Dear Reader,
Something I have noticed with my dressing lately is the urge to put on old favorites.
I think at a time when we are exposed to so many new brands, products and recommendations every day, it can sometimes pull us further away from our own personal style compass, so putting on well-worn and loved pieces from your wardrobe can feel both comforting and relevant again by helping you remember why you loved them in the first place.
There is also a subtle shift in intention when we opt out of buying something brand new in favor of choosing pieces that have a bit of history or nostalgia and giving it a new life, whether its already in your closet or a secondhand find.
For me, my nostalgic dressing is very much tied to heritage “All-American” brands like GAP and old J. Crew, but especially Ralph Lauren (ps - this is such a fun read!)
As a Korean-American growing up in an area where no one looked like me, I often was very aware of how different I was than my peers - the way I looked, what I ate, the language I spoke with my parents - so I spent a lot of my grade school years trying to be less “Korean” and more “American”.
I always went to the beat of my own drum with my style since I was a child but I remember how wearing a RL embroidered polo shirt always made me feel more “American” for some reason. It was a brand that was so iconic to American culture and I loved flipping through the catalogs and visually experiencing snapshots of a quintessential All-American life.
But it’s also a brand that reminds me of my mom. She loves fashion as much as I do and her style has definitely had an influence on me. She had stacks of beautiful RL cable knit sweaters in her closet - she always appreciated the quality. She didn’t dress up for her everyday but the days she wanted to put some effort into her outfits, she would wear her favorite Ralph Lauren sweater with a simple wrap skirt or crop pants and look so chic.
With more exposure to diversity in college, I became proud of my Korean heritage and my own individuality which allowed me to feel confident in standing out vs blending in. But for some reason, I still had an emotional tie to those classic legacy pieces. I don’t think I realized until more recently that it spoke to key aspects of my personal style - styling classics with a modern twist and an appreciation for relaxed, lived-in fits and fabrics (ps - if I had to choose 3 words to describe my style, it would be Modern, Chill, Unexpected).
Choosing to wear a brand like Ralph Lauren now has become more of a stylistic choice and one that I continue to reach for when I want to express those parts of my style and wear a bit of nostalgia.
So here is a love letter to my favorite old Ralph Lauren pieces-
An old secondhand RL sweatshirt I have had since college. Found at my favorite secondhand store, probably a few sizes too big and perfectly tattered at the cuffs. It was stored at my parents house for many years. I rediscovered it and packed it for our recent move and its been back in heavy rotation.
A classic cable knit jumper from my moms closet. I remember we tried to get her to donate these RL sweaters during a closet edit as she didn’t fit into them anymore. She refused to let us give them away. One of the best lessons I learned from my mom is to never get rid of pieces that are timeless and high quality because you can always pass them down and you never know when you will want to wear them again and they become very hard to replace. I have found this to be so true in recent years! Anyway, I’m happy she didn’t listen to us as I get to enjoy this pristine cable knit that was a part of her style from the 90s and has now become a part of my own.
When spending time in Lisbon last year, I frequented a local thrift store, A Outra Face da Lua, and they had beautifully curated collections of vintage silk robes, deadstock 60s and 70s jewelry and denim and army jackets.
I happened to find two perfectly conditioned Ralph Lauren mens shirts from the 90s - they looked like someone wore them for an event or an interview and then donated them right after, they were so pristine. It cost around $25 for the two. They reminded me of the shirts I used to wear (with distressed denim mini skirts and uggs LOL) when I was younger that I outgrew from a sizing perspective.
What are your go-to nostalgic pieces that still rotate in your wardrobe? Or do you have old pieces that you gave away that you have been looking to add back into your wardrobe these days?
Til next time ❤️
xx
Angie
I loved this! As a Brazilian I always enjoy the appreciation for Havaianas!! It’s so comfy 💞
RL is so classic. Loved reading about your personal connection to the pieces and how you've styled them!