Trending Textures
When I went to see what fashion publications and blogs were calling for the biggest trends this fall, they were ALL over the place! From Harper’s Bazaar, Who What Wear, The Mom Edit, Vogue…truly, almost no site shared the same suggestions. Honestly, this is all for the better, because it forces us to think more about what our own personal style is and not to rely on whatever feels like the trend of the moment.
Regardless of specific trends, of my favorite parts about fall are the fantastic textures within fabrics that we see year after year. Here’s a list of what to look for and ideas on how to style them.
Corduroy
Keep an eye out for coats with corduroy collars, particularly barn jackets and chore coats. These have been around for many years but are popping up currently at retailers for hundreds of dollars! I recently found a denim one that I know I’ll be wearing a lot this fall. I wouldn’t mind finding some wide leg corduroys to try out, as well.
Leather
Supposedly, worn in leather is having a moment. We’ll definintely take the win on that one since thrift stores often have leather that is showing its life a bit! Whether it’s an oversized leather jacket, buttery soft leather loafers, or a handbag, you can find great leather pieces at nearly every thrift store. (I bought the leather bag above in a new-to-me silhouette.)
Wool/Cashmere
I’ll never tire of sweater weather. Finding a mix of basics and stand out pieces in the sweater department is a great way to add in some texture to your fall wardrobe, while also being soft and comfortable. Don’t forget to check out the men’s section! This is where I’ve found some of the best sweaters in my closet.
Velvet
Velvet is a tricky one for me because I feel like sometimes it can go to witchy/renaissance vibes quickly. I’m finding myself drawn to accessories like shoes and handbags for this category at the moment but also adore this velvet maxi skirt from Savvy Friend, Adina.
Suede
Suede is one of the only fabrics I’m more open to shopping the “faux” version of. Real suede is superior in quality, but faux is more easily cared for and does not crack and peel like its faux leather counterpart. The trick is to finding a faux suede that doesn’t look glaringly fake. I tend to find that lighter and darker faux suedes look more realistic than the popular cognac color. I thrifted a suede Coach bag last year that I’ll continue to wear throughout this fall, but I’m really on the hunt for a great suede jacket and skirt.
So tell me, what’s on your fall to-thrift list?
Savvy Friends: A Chat with Katherine Medlin of Pender & Peony
I have met so many incredible women thanks to Instagram over the years. I hope to share a chat with some of them each month for them to share a bit more about some of the things we love and ways in which they are savvy.
Katherine’s small business, Pender & Peony, is filled with vintage and antique treasures for your home. In addition to curating home decor for her customers, she is known for her gorgeous seasonal mantle displays and tutorials, as well as in depth guides to honing your eye for the hunt!
With your background in art museums and auctions, you hold such a plethora of knowledge around vintage and antiques. With renewed interest in older, quality pieces, what do you wish the average person would know about shopping these treasures?
Understanding the history of these pieces gives me so much appreciation for the time and skill that went into making them…the hours it took to craft one table or ceramic teapot in a time before railroads, factories, electricity, and power tools. I think so many of us disregard how difficult it would have been and how much skill was needed. Craftsmen apprenticed for years starting as young children to learn these skills.
Once you grasp how differently these pieces were crafted in centuries past you can really start to look for the signs of the hands that made them: the way dovetails are uniquely shaped by carving and not cut by machine; the way a ceramic pot is slightly off center because it was thrown on a wheel; the rhythm of hand stitching on a quilt.
When you are hunting estate sales and thrifts and something catches your eye examine the construction closely to see if it was made by hand. This will be a major clue in deciding how old something is and its value. Even if you don’t know much about it this is a good starting point to learn.
Your home is lovingly decorated with antiques and specialty pieces you’ve curated, but you also have a toddler! What advice would you give to those of us with young children who also want to incorporate special pieces throughout our homes?
Thank you! I’ve really tried to create a beautiful home that feels layered and welcoming.
First off - I just accept that something somewhere will eventually get damaged. But antiques are forgiving. More often than not they can be repaired. An extra scratch somewhere will blend in and become part of the patina and story. As long as James, my two and a half year old, isn’t hurt, I don’t stress too much about this eventuality.
My son is allowed in every room in the house. With the exception of a few really fine French and Chinese porcelains he can touch anything he wants. Seriously. In my antique pop-up shop he even ran free most days. So many people that came in to shop were amazed and slightly alarmed…but he never broke anything!
Were there a few close calls? Yep, but if you don’t teach a kid to be careful and give him opportunities to practice he won’t learn.
When James was crawling and just learning to walk we had lots of baby gates blocking off certain rooms and areas. I moved most of my truly valuable items up high where he couldn’t reach.
But now its about teaching him appreciation for these beautiful pieces and how to be gentle. He loves the paintings in our house and we tell stories about what’s happening in them. He knows what a teacup is and understands that ceramic and glass mean fragile.
Once James was walking well we started teaching him to be gentle with things and modeling gentle hands. I showed him how to carry with two hands and how to set things down carefully. Then I started moving my antique treasures back down, and I supervised his interactions closely to protect him and my collections at first.
