Featured Story
Riley's Layer
Gender-Neutral Everyday Style for Real Bodies & Real Weather
Latest Posts
Recent Articles
Goodwill, $8: A Wool Blazer That Needed $3 at the Tailor and Now Looks $300.
Found a brown wool blazer at Goodwill for $8. The shoulders were wrong. The sleeves were too long. The fit was a mess. One tailor visit and $3 later, it's the best blazer I own.
The layer that keeps my hands warm without making me sweat on the train.
My hands get cold as soon as the temperature drops below 40°F. Gloves make my palms sweat on the train. Found a weird solution that actually works. Costs $12.
The Everlane Organic Tee Is Fine. It's Not Worth $35.
Soft cotton. Fits okay. Holds up after washes. But $35 for a plain t-shirt? There are five other options under $20 that do the exact same thing.
Kokorokoko, $15: A Men's Flannel That Works for Every Body Type.
Found a men's flannel at Kokorokoko for $15. Too big in the shoulders. Too long in the arms. Worn it about forty times anyway. Here's why. I don't remember buying this shirt.
How to Build a 15-Piece Capsule Wardrobe That Works for All Four Chicago Seasons
You don't need 50 items. You need 15 that layer right. Here's the exact list that got me through 95°F humidity and 10°F wind chill with nothing extra.
The outfit I've worn three times this month. No one has complained.
Same pants. Same sweater. Same jacket. Three times in three weeks. Different days. Different weather. Same result. No one noticed. No one cared.
That $200 'Investment' Sneaker? The $60 Version Looks the Same.
I bought the expensive sneakers everyone said would last forever. They didn't. Switched to a $60 pair. No one can tell the difference. Not even me.
A Saturday at the Farmers Market: I Came for the Peaches, Left With a $10 Denim Jacket.
Went to the Logan Square farmers market for fruit and vegetables. Left with a vintage denim jacket from a guy selling clothes out of a van. Peaches were fine. Jacket was better.
Dropped Shoulder vs. Structured Shoulder: What Your Frame Actually Needs
Dropped shoulders look cool online but slide off small frames. Structured shoulders stay put but can look too stiff. Here's how to choose based on your actual body. I learned this the hard way.
friday-vintage-hunt
Goodwill, $8: A Wool Blazer That Needed $3 at the Tailor and Now Looks $300.
Found a brown wool blazer at Goodwill for $8. The shoulders were wrong. The sleeves were too long. The fit was a mess. One tailor visit and $3 later, it's the best blazer I own.
Kokorokoko, $15: A Men's Flannel That Works for Every Body Type.
Found a men's flannel at Kokorokoko for $15. Too big in the shoulders. Too long in the arms. Worn it about forty times anyway. Here's why. I don't remember buying this shirt.
A Saturday at the Farmers Market: I Came for the Peaches, Left With a $10 Denim Jacket.
Went to the Logan Square farmers market for fruit and vegetables. Left with a vintage denim jacket from a guy selling clothes out of a van. Peaches were fine. Jacket was better.
wednesday-dont-buy-this
Don't Buy Those $120 'Work' Pants. The $45 Version Does the Same Thing.
Everyone's selling "commuter pants" for over $100. I tried three pairs. Returned all of them. The $45 Uniqlo pants work better for my pear-shaped body and small frame.
The Everlane Organic Tee Is Fine. It's Not Worth $35.
Soft cotton. Fits okay. Holds up after washes. But $35 for a plain t-shirt? There are five other options under $20 that do the exact same thing.
That $200 'Investment' Sneaker? The $60 Version Looks the Same.
I bought the expensive sneakers everyone said would last forever. They didn't. Switched to a $60 pair. No one can tell the difference. Not even me.
Subscribe to Riley's Layer
Get weekly curated stories delivered to your inbox. Quality reads, no spam.