Virginia I love your style and you have influenced me to buy the linen short sets at Target AND my friend is wearing them in Hawaii right now while on her birthday week trip! We are going to the beach for LDW and I bought my first bikini since having my oldest 7 years ago and my 7 yo just said, “Oh I like it, I can see your belly!” I have been buying a lot more bright colors this year too, I really like neon. I’m reading Emma Straub right now and I didn’t know she had a substack so thanks for that recommendation too, I love the style of every person mentioned here. Thank both of you for recommending Housemates, it is one of my favorite books!
This was really really fun to read on a bright, clear Wednesday morning!! I’m intrigued by that bra; it looks lovely. And the Charlotte Stone shoes are so cute. And all hail Claudia Kishi!!! And that Wray dress is the epitome of marvelous.
I have a question about deciding to spend money and time on fashion, or about how to understand my resistance to it. This may actually be a journal entry; apologies and thank you in advance. I was thinking about my kid-era clothes. Growing up in rural Maine with not much extra money, and with a hippie mom who hated stores (who among us loved Zayres?), but who was a skilled and striving maven of values- and budget- and pleasure- and anxiety-driven thrifting, it’s like I developed both an allergy to retail shopping and a lifelong exhaustion w thrifting. I also feel uncomfortable with receiving attention outside of clearly boundaried performance circumstances, and fashion equals attention from oneself and others of some quantity and nature. So now, at 48, comfortably who I am, I see you, Corinne, open all these doors of amazing, creative, many-bodied fashion, and it’s so joyful and beautiful, I kind of want in. Yet the LABOR of fashion scares me. All the meanings of labor. The choosing, the ordering, the sending back, the fitting, the pairing, the maintenance, the hours of thrifting online or off to find things that work. All the money, so much money, for quality things made in safer conditions for decent(er) wages, or the money to pay for help. All the feelings, the constant falling short because things get dirty and the shoes aren’t right or the dog tears the coat jumping up in excitement for a walk or one’s eye beholding beauty turns fickle and cruel or a hundred other practical and creative things need the money and then oh lord I can’t even talk about accessories. All that said, in June I got a beautiful summer dress from SellTradePlus, and I love it. I love wearing it and I love being seen as the glorious elegant rough-around-the-edges frump queen I am in it. So… I may never give fashion (or home design, let’s be honest) the attention and effort and lightness that make it shine. It might not be my thing to figure out just yet. But maybe these joyful moments—the summer dress, the Big Undies newsletter, seeing other people like flowers in bloom, my mom’s exquisitely personal style—are enough labor and time for now. A fine place to be. Maybe I’ll make a little pocket of savings for one wonderful thing this fall. Maybe those Charlotte Stone shoes.
I mean, I love that you are acknowledging that it *is* work for you!! Because it is time and labor and money! And I think if you don't want to devote time or labor or money towards clothing / fashion / shopping that is a totally valid choice. And yet we still have to clothe our bodies!!! So annoying.
I think I personally got a lot of messages growing up (in suburban-ish Maine?) that clothes and fashion weren't really things worth spending money or time on. But similarly, I still had/have to find a way to get dressed in order to exist in the world.
I don't know that I really have a point here except that I think it's interesting that clothes occupy this weird space of being either completely frivolous nonsense or utterly practical utilitarian necessity. And I think getting to think about clothes can be liberating and not having to think about clothes can be just as liberating!
And I just really want to make sure everyone knows that like 80% of the time I am just wearing jeans and a t shirt.
I loved this. I love hearing how you are dressing differently when not thinking of male gaze. Growing up, I had been told
To only wear short dresses as much as legs wer the thinnest part of me so of course I needed to show them. 😡 this is the first year I’m wearing maxi dresses for summer and I love it. It’s so comfortable and cool and I don’t care that I’m
Not showcasing a thinner part of me. Yay for progress 😁
You mentioned the phase of following straight size minimalist influencers and how difficult / confusing that was, I completely relate. Even today I struggle to give myself permission to shop at stores that cater towards plus size, bigger bodies (which I need) because I was pushed away from those stores for so long. It’s just really damaging!!
Man, I always wanted to be as cool as Claudia Kishi. Somehow I knew my wardrobe would never look as great as hers (nor would my parents buy those kinds of clothes for me!) but as an adult, I always feel happy if an outfit has a Claudia vibe!
+1 for Evelyn & Bobbi; their bras are the only truly supportive, wireless option I’ve found. It can feel like a lot of fabric going on but once I’m in it I can fully forget I’m wearing a bra all day. True bliss!
