Never buy the same thing twice (And other lies my mom told me)

Is there ever really too much of a good thing?

There was a time in my life where I organized my closet by pattern.

I’ve since become much less Marie Kondo and much more devil-may-care, but that time in my life revealed to me that I have a bit of an addiction. Striped t-shirts.

There’s something about a striped t-shirt that is iconic yet open to interpretation. There’s the boatneck French sailor shirt that just screams nights on the French Riviera and days reading and sunbathing on a boat. There’s a boyish striped pocket tee that offers an “I just stepped off my skateboard” look. There’s the 90s version with bright primary color stripes and high-rise, light-wash jeans.

Whatever it is, I have found endless opportunity in a striped shirt. And that’s probably why I have—hold on while I run to my closet to check—14 of them.

At one time, I would have sheepishly said it was a waste. My mind would have reverted to the old wardrobe adage, imparted by my mother: Never buy the same thing twice. But I’ve since come to terms with the idea that it’s okay to buy the same kinds of things two, three, even fourteen times, if they’re things you love and wear.

As they say, some fashion rules are meant to be broken.

Back to basics

I can safely say this is the softest T-shirt I have ever worn.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve turned to quality over simply quantity and low price. I’m still looking for a good deal, but I’m also factoring in the way a fabric feels and the evergreen nature of the piece’s fit and style.

Well, for those of you who love basics, do I have the brand for you: Universal Standard.

I discovered them through another newsletter, Girls’ Night In, offering a deal I simply could not pass up—a free Universal Standard basic Tee Rex t-shirt only for the $10 cost of shipping. Only $10? How could I not?

I was not expecting to be impressed. I own far too many basic tees, varying in quality. (The Madewell Whisper tees are not worth your time, I am sorry to say!!) When this arrived, I was shocked by the softness. I can safely say this is the softest T-shirt I have ever worn.

I have since ordered the striped tee you see in the first photo, because Universal Standard randomly decided to email me a $50 free credit. So, yes, I got that second T-shirt totally for free.

My fashion hack for you: Read your promotions folder on Gmail (and newsletters!!). Plenty of brands notice if you’re a frequent shopper and offer tailored-to-you discounts. This was the first time I experienced a random free credit, but I hope it is not my last.

Any other good basics on sale?

One word of advice for you: Don’t sleep on Gap. I feel sad that they’ve hit a low point from their peak of beloved American basics retailer. I will be forever grateful to the Gap for introducing me to my first pair of button-fly, high-rise, wide-leg pants. Those pants changed my life!!!

Right now, Gap is doing additional 50% off all of their sale items. For reference, these pants come out to $22 down from $70 online. (Click the photo if you’re interested.)

Another brand doing 30-50% off their merchandise is Aerie, American Eagle’s loungewear/intimates spinoff.

Do you need this ribbed henley that comes out to only $20 on sale? Probably not. Do you want it? (Do I want it?) Maybe.

If you could buy anything this week, what would it be?

I have been eyeing these Outdoor Voices x Hoka One One’s since I first saw the rainbow shoelaces on Instagram. I am a sucker for white sneakers (another one of those things I can’t get enough of, like striped shirts) and the reviews on these are killer. Their color is cloud, and so many reviews say they feel like “walking on clouds.”

You’re probably spending more time outside right now, since there aren’t many other options for exercise, so maybe the idea of running/leisure shoes sound good to you? These are a cool $140 and not on sale, so they’re a big purchase. But they’re also fun and beautiful!!!

Case closed.

Where are your favorite basics from? What’s your fashion addiction? Let me know by responding to this email!

<3, Elizabeth