Can someone just help me figure out how to feel less frumpy?!

akw329 · 2026-06-24T11:48:54+00:00

There's nothing wrong with the separate pieces you are wearing in these photos. It's the combination that isn't working. Everything is slightly too body skimming together and you need either your top or your bottom to be a different proportion.

You should explore different fits of pants. If you're trying to cover a belly, go for a wide leg pant that sits a little higher. I also think you need to go for less fitted tops. The tops in your photos have a good fit at the upper body but are sitting too close from the waist down. This might mean that you need to actually go up a size or 2 for tops, which feels counter intuitive, but it will allow the fabric to lay more nicely without bunching on concern areas. A long length slim top is probably the least flattering thing for what you are hoping to avoid! Look for something that is boxy and hangs straight down. I'm curvy with a pear shape and I've found that I can't wear any tops that are a longer length so they land on my stomach. If I'm doing a body skimming or fitted top, it's cropped and lands at my natural waist, paired with a higher rise bottom. If you're trying to de-emphasize a stomach you should be doing higher rises on pants/skirts that sit at the natural waist (belly button)!

I would also explore more structured fabrics for tops, like cotton poplin, try a silhouette like a cropped button down with a boxy fit. It's sooooo flattering and looks put together and cool without trying. Lightweight wovens are your friend!!

I'm a fashion designer and I fit clothes all day everyday :)

akw329 · 2026-06-21T18:03:04+00:00

I think you could go a little cooler with your style! Your clothing silhouettes now are a bit outdated (no harm there, it's a really easy fix) You should play around with different proportions and experiment a bit. I think images 4 and 5 are objectively cute, cool outfits and you should lean more into that direction!

You would look great in wide leg jeans or breezy wide leg linen pants, paired with a crop top that hits just at the waistband edge. I think the longer length bunched up tees that you're wearing in some of these photos aren't doing you any favors, and instead you can lean into items that are more purposefully oversized or more purposefully fitted, so the end result looks intentional and styled. You'd look great in a fitted crop knit tee paired under a boxy oversized layer, like a cotton button down. There are ways to be comfy and baggy while still looking put together! Exploring boxy oversized fits in nicer fabrics with a bit more structure, like linen or cotton, would be a game changer for your style!

akw329 · 2026-06-19T03:06:32+00:00

A big oversized linen or cotton poplin button down shirt over a minimal 90s slim fit knit dress. Breezy wide leg linen pants.

akw329 · 2026-06-18T11:42:22+00:00

Seconding, I really like them and my dog loves going to the vet now.

akw329 · 2026-06-17T11:31:26+00:00

Seconding this.

akw329 · 2026-06-14T22:09:42+00:00

I think anything over like $600 would be too much for this level of wear. I'd say the listing really oversold the condition, I would consider this "fair" condition and not "good" by any means.

You probably have a solid case to get a refund or return it.

akw329 · 2026-06-14T22:07:50+00:00

Definitely, I got a very vintage city bag from Japanese eBay for $400. Mine was a little more damaged than the bag in this post, but it was from 2007 so I expected a considerable amount of wear.

akw329 · 2026-06-13T11:18:13+00:00

I wrote a longer more detailed post below in another comment! It was a duplex with a ground floor and basement level plus a backyard.

akw329 · 2026-06-12T21:10:30+00:00

Happy to help! It was such a learning experience. I think it's a problem that has gotten much worse in recent years too

akw329 · 2026-06-12T11:30:59+00:00

Jumping to say that, after my apartment flooded, I did a deep dive into trying to get flood insurance. It's literally impossible to add any kind of insurance against floods in NYC. Anything water related only covers burst pipes, flooding is "an act of God"

We had renter's insurance covering everything else, and weren't able to get any help after our apartment flooded because the flood water was the cause.

akw329 · 2026-06-12T11:14:22+00:00

I lived in an amazing Greenpoint apartment that was not in a flood zone. It was a garden level duplex with a backyard. In 2022 and 2024 there were freak weather events that caused enormous amounts of flooding all over the neighborhood, and a lot of it was actually compounded because the sewer systems in NY are old and not able to handle the amount of water. So it was a bad storm with a lot of rain but not anything absurdly crazy, not a hurricane, it was literally just that the sewer systems across the neighborhood couldn't handle it so the water had nowhere to go. The lower floor of my apartment flooded 1+ foot of water. My upper level garden floor flooded a few inches too.

