Hi People!!!!!
I hope you had a tolerable Monday! Mine was uniquely difficult given that I did not move from my couch for the entirety of the day on Sunday, but I suppose that is completely my own fault. Somehow by Sunday I always forget how much worse Mondays are for accomplishing absolutely nothing over the weekend. It’s a vicious cycle. Anyhoo! For this week’s newsletter I have four outfit ideas for you based on how your New Year’s Resolutions are going. I would normally be rolling my eyes at such a topic by the third week of January (everyone knows self-improvement ends in week two!), but because I publicly declared mine to you in a newsletter last month, I have thought about it far more than in years past. And because this newsletter is basically just a random dump of whatever’s going on in my brain, that is what you’re going to get.
Outfits inspired by your New Year’s resolutions attitude
“What resolutions?”
Contrary to popular belief, this person is not lazy. You are a carefree feather floating in the wind, and I envy you. How wonderful it must feel to be unencumbered by obsessive desire for self improvement. This level of badassery obviously requires a non-basic leather jacket and velcro sneakers. You can’t be bothered with the tyranny of laces!!!!!!! Please cozy up in this silk slip and sweater combo, and write a book to help the rest of us who have never known this level of peace.
The person who wrote down 25 different resolutions and immediately forgot all of them
If I hadn’t committed my one and only resolution to writing in a newsletter, I would probably fall into this category. Like myself, you probably score tremendously high on the Tigger spectrum according to this Winnie The Pooh Pathology test I took online. (I do not recommend taking unless you want to know everything that could possibly be wrong with you.) You want to be better and do more, but unfortunately focusing on the task at hand did not come to mind when creating that list. So naturally, to match your pure chaotic energy, I have pulled together clashing prints and shorts for the winter. But with socks! Because you tried!
The resolution loophole artist
If your Dry January turned into Dry Monday-Thursday January or if instead of breaking up with Uber Eats you’ve resolved to only order in twice per week, this one is for you. Much like this business on top, Netflix on bottom look, you are at least trying to maintain the appearance of effort and I appreciate that. With everything going on the world, how “together” can we really be expected to have it anyway? Just know that when your resolution is on its last leg, when you’ve snoozed your 6AM alarm one too many times and your workout equipment has turned into a clothing rack, there’s always the power of manifestation via tote bag.
The person who’s almost following their resolutions too much?
Please calm down. You’re making the rest of us feel bad.
Or put on your power pantsuit with some boss lady hoops and a t-shirt that oozes confidence, and ignore the lazy ignoramuses like myself trying to hold you back. When you said 2021 would be your year, you actually crafted a plan to make it happen instead of sending your friends memes about it. Just wear flats so I know you’re human; that’s all I ask.
An update on my resolution
In the spirit of New Year’s Resolution talk, I wanted to give an update on how mine is going. I pledged to only buy one new home or fashion item per month this year, with everything else being secondhand or made of dead stock materials. I already cheated a littleeeee bit and instead bought six new items from the Kule sample sale. It was all in one purchase so that’s still fine right? Plus I think samples might go to waste if no one picks them up, so it’s kind of like shopping secondhand... Anyway, I’m extremely happy I publicly declared this goal and made it stricter than I normally would because it’s really making me stop and consider my purchases. It’s amazing how money just stays in your bank account when you don’t spend it on random shit on Instagram!!!!
I thought it would be fun to share which item I decided to make my one newbie for the month throughout the year, so here’s my order from Kule:
Questions of the week
“Please teach us how to take a cute selfie.”
I am both flattered and truly shocked that anyone feels that I have expertise to provide in this category, but I will try to give you everything I’ve learned from my obsessive mirror pic habit. (I personally can’t take even a semi serious front cam selfie without feeling a hot rush of painful self awareness, so I cannot help you in that category.) First of all, you must never ever ever look at yourself in the mirror while you take the photo. Maybe this is not universally true, but I find the more I look at myself, the more ridiculous I feel. Plus, when I’m staring at myself the end results make the whole pursuit feel even more narcissistic than usual. Just look down at the button you click to take the photo (what is that button called????), and try to stand naturally. I generally find that shifting my weight to one side feels less aggressive, but move around a little bit while you snap as many photos as you want. Options are good. I personally feel any smile showing my teeth when taking a photo in the mirror alone in my apartment makes me feel vaguely psychopathic, but I am weirdly self-conscious about these things (in case you couldn’t tell), so you do you. I find the ones that I like the most are, ironically, the ones that look like I quickly snapped them and didn’t think through the whole process so much or the ones where I’m in a pose so exaggerated that no one could possibly think I am taking myself too seriously. (How hard I think about this is probably ironic evidence that I do, in fact, take myself too seriously.) I’m sorry if that was not helpful, but maybe it’s relatable? I’m sure I’m not the only one who has to power through the cringe factor to participate in social media.
“What do you do, and what outfits would you wear to work?”
Currently I work as a social media and marketing manager for ModeSens, which is basically a search engine for shopping. I started this job last March, the same day the office went fully remote, so my work outfits have mostly stuck to my WFH outfit formula I wrote about a few months ago (but with more sweaters and leggings than tennis skirts and running shorts this time of year). At my previous job, I was in a very similar role at OuiPlease, and I absolutely loved getting dressed for that job. There was basically no dress code, and I’m not sure how I will ever survive in an office that has one. Here are some of my favorite outfits that exemplified what I wore there, a little bit professional, but mostly casual and fun:
Have a question you’d like me to answer? Ask away below!!!!!!
My question for you
I couldn’t possibly end this newsletter without acknowledging the elite fashion scene that was the Biden inauguration. Michelle in her head-to-toe burgundy, Amanda Gorman’s headband moment, Ashley Biden in a tuxedo, and, of course, Bernie Sanders in mittens and the coat he has been wearing for God only knows how long. So this week I must know, what was your favorite inauguration look? And what do you think the role of fashion in politics is? This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately given our first Second Gentleman, our first female VP, and her Vogue cover drama.
Recs of the week
Watch the video of Amanda Gorman’s poem from the inauguration. Even if you’ve already seen it, watch it again.
If you’re prepared to give up six months of your life, watch Real Housewives of New York from the top. It is delightfully trashy.
Someone please try the Everything Bagel flavor ice cream from Jeni’s, and let me know how it is. I’m curious but also terrified.
If you have a dog, I highly recommend the PupBox if only to get this birthday hat on their birthday month (sobs).
Also HUGO IS ONE!!!! MY BABY! SO GROWN UP!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you all for taking the time to lay your gorgeous eyeballs on another edition of the Hi People!!!!! Newsletter. I hope you know I don’t take that time and energy for granted. As always feel free to send your questions/comments/concerns/requests my way via email, DM, Google form (linked on the “Ask me a question” button above), or comment on this post. Have a fabulous week, and I’ll see you next Tuesday!
Cheers,
Maddy
Thank you for your selfie help and your self help! Keep being your beautiful self - inside and out.