338: Bravely shopping SSENSE under threat of tariffs

Plus new Uniqlo U, MyTheresa sale-on-sale, and Le Monde Beryl's next viral shoe.

Mar 20, 2025

At the Substack x The RealReal dinner this week (my two front pages of the internet), someone asked to see my recent resale searches. It’s always a combination of tracked Gem App alerts from my morning email—today’s included Hermes Victoria bags, Gabriela Coll Garments trenches, a Gabriele Skukas crochet sweater, and Auralee and Giorgio Armani, narrowed down by size—plus ad hoc phrases I follow down rabbit holes.

“Linen jeans,” inspired by The Row’s new Eglittas (I liked these Talbots and Trussardi pairs). Roger Vivier—I liked these two laser-cut pairs, plus shoes from Hermés (straw) and Prada (sequins). I, too, dug around for JW-era Loewe grails…the laser-print is the obvious archive pick but this cardigan coat from the campaign I hunted voraciously two summers ago feels priced to act on. From older Loewe (“Spanish Loewe” in my mind), this under-$200 leather jacket is certainly something. “Dosa dresses.” “Alaïa tees.” “Tropical-wool trousers.”

Where those searches turned into purchases were with this Prada blazer (magnet closure instead of buttons!) and The Row Bercy jeans I found on TRR for about half price.

The spring arrivistes, though, have won more of my capital lately. Making use of SSENSE’s 15% coupon on (some) new-in items, I ordered this Auralee green silk skirt, a “backwards” Commission baby tee, Martiniano low heels in everyday black, and more of my favorite Flore Flore Hannah tanks.

FWIW, I paid an 8.9% sales tax as usual. And, as my order was over $800, there’s a chance it’ll get flagged in the delivery process and held at USPS for pickup alongside a 16% customs fee, as it was for me back in October of last year (well before the word “tariff” was being hurled northward). When this happened, I reached out to SSENSE directly and they offered me the following reimbursement options:

Option 1: 110% of the duties paid as a discount on your next order
Option 2: 60% of the duties paid as a discount on your next two orders (totaling 120%)

I took option two, and ended up getting about $80 in free spending money to use on a site I’m absolutely, no question, going to continue shopping from (if past behavior is any indication). That’s equivalent to getting a Leset Margo tee or on-sale Sophie Buhai scrunchie added to your order at no charge. A delight!

What’s new

A new Uniqlo U collection landed today and both shoppers and the brand itself know that it won’t last long before a total sell-out. It’s a miracle we have it at all, as great design tends not to mix well with anything “mass,” but co-artistic directors Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran’s imprint is as recognizable in the tough-femme parkas, sporty suiting, and bow-legged pants of this affordable release as it is in their mainline collections under Lemaire.
Most luxury brand team ups lately have an odor of desperation, logos and brand codes reduced to wearable step-and-repeats. But the respective inner freaks of Margiela and Louboutin bring out the best in one another, resulting in a lineup of red-tongued, split-toed shoes that are as lusty as their sound. The patent ballerina flat that goes full cleft reinvents an icon in a way that’s only possible once a generation.
J.Crew sent around a mailer for its New Yorker 100th Anniversary collab that included two black and white cookies from Barney Greengrass and the best cartoon-printed espresso cup set I’ll ever own (it’s not for sale but the tee version is the second most iconic get that’s not yet sold out).
Someone almost ruined my day telling me it’s supposed to snow next week. Praying it goes down when I’m in Milan, because I’ve already moved onto shopping for spring footwear. Emme Parsons’ newest collection among it—I got these strappy flats but I think my heart of heart knows all anyone ever really needs is a pair of deeply luxurious flip flops.
A.Emery is my other recent spring shoe buy. I already have the brand’s category-defining thong sandal (though this update is very tempting), so I did a heel instead.
A years-long search for leather pants that aren’t frustratingly bulky or stiff turned up this amazing suede pair from Iris Von Arnim that sit more like a Gala pant than a pair of jeans. The brand’s SS25 has landed and I’m now clued into the fact that it can handle other tough tasks like effortless pleated linen shorts and summer swearers. This hand-knitted cardigan is really great, too.
Some jewelry news: Kinn and Janessa Leoné partnered up on a collection of gold, silver, and diamond (both lab and natural) organic shapes called “Cascade”; PDPAOLA, also on an aquatic wave, released a dolphin-themed capsule that makes use of quartz, amethyst, and green aventurine; Lucy Deilus’ entirely handmade Medusa collection dropped today, named for the snake-like S-link chains—it’s very striking stuff; Nina Runsdorf debuted the sterling silver Archive Collection, so called for the 20 years operating the brand—the price point is very welcoming, and the shapes a total success; and Jenna Katz introduced two one-of-a-kind signet rings online that made me audibly gasp and screenshot multiple times over several virtual run-ins.
There’s also: Aussie brand Matteau does a good job making things people will want to wear—this season it’s done so fabulously with slips: tank ones, square necks, and skirts; today’s the last day to shop Cristaseya’s ephemeral online shop; La Garçonne has a stacked inventory of Maria De La Rosa socks; and the follow-up to Le Monde Beryl’s viral shearling slipper (back in stock, btw) has arrived in the form of the suede driving shoe.