Aug 21·edited Aug 22Liked by Corinne Fay, Virginia Sole-Smith
To date this is my favorite interview. I laughed, I oohed and aahed at the clothes (the sneakers!). Your playful voice came through, which made this fun to read. As always, I covet your shoes. You two crack me up.
The attitude with your navy stripe shirtdress photo is fabulous!
You look wonderful, colorful and totally engaging.
I have found LL Bean makes decent linen pants. I am iron-averse, so I tumble them a teensy bit in the dryer, then hang them from the hems stretched between 2 fixed clips on a plastic hanger.
And they have pockets!
I also bought the Baggu bag for an upcoming trip as soon as I saw it,
I love your colors and am the same way about sunglasses.
I laughed so hard at this: To paraphrase voice of our generation Meredith Brooks, I’m a bitch, I’m a lover, I’m a garden gnome, I’m your fun mom friend in a giant dress.
Two for the Road is SUCH a good fashion movie. I reallly love that Wray dress! And love the new style inspiration, it's hard to find new accounts to follow!
Love, love, LOVE this today, and love you both so much!!! Virginia, everything you wear is amazing! I hardly ever wear dresses, but I always want to buy one after seeing the pics you post!!! :D
First of all it’s so fun and funny to see a STP dress-I think I bid on it! It looks great on you. And you are right, time to charge ahead on shoes and socks-I’m suddenly craving a knee high boot for fall??
Audrey Hepburn's "thin ideal" is the result of malnourishment during WWII. She was stunted during her adolescence. From what I've read in similar stories about this kind of survival, the feelings around food scarcity, never really go away.
I should have phrased it more carefully. It’s not that SHE reinforced thinness — it’s the way Hollywood/our culture reinterpreted her body size (a product of trauma and violence) as an ideal we should all strive for. That’s the problematic part.
Virginia I love your style and you have influenced me to buy the linen short sets at Target AND my friend is wearing them in Hawaii right now while on her birthday week trip! We are going to the beach for LDW and I bought my first bikini since having my oldest 7 years ago and my 7 yo just said, “Oh I like it, I can see your belly!” I have been buying a lot more bright colors this year too, I really like neon. I’m reading Emma Straub right now and I didn’t know she had a substack so thanks for that recommendation too, I love the style of every person mentioned here. Thank both of you for recommending Housemates, it is one of my favorite books!
Those linen shorts are MONEY and made my summer much more pleasant.
This was really really fun to read on a bright, clear Wednesday morning!! I’m intrigued by that bra; it looks lovely. And the Charlotte Stone shoes are so cute. And all hail Claudia Kishi!!! And that Wray dress is the epitome of marvelous.
I have a question about deciding to spend money and time on fashion, or about how to understand my resistance to it. This may actually be a journal entry; apologies and thank you in advance. I was thinking about my kid-era clothes. Growing up in rural Maine with not much extra money, and with a hippie mom who hated stores (who among us loved Zayres?), but who was a skilled and striving maven of values- and budget- and pleasure- and anxiety-driven thrifting, it’s like I developed both an allergy to retail shopping and a lifelong exhaustion w thrifting. I also feel uncomfortable with receiving attention outside of clearly boundaried performance circumstances, and fashion equals attention from oneself and others of some quantity and nature. So now, at 48, comfortably who I am, I see you, Corinne, open all these doors of amazing, creative, many-bodied fashion, and it’s so joyful and beautiful, I kind of want in. Yet the LABOR of fashion scares me. All the meanings of labor. The choosing, the ordering, the sending back, the fitting, the pairing, the maintenance, the hours of thrifting online or off to find things that work. All the money, so much money, for quality things made in safer conditions for decent(er) wages, or the money to pay for help. All the feelings, the constant falling short because things get dirty and the shoes aren’t right or the dog tears the coat jumping up in excitement for a walk or one’s eye beholding beauty turns fickle and cruel or a hundred other practical and creative things need the money and then oh lord I can’t even talk about accessories. All that said, in June I got a beautiful summer dress from SellTradePlus, and I love it. I love wearing it and I love being seen as the glorious elegant rough-around-the-edges frump queen I am in it. So… I may never give fashion (or home design, let’s be honest) the attention and effort and lightness that make it shine. It might not be my thing to figure out just yet. But maybe these joyful moments—the summer dress, the Big Undies newsletter, seeing other people like flowers in bloom, my mom’s exquisitely personal style—are enough labor and time for now. A fine place to be. Maybe I’ll make a little pocket of savings for one wonderful thing this fall. Maybe those Charlotte Stone shoes.
