Your pre-fall capsule wardrobe has landed!

+ a big announcement

Hi and happy Friday!

If you missed it, Tuesday I built four looks around a pair of celery-colored Sonia Rykiel pants, all accidentally in the vein of various vintage Prada shows. It was full of summer-ready color and fall-ready fabrics - a happy medium for where I am emotionally and physically as the summer wanes.

And speaking of emotional and physical places, I have finally come to a conclusion about this newsletter. As you probably noticed over the summer, the timing of these was day-late at best or completely missing at its worst. When I first started this, I was selling vintage in New York and…not much else. I had ample time to really dedicate myself to this endeavor, and spending hours sifting through thousands of pages of *stuff* was not only a pleasure but a mental imperative. I was like a woman possessed! I couldn’t not do it: couldn’t not find it all; couldn’t not style it all.

Now, however, my responsibilities have grown by leaps and bounds with a regular job, attempting to build regular drops for my own online vintage shop, and a lot more social opportunities. I’m busy! And happy to be. But it means that I no longer have the time to write two newsletters a week and so…

I’ll be changing the Really Good Vintage newsletter to only paid subscription starting Friday, September 15.

It’s not a decision I take on lightly as I know I may lose many hard-won subscribers (I only just passed 1,000 a few months ago!), but I just don’t have the capacity any longer. So please humor me and allow me to baldly sell you on why you should pay to subscribe to my newsletter when there are not only thousands of other Substacks out there but also I know the idea of another subscription - even if it’s only $5 a month - is eye roll-inducing.

So here’s what you’ll get:

1. Capsule wardrobes. Today’s newsletter is a pre-fall capsule collection (I did my first one for spring here). This is the stuff I love to build and I would have more time to regularly create full wardrobe edits.

2. Movie/TV show recreations. I did a Meg Ryan edit last year and LOVED it. I will be building more of these, with a Sex and the City one I’ve slowly been working on for months.

3. Designer deep dives. I’ve recreated designer duds like Bode before and will have more of these, as well as full edits of vintage designer, like all Armani or Donna Karan.

4. Guest edits! Am going to start outreach for interviews/guest edits with some of my favorite sellers. This would be a new feature that I’m psyched about.

5. Vintage copycats. I used to do these regularly with both vintage images and modern ones, and will absolutely be bringing them back in full force.

6. Styled looks. Paid newsletters have always included these and sometimes it can span from a pair of pants I liked (see again this Tuesday’s newsletter) or an event (weddings/first dates/general love-y stuff).

7. Things I Like. Sometimes I find such disparate but incredible pieces that yes, creating a giant collage of cool stuff is the only way forward. This will continue!

So much chic, affordable inspiration delivered right to your inbox, no muss, no fuss. Five bucks a month is nothing to sneeze at when added to all the other five bucks a month, but I’d like to think getting this much good vintage without having to sift through hundreds of pages yourself is a pretty good deal? Also, if you sign up for the year, it cuts the price down to $50 a year, which is $4.10/ a month. Would be honored if you’d join me.

If you’re on the fence, I get it. Today’s capsule collection includes knitwear, pants, shoes, dresses, and outerwear. But next Friday will be pre-fall capsule collection part two! Which will include tops, skirts, accessories, jewelry, and more outerwear. If it seems like I’m trying to entice you with really excellent edits, I absolutely am. But after next Friday, all subsequent Friday’s will be the weekly paid subscriber newsletter and I want you to be a part of it with me!

Now, finally: the capsule collection. This is not an end-all, be-all list but it’s damn near close! Each of these pieces can be remixed and reworn with others for looks ranging from casual to elegant. Spanning the neutral rainbow of cream to brown to navy to black, all of these colors can work together (yes, even navy and brown!). A sleeveless turtleneck when paired with brown ski pants, brown boots, and a gingham jacket is very different than when paired with giant ovoid cords, tall black boots and a collarless black jacket. The only things missing here are jeans and black heels and I bet you already have both in your closet!

So, as usual, happy shopping and thank you forever and always, for being here.

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Knitwear:

1. Cream crochet tank + cardi set, $50. Incredible together or apart, and the cardigan reminds me this look when Carrie yells at Charlotte for not giving her a down payment.

2. Oatmeal Scottish cable knit sweater, $75. A staple forever! With cool ovoid pants or over the brown slip dress!

3. Striped navy & white ribbed top, $15. Perfect for the little short suit or tucked under the leather jacket.

4. Chunky black sleeveless turtleneck, $20. Also a forever staple. I love the chunkiness of this one rather than sleek and tight. Would be so chic with the tuxedo pants and Gucci loafers.

5. Black cashmere polo, $25. Sorry, another staple, and a sumptuous one, at that.

Pants:

1. Tan Glen plaid trousers, $25. Loose and breezy - so good with the cream chore jacket or camel hair depending on your needed level of fancy.

2. Vintage brown ski pants, $40. Very Audrey Hepburn in Charade whether you add the striped top and navy mesh oxfords or black cashmere and tall boots.

3. Laurél (Escada) navy short suit, $125. Obvs cheated on this one since it’s technically a suit and not pants but whatever! Look at it! Add sleeveless turtleneck and boots, baby!

4. Corduroy balloon pants, $90. The coolest pants with the best silhouette. add oversized sweater and brown lace-up boots to match the inherent cool factor.

5. Black tuxedo pants, $15. A staple 100%. Easily dressed down with striped top and a chore jacket.

Shoes:

1. Vince tan leather flats, $76. Chic, comfy, easy.

2. Brown mid-calf Enzo Anglioni boots, $38. Love the idea of these with the boxy gingham jacket. Different vibes that work.

3. Navy mesh oxfords, $50. Playful and sophisticated! The short suit is calling their name.

4. Gucci black suede loafers, $80. Truly a forever staple.

5. Black leather heeled boots, $94. Punky and fun with the corduroy dress, sleek and chic with the brown slip dress.

Dresses:

1. White corduroy shirtdress, $25. Would hem a couple inches, otherwise, this is the ideal fall dress. Add loafers and leather jacket or tan flats and camel hair blazer for very different but equally effective looks.

2. Cream leather keyhole dress, $50. I mean, just hot as hell and very unexpected.

3. Helmut Lang ribbed polo dress, $50. Wear over the brown ski pants or with the collarless jacket.

4. Brown silk midi slip dress, $25. Staple alert!

5. Off-the-shoulder black button dress, $50. Like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday but much sexier.

Outerwear:

1. Cream chore jacket, $55. Bright and cheery and casual-izes every look.

2. Camel hair double breasted blazer, $49. A classic and oh-so soft.

3. Brown gingham cropped jacket, $30. Cropped, cute, and a much-needed injection of print!

4. Black leather jacket, $20. A classic and a STEAL.

5. Scaasi long collarless jacket, $80. Chic and something you don’t realize how often you’ll reach for it.

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Hope this helped fill some gaps in your wardrobe, inspire some new looks, or maybe you bought out the whole damn matrix (if you did, CALL ME, I think we could work well together hahah). Thank you, as always and again, for being here and being so gracious with this big change! Please feel free to leave a comment or ask any questions about this next chapter for RGV! xx Maggie