6 Gems: How to get your Tibi Spring 26 on - right now, for free
And, a bonus: Were the runways all a bore?
Resort. Holiday. And now this. Oooooh, it’s been exciting. Many of you found me by way of Tibi, a brand that seems to build community like no other. But community shouldn’t require an entry price. What’s nice is that Tibi’s really satisfying personal style content on Youtube is free. But I can imagine that the temptation to spend or the creeping feeling of not being “part-of” around all these moments might feel like a lot.
So I’m dedicating this week’s 6 Gems to this conundrum - and making this free in hopes that you’ll share with anyone feeling just that way. We can all be “in it” — I’m sure Amy Smilovic would agree. “It” - I believe - is an ongoing conversation. Where more voices are better.
(BTW, if you’re receiving this, want to be an HMS subscriber and community member, but are facing financial hardship, ask me for a Standing Coffee.)
Make an ISO wish list: Look, eventually everything goes on sale, or better yet, to the secondhand market. The fun of prioritizing isn’t limited to those who can’t make an IRL purchase right now. Start thinking about your favorites anyway. One place to start: cleowave.com or tibi.fans on IG.
Dupe the new vibe with old. Use secondhand to give you the gestalt of what’s new. And if you want, use this link to access Creative Pragmatist Finds, where
of Still Thinking About it and Get Uplifted are already sharing secondhand items that carry the spirit of new stuff.DIY the splatter paint denim. One of the most wanted pieces are those ivory splattered jeans.
is looking into a how-to guide, but in the meantime, think about sourcing an ivory jean in a “too big” size so it drops nicely. You’ll want to be well above your usual waist size. I’m typically a 29 — and like a 34 or 36. Check Etsy, eBay for “vintage ivory denim.” Or better yet, make it an in-person thrift sport, where things cost even less.
Style a pair of knee highs over pumps. This added so much to the looks - and I think it’s actually not just runway only. Really it turns a shoe into a cap toe bootie. Just do it out to dinner one night! Start with a pair of opaque knee highs and cut off the toe. Gently insert your pump. Now feel where the heel is and make a small hole there. Poke the heel through and voila!
Go ham on shoulders. The shoulders! They are big. They are different. They are moving further down the arm versus sticking straight out like a hanger. Get there by experimenting with big cheap shoulder pads. Or by thrifting in the men’s XL and L section, where anything shouldered will creep a little lower on your arm. (I just got a bomber like this and thought - “should I fix this? Why do I like it like this? This is why - it’s interesting.)
Build some structure below. One of the big shifts of the Tibi show was the addition of structure below the waist. It will seem a little scary to those who’ve been led to believe, by whatever dumb forces lead us there, that they’re “hippy” (raises hand). But in truth it creates a beautiful shape and defines the waist. Our own gave us an easy trick. Tuck a dress into an A-line shirt to create volume there, making it more stiff and sculptural. Look how she does it here. (You could experiment with the shoulder pads here, too! I have a Bottega padded dress that gets structure from removable pads at the hip.)
And maybe obvious, but OFC, play with color in new ways for you. Do as Marie Claire proposes and start screwing around with color using what you — and anyone else in your household who doesn’t have a lock on their closet — already have.
AND ALSO,
asked what I think of the WAPO column (gift subscription here) about how boring everything NYFW has become. Here’s a bonus 6 for the paid folks on that: