A Love Affair With Fashion — an independent, sourced style guide

Loving fashion is easy. Shopping well is harder. Sizes change from one label to the next, care labels are written in symbols most people were never taught, and the secondhand market has grown so fast that it can be difficult to know where to start. This site is a short, carefully sourced guide to those practical questions.

It is a new and independent project. It is not the fashion blog that once used this web address, it is not written by that blog’s author, and it does not continue it. The about page explains the difference.

Start here

No. 01Capsule wardrobe basicsWhere the capsule wardrobe came from (Susie Faux, Donna Karan’s Seven Easy Pieces), the classic 10-piece outline, and a step-by-step way to build your own.No. 02Why your size changes from brand to brandWhy a US women’s size 8 varies from brand to brand: the history of voluntary sizing standards, vanity sizing, and a side-by-side comparison of published size charts.No. 03Fibers, fabrics and the care labelA sourced guide to natural and synthetic fibers, what the FTC Care Labeling Rule requires, and how to read the five ASTM care symbols: wash, bleach, dry, iron and professional care.No. 04How to shop secondhandHow big US secondhand fashion is (thredUP 2025 Resale Report figures), how platforms such as Poshmark and thredUP work, and a checklist for buying preloved clothes well.No. 05Kohl’s x REED at Grand CentralWhat published sources say about Kohl’s REED collection by Reed Krakoff and the #MustREEDxKohls pop-up at New York’s Grand Central Terminal in 2016.

What the guide covers

Building a wardrobe. The capsule wardrobe idea goes back to the 1940s and was popularized in the 1970s and 1980s. The capsule wardrobe guide explains where the concept came from and how the classic ten-piece outline works.

Getting the fit right. A size 8 is not a fixed measurement in the United States. The US sizing guide compares published size charts and explains the history of voluntary standards and vanity sizing.

Knowing your fabrics. Polyester now makes up more than half of the world’s fiber production. The fabric and care-label guide compares natural and synthetic fibers and decodes the ASTM care symbols accepted under the FTC’s Care Labeling Rule.

Buying secondhand. A record share of US consumers bought secondhand clothing in 2024. The resale guide sets out the market figures and practical checks for buying preloved.

A little fashion history. In 2016 Kohl’s launched a designer collection with Reed Krakoff and staged a surprise pop-up at Grand Central Terminal. The REED pop-up page sets out what published sources say about it.

How it is written

Every page is written in a neutral editorial voice from sources that were opened and checked: government agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency, standards bodies, encyclopedia articles, company reports and reputable trade press. Each page ends with its sources. There are no invented reviews, no “we tried it” claims, no affiliate links and no advertising, and nothing on the site is for sale.