I mean, I love that you are acknowledging that it *is* work for you!! Because it is time and labor and money! And I think if you don't want to devote time or labor or money towards clothing / fashion / shopping that is a totally valid choice. And yet we still have to clothe our bodies!!! So annoying.
I think I personally got a lot of messages growing up (in suburban-ish Maine?) that clothes and fashion weren't really things worth spending money or time on. But similarly, I still had/have to find a way to get dressed in order to exist in the world.
I don't know that I really have a point here except that I think it's interesting that clothes occupy this weird space of being either completely frivolous nonsense or utterly practical utilitarian necessity. And I think getting to think about clothes can be liberating and not having to think about clothes can be just as liberating!
And I just really want to make sure everyone knows that like 80% of the time I am just wearing jeans and a t shirt.
Get the shoes! Get the shoes!!
Oh my god I've never identified with a comment more!
This is my favorite stack ever! P.S. I might say this every week….but it’s true. Thanks Corrine and Virginia
I loved this. I love hearing how you are dressing differently when not thinking of male gaze. Growing up, I had been told
To only wear short dresses as much as legs wer the thinnest part of me so of course I needed to show them. 😡 this is the first year I’m wearing maxi dresses for summer and I love it. It’s so comfortable and cool and I don’t care that I’m
Not showcasing a thinner part of me. Yay for progress 😁
You mentioned the phase of following straight size minimalist influencers and how difficult / confusing that was, I completely relate. Even today I struggle to give myself permission to shop at stores that cater towards plus size, bigger bodies (which I need) because I was pushed away from those stores for so long. It’s just really damaging!!
Man, I always wanted to be as cool as Claudia Kishi. Somehow I knew my wardrobe would never look as great as hers (nor would my parents buy those kinds of clothes for me!) but as an adult, I always feel happy if an outfit has a Claudia vibe!
Great interview!
+1 for Evelyn & Bobbi; their bras are the only truly supportive, wireless option I’ve found. It can feel like a lot of fabric going on but once I’m in it I can fully forget I’m wearing a bra all day. True bliss!
Yes there is some wriggling involved. I have found stepping in and pulling it up weirdly works better than over the head?!
To date this is my favorite interview. I laughed, I oohed and aahed at the clothes (the sneakers!). Your playful voice came through, which made this fun to read. As always, I covet your shoes. You two crack me up.
Dear Virginia
The attitude with your navy stripe shirtdress photo is fabulous!
You look wonderful, colorful and totally engaging.
I have found LL Bean makes decent linen pants. I am iron-averse, so I tumble them a teensy bit in the dryer, then hang them from the hems stretched between 2 fixed clips on a plastic hanger.
And they have pockets!
I also bought the Baggu bag for an upcoming trip as soon as I saw it,
I love your colors and am the same way about sunglasses.
Fun to meet you - thanks for the ideas
I laughed so hard at this: To paraphrase voice of our generation Meredith Brooks, I’m a bitch, I’m a lover, I’m a garden gnome, I’m your fun mom friend in a giant dress.
Two for the Road is SUCH a good fashion movie. I reallly love that Wray dress! And love the new style inspiration, it's hard to find new accounts to follow!
Love, love, LOVE this today, and love you both so much!!! Virginia, everything you wear is amazing! I hardly ever wear dresses, but I always want to buy one after seeing the pics you post!!! :D
First of all it’s so fun and funny to see a STP dress-I think I bid on it! It looks great on you. And you are right, time to charge ahead on shoes and socks-I’m suddenly craving a knee high boot for fall??
I caved and bought 2 of the sports bra…grey and red.
I got approval by the 6 and 8 year olds. 😆
Ooh, off to order that garden stool! Thanks for the rec!
Audrey Hepburn's "thin ideal" is the result of malnourishment during WWII. She was stunted during her adolescence. From what I've read in similar stories about this kind of survival, the feelings around food scarcity, never really go away.
I think that's a very important point to make here and I'm glad you brought it up. My first reaction to that sentence was a very strong distaste.
I should have phrased it more carefully. It’s not that SHE reinforced thinness — it’s the way Hollywood/our culture reinterpreted her body size (a product of trauma and violence) as an ideal we should all strive for. That’s the problematic part.