The 4 Most Difficult Fashion Items to Find
Based on my experience, anyway
There are pieces that are a pleasure to shop for—like summer shoes, with their endless interesting variations, colors, ideas, and textures, making every spring a fun time for planning my summer wardrobe. Then there are the difficult pieces that, despite the myriad options of different clothes, seem to be nowhere. I wanted to share my four elusive pieces that I struggle to find. Of course, as I started writing this, I realized the challenge is to find not just any piece, but modern ones. Let's dive in!
1. Modern Padded Swimsuits
I know that the trend is going braless and freeing the nipple, but I personally have a larger bust and feel way too exposed without proper padding. Not double lining, and not push-up either, but just a bit of padding. And don't get me started on what happens with many lighter-colored swimsuits when they get wet—I almost had to leave a diving lesson once because my bright orange Nike swimsuit became transparent when wet.
Yes, I know there are solutions like nipple covers and such, but in all honesty, I am a bit afraid to wear them for active beach time. Would they stay in place while swimming? Would they feel uncomfortable in a sweaty summer? Anyway, removable pads seem like such an easy solution, yet so few brands include them. I once ventured into the highly recommended and inclusive Malia Mills store, and they said they don't do them—some customers sew them in themselves. But why not add removable padding? I went through the usual suspects on the high end (Eres, Toteme) and high street (Cos, Arket), and none of them have padded swimsuits. Yes, there are plenty of padded swimsuits in my local store, but they seem to target a very conservative, non-modern demographic. The only brand I could find with padded swimsuits and slightly more modern designs is H&M.
2. Modern Occasion Dresses with Covered Shoulders and No Excessive Cleavage, but Not Baggy
Yes, this is specific, but hear me out. Let’s say I don't want a too open top for an occasion dress. At the same time, I want something that is also not super baggy, which would look like a tent on my big shoulders. There needs to be an element of slimness, either at the waist or on the bottom, or in some other way. There are plenty of tie-waist dresses, but most lack modernity.
For example, for an event a few years ago, I found a Raey dress that met all criteria, but it was quite a search. Raey was a brand (RIP :( ) that had modernity ingrained in its ethos, so even a more traditional slim-waist silhouette looked very modern.
At the same time, I bought a Cuyana dress that unfortunately didn't give the same modern vibe. The tied waist made it fairly traditional, with no modern elements to balance it out—despite the absolutely stunning, high-quality silk material.
3. Winter-Proof Slim Modern Ankle Boots in Non-Black Colors
Last year, I did a mega search for non-black ankle boots that would survive winter. I ended up buying Miista boots (did not survive even fall) and Aeyde boots (survived winter but were in pretty bad shape afterward), both with little success. I dread the upcoming search this fall, as my Aeyde boots are in no shape for wearing.
What makes it so difficult? While there are options with big boots or knee-length boots, I find that in winter, pants are the main go-to, and knee-length boots are not convenient. Choosing a big ankle boot (like a Chelsea boot) may imply only wearing slim pants, which is usually not the case. So, when you go into the slim ankle boot territory, it’s definitely not easy to find. On top of that, durability is a massive challenge—our winters involve snow, salt, dirt, and really bad weather.
I am thinking of focusing only on Scandi brands for this one—the shoes that have shown substantial durability for me come from Scandi brand Flattered, although they don't always have non-black options. In any case, this is probably the hardest category to find of the four.
4. Modern Tops as Convenient as T-Shirts but More Elevated
In my daily life, I work from home and usually revert to either a T-shirt and sweatpants, a skirt, or shorts, or an easy dress. My sweatpant collection is pretty good, with Calders making up the majority of it, but when paired with a simple T-shirt, it’s too casual for my liking. I recently wrote a post on the search for such tops, but I still struggle to find them consistently.
For a top to be as convenient as a T-shirt, it needs to have really comfortable material like jersey, cotton, or the like. Sometimes, elevation can be achieved via color, especially with Tibi Ring 3 colors, but usually, it’s done via cut and sometimes texture. Cos is pretty good at this, and of course, Tibi. Yet, I have not yet found a repeatable formula for this category - hopefully I can discover it some time soon.
So, these are my struggles. I fully realise these can be entirely personal, and I am curious about yours - do you have elusive pieces you just cannot seem to find? Any solutions to the above? Please let me know in the comments!
Yes, hard to find good tops. I started to wear necklaces half year ago, never wore them before. But they elevate a simple tee
I relate so much to good swimsuits that actually work being hard to find. I’m both tall and bustier. Apparently an impossible combination. Somehow swimsuits are never long enough, so if you want your larger breasts not to hang down then you have to compromise for your legs being exposed high above hip bones. I hate them and own only one which I use for winter bathing in Copenhagen canals.