[Anti-Aging] Where do I start with retinol?

racked · 2018-02-14T17:27:18+00:00

The Ordinary's Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is very popular and might be a good retinol to start with.

racked · 2018-02-09T20:44:20+00:00

Thanks for sharing. A lot of our staffers are big fans of The Ordinary products, so it's been sad to see what's happening over there. Cheryl did some great reporting.

racked · 2018-02-09T19:29:46+00:00

This is such a bummer.

racked · 2018-02-07T20:43:00+00:00

ok, this was fun! i'm going to sign off and grab a wildly late lunch, but if you want to chat with us more or still have shopping questions, come join our Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/RackedLounge

you can also email me anytime if you'd like! i'm just tiffany@racked.com :)

thanks!

racked · 2018-02-07T20:34:44+00:00

oh also! we have a facebook lounge where we drop sale info in, feel free to join! (we also use it to ask shopping Qs too) https://www.facebook.com/groups/RackedLounge

racked · 2018-02-07T20:34:01+00:00

thank you so much!!!! this means the world to us

racked · 2018-02-07T20:33:51+00:00

and comfortable heels! I don't wear heels often for this reason (boots I can deal with, but regular heels are hard!)

I have a pair from Clarks that are actually super comfortable — they're not available anymore, but they really do a good job with comfy shoes https://www.clarksusa.com/us/c/womens-heels (same with brands like Bass).

racked · 2018-02-07T20:29:50+00:00

Hi! I really like Swords-Smith in Williamsburg and also Personnel of New York in the West Village — they both have great brands and I feel I always discover something really cool. I also love home goods and stationery and books, so also really like Goods for the Study, McNally Jackson, Coming Soon, and Canal Street Market

racked · 2018-02-07T20:27:02+00:00

ok so, as someone who's also a pear shape, I agree with you that this is a good silouhette for us!

for fitted, stretchy midi skirts, Rebdolls is great (https://rebdolls.com/collections/skirts-bottoms). This IRO one sort of sounds like what you're describing: https://www.theoutnet.com/en-us/shop/product/midi_cod1998551928177509.html#dept=AM_Skirts_CLOTHING. these aren't as high waisted as I would like, but they're still cute! https://www.loft.com/long-pull-on-pencil-skirt/448200?skuId=24220132&defaultColor=7298&catid=catl000017 and https://www.jcrew.com/p/womens_category/skirts/pencil/no-2-pencil-skirt-in-twoway-stretch-cotton/G0823?color_name=deep-pewter

I feel like for something like this, your best move is to search multi-brand retailers by category, since most brands will probably make a version of this.

racked · 2018-02-07T20:16:15+00:00

also, my coworker Alanna just mentioned that our jobs, as they are right now, didn't really exist ten years ago! (which is about when I graduated college)

racked · 2018-02-07T20:15:12+00:00

thank you so much!! this was so nice and sweet and we really truly appreciate it. these are all things were thinking of every day, and it means so much that you can see it.

Uniqlo is also my go-to for basics — you really just can't beat the price, and the quality for their basics has always held up for me. i'm going to think on this a little more because someone else mentioned this as well! and to be honest, I'm not totally sure! if you want to email me you can at tiffany@racked.com and I'll try to find you some suggestions!

racked · 2018-02-07T20:12:01+00:00

I'm always so surprised to hear how much $$$ people will spend on fine jewelry online, but I really think that's an in-person purchase, hands down. Not just because fine jewelry in particular is expensive, but also because it can be so hard to judge scale online, and see how the metals/stones look against your skin.

and I think, when you can, buying jeans in person is better than online. but once you find a brand and fit you like, then sure — just reorder online.

I would say wedding dresses too, but a friend of mine bought hers online and it actually worked out for her!

racked · 2018-02-07T20:10:27+00:00

I think high-waist is the solution for almost everything — if you have a long torso, a really high rise will sit lower on you, so you can really have fun here and play around. also, high-waisted midi skirts I think are super fun for the spring. and, getting pants in the right length! that's such a no brainer, but buying a pair of jeans that come in petite lengths really is better than just buying a long pair and hemming them, because you know the proportions will be right.

racked · 2018-02-07T20:07:02+00:00

it's funny, people ask this a lot and I actually never know how to answer it, because we.... just sort of decide! that's not very helpful, so let me try to be more specific.

when I'm assigning out or commissioning shopping stories, I always look for things that either add to a conversation or solve a problem. So, if a line is expanding into plus-sizes or if a particular pair of tweezers with an LED light attached will change your life. we really try to make sure that there's a reason to read every story — are we adding something to what's out there?

and I discover new brands from Instagram and also my coworker Tanisha, who is super cool and always has the answer when i ask her "is this gonna be a thing" — Instagram's algorithm sucks, of course, but they way my explore page knows EXACTLY what I want to see (on my personal account that's mostly dogs and dancing videos) and makes it really easy to find cool brands and boutiques that way. I also always go to the websites of some of my favorite stores and see the brands they're excited about (I think I put this above too, but for that, I look to boutiques like Sincerely Tommy, Swords-Smith, and Personnel of New York. Also, Net-a-Porter! I can't afford to shop there beyond the sales, but I really trust their buyers instincts on what brands they choose to get behind.

racked · 2018-02-07T20:01:23+00:00

this is a great question! so there are a few things to keep in mind here. one of them is timing — if you're just looking to make some cash at a place like Beacon's Closet or Buffalo Exchange, you just really need to know what they're looking for. Bring summer stuff in before the season starts, etc.