Now he pretty much has free rein of our house when I can supervise or check on him frequently. When I need to work or focus closely elsewhere he goes in our den, which is gated and we call it the “play zone.” I’ve removed fragile antiques from that space that could get knocked over, and it’s truly his space to just be in and play how he wants.
I really think it’s about a balancing act between restrictions and freedom to explore. When he is in a rambunctious mood we don’t stay in the formal living room, we go to the “play zone” or outside! I don’t expect him to be careful with everything or to always remember every boundary. I remind him to be gentle. I share more practical tips for toddlers living with antiques in this blog post.
What is one item you regret not picking up? What is one of your most treasured finds?
I went to this amazing estate sale in Memphis a few years back, and it was full of so many amazing things. I scooped up 6 vintage Chinese garden stools in the first 10 minutes of shopping that sale. This lady had fabulous taste and it was probably the best estate sale I’ve ever shopped! I left behind a true stunner - a Chinese Chippendale style carved giltwood mirror with pagoda topper. I regret not finding a way to get that baby home to this day!
I’m not sure I could pick my most treasured find…Something I bought that I fully intended to sell but has ended up having a permanent spot on our walls is this reproduction portrait of Auguste Strobl. The original portrait was painted for King Ludwig I Hall of Beauties at the Nymphenburg Palace — which was sort of like a 19th century beauty pageant in portraiture.
For me this portrait is about so much more than something beautiful to look at…it is a testament to women’s history, a perspective on the male gaze and art, and an exploration of beauty. I just became so fascinated by Auguste’s history that I had to keep this portrait. Now she hangs in our living room, and I enjoy having a tête-à-tête with her over coffee in the mornings. I love the history and curiosity she brings to our home.
I wrote this blog post all about the portrait if you want to learn more.
You recently wrapped up having a pop-up shop in your town. As someone who has sold vintage and antiques online for years, what was one of the most surprising things about having a physical shop?
While I’ve been selling online for about 10 years now, when I was first out of college I worked retail and then in an art gallery, so brick and mortar is familiar to me. But I forgot how much a physical shop is a living breathing organism in a sense. Physical shopping is an experience that so many of us are forgoing these days for the convenience of online shopping.
But stepping into a shop off the street lets you enter an atmosphere where all your senses are engaged. So for me it was really fun to think about the experience I was creating for people to look and shop for antiques. Putting together the whole environment from scents and lighting to traffic flow and music was an exciting challenge.
What type of item has been the best seller for your business and why do you think people are drawn to it?
Hands down it is Rose Medallion porcelain. I think people are mostly attracted to the whimsical designs and vibrant colors. There is just something enchanting about the pretty florals, elegant birds, and exotic court scenes in soft blues, bold pinks, and bright greens.
If you could visit anywhere in the US with the main purpose of shopping secondhand for yourself or your shop, where would you go?
Last fall my mother and I took James on a road trip up I-81 to Pennsylvania. I’m dying to go back! We had the best time in Roanoke and in and around Downingtown, P.A. I’d like to spend a week just going through places near Philadelphia. Plus one of my favorite historic sites for decorative arts is near there — Winterthur!
Could you share a savvy shopping tip?
Learn to navigate online auctions! There is such a plethora of antiques available worldwide, and auction houses open up your shopping opportunities tremendously.
I mostly use LiveAuctioneers and HiBid to find auctions and bid. You can set a keyword search alert for the items you’re hunting, and the site will send you an email alert anytime a lot with that keyword is listed. This will really speed up your search and make it easier to comb through the thousands of listings.
Thank you so much, Katherine! I think I really need to check out online auctions. It’s one of the few ways of shopping secondhand I haven’t tried yet!
If you’d like to learn a bit more about the history of the antiques and vintage pieces you are adding to your home, yall will absolutely want to follow her IG and blog. Check out her guides for information you can easily return to over and over!
Lately:
Watching:
I’m not a huge superhero fan (and definitely not Green Lantern), but when I heard that the latest DC-connected show, Lanterns, is more True Detective and less heroes in capes, I was curious. It is so good yall. With a central mystery and pitch perfect chemistry between Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, I look forward to watching it every week on HBO.
Reading:
Less about the actual book I’m reading (The Corpse Queen), I want to mention how I got this pitch perfect book recommendation from my bed at 11pm one night. (Yes, even librarians need suggestions sometimes!). I was in the mood for a very specific type of book: a historical mystery, perhaps with a big old house, a dash macabre, with a strong female lead. I used Novelist (a site available to you for free through your library, linked through your library’s site), to help narrow that down easily and find something I’d never heard of. What I like best is they suggest books based on very specific reasonings AND actual people are doing the suggestions vs AI. I recommend it to everyone!
Listening:
I listen to the House of R podcast whenever they recap a show I’m currently enjoying (ahem, Lanterns, ahem). Joanna Robinson has been a favorite for years! Recommended particularly if you like a good deep dive into current tv and movies.
That houndstooth jacket you found at the bins is wonderful!!
So excited to have been interviewed and to be a "savvy friend". : )