Keep Your Head On
Hi everyone, happy Wednesday! We’re back to our regularly scheduled programming this week. Can you believe we’re only 2.5 weeks away from Halloween? Even though I won’t be going out and partying, I’m still gonna dress up and marathon scary movies and have a good time. What are your Halloween plans?
Blue Jean Baby
I’ve been cruising Noihsaf Bazaar for a little over a year now, so I think I’ve put in enough time to credibly relay some trends I’ve noticed on there. If you’re not in the know, Noihsaf is a curated Instagram shop where people can submit their stuff for resell, mostly from independent and emerging designers; the first person who comments underneath the post lays claim to the item. There are a few brands/products on there that are consistently popular — Jesse Kamm pants, Doen dresses, and Misha & Puff sweaters all garner a lot of engagement, which is to be expected. But there’s one brand I hadn’t heard of, Rudy Jude, whose utility jeans reliably draw 10-15 people jockeying for first dibs in the comments section. Curious, I checked out their website, and I mean, I think maybe I get it? The jeans are very cool, made out of 100% organic cotton sourced from Japan, then constructed in small batches in LA. Plus, I’m super into the reinforced double knees — carpenter-style pants are real hot right now. Nevertheless, I admit my undue susceptibility to hype may play a part in why I find myself waiting with bated breath for a pair of Rudy Judes in my size to pop up on Noihsaf.
Oh So Gourdgeous
HAND-BLOWN GLASS PUMPKIN - CHARGED GLASSWORKS
Don’t get me wrong — I love a good decorative gourd. But after last year’s Great Pumpkin Debacle that ruined my new hat, I’ve resolved to stick solely to pretend pumpkins that won’t suddenly dissolve on me. Skimming the holiday aisles of Target and Home Goods, however, I was unenthused by the offerings. I don’t want another boring raffia pumpkin or one smothered in orange glitter; I want something a little quirkier, a little less mass-produced.
Naturally, I turned to Etsy. Last year I wrote about these greyscale concrete pumpkins, and this year I’m drooling over these blown glass pumpkins, topped with a perfectly curled tendril like gift wrap ribbon. Artist Sarah Michalik, who runs the store Charged Glassworks, creates festive little sculptures and ornaments all by hand from her Boston studio. I’ve been fascinated with blown glass ever since I watched Netflix’s Blown Away, and witnessing Michalik’s pumpkins take shape, the process of molding and shaping the molten glass, is simultaneously soothing and awe-inspiring.
The Root of the Problem
SKULL HAIR KERCHIEF CROCHETED BANDANA - CYBERJUNKK
As of my writing this, I have not stepped foot into a hair salon for about, oh, seven months? Which means I have seven months’ worth of dark-colored root growth that transitions to — not even transitions, really, more like runs up against — extremely frizzy blonde strands that retain a tinge of pink. Look, there’s nothing I can do about it, and it wasn’t like I was expecting to stay pink forever, and there’s no way I’m gonna bleach my roots myself, so I may as well accept my fate. In the meantime, a crocheted hair kerchief is a cute and crafty solution for obscuring that awkward grow-out phase. I’m particularly eyeing this gothic skull-sprinkled one, perfect for getting into the Halloween spirit.
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!