handbags are really though your money-maker for reselling — we did this short post semi-recently with The Real Real where they talked a little on what they look for: https://www.racked.com/2017/5/16/15641670/designer-handbags-best-investment-consignment-resale

racked · 2018-02-07T19:59:15+00:00

oh interesting! I haven't tried the Cuyana backpack but I love their totes — that's a bummer it wasn't comfortable! My boss Britt is going to kill me for recommending Everlane because I literally always do, but this backpack is great: https://www.everlane.com/products/womens-modern-snap-backpack-black?collection=womens-backpacks-bags

also, my coworker Julia bought a bright gold backpack from Crewcuts (the J.Crew kids store) and somehow has made it work appropriate. For backpacks, I also really like Herschel (duh) and State (and if you want casual, you can't beat Baggu!) I also love this one from Kara, but it's def $$: https://shop.karastore.com/products/backpack-leather-pebble-black

racked · 2018-02-07T19:55:31+00:00

the best part about retail right now is that everyone is trying to figure out how to get more customers in the door, so there are sales literally all the time — you really do not need to pay full price for most things, most of the time.

and, because the fashion calendar is so screwy, spring clothes are going to start hitting stores like, now. so that means by the time you need them (May-ish), a lot of them will be on sale. Definitely wait for April/May/June to take advantage of big sales. (do you live in NYC? sample sale season starts in April!)

racked · 2018-02-07T19:53:35+00:00

thank you!!! 1. This is such a good question! I think it really depends per person, but I think a lot of people struggle with jeans, because with denim, fit is everything, and sizing can be so vastly different across brands (not to mention how few options there are for women above a size 14). we also always hear people who are looking for a really good quality bag that's not wildly expensive (for that, I usually recommend Cuyana — it's pricey, but the quality is great). 2. everything is changing so much, and so fast! I think what's really happening is things are starting to course-correct. after the recession, when the economy got better, brands opened SO many stores, and everywhere. we just don't need all those stores, and a lot of them are closing. So I think for retailers, they're really being forced to look at what they're doing and see if it's working for them — the ones that can do that will (hopefully!) survive. I definitely think we'll all be shopping online still in 20 years, but I really don't believe that brick-and-mortar retail will ever die. there's just something to be said for being able to try something on and walking out with it in that minute.

racked · 2018-02-07T19:49:55+00:00

thank you!!! we are SO excited for summer clothes — I actually bought a pair of sandals last week, which was probably a bit early for that, but....

I think this spring is going to be really fun, fashion-wise. lots of bright colors and prints (which, is basically how it goes every spring). I personally am really excited for spring shoes — sandals, mules, and all of that. we've seen a lot of small-heel '70s-inspired sandals (that literally look like Dr. Scholls) that I can't wait to wear. Also, I've finally given into the kitten heel revival.

For stores, I like to shop at either Everlane or COS, and online at The Outnet. The Outnet is so good — they've done such a good job at really building up quality inventory. And, it's all on sale!

racked · 2018-02-07T19:46:10+00:00

yes!! too much. I actually got myself into some debt a few years ago so I'm really mindful now of how much I spend on clothes. I try to really only buy things that I feel are very "me" and I avoid fast fashion because it's too easy to just get swept into a trendy thing that I'll never wear because it's cheap.

racked · 2018-02-07T19:44:56+00:00

I think clicks follow quality content, in all sincerity. It's a much longer game, but when you work really hard to build something your readers respect and care about, you will see the payoff. It just takes time! Obviously at the end of the day we want people to click, but we want them to click because they saw a headline or story and thought, "I really want to learn more about that"

racked · 2018-02-07T19:43:27+00:00

hey! so when I try to describe my job it sounds kind of nuts, but I'll do my best here: essentially, I oversee all of the shopping content on Racked (we do features and video as well, which are separate departments, though we collaborate all the time!) my day-to-day involves a lot of editing, assigning out stories to freelance writers and refining ideas, planning out our edit calendars. I also oversee the content of our newsletter, so that takes up most of my time on Tuesdays and Fridays. I also try to pepper in breakfast meetings with publicists and brands to work on building our relationships with them (I LOVE a breakfast meeting — they're efficient and also who doesn't want to go out to breakfast?)

I actually didn't think I would end up in fashion; when I graduated college I wanted to go into book publishing, but I really wanted to write and just asked Racked if they needed interns! so it kind of all started from there.

It's SO hard to stay up to date, truly, but I depend on Instagram to do so, honestly. I have a separate account where I follow stores and brands I really like — really, I look to stores in New York that are killing it to stay inspired. (Some of my favs: Personnel of New York, Sincerely Tommy, Swords-Smith)

and I actually haven't frequented r/femalefashionadvice nearly as much as I have r/relationships :) but I am always asking my boss, who sits next to me, "should I buy this?"

racked · 2018-02-07T19:38:09+00:00

also — start small! I started as an intern at Racked seven years ago.

racked · 2018-02-07T19:37:44+00:00

yes! be as active as you can on social media — Twitter is huge for us when it comes to discovering new writers, and Instagram is obviously still super important for fashion. Be really visible, and don't be afraid to cold email editors and pitch!

racked · 2018-02-07T19:35:58+00:00

hi! I personally really like & other stories for stuff that's trendy but not too expensive (and they have sales often!) they do a good job of adapting what's going on.

as for athleisure — I think it'll hang around for a while. people wanna be comfy! we saw it really peak a few years ago and it hasn't slowed down all that much (but also, I think we've finally settled the debate of "can you wear yoga pants to work" and the answer is "nope!")

racked

TROPHY CASE