Down the Rabbit Hole
Goodness, there sure are a lot more of you this week than last week!
As many of you know, The Everygirl included Worn In, Worn Out in a newsletter roundup, and now I am sitting on 500+ more subscribers than I had last week. So I suppose another quick introductory spiel is in order: hello! My name is Kitty, I just graduated from USC, and I am an online shopping fiend. I started Worn In, Worn Out to spread the word about cool under-the-radar products from small, independent brands. Look out for new posts in your inbox every Wednesday!
Head Over Heels
THE CHESHIRE JUMPER - RED BEAN DREAMS
Back in February I wrote about an extremely beautiful and expensive sweater that I purchased from a lovely girl named Erin, whose brand Virgo Knits I discovered on Instagram. It’s custom-made, painstakingly stitched together from leftover scraps of chunky Peruvian wool. It’s gorgeous, I adore it, and I have zero need for another one, yet here I am, coveting a very similar handmade sweater from a pretty, crafty girl on Instagram. Damn you pretty, crafty girls!
This one is crocheted by Elle Yue, and features a dreamy cool-toned color palette inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Something about the off-kilter design really charms me — rather than following a rigid template, the patterns seem spontaneously improvised, left up to the creator’s whims. I’m especially taken with the leg of mutton sleeves and the swirling Cheshire cat-esque spiral adorning the front. My head knows I don’t need two sweaters with ~quirky vibes~, but my heart is screaming for it. Also I’m warning you now, if just one (1) person writes in to tell me to buy this sweater, I will absolutely do it, no questions asked.
Fit Like a Glove
BAREFOOT SLIP ON FLATS - THAQAFAH
I love everything about the Martiniano glove shoes: how sleek and supple they are, how lightweight they feel, how closely they mold to the contours of your feet. Everything, that is, except their price. In my quest for a reasonable alternative, I discovered Thaqafah, a UAE-based Etsy shop that sells customized glove slippers for a fraction of the price. They’re cobbled together by hand using organic leather, and they come in all colors of the rainbow; so if you like the look and feel of Martinianos but not the fact that they only seem to come in staid black, white, and beige colorways, you’re in luck. Personally, I’m eyeing these buttery mint green slippers, which look to be the perfect companion for my evening strolls.
Snack Attack
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sick of my snacks. Suddenly all my reliable Trader Joe’s favorites — dried mango slices, pita chips, pistachios — offer about as much appeal as wet cardboard. I suspect it’s due to how quickly I plough through them when I’m at home all day in pajamas; I’m getting tired of the same old, same old. Thank goodness, then, for international snack box subscriptions like Try the World, which send you monthly packages bursting with exotic treats. These globally-sourced gourmet goodies are all supplied by small, family-owned companies who follow traditional and artisanal methods of production. I can’t wait to get my taste buds tingling with some French palets or some Korean yakgwa; if you’re stuck at home fantasizing about a destination vacation, this is the next best thing.
Tried one of my recs and loved it (or hated it)? Wanna get something cool on my radar? Drop me a line at kittylguo@gmail.com, or swing by my Twitter @kitguo!