September shopping picks

+ thoughts so far on Universal Standard

This past month, I haven’t been doing as much shopping for clients, but a bunch for myself. I’m loving everything simple, minimal, and classic, and that’s what a lot of the links are for this month.

photo credit: power of my people clothing brand

I’m also including a whole section of picks just from Universal Standard. Until they approached me this spring, I had intentionally never partnered with any brands, because I don’t like having an excess of clothes and because I don’t think your opinion can be completely unbiased when something is given to you for free (question everything you hear from an “influencer”, even me!). I made the exception for US because I believe in their work to make clothing more inclusive (their size range is 00-40). My partnership means that every month, I get $300 to spend on their website in return for an Instagram post and a TikTok post. I also get a 10% commission on anything anyone buys through my affiliate link.

It’s been amazing having the chance to try so many items that I quite honestly couldn’t have afforded to try otherwise. I’m as honest as possible in my reviews (here, here, here, here, and here), and I’ve kept less than 50% of the items I’ve been sent. The items I didn’t keep were ones that just didn’t work for my style or my body, but they’ve all been amazing quality. Since the items are mine, I’m able to give them away if they don’t work for me and have done so mostly on social media (stay tuned for another giveaway), although my mother-in-law has been the lucky recipient of a few.

Now that I’ve tried so many things, I’m more impressed by the company than I was before. Every item has been beautifully made, with really incredible feeling fabrics. Not only have I been impressed, but I’ve also had multiple clients purchase multiple items that they love. Unfortunately, sizing is still not completely standard amongst all items, but they do include not only a size guide, but product measurements for every item.

photo credit: universal standard

I know that Universal Standard’s items are a higher price point than a fast fashion brand. While it’s not in everyone’s reach, I do think the price is reflective of the mission, quality, and ethics* of the company. There are also deep discounts at the end of each season, although items are usually final sale at that point.

(links to Universal Standard in this post are affiliate links and will earn me a 10% commission on items purchased through it)

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I’ll be repeating my Stress Free Shopping Workshop on September 15th at 1pm ET. We’ll talk about how past experiences have shaped your present frustrations, realistic expectations for shopping, how to make sense of sizing, and I’ll answer your questions live. You’ll also receive access to my retailer spreadsheet, a living document that can be sorted by size and price range, and that has only previously been available to those at the Substack founder level. The price is $47, and will go up to $67 after that day. There will be a recording available. Please join me!

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*I wasn’t sure if Universal Standard really qualified as an ethical brand, so I reached out to get more info. This was their response:

Thank you for reaching out to US and asking about our practices.

We source ethically and manufacture in safe labor conditions. All our suppliers are WRAP certified. Our major supplier of cotton product coming from China is SA8000 compliant. Established by Social Accountability International (SAI), SA8000 is a social certification standard for factories and organizations across the globe.

Standards must be in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions.

Additionally, we test all fabrications and trims before we move into production.We use materials and manufacture in Peru, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Spain, and Portugal.