002/ Dress Code Dispatch:
On a scale of 1 to Not-Suitable-For-Work, where does your t-shirt fall?
Mentally, I’ve been taking in the final dredges of summertime. Wine slushies, outdoor concerts, bidding goodbye to the last 9 pm sunset, and acknowledging with gratitude the 4 pairs of trusted shorts that got me through the unrelenting heat.
I posted this look to stories three days ago, and it got a lot of love and a lot of questions, so I figured what better address all of those at once. I’ve been flirting with the idea of getting into private sourcing for friends and strangers alike, but until then, you have these Dress Code Dispatches.
Dress Code Dispatch is your Horde Haus exclusive pass to clone/emulate/dupe a recent outfit of mine. My mash-up closet of new and thrifted gems spans decades, turning the search for similar pieces into a bit of a scavenger hunt. Fret not, though—I'm doing the linkable groundwork for you. I break down each look into different price tiers. Click to shop and go all out or mix and match to suit your taste. Expect some honorable mentions in the mix. And, of course, you'll find direct links to the actual pieces worn in the original newsletter. Let me know which look you're itching to see dissected in the next dispatch!
This original look, detailed in this previous letter, features a series of sentimental pieces. The t-shirt I bought with all its sun-bleached charm from Fox & Fawn circa Nicole working there in 2016(?). The bag is by my dear friend/internet cousin, Suki. The scarf was a birthday gift this year from Marissa (currently at Fox & Fawn!) Together, this full look floats somewhere along the $975 margins, putting me somewhere between the top and middle tiers of this dispatch.
There is no base item for this look aside from a handbag, to which I’ve chosen a crescent-style Black Moon bag from Staud, with this fun contrast stitch detail, and currently on sale at SSENSE for $218. A second contender was this OSOI bag, and I should add that there’s still one Chiomato bag available on the site if you’re itching for the exact.
For my OG look, I went the silver hardware route, but I thought I’d switch things up through this DCD because gold is equally as punk if done the right way!
✼ Here’s my $1500-$2000 take on this look:
࿏ I’m a self-indulgent novelty t-shirt collector, the more outrageous, and NSFW, the better. I wish it was socially acceptable to wear them more often than I already do. That said, I still love to collect them. This vintage tee is a salute to anyone ever roped into watching (and occasionally reenacting) WrestleMania by their brothers. | $137
࿏ This Rag & Bone mini skirt really nailed the vibe, but with a slightly cooler tone than the original, which I’m okay with, cause it goes well with the back of this tee. | $150
࿏ Note from the editor (me) that I literally had to redefine this tier as the $1.5-2k tier instead of the original $1k, because I needed these Saint Laurent patent heels to be included. I mean look at them, so sexy, so sleek, so rocker chic. Worthy of stepping on hearts and necks IMO(!) | $1350
࿏ Every single belt from every tier I listed is incredible. I’ve continuously been fighting the urge to purchase all 3 before this letter goes live. B-Low the Belt knows their way around a good belt. Don’t be like me. Don’t deny yourself greatness. | $91
࿏ When it comes to bandanas, the most important part is its versatility. Can I wear it in my hair? As a top? A belt? Purse strap? They most definitely need to be working double time, like this style from Stradivarius. | $18
✼ My $500-800 take:
࿏ I think this may be my favorite set of the bunch, and I can’t help it. How good is this 1990s t-shirt?! Totally bitchin’, majorly iconique. | $56
࿏ What I love about Mango, is that it’s usually a quality you can trust at a price you can appreciate. I switched the snakeskin for a leopard print mini skirt, because I thought the warmer tones would better compliment the gold hardware. | $60
࿏ A pointed toe bootie from Paris Texas that gets the job done. If you’ve been looking for those COS boots, and don’t mind a little splurge, check this one out. | $556
࿏ This belt is SURREAL. Another from B-Low the Belt find with brass hardware. | $86
࿏ I may have gone a bit too matchy-matchy with the Chan Luu bandana in this one, but reds and yellows are so vibrant, I couldn’t say no. Alternatively, there’s a purple bandana that I think would pair well too. | $35-45
✼ My $100-$200 take (this tier will often feature some good secondhand finds or items on sale so don’t miss out on scooping these right away):
࿏ To keep to the thread of implied profanity on tees, I went with this 90s t-shirt. It’s pretty oversized, but the design is high up enough to crop or sloppily tuck into bottoms. | $55
࿏ My original skirt lies somewhere between this and the one I included in the first tier. I think if I had to pick between the two, this Pacsun version would win, and how could it not at this price? | $45
࿏ Another boot option to fit this tier. I’m not overly precious about these. That said, I LOVE shoe shopping at DSW. Hidden gems and good Italian leathers are always abundant. | $50
࿏ Do you remember the chokehold River Island had on the girlies in 2011? That topshop-adjacent era. My favorite thing to pick up from them while in London was always their belts. This chunky one has a circle buckle too. | $37
࿏ I went with a navy Levi’s bandana here to match the belt, so that they aren’t fighting for attention. In the words of my high school gym teacher, “KISS, keep it simple sweaty”. | $15
I may or may not have started this dispatch during the Labor Dale sales, which of course, have already ended. So some things may have skewed in prices or stock. Definitely something to consider when putting out future dispatches. Others are one-offs, so don’t miss the boat on buying.
If there's a specific look you'd like to see in the next dispatch or if you have a grand idea on how to structure these dispatches so they’re useful to you, drop a note below. Your input is always welcome!
Until next time, happy dressing xx