's so, so good!
Another great post. Thank you.
Thanks Liz!
Your writing is so lovely - I would read an entire piece on your discovery of the antique shirt and how you brought it back to life! I can feel your joy in that experience through your words. Your story reminds me of why I love style and fashion in the first place. I do hope you'll continue to write when you feel so inspired. The Sunday Thoughts are quite meaningful and I enjoy them very much.
Thank you so much, Marissa. This means a lot to me!
That's why you're my favorite style Substack; there's no "you could buy this" list. I don't need people to encourage me to buy stuff, I do it so well on my own. HA. But you write thoughtfully about material culture by way of these objects that do or do not speak to you. That's the relationship I'm looking to have with my closet. I would love to see close-up photos of that antique shirt, maybe before and after cleaning. The satisfaction of bringing an old worthy thing back to use, or just the satisfaction of interacting with it, is the inverse of what consumerism is telling us to do. Your perspective has a lot of value even if it's not quite what you wanted to write!
Thank you, Jeanne! I so appreciate your kindness and encouragement.
I've been thinking that no one else would be interested in seeing and hearing about the old stuff that I care about, but I'm so glad that you and a few others would like me write about the antiques in more detail!
I am always inspired by your approach to how you dress yourself and how you perceive and interpret fashion and design, but I also think it makes sense to withdraw and recalibrate and share in a way that makes sense to you, likes be damned. The newsletters I look forward most to getting usually have nothing to do with what's trending -- you feel the person's mood and voice as soon as you start reading it and none of the content can be easily pigeon-holed. Given the crazy, anxious, image-obsessed times we live in, I rather like it when people don't share photos! I don't mind the whole trend of "romanticising" normal daily moments at all, and I am very curious about the antique shirt, but I also think it's really wholesome and beautiful when people just talk about their interests and we, the listeners/readers do a bit of work and imagine it for ourselves.
Re: purposefully _not_ sharing photos -- I was just thinking about this the other day! I had, in front of me, a cup of hot cocoa, and it was one of those IG worthy moments (steaming cocoa in a pretty, hand-painted cup, background of an old embroidered table cloth, beautiful light)... and then it hit me that if I had to describe what I was seeing rather than taking a photo of it, I'd really struggle to come up with the right words to do it. That whole "a picture is worth a thousand words" thing came to mind, and in some ways I get it, but in others... it's not that simple.
The cup of cocoa situation also made me think of old fashion magazines and how they'd print one or two pictures from a runway show, and the rest of the show was described in a detailed written review, and how great it was to have to imagine what the clothes looked like, rather than just seeing all the pictures.
What I enjoy about your writing is the way your deep love of clothes comes across. It’s the details of construction and fabrics; the history behind the cuts and the design. I make most of my own clothes and your writing speaks to me in a way that very little ‘style’ content does. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Catherine! I so appreciate your kind words!
I've always admired people who have the skill and the patience to make their own clothes. It's such an amazing thing, really, to be able to make clothing, and it's such a shame that so many people take clothing for granted.
I am there with you! I love my closet/clothes that I have edited down over the last couple of years. I have some to wear for almost any conceivable occasion. I don’t need/ want that to be my focus anymore. I too have limited my screen time - when I open Instagram I am still inspired ( I limit whom I am following) but after a few minutes I am just bored.
I am teaching myself how to makes felted vessels from (almost) raw wool - now all I can think about is what kind of wool in what colors will I choose next - still fabric/ fibers but in a different form that is making me so happy!
Oh wow, felted vessels sound so intriguing! I'm still a beginner with mending clothes, but I can already tell that it's a lovely rabbit hole to dive into. Scraps of fabric and leftover yarn seem to be filled with all sorts of possibilities!
Google Wet Felting! All sorts of on line tutorials …
you said what i’ve been wanting to say but saw no point in saying it 😅🤣
Maybe there is no point, I guess I just can't help myself! :D
Beautiful post
Thank you, Cristina!
Hi Tiia! I have been reading your newsletter for a while, but have been too shy to comment before. I just wanted to say that I really hope you keep writing and sharing. Your posts are like a balm to the soul, and really encourages me to slow down and think deeper when it comes to style and the things I like to wear.
Thank you so much for leaving a comment, and for your lovely words. Your support means a lot to me!
Tiia, I love this post and hearing your thoughts on all of it--fashion, style, social media, and LIFE. for me, your words are always a big wonderful breath of fresh air in a sea of consumerism, rapid speed, and envy. Your authenticity is nourishing to my soul. Whether you continue on with the newsletter or decide to wander away, know that your way of expressing has been greatly appreciated and has added insight and deep thought to my life and my life with clothes (and buying them). Thank you! xo Lisa
Thank you, Lisa! I always love hearing from you. It's very meaningful to me to hear that my writing resonates with others.
Onnittelut Tiia! Uskon että mistä kirjoitit, tarkoittaa että olet todella löytänyt oman tyylisi. Et tarvitse ostaa sitä viimeisintä uutuutta sen takia.
Ehkä olet kuullut tai nähnyt tätä myyjää Etsyssa, mutta saattaa olla että sinä nauttisit Anthea's Attic (https://www.etsy.com/nz/shop/AntheasAtticApparel) antiikkisista pellavavaatteista...
Kiitos Jaana! Anthea's Attic on ihana Etsy-kauppa, tykkään siitä kovasti! Musta antiikkihameeni on sieltä ostettu, ja katselen tasaisin väliajoin, mitä uusia (vanhoja) aarteita Anthea on löytänyt.
Truly nothing wrong with not wanting to share every part of yourself, it was very normal up til recently!! But I also see the benefit in community and participation, connection across generations etc. & as someone who basically didn’t interact with social media for the last decade, I feel like I have been a little underprepared for how they work and have to keep my guard up a bit more about how Substack game-ifies all of this!! I feel so susceptible lol. if you are willing to share/write more about your vintage passion projects, that would bring me so much joy as a reader. I think about your piece on the antique skirt you wear, and the little repairs inside it, often! But again, you do NOT owe anyone anything - if this is not joyful, focus on where your feet are and I hope you get to find joy there 💗💗 used to have a very simple but nice vintage Swedish folk shirt (not sure what region it was from as I got it from myrorna). I grew out of it sadly but I think abt how nicely made it was and wish I still fit it hahah
I often think how lucky I was to be able to grow up without social media... but then I also think that perhaps it would have allowed me to reach "my kind of people" earlier in life, and maybe I would have found my line of work much, much earlier. But that's a lot of ifs and maybes! Sharing and community-building on social media is not a one-dimensional thing, that's for sure. There's a lot to love about it, but it also fosters some problems. Just have to try to find the balance, I guess!
Folk shirts are so lovely! They're so well made. I'd love to see your Swedish one!