Clothes, Shoes, and Other Things

Why
I have the honour of being asked, every now and then, where I buy my cool clothing! I never have a satisfying answer. "Nowhere in particular, really."

How
Before and during shopping, the key is making sure everything fits my personal style. My style sounds like this:

• High quality (e.g. will not break after a few washes)
• Rarely ever any neons or bright colours or patterns
• Lean towards light neutrals like whites or greys or pinks or whites, sometimes red to accent a white -- because the colours should be easy on the eyes. If wearing a lot of the same colour (e.g. NYC loves black), mix up the textures. Androgynous colour palettes (black, white, green/blue/brown over pink/purple, but that doesn't mean pink/purple are not okay). Black/white/navy and neutral-toned shoes for work (and a bit of maroon or other serious colours are okay). If the exact shade of the colour is not quite right, avoid.
• Some floral patterns but I am picky about which flowers are okay. Patterns should not be too uniform or too large or too bold. 
• Interesting textures/stitching/fabric. Some see-through. 
• Nothing preppy or tacky. Sometimes a bit boho or hipster but not mainstream hipster. 
• High-waisted over others. V-neck over others. 
• Avoid logos. Avoid words unless I like the words (e.g. The Laundry Room -- "Mermaid Off Duty" and "Come sit with us.") 
• Avoid trends

Things that don't fit this style feel strange on me. A few (less than 3) of my clothing items (e.g. Alice + Olivia) do not fit this personal style. I feel a bit stressed thinking about and looking at these items and need to find a way to let go of them.
Below is an inventory of where I shopped for all my clothes, shoes, plus a few other things in my studio. Some are stores with more than one brand (e.g. Zappos). For those, I listed the store rather than the brand, because this is more about the "how" behind the discovery. If helpful, I added the brand in parentheses.
I collected these things slowly over about 10 years. I only keep what I love. The total number is small. I rarely buy clothes or shoes these days because I have everything I need.

Today
If shopping today, I would probably go to East Village Vintage Collective and maybe Beacon's Closet. I would look for something relatively low-cost. I prefer older clothing before the era of fast fashion and unique cuts that are difficult to find today. And it seems more sustainable (from an environmental standpoint) to buy secondhand.
I would love to go back to Thanx God I'm a V.I.P.

Tips

• Rouge might be too packed to go in person in Paris, so online is better once you know your size.
• In-person over online. Much more efficient. (e.g. The RealReal in SoHo)
• You don't have to worry about how the clothing/furniture/etc. will fit with the rest of your things as long as you abide by your personal style. Then, everything will fit together.
• If you're not sure, ask yourself 1) if it fits your style and 2) if it flatters you.
• Some clothing doesn't flatter anyone. Some clothing will never flatter you no matter what your body type is. (e.g. Spaghetti strap dresses look like aprons on me.)
• Touch the fabric and think about how it makes you feel.
• Be picky. Usually walk into a store and walk out with nothing.

::: Inventory :::

Sunglasses
Chloe
Oliver Peoples

Gloves
Anthropologie

Scarves
Thanx God I'm a V.I.P., vintage store in Paris

Swimsuits
Nastygal

Hats
Amazon.com
Free from work

Socks/Underwear
Amazon
Costco
Victoria's Secret

Tops
Brandy Melville
Club Monaco
Equinox
Free People
Lululemon
The Laundry Room
Saks OFF 5th
Stanford

Sweaters
Club Monaco
Rag & Bone

Kimono
EPISODE, vintage store in Paris

Blazers
BCBMAXAZRIA

Jackets
Burberry
eBay
Free People
Mackage
Nike
Urban Outfitters

Shorts
Brandy Melville
Cornell
Equinox
Stanford

Skirts
East Village Vintage Collective
Thanx God I'm a V.I.P., vintage store in Paris
vintage store in San Francisco

Pants
Beacon's Closet
Diesel
Lucky Brand
The RealReal, SoHo
Zara

Dresses
Alice + Olivia
Reiss
Romwe
Rouje, was temporarily in SoHo, is still in Paris
Urban Outfitters, Birmingham UK

Shoes
Bloomingdale's
Chloe
Cole Haan
Gucci
Havanas
Zappos (Brooks, Birkenstock)

Furniture or Household items
Anthropologie
Olde Good Things
Wayfair
West Elm for bedding, not furniture