Men’s releases

It’s been in the works for a while (I remember debriefing with Tal at their Paris showroom after a high-energy buying appointment), but Colbo is finally available on SSENSE. The brand’s SS25 collection pairs tea-dye effects with iridescent purples, and evergreen everyday staples like crinkled shirting and deadstock linen totes round out the assortment.

Home releases

The reform beigist in me is slowly beginning to “get” Ginori 1735, as with this recent tableware collection designed exclusively for Cabana. Less Chinoiserie than its typical porcelain, and more wildly botanical, to the extent that, say, an English country garden can truly run amok.
Farrow & Ball’s introduction of 12 new and un-archived colors tells us two things: that there is no a shortage in demand for painfully exacting variations along the green-brown spectrum, and that, following the current Deco and Modernist boom of so-perfect-they’re-almost-unnatural lacquers and glazes, another Arts and Crafts movement might be waiting in the wings.
Crate & Barrel has been busy debuting two new personality collabs with Brigette Romanek and Jake Arnold within a span of three weeks. Respectively, elevated loft living and swanky poolside leisure are ostensibly solved within a single cart.
Got this subject line in my inbox and I thought, thank god: “Flamingo Estate’s Limited-Edition Spicy Strawberry Fruit Snack Is Back!” This, right after restocking on Ghia’s hazelnut spread, I’m thinking the snacks are alright.

What’s on sale

Lots of bonus discounts are littering the MyTheresa sale pages right now, taking additional 20%, 30%, even 50% off already-steep markdowns. My tabs include a net-70% off Khaite trench, a Wardrobe.NYC trouser skirt for $250, and, among lots of good Proenza deals, a Proenza Schouler knit halter dress for under $300.
There’s a hidden sale going down at Bally, where Jil Sander-bound creative director Simone Bellotti’s quickly cult styles are now largely 50% off. Some sales are traps, this is not one of them—it feels like when Fforme cleared house of Paul Helbers’ designs and everything was great and inconceivably discounted. This suit jacket, this leather skirt…even the bags are halved.
Similarly, Net-A-Porter is running an unadvertised sale that takes 25% off 5,800 items including a Magda Butrym East-West bag, Le Monde Beryl suede flats, Eres one-pieces, Alighieri gold hoops…the discount shows up in your cart at checkout.
Friends of Saks (in this case, us!) have access to the retailer’s 25% sale on its spring collections, folding in Elder Statesman hoodies, Lemaire ballet loafers, cool velvet Liberowe gowns, Sophie Bille Brahe pearl jewelry for mortal prices (compared to her diamond line, at least), Damson Madder stuff that I know people go crazy for, and famed Our Legacy boxy tees.
Bergdorf’s spring sale is similarly, maybe even more competitively, stacked with good names: Lisa Yang, St. Agni (good pants), and Vince among them. Personally I love my Saint Laurent sunglasses and might have to get a second pair.
Maryam Nassir Zadeh is selling off her personal collection of vintage through the store’s e-shop, now alongside sales for the brand’s FW24 collection. The Jem and Yosemite pants are my two targets—as was this Max Well raw silk skirt before it sold out.
There’s also: Levi’s F&F sale is on, which counts the Ribcage, the ‘90s, and a bunch of other names you’d scan for; everything is 25% off at Réalisation Par with HONEY—I like this embroidery slip and wear the tanks religiously; &Daughter is running 20% off any order over $250 with SPRING20; Sea New York’s online sample sale hits 75% off; and Nordstrom’s Spring Sale…well, there are 56,100 things to look through and I’ll leave that to you this time!

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