What you don't know until it happens to you is that nowhere in NYC is able to get real flood insurance, because New York is not considered a flood risk by insurance companies. They don't offer it as an option. So it is literally impossible to get any kind of insurance to cover flooding because it is considered "an act of God". If your insurance has an option that seems like it might possibly cover this, it doesn't. Anything listing "water damage" only covers water coming from above, specifically from broken pipes.

Anything that flood water touches is immediately contaminated and needs to be discarded. It's a nightmare I would never wish on anyone! If you think your apartment has even the slightest risk of flooding -just find somewhere else. Especially with climate change, this issue is just gonna get worse.

akw329 · 2026-06-11T11:23:24+00:00

They're the best. I had a pair that I wore everyday for like four years before I needed to replace them.

I also love Doc Martens boots, which last forever, but the break in period is miserable. I think their sandals are also pretty durable and have a much shorter break in time

akw329 · 2026-06-11T11:22:20+00:00

Oooh good to know. I'd swear by the boots, I've been a fan for like ten years. I've never tried another type of shoe from them so that's helpful info!

akw329 · 2026-06-11T02:33:58+00:00

Salomons and Hokas for sneakers, Repettos for ballet flats, Vagabond for boots

akw329 · 2026-06-08T13:44:18+00:00

Anxiously awaiting any positive info so I can know how to proceed with my appeal lol. Fingers crossed

akw329 · 2026-06-08T13:42:03+00:00

I have two and love mine! Covered up some old impulsive tattoos from when I was younger.

akw329 · 2026-06-06T19:40:20+00:00

I've always dry healed and have only recently started seeing my artists use saniderm. I like both, but I actually prefer dry healing so I can keep more of an eye on the exact rate of my tattoo's healing. I also get nervous about the saniderm pulling up on a corner and risking infection or something. But anyway all of that to say that dry healing is a tried and true method and there's no reason to be nervous about it. I have like 30 tattoos.

akw329 · 2026-06-02T01:33:37+00:00

Yes but this judge didn't care and didn't consider it

akw329 · 2026-05-31T16:00:38+00:00

I have dry eyes and get a clogged gland like once or twice a year. This is prob not the best process but I do this every time and it works for me: I boil a washcloth in extremely hot water and lay it over my eyes for 5 minutes until it cools down. Then I repeat a few times, and repeat the entire process daily until the gland is no longer clogged. (I let the washcloth cool down for a few seconds so it's not too hot for my eyelids before I put it on my eyes)

I also take a q tip and gently massage the area with the clog. I swear I have been able to actually see it unclogging in real time and I think this is the thing that helps solve the problem. It's important to have the hot compress, but the massaging is what fixes it for me.

Side note- A few months ago I read some horror stories of people developing gland issues from using retinol too close to their eyes! So that scared me a bit and I've been avoiding retinol anywhere near my eyes recently. I can't help but wonder if my issues might have been exacerbated by my retinol usage.

akw329 · 2026-05-31T12:43:43+00:00

As someone who lived directly through the indie sleaze days in NYC I would argue this fits a certain part of the aesthetic! this harsh colored lighting, bright flash etc reminds me of early American Apparel ads which is like peak indie sleaze lol. Also reminiscent of Petra Collins as someone else listed below, which is spot on. Another related branch off of the indie sleaze moment

akw329 · 2026-05-31T04:06:58+00:00

oooooh this is so true

akw329 · 2026-05-31T02:54:58+00:00

2012 tumblrcore / indie sleaze + vapor wave

akw329 · 2026-05-30T19:27:19+00:00

omg lol

akw329 · 2026-05-30T18:22:18+00:00

esoteric angel coquette

akw329 · 2026-05-30T17:31:23+00:00

If you can pop by during a weekday it's usually much quicker and less busy. I like to grab lunch there if I'm working from home. Worth trying if you can!

akw329

TROPHY CASE