Fashion Blog-esque
A new chapter for this newsletter with new thoughts, predictions, and adorations, from the Paper Bag Princess to snake print to dew drop jewelry.
Hello! So, I made a change round these parts. Human Repeller is now a thing of the past (though I will always appreciate the four years of feeble laughter that name elicited), mostly because I have no desire to give any attention or kudos to the ahem publication it referred to… to be honest, the name was a joke between an ex and I, and they bought me the domain, and it kind of snowballed from there.
Esque is threefold: -esque, as in this publication is fashion blog-esque, sometimes a little Kafkaesque, always a little ajar in its relation to the worlds it works within. Es que? Is a question I frequently ask when I reread what I’ve written in a fugue state before pressing “publish.” And my initials are ESK. That’s the rationale. Nothing will change except maybe some links on posts before this one will be broken or janky, for which I apologize! Thank you for accepting this fun little alteration.
This first official Esque post delves into thins I’ve noticed, thought about, been inspired by, or predicted in the past few weeks, from snake print to the Paper Bag Princess to cobalt leather jackets and beyond. I hope you enjoy the ride…
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THANK YOU for being here, and I am always available @that.esque on Instagram for sartorial scandals/situations/summons. Here is a little preview of what’s below the paywall:
Paper Bag Princess
The Paper Bag Princess was one of my favorite books as a kid—it’s about the titular princess, who, upon the decimation of her castle by an insolent dragon, dons a paper bag as a makeshift dress, which she hears no end of from her crush, a smarmy, nouveau riche tennis player she happily and resolutely dumps by the story’s end.
I’m not suggesting we cosplay victims of a tragedy or aestheticize poverty, just that something about the silhouette of the paper bag, its boxy, tan simplicity, really speaks to me. I found it in this Altuzarra dress:
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ab5e3ef-caed-4d0b-a6d2-6205225dfc01_2046x3069.webp)
And though its vibe is completely different, I was so struck by this distressed Evade House gown featuring a literal STICK under the sternum when I found it doing research for a very fun new Magasin segmant:
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7aa47141-f747-4f76-b01d-6d396184abe3_562x1058.png)
Basically, any disarmingly defiant silhouette in a shade of tan or incorporating baser materials feels very juicy this season.
Body Morphing
My love for Michaela Stark is well-documented, and her new RTW line “Panty” is delightful, full of lingerie designed to create bulges, folds, rolls, and swells in your body, bratty in a good way about its right to glorify the very features we’ve been taught to disown in our bodies. My favorite piece is an asymmetrical corset-ish top in pearlescent silk dupion that forces the chest into a graceful lopsidedness and curves to frame the belly:
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F439b22e2-50fb-4a4f-8d34-8547dce582a1_882x1102.webp)
Which reminds me of this classic breast-baring top from Di Petsa, or the more Substack friendly Breastfeeding Bride dress, another piece I included in the forthcoming Magasin feature:
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fda5f20-835b-4eae-80eb-1a453a3808f5_1000x1333.webp)
Red Piping
This hottie featured on Watching New York got me thinking…