It’s a special kind of shame, realizing you’ve gravitated toward clothing like athleisure or pajamas for the better part of your life during the summertime. Around this time of year I find myself falling into a kind of duality: I am either dressed to the nines in a flouncy, special occasion-type outfit or I’m in the same raggedy tank top and stretchy workout shorts I wore every day during lockdown.

This week I met up with an old friend at TsuruTonTan, where we discussed the relative woes of shopping for new clothes. I’m not a big shopper myself, and when it comes to investing in season-friendly clothing I, like a lot of us, become overwhelmed with decision-paralysis. Nevertheless, I managed to put together some pretty cute looks built around two new pieces I invested in lately.

When I was around 14-years-old I spent the night at the home of a girl we’ll call Jermaine. I had never really connected with her, but I knew sleeping over at her apartment with our group of friends was a good thing. I knew that, in some juvenile way, being there solidified to everyone else that I belonged in the group.

I’ll admit, I struggle with styling for warmer weather, and as a result my closet is noticeably lopsided. I’ve been on a mission to mindfully expand my wardrobe, and to avoid getting overwhelmed I’m starting simple: Denim.

Once every two years or so a pressure creeps up on me. It’s the pressure to “keep up” and buy something new, as if a new item of clothing will somehow breathe new life into the pieces I already have. After wearing a particular outfit for a couple years or more, regardless of whether anyone is paying attention or what the trend cycle is, I begin to feel self-conscious. Do I seem broke? Lazy? Uncreative?

Not that it’s on purpose, but rain coats are rude. Unlike other functional clothing, which is often made from fabrics such as denim or canvas, water-resistant clothing often utilizes materials like nylon and rubber, which make them resistant to wind and rain. While windbreakers are magic, I have too often found myself building an entire outfit around one—making the entire look “sporty” in order to accommodate a single piece that will likely be removed as soon as I’m inside. In this way, we style-conscious people tend to find ourselves faced with choosing between a sporty, rain-friendly look, or carrying an umbrella. Now that’s a shame.

Back in 2022, I was at my first runway show hideously overdressed and wedged between fashion hopefuls who donned neon wigs and fishnet tights. My colleague and I killed the minutes waiting outside by scanning attendee outfits, chatting with curious tourists and texting the event PR about when we would get in.

A couple months ago artificial intelligence (AI) really freaked me out. I associated it with high-schoolers cheating on their essays, and podcasts featuring regretful AI founders who were coming to terms with the overly powerful and occasionally racist beast they’d created. So when Try it on AI, a company specializing in AI-generated headshots, reached out to me, I was hesitant to say the least.

I’ll admit it—I have not been at my best recently. In the weeks following my trip abroad I’ve found myself plagued with the nagging feeling of “needing a vacation from my vacation.” While my body begs for deep rest, the pressure to dive back into my productive routines has lingered above my head, ever so persistently.

Ten years ago I was preparing to graduate from Taipei American School to begin a new chapter that would consist of college, internships and a whole lot of “real world” bullsh*t. At the time I was thrilled to be repatriating. Despite how much I had loved growing up in Taipei, Taiwan the experience had left me with deep insecurities about my appearance that I had not yet confronted.

I spent last week in Tokyo, Japan getting connected to my roots, aiming to feel comfortable while not looking too much like a tourist. Among my key considerations when packing were wearability, style and suitcase space. Easy enough, right?

March gets such a bad rap. When we find ourselves in the “in-between” months it seems everyone has something to say about the hardships of getting dressed. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Now is the perfect time to be spontaneous and experiment with all the clothing that falls victim to only being wearable a few fleeting weeks out of the year.

“Fashion knows not of comfort.” Whenever I slip on a stiff new pair of leather shoes or see a video of Dua Lipa struggling to sit in a cinched-to-perfection dress, this Gossip Girl quote comes to mind.

As the internet floods with fashion month recaps I'm beginning to see a theme emerge: The end of stealth wealth. Apparently understated luxury is making its way out and more maximalist, in-your-face looks are on their way in. Exaggerated collars, bright red eye shadow, patterns that are impossible to miss, etc.

The first time I attended New York Fashion Week was in 2022. When I received an invitation I was genuinely surprised. They’re inviting me to attend?! It was that rare opportunity to get to know the faces behind the brands. You know—a chance to make authentic connections with the people we emailed with every day.

In 2018 I was working as an intern at Boston Neighborhood Network, a community-access broadcasting non-profit where I was a production assistant, or PA. After another day of micing-up guests, breaking down sets and washing mugs, a host who was known for her particularly crotchety demeanor said to me, “You’re in the right industry. What do you want to do?”

Last week I received a surprising and exciting invitation to Uniqlo’s spring/summer 2024 LifeWear collection preview. When I told my brother I was going he asked an excellent question: What is it about Uniqlo that makes it that one fast-fashion brand we can all kind of stand behind?

There’s something about a structured, sexy, sophisticated blazer that never really goes out of style. By the same token though, they run the risk of being taken for granted and…boring. Our blazers don’t deserve to be the predictable choice in our closet and deep down we all know it! Here are some ways to honor the sacred, centuries-old piece:

I spent the better part of two years feeling like an imposter in the fashion industry, and in honor of Black History Month, we’re going to talk some more about that in the next post, but let’s stick to the main thing—why you’re here.