Well, who knew. Much to my surprise (and chagrin), I am unequivocally a ‘grass is always greener’ kind of person. During the 8 years I spent in the UK as an expat, I lamented no fewer than 10 50 times about how much I missed the clothing brands in America. “Ugh, if only I was in America!” I’d wail. “Target! Madewell!”
Even when it came to independent brands; it seemed that every time I found one to fall in love with, they were based in the USA, keeping my love long-distance and unrequited.
Dramatic it may seem. But my missing of American fashion even led me to write a blog post about how much I longed to shop in the land of the free.
Finally, finally, Stag and I picked up and moved ourselves to the USA. You could practically see me skipping with delight as I went on my first shopping spree.
And what do I go and do? Buy nothing, go home, and order a Topshop coat. That’s what.
However, despite my missing-European-fashion-woes, there are a few brands new on my radar that are making me sit up and take notice. Ones that I am loving lately and have reignited my yearning for shopping in America.
Well, two in fact.
So I’ve decided to start a new feature here on Wolf & Stag: Brand Spotlight. This feature is a way to showcase my love for independent, interesting, sustainable or under-the-radar brands you need to know about.
Do you like the idea of this feature? Let me know in the comments below!
Brand Spotlight: Reformation
Reformation, a brand I discovered before moving to the US, is one I’ve always admired on others but never thought I could pull off. They are, quite frankly, the epitome of cool-girl LA. Of which I am quite literally the quintessential opposite.
However, funny story here — sometime between throwing out all my clothes and moving to a new city, I made a fateful decision. Emboldened by fashion bloggers extraordinaire like Lucy Williams and Lizzy Hadfield, I’ve decided — well, the hell with it. I am cool. Or at least will believe I am and start dressing like I am. Taking my proverbial ‘comfort blanket’ and donning an oversized blazer over it.
Suddenly, that Reformation style seemed within my reach, and I found myself falling head-over-heels for this Wells Blazer. You may have seen this guy creep up in my Fashion Finds list over on my shop pages.
If Reformation has not been on your radar as of late, it needs to be — not just for its effortless chicness (it’s there in spades). But also for its radical transparency, showing the impact of each garment on the environment.
My Reformation Picks
Brand Spotlight: Modern Citizen
I discovered Modern Citizen by way of accident. I was walking down Union Street, when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a very chic looking duster coat in a window. My brain caught up with my eyes, and I saw — modern writing. Clean aesthetic. Beautiful, beautiful clothing.
I was on my way to work, but nevertheless, I grabbed Stag, and I yanked him inside. Expecting the clothes to all be obscenely out of my price range (they usually are), I simply gazed longingly at the clothing, sighing in admiration.
However, my curiosity got the better of me, and I did the thing that I never, ever want to do in a beautiful clothing shop — the one thing that will spoil the dream and break the entranced spell. I gingerly lifted the price tag on a particular sweater, and I turned it over. It was $70.
Which, okay, is not Primark prices, but for a beautiful boutique in San Francisco, it was mind-bogglingly cheap. Indeed, I quickly discovered that very few of the items sold here were over $100.
From that moment on, a love was born. And since then, I’ve been back to Modern Citizen numerous times, have perused their website daily sometimes, have bought two sweaters (this one here and this one).
Beyond their clean, expensive-looking aesthetic and top-notch tailoring, what I love most is that they are born-and-bred in San Francisco and make/sell their own clothes. It’s the kind of shop I had always wanted to find in London but (in terms of price) never could.
Modern Citizen: a brand I’m not just loving lately, but loving eternally.
My Modern Citizen Picks
A cropped sweater + high-waisted jeans = my spring uniform
Love this wrap dress for Spring — so very ‘scandi cool’
A classic trench coat for less than $100
Nothing better than a good chunky cardigan
Outfit Details
SWEATER | MODERN CITIZEN
BLAZER | REFORMATION
JEANS | LUCKY BRAND
BOOTS | M&S
SUNGLASSES | NEUBAU (C/O)
Which US brands are you loving lately? Any local brands in your area you can recommend? Do you like this brand spotlight feature? Let me know in